Way During the time of the early church, Christianity was known as ‘the way’ (Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9,23; Acts 22:4; Acts 24:14,22). Possibly this was because Christians spoke of their newfound life as the way of the Lord, the way of life, or the way of salvation (cf. Matthew 1:7-14; Luke 20:21; John 1:23; John 14:6; Acts 16:17). This usage was common also among believers in Old Testament times (Psalms 16:11; Psalms 18:21,30,32; Psalms 27:11).
Since the way of God led to true life and true enjoyment, that ‘way’ may have meant God’s will and God’s commandments (Job 21:14; Psalms 1:37-24; Psalms 119:27,37; Jeremiah 5:4; Matthew 22:16; Romans 11:33; Revelation 15:3). The word could also refer to a person’s manner of life in general. In that sense the way of the righteous was often contrasted with the way of the wicked (Psalms 1:1,6; Psalms 37:5; Proverbs 1:4-19; Proverbs 14:12; Jeremiah 7:3; Romans 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:31; James 5:20). (See also Walk.)