I Don't Want To Be A Christian

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 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master." (Matt. 10:24, NASB) 

   Please don't panic! I am not backsliding or leaving Christ, I just want to share something interesting I have observed. The word "Christian" comes from the Greek christianos, and is used three times (Acts 11:26 & 26:28, 1 Pet. 4:16) in the NT. Christianos means "follower of Christ," and was likely a title for believers given by Greeks or Romans, and was meant to be derogatory.  Now, look the term "disciple". Disciple comes from the Greek word mathetes meaning, "student, pupil, apprentice, or adherent," and is used some thirty or more times in the NT. Mathetes is the word Jesus used to describe those who follow Him. A simple comparison of the two definitions allows us to see a difference between the two terms. Eerdman's Bible Dictionary explains further, "…it is apparent that becoming a disciple of Jesus in general meant a transformation of a person’s lifestyle."*
   The term "disciple" seems lost in the church today. Most would recognize the term as referring either to the "original twelve apostles" or referring to the denomination "The Christian Church." It seems that many do not get the relevance of disciples today. It is true, we are Christians if we have asked Jesus to forgive us, save us, and become our LORD, and I am proud to say that I am a Christian. However, the term "disciple" seems to cut deeper into the heart. The disciple is one who does not merely "follow Jesus," but listens to, speaks with, observes, and patterns their life in such a way that they begin to resemble their Master,  Jesus. In the definition, the term "apprentice" is used. An apprentice is one who develops a craft or trade from a master by learning and doing under the watchful eye of the master.  In a sense, disciples are "spiritual apprentices" under Jesus. I am fairly certain that if we start asking people if they are disciples or spiritual apprentices, we might get a different answer than asking if they are Christians.
  I am a Christian, but I want to be known as a disciple. I want to follow Christ so closely that my thoughts, actions, and words sound like His. How about you? 


*Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 285.

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