The Strange and Surprising History Behind the Name quotChristianquot

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Learn more about our non-profit community eco-farm project in Puerto Rico - https:://www.awaketodreampr.org • Help with resources for our non-profit community farm project in Puerto Rico - https://throne.com/awaketodream • Join our Patreon for extended cut videos, a free Bible History workshop, original music and more! / awaketodream • Buy me a coffee and support the channel! - https://ko-fi.com/kenarrington • Download a FREE SAMPLE of my newest book - Rending the Veil, Beginning the Journey of Intimacy with Your Creator and more, including workshops and courses! - https://taplink.cc/ken.arrington • The Strange and Surprising History Behind the Name Christian • Did you know the word “Christian” started as a slur? Early followers of Jesus didn’t even call themselves Christians. They were initially known as followers of The Way, as seen in Acts 9:2, 19:9, and 22:4, or Nazarenes, like Paul, who is labeled “ringleader of the Nazarenes” in Acts 24:5. The term “Christian” appears only three times in the Bible (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, 1 Peter 4:16), and in each case, it was used to distinguish them from others—usually with disdain. • So, why “Christian”? After Stephen’s martyrdom, believers fled to Antioch, where they continued preaching, even converting Gentiles. Antioch was a wealthy, cosmopolitan Roman city, full of marble streets and an imperial cult dedicated to the emperor’s divinity. The arrival of Jesus’ followers—people who honored only Jesus as Lord—was disruptive. • Some historians say that the people of Antioch coined “Christian” as a mocking term, drawing from “Christos,” the Greek for “Anointed One,” to mean “little Christs.” Being associated with a crucified “criminal” carried a heavy stigma, so “Christian” was hardly a compliment. In a culture where crucifixion was a mark of shame, the title “Christian” implied followers of someone who had been publicly humiliated by Rome. • Yet, instead of rejecting the name, believers embraced it, just as Jesus taught them to “turn the other cheek.” Over time, the term “Christian” became a proud identifier, one the early church, including Peter, supported. Even historians like Tacitus and Pliny the Younger recorded the term as “vulgar” or common, recognizing how widely it had spread. • Eventually, the term “Christian” represented a people of unshakable faith, transformed from a slur to a badge of honor—much like Christ himself, who rose from a symbol of Roman shame to be worshipped as Lord. • So, from mockery to mission, the name “Christian” came to encapsulate the spirit of a community willing to follow Jesus, regardless of the world’s perception. God bless, you are loved, see you soon. • NOTES AND SOURCES: • Acts 11:26: • “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” The term was likely used by outsiders to label followers of Jesus, possibly with a dismissive or mocking tone. • Acts 26:28: • King Agrippa says to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” This indicates the term was already widely recognized, possibly with a tone of sarcasm or disbelief. • 1 Peter 4:16: • “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” The term “Christian” is associated here with social shame and suffering, suggesting it was not used respectfully. • Tacitus, Annals 15.44 (c. 116 AD): • Refers to Christians as followers of a “mischievous superstition” and associates them with criminality and social disorder after the Great Fire of Rome. • Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars, Nero 16.2 (c. 121 AD): • Calls Christians “a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition,” reflecting the disdain Roman society held toward them. • Pliny the Younger, Letters 10.96-97 (c. 112 AD): • Writes to Emperor Trajan about interrogating “Christiani” in his province, viewing their practices as suspicious and potentially dangerous. • Lucian of Samosata, The Passing of Peregrinus (c. 165 AD): • Mocks Christians as naïve followers of a “crucified sophist,” illustrating the ridicule they faced in Greco-Roman society. • The Martyrdom of Polycarp, Martyrdom of Polycarp 3.2 (c. 155 AD): • Describes Polycarp as being called an “atheist” by non-Christians, showing that Christians were seen as outcasts and labeled derogatorily. • Celsus, The True Doctrine (c. 177 AD): • Ridicules Christians as foolish, deluded followers of a deceiver, reinforcing the social disdain and scorn associated with the term. • #OriginOfTheWordChristian #WhyChristiansAreCalledChristians #WasChristianASlur #FirstChristiansInAntioch #ChristianInTheBible #Acts1126 #FollowersOfTheWay #WhoWereTheNazarenes #ChristianPersecutionInRome #HistoryOfTheWordChristian

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