CHRISTIAN

The title given to those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus . It was at Antioch, where St. Paul and St. Barnabas jointly preached the Christian religion, that the disciples were first called Christians, (Acts xi. 26,) in the year of our Lord 43. They were generally called by one another brethren , faithful , saints , and believers . The name of Nazarenes was, by way of reproach, given them by the Jews. (Acts xxiv. 5.) Another name of reproach was that of Galilæans , which was the emperor Julian’s style whenever he spoke of the Christians. Epiphanius says, that they were called Je eans , either from Je e, the father of David, or, which is more probable, from the name of Jesus , whose disciples they were. The word is used but three times in Holy Scripture: Acts xi. 26; xxvi. 28; 1 St. Pet. iv. 16.