I’ll be honest right up front — I didn’t burn $325, er um, I mean 72 minutes to listen to the podcast that readers are encouraged to consume on the blog post that I wish to address. Having said that, I do have to completely agree with the author on the title, so much so that I named this entry the same thing. Problem is, I kinda doubt that how I see the difference and how the author sees the difference are the same. I could probably confirm this if I was willing to waste over an hour of my life, but I’ll just express how I see the difference.

For what it’s worth, the term “Christian” appears 3 times in Scripture (at least that’s all in the New King Jimmy):

Acts 11:26 — And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. 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.

Acts 26:28 — Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

1 Peter 4:16 — Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

The term means simply “little Christ”.  And so, used properly, it’s a good term, and I would readily identify myself as a Christian.

History tells us that the term, as it originated in Antioch, was actually used as a term of derision.  Even if this is true, Peter’s use of the word shows that he considered it a badge of honor (see also Genesis 50:20).

While I can’t say this definitively, I would imagine that the author of that other post is big on literalism.  So, what does “Christ-follower” literally mean?  I’m thinking something like “follower of Christ”.  Seems like following Christ would be a pretty good thing — Matthew 10:38" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=10&verse=38&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">at Matt 16:24" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=16&verse=24&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">least Matthew 19:21" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=19&verse=21&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">Jesus Mark 8:34" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=48&chapter=8&verse=34&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">seemed Mark 10:21" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=48&chapter=10&verse=21&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">to Luke 9:23" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=9&verse=23&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">think Luke 18:22" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=18&verse=22&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">that John 10:27" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=10&verse=27&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">was John 12:26" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=12&verse=26&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">the John 21:22" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=21&verse=22&version=50&context=verse" target="_blank">case.  And so, used properly, it’s a good term, and I would readily identify myself as a Christ-follower.

OK, now let’s look at how our society views the two terms.  The last time that the term “Christian” meant anything meaningful in Western society, Warren G Harding was president.  To most non-believers (ya know, those people we’re supposed to be trying to reach), “Christian” means “not Jewish, Muslim, or Bill Maher”.  The term has become little more than a label, and has no active sense to it.

On the other hand, “Christ-follower” has a very active sense to it — the Christ-follower is following Christ.  It very much identifies the person with a very specific Person, and strikes me as a very good example of living Romans 1:16" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%201:16;&version=50;" target="_blank">Romans 1:16.

Now, are there those who have misused the term “Christ-follower”, perhaps to associate it with beliefs that aren’t Biblical, or to affiliate it with a political cause?  Probably.  And perhaps these are the people with whom the author has a beef.

Are there those who have misused the term “Christian”, perhaps to associate it with beliefs that aren’t Biblical, or to affiliate it with a political cause? 100%, beyond the shadow of a doubt, no way you can deny it, definitely.

So if we must abandon the term “Christ-follower” because of misuse, then we must abandon the term “Christian” also.  Yet the author clings to the latter while deriding the former.

Can someone explain how exactly that works?