When Rachel and I married, almost 29 years ago, she did what is common practice and custom in English speaking worlds – she took my last name. She left being “Rachel Anderson” and became “Rachel Holland.” In fact, in the weeks leading up to our wedding, she created a little countdown poster with the words: “Days Left Until I become a ‘New Holland’.”
When we obey Jesus Christ, we take His name. As we all know, the church is pictured as the “bride of Christ” in the NT so that when we obey the gospel, we become married to Christ, or at least engaged to Him, and we take His name.
The name “Christian” describes those who are an anointed people and it means we “belong to Christ.”
As a group of people, we also take the name of Christ. As you know, the people who belong to Christ are known as “church of God” (1 Cor. 1:2) or Acts 20:28 or “churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16).
So the church belongs to Christ. He built His church; it is His: Matthew 16:18.
In fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that God’s people – when the Gentiles entered that body – would have a “new name.” The prophecy is found in Isaiah 62:2: “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”
The Gentiles started being added to the church of Christ in Acts 10 with the household of Cornelius. The church of Christ in Antioch of Syria was predominately if not exclusively Gentile Christians and in Acts 11:26 we see that “new name which the mouth of the Lord will designate:” Christian.
Acts 11:26 reads: “for an entire year they [Barnabas and Paul] met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called [passive voice] Christians in Antioch.” Normally when scholars see a passive voice verb as “called” is in this text, they will say that God is the subject of the verb; except not here. Invariably, scholars will say that it is the enemies of Christians who called them this. There is no reason in the text to accept that interpretation. There aren’t even any enemies or persecution mentioned in the text. It is better to see this as God inspiring some prophet if not the apostle Paul to start calling His children after His Son’s name: “Christians.”
Because we are married to Christ, let us accept no name but that name God has given to us. Let us be only Christians and Christians only!
Christ has admonished loyalty and faithfulness until He comes again. Those who are members of His bride, the church, are those who have stayed loyal to Him and faithful to His teachings. When Jesus comes again, He will find that many have denied the faith, left their first love, and have defiled the wedding garments.
But to those who are faithful to the Bridegroom, He will say: “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).
Let’s not forget who our Bridegroom is. Let’s stay faithful to Him.
Paul Holland
