Do you know where the word “Christian” comes from?

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Did you know that the word “Christian” comes from the Greek word christianos, meaning “little Christ”? And that the accusers of Jesus’s disciples used it as an insult…? “Check it out, there’s the ‘little Christs,’” they would say. So, what was meant to be a jeer became a blessing for billions of people. What a beautiful historical irony…

The Bible says, “(…) 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.” (see Acts 11:26)

But why did the opponents of “the Way” call the disciples “Christians,” “little Christs”? The believers’ lifestyle was so clear and unmistakable that this name was assigned to them. Because they put into practice what they had learned from Jesus, they completely achieved the mission that was given to them (and to us): to represent Christ and make Him known!

So what do we ourselves need to do to represent Christ? Rather than pummeling our neighbors with judgments through the strategic use of Bible verses, the gentler and most effective approach is, without a doubt, standing alongside Jesus through reading His Word and setting time aside to be with Him. The more we know Him, the more His character rubs off on us.

Yesterday, we took a look at some of the traits that make up Jesus’s character (see the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). You can dig even deeper with your own study if you’d like, but here are a few other attributes:

  • His submission to the Father: Jesus agreed to relinquish everything to follow His Father’s will, knowing that God’s ways are superior.
  • His compassion: Jesus was the friend of sinners, as this song by Casting Crowns reminds us, and knew how to go beyond appearances and judgments straight to the hearts of the ones who needed Him.


  • His humility: He is the King of heaven; yet, He became a servant of all.

Dear friend, I pray today that you make the decision to continually know Jesus better and better, so that you may resemble Him a bit more each day!

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24 Comments

  1. Latrice on 08/07/2018 at 4:40 PM

    BREAK OUR HEART FOR WHAT BREAK YOURS. I LOVE YOU JESUS ???? I SIMPLE LOVE THIS SONG . THANKS
    SIR , ERIC

    • SABRINA ARMSTRONG on 27/06/2021 at 5:39 PM

      Thank You So Muchhhhhh Jesus for Your Finished work at the CROSS???❤

    • Othniel on 18/06/2023 at 10:08 AM

      So-called Christians are nothing like the Deciples, just a bunch of Pagans, who celebrate satanic holidays…

  2. William Weber on 08/07/2018 at 11:34 PM

    Amen Lord Jesus

  3. Milisa on 10/07/2018 at 5:01 PM

    oh Jesus friend of sinners open my eyes let my heart be
    Thank you so much Mr Eric my God exalt you to continue being a blessing to such people as me

  4. Kevin on 26/04/2020 at 2:21 PM

    It does not make sense you cannot change a Y into J the Messiah was born long before the J was invented so his name could of not been called Jesus and don’t say translation this means someone change it for their benefit so someone is lying. We don’t say 53 is 63 no matter what language

    • Karael on 20/11/2020 at 2:49 PM

      Try reading the BIBLE , JEWS DID NOT USE THE LETTER J JESUS IS LIKE A ENGLISH TRANSLATION

    • Anna Muir on 25/02/2021 at 6:29 AM

      You are right Kevin the J was invented in 1534 in Geneva and first called the name Jesus in the Geneva Bible in 1599. The King James still had Ievus Christ in 1613 and then changed it to Jesus in a later version. The real name that believers of the Saviour used was Yeshua Messiah (masiach). Most believers of the Lord do not know this I wish somebody who knew the truth would have told people because a lot of Christian writers say Christ most of the time now and not Jesus as much. I became a Messianic believer two years ago after reading books written by Messianic Jewish writers book from Koorong Book Store. It does matter as you said and you cannot change the real name of Yeshua Messiah to Jesus Christ or as the Greeks did Iesous Christos. Nice to talk to you. Anna.

  5. Gregory Keller on 26/04/2020 at 6:37 PM

    When you pray to jesus you pray to nobody..unless you want to pray to some sinner in south America..it WAS NOT IS NOT and WILL NEVER BE the name of the messiah…look at the original king James Bible not one single letter J to be found cover to cover it’s the king Iames bible and the saviors name in that book is Iesus pronounced eye -E- sus…so read acts 4:11 there is only ONE name by which we must be saved..not two names not three names but ONE NAME. .well which is it Iesus or jesus…well the letter J didn’t exist..till the early 1600s..so that can’t be it..what about Iesus. ..gee was our savior a Greek with a Greek nsme…by no means he was a Hebrew..he had a Hebrew name. ..remember he said I come in my father’s name.. had I come in a different name you would have accepted me… Gee I didn’t know our Heavenly father’s name was Iesus. ..well it isn’t….these names jesus which by the way means nothing and Iesus are satanic why because THEY ARE LIES…false..a stumbling block for you…His name is according to the untampered with dead Sea scrolls is YAHUSHUA…which in Hebrew means THE SALVATION OF YAH…(jesus again means nothing and is worthless)… YAHUSHUA is pronounced YAH-oo shoe -ah….and our heavenly Father’s name is YAHUAH…can u now see why he said I come in my father’s name? …the whole world prays to jesus and you thought Satan was stupid…he has the whole world fooled..this man who runs this ad is the wolf in sheep’s clothing spoken of in Matthew 7:13-23…a deceiver producing bad fruit…who is the fruit you are…research YAHUSHUA…Learn come out of the lies…why do you think in Matthew 7 verse 23..I don’t even know you…that’s because you don’t even know his name you workers of iniquity. .breakers of the 4th commandment all you christians..so much more to tell you about the lies you are being fed by these ravenous wolves leading the flock.

    • Karael on 20/11/2020 at 2:48 PM

      what a horrible satanic person blinded by your father the devil, you will pay in fire..

    • Marc on 12/01/2021 at 12:17 PM

      Gregory,

      I thought that was a reply to the site. I think I just replied to you. My bad. Could you copy and send that long message back to me. This Eric guy needs to be rebuked. I want to put that on this guy’s site.

      Sorry man, thanks!

    • Anna Muir on 25/02/2021 at 6:38 AM

      You are right Gregory, but I have replied to Kevin about Yeshua Messiah in a friendlier way, I am a Messianic Believer but was brought up a Christian and found the truth and left all that behind. If you prefer Yahushua that is fine but I am happy with Yeshua. I have some Hebrew Ancestory on my Father’s side. Shalom from Anna.

      • Linda on 02/04/2021 at 11:50 PM

        Christ wasn’t/is not Christian, He is Jewish. He never called His believers Christians and the Apostles didn’t call each other Christians, Christ told the Apostles to go and make men disciples, not Christians. Remember, God said to not add to or take away from His Word. I agree with you on Yeshua.



    • Tess on 24/03/2021 at 7:37 PM

      Thank you!!! I have been searching for truth. I know that Yahushua has warned “Be careful lest you be deceived.” I have been deceived these many years. But this past year I have felt uncomfortable praying in the name of Christ. I have been searching for this… THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH..

    • Stephen on 03/01/2023 at 10:50 AM

      There is no name above the name of Jesus!

  6. Gregory Keller on 26/04/2020 at 6:38 PM

    Acts 4:12

  7. Paula S Abell on 20/05/2020 at 6:48 PM

    I’m sorry this name for Jesus is just now coming to light in this information age . Whether true or not I feel the past generations that earnestly and fervently prayed to Jesus and God the Father and Holy Ghost trinity will not be condemned to hell for their possible misguided phrasing . God knows your heart and your true intentions . We are to humble ourselves as a child before God and he will judge us accordingly. God bless es those who have not seen and yet believe . I think a I ittle of that goes a long way with critical thinkers such as yourself .

  8. David on 09/11/2020 at 3:40 AM

    Christianos is Greek term for follower of Christ that is what I found. So someone is wrong. That’s according to Wikipedia.

    • Scott on 18/01/2021 at 12:34 PM

      Christi = Christ
      anos = ( since we are talking about a proper person ) from the house of, which usually referred to the servants of the owner of that house, or slave of.
      So we could say Christians were or are rather slaves or servants of Christ.
      The term “little Christs” would be just as heretical as saying “little Gods”

  9. Zahid on 22/02/2021 at 2:49 PM

    This is either a fabrication or simple ignorance. The word christ is a word made up. You see, in hebrew the word messiah means, the anointed one or the chosen one. The bible was written in greek so the equivalent to this word is christos. In english there isn’t a word except to say the chosen one. So someone took christos, chopped off the ‘os’ and was left with christ which has no meaning at all. The messiah’s name is Isa Ibn Mariam al masih(alaihi salaam) Jesus son of Mariam the messiah(alaihi salaam).

  10. Zahid on 22/02/2021 at 2:53 PM

    This is either a fabrication or simple ignorance. The word christ is a word made up. You see, in hebrew the word messiah means, the anointed one or the chosen one. The bible was written in greek so the equivalent to this word is christos. In english there isn’t a word except to say the chosen one. So someone took christos, chopped off the ‘os’ and was left with christ which has no meaning at all. The messiah’s name is al masih isa ibn Mariam (alaihi salaam)

    • Anna Muir on 25/02/2021 at 6:54 AM

      You are right Zahid, Christ is a made up word just as Jesus is a made up word. The enemy the devil has been very successful in changing the true names to a lie, as he is the father of lies. Christos just meant anointed with oil or an anointed person, they then had a so called Christian name. Messiah means the Anointed Son of God. Yeshua was changed into Iesous then Iesus then Jesus. Shalom from Anna.

      • Adams on 02/08/2022 at 10:36 AM

        Hope you all remember what happened in Babel..are you saying we followers of him that’s in Nigeria I mean we Yoruba that’s calling him Jesu we are calling Satan cos I don’t know…….



  11. Travis on 04/02/2023 at 4:38 PM

    Interesting to see the focus on what we call Him instead of Who He IS and His purpose.
    The Son of the living God, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

    Shalom

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