So that men may SEE: The Case for Christianity

I’ll just jump straight in and say this: One of the biggest problems of our generation is that we have a lot of people professing to be Christians, but we have very few ‘be-livers’ of the Christian faith, and yes, I really mean 'be-livers.'

In the beginning, that is, the very first time the word "Christian" was used in the Bible, it was to describe followers of Jesus in the book of Acts.

Acts 11:25-26 says, “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

According to Google, the root word for "Christian" is the Greek term "Christianos," which originated in Antioch to describe followers of Christ, often as a derogatory label. It is derived from "Christos," meaning "anointed one" or "Messiah." The root meaning is "adherent of Christ" or "follower of Christ," sometimes interpreted as "little anointed ones.”

I also put in here a snippet from the Enduring Word Bible Commentary of the verse for a bit more context as to the word "Christian" and why it was coined:

• In Latin, the ending "ian" meant “the party of.” A Christ-ian was “of the party of Jesus.” Christians was sort of like saying "Jesus-ites" or “Jesus People,” describing the people associated with Jesus Christ. Boice thinks the idea was that they were called “Christ-ones.”
• Also, soldiers under particular generals in the Roman army identified themselves by their general’s name by adding "ian" to the end. A soldier under Caesar would call himself a Caesarian. Soldiers under Jesus Christ could be called Christians.
• In Antioch, they probably first used the term "Christians" to mock the followers of Jesus. “Antioch was famous for its readiness to jeer and call names; it was known by its witty epigrams.” (Gaebelein) But as the people of Antioch called the followers of Jesus the “Jesus People,” the believers appreciated the title so much that it stuck.

It is such a good commentary of the whole chapter, and I think you should check it out here: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/acts-11/.

I don’t know if this will blow your mind as it did mine, but there were some interesting facts about the church in Antioch aside from the fact that Christians were named first there. One of them was that it happened to be the first ‘Gentile Church’ and was famous for being the first major integrated congregation.

It was multicultural in nature, and the people there were a mix of both Jew and Gentile, but somehow these people, after their conversions, were transformed so much so that they had to be given the tag ‘Jesus people’ because they no longer fit solely into the Jewish or Gentile social categories.

Mind you, these people were not called Christians simply because they professed the name of Jesus with their mouths.

You see, then, what you believed was often tied to where you came from. The Canaanites worshipped Baal or Ashtoreth, the Greeks worshipped gods like Zeus and Apollo, and the Jews worshipped God. These beliefs shaped their culture, their practices, and their way of life.

But something different had happened here.

People from different backgrounds had come together and called themselves followers of ‘The Way’, and it didn’t just change what they believed and the God they paid allegiance to; it changed how they lived, and their lives no longer aligned with what they used to be known for, Jew or Gentile.

It became so evident that they could no longer be identified by their former identities, and so a new name had to be given to them, one that reflected the ‘supposed’ Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, which they now embodied.

Now, my aim is no other than to let you see that, beyond the title of religion it is today, the use of the word ‘Christian’ was putting a name to what they were already reflecting characteristic-wise. Just like you would say, “that lady is very peaceful” because you’ve seen her choose peace in certain situations that might have warranted otherwise.

That was the testimony of the Believers in Antioch and even those scattered in other regions; they showed certain characteristics, and that gave them the name. You can even say that, to them, the term ‘Christian’ functioned more as a descriptor than as merely a name or title to fill out a form. It was almost like they formed a new tribe, and it was used just as you would say someone was Yoruba or Igbo or Irish.

If the name Christian was given to describe what people already saw, then the question stops being 'do you believe?' and becomes 'does it show you?’

This brings me to my point. You know, Jesus in Matthew Chapter 5 had said, “…let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” It seems to me that even beyond the desires and intentions of the heart, the works and actions of a believer are very important to the Kingdom of God.

I remember that in our last episode, we tackled the issue of the heart and how it is so central to our lives and the decisions we make. Still, it would be an incomplete work, and, in fact, it would be hypocritical of us to say that our heart was in the right place and aligned if there was no corresponding physical evidence to support our claims.

The Apostle in James chapter 2 verses 17&18 said, “[17] So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. [18] Now, someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” What the apostle was really trying to say here was that the evidence for faith and ‘goodness of heart’ was the physical works that men could see. This could mean that the claim of being a Christian or believing in God can only be completely confirmed and justified when there is evidence in Character and fruit to support it.

Nowadays, you will hear arguments like “only my heart matters”, “as long as your heart is in the right place and you have the right intention," but just as the believers in Antioch made the other gentiles feel as though they could no longer fit in and needed a new tribe of theirs, that is exactly what we are to model as the 21^st-century believer. But this time, Jesus is the King of our tribe.

You know how you didn’t need to do a lot of research work to know if someone was Yoruba, because somehow their dressing or language or food or name would betray them? And even if they try to disguise all of these, the loud and about ‘h-factor’ (no shades thrown, please) would find its way to announce them to the world. That is exactly what it means to be a Christian.

Salvation and being grafted into the body start from the heart, of course, but our walk with Jesus is so transformational that the end goal of every man is to become like Jesus, not just at heart, but in speech, in character, in desire, in actions, and in decisions, and that transformation is not free. It costs something.

And, big disclaimer here, legality is also not the goal. No, none of these would save any man; only accepting and believing Jesus as Lord and Savior will ever do that, but honey, you will doubt the claim of anyone who says that they come from a rich family if they don't look like it, won’t you? Even though money isn’t what made him a biological heir, you would scarcely ever say someone was rich at heart and be talking about economic supremacy; he could either spend the money or couldn’t.

Our heart is a large part of our faith in Jesus, maybe the most important part, but it will never take away that the place of working out your salvation with fear and trembling is one that would require a physical demonstration and practice of our already gifted salvation. It should never steal away the place that acknowledges that you, my dear, are a living epistle to be read by all, as said in 2 Corinthians 3: 2.

The freedom given to us in Christ Jesus is not a freedom that lets you do what you will and feel; in fact, the Apostle Paul uses the word "bond-servant" many times to describe himself, and that means "voluntary servant" literally. This would indicate the presence of not just a Savior but a Lord too. And with a lord come responsibilities, tasks, assignments, and obedience.

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” And part of our cross as believers is continuous enmity with anything that this world calls its own, as the Bible questions, “What relationship does light have to do with darkness?” Another cross we have been damned to carry is the one that puts us on a pedestal to live as ambassadors bound by the requirements to portray his county in the best light, at all times and in all seasons. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

I would like to conclude by saying again, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and so our work for Him is not performative, but as Jesus Himself said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And in His word will we find His commandments unchanging and relevant, come what may. All that is left that we do is to continually seek His face for the grace and strength to do all that is required of us and to represent Him as ambassadors and soldiers of His Kingdom, even as He tarries.