When Peter returns to Jerusalem after his encounter with Gentiles in Caesarea, he had to explain how God included the Gentiles in the salvation of Jesus to the Jewish brothers. Also, here is where we find the believers, or “Followers of The Way” first called “Christians”. Let’s dig in….
Acts 11
Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. 2 But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 3 “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.
4 Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. 5 “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. 6 When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. 7 And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’
8 “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.’
9 “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ 10 This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.
11 “Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us. 13 He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’
15 “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. 16 Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”
I like that line, “who was I to stand in God’s way?” The Holy Spirit wants to do marvelous things in your life! Are you standing in His way?
Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Usually, it’s pride, greed and one or two of the 7 Deadly Sins, that we don’t want to give up. The Good News is that if you turn to Jesus — repent — stop sinning — and ask forgiveness, He can change your life in ways you can never imagine. Let’s go on…
The Church in Antioch of Syria
19 Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
27 During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) 29 So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. 30 This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.
Acts 11 NLT
Here it is! It was in Antioch, Syria where believers and followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Interestingly enough, the word “Christian” means “little Christ”. We are mini versions of Jesus!
What does it mean to be called a Christian?
The strict definition of Christian is something like “a person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and His teachings.” So what does it mean to be a Christian in your life? … In order to be a Christian, we must be not just someone who has received baptism or believes in Jesus and His teachings, but our whole life should be a reflection of Him. He should be Lord of our life and reign in us. People should know who we follow by how we act and talk. Our life should be transformed if we are a Christian, not just believe the teachings.
S. Beau Waldrup, “Walking with Him Daily: Acts Bible Plan” in YouVersion free Bible app
Are You a REAL Christian?
Sitting in a church each Sunday doesn’t make you a Christian just like sitting in a bank doesn’t make you rich.
Most Catholics cannot call themselves Christians because they venerate Mary above Jesus. That’s idolatry and 100% a sin. They follow the false teachings of the Roman Catholic Church who has been deceiving and sending people to hell for centuries. Purgatory doesn’t exist. Without the scam of purgatory, the Roman Catholic Church wouldn’t exist.
I believe there are many Catholics and Progressives in hell crying & asking “Why?!” They did what the false preachers told them to do. They went to church. They called themselves Christians. Yet, they missed the crucial step of repentance that leads to salvation through Jesus Christ only. That so separated them from God that they will never get an answer to why they are spending eternity in hell.
You, However, Have a Choice
Choose Jesus!
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…