Christians – La Vista Church of Christ

Names for God’s People

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 17:00:12 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Names-for-Gods-People.mp3

Download Audio

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Isaiah 62:1-5

I. Names hold a particular significance in the Bible

A. When a child is born in this country, parents agonize on picking out just the right name.

1. Often the name is selected because it has a nice “ring” to it

2. Because a favorite relative has the name

3. Because a famous person has the name

B. Names in the Bible were given for different reasons

1. To convey an idea about a person

2. To indicate circumstances related to the birth of a child

3. Examples

a. Jacob and Esau - Genesis 25:24-26

(1) First child was named “Esau” because he was covered with red hair. Esau means “hairy”.

(2) Second child was named “Jacob” because he was holding on to his brother’s heel. Jacob means “heel catcher,” but it also means “supplanter” such as when someone trips up another person. This name suited Jacob because he later gains the birthright and blessings that should have gone to Esau.

b. Abram - means “high father”

(1) Changed by God to “Abraham,” which means “father of a multitude.”

(2) By accepting the name, Abraham showed his belief in God’s promise that his descendants would become a great nation (Genesis 17:1-7).

C. Names in the Bible describe the person (or group of people) and their relationship

D. By comparing the name to others holding the same name, we can learn more about the people.

II. A Kingdom

A. Daniel 2:44 - God will establish a kingdom during the days of the Roman empire.

B. Matthew 16:18 - Jesus would build his church, which he also calls the kingdom of heaven

C. Mark 9:1 - It would come in the lifetime of the people listening to Jesus - coming with power.

D. Acts 1:6-8 - It would be start in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit comes

E. Acts 2:1-4 - We see the Holy Spirt come on the day of Pentecost and at that time, people are added to Christ's Church (Acts 2:41)

F. So in Ephesians 1:20-23, we see that Christ is now reigning (i.e. he is a king)

G. Paul speaks of the kingdom, not in a future hope, but as a present existence - Colossians 1:10-14

H. Christ is the king and we are the citizen

1. We owe allegiance, honor and obedience to our Lord

2. The laws that govern us come from the king and not the citizens.

III. A Body

A. If we continue in Colossians we see Paul also calls it a body - Colossians 1:15-18

B. Ephesians 1:20-23 (already read) also calls the church as the body.

C. Ephesians 5:23 - Christ is the head of the body

D. I Corinthians 12:12-13 - Christians make up the parts of the body.

E. The head (Christ) directs the body in the way it should go.

F. As separate parts, we must learn to work together as a whole so that the whole church may benefit.

IV. A Family

A. Romans 8:16-17 - We are God's children

B. Children don't always do as they ought. They must be taught and they are always growing.

C. God is the Father - Ephesians 3:14-15. We take our name from him.

D. Christ is our elder brother - Hebrews 2:10-12

E. Together, we are God's household - I Timothy 3:14-15

V. What about you?

A. Won't you become apart of God's family, a member of his body, a citizen of the greatest kingdom that has ever existed?

The Quiet People

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:07:45 +0000

by Matthew W. Bassford

Let us exalt the quiet people. Let us consider and honor them. They are nothing in the sight of the world and too often nothing in the sight of their brethren, but they are choice and precious in the sight of God.

Every congregation has them. They assemble faithfully each Lord's Day, but they are rarely conspicuous in the assembly. Many of them are women, who have no public role in church at all. They are, in a word, quiet. I Thessalonians 4:11 is their verse.

When they are not assembled, they quietly do good. They look in on people and look after people: their families, their brethren, and their neighbors. Year after year, decade after decade, they patiently serve others. They desire neither recognition nor reward. It would not occur to any of them that they are anything special. They believe that anyone in their situation would do as they have done, even though this is not actually true.

I am not one of the quiet people. I never have been. By the grace of God, I am a writer, and like all gifted writers, I have a unique authorial voice. People with voices are not quiet. Nonetheless, the quiet people have always been my brethren and my friends. In addition to their other virtues, they are generally supportive of preachers.

Since my diagnosis, though, my relationship with the quiet people has changed. Now I have been added to the list of those for whom they care. In person, they look after me and mine. They might take the kids for a day, mow the lawn, or bring a meal by.

When distant from me, they continue to care as best they can. They pray. They leave supportive comments on Facebook. They send cards. They send money. Others might put their money where their mouth is; the quiet people put their money where their hearts are.

At times, I feel embarrassed by and guilty about their generosity. Both of these feelings are temptations and lies. Instead, I must rejoice in the wisdom of the generous. They have chosen to lay up treasure in heaven, to trust in the ancient promise that God will care for those who care for others.

We often say that the church is people. I will go one step further. The church is the quiet people. The preachers and teachers may be noisier, but they are not nearly so numerous. Mostly, the Restoration project has produced the quiet people. The work of the Holy Spirit in creating them cannot be denied.

For this reason, it makes me angry when I see “the Church of Christ” attacked online. Allegedly, “we” are legalistic, hardhearted, emotionless, unloving, etc. Because the quiet people are the church, this is an attack on them.

Frankly, I think the real issue is that the quiet people have a public relations problem. They do not sound a trumpet before them as they go to do good, so church critics leap to the conclusion that no good is being done. It is shockingly imperceptive and unfair.

Let us celebrate the quiet people instead. Let us celebrate the cleansed and sanctified church in which they congregate. God does, and who are we to judge more harshly than He?

Can We Just Be Christians

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 14:54:58 +0000

by Craig Thomas

In a world filled with religious traditions and denominational churches, the concept of being simply Just a Christian is difficult to communicate. Yet a careful reader of the New Testament will realize Jesus did not die so His followers could be divided into sects and parties (John 17:20-23). Jesus died to reconcile all men in one body to God (Ephesians 2:16). To belong only to Christ, to have been baptized into the one body of which Jesus Christ is the Savior, is something altogether different from belonging to any one of the over 30,000 or more religious bodies in this country (I Corinthians 12:13; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23).

The Bible teaches there is only “one body” and “one faith,” just as there is only “one God, one Lord, one baptism, and one hope” (Ephesians 4:4-6). This “one body” is Christ’s church (Ephesians 1:22-23) which Jesus built (Matthew 16:18), not men (Hebrews 8:1-2). This spiritual house is made up of Christians who are “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5), citizens of God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13), and saints of God (Colossians 1:2). They have been born again “of water and the Spirit” into God’s family (John 3:5; Ephesians 2:19). The church of Christ is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20), not on the sand of denominational creeds and traditions. Jesus is the “chief cornerstone” (I Peter 2:6-7; I Corinthians 3:11) and the only head (Ephesians 1:22) and “all authority” in heaven and on earth rests in Him (Matthew 28:18). This leaves no room for Popes, Presidents, councils, synods, conventions or so-called “latter-day prophets.”

Jesus built the church according to God’s divine pattern. A house built by any other (e.g., Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Joseph Smith, Ellen White, Mary Baker Eddy, the Popes of Rome, the Watchtower Society, etc.) is not recognized by God. “Except Jehovah build the house, they labor in vain that build it” (Psalms 127:1; Matthew 15:13). Jesus condemned the various sects and parties of His day (Mark 7:6-9, 13) causing great offense to those sectarians (Matthew 15:12). Does the appeal to be simply Just a Christian interest or offend you?

Simply Christians

When people on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ death complied with the conditions of grace for their salvation (Acts 2:38-41; cf. Romans 5:1-2) “...the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). To which church did God add them? Were they Lutherans? Mormons? Roman Catholics? Was Peter a member of one denomination and John another? When Paul was baptized (Acts 22:16) did he become an Episcopalian, Methodist, or Catholic? Do these questions seem absurd to you? Certainly, because no one would claim that those baptized in Acts 2, or Peter, or John, or Paul were anything other than simply Christians! If they were alive today, no denomination could claim them for the apostles’ teaching made people just Christians, not Protestants or Catholics.

The “Seed” Principle

In Matthew 15:13 Jesus makes this statement: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.” How do you get plants? Everyone knows the first step in the process is to sow seed. Furthermore, everyone knows if you plant corn seeds you get corn plants, if you plant tomato seeds, you get tomato plants. The Bible says seed also produces Christians. What type of seed? “The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8:4-15; I Peter 1:23) . In I Corinthians 3:5-7 Paul tells us it was his duty as a minister of God to go about sowing this seed, the Word of God. (also see I Corinthians 2:6-13) Now I ask you, fair reader, “What did the seed Paul planted produce?” Methodists? Presbyterians? Baptists? Catholics?

No, it produced just Christians, because he simply planted the Word of God. Remember, seed always produces after its kind. Recall, to get corn one must plant corn, to get tomatoes one must plant tomatoes. Thus, to get Methodists one must plant the Methodist Discipline, to get Baptists one must plant the Baptist Manual, to get Catholics one must plant The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Why can we understand this inviolable principle in tending our farms and gardens, but can’t when it comes to the plain teaching of God’s word?

Do You Realize What This Means?

It simply means that all the creeds, traditions, “revelations,” and institutions of men that have cropped up over the past 1900 years to clutter the religious scene and confuse our minds are at best unnecessary; unnecessary to life and godliness, and unnecessary to the hope of heaven. But it also means the whole concept of modern denominationalism is not part of the true Christianity originating in the mind of God, revealed by the Holy Spirit, and preserved in the New Testament. God purposed the church of Jesus Christ before He made the world (Ephesians 1:3-4; 3:10-11). Did He purpose the Lutheran Church or the Episcopal Church from eternity? Did anyone ever become a Jehovah’s Witness or a Mormon simply by obeying the scriptures only? Did the Holy Spirit, who guided the apostles in the first century into “all truth” (John 16:13), reveal to them the doctrines, teachings, and names that make the Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Catholics distinctly different denominations?

Can We Be Simply Christians?

Certainly! No one ever became anything else by following the Bible and Jesus. Follow the Word of God as it stands, not after it has been filtered through the human-written creeds and doctrines of men. Let God’s Word make of you what it will. It will make of you what it made those in the book of Acts. Those who continued in the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42) were believers, disciples, saints, and Christians; it made a group of them the church of God or the church of Christ, and that is all the apostles’ doctrine will ever make of anyone.

Our Claim and Our Aim

We do not claim to have special knowledge of God’s Word others cannot obtain. Paul instructed that man can understand God’s Word (Ephesians 3:1-5). All men can understand God’s Word if they will simply read it with an open mind (Acts 17:10-12) and recognize Jesus and His Word are the source of all truth (John 14:6; 16:13; 17:17). The only worship of God that followers of denominational doctrines, traditions, and teachings can offer is vain (empty/useless) worship (Matthew 15:9). Regardless of how good it may seem, it is sheer folly to listen to and follow these doctrines, traditions, and teachings. For these reasons: our love for God and men, the shortness of life, and the certainty of judgment; we will use great plainness of speech. We speak this way, not with the purpose of offending, but to challenge you to “examine yourself to see if you are in the faith” (II Corinthians 13:5).

Our claim and our aim are neither boastful nor arrogant. We are Just Christians, nothing more and nothing less. We are not associated with, and have no allegiance to, any denomination; because the concept of denominationalism is condemned in God’s Word (I Corinthians 1:10-13; 3:1-4). Denominationalism is in opposition to the singular nature of the church Jesus built (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4; Colossians 1:18).

The church to which we belong has no earthly head and reports to no earthly headquarters. Its head is Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23), and He resides at the right hand of God in heaven (Hebrews 1:3; Ephesians 1:20). Our aim and sole desire are to imitate those in the New Testament who were members of Christ’s church (Acts 2:42, 47). To this end, we use God’s Word as our only guide (I Peter 4:11; Colossians 3:17) for we believe, as Jesus Himself said, that “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

Won’t you join us in following the Bible alone and letting it make all of us just Christians?

You should get your facts straight

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 22:03:29 +0000

Question:

You mentioned (in Is “Christian” supposed to be “natsarim”?) that the New Testament wasn't written in Hebrew. That's partially true, as Epiphanius and others have documented there was a Hebrew Matthew.

Then you mentioned that Christian was a valid term based on the assumption that the New Testament wasn't written in Hebrew. Uhm, the term Christian is not Greek, it's English so, no, Christian was not used to describe the first-century believers, which by the way, were almost exclusively Jewish.

The term "Christian" was also a derogatory term created by the Romans. Nowhere in the Old or New Testament did God or Yeshua ever call His people, Christians. In fact, they were referred to as Israel.

Since you will be held accountable for the answers you give in His name, I would highly encourage you to actually know what you are talking about.

Answer:

Your argument is inconsistent. You stated that the New Testament wasn't written in Hebrew was partially true and you then argued that Matthew was written in Hebrew. But then later argue against the term "Christian" because you believe the New Testament was written in Hebrew.

A very simple way to show that the New Testament (including Matthew) was not written in Hebrew is to note the frequent translation of Hebrew words and phrases into Greek. If the text was originally written in Hebrew, these translations would not be necessary. See Was the New Testament written in Greek or Aramaic?

You cite Epiphanius, a fourth-century writer, as evidence that Matthew (written 300 years earlier) was written in Hebrew.

"Epiphanius, who lived largely in Palestine, and wrote his treatise on heresies in the latter half of the 4th century, has much to say of the Ebionites, and the Nazarenes. Speaking of the Ebionites, he says they receive the "Gospel according to Matthew" to the exclusion of the others, mentioning that it alone of the New Testament books is in Hebrew speech and Hebrew characters, and is called the "Gospel according to the Hebrews" (Haer., xxx.3). He goes on to say, that their "Gospel according to Matthew," as it is named, is not complete but falsified and mutilated, "and they call it the Hebrew Gospel" (Haer., xxx. 13). The quotations which Epiphanius proceeds to make show that this Gospel diverges considerably from the canonical Gospel of Mt and may well be that according to the Hebrews. It is more likely that "the Gospel according to Matthew, very full, in Hebrew," of which Epiphanius speaks, when telling about the Nazarene, is the Hebrew "Gospel of Matthew" attested by Papias, Irenaeus, and a widespread early tradition. But as Epiphanius confesses he does not know whether it has the genealogies, it is clear he was not himself acquainted with the book." ["Hebrews, Gospel According to The" International Standard Bible Encyclopedia].

More information on this topic can be found in:

Regarding the use of the term "Christian," I made a detailed list of evidence in Was the term “Christian” originally a derogatory reference? But notice that once again you contradicted yourself. You said that since "Christian" is an English word, then it could not have been applied to the first-century followers of Christ. But then you said it was a term used against disciples by the Romans. You can't have it both ways. But then neither argument is correct.

What is particularly disappointing is that you originally referenced Is “Christian” supposed to be “natsarim”? Many of the proofs I gave here were mentioned in that article; yet, you clearly didn't bother to do your research or address any of the points previously made. This doesn't make you appear knowledgeable about the topics you want to address.

The Marks of God’s People

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 20:14:57 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/The-Marks-of-Gods-People.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Matthew 7:15-20

I. By their fruits you shall know them - Matthew 7:15-20

A. You can distinguish between the righteous and the unrighteous by their fruits

B. The things that they do make them recognizable. More importantly, the results of their work stand out.

C. We could talk about the characteristics of the wicked, but today, let’s focus on the marks of God’s people

II. Christians have righteous characteristics

A. The fruit of the Lord’s light is goodness, righteousness, truth - Ephesians 5:8-9

B. Galatians 5:22-25 - the product of the Spirit

1. Love - A devoted love. A love that gives even when it is not returned.

a. Defined in I Corinthians 13:1-8

2. Joy - Happiness or a calm delight

3. Peace - A quietness that comes from harmony with God and man.

a. It is the opposite of war.

4. Patience - Longsuffering. The willingness to endure.

a. It is shown toward us by God giving us many opportunities to turn from sin.

b. It is needed by us to deal with the shortcomings of our fellow men.

5. Kindness - A gentle person who is kind and good

6. Goodness - A generous person who is good.

a. It is the opposite of evil.

7. Faithfulness - A person of conviction who has his faith, trust, and confidence in God.

a. It also refers to a person who is reliable and trustworthy.

8. Gentleness - A gentle, humble person.

a. He is the opposite of a hot-tempered man.

9. Self-control - A person able to control his desires

C. Those who have peace, produce righteousness by spreading peace - James 3:17-18

D. A fear of God distinguishes us - Malachi 3:16-18

1. Psalms 111:10 - It is the beginning of the wisdom mentioned in James

2. It is a source of strength of character and fountain of life - Proverbs 14:26-27

E. But Malachi 3:16 also tells of another characteristic - speaking often to each other

1. The reason for gather as we do today is so we can encourage each other - Hebrews 10:25

2. The reason we sing in worship is to teach and admonish each other - Colossians 3:16

F. Christians are courageous - Psalms 46

1. The source of our courage is our Lord

2. We can withstand the blasts. We can wait on our Lord - Psalms 27:14

G. We produce fruit when we meditate on God’s word - Psalms 1:1-3

H. Everyone will see we are Jesus’ disciples by our love for each other - John 13:34-35

1. Two things that manifest us as belonging to God - righteousness and love - I John 3:10

2. Our love for each other shows whether we love God - I John 4:20

I. We are different - I Peter 4:3-4

1. People often do not understand us - Acts 26:24

2. Jesus was treated no differently - John 10:20-21

III. If we do not produce results, we will be removed - Luke 13:6-9

A. Fruit is not for the young and vigorous. We can be productive even in our old age - Psalms 92:13-15

B. Are you fruitful? Are you productive? Do you bear the marks of a Christian?

The Fruit of the Spirit

Match the fruit of the Spirit to the definitions below.

A gentle, humble person
Devoted even when it is not returned
A gentle, kind person
A trustworthy person of conviction
Calm delight
A person in control of his desires
Willing to endure
A generous, good person
Quiet harmony with God and man

I am a Christian

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 20:46:21 +0000

By Cecil May,
Dean Emeritus, Faulkner University College of Biblical Studies,
in the October 2019 Gospel Advocate

I am a disciple of Christ; I seek to learn from Him and follow Him…but I am not a Disciple of Christ.
I am a methodist; I try to follow the biblical method…but I am not a Methodist.
I am a baptist; I have been immersed in water for the forgiveness of my sins…but I am not a Baptist.
I am catholic; Christ added me to His universal church…but I am not a Catholic.
I am part of an assembly of God; we assemble each Lord’s day…but I am not of the Assemblies of God.
I am presbyterian; my congregation is shepherded by elders (Greek, presbuteroi)…but I am not a Presbyterian.
I am episcopalian; my congregation is overseen by bishops (Greek, episcopoi)…but I am not an Episcopalian.
I am a member of a congregation which is Christian and independent…but I am not of the Independent Christian Church.
I am a member of the church of Christ; He built it and purchased it with His blood…but I am not Church of Christ.
I am a member of the church of God; He purposed it before the worlds began…but I am not Church of God.

By the grace of God, I am a Christian.

Is “Christian” supposed to be “natsarim”?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 23:26:16 +0000

Question:

Hello, brethren in Christ,

I hope you are well and my greetings to you and the church. I have been going on your website for many answers to questions that I study and I get provided many concrete answers.

I wanted to get some clarification on the word "natsarim". I have been having some discussion with a friend who states that the Bible is translated wrong. For example: "Christians" are actually "Natsarim". Now the kind of Bible he uses is a Hebrew Bible. He states that there is no such thing as Christians, the word, or rather "religion" itself mentioned in the Bible. But in James 1:26, it states it there.

Can you please shed some light on this?

Thank you and God bless.

Answer:

When arguments are made, there is a set of assumptions made from which the argument is built. Formally, the set of assumptions are called prepositions. The prepositions for an argument must be true in order for the argument as a whole to be true. If you show that one or more of the prepositions are false, then the whole argument collapses.

Your friend starts out assuming that the New Testament is written in Hebrew. That is provably false. See:

In Acts 11:26 we read, "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."

The word natsarim is a Hebrew word for Nazarenes. Nazarene (singular) means a person from the town of Nazareth. The only time we find Nazarenes (plural) used is in a derogatory accusation against Paul. "For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5). However, the accusation is wrong because Christianity is not a sect of Judaism. It is the replacement of the Israelite religion. While Jesus did grow up in Nazareth, Christianity did not originate in Nazareth.

Your friend likes to think of himself as superior because he knows a little bit of Hebrew. As you noted, the Bible proves his various positions wrong. Knowledge of God's teaching does not require knowing Hebrew or Greek. You can understand what God said by reading translations in your own language.

"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God" (I Corinthians 1:26-29).

Question:

Thank you so much for the response!

I hope I am always welcome to ask questions.

Thank you once again

Answer:

Everyone is welcome to ask questions. I answer as many as I'm able.

Labeled for Christ

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 21:45:00 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/LabeledForChrist.mp3

by Alan Feaster

What are you labeled as?
- A label declares who a person is.
- Jesus was labeled, quite a few names
  - (Revelation 19:13) “The Word of God”
  - (Revelation 19:16) “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
  - (Revelation 1:5, 8) “faithful witness” “the firstborn of the dead” “I am the Alpha and the Omega”
- By numerous things, we can be labeled.
- When people see you, what do people label you?
We, as followers of God, have received labels
- (Acts 11:26) “Called Christians”
- Word used here is a divinely called Christian, as in God has given this name to his followers.
- God defines our label for us. He marks us, as His (Revelation 7:4; 2 Timothy 2:19).
Past Labels of Sin - What Does God do with our Sin?
- (Micah 7:18-19) God has stated multiple times in the Bible, that He indeed forgives and forgets. Micah tells us He casts all our sins into the depths of the sea. When something is dropped into the depths of the sea, it is forgotten, unseen, and cannot be retrieved because it is miles below the surface. God not only casts them away, but we are forgiven when He cleanses us from our sins, and we are released from our debt.
- I will remember their sins no more (Hebrews 8:12; see also:
  - Lovingly deliver our souls, throws sin behind His back, I will blot them out (Isaiah 38:17;43:25)
- Not only does God do this, but He also makes us clean (Isaiah 1:18) by Christ's blood we are cleansed (1 John 1:7), and released from our sins (Revelation 1:5)
- This is not a one-time thing, if for a moment we slip up and sin again, God is nearby to wipe it away again if we repent (1 John 1:9)
When people remind us of our sin
- What should we do?
- People will notice the change (1 Peter 4:1-6)
- Take responsibility (1 Timothy 1:12-13)
- Do as Paul did, use his past life for how God has and is changing your life (Acts 22:19-20), to show His glory.
What should we remember of our former life?
- God's desire is that we always remember that it is through Jesus Christ that we are saved from our sins. It is because of His mercy, that we are free from our former manner of life (Colossians 1:19–23; Romans 6:23).
- We are not to hold on to the past (Luke 9:62; Ecclesiastes 7:10).
- What label and hope we should hold onto?
- We are looking forward to the future, being able to serve our Savior here on earth and to be with Him in heaven.
- "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).
Leave your past labels Behind and put on Christ
- (1 Timothy 1:12-15) Paul was a former blasphemer, persecutor, and violent aggressor of the church. But by God’s grace, he was forgiven. God did this to show that no matter what sin you have done or are doing it can be forgiven.
- (Romans 10:17) Hear and have faith in God
- (Acts 3:19) Repent from our former lives
- (1 Timothy 6:12) Confess
- (Galatians 3:26-27) Put on Christ as our label in baptism

Was the term “Christian” originally a derogatory reference?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 02:13:00 +0000

Question:

By your teaching the disciples were first called "Christians" at Antioch of Syria, which is true; however, who at Antioch was calling them this term and why? It was a derogatory term toward them, my friend. Then again by King Agrippa, another pagan. Then one other time this name is mentioned by Peter only as a reference. All throughout the New Testament the word disciples (250+), brethren (270+), and saints (90+) are used. They never called each other by the term "Christian" and the word "Christianity" is not once written. They were disciples who followed Yeshua of the Way. When Shaul writes the epistles, it's to the saints, brethren, and disciples of the assemblies (eklessia) not the church or buildings we have today made by man's hands.

Answer:

"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" (Acts 11:26).

There is no mention of the term "Christian" being a derogatory term, nor is there historical evidence of such. Instead, we take note that "assembled," "taught," and "called" are all in the same Greek tense (infinitive aorist -- passive for assembled and active for taught and called). Infinitive refers to actions that are continuous in nature. Aorist means the time element is undefined -- no one is defining how long this has been or will be going on. Passive refers to things being done to a person, while active refers to things a person is doing. Thus, by the grammar of the statement, it does not lend itself to a derogatory term being applied to the disciples; rather, "Christian" appears to be the name by which the disciples called themselves.

The word "Christian" itself carries no bad connotations. In the Roman army at this time soldiers under a particular general would add iani (Latin) or ianos (Greek) to the end of the general's names to indicate that they were followers of that general. For example, Caesar's soldiers were called Caesariani. Thus, the term "Christian" simply means a soldier or follower of Christ. "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (II Timothy 2:3).

What is really interesting is that the word "called" is not what you might expect in Greek. It is the word chrematisai, which means to be given a revelation or warning, usually from the divine.

"Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way" (Matthew 2:12).

"But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee" (Matthew 2:22).

"And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:26).

"And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you"" (Acts 10:22).

"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" (Acts 11:26).

"So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man" (Romans 7:3).

"who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain"" (Hebrews 8:5).

"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith" (Hebrews 11:7).

"See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven" (Hebrews 12:25).

Acts 11:26 and Romans 7:3 are generally called exceptions to the rule that the speaker is of divine origins, but there are some who point out that understanding that it is from God does no injustice to the passages. A woman is called an adulteress because God said so, it is not a rule that originated from man. And the reason the disciples became known as Christians is that God bestowed that name on them. "The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name" (Isaiah 62:2). "Christian" was a new name that arose after the Gentiles joined the disciples. Luke used a Greek word that indicates it was of divine origin, just as Isaiah prophesied.

Since Peter does use the word "Christian" to denote the disciples of Christ, your assertion is contradicted when you say they never used it to refer to themselves. "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter" (I Peter 4:16). The number of times used does not eliminate the fact that it was used.

We also find the name "Christian" in use in historical records.

"Nero fastened the guilt ... on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of ... Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome...." [Tacitus, Annals 15.44].

"About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he ... wrought surprising feats.... He was the Christ. When Pilate ...condemned him to be crucified, those who had . . . come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared ... restored to life.... And the tribe of Christians ... has ... not disappeared." [Josephus, Antiquities 18.63-64].

"The Christians ... worship a man to this day – the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.... [It] was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws." [Lucian, "The Death of Peregrine", 11-13, in The Works of Lucian of Samosata, transl. by H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler, 4 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1949), vol. 4].

Early disciples also made use of the word "Christian."

"The Christians, O King, went about and searched, and they found the truth." [Aristides, c. 125), 9.276].

"Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe." [Letter to Diognetus, c. 125-200, 1.26].

"Well, in your long lists of those accused of many and various atrocities, has any assassin, any purse-snatcher, any man guilty of sacrilege, seduction, or stealing bathers' clothes, ever has his name entered as also being a Christian? Or when Christians were brought before you on the mere bases of their name, is there ever found among them an evildoer of this sort? It is always your people that the prison is steaming. ... You find no Christian there, unless he is there for being a Christian. Or, if someone is there as something else, he is a Christian no longer." [Tertullian, c. 197, 3.49-50].

Despite your assertion, it does not match historical records inside and outside the church. It is written many times. I only gave some brief examples to prove my point.

The word "church" in English has two definitions. It can refer to a building, which would not be the proper translation of ekklesia, but it can also refer to the assembly of Christians, which is in perfect keeping with the meaning of ekklesia. See: Is the church the building or its members?

Question:

[The following was left unedited.]

I contradict nothing, those are ur point of views, ur denomination has decived u...Peter is telling even if u suffer as a christian...talking to disciples,brethren and the saints. YES when we are called christians by outsiders, we wear it as a badge...u make other quotes from Josephus and others outside of scripture which typical of all hirelings (pastors) John 10:12-13 leading people astray...like the book of enoch,jubilees and other non biblical material and mans interpretations to twist scripture to conform to their 33,000 "denominations" which are divisions Romans 16:17-18 who participate in 501 c3 Romans 13:6-7 , Matthew 17:24-27 , Matthew 22:15-22, u understand exactly what I wrote if u were born from "above" disciple of the WAY, but like most protestants these days have bought into this "church" building system worshipping on Sun-worship-day called yourselves "christians" of false "churchianity" take heed that no one deceives u, many will come in my name, saying I am Christ=christos=anointed one G5547 who these days are the many (denominations) who say they are anointed with a special calling (pastors) aka hirelings...I've tested many of them by 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1 and none have been found to have come in like scripture teaches...example; does ur "church" have a youth pastor, music pastor, associate pastor, did ur pastor come from within the "church" was he married and had more than 2 children and well behaved believers, did he serve as a deacon ? Do an honest exegesis on those chapters and see if he passes the 17 qualifications put forth in 1 Tim 3....

Answer:

I decided not to clean up the response this time, so readers can see what is actually going on. Notice that his only response to the answer to his original question is to say that using quotes from non-Christian sources to prove a historical point is somehow a bad thing. Having lost his point, he then uses a shotgun approach of blasting numerous unrelated points. If we didn't know before, it becomes clear that the writer is a Messianic Jew.

To answer one point, this congregation is not a part of any denomination. See: We Are Simply Christians Without Being Members of Any Denomination, You Can be Too!

I found it particularly amusing his attempt at personal attacks. It shows that he did not bother to research who he was writing to. We have preachers here, one financially supported and several semi-retired as members. We don't divide the duties of a preacher by limiting who or what he focuses on. He mixes up the terms for elders (or overseers or pastors) with the terms for a preacher (or evangelist or minister). But ignoring his confusion, we do have elders here. I'm one of them; and, yes, both of the elders were rigorously examined against the qualifications in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Thus, he loses out on his railing accusations as well.

He illustrates the scoffer who refuses to believe anything that doesn't match his views. "A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise" (Proverbs 15:12). Since a reasoned discussion is not possible, the best response is to walk away.

All Christians Are Priests

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 01:40:00 +0000

by David J. Riggs
from Catholic Teaching Examined

A study of the New Testament reveals that all Christians are priests. Peter said, "You too are living stones, built as an edifice of spirit, into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (I Peter 2:5; The New Catholic Translation). Thus, all Christians are of that holy priesthood and can offer unto God spiritual sacrifices. All have the right to go directly to God through Jesus Christ, our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Peter continued, "You, however, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he claims for his own to proclaim the glorious works of the One who called you from darkness into his marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9). Revelation 1:6 says, "...Who has made us a royal nation of priests in the service of his God and Father." Consequently, the New Testament repeatedly teaches that all Christians are priests. When one obeys the gospel of Christ, he is added to the body of Christ and is thereby part of God's holy priesthood. As priests, all can offer up spiritual sacrifices and draw nigh to God through the mediatorship of Jesus.

A sacrificing priesthood of men was indeed appointed under the law of Moses, but the animal sacrifices offered by the priests of the Old Testament were mere types and shadows of the one sacrifice made by Christ. By the one sacrifice made by Jesus, He put an end both to the Levitical priesthood and the Old Testament law. (See Hebrews 7:23-25; Colossians 2:14-17).

Jesus is now at the right hand of God and ever lives to make intercession for His people (Hebrews 7:25; 9:24). Through the one sacrifice of Himself, He became the sole mediator through which men have access to God (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:26-27; 9:24-28; Ephesians 2:18). He is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).

There is no priesthood on earth that has the right to forbid each Christian to go directly to God through Christ or to assume the authority to administer graces and obtain mercy for others. All Christians are of that royal priesthood of God and have but one great High Priest, Jesus Christ.