called Christians first in Antioch” Acts 11 : 26 .
as Christians today because we have lost our identification. It has been pointed out that “ the average church-member is not conspicuously different from the average non member. The average church is so much conformed to the world that people are surprised if it sharply challenges the prevailing behaviour of the community.” A Christian is married to Christ, espoused to Christ, and unfaithfulness to Him is adultery. The average church-member is living in spiritual adultery and the word “ Christian” does not mean much nowadays. HOW DID THE DISCIPLES GET THIS NAME? They were called Christians, they did not name them selves. If that name had never been used, would anyone call you a Christian? Would anyone call us Christians? These early disciples were not perfect but they were different and we ought to be. Christians are a minority group in a pagan world today. We are “ a holy nation,” a nation in a nation. We are “ a peculiar people,” a people of His own. Some say that a real Christian does npt stand out today as sharply as in the New Testament because the world has been permeated by the Gospel and the contrast is not as marked as it used to be. But is it not rather true that what is prevalent is an imitation popular brand of Christianity and that a real Christian today would be as much an odd number as he was long ago? WHERE WERE THE DISCIPLES FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS? In Antioch, of all places. J. B. Phillips says, “Many Christians today talk about the ‘difficulties of our times’ as though we should have to wait for better ones before the Christian religion can take root. It is heartening to remember that this faith took root and flourished amazingly in conditions that would have killed anything less vital in a matter of weeks.” People who think they could be better Christians if they had a better place to practise it should remember Antioch. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria. Five miles away was the heathen center of Daphne, a pleasure resort of foul reputation. The people of this metropolitan center were go-getters, money-makers, pleasure-lovers. If Christianity could make headway in Antioch, it could prosper anywhere. That is exactly what it did, for here began the mother church of Gentile Chris tianity. It was a missionary center from the start and from it Paul and Barnabas went forth on their Gospel journey. From Antioch Paul started on all three of his missionary tours. Later the golden-tongued Chrysostom preached there. If your Christianity won’t work where you are, it won’t work anywhere. These early Christians were not looking for a soft spot. They let their light shine in a dark place and were out to call sinners, not the righteous, to repent ance. It was infectious Christianity. They had broken out with it, it was contagious and they started an epi demic! We are behind closed doors for fear of our adver saries these days. Communism, materialism, lawlessness, immorality, . . . the circumstances are not favorable, the conditions are not auspicious, the opportunities are not promising, we say. But this is our Antioch and if we had what the early Christians had, if we believed as they believed and lived as they lived, we could do as they did. But it will take the kind of disciples the world called Christians first in Antioch. END
of him. Barnabas came to his aid and allayed the fears of the apostles but Saul had a stormy time in Jerusalem and the brethren finally brought him down to Caesarea and sent him home to Tarsus. I wonder if Saul was a little discouraged over the first chapter of his ministry when Barnabas arrived and took him down to Antioch to be co-preacher? One thing I do know: Barnabas grows bigger than ever in character to be willing to share his Antioch ministry with Saul. He could have had it all to himself but he was willing to be second fiddle. He was no prima donna who would not share his pulpit with anybody who could outpreach him. There followed a glorious year at Antioch with the double ministry of Barnabas and Saul and against this background we read our text: “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” WHO WERE CALLED CHRISTIANS? The disciples. The term “ disciple,” found only in the Gospels and Acts, is still suitable. A Christian is a believer, a disciple and a witness. He should become all three at the same time and be all three all the time. Our problem today is that churches are filling up with professed believers who do not become practising disciples. We teach them all things commanded but somehow we do not seem to teach them TO OBSERVE all things commanded. “ Come unto me” . . . that is the invitation to believe. “ Come after me” . . . that is the call to be a disciple. “ Come unto me . . . and I will give you rest,” there is the believer. “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest” . . . there is the disciple. Faith in Christ makes a believer; following Christ makes a disciple. Peter was a believer: “We believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” He was a disciple for he followed Him from Galilee. But when He denied his Lord he lost his discipleship and the angel at the open grave said, “ Go tell His disciples AND PETER.” Then our Lord met Peter by Tiberias and reinstated him as a disciple, saying, “Follow me.” Our Lord said, “ If ye CONTINUE in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” The step of belief must become the walk of discipleship. Birth must be followed by growth. We have already pointed out that Barnabas exhorted these Antioch believers to “ cleave unto the Lord.” Coming to the Lord must be followed by cleaving unto the Lord. When Naomi would take leave of Orpah and Ruth we read that Orpah kissed her mother-in-law but Ruth clave unto her. Too many believers give God a kiss on Sunday morning in a show of affection . . . and don’t forget that our Lord was betrayed with a kiss . . . but there are few Ruths who cleave unto Him. We have an abundance of professed believers but few disciples. And it was disciples who are called Christians first at Antioch. WHAT WERE THEY CALLED? They were called Christians. It may have been a nickname. Anyway they did not call themselves Christians, they were called Chris tians by others and in so doing they identified them with a person. A Christian is identified with Christ, not merely attached to a church. The Christian experience is not a matter of mere inspiration by or imitation of the example of Christ. We are dead WITH Christ, crucified WITH Christ, buried WITH Christ, risen WITH Christ, hid WITH Christ, joint-heirs WITH Christ. Baptism signifies our identification with Him. We have lost our identity
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AUGUST, I960
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