In what city were the followers of Jesus first called Christians?

The Answer

When persecution scattered the believers, some traveled to Antioch in Syria and began sharing the good news with Greeks as well as Jews, and a great number believed. Barnabas brought Saul from Tarsus to help teach the growing church there. It was in this vibrant, multi-ethnic congregation that the disciples were first called Christians — 'people of Christ.'

The name 'Christian' was likely coined by outsiders. The believers in Antioch talked about Jesus so much, and resembled Him so closely, that the city needed a word for them: Christ-people. Their identity was unmistakable.

It is a name earned by resemblance, not just claimed by association. The Antioch church crossed cultural lines, gave generously to famine relief, and sent out the first missionaries. They did not just believe differently — they lived differently.

If the people around you had to invent a name for your way of life, what would it be? Today, live so that the label 'Christian' fits — not as a badge you wear, but as a likeness you bear.