Christians

Today one of our beloved pastors talked about the first time that the disciples of Christ were called Christians, Christianous (simple predicate accusative for the Greekies out there). A. Robertson tells us that they were probably called that first in Antioch because of the large Greek population. His reasoning goes something like this; The Jews would have never called them Christian, because they would not align anyone as the Messiah, Anointed One or Christ, especially not followers of Jesus. The Jews usually referred to them as the Galileans or Nazarenes. It is believed that the Greeks of Antioch may have coined this term to help separate the followers of Christ from the the Greek Jews in their city.  The word itself is an odd collection of a Hebrew term, being used in Greek, but fashioned with a Latin ending.
 The other two times that it is used in the scriptures, it is derogatory. In Acts 26:28 Agrippa uses it in a contemptuous way after Paul's defense. The second use is found in 1Peter 4:16. Here Peter exhorts disciples not to be ashamed if they suffer persecutions as Christians. In any event it is probably not a name followers of Christ made for themselves. Again Robertson points to the terms they used for themselves as, disciples, those of the Way, believers, saints and brethren. 
Our pastor pointed out that we should emphasize the fact that we are to allow the Anointed One to live in us. And that people will recognize us not necessarily because we "follow" Christ but because Christ lives in us.