Act 11:26, And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians G5546 first in Antioch.
According to Yah’s Elect network (2018); It states that the name Christians / Christ-ianos comes from the mockery of the people who saw this group of Jesus’ followers expecting the Messiah of Israel, this article also declares “At first the followers of Jesus were called DISCIPLES (Greek Strongs #3101--pupil/learner: men-Acts 9:18, 26; women-Acts 9:35, 36); because of their religious faith they were called "BELIEVERS AND SAINTS." MEN were called BRETHREN-(Acts 9:30, 31; and WOMEN SISTERS -(Acts 16:1, 1Cor 7:15, 1Tim 5:2). In Antioch, a Syrian city (Acts 11:26), the disciples were first called Christianos (christi-anos, christi Strongs #5547 + abrev anosios Strongs #462)”.
G5546 Χριστιανός / Christianos / khris-tee-an-os' / From G5547; a Christian, that is, follower of Christ: - Christian. (Total KJV occurrences: 3)
Given the fact that there has never been in the history of the Torah (Old Testament) for the religion of God to be named after a Prophet (i.e., Adamanity, Abrahamity, Mosanity, etc.), I hope to explain that Jesus did not preach the religion of Christianity, but a religion that gives all Praise and Worship to The One God.
The word Christian was first mentioned by a pagan to describe those who followed Jesus.
One of the questions I asked myself as I took an objective (second) look at Christianity was; where did the word Christianity come from and was the word ever mentioned by Jesus? Well, I did not find the word Christianity in the Bible, not even in a Bible dictionary. Specifically, I did not find it in the Bible where Jesus called himself a Christian.
The word Christian was first mentioned by a pagan to describe those who followed Jesus. It is mentioned one of three times in the New Testament by a pagan and Jews in Antioch about 43 A.D., (Acts 11 :26, Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16) long after Jesus had left this earth.
“…and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)
To accept the words of pagans as having any value or association with divinity, Jesus or God is contrary to the teachings of all prophets.
Jesus prophesied that people will worship him uselessly and believe in doctrines made by men (Matthew 15:9):
“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9)
This verse, Matthew 15:9, is further supported by these words of the Qur’an:
And behold! Allah will say: ‘0 Jesus, son of Mary, did you say unto men, ‘Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?” He (Jesus) will say: “Glory to You! Never could I say what I had no right. Had I said such a thing You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never said I to aught except what You did command me to say, to wit, “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord’: And I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when You did take me up You was the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things. (Al-Ma’idah 5:116 -117)
I found that Biblical verses like John 5:30, John 12:49, John 14:28, Isaiah 42:8 and Acts 2:22 support the above-mentioned verses of the Qur’an.
“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” (John 5:30)
For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. (John 12:49)
“I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8)
“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22)
Before leaving the subject of Christianity, I should mention one small, but significant, point of observation.
If Christians are “Christ-like,” why are they not greeting each other with the words; Peace Be With You (Salamu `Alaykum), as Jesus did in Luke 24:36. As you may be aware, the greeting from one Muslim to another Muslim is Assalamu `Alaykum; a Christ-like saying.
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The article is an excerpt from the eBook “The Bible led me to Islam” by Abdul Malik (M. J.) LeBlanc, endorsed by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat
While “Christianity” does not feature in the New Testament, the title “Christian” (Χριστιανός; Christianós) appears three times. When it does, it is never a self-designation; rather, “Christian” is a name that comes from outside the Jesus assembly. For example, Acts notes in passing that “the disciples were called ‘Christians’ (Χριστιανούς) first in Antioch” (11:26). Luke does not say that the disciples called themselves Christians, but that they “were called Christians” by others. Similarly, the Herodian king Agrippa asks Paul, “Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?” (Acts 26:28). “Christian” was also used as a term of derision, but the New Testament urges Jesus-followers not be discouraged if they’re called by this name: “If anyone [suffers] as a ‘Christian,’ let them not be ashamed, but glorify God because of [this name]” (1 Pet 4:16). Although some believers in Yeshua were disparaged as “Christians,” this verse turns the title into one of glorification. Still, 1 Peter encourages believers to make the best of a title they did not invent; the nascent Jesus movement located itself within the religion of Israel, not as a Christian innovation apart from Jewish worship or tradition.
The Romans also provide examples of “Christians” being used by those with unfavorable views of the group. The ancient historian Tacitus writes about “a class of people, despised for their vices, whom the crowd called ‘Christians’ (Christianos). Christus, the founder of the name, had undergone the death penalty during the reign of Tiberias, by the sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate, and the pernicious superstition was checked for a moment, only the break out once more, not merely in Judea, the home of the disease, but in the capital [of Rome] itself, where all the horrible and shameful things in the world gather” (Annals 15.44). Tacitus explicates that to which 1 Peter alludes; namely, that non-believers used “Christian” as a title of derision against a despised religious movement.
According to our extant literature, “Christianity” originates in the writing of Ignatius (c. 100 CE). Unlike the derisive uses of “Christian,” Ignatius uses “Christianity” as a positive term in opposition to Judaism. The Gentile Ignatius asserts, “It is absurd to profess Christ Jesus and to live as the Jews. For Christianity (Χριστιανισμός; Christianismós) did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism [embraced] Christianity” (Epistle to the Magnesians 10). Ignatius argues that practitioners of Judaism (i.e., Jesus’ earliest followers) “embraced” a new religion called “Christianity,” thus Christians should not practice Judaism. The church father’s view of history is imprecise; the New Testament does not suggest that Jesus’ Jewish followers either abandoned Judaism or adopted an alternative religion called “Christianity.” To the contrary, the divide between what, today, we call “Judaism” and “Christianity” only began to emerge in the generations after Jesus and his Jewish apostles.
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Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser
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39 COMMENTS
- Joseph G. Hlubik September 4, 2020 at 11:15 pm
Do you believe Jesus trying to implement a "New Covenant" for Israel and Gentiles? Was there an anti-gentile (like in the mid to late 60's) faction that would have opposed Jesus in the late 20's?
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- Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser September 5, 2020 at 3:08 pm
Thanks for your questions, Joseph. The "new covenant" that Jesus offers is for Israel -- the terminology comes from Jeremiah 31:31-34, which says that God will make a new covenant with the "house of Israel and the house of Judah" (31:31). Gentiles can't receive a "new" covenant because they never had any initial covenant with the God of Israel. The early Jewish apostles are "ministers" of this new covenant to Gentiles (2 Cor 3:6) so that Gentiles reap the benefits of the new covenant that God cuts with the Jewish people. There's no "anti-Gentile" sect in the first century.
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+ More answers (5) - Israel Bible Center December 11, 2022 at 3:37 am
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- Penelope (Penny) D. Wenman September 5, 2020 at 1:28 am
... thank you so much, Dr. Schaser for the comforting words that 'the nascent Jesus movement located itself within the religion of Israel ... it is extremely comforting to me to realize this 'adherence to the Root of old Israel was known as experiental knowledge, the 'grafting in' ... that there was a tender beginning to the union of the hybridization of Israel ... but, as in Nature, maybe some 'branches' were not grafted in successfully, therefor weak & distorted branches & fruit came forth from this 'Christianity' ... also, when I first discovered the 'Simon Magus' & his terrible distortion of trying to usurp the Gifts of the Holy Spirit by purchase & juxtaposing pagan holidays & sacrifices upon the face of the new Christ-Meshiach Faith; finally establishing himself in Rome ... this terrible sin still reverberates down through the timeline & we still inheret the consequences ... thus, we must hurry along now, & encourage all those who are called out, to go deeper into the Roots of old Israel, seeking the grafting in ... being born into Israel in a fuller, richer, 'born-again-ness, that maturates the mind & soul & profoundly brings assurance of God's solid love & commitment to His Israel ...
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- Hugo Santiago November 3, 2020 at 5:40 pm
I don’t think any branches grafted by God will be the wrong ones. According to the scriptures, those branches ARE Israel once they are grafted, if they do not bare the fruit according to the tree, they are not branches of that ONE tree, because bad trees produce bad fruit.
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- Jerry S... September 8, 2020 at 11:42 am
Caution;... Slippery Slope Ahead... [ . . . - - - . . . ]!
J...Reply
- Louis Kok September 20, 2020 at 6:25 am
Dear Sir Madam. Please I would love to get your perspective on a one page piece i did on where we find ourselves regarding the gospel, the Church and the Law - I've been between Church and Hebrew roots for a long time and this was my only logical outcome.
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- Hugo Santiago November 3, 2020 at 5:34 pm
I am interested in your thoughts on what you have learnt, I myself would share mine with you so we can learn from each other. Shalom!
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Does this mean that all those who follow Christ should keep the Sabbath and other commands given to Israel (ie. holy days, clean and unclean food laws, etc.)?
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- Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser October 29, 2020 at 1:54 pm
Thanks for your question, Richard. Jews who follow Jesus can and do continue to keep the Torah commands (cf. Acts 3:1; 10:14; 21:20; 22:3, 12; 24:14; 25:8; 1 Cor 9:21). Paul would discourage Gentile followers of Jesus from any Torah command that marks Jewish identity (e.g., circumcision, dietary restrictions, Levitical purity laws, Jewish modes of dress, etc.). However, Paul expects his Gentile assemblies to follow those commands that are not specific to Jewish ethnic identity (think: the ten commandments, "love God," "love your neighbor," "care for widows and orphans," "be fair in judgment," "don't swear falsely," etc.; see Rom 3:31; 7:7; 8:4; 13:8-10; Gal 6:2; cf. Matt 5:21-48). Paul doesn't mention the Sabbath, but he tells the Corinthians to observe Passover (1 Cor 5:7-8), so he seems to expect that Gentiles keep the biblical holidays in solidarity with Israel. You may be interested in my course on Romans 9-11, in which I discuss the question of Gentile Torah observance at some length: //israelbiblecenter.com/courses/all-israel-will-be-saved-jewish-theology-in-romans-9-11/
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+ More answers (2) - Hugo Santiago November 3, 2020 at 5:46 pm
I understand that you are either a Christian or Israel. But the two of them are completely different. Isaiah 56 is very clear about non Israelites willingly coming under the Covenant, it will be ONE Torah and there’s obviously only one covenant to all. Christianity is a religion, just that.
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- Thandu December 7, 2020 at 11:02 am
Hi Prof. Rom 10:9. Q were not the Yeshua believing Roman assembly already saved by grace through faith in Yeshua’s atoning blood? Paul’s says “thou SHALT be saved?” Saved when, by who? Can a minister declare someone saved based on this verse?
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- Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser December 7, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Good question, Thandu. According to Paul in Romans, believers are "made righteous" or "justified" (δικαιόω) through Jesus' blood (Rom 3:24), and this righteousness ensures that believers will be "saved" (σῴζω) from God's wrath on the coming day of judgment (Rom 5:9). In sum, Paul says that believers are "made righteous" in the present, and will be "saved" in the future.
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- Stanley January 13, 2021 at 6:10 pm
Appreciate your insights Dr Nick. I think most modern followers of Christ sorely miss or are ignorant to this fact. It would be wonderful if the global Church (especially Western) returned to its Jewish roots. I look forward to your course mentioned in the comments in the near future.
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- Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser January 13, 2021 at 10:09 pm
Thank you for reading, Stanley.
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- Matthew Schwerdtfeger April 17, 2021 at 3:01 am
Hi, do teachers at Israel Bible Weekly confess that Yeshua is the Christ (The anointed one), The Son of the Living God? Matthew 16:15-19 KJV. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
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- Matthew Schwerdtfeger April 17, 2021 at 3:08 am
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation unto all who believe. If God spoke through a wild ass, then He can also speak through me. Numbers 22:21-39 KJV.
Does the Bible mention the word Christian?
The word Christian is used three times in the New Testament: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. The original usage in all three New Testament verses reflects a derisive element in the term Christian to refer to followers of Christ who did not acknowledge the emperor of Rome.Where they were first called Christian?
It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first referred to as Christians.