Christian = Plain Brown Wrapper

As a badge of honor and maybe even a type of battle cry, it probably produced a very unifying effect on the young Church. We know that they used the fish as a means of identifying themselves to each other as well as greetings like “He is risen!” to which the other would reply, “He is risen indeed!” Using the term Christian would also be a bonding phrase. However, the phrase would soon be polluted and watered down making it not as valuable as it had been in the beginning.

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (KJV)

When I walked into the Mission I was carrying a paper lunch sack. I set it on the table before me and asked the lads what they thought I had. The response was a 40-ounce can of beer. Indeed, from the appearance they would have been right had it not been me or we were on the city streets or had just come out of a store that sold alcohol. They laughed when I pulled out my can of Arizona Ice Tea with ginseng and honey.

They “saw” what they had experience with and made a judgment call. It wasn’t a bad one, just a wrong one. This is the problem with just using the term Christian to identify you. It is somewhat like that that plain brown wrapper or bag. Almost anything can be inside it.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (KJV)

Many folks have problems with denominations. They say, and rightly so, that all Christians should be one group and in one accord. I second that emotion. The only problem is that they are not and shall not be until Christ returns to separate the wheat from the tares. The unity of the believers started disintegrating while the Apostles were still alive.

Peter didn’t help the unity factor by witnessing to Gentiles. The factions began right there with the folks that Paul fought with throughout his entire ministry. There were folks that taught that the resurrection had already happened. People were sending out letters/epistles sounding like Paul to spread false doctrine. They were encouraging the worship of angels. They pushed a law plus grace doctrine or Jesus plus circumcision or pick your favorite ritual or work. They said that Christ only came in spirit not in the flesh, etc. etc. They preached all kinds of crazy stuff. Some only preached to be thorn in Paul’s side. They were becoming divided.

None of those false prophets called themselves anything else but Christians. They were the tares or false seed that looked and sounded like wheat but were really children of the enemy sown amongst the children of God. Ask any of the current false prophets or their followers and they would proudly declare themselves Christians.

2 Cor 11:12-15

12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.