Acts 11:26 Meaning and Explanation
“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In a bustling pagan city, the followers of Jesus were first given the name we still carry: Christians.
The Context of Acts 11:26
Antioch in Syria, the third-largest city of the Roman Empire, where the gospel had spread beyond Jewish circles to Greeks (Acts 11:19-21). Barnabas, sent from Jerusalem, has gone to Tarsus to find Saul (later Paul) and bring him to help teach the swelling congregation.
What Does Acts 11:26 Mean?
Barnabas tracks down Saul and brings him to Antioch, and for a whole year the two of them gather with the church and teach a great many people. Out of that patient, year-long teaching something new is born: the believers are called Christians, here for the first time. The name simply means those who belong to Christ, and it seems the watching city coined it for a community whose whole life revolved around one Person. They had become so marked by Jesus that the easiest way to name them was by His name.
That is still the heart of the word. To be a Christian is to belong to Christ, to be so shaped by Him that He becomes our defining mark. The name was not chosen to honor a teaching or a movement but to point at a Person, and it points there still. Every time we wear it, we are saying that we are His, and the same Jesus who drew that first community is gathering His people by His name today.
Acts 11:26 in the Original Language
Christianos (Χριστιανός), 'Christian' -- "one belonging to Christ," a follower of the Anointed One; found only three times in the New Testament.
How to Apply Acts 11:26 Today
The name we may wear so casually was born from lives so full of Jesus that onlookers named them after Him. To be a Christian is simply to belong to Christ. We can let that settle what the word means for us, and ask that our own lives point as plainly to Him as that first community's did.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 11:26
What does Acts 11:26 mean?
In a bustling pagan city, the followers of Jesus were first given the name we still carry: Christians.
What is the context of Acts 11:26?
Antioch in Syria, the third-largest city of the Roman Empire, where the gospel had spread beyond Jewish circles to Greeks (Acts 11:19-21). Barnabas, sent from Jerusalem, has gone to Tarsus to find Saul (later Paul) and bring him to help teach the swelling congregation.
How can I apply Acts 11:26 today?
The name we may wear so casually was born from lives so full of Jesus that onlookers named them after Him. To be a Christian is simply to belong to Christ. We can let that settle what the word means for us, and ask that our own lives point as plainly to Him as that first community's did.