People who have grown up attending church services regularly were taught to understand that once a person accepts Jesus Christ as the son of God and their Lord and Savior, they are then Christian.

 

The word “Christian” to most Jewish English-speaking people means a non-Jewish believer in Jesus Christ

 

Does a Jewish English-speaking person need to call themself “Christian” to be a faithful follower of Yeshua?

 

Yeshua’s first followers called themselves “Disciples of Yeshua.” They were considered a Jewish sect called “The Way” or “Nazarenes.”

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Where did the term “Christian” come from?

 

Acts 11:20, “some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greek-speaking Jews (Hellēnistas), also telling them the good news about the Lord Yeshua.”

 

Acts 11:26, “the disciples were called ‘Christianos’ first in Antioch.”

 

When we pay close attention to context, we understand they were talking to Greek-speaking Jewish people. The Greek-speaking Jewish disciples were called ‘Christianos’ first in Antioch.

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This makes a lot of sense.

 

The Greek word “Christos” means “anointed one. The word "Moshiach" which means "anointed one" in Hebrew is translated as "Messiah" in English. This is a very Jewish concept.  

 

So, these Jewish Greek-speaking disciples were first called Christianos in Antioch.

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Must English-speaking Jewish people who are believers in Yeshua call themselves Christian?

 

The evidence points to “no,”. 

 

"Christianity" is a close transliteration of the Greek word, "Christianos" rather than a translation.  

 

In most cases, Christianity has been modified to such a degree that the actual Jewishness of its foundation has been removed. 

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Within Jewish English-speaking cultures, the word “Christian” connotates non-Jewish believers in Jesus Christ. 

 

I describe myself as Jewish. If time allows for discussion, I add, "I believe Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah and he has provided my atonement. "

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