Although the name “Aram” is frequently used nowadays to name people, Aram in the Bible does not refer to a person. Instead, it refers to a place—Syria, to be exact. However, don’t be alarmed if you notice both in the Holy Book. As both Syria and Aram were used by the people of that time to describe the land.
To this day, the borders of modern Syria are generally unchanged. Nevertheless, the nation of Aram is crucial to the story the Bible tells. In biblical times, Aram is often at war with Israel, especially in the Old Testament.
Syria or Aram in the Bible is also where Saint Paul’s conversion happened. On the road to Damascus, Paul says Lord Jesus Christ is alive and well after being resurrected. There Jesus told Paul that he would be the Apostle to the Gentiles. “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light. And from the power of Satan to God. So that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17–18).
The Number One Reason Aram Is Loved by Christians
If you are a devout Christian, you probably asked yourself a few times, “When was the first time someone used the term – Christian?.” Or “Where is the name originating from?” The short and simple answer to that is in Aram in the Bible, or Syria as you may know it. It was in the city of Antioch, a Syrian city, where the word “Christian” was ever spoken to address a person who follows God. And also believes in Jesus Christ. “For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:26)
“The church at Antioch was destined to become the base of operations for Paul’s missionary journeys” (Stanley Toussaint, Bible Knowledge Commentary, John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, ed., David C. Cook, 1983, p. 383).
This is where Saul, or Saint Paul as we now know him, was brought to teach people about Christianity. And guide them on the right path. “For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:25–26)
Once again, we see that location is key. Aram in the Bible is an important place to Christianity. And also, most importantly, the “birthplace” of the iconic name that we all so proudly carry today – Christians. It was in Aram where we were first recognized as a whole and as a unity. And a group of lovers and followers of Jesus. It was in Aram that God decided to unify us and show people everywhere that His followers deserve a special name. Different than any other name.
What Is a Christian?
We were first “baptized” as Christians in Aram. Since then, Aram in the Bible has become a great landmark in history. But what exactly is a Christian? Well, for starters, a Christian is a person who believes in Jesus Christ. Also, in the Almighty Father, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life.
However, just believing is not enough. To do good in the eyes of our Lord, you need to prove you have a pure heart and you always move with sympathy, grace, and respect for other people. Even those who are less fortunate and lost themselves on the road to God. If anything, you are God’s instrument on Earth, and you should help the lost ones find their way back to God.
“Religion that God, our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27). Therefore, this quote from James tells us that God expects us to always act with kindness and not let our souls be corrupt, no matter how much the sins of the world and the works of evil conspire against us.
If there is anything the stories of the wicked kings in the Bible taught us, it is never to believe we can get anything in the world if we don’t ask God directly. Because the truth is, nobody, no entity, and no false god could ever reward you the way God does.
Do not go seeking false gods in order to achieve your dreams. Everything happens for a reason, they say. Well, that reason is always God’s Will. God has a special plan for every single child of His.
Did God Choose Aram in the Bible as the Birth Place of Christians?
It is safe to say that God chose everything we see, hear, feel and know. Aram in the Bible might have been the first place where the word “Christian” was spoken, but Christians existed long before that time. Jesus said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) What is important for Christians everywhere to understand is that everything is God’s greater Plan. Yes, He chose Aram. Yes, he chose where certain events took place in the Holy Book, but He also chose You.
Keep track of what it truly means to be a good Christian. And do not ever think that just because you get to call yourself a “Christian” means anything in the eyes of our Lord. At the finish line, when God will ultimately judge you for your life and achievements, He won’t care about whether or not you called yourself a Christian or if you went to church every day. He won’t even care about your studies or jobs or how many kids you bore.
He will, however, care if you were kind to your neighbor, if you loved genuinely, if you helped those in need and if you never did any of those things expecting something in return. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
