In a recent post, “Label Schmabel“, I talked about how I no longer feel comfortable with most of the labels I once associated with my faith. I won’t go into it all again here; read it if you need to catch up. 🙂
But toward the end of the post, I mentioned that there was one label I was still okay with–the word “Christian.” And I thought today I’d like to ‘splain why.
It seems these days that the word “Christian” is a loaded term, with many stereotypes that instantly flood the mind when it is spoken. This is especially true among non-believers who have had negative experiences with the church or with church people, have been wounded by our arrogance and hypocrisy–or who simply identify all Christians with those folks on the news who picket abortion clinics and hold up “God hates fags” signs at gay pride parades. For many believers, the Christian label has become burdensome, both because of the negative caricatures it now carries, and because the church culture of today has fed into the negativity by acting in many ways so unlike Christ. The words “Christian” and “Christianity” have somehow come to represent a religious culture that often looks and acts nothing like Jesus. And so, without actually renouncing their faith in Christ, many believers now choose to find alternate terms to describe their faith–things like “Christ-follower” or “disciple of Jesus.”
And you know, I don’t blame these folks at all–and in certain contexts, I also like to use these terms. I fully relate, and fully understand why sometimes it’s just easier not to use the C-word.
But today, I’m thinking about the word “Christian”, not in terms of the baggage it carries today, nor what it has come to mean in our culture…but in terms of what it actually means. I’m thinking about it in its original context, about what folks meant by it when the word was first coined.
Reduced to simplest terms…the word “Christian” means “little Christ.” It can also be interpreted (interestingly enough), “follower of Christ”–which would mean “Christ-follower” and “Christian” are literally synonyms.
In Acts 11:26 in the Bible, we find this little tidbit: “…and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” This is worth pondering, because it tells us that the word “Christian” was not a name we initially gave ourselves–it was apparently something that the non-believers in Antioch began using to describe Jesus’ disciples! Why did they start referring to the disciples as “little Christs?” My guess is…they were acting like Christ.
Almost surprisingly, very few times in the Bible itself does the word “Christian” actually appear, and rarely do we see believers referring to themselves as Christians. The emphasis in the New Testament seems to be on the actions and beliefs associated with following Jesus, not on a label. The label was given by people who were viewing the church from the outside.
So in its most literal sense…the word Christian is supposed to describe someone who lives and acts like Jesus Christ, or who aspires to emulate Him in his/her life. It should never have become a label to describe someone who belongs to a religion, someone who is a churchgoer, or someone who was born in America. 🙂 Even in the early days when Christians were hated and persecuted for their faith, any believer would consider it an honor for someone to call them a Christian…because that word meant Christ was evidenced in their lifestyle.
Let’s take this a bit further. In its most literal sense…these days, the word “Christian” probably more accurately describes the ones who are currently trying to get away from the baggage of the Christian label than the ones who are wearing it proudly like a badge. When you consider what the word really means…I dare say we should feel humbled, even a bit unworthy, to carry that name, because of what it truly represents. But today, the word “Christian”, even it its least negative connotations, generally means someone who prayed the sinner’s prayer and signed a conversion card, or someone who was baptized as an infant. It has very little to do with how someone lives. And therein lies the disconnect.
So I guess what I’m saying by all this is…I want to be a Christian, no matter what you call me. I already am a disciple, a Christ-follower; but I want to be more. I want to be a little Christ. I can’t be on my own; this is something I know well. Only Christ in me can bring this to pass. When I call myself a Christian, I’m not boasting that I reflect Him well in all areas of my life; but I am certainly putting it forth as something I aspire to, and I am identifying myself with brothers and sisters the world over who are doing the same. And if someone calls me a Christian, I hope it isn’t because they are lumping me in with a religious subculture or a political group; I hope it is because Jesus is visible in my life. That would be the greatest compliment ever.
So believers…call yourselves whatever you feel describes you best. If you don’t like “Christian”, then use “Christ-follower”, “disciple”, or something similar, and you’ll find no judgment from me. But perhaps we should focus less on what label we use, and more on living what the word “Christian” really means. Perhaps if we did that for awhile, it would again come to mean what it meant back then. And then the word “Christian”–even if spoken with hostility–would be a term of honor for us again, and not of shame.
Wayward Son
Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo.
I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.
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Jeff,
Excellent post! I couldn’t agree more. I am a Christ-follower, a disciple of Jesus, who wants to live the life of a Christian…a little Christ…to be known as one who reflects the character of Him.
Your last paragraph here, truly and simply expresses how I feel. Good stuff, Jeff.
Blessings,
~Amy 🙂
Jeff,
You made some very good points. Even though it is an incorrect usage of the word, in biblical terms, I’ve always said that there are 2 different kinds of Christianity: 1)The religion 2)The relationship.
But, you are correct. it should be a humbling experience to be called a Christian by an unbeliever. It should be a title that we as believers aspire to, as opposed to one that we run away from.
Blessings,
Gary
Most people we know are not Christians and do not think we are Christians. One story explains.
We were with a group of friends, all of whom are gay. Something was said about us going to Bible study group. One of the people in the group said “You can’t be Christian! They’re mean and nasty and hate us. You’re nice and actually like us.” Everyone in the group agreed.
We have similar stories about remarks made by people who are not gay. Yes, we think of ourselves as Christians, but rarely use this term in speaking to others. Non-Christians often assume the worst, and religious people often assume that the term means we vote for certain candidates or are willing to post campaign signs on our lawn promoting their causes.
It is regrettable that the term has been ruined for the rest of us by people who have misrepresented it.
Another great and thought-provoking post!
This is what came to mind when I read the first part of the post…
What better way for evil to win than to make even the association with the title “Christian” leave a bad taste in the mouth? Who, wanting to be truly “like Christ”, would consider becoming a christian when (like me) even saying the word fills me with distaste and shame? For exactly the reasons mentioned by Sam.