What Should I Call You?

Acts 11:26: Lumberton, MS—10.05.09

Intro:

A.  Long ago, the inspired James asked his brethren, "Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?"

      Jas. 2:7

      1.  Our brothers and sisters in Bible times were actually known by their peers—they were not some obscure group

           of people who met in the shadows in fear. 

      2.  Nor were they one group among many other religious groups that "just kind of blended into" some kind of an

           overall whole, but were known by their contemporaries by a special, noble, honorable, beautiful, literally

           "excellent" name. 

B.  "And when he (Barnabas) had found him (Saul), he brought him to Antioch.  So it was that for a whole year they

      assembled with the church and taught a great many people.  And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch."

      Acts 11:26

      1.  The word "called" in Acts 11:26 is from the same Greek root term as "called" in Jas. 2:7.

      2.  That special, noble, honorable, beautiful, excellent time is specified—Christian.

C.  Please underline good friends in your Bible these three words in Acts 11:26: church, disciples, Christians.

      1.  Questions:

           .  With whom did they gather together?  The church.

           .  Who constituted the church?  The disciples.

           .  What were the disciples called?  Christians.

      2.  What were brothers and sisters in the NT called?  What designation did they go by?    

 

I.  Our brothers and sisters in the NT were not known or called by the name of a religious PERSON.

 

    A.  Examples:  Paul, Apollos, or Peter. 

 

          1.  Yes, there were some who wanted to divided the body via an allegiance to personality—they wanted to be

               known by the name of a person other than Christ.  "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord

               Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be

               perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it has been declared to me

               concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.  Now I say

               this, that teach of you says, 'I am of Paul,' or 'I am of Apollos,' or 'I am of Cephas,' or 'I am of Christ.'"  1 Cor.

               1:10-12 

          2.  They were forthrightly corrected.  "Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in the

               name of Paul?"  1 Cor. 1:10-12

               a.  Notice the apostle's respectful but forceful questions.

               b.  Questions:

                    1)  "Is Christ divided?"  (Cliques and division at Corinth could only be justified if the Lord's resurrected boy

                          had been dismembered).

                    2)  "Was Paul crucified for you?"  (By asking this question he made it clear that to identify oneself as a

                          follower/disciple of Paul was to insult the saving work of Jesus).

                    3)  "Were you baptized in the name of Paul?"  (Nowhere in the NT can you find an example of where

                          penitent believers were immersed in the name of an apostle or church leader).

 

    B.  We would do well to remember that in the 21^st century.

 

          1.  We sometimes hear the names of well-known men of the past employed in religious circles.  Ex:

                Martin Luther, Alexander Campbell

          2.  With the utmost respect, brethren in the Bible were never called Lutherans or Campbellites—they were

               known as Christians only.

 

II.  Our brothers and sisters in the NT were not known by the name of a religious PRACTICE.

 

     A.  Example: baptism. 

 

          1.  Yes, baptism is very important.  Mk. 16:15-16; A. 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; 1 Pet. 3:21

          2.  People were known by their trades.

               a.  John the Baptist, lit., "the baptizer" was referred to as such because he was one who baptized.

               b.  Alexander the coppersmith.  cf. 2 Tim. 4:14

               c.  Lydia a seller of purple.  cf. Acts 16:14

 

     B.  With all kindness nowhere in the Bible will you find brothers and sisters called Baptists—they were called

          Christians only.

 

III.  Our brothers and sisters in the NT were not known by the name of a religious PRINCIPLE.

 

       A.  Example: church government.

 

             1.  Yes, local congregations of the NT were overseen by an episcopacy (i.e., bishops); they were ruled by a

                  presbytery—an eldership.

                  a.  The word episkopos refers to an overseer, superintendent, or bishop.

                  b.  The word presbuteros refers to an elder.

             2.  We find where local congregations of the NT body of Christ were organized in this fashion. 

 

       B.  But will all love, nowhere in the Bible will you find our brothers and sisters ever designated by the way their

             local churches were organized.  They were never called Presbyterians or Episcopalians—they were called

             Christians only.   

 

IV.  Our brothers and sisters in the NT were not known by the POSSESSIVE descriptions given to the church.

 

       A.  The church is described in a variety of ways in Scripture:

 

             1.   Kingdom.  "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of

                   Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom…"  Mt. 16:18, 19a

             2.  Body.  "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is

                  His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."  Eph. 1:22, 23

             3.  The church.  "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made

                  you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."  Acts 20:28

             4.  The churches (i.e., congregations) of Christ.  cf. Rom. 16:16

             5.  The church of God.  "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus,

                  to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."

                  1 Cor. 1:2

             6.  The church of the firstborn.  "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in

                  heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect."  Heb. 12:23

 

       B.  With care, our brothers and sisters in the NT, as individuals, were never known by these possessive terms of

             description.

             1.  From Matthew to Revelation, you will not read of a "Church of God" Christian, or a "Church of Christ"

                  preacher/college; nor will you read of a "Church of the Firstborn" denomination on one street corner. 

             2.  Obedient followers of Jesus belonged to the church that belongs to Christ the Lord!  They were simply

                  called Christians only. 

 

V.  An ILLUSTRATION.

 

     A.  What is a denomination?

 

           1.  What are some possible divisions of a U.S. $100 dollar bill?

           2.  A single $100 bank note could be divided into the equivalent of one hundred dollars with a $50, a $20, two

                $10's, a $5, and five $1 bills.  (Any of these ten bills are a part of a whole).

           3.  The Lord's church is presented in Scripture as the whole thing.

                a.  It is the fullness of Him who fills all in all.  Eph, 1:23

                b.  It is never spoken of as a segment or part of a larger religious entity.

                     1)  In fact, the word "church" is used only in two senses in the Bible.

                     2)  As the universal  church over which Christ is head, and as the local church (congregation) in a given

                          geographical area:

                          .  "The church of God which is at Corinth."  1 Cor. 1:2

                          .  "The church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."  1 Thess. 1:1

                          .  "The churches of Galatia..."  Gal. 1:2

                          .  "The churches of Christ…."  Rom. 16:16

 

       B.  On the other hand, denominationalism and division, by its own admission, is composed of thousands of groups,

             wearing different man-made names, teaching conflicting religious doctrines, and endorsing contradictory

             practices.

 

             1.  Excerpt from a book in my library, The Standard Manual For Baptist Churches, by Edward T. Hiscox:

             2.  "It is most likely that in the Apostolic age when there was but 'one Lord, one faith, and one baptism,' and

                  no differing denominations existed, that baptism of a convert by that very act constituted him a member of

                  the church, and at once endowed him with all the rights and privileges of full membership.  In that sense,

                  'baptism was the door into the church.'  Now, it is different…"  p. 22

                  a.  Why are things different today?

                  b.  Can we honestly say that religious plurality is in harmony with either the Lord's prayer or the disciple's

                        practice?  cf. Jn. 17; Acts 2:42, 47

 

VI.  Observations:

 

       A.  The term "Christian" is used interchangeably with the word "disciple"; Christians were disciples, disciples were

             Christians.

 

             1.  Gentle note: the disciples were not called "First Christians," nor "Disciples of Christ," but Christians only.

             2.  How does one make a disciple and, thus, a Christian?  (Let's all turn to the Lord Himself—He ought to know—

                  it's His name we wear, after all).  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the

                  name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have

                  commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Mt. 28:19-20

 

       B.  The term "Christian" is used interchangeably with the word "church" (literally, "called out" [of the world] ones).

 

             1.  How does one become a member of the Lord's church and, thus, become a Christian?  "For by one Spirit we

                  were all baptized into one body—where Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to

                  drink into one Spirit."  1 Cor. 12:13

             2.  They got  into the body by following the teachings of the HS and were baptized.  cf. Eph. 1:22-23

 

Concl:

A.  Are you a Christian only?  (I did not ask, "Are you a Lutheran, Campbellite, Baptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Church

      of God, or Church of Christer?")

      1.  The church of the NT was a Baptist church in that is baptized penitent believers for the remission of sins, but it

           was not THE Baptist church.

      2.  The church of the NT was a Methodist church in that it did things methodically, logically, and orderly, but it was

           not THE Methodist church.

      3.  The church of the NT was a Presbyterian church in that each congregation was ruled by an eldership, but it was

           not THE Presbyterian church.

      4.  The church of the NT was an Episcopalian church in that each congregation was overseen by a plurality of elders,

           but it was not THE Episcopalian church.

      5.  The church of the NT was a Christian church in that it was composed of Christians only, but it was not THE

           Christian church.    

B.  Have you been baptized into the body of Christ and do you wear the name of Christ only?