How Should We Label Ourselves? Part 2

The Usage of Christian (Christianos) in the New Testament

Surprisingly, the term is only used 3 times in the New Testament. Also, one needs to note that it never says in the Scriptures that disciples of Christ ever actually called themselves, or labeled themselves as Christians. The Scriptures are silent on who actually labeled them as such and never tells us that Christ’s disciples accepted the term to use as normative for the church as a whole. History tells us that it was a term, not of endearment, but of disparagement and one that the church finally accepted as a label. From there, the term grew to label the whole of the church as a religion called “Christianity.” But, history and tradition are not enough to make something prescriptive and normative for the church for all time, but merely are helps to show how others before us were convicted by the Spirit of God in their context and cultures.

Here are the references:

and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Acts 11:26

Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”
Acts 26:28

but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
1 Peter 4:16

One can see that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch, but we are not told by whom they were called this. (I am not saying that this isn’t of historical importance, or that the term should NOT be used. The fact that both Jews and Gentiles were seen as one group and labeled as Christians is tantamount to their new identity seen by those in the secular world. But, this does not make the label prescriptive) King Agrippa, a Gentile, uses the term to describe Paul’s people and then we have Peter who simply says that if one suffers because of the use of this derogatory name of “Christian” to not be ashamed of it and to glorify God in this. Which would be very appropriate after Peter just got done telling the church universal the following:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
1 Peter 4:12

The Usage of Follower (akoloutheo) in the New Testament

So, we have three verses that use the term and no prescriptive case in any of them for the term “Christian.” But what about the term “follower of Jesus.” Is there any Scriptural evidence to the fact that one can call themselves a “follower of Jesus”? I think that we have already proven this fact by the mere understanding of the closeness with the term “disciple” as discussed above, but I still want to drive home the point with every verse that Jesus and the Gospels use to show that those who follow Jesus will inherit eternal life, not those who follow a new found religion.

And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:19

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Matthew 4:20

Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Matthew 4:22

Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
Matthew 8:19

But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
Matthew 8:22

When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
Matthew 8:23

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
Matthew 9:9

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Matthew 10:38


Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 16:24

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Matthew 19:21

Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”
Matthew 19:27

And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matthew 19:28

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Mark 1:18

As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
Mark 2:14

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Mark 8:34

John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”
Mark 9:38

Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Mark 10:21

Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”
Mark 10:28


When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
Luke 5:11

After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Luke 5:27
And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him.
Luke 5:28

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Luke 9:23

John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.”
Luke 9:49

And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”
Luke 9:59

Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”
Luke 9:61

When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Luke 18:22

Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”
Luke 18:28

Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.
Luke 18:43

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
John 1:40

The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.”
John 1:43


Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
John 8:12

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
John 10:27
“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:26

Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
John 21:19

Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
John 21:22

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
Revelation 14:4


If this evidence isn’t overwhelming and one believes that we should unashamedly use every term associated with us in the Bible, there is one more thought to look into. It is one more term that is used more times in the Scriptures than “Christian” but is never used today because it stopped being used past the 1st Century, and today is a little known cult headquartered in New Knoxville, Ohio. It is the term “The Way” and is used 5 times in the following verses:

and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Acts 9:2

But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
Acts 19:9

About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.
Acts 19:23

“But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;
Acts 24:14

But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.”
Acts 24:22

Might have the early converts to Christianity used this term so that they were not culturally offensive? Who knows? We do know that it was a term used by Paul himself to describe the church. If we are to use every term described in the Bible, why not this one? Is it because we should allow those who are disciples of Jesus to ascribe the appropriate, culturally accepted, biblical term to themselves? I say yes. Why should we get angry at a Muslim who decides that a term that was used three times in the New Testament is too offensive to his fellow neighbor, when it has nothing to do with Jesus, but a Western religion?

I am putting forth that the Muslim who denies calling himself a Christian, but adopts the term “follower of Jesus” is being far more specific and possibly adhering more to biblical principles than the Westerner who calls themselves “Christians.”

We should praise them for teaching us this and not ostracize them or tell them, and others, that they are denying their Christ who bought them. We are being petty and allowing tradition to trump the Scriptures when we do this.

May we, in the West, learn from our brothers and sisters in the East, and follow in their footsteps as they follow in the footsteps of Christ.

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:37-39