Believe it or not, people who believe in the Biblical records of Jesus as well as those who don’t have both told me they denounced the term Christian. I too was one of these individuals as I found Christians to be extremely fake and condemning until the Holy Spirit asked me a question.
I was preparing to make a video when the Holy Spirit and I began having a conversation. He posed a question about what I believed in and I said something along the lines of “I’m a believer in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit” in which He replied, “What could you say where any where you go, someone would know what all that means?” And I replied “Christian”.
From social media to reality, I now proclaim that I am a Christian, but I’m not your average Christian.
Where did the Term “Christian” come From?
According to Etymonline, Wikipedia, and Scholarly Community Encyclopedia, the term “Christ” derived from the Koine Greek word “Χριστός” (Christós), which is a translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah or Christ/Anointed One in English. The addition of -ianos (meaning belonging to) was added to Christos making the term Χριστιανός (Christianos/Christian) to mean follower of Christ.
There were several sources that cited being called “Christian” was a derogatory term in Ancient Greece/Rome. Jesus was crucified because of the perceived threat to religious Jews which morphed into a threat to Roman Rule/Authority.
To be crucified was one of the most brutal and shameful methods of death. Those sentenced to crucifixion were non-citizens, slaves, and those accused of serious crimes. This method of torturous death was not just a horrific way to die, but also to send a public warning. Three Non-Biblical sources cited the crucifixion of Christ Jesus along with the behavior of those who followed Him. These people are referred to as Christians and coincide with Biblical accounts of the name.
Is the Term “Christian” found in the Bible?
The Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Evil, Negative Energy, whatever you want to call it, is the father of lies. It is no wonder that the new wave of attack against Jesus and His people comes in the form of having the people who Love Him be blinded by the truth of the term Christian. Many people have told me, both believers and non-believers, that the term Christian is not in the Bible or that Jesus did not refer to Himself as such.
Isaiah 62:2 reads:
Nations and kings see your glory, and you are given a new name chosen by the mouth of the Lord.
Isaiah 65:15 reads:
Those who turn away leave their name as a curse, while God calls His faithful servants by another name.
In both chapters, Isaiah is speaking to the Jewish people (Israelites/Judeans). For those of you who may not know, The Book of Isaiah is a prophetic book full of prophecy including the prophecy of the Messiah Jesus Christ.
Acts 11:26 reads:
The disciples were first called Christians in the city of Antioch.
Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. It was a hub of trade and included marketplaces, bath houses, and theaters while hosting nations such as the Persians, Greeks, Jews, Romans, Arabs, and Africans.
Here, Disciples founded the first church which included a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. Before the creation of the church, the people were called “Believers”, followers of “The Way”, or “Brethren” to separate them from the traditional Jewish community. Roughly 750 years later, the new name that Isaiah had prophesied was given.
Acts 26:28-29 reads:
And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am-except for these chains.”
1 Peter 4:16 reads:
Peter writes “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”
To say the term Christian is not found in the Bible is a lie. For those who say, Jesus did not call himself a Christian but a Jew should understand that to be a Christian means to be Christ like, follower of Christ, or belonging to the Anointed One while being Jewish is an ethnicity stemming from descendants of the tribe of Judea.
Where once before, the people of God were a specific ethnicity, the sacrifice of Christ opened all people of all nations to the opportunity to be one with The Most High and Only True Living God.
Who Are The Christians?
We know that the term Christian means to belong to Christ or to be a follower of Christ and yet there are so many evil people that represent the term. Please note that just because someone calls themselves a follower of Christ (Christian) doesn’t mean they actually are.
Christ Himself stated that not everyone who called on Him would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven only those who do the will of His Father who is in Heaven. That they would even boast to Him about their deeds as He declares to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
So who are the Christians? The Bible gives us a wealth of resources in identifying if we are Christian. Understanding who we are first, will give us the ability to understand who others are. The 9 distinct fruits of the spirit are described in Galatians 5:22-23 as follows:
But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance (control of oneself when provoked), kindness, goodness (suitable to eat or drink: not spoiled, can be used or relied on, etc.), faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
God also lets us know what He hates. Proverbs 6:16-19 reads:
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
haughty eyes(proud, showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for things/people deemed inferior), a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
When deciding who is a Christian and who isn’t, let us first consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:3-5. Before peering into some else’s life, let us first examine and work on ourselves.
Matthew 7:1-3
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love.
1 John 4:20
If a man say, “I Love God,” and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in Love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore Love is the fulfillment of the law.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
With Love,
Mother Ocia🌹