Brader dpogs, sa palagay ko magkakasundo tayo sa issue na ito:
Acts 11:26 "...And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
The word "Christian" was first introduce in Antioch at ang surprise pa doon hindi mismo galing sa mga disciples o apostles ang salitang ito, even Jesus never called His disciples and followers a 'Christian'. throughout the Bible, kadalasang salita na mababasa natin ay brethren, saints, 'the called', disciples, apostles, believers, 'the faithful', 'the elect' others.
Tama iyan. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch:
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:25-26)The disciples did not tell others to call them Christians. It's just a name that stuck, a reference that was probably started by the pagan gentiles in Antioch, and its usage was continued with the disciples' consent and agreement. It's not a derogatory name used by their enemies, since the derogatory name used by their enemies was the "Nazarene Sect" (Acts 24:5).
It's a name given to them by God, as foretold in Isaiah 56: 5, "
a name better than sons and daughters; ...an everlasting name that will endure forever."
In Acts 11: 26, the word "called" was a translation from the original "
chrēmatisai," defined in Strong's Number 5537 "
chrématizó" as ---
(a) act. of God: I warn; pass: I am warned by God (probably in response to an inquiry as to one's duty), (b) (I take a name from my public business, hence) I receive a name, am publicly called.
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/acts/11.htmhttp://biblehub.com/greek/5537.htmAs used in Acts 11:26, the word "called" is an official name or title received by divine revelation, by which they are publicly referred to.
Why in Antioch, when it was in Jerusalem where Christianity was started on the day of Pentecost?
Because the Christian converts on the day of Pentecost were Jews. After Pentecost, the next converts were also Jews, although Samaritans (half-Jews) were also converted later. The first Gentiles were converted several years later, starting with Cornelius.
After the conversion of Cornelius and his household, the gospel spread to Antioch, a city populated by Gentiles.
Therefore, the divinely-revealed name "Christian" was first used in a place where Gentiles were the vast majority.
The idea is to distinguish Judaism, which was based on ethnicity (the nation of Israel), from Christianity which is open to all, regardless of blood line or ancestry. It emphasizes that the commencement of Christianity is completed only when a great number of Gentiles receive the gospel.
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