Throughout the Old Testament, an overarching theme of consecration appears. One of the most important things to Yahweh is that his people be set apart from those around them. Most of the laws set forth in the Pentateuch serve that exact purpose. Therefore it seems utterly significant when something comes up that sets the Yahweh’s people apart in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, God’s people were the Jews; however, the New Testament changes that aspect of the book. God’s people are now the people who believe that Jesus Christ is the messiah. Therefore, it only seems logical that something be done to set them a part from the Jews. A step is taken in that direction in Chapter 11 of Acts. “....And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). This is a very small, seemingly insignificant statement, but it caught my attention. What exactly were the implications of the followers of Christ first being called Christians?
Up to this point in the New Testament, the story deals mainly with the salvation of the Jewish people. However, in the chapters leading up to chapter 11, Peter is shown a vision that he interprets to mean he should preach the gospel to all people, Jewish or not. This is a very important shift in the narrative of the Bible. It is no longer being Jewish that sets someone apart; rather, it is the belief in Jesus being the messiah. It simply makes sense that a new name arises for these people. As humans, we are obsessed with labels. We need things to have a name. Apparently, things were no different in the time of the apostles. 
The church at Antioch is interesting in and of itself. It is sort of a melting pot of the followers of Christ. “The Christian community at Antioch began when Christians who were scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution fled to Antioch. They were joined by Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene who migrated to Antioch.” Antioch itself is a bustling city by the time Paul and other disciples arrive there. “What Saint Paul would have found was a “city of consumers…full of rich aristocrats and nouveaux riches, and of wealthy, retired people who sought here one of the finest climates in the world.” This means that an engrained culture probably already existed. As a powerful city in the Roman Empire, it is likely that many religions were prevalent, especially the worship of Roman Gods. The arrival of influential followers of Christ would most likely draw looks in a city like this. So, who exactly coined the term “Christians” for these people? “It is probable that the name Christian, like that of Nazarenes and Galileans, was given to the disciples of our Lord in reproach or contempt.” The idea that being called Christian brought with it derogatory intentions is backed up by the fact there is no detailed history of the title in any of the books of the Bible. It is simply mentioned in passing. It is very possible that this word was used by people in Antioch mocking the Christians. After all, the people of Antioch “are observed by Zosimus, Procopius, and Zonaras, to have been remarkable for their scurrilous jesting.” 
Whether the term “Christians” is meant to be derogatory or not, it is becoming increasingly important for the followers of Christ to be set a part. There is a constant intermingling of faiths at this time in the Roman empire. People are crossing over to new faiths, and their a subgroups developing in existing faiths. The church at Antioch is a perfect example of this. “The Jews of Antioch who were converted to Christianity were divided into two groups. The first group adhered to all that was old: yet the second group found it necessary to mix with the Greeks and become Hellenized.” This obviously raises many issues. Firstly, there needs to be a way to identify God’s people whether they follow the teachings of Paul or the teachings of Peter, for example. While the term “Christians” may not have been used exceedingly in the times of apostles, it certainly serves readers today as a way of identifying the characters in the book. It sets them apart from those around them.
Many scholars agree that the term “Christian” is not what a follower of Jesus would have identified himself as in the time of the New Testament. It is much more likely the would have simply referred to themselves simply as disciples, apostles, believers, brethren, etc. However, this does not mean the word “Christian” doesn’t serve a purpose. According to one source, “one of the unfortunate consequences of the term ‘Christian’ is that it gradually came to mean ‘Not Jewish’.” When considering this in the grand scheme of things, this is not necessarily abundantly unfortunate. The Old Testament focuses on the setting apart of God’s people at any cost, and if the term “Christian” eventually begins to mean “Not Jewish”, it can be seen as a way of setting the followers of Christ apart from the people who previously would have been seen collectively as God’s people. In light of the New and Old Testaments, this is a distinction that very much needs to be made.
