What Name Should God's Children Wear?

by Travis L Quertermous

From The Reminder, June 26, 2011

I remember once when I was in first or second grade, our class made our weekly trip to the school library. Even though we were supposed to be quiet in the library, we were talking about where we went to church. One boy said, “I am a Catholic”; another said, “I am a Baptist”; another said, “I am a Methodist,” and so on it went. Now the closer the question came to me, the more nervous I got. You see, we went to the Church of Christ, and at that young age, I didn’t know what we called ourselves. So when it came my turn, I said, “I’m a Church of Christer.”

Now of course I know better. When asked that question today, I simply reply, “I am a Christian.” When asked what church I belong to, I answer, “The same undenominational church you read about in the New Testament.” When asked what denomination that is, I say, “Non-denominational, for there were no Catholic or Protestant denominations in the apostolic age and there should be none today.”

You see, God Himself gave His disciples the name Christian in Acts 11:26. Do we really believe God is pleased when we ignore the name He gave His children and substitute or add some unauthorized name? Some of the Christians in Corinth tried to wear some other name besides Christ’s name and were rebuked for it by the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:10-12). To those who wanted to wear his name religiously, Paul asked, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:13). Let us be satisfied to be known simply as Christians and lay aside all unauthorized denominational names in religion.