Time for a Name Change?

By Jeff Faull

Have you ever thought much about the name we have been given as followers of Jesus?

Christians. We wear a name that signifies our devotion to our Lord and Savior. Scripture reveals believers were first called Christians at Antioch. But there”s talk on the street these days about a name change for Christians, And at first glance, I can understand why.

CHRISTIANS?

Let me introduce you to Fred Phelps and his congregation. He and his tiny group of followers journey across the country and spew a message of hatred. His latest stunt is to show up at military funerals and increase family pain and grief by insisting that the soldiers went to Hell and are part of God”s punishment of America. He and his entourage hold up placards proclaiming that God hates homosexuals and thanking God for dead soldiers. He is testing the limits of “free speech,” and his case is headed to the Supreme Court.

By the way, he calls himself Christian.

Then there”s someone you might know. His name is Joe Average. He went to Sunday school as a kid. He”s a pretty nice guy most of the time. You would like him. He goes to church occasionally to keep peace in the family.

He also swears like a sailor, drinks too much, and loses his temper often. He keeps a little porn stash out in the garage, and if the clerk accidentally gives him too much change at the register he will keep it and brag that it”s his lucky day. He has rarely cheated on his wife, though he thinks about it often. He”s an average American guy, and if you ask him what his religion is, he will say Christian.

Cathy Coed is a college student from a middle-class American churchgoing family. Her values are shaped by the entertainment industry. She loves movies and concerts and parties. She likes having a good time with her friends. She sleeps with her boyfriend occasionally because she”s just following her heart.

But for the most part she”s a pretty good person. She believes in God and would say she is a Christian.

How about a dead guy? Pope Urban II. He is considered by historians to be an instigator of some of the earlier controversial religious crusades and bloody conflicts in the name of Christ. History has categorized him as a Christian.

Lawrence Murphy is the priest who was accused of sexually assaulting 200 deaf boys in 1974. Allegedly he was allowed to resume his duties and responsibilities because he said he was sorry. He also gets included, by the world, in the broad category of Christian.

The same is true for the Church Lady, created by comedian Dana Carvey for Saturday Night Live. She represents the self-righteous, hypocritical, anti-intellectual depiction given by the entertainment world to Christians. Any time the producers and scriptwriters can characterize Christians as buffoons or hypocrites, they shine the spotlight and say, “Look, another Christian.”

Finally there is Deacon Don. He means well but he”s a little out of touch with the culture in 2010. He never misses a service. At his church he even wears a deacon badge. Sometimes he purposely leaves it on after church so people in town will see it on him at the Ponderosa food bar. It makes him feel important.

He hasn”t seen much or studied much outside of his little world, but he knows much. Just ask him. The King James is the only version of the Bible for him, and if you dare disagree with him or his narrow view of reality and life, he will write you off and boldly pronounce you as lost.

He will know he is right about everything because Preacher said so. If you ask him, or even if you don”t ask him, he will obnoxiously tell you that, along with just a few other faithful, he is a Christian.

CHRIST FOLLOWER?

No wonder believers and church leaders are struggling with the name Christian. Dave Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons have had a great response to their book, Unchristian, which explores the unhealthy perceptions people have of believers today.

In The Big Idea, Dave and Jon Ferguson and Eric Bramlett say, “If you have been calling yourself Christian you should stop. If you have been encouraging someone else to become a Christian you should never do that again. Because the last thing the mission of Jesus Christ needs is more Christians.” The authors then reveal that 85 percent of Americans, or roughly 247 million people, claim to be Christian, but few of them come close to advancing the cause of Jesus.

The authors make a valid point. It”s no surprise people are choosing a more trendy description like Christ followers instead of Christians. They simply are opting for a name change.

But long before we debated changing from the name Christian, did someone consider changing to the name Christian? During the church”s early development, followers of Jesus were called believers, saints, or disciples. It was at Antioch in Acts 11 that the believers were first tagged with the title Christian. Someone thought it was time for a name change to Christians. The name Christian appears two other times in the New Testament.

CALLED?

What about this term, Christian? Who started it? Where did it come from? Several have offered suggestions. Some believe the name originated with enemies of Christ””that Christian was a malicious and derisive term meant to demean. Others insist the title came from the disciples themselves””to self-designate as followers of Jesus””the Christ party.

There are a few other explanations and speculations about why they were first called Christians at Antioch. Most fascinating is that the word called is often used in the New Testament to mean divinely called. Many scholars believe the term Christian originated in the mind of God, and that it was God who first called believers Christians at Antioch. Some even believe the name Christian is what God had in mind in Isaiah 62 when it was declared his people would be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord would designate.

Regardless of the intent of Isaiah, the term Christian is very possibly a God-given designation for each of us as believers in Christ. We are the church””the bride of Christ””and we take his name.

CHRISTIAN!

Admittedly the name Christian has been misused, maligned, dishonored, diluted, denied, disgraced, and devalued. It”s been hijacked and held hostage . . . but if God gave it to us we should think twice before dropping it.

Perhaps James”s question is appropriate: “Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?” (James 2:7, New American Standard Bible)

Instead of a name change for Christians, maybe it”s time for a name change by Christians. By that I mean we must live in such a way that we change the impact and perception of this name Christian. Our life apologetic must become so powerful that it can”t be ignored.

Have you been following Toyota”s recall problems? Has Toyota”s name suffered this year? Yes. Has the automaker changed its name? No. Instead, Toyota wants to protect and rebuild the name. Associated Press reporter Alan Fram wrote, “Professionals who have waged major damage-control struggles say the best strategy for Toyota mixes apology, openness, and details about a specific fix.”

I”m not suggesting the church live in damage-control mode, but I am suggesting it”s time to reclaim and redeem what the Lord intended for his church . . . bringing honor to his name.

Historians portray Antioch as a foul, wicked, and depraved city. But if the Lord looked at the church in that city and said, “They shall be called Christian,” and if we take seriously the many admonitions to conduct ourselves in such a way that the name of God will not be spoken against, then perhaps we should redeem the name instead of discarding it.

They were called Christians!

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Jeff Faull is senior minister with Mount Gilead Church in Mooresville, Indiana. He serves as one of CHRISTIANN STANDARD”s contributing editors.