WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Please read Matthew 28: 19-20

In the last UK census many people identified themselves as ‘Christian’. However the word only occurs 3 times in the New Testament:

● The name was first used in Antioch - but it was the name given by those outside of the church (Acts 11:26).

● Herod scoffed at Paul’s attempt to ‘persuade me to be a Christian’ (Acts 26:28).

● Peter encouraged those who suffered for being Christians (1 Peter 4:16).

The writers of the New Testament tend to refer to us as either ‘brothers and sisters’ or ‘disciples’. I wonder how many people would identify with those terms on a census!

‘Brothers and sisters’ reminds us not only that we are all children of our Heavenly Father, but we are related to each other. Do we speak, think and act towards each other as family?

A disciple is someone who has submitted themselves to Jesus. They don’t only call Him ‘Lord’, they accept His authority. They are growing in grace and understanding. They are seeking His kingdom above all else. They look forward to their heavenly hope, recognizing that our eternal inheritance is in the next age.