Acts 11:26

Even for a whole year

(κα ενιαυτον ολον). Accusative of extent of time, probably the year A.D. 44, the year preceding the visit to Jerusalem (Acts 11:30), the year of the famine. The preceding years with Tarsus as headquarters covered A.D. 37 (39) to 44.They were gathered together with the church

(συναχθηνα εν τη εκκλησια). First aorist passive infinitive of συναγω, old verb, probably here to meet together as in Matthew 28:12. In Acts 14:27 the verb is used of gathering together the church, but here εν τη εκκλησια excludes that idea. Barnabas met together "in the church" (note first use of the word for the disciples at Antioch). This peculiar phrase accents the leadership and co-operation of Barnabas and Saul in teaching (διδαξα, first aorist active infinitive) much people. Both infinitives are in the nominative case, the subject of εγενετο (it came to pass).And that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch

(χρηματισα τε πρωτως εν Αντιοχεια τους μαθητας Χριστιανους). This first active infinitive χρηματισα is also a subject of εγενετο and is added as a separate item by the use of τε rather than κα. For the word itself in the sense of divine command see on Matthew 2:12; Matthew 2:22; Luke 2:26; Acts 10:22. Here and in Romans 7:3 it means to be called or named (assuming a name from one's business, χρημα, from χραομα, to use or to do business). Polybius uses it in this sense as here. Τους μαθητας (the disciples) is in the accusative of general reference with the infinitive. Χριστιανους (Christians) is simply predicate accusative. This word is made after the pattern of Hεροδιανυς (Matthew 22:16, Hερωιδιανο, followers of Herod), Χαεσαριανυς, a follower of Caesar (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 377, gives papyri examples of the genitive Καισαρος meaning also "belonging to Caesar" like the common adjective Χαεσαριανυς). 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 Χριστος 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), Acts 26:28 (a term of contempt in the mouth of Agrippa), and 1 Peter 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.