Opinion: Why we are not ‘Christians’

It is almost depressing to hear the laxity of speech and thoughtless­ness of mind which accompanies many of our exhortations, and particularly public lectures, where the terms ‘Christian’, ‘Christian faith’, ‘Christian love’, ‘Christianity’ etc. are freely flourished by the speaker. Same, conscious of the need for distinction and differentiation, use the term ‘true’ appended to the above in an attempt to indicate that the false religions and the sects of ‘Christendom’ are astray from the Bible. Have you ever consider­ed the case for the term? Have you ever investigated the lack of distinction there is in the strangers! minds? Have you ever noticed how often a clear distinction of the true Bible doctrine from the errors of Christendom has be been established, only to be blurred and befogged by the speaker’s use of the terms ‘Christian’ and ‘true Christian’?

Our experience has been that, when the light of the Truth has penetrated on some point, it has been immediately extinguished if subsequent ref­erence is made to the term ‘Christian’ or ‘true Christian’. Of course the visitor is a Christian! – and who could deny this except those affirming atheism or agnosticism? If you say !true Christian’ – well, of course, the visitor is that, for in his own mind he is sincere and therefore must be classed with all true Christians. This term, then, dulls the mind, and distinction between Truth and apostasy is extinguished. If we are not distinctive, then we have lost the Truth; and if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness!

This now is the problem – what of the Scripture? The word ‘Christian’ is used three times in the Bible – 1 Pet.4:16; Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28.

Peter’s reference is to brethren who are being mocked, persecuted and afflicted. Did the world of sin and darkness coin the phrase at Antioch in praise of our Lord, to honour and extol his Name? Indeed not, but rather “to blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called” – to add insult to injury. The First Century brethren took joyfully the spoiling of their goods and persons for his sake; but when the Name of the Lord was blasphemed and stigmatised, this was destroying their resistance.

Did the New Testament writers take readily to the use of the term? No. Only three times is it mentioned – the one indicated Above, and the other two containing no complimentary reference. Therefore the most likely use of the term was to scorn and deride the faith of the early brethren. The followers of Jesus were consistently and without exception called ‘brethren’, ‘saints’, ‘believers’, ‘disciples in a multitude of references where the term !Christ­ian’ IF acceptable could have been used more effectively. Obviously the apostles and New Testament writers shunned the term, although it was available.

When did the term ‘Christian’ become part of the vocabulary of the followers of Jesus? The first known reference is by Ignatius (Epistle to the Romans iii,2 – 100-110 AD), also confirmed by Justin Martyr (Apol,1,4 p55a). From this time, when heresy began to get a firm hold, the term becomes used increasingly.

So then….

  1. The New Testament uses terms other than ‘Christian’.
  2. The term has blasphemous origins
  3. ‘Christian’ was not used by believers of believers until the faith was becoming apostate
  4. The term today as understood by the man in the street, by clergy and laity, does not mean what we mean when using it; therefore let us drop this deceit. It stands for a completely different set of doctrines and practices, and our use of it produces confusion in the minds of the visitors at our meetings.

We suggest that the use of the term should cease forthwith.


Responses

W. E. Loxley responded in The Bible Student, Vol 2, No 6, November, 1971

  • The Minority Viewpoint concerning the name, ‘Christian’ appears to me to be biased and quite mistaken. It is the Christian denominations and sects who have given it a bad name, but the three occurrences of the name in the New Testament show it to have an exceedingly honourable origin.

Will & Martha Wiley responded in The Bible Student, Vol 2, No 6, November, 1971

  • They have stolen my thunders. If I had written as a Minority Viewpoint, I also would have complained about our lack of identity today. The term ‘Christian’ in my knowledge was rarely used among us, but today it is like an avalanche in many addresses, used so loosely as to almost identify ourselves as part.of ‘Them’.

    “It is noticeable that Paul never uses it in any of his letters, and when confronted with it, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” he does not repeat it in reply. I consider he carefully avoids it – “Altogether such as I am, except these bonds”. Peter I consider to be merely using it from the mouth of their enemies. That is why Dr. Thomas gave us the name ‘Christadelphians’, so as not to be called ‘Thomasites’, and to identify us from ‘Christians’. We never use the word in relation to ourselves. ‘Saints’ is more in our line. Viewpoint heartily endorsed.

Sid & Lorna Barrett responded in The Bible Student, Vol 2, No 6, November, 1971

  • It was interesting to find that Robert Roberts in ‘Christendom Astray’ under the heading at the close of the book, ‘To the interested reader’, agrees with the ideas we wrote in the ‘Bible Student’ about Christians.