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Christian Living

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Consider How the Example of the Early Church Can Inform Our Actions Today

What is your perspective on miracles and supernatural signs? I’m talking about the things we read about in the Bible, especially the New Testament.

This is about people receiving healing from their physical ailments and deliverance from their nonphysical afflictions.

It’s about the resurrection from the dead. It’s about hearing God when he speaks. And don’t forget speaking in tongues, interpretation, and receiving divine insights. Do you believe in miracles?

These things occur in the Bible with regular frequency.

For some people this supernatural power continues today. What they read about in the Bible informs their expectations, actions, and reality.

Their lives and their practices continue to build on what the early church began. It’s the kingdom of God present and at work in mighty ways.

Heresy or Not?

For others their life experience lacks miracles and spiritual power. They don’t believe in miracles, because they don’t see any. They adjust their theology accordingly.

I once even attended an ultraconservative church that taught that the spiritual power that the early church enjoyed, died with the apostles.

The preacher said this meant supernatural power has no place in today’s world. He asserted that anyone who believes so is a heretic.

He could cite no biblical support of his conclusion, merely his experience—or lack thereof—relating to supernatural power from Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

I suspect this person and others like him are the heretics, discarding what the Bible says because it doesn’t align with their experience and their comfort.

I Believe in Miracles

I do believe in miracles. I do believe in supernatural power from Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Though I long for it to be a regular occurrence in my life—like it was in the Bible—it does remain part of my experience, my theology, and my expectations.

If we don’t experience God’s spiritual power like the early church did in the Bible, we have two choices.

We can push aside our supernatural potential and remain comfortably unchanged and unchallenged. Or we can open ourselves up to the possibility that God wants to give us more—much more—in our daily lives and in our witness for him.

Do you want more from your faith, or do you want the status quo? Are you open to believe in miracles?

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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Peter DeHaan News

Dear Theophilus, Acts: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church

Does Your Church Function Like the Early Church in Acts?

Doubt it.

Yes, you may see snippets of similarities, but if you look closely, you’ll find huge gaps. Don’t believe me?

  • Consider the early church’s astronomical growth. Does your church experience that?
  • When was the last time someone at your church died for their faith?
  • Does your church experience Holy Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues? Most don’t.
Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts

We’re Just Getting Started

  • What about sharing all your resources with other believers?
  • How about supernatural healing, signs and wonders, and exorcisms?
  • Do you take offerings for other believers and not yourself?

Wait, There’s More

  • Do you meet daily in people’s homes and public spaces?
  • Is community and getting along more important than just about everything else?
  • Do you minister to one another, serve as priests, and focus on telling others about Jesus?

Dear Theophilus, Acts is a devotional. It’s a Bible Study. And it emerges as a manifesto for today’s church.

It’s time to realign your thinking. Dear Theophilus, Acts will ease you into it. It gives forty devotional insights from the book of Acts for today’s church—and for you.

Peter DeHaan, PhD, earned his doctorate—awarded with high distinction—from Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. He lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and plays with crossword puzzles in his spare time.

[Note: Dear Theophilus, Acts has been updated and republished as Tongues of Fire.]

Read more about the book of Acts in Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Visiting Churches

The Holy Spirit Grows the Church (Visiting Church #34)

Today’s destination is a tiny country church. Their pastor resigned a couple months ago and some families left as well.

Another church from their denomination (some forty miles away) has come alongside them, providing assistance in their revitalization.

Three couples from this other church now rotate in leading their Sunday services. “We’re in a rebuilding phase,” says one man.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

The service begins with singing five songs, ably led by today’s assigned couple. The message, about revival, connects the birth of Pentecostalism in the 1900s with the early church, as portrayed in the book of Acts.

I’m glad to hear our speaker acknowledge and celebrate the Holy Spirit’s role in God’s church.

In Acts 1, the people wait and pray; this is part of their preparation. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit shows up, just as Jesus promised. The church is born.

Nineteen centuries later, the Holy Spirit again takes a lead role, as exemplified with the Azusa Street revival in 1906. Their denomination traces its roots to that event.

Unfortunately, “the church got complacent.” We need to “expect God to do miracles in our lives.” Our speaker shares an example from his own life, as well as from some of the pillars of the charismatic movement.

He concludes by quoting William Booth. “I don’t pray for revival; I am revival.”

Through the Holy Spirit, this tiny church can grow, just as it did in the book of Acts.

[Read about Church #33 and Church #35, start at the beginning of our journey, or learn more about Church #34.]

My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

The Truth about Tithing

Discover What the Bible Says and Doesn’t Say

We’re supposed to tithe to the local church, to give 10 percent of our income, right? Hold on. Not so fast. What does the Bible say about tithing?

The Bible talks a lot about tithing, of giving one tenth of what we have to God. However, there are multiple tithes mandated in the Old Testament.

Bible scholars say that when these are added up, they average out to 23 percent a year (one tithe is given every three years). That’s close to one quarter, far more than one tenth.

These Old Testament tithes were commanded by God to support the religious institution of the day: the temple, the Levites, and the priests. To equate the Old Testament temple and its priests with the modern day church and its ministers is a misapplication.

When Jesus fulfilled the law, he replaced both, turning us – you and me – into priests and making us into his temple.

Instead, Jesus talked about helping those in need and being good stewards. The early church in Acts shared all they had with each other; that’s 100 percent. And being a good steward of all God has blessed us with also implies 100 percent.

We are to use every penny in the best way possible.

Whenever the New Testament mentions tithing, it always refers to the Old Testament practice. Nowhere do New Testament writers tell us to give 10 percent to the local church, yet that is precisely what many ministers preach.

Rather, we see commands and examples to use the money God blesses us with to cover our needs (not our wants), help others, and advance God’s kingdom.

If you feel being a good steward of God’s money is to support your local church, then by all means, do so.

However, if you thinks it’s better used somewhere else, then donate it to that cause, but don’t be misled by preachers who claim something the Bible doesn’t say.

[Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32]

Read more about this in Peter’s thought-provoking book, Jesus’s Broken Church, available in e-book, audiobook, paperback, and hardcover.

Read more about the book of Acts in Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

3 Ways to Categorize Scripture: Discover How God’s Relationship with Us Shifts Over Time

Though God Never Changes, the Bible Shows Us How Our Interaction with Him Has

As we read the Bible, it’s easy to stumble onto confusing and even conflicting perspectives of who God is and how we should interact with him.

This is because God has revealed himself in different ways throughout the various historic arcs or periods of time in the Bible.

Here are three ways we can categorize scripture and better understand God.

The Two Testaments of the Bible

The Bible has two testaments or sections, which we call the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is the first and easiest way to categorize Scripture.

The Old Testament addresses Father God’s relationship with his people and anticipates the coming Savior.

The New Testament focuses on that Savior, Jesus. It covers his ministry and the work of his followers. These are two testaments—that is, two testimonies about God—in the Bible, but there are other ways to view these segments of time.

Three Parts of the Bible

When I study the Bible, I like to consider it in three parts, as three epochs in the Bible. I see God interacting with his people in different ways in each of these sections, as parts of the Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

This is a second way to categorize scripture.

The Old Testament: The first part is the Old Testament, with Father God as the star. It looks forward to Jesus.

The Gospels: The second part covers the life of Jesus through the perspective of four biographies, which we call Gospels—that is, the good news about Jesus—written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Jesus is the focus, with the Father playing a key supporting role, and the Holy Spirit beginning to emerge.

The Early Church: The third part covers the early church, Jesus’s followers. The focus of the church is Jesus’s life and teachings. The Holy Spirit arises as the principal guiding force, launching at Pentecost.

Ten Ages in the Bible

Yet as we read through the Bible, the way God relates to his people and how they understand him changes over time. If we look at each of these ages in the Bible apart from the others, we see God a bit differently in each one.

Considering ten ages in the Bible is a third way to categorize scripture.

1. Eden: We start in the Garden of Eden. God is in perfect community with Adam and Eve. They hang out. They spent time with each other.

Though this phase doesn’t last long, we can anticipate its return when our present reality wraps up and the new heaven and new earth emerge.

2. Sin and Separation: When Adam and Eve disobey God, their sin drives a wedge between the relationship with them and God. They must leave their idyllic existence, the garden of Eden.

After that God becomes distant, vaguely present and estranged from his creation.

3. The Reboot with Noah: We chug along with God sitting far away for several centuries until the time of Noah. With evil rampant, God does a reboot of humanity with Noah and his family. I

n doing so God takes a step forward to reconnect with his creation.

4. The Call of Abraham: We see the next transition occur with Abraham. God calls him to go to a new place and into a new relationship. Abraham’s descendants will emerge as God’s chosen people.

5. The Law of Moses: Next Moses comes along to lead the enslaved Israelites out of Egypt and to return to the land God promised Abraham.

This marks a significant transition because God gives them the Law: instructions about how to worship him and live right, rules of what to do and not to do.

Now, for the first time since Adam and Eve left the garden, the people have specific directives for how God expects them to act and connect with him.

6. Judges Lead—Sort Of: Moses brings the people to the promised land and Joshua takes them into it. For a time, God is their king, at least in theory. A series of judges try to reorient the people’s attention to God, but their efforts don’t last.

7. Kings and Prophets: Starting with Saul, the people have their first king, effectively pushing God aside as their ruler. The age of kings sees its pinnacle with David.

Then it diminishes insignificance over the centuries that follow until Israel and later Judah are conquered and deported.

The work of most of the prophets coincides with the age of the kings.

8. Repatriation and Preparation: After a time, some people return to the land God promised Abraham. They rebuild what they can, both physically and spiritually, but both fall short of what they once were.

Despite the dismal time, God is at work, which we see mostly in the Apocrypha (scripture that not all Bibles include). This prepares for the arrival of Jesus.

9. Jesus Changes Everything: We see the most significant shift occur with the arrival of Jesus. He fulfills what the Old Testament points to and anticipates. He doesn’t do away with the Law. Instead he transforms it from rules into relationship.

10. The Early Church: Led by Holy Spirit power and guidance, the church of Jesus is born. The rest of the New Testament addresses this.

We can use this to form our understanding of following and worshiping God, through Jesus as prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Categorize Scripture Conclusion

God’s way of revealing himself and connecting with his people differs in each of these ages in the Bible. Realizing this helps us to better understand who he is and comprehend his many facets.

For another perspective, check out the “Six Eras in the Bible.”

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Bible Insights

Be Like Berea: Are You of More Noble Character?

Examine the Scriptures Every Day to See If What People Say Is True

The book of Acts tells about the early church, with the latter two thirds of it focused on Paul’s travels and interactions with the various city branches of Jesus’s church.

One brief stop is in the city of Berea. Luke writes this about them: “The Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica.”

Note that he doesn’t say they have a noble character, merely that they are more noble than the folks in a nearby city.

Depending on the level of the Thessalonian’s character, this comparison could mean little (if the Thessalonians have no character) or much (if the Thessalonians have great character).

Regardless the church in Berea is affirmed for their more noble character. There are three reasons why:

1. They Eagerly Listen to Paul

They seriously consider what he says. They have an open mind but aren’t gullible.

2. They Verify What He Says

They check to make sure that what Paul says about the scriptures (what we call the Old Testament) is true. They confirm he’s not misquoting the Bible or taking things out of context.

3. They Believe What Paul Says

After listening and verifying, they act. They believe in Jesus and set an example for others.

For these reasons their character is assessed as being more noble.

Today many people aspire to be noble like the Bereans, yet they fail to measure up. When they listen it is to find fault. They seek to argue over the meaning of words.

When they read the Bible it isn’t to find agreement with others but to seek reasons to disagree. They look for any way to reinforce their theology and reject the interpretations of others.

This is a huge reason why we have 42,000 Protestant denominations today. People choose to make distinctions and divide the church of Jesus.

If only they would be more noble like the people of Berea. They listen, verify, and believe.

We should be like the church in Berea. We can read and study our Bible to advance unity in Jesus.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Acts 16-17, and today’s post is on Acts 17:10-12.]

Read more about the book of Acts in Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

What Does the Bible Mean by Breaking Bread?

The Broken Bread at the First Communion Represented Jesus’s Body

The phrases breaking bread, break bread, and broke bread only appear in the New Testament. And they only show up eleven times, appearing in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, and 1 Corinthians.

Should we understand this idea of breaking bread as a euphemism for Communion or simply for any time people share a meal?

We should remember that sliced bread did not exist two thousand years ago.

Though they could have cut bread with a knife, it’s more likely they use their hands—the most convenient tool available to them—to divide a loaf of bread and distribute it to everyone at the meal.

Here are the situations when the Bible talks about breaking bread.

The First Communion

We first hear of Jesus taking bread and breaking it into pieces so he could dole it out to the disciples during the first Communion.

This took place during the Passover meal (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, and Luke 22:19). And Paul references this concept in 1 Corinthians 10:16.

A Simple Meal

We next hear this phrase used after Jesus travels down the road to Emmaus with two of his followers.

This is after he resurrected from the dead, and his traveling companions don’t recognize him. When they reach the village, they urge him to stay with them. He does.

They sit down to eat. Jesus takes the bread, thanks God for it, breaks it into pieces, and passes it out to them (Luke 24:30 and Luke 24:35). At this point they recognize Jesus.

The Early Church

The idea of breaking bread occurs five times in the book of Acts.

Two of the mentions seem to revolve around a common meal, though it could be they celebrated the Lord’s supper too (Acts 2:42 and Acts 2:46).

The next two verses are after Eutychus fell to his death and Paul raises him from the dead. In celebration they share a meal (Acts 20:7 and Acts 20:11).

The fifth time occurs when Paul is at sea during a terrible storm. When they’ve given up all hope, Paul encourages everyone on board by telling them that though they will lose the ship and cargo, everyone will live.

He took bread, thanked God for it, broke it, and gave it to everyone to eat, all 276 people (Acts 27:35). Note that most of these people who ate this bread were not followers of Jesus. To them this was a simple meal and not a religious practice.

A Final Thought about Breaking Bread

We considered that in Bible times, the most practical way to divide bread for people at a meal was to break it (not slice it).

We remember that at the first Lord’s supper Jesus said the bread represented his body, which would soon be broken when he was crucified.

Therefore, at every meal afterward, Jesus’s followers would see bread being broken, and it would automatically remind them of Jesus’s body being broken for them in the ultimate sacrifice.

Without speaking a word, the breaking of bread at each meal would remind Jesus’s followers of him.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Christian Living

New Testament Words

Some of the Bible’s Most Significant Words Don’t Appear in the Old Testament

I use the Bible to study the Bible. That is, I tap one passage to help breathe understanding into another. Sometimes when investigating a specific term, I do a word search to find out where else and how else Scripture uses it.

Some Bible scholars give extra attention to the first time a word appears in the Bible, asserting that the initial usage frames subsequent occurrences.

To give a complete picture of how I study the Bible, I also rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me into a deeper, fuller, and more holistic understanding of what I’m studying.

In studying the Bible, I’ve come across some words, important words, that only appear in the New Testament. I can’t go back to the Old Testament to consider a deeper context or give me a basis for understanding.

Here are some of the key New Testament words that don’t appear in the Old Testament:

Pharisee and Sadducee

Two New Testament words are Pharisee and Sadducee. Pharisee, appearing ninety-nine times, and Sadducee, coming up fifteen times, don’t show up at all in the Old Testament.

Pharisees and Sadducees are both factions of Judaism, which implicitly enjoyed more unity in the Old Testament than in the New. (Learn more about Pharisees and Sadducees.)

Pentecost

Pentecost is a significant event in the early church. It occurs fifty days after Resurrection Sunday (Easter), when the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus’s followers in dramatic fashion.

The Holy Spirit empowers team Jesus to share his good news with others with amazing power.

This is a gift Jesus promised to give them, which he told them to wait for in Jerusalem. Interestingly, Pentecost only pops up three times in the Bible, and this New Testament word doesn’t appear at all in the Old Testament. (Discover more about Pentecost.)

Breaking Bread and Break Bread

Though not a New Testament word, but a phrase, breaking bread and break bread only appear in the New Testament. And then they show up just a total of four times.

Should we understand this as a euphemism for Communion or for any time people share a meal? Could it be both? (Discover more about breaking bread.)

The Lord’s Supper

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper when he taught it to his disciples at Passover. So it’s not surprising that the phrase isn’t found in the Old Testament. Two common words for the Lord’s Supper are Communion and the Eucharist.

Neither of these words appear in the Bible. In fact, the Lord’s Supper only appears once in the biblical text. (Learn more about communion.)

Rabbi

Another New Testament word is Rabbi. Though we might expect Rabbi to be a common Old Testament term, it isn’t. Rabbi only appears in the Gospels and then just three of them: Matthew, Mark, and John.

Most of its sixteen occurrences are a title of respect used to address Jesus. (Discover more about Rabbi.)

Synagogue

Appearing sixty-nine times in the Bible, synagogue is another New Testament word. It’s in the four Gospels, appears often in Acts, and pops up twice in Revelation. That’s it.

In the Old Testament, the people had the tabernacle and later the temple as their only place to worship God. In the New Testament we still have the temple, but we also have synagogues sprinkled throughout the area, I suspect one in each city.

Though the people built these synagogues, it wasn’t God’s idea, and he gave no biblical command for them to do so. (Discover more about Synagogues.)

Baptize and Baptism

For our final New Testament word, we’ll consider baptize, which occurs fifty times, and its counterpart baptism, which occurs twenty-one times. These two words appear often in the four Gospels and especially in the book of Acts, as well as a few times in Paul’s letters and once in Peter’s.

We first see these words in John’s ministry, when they seem to pop up out of nowhere. The Bible doesn’t explain the significance of baptism, but the people understand what it is. Discover more about Baptism.)

Key New Testament Words

There may be other important words that only appear in the New Testament. When I come across more New Testament words, I’ll add them to this list.

In upcoming posts, we’ll dive into these New Testament words and explain them in greater detail. Come back to learn more.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Christian Living

Is Our Faith About Talk or About Power?

The Kingdom of God Is About Power, Not Words

When Paul writes to his friends in the city of Corinth, he encourages them to change their behavior. In the middle of this, he slips in a curious line about the kingdom of God.

He says that God’s kingdom isn’t about talk but about power (1 Corinthians 4:20).

Jesus Showed the Power of the Kingdom of God

Jesus ushered in the kingdom of God. The Bible records some of the things he talked about, but more importantly it talks about things he did.

With God’s power he healed people and perform miracles. He exorcised demons and supernaturally fed thousands.

After demonstrating the power of the kingdom of God, then he talked. After seeing God’s power, the people were willing to listen.

The Early Church Moved in God’s Kingdom Power

In the book of Acts, we frequently see the power of God’s kingdom through the work of Jesus’s followers. They heal people, raise the dead, and cast out evil spirits. Usually this precedes them talking about Jesus.

Only after people see God’s supernatural power are their ears open to hear more about him.

Where Is God’s Kingdom Power Today?

Yet today many of Jesus’s followers don’t move in the power of the kingdom of God. They resort to words. They talk about it, but they don’t demonstrate its power. Is it any wonder that few people bother to listen to their message?

Our church services, at least most of them, are about words. But we don’t see much of God’s power when we go to church on Sunday. Yes, some churches are an exception, but too many have pushed aside the power of God and resort to mere talk.

Our sermons, which often comprise most of a church service are words.

For those of us on the inside, who follow Jesus, these words tickle our ears, fill us with knowledge, or give us something to chuckle about, but they do little to demonstrate what the kingdom of God is truly about. It’s about power.

We need to reclaim the power of the kingdom of God. Then, the world who needs to know Jesus and experience the kingdom of God will be ready to hear what we have to say.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”

​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Christian Living

Should Christians Follow Jesus, Be His Disciple, or Go as a Missionary?

Choose Labels With Care For They Reflect Our Identity and Theology

By definition I am a Christian, but I’ve always shied away from that word. It means different things to different people, not all of which are positive. For too many, Christian is a negative label implying narrow minded, bigoted, or hate-filled people.

Since these things make me cringe and don’t describe me, I typically avoid saying or writing the word Christian. Instead I say I’m a follower of Jesus.

I could also say I’m a disciple of Jesus, but I’m wary of that for fear that I too often fall short. Others say that they’re missionaries for Jesus, which implies following him and being his disciple. But that label never clicked with me either.

What insight does the Bible give us about which label we should use?

Christian

Interestingly, the word Christian only appears three times in the Bible, twice in Acts and once in 1 Peter. People who know Greek tell me it means “little Christs.”

It may have first been a derisive term (Acts 11:26 and Acts 26:28), which was later accepted by Jesus’s squad (1 Peter 4:16).

But the fact that the Bible rarely uses Christian is telling. I wonder if we should avoid it too, especially given how emotionally laden this word has become.

Follower of Jesus

In the Bible, the idea of following Jesus occurs a lot in its various forms. This includes, they “followed him” (27 times), “follow me” (22), “followed Jesus” (5), and “following Jesus” (2).

The command Jesus seems to give most often to people who approach him is to follow him. Though he sometimes says, “repent and follow me,” the idea of following implies a prior repentance. Think of repent as doing a U-turn; we must do a U-turn if we follow Jesus.

Disciple of Jesus

Disciple, which means an “active adherent” or “someone who embraces and spreads the teachings of another,” occurs in the Bible a lot.

t occurs nearly three hundred times in the New Testament, all in the four biographies of Jesus and the book of Acts.

Disciple emerges as the preferred descriptive term in the Bible for those who follow Jesus, a.k.a. Christians.

I suppose disciples refers to the early church, but church isn’t used nearly as often (114 times), mostly by Paul. Besides church is perhaps an even bigger misused and misunderstood term.

Missionary of Jesus

In last week’s post on the Great Commission, which many see as a call to be a missionary, the word go emerges as the first action step.

Missionary refers to someone who goes to persuade or convert others, but it doesn’t appear in the Bible at all. It’s a word we added after the Bible was written.

I wonder if we should likewise avoid using it. That doesn’t mean being a missionary of Jesus isn’t biblical or is wrong, but it does imply it might be the wrong label.

Let’s go back to the definition of disciple. A disciple is someone who embraces and spreads the teachings of another person, in our case Jesus. This means that as a disciple, we are by default a missionary—or at least we should be.

Frankly, that makes me squirm a bit. It’s easy for me to be a missionary for Jesus in the words I write, but it’s a much more challenging task to be a missionary with the words I say, at least to those opposed to Jesus.

Conclusion: Be a Disciple of Jesus

Though we can call ourselves Christians or identify as part of the church, being a disciple of Jesus emerges as the most accurate, biblical, and appropriate label to use.

Both following Jesus and being a missionary for Jesus are embedded in what it means to truly be a disciple of Jesus.

I’m going to start making that mental shift from being a follower of Jesus to being a disciple of Jesus.

Will you join me in this journey? It could change everything.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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