What is a Christian?
by Heath Rogers

A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. The Bible uses several other terms to refer to followers of Christ. Among them are "disciples" (Acts 11:26), "believers" (Acts 5:14), "brethren" (Acts 11:29), "saints" (Acts 9:13), and "children of God" (Rom. 8:16). The word "Christian" is found only three times in the New Testament (there are no Old Testament Christians).

The term "Christian" is misused by many in the world today. Good people are sometimes referred to as "Christians" without any regard to their religious beliefs or practices. The word "Christian" is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to those in western cultures who are not Jews or Muslims. There are even times when it is used to describe things that are not even associated with the Bible. Such misuse is unfortunate, as it waters down the word "Christian."

There are many people who claim to be Christians simply because that is how they want to identify themselves. It is unethical, and sometimes against the law, to claim to be something that one is not. One is not something simply because he professes to be such. He must bear the qualifications and characteristics of his claim.

The Bible tells us who a Christian really is. The first time that the word "Christian" appears in the Bible is in Acts 11:26, which reads, "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."

Some people believe the term "Christian" actually originated with men; that it was used by the citizens of Antioch as an insulting way of referring to followers of Christ. However, a close examination of the verse will provide a more accurate understanding of the word's origin. The word "called" is translated from the Greek word chrematizo, which is almost always used in the New Testament to mean "divinely called" (Matt. 2:12, Luke 2:26, Acts 10:22). Also, the text does not specify who did the calling. The name "Christian" could have been given by divine inspiration through Barnabas and Saul.

From Acts 11:26, we learn that a Christian is a disciple of Christ. Notice some things that are characteristic of true disciples of Christ.

1. A Baptized Believer. Jesus commissioned His apostles to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). If a Christian is a disciple, then a Christian is one who has been taught, believes, and has been baptized. There is no such thing as an unbaptized Christian in the Bible.

2. One Who Follows the Teachings of Christ. After the apostles made disciples, they were to teach them to observe all the things that Jesus had commanded (Matt. 28:20). A disciple is a follower. Thus, a Christian is one who follows the teachings of Christ. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (John 8:31).

3. Is A Member of the Lord's Church. A Christian is one who is saved, and the moment one is saved, he is added to the Lord's church. "...and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). There is no "joining the church of your choice." In the Bible, there was only one church, and a Christian was made a part of that church the moment he was saved.

4. Worships God. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24). A true Christian worships God the way that God wants to be worshipped. In spirit - sincerely, from the heart. In truth - according to the pattern set forth in the New Testament, not after his own desires or the fads of the day.

5. Contends For the Faith. A true Christian is not a pacifist. He is a soldier fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12). As Jude admonished, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (v. 3). To "earnestly contend" means to struggle about a thing as a combatant. The "faith" is the truth of the gospel, the teachings of Jesus that a disciple is to follow. A true Christian is willing, ready and able to defend the truth against error.

The second occurrence of the word "Christian" is in Acts 26:28. In this passage, Paul was giving a defense of his faith before King Agrippa. As he concluded his message, he asked the king if he believed. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds" (vs. 28-29).

A true Christian persuades others to become Christians. Paul was plain spoken about his desire that everyone become a Christian. He did not have a "live and let live" attitude towards others.

A true Christian does not see all religious people as being right with God. He does not recognize all faiths as being equally valid. He understands and believes that Jesus is the only Savior of the world (Acts 4:12). Paul's prayer for Israel (a religious people) was that they be saved (Rom. 10:1). This means that Paul believed they were lost.

A true Christian is not ecumenical, that is, he does not believe that there are saved people in all denominations. He does not "thank God for all the choices" of churches, nor does he seek to find his place within today's denominational framework. He rightly understands there is only one true church, and encourages people to be a part of that church.

A true Christian is willing to suffer for the cause of Christ. The final place where the word "Christian" is found in the Bible is 1 Peter 4:16, which reads, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." Peter spoke of a great persecution that was coming upon these Christians. They were not to think it strange or be ashamed of the fact they were suffering. Instead, they were to rejoice because they were partaking with Christ's sufferings (vs. 12-16).

The Bible teaches that true followers of Christ are going to suffer persecution (Matt. 5:10-12, 2 Tim. 3:12). Jesus explained why this is so in the following words: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also" (John 15:18-20).

A Christian does not have to go looking for trouble. His allegiance with Jesus will make him an enemy of the world. This helps us to understand that the biblical use of the word "Christian" denotes a spiritual distinction, not a social or ethnic distinction. A Christian is one who follows Christ, and is willing to suffer, if need be, because of that choice.

True Christians are going to bear the characteristics of the Christians that we read of in the Bible. A Christian is a disciple of Christ, one who persuades others to become Christians, and one who is willing to suffer for the cause of Christ.