The Letter of James is the only New Testament book in which praise is given to the “beautiful name” (Jas 2:7), that of “Christ Jesus,” from which the term “Christian” originates. The designation, though rare in the early communities of believers, finds its earliest historical attestation in the Acts of the Apostles: “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’” (Acts 11:26).
The fact that it was at Antioch, the capital of Syria, the third largest city in the Empire, after Rome and Alexandria, that Jesus’ disciples were first called “Christians,” is of great historical significance and a crucial juncture in the formation of the identity of the early Church. This was not only because the name was a clear and definitive sign of something real, but because it is through the name that an individual or a social group becomes aware of its own existence, distinguishes itself from others and matures its own identity. According to the Acts of the Apostles (written around the 80s), the appearance of the name “Christian” places the establishment of the community of believers in Christ in a definite timeframe, perhaps 10 years, in any case less than 20 after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Until that time, there was still no official word to distinguish those who embraced the new faith; names varied. In Paul’s Letters, followers of Jesus were called “brothers and sisters,” “those who belong to Christ.” They were also called “the saints,” while those who came from Judaism were “the circumcised” (Gal 2:7-9).
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© Union of Catholic Asian News
2023
