The Believers in Christ were first called Christians during the penning of the New Testament, and Luke records this event within the text of the book of Acts. Acts was written to Luke’s friend in Rome, Theophilus. This friend was also the person he wrote too to communicate the life and ministry of Jesus our Christ.
Acts 1:1-2 [KJV] “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.”
The term Christian was not a positive ascription, but one of a dirogatitive narrative. A term used by the people, the Jews and Gentiles alike to refer to the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth as people to be mocked, ridiculed, and shamed. Christianity began as a following of Christ shrouded in persecution, punishment, and almost certain death if discovered by the wrong peoples of influence or power. …show more content…
And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
The Christians first assembled into a body of believes, both local and visible during the ministry of Jesus the Christ. It is during this time, these few years of deep teaching, the training and calling of the apostles, the first assembled disciples unto Christ organized physically and spiritually under his teachings for the purpose of his ministry. Jesus refers to this entity in Matthew 18:17 when he explains how to handle problems amongst the brethren and the church.
Matthew 18:17 [KJV] “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a
Acts 1:1-2 [KJV] “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.”
The term Christian was not a positive ascription, but one of a dirogatitive narrative. A term used by the people, the Jews and Gentiles alike to refer to the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth as people to be mocked, ridiculed, and shamed. Christianity began as a following of Christ shrouded in persecution, punishment, and almost certain death if discovered by the wrong peoples of influence or power. …show more content…
And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
The Christians first assembled into a body of believes, both local and visible during the ministry of Jesus the Christ. It is during this time, these few years of deep teaching, the training and calling of the apostles, the first assembled disciples unto Christ organized physically and spiritually under his teachings for the purpose of his ministry. Jesus refers to this entity in Matthew 18:17 when he explains how to handle problems amongst the brethren and the church.
Matthew 18:17 [KJV] “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a