0137. Antioch Was a Church Where Saints Were First Called Christians

Antioch Was a Church Where Saints Were First Called Christians

"And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Act_11:26).

1. The name "Christian" was, evidently, a nickname. The populace named the believers "Christian." The verb, "called" means oracularly called, called aloud.

Illustration: We remember well, how, during our sojourn in Brazil, the people who dwelt in the city of Bahia, used, on occasions, to shout at us as we went along their street, "Onde vai uma Biblia." "There goes a Bible." We were nicknamed "Bibles," at Antioch they were nicknamed "Christians."

2. The name "Christian" means one with Christ in his heart. That name was nobly worn by those saints of Antioch, we wonder if it is as nobly worn today.

(1) This is called a Christian nation. No we would not desire to rob our country of any of its rightful glory, but we solemnly demur when this nation is called "Christian." Certainly there are many Christians in our nation, but our land, like all others, is dominated, in much of its doings, by Satan, the prince of this world.

Upon some of our coins we place, "In God we trust;" we have certain formal prayers in many of our legislative bodies; we offer religious liberty to all of our citizens–yet this does not mean that we are a Christian country.

The Name of Christ is not at all emphasized in our constitution; the country is just as open to sects that deny Christ as to those which accept Him. We would not have it otherwise,–but, nevertheless, it is not, therefore, Christian.

(2) Many people of our land do actually profess to be Christian; they are members of some church which stands for Christ, and yet how often is the Name of Christ blasphemed by these so-called saints.

God was not ashamed to be called the "God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob;" but surely He would be ashamed to be called the God of many who today bear His Name.

Saints are set apart to glorify Christ’s Name, but alas how often they shame it.

Illustration: Once, in a foreign land, we saw a United States Consul coming home from a night spent in riotous living. As he walked along the public street he was yelling in a drunken way that would have shamed the veriest bum of the street. He was sent to another land to hold up the honor of "old glory," but he had dragged our name and our honor into the mire of disrepute.

God says: "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light". Then let us nobly wear the Name we bear, and let us hold aloft His glorious might.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR