How Christians were named

Antiochian Scroll Discovered
How Christians were named

Acts 11:26 — and when he found him (Saul), 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.

This is a pretty significant verse for the church, for this is where our peeps came up with the name Christian. If it had not been for Paul (Saul) and Barnabas, and the Antioch Evangelism Committee, we would still be wandering in the wilderness of unbranded Jesus followers.

Although scripture does not indicate how it came about, I recently uncovered a transcript (actually, transcroll) of the meeting where the Antiochian church came up with the name. It was about six months into the year that Paul (Saul) and Barnabas (Barnabus) were together, developing their Church Growth Strategy (CGS) and Missionary Movement Plan (MMP) before starting for Asia Minor, Ursa Major, Greece and Indiana.

Amazingly, the scroll was written in English, truly a miracle since English would not exist for another 1500 years, but that made it much more convenient for me, since I don't read Antiochian. (But I do read AnnieOakleyian!)

Saul (Paul) opened the meeting in prayer.

Paul: Thank you for giving us this day, this place, these people, and the gift of salvation, Lord Jesus. Let your Holy Spirit reveal the details of how we are to grow your church, and, if you don't mind, in your own time, give us the name by which we all will be known, until such time you return to us. Amen.

Barnabus: You forgot to say, in Jesus' name. Remember, at the last meeting, we set up the format for Acceptable and Appropriate Prayer, and we agreed to end each prayer with "in Jesus' name."

Paul: Oh right, forgive me. And that was even my suggestion! (Everyone chuckles.)

Barnabus: Now, we are meeting today to come up with a name we can call people who follow Jesus; it's time we branded ourselves, for unifying and marketing purposes. That way, people all over the lands will know they are brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Paul: Why not the Way. It's been a catchy name; sure handy when I was out catching them. You know, before the conversion thing.
Barnabus: Yeah, I remember, but that was just used because we didn't have a permanent name; it was our working title.

Paul: Okay, well, incorporate that. How about Wayfinders? Wayfollowers? WayWays? Waywalkers?

Barnabus: Way too confusing. We need to identify ourselves as belonging to the Lord.

Paul: Let's call them Brothers and Sisters in the Lordians.

Barnabus: A bit long. 

Paul: Lordians, then.

Barnabus: But that could apply to anyone who is in authority, anyone who lords it over another.

Paul: Right, well, Jesusians, then.

Barnabus: Hmm, Jesusians. Better. Maybe Jesusites. 

Paul: Sounds too much like Jebusites, pretty confusing. 

Barnabus: Jesans. No, Jesusonians. Jesusists. Jesusics.

Paul: Should we make an acrostic? GIG — Growing in God; SASS — Saved and Sanctified Saints; POW — People on the Way.

Barnabas: Might be trying too hard, there. All we want is a name that identifies us as following Jesus, who we know is the anointed one of God, the Christ.

Paul: That's it, use the title! No one else does.

Christonians.

Barnabus: Yes, that's it. Christonians! Wait, how about Christics? That's catchy.

Paul: No, Christonians, it should be. Short and to the point. Unless the Holy Spirit suggests otherwise, we will brand ourselves Christonians. Run it past the Department of Godly Efficiency — DOGE — and see what they think. And Antioch will forever be the birthplace of the name Christonian, unless someone else on the committee has a better idea.

The scroll ends at this point, which is unfortunate, because apparently, someone on the committee did have a better suggestion, or DOGE did.

Anyway, thank you, Paul and Barnabus, for giving us the name that connects to the name that is above all other names!