Words are tools, whether spoken or written, that we use to communicate the meaning of our thoughts to others. Some widely used words have unclear meanings because various people interpret them in different ways. One such word is "Christian." It is only mentioned three times in the Bible (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16), but it has come to be used throughout the world with various meanings to different people. Its first use was not in Jerusalem or in Rome, as many might assume, but in Antioch, Syria:

The word, "Christians," was first used to describe the disciples that were assembled together and taught by Saul and Barnabas (Saul was later called Paul). Whether they called themselves "Christians" or whether others gave them that title is not clear. However, we do know that they were students that were being taught the teachings of Paul and Barnabas.

To learn what the first "Christians" were being taught, we can review the writings of Paul. In Thessalonica, he taught and reasoned out of the Scriptures how the Messiah (Christ) was Yahshua (Jesus), who suffered and died and then rose again from the dead:

That teaching explains what happened, but it doesn’t make clear why Yahshua came as the Messiah to die and then live again. Paul explains that the reason Yahshua came into the world was to "save sinners:"

Calling himself the chief sinner, Paul could conclude that Yahshua came into the world to save him!

Many may think that Paul was righteous because of the great teaching and writing ministry that God gave to him. However, Paul declares that he was not righteous because there is no one that is. None of us, he says, really understand God and, in our natural condition, none of us seek after Him:

That natural condition is one that he calls being "dead in trespasses and sins." Being in such a state, we are not walking according to the knowledge of God, seeking to do His will. Instead, Paul says we are walking according to the "course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air." As such, Satan is our prince, instilling in us the spirit of disobedience:

That is the condition in which we, along with everyone else in this world, find ourselves. As such, we are in a state of condemnation. We will remain so unless we are miraculously rescued (saved) from that condition. Yahshua says we will continue to be condemned unless we believe in the "name of the only begotten Son of God:"

Peter also testifies that no other name has the power to save us from this condemnation:

Why is His name the only name whereby we must be saved? This is a common question to those among us who know people throughout the world that believe in many different gods. It is also very difficult to answer this question unless we understand the meaning of His name.

Yahweh defines Himself as the one that exists:

To exist is to have a state of being. One that exists is called a being. We are beings. Yahweh, however, declares in the Bible that He is THE Being. He says that He is the first and that He is also the last to exist:

Not only does Yahweh say that He is the only God, but He also declares that He is the only Savior:

There is a well-known prophecy of a Savior that will come in the name of Yahweh:

Those that welcomed Yahshua (Jesus) into Jerusalem during His triumphal entry believed that He was that promised Savior. They quoted the Psalms Scripture, declaring, "Save now!," as they shouted "Hosanna:"

The name of Yahweh in the Bible is sometimes used interchangeably with the name Yah:

The name "Yahshua" means Yah is the Savior. This was the name given to Yahshua (Jesus) before His birth because He saves us from our sins:

The same name is also translated into English as both "Joshua" and as "Jesus." Before the people of Judah adopted the Aramaic language while being captive in polytheistic Babylon, the Hebrew name of Joshua, the son of Nun, contained the name of God as "Yah." However, during their stay among the Babylonians, Joshua’s name, meaning "Yah is the Savior," became Jeshua, meaning "He is the savior:"

Thus, in Aramaic this name is Yeshua. It became Iesous in Greek and Iesus in Latin, the Roman language, as well as in Middle English. Once the French "j" replaced the "i" in Iesus, the English name became Jesus. The English form of the Hebrew name, retaining the "y" instead of the "j," is spoken as Yahshua. As Yah the Savior, He came to call sinners to repentance:

As the Prince and Savior, He came as the power of God (with His right hand), inviting us to repent of our sins and accept His forgiveness:

Such are "Christians" in the sense by which they were first called. They are the repentant sinners that accept by faith the forgiveness of their sins, for His name’s sake!