Rogers Family News

This passage (Acts 11:26) has been imprinted in my mind for many years.  It has always told me that we can be known simply as “Christians”, without any need for further clarification.  It did not occur to me until recently (preparing to teach a Sunday class*) how curious it was that this term (“Christian”) took so long to be used.  Nor did it occur to me why it was significant for the writer to point this out as a “first”.  But as I prepared for class, these questions perplexed me:

It has been noted that the disciples were referred to as “the way” in Acts 9:2 (NIV). It is generally not noted that this appears to be a completely Jewish context. It is Saul, going to the Council, requesting what we would call “letters of extradition” authorizing him to pursue, detain, and bring back those who belonged to “the Way”. It should be obvious that such letters would have no authority over non-Jews. Furthermore, the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 is presented as the first non-Jew to receive the gospel. So “the Way” was a Jewish term to describe followers of Jesus.

Then what did the Gentiles call the disciples of Jesus? They had a special name for them: Jews. In their minds, the followers of Jesus were simply a splinter group of Jews, and the cause of growing unrest…but Jews, nonetheless.

So, what changed to bring about a new “name” for them? Look again at Acts 11, beginning in verse 19. Following the conversion of Cornelius, and Saul’s (Paul’s) explanation of it to the “Apostles and brothers”, we are told that those disciples scattered by persecution shared the message with other Jews. But “some of them” shared the “good news” with Greeks also. Verse 19 confirms that God approved of this, and verse 20 implies that the apostles (who were mainly in Jerusalem) approved this, sending Barnabas to further encourage them. Barnabas brought Saul, and they taught “great numbers of people” (presumably, Greeks as well as Jews).

THIS was when the old name (“Jews”) no longer made any sense. The world could clearly see that this was not a Jewish group, but a group of both Jews and Greeks–something that could only be explained by naming them after the one who they followed–the Christ.

Why is this significant enough that Luke mentions it? It is actually more than significant; it was a pivotal point in the beginning of the church.

In Eph. 1:9-10 (NIV), Paul refers to “the mystery of his will, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”

Paul reiterates the “mystery” in Eph. 3:6 (NIV): “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

In Eph. 3:30-11, it is through the “administration of this mystery”, Paul says, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Now, all of that “mystery” discussion may seem like a tangent, unrelated to Acts 11 and the significance of the new name.  But consider this question; What is there about a band of renegade Jews worshiping a Rabbi who was crucified that could possibly make “the manifold wisdom of God” known to “the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms”?  Nothing!  It was not until those renegade Jews united with GENTILES that God’s plan was revealed, and his ‘manifold wisdom” openly displayed.

Acts 2 is often called the beginning of the church. It might be more appropriate to call it the “beginning of the beginning”, and Acts 11 represents the “end of the beginning”…the full revelation of the mystery that ultimately brings glory to God, both on earth and in the heavenly realms.

This is not merely an academic discussion, there’s a practical point to it.  When we congregate with people who look like us, think like us, smell like us, earn money like us, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about that.  There is nothing about it that proclaims the Christ to the world.  The world has lots of organizations that do the same.  But when we meld with others who are distinctly different from us, in the name of Jesus, the world is compelled to take notice.  When true love and compassion knit us together despite our differences, people clearly see the Christ in us, just as they did in Acts 11.

* This discussion began as a class lesson, and was also presented in communion comments.  Consider this a “draft”–it may evolve further!