So show me where the scripture says you must become a Christian or that you became a Christian at some point...Please show the text, chapter and verse.
Where in the scripture is anyone called to be a Christian is the question I am asking... Can you show me? Christians show themselves to be divided, just check the many divisions/ denominations.
Yet you said, "It is the verse read to me when I changed from being an atheist to being a Christian". Evidently, you made your own change. The body of Christ is the saints...
Romans 8:27
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God.
1 Corinthians 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth,
to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
That is Ok many things in the scripture make no sense to a lot of people.
Act_11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
The disciples were called.
They did not assume the name themselves. It occurs in only three passages in the New Testament: here; Act_26:28; and 1Pe_4:16; and only in the last-named passage is used by a Christian of a Christian. The name was evidently not given by the Jews of Antioch, to whom Christ was the interpretation of Messiah, and who wouldn't have bestowed that name on those whom they despised as apostates. The Jews designated the Christians as Nazarenes (Act_24:5), a term of contempt, because it was a proverb that nothing good could come out of Nazareth (Joh_1:47), The name was probably not assumed by the disciples themselves; for they were in the habit of styling each other believers, disciples, saints, brethren, those of the way. It, doubtless, was bestowed by the Gentiles. Some suppose that it was applied as a term of ridicule, and cite the witty and sarcastic character of the people of Antioch, and their notoriety for inventing names of derision; but this is doubtful. The name may have been given simply as a distinctive title, naturally chosen from the recognized and avowed devotion of the disciples to Christ as their leader. The Antiochenes mistook the nature of the name, not understanding its use among the disciples as an official title - the Anointed - but using it as a personal name, which they converted into a party name.
...another way...@Ziggy
And that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (chrēmatisai te prōtōs en Antiocheiāi tous mathētas Christianous). This first active infinitive chrēmatisai is also a subject of egeneto and is added as a separate item by the use of te rather than kai. For the word itself in the sense of divine command, see note on Mat_2:12, note on Mat_2:22; note on Luk_2:26; and note on Act_10:22. Here and in Rom_7:3 it means to be called or named (assuming a name from one’s business, chrēma, from chraomai, to use or to do business). Polybius uses it in this sense as here. Tous mathētas (the disciples) is in the accusative of general reference with the infinitive. Christianous (Christians) is simply predicate accusative.
This word is made after the pattern of Herodianus (Mat_22:16, Herōidianoi, followers of Herod), Caesarianus, a follower of Caesar (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 377, gives papyri examples of the genitive Kaisaros meaning also “belonging to Caesar” like the common adjective Caesarianus). It is made thus like a Latin adjective, though it is a Greek word, and it refers to the Hebrew belief in a Messiah (Page).
The name was evidently given to the followers of Christ by the Gentiles to distinguish them from the Jews since they were Greeks, not Grecian Jews. The Jews would not call them Christians because of their own use of Christos the Messiah. The Jews termed them Galileans or Nazarenes. The followers of Christ called themselves disciples (learners), believers, brethren, saints, those of the Way.
The three uses of Christian in the N.T. are from the heathen standpoint (here), Act_26:28 (a term of contempt in the mouth of Agrippa), and 1Pe_4:16 (persecution from the Roman government). It is a clear distinction from both Jews and Gentiles and it is not strange that it came into use first here in Antioch when the large Greek church gave occasion for it. Later Ignatius was bishop in Antioch and was given to the lions in Rome, and John Chrysostom preached here his wonderful sermons.
Ashamed to be called a Christian? Could be off topic but this is my 2 cents...@Ziggy
