The Early History of the Term Christian
By Kelly McDonald, Jr.
Does the word Christian come from Constantine, paganism, or the New Testament?
There are many memes and articles circulating on the internet that propose that the term Christian comes from Constantine or paganism. Are these claims accurate?
The followers of Jesus (Yeshua) were given various designations in the New Testament. They were called followers of the Way (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14, 24:22). At other times they were called Nazoreans or Nazarenes (Acts 24:5).
The early followers of Jesus believed that He is the Meshiach or anointed one who would fulfill many prophetic verses in the Law, Prophets, and Writings (Tanakh or Old Testament) and bring salvation to God’s people. Christos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term Meshiach.
The first century Jewish historian Josephus recognized that Jesus was called the Christ by people: “…the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, whose name was James…” (Antiquities of the Jews, 20.9.1). This Messianic expectation among first century people is expressed in John 4:25, which reads: “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things” (KJV).
Because the early followers of Jesus believed He was the Christ, they were also called Christians. In fact, this term is found three times in the New Testament. We have quoted these verses below:
“And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people; and that the disciples were called Christians [Greek: Christianous] first in Antioch” (Acts 11:25-26, ASV).
“King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. [Greek: Christianon]?’” (Acts 26:27-28, KJV).
“If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: but if a man suffer as a Christian [Greek: Christianos], let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name” (I Peter 4:14-16, ASV).
The term Christian was always used in the New Testament to refer to the early disciples of Jesus (Yeshua). The term derives from the belief that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ. In Acts 26, the Apostle Paul attempted to convince Agrippa to become a Christian based upon the Old Testament Prophets (not some other external source). In other words, a person could be convinced to be a Christian from the Prophets, which is also in agreement with the Law (Acts 24:14, 28:23). In his first letter, the Apostle Peter explains that early believers were persecuted for being Christians, which means to bear the name of Christ.
The term Christian is also used in multiple non-Biblical sources to identify the early followers of Jesus. Below, we have quotes from multiple ancient authors about this subject.
“Now about this time lived Jesus, a wise man. For he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of men who receive truth with pleasure; and drew over to him many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. And When Pilate, at the information of the leading men among us, had him condemned to the cross, those who had loved him at first did not cease to do so. And the tribe of Christians [Greek: Christianon], so named from him, are not extinct at this day” (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18.3.3; emphasis mine).
The first historian outside of the New Testament to mention Christians was the Jewish historian Josephus. In this account, the term Christian is not connected with paganism, but with the earliest followers of Jesus, who drew many Jews and Greeks. After all, Josephus mentions these details in the midst of discussing Jewish history. Why was the term Christian used by him? As Josephus stated elsewhere in this same work, people believed Him to be the Christ. Josephus said that the Christians still existed in his day, which was about 93 AD (a little over 60 years after the time of Jesus).
What about other historical sources?
The next five quotes come non-Christian authors who lived in the first century and early second centuries.
“…Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians [Latin: Christianos] by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, …” (Tacitus, Annals, 15.44; emphasis mine).
“…Having never been present at any trials of the Christians [Latin: Christianos], I am unacquainted with the method and limits to be observed either in examining or punishing them…An anonymous information was laid before me containing a charge against several persons, who upon examination denied they were Christians, or had ever been so. They repeated after me an invocation to the gods, and offered religious rites with wine and incense before your statue (which for that purpose I had ordered to be brought, together with those of the gods), and even reviled the name of Christ: whereas there is no forcing, it is said, those who are really Christians into any of these compliances: I thought it proper, therefore, to discharge them…” (Pliny the Younger, Letter 96; emphasis mine).
“…The method you have pursued my dear Pliny, in sifting the eases of those denounced to you as Christians [Latin: Christiani] is extremely proper.…” (Emperor Trajan’s reply to Pliny; Letter 97; emphasis mine).
“Punishment was inflicted on the Christians [Latin: Christiani], a class of men [literally, humans] given to a new and mischievous superstition” (Suetonius, Life of Nero, 16.2; emphasis mine).
“It was then that he learned the woundrous lore of the Christians [Greek: Christianon], by associating with their priests and scribes in Palestine…whom they still worship, the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this
new cult into the world…Indeed, people came even from the cities in Asia, sent by the Christians at their common expense, to succor and defend and encourage the hero (Peregrinus)…their first lawgiver persuaded them that they are all brothers of one another after they have transgressed once for all by denying the Greek gods and by worshiping that crucified sophist himself and living under his laws” (Passing of Peregrinus, 11, 13).
In these five quotes, we learn that the term Christian was used by pagans to refer to the followers of Jesus. In the first quote, Tacitus recalled the persecution of Christians under Nero. He noted that they were a class hated by the people. He also explained that the term Christian came from Christ, who was crucified by Pilate during the reign of Tiberius Caesar. He noted that the term Christian designated a group of people who were hated for their beliefs by the common Roman people. This is because Christians did not honor the Greco-Roman gods.
Pliny the Younger wrote in about 112 AD about the trials of those who were accused of being Christians. He noted that real Christians could not be forced into worshiping other gods. We also learn from Pliny that it was possible for a person to call themselves a Christian without believing fully in its tenets. He seems to designate the difference between those who professed that name versus those who lived the tenets of the faith.
The third quote is a letter from the Emperor Trajan where he affirms Pliny’s actions concerning Christians. In the fourth quote, Suetonius recalled the Neronian persecution. He called the beliefs of Christians new because the concept that Jesus was the Christ was newer compared to other beliefs in the empire at that time.
In the last quote from this section, the ancient Satirist Lucian, who lived in the 160s/170s AD, describes various aspects of Christians. He mentioned that the Christians were connected to Judea, which was called Palestine at that time, and also that Jesus was crucified there. He also described them as not worshiping the Greek gods and only worshiping the Lord Jesus.
From these quotes, we can ascertain that the term Christian was not connected to any group of people who agreed with the Greco-Roman gods even 130 years after Jesus. Instead, it was connected a group of people who were opposed to them. They were called Christians because they believed that Jesus was the Christ.
Conclusion
The term Christian is first found in the New Testament and refers to the early disciples of Jesus (Yeshua). This term came about because they believed Jesus to be the Meshiach (Hebrew) or Christos (Greek). The Old Testament Scriptures, including the Prophets, were used to help others accept Him as the Messiah.
Among other sources, the term Christian is also used to refer to the early followers of Jesus. These early sources designate that the true Christians were those who did not engage in paganism. In fact, Christians were denounced by pagans for their lack of belief in the traditional Greco-Roman gods. They were marked and persecuted because they would not recant their faith in Jesus as the Christ.
Over the course of the centuries that followed and even to this day, the term Christian has been used by people who do not have beliefs like Jesus and His early disciples. However, this detail does not diminish the use of the term. People have misused many things over the years, such as the Bible itself, to justify terrible acts and movements. This does not mean that the Bible itself is corrupt. Instead, it shows us that even a most holy thing such as the Words of the Living God can be misused by those whose intent is corrupt and depraved (2 Peter 2:1-22, Jude 1:10-11).
Those who seek to follow the teachings and examples of Jesus can call themselves Christians without any condemnation. The term was not invented by pagans. It was not invented by the pope. It was around for centuries before Constantine. It is a Scriptural term that ties us to the first believers in Jesus and reminds us that we too believe that He is the Messiah or Christ. Historically, it identifies us with the earliest followers of Jesus who refused to worship other gods.
God bless!
Kelly McDonald, Jr.
Bibliography
Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews, 18.3.3. English. Whiston’s Translation revised by Rev. A.R. Shilleto, Vol. 3, London: George Bell and Sons, York Street, 1889. pp 274-275.
Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews, 18.3.3. Greek. Translated by Louis H. Feldman. vol. 9. Harvard University Press, 1965. p 50.
Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews, 20.9.1. Whiston’s Translation revised by Rev. A.R. Shilleto, Vol. 3, London: George Bell and Sons, York Street, 1889. p 405.
Pliny the Younger, Letter 96. Translated by William Melmoth. Revised by W. M. L. Hutchinson. Vol 2. New York: The MacMillan Co. 1915. p 400-407.
Pliny the Younger. Letter 97. Translated by Melmoth. Revised by Rev. F. C. T. Bosanquet, London: George Bell and Sons, 1905. pp 393-397.
Suetonius. The Life of Nero, 16.2. Translated by J. C. Rolfe. Vol. 2. Harvard University Press, 1959. pp 110-111.
Tacitus. Annals, 15.44. English. Translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb, MacMillan and Co., 1894, pp 304-305.
Tacitus. Annals, 15.44. Latin. Translated by John Jackson. Vol. 4. Harvard University Press. 1962, pp 282.
The New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament with the New Revised Standard Version. Translated by Robert K. Brown and Philip W. Comfort. J.D. Douglas, General editor. Fourth edition. The United Bible Societies. Tyndale House Publishers, 1993.