29 lines
2.1 KiB
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29 lines
2.1 KiB
HTML
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<title>What Is a Christian?</title>
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<div class="head">What Is a Christian?</div>
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<p>The primary question that needs to be addressed concerns the definition of a Christian. Simply stated a Christian is a person who has trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior. The more common terms the Bible employs for a follower of Christ includes disciple, believer, or saint. The word Christian is used only three times in the New Testament.</p>
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<p><b>First Used by Unbelievers</b>
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<p>The first use of the term was by the unbelievers in the city of Antioch:
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<blockquote><p>And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (<a id="nbi508-si1" onClick="return mV('Act',11,26);">Act 11:26</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p>The Gentiles, (non-Jews), called believers in Jesus "Christians" to distinguish them from Jews.</p>
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<p><b>Paul Before Agrippa</b>
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<p>The second usage of this designation was by unbelieving King Agrippa when the Apostle Paul was attempting to convert him:
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<blockquote><p>Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'You almost persuade me to become a Christian' (<a id="nbi508-si2" onClick="return mV('Act',26,28);">Act 26:28</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p><b>Simon Peter</b>
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<p>The only time in Scripture the term was used by believers is Peter's statement:
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<blockquote><p>Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter (<a id="nbi508-si3" onClick="return mV('1Pe',4,16);">1Pe 4:16</a>).</p></blockquote>
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<p>Though the term Christian was first given to believers in Christ by non-believers it soon became the common word to describe those who believe in Jesus. Today it is the primary designation for believers.</p>
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