João 20

João 20:31

Wiersbe on believing - It is not necessary to “see” Jesus Christ in order to believe. Yes, it was a blessing for the early Christians to see their Lord and know that He was alive; but that is not what saved them. They were saved, not by seeing, but by believing. (Ed: As an aside many still think God's order is see and believe, when it fact it is really believe and see!) The emphasis throughout the Gospel of John is on believing. There are nearly 100 references in this Gospel to believing on Jesus Christ. You and I today cannot see Christ, nor can we see Him perform the miracles (signs) that John wrote about in this book. But the record is there, and that is all that we need. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Ro 10:17-note; and note 1John 5:9-13-note). As you read John’s record, you come face to face with Jesus Christ, how He lived, what He said, and what He did. All of the evidence points to the conclusion that He is indeed God come in the flesh, the Saviour of the world. The signs that John selected and described in this book are proof of the deity of Christ. They are important. But sinners are not saved by believing in miracles; they are saved by believing on Jesus Christ. Many of the Jews in Jerusalem believed on Jesus because of His miracles, but He did not believe in them! (John 2:23–25) Great crowds followed Him because of His miracles (John 6:2); but in the end, most of them left Him for good (John 6:66). Even the religious leaders who plotted His death believed that He did miracles, but this “faith” did not save them (John 11:47-49). Faith in His miracles should lead to faith in His Word, and to personal faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Jesus Himself pointed out that faith in His works (miracles) was but the first step toward faith in the Word of God (John 5:36-40). The sinner must “hear” the Word if he is to be saved (John 5:24). (Bible Exposition Commentary) (Bolding added) Have (2192 - click for Liddell-Scott & Thayer's definitions) (echo - Vine's definition) means to have, to hold, to possess, this last sense fitting well with the context of Jn 20:31 = to possess life! In this passage have is in the present tense which describes the believer's possession of life as continual. Positionally we as believers always have life, but we may not always walk in the full experience (abundance - Jn 10:10b) of that truth (e.g., unconfessed sin, ignorance of the truth, etc). Thomas on have - It may seem almost impossible to think of the ordinary verb have as at all characteristic of a work like the fourth Gospel. Yet it seems clear that its use is noteworthy and significant. In relation to things spiritual as distinct from mere temporal usage, it occurs at least thirty-five times, more especially in connection with such expressions as “having life,” or “having eternal life.” It was to imply not only possession, but conscious possession, possession with retention. The idea of having, knowing, and holding appear to be included. When thus understood in connection with life, it is full of the deepest suggestion and greatest help as indicating a life which is at once received, possessed, experienced, enjoyed, and retained. This is part of the purpose of this Gospel, as it certainly is part of essential, vital, personal Christianity. (Ibid) REAL LIFE IN JESUS' NAME Life - John is referring not to physical life but spiritual life. If a sinner needs life, the implication is that he is dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Salvation is not resuscitation -- it is a resurrection (Jn 5:24). The lost sinner is not sick or weak -- he is dead, spiritually dead and in need of spiritual life found only in faith in Christ. G Campbell Morgan on life in His Name - Life, what kind of life? Life that masters sin, that realizes holiness, that is growingly conformed to the image and likeness of God. (Westminster Pulpit) Life (2222)(zoe) speaks of "life in the sense of one who is possessed of vitality and animation. It is used of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God. The ethical and spiritual qualities of this life which God is, are communicated to the sinner when the latter places his faith in the Lord Jesus as Saviour, and this becomes the new, animating, energizing, motivating principle which transforms the experience of that individual, and the saint thus lives a Christian life." (Wuest) Richards adds that "It is used to designate the life which God gives to the believing sinner, a vital, animating, spiritual, ethical dynamic which transforms his inner being and as a result, his behavior." In classical Greek refers to natural life--the principle that enables living things to move and to grow. In the NT, zoe focuses on the theological meaning rather than on the biological. From the perspective of the NT, in every respect life is the counterpart of death. Each book of the NT speaks of zoe. In each, the principle of life lifts our vision beyond our earthly existence to reveal a unique quality of life that spans time and eternity and that has its roots in God." Zoe - 135x in 127v in NT and in the Gospels is used by far most often in John = 36x (note zoe is used twice in each of the following verses Jn 1:4, 3:36, 5:24, 26) - Mt 7:14; 18:8-9; 19:16-17, 29; 25:46; Mk 9:43, 45; 10:17, 30; Lk 10:25; 12:15; 16:25; 18:18, 30; John 1:4; 3:15-16, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 26, 29, 39-40; 6:27, 33, 35, 40, 47-48, 51, 53-54, 63, 68; 8:12; 10:10, 28; 11:25; 12:25, 50; 14:6; 17:2-3; 20:31; Eternal life - This phrase occurs 41 times in the NAS with 15 of the uses being in John's Gospel and 6 more uses by John in his epistle, so that over half the NT uses of this phrase are by John (Mt 19:16, 29; 25:46; Mk 10:17, 30; Luke 10:25; 18:18, 30; Jn 3:15-16, 36; 4:14; 5:24, 39; 6:27, 40, 47, 54, 68; 10:28; 12:50; 17:2-3; Acts 13:46, 48; Rom 2:7; 5:21; 6:22f; Gal 6:8; 1Tim 1:16; 6:12; Titus 1:2; 3:7; 1John 1:2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11, 13, 20; Jude 1:21) Thomas on life - Another characteristic word of John’s Gospel is life. It expresses the ultimate element of his purpose in writing. As the result of believing, the readers of this Gospel are intended to have life. The word (zoe) always refers in this Gospel to the principle of spiritual life as distinct from the earthly manifestation or principle of natural life (bios). This latter word is not found in the fourth Gospel and only twice in all of John’s writings (1John 2:16; 1John 3:16), where the meaning is quite clear. The word zoe occurs thirty-six times in the Gospel of John as compared with seven in Matthew, four in Mark, and six in Luke. This again shows the prominence given to it and the important place it occupies in the teaching of this Gospel. The idea is found as early as John 1:4, and then almost chapter by chapter various aspects of the life are seen and various relationships to it are borne by our Lord. The meaning of this life is perhaps best given in the words of our Lord’s prayer: “This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). It consists, therefore, not in any mere existence whether here or hereafter. Its essence lies in the experience of fellowship with God. Quality, not duration, is the predominant thought of life in this Gospel. (Ibid) John Piper on this new life in Christ - "In John 10:10 Jesus said that the reason He came into the world was that His sheep might have overflowing life: "I came that they might have life and have it abundantly." This word (perissos) speaks of excess, overflow, surplus. The idea is that Jesus gives life that is more than ordinary life. The life of a Christian is life upon life. Excess life. Life added to life." (Ed comment: "I came in order that they [believers] might continuously [present tense] have life, even that they may continuously [present tense] have it all-around [one of the meanings of perissos].") Rob Morgan tells the story of one who found life in His Name - C S Lewis - John’s Gospel is the book of life, and Jesus is the God of Life and the Giver of Life to all who place their trust in Him. Let me close by telling you of a man who did that—the author of the Chronicles of Narnia and the man who wrote The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. C. S. Lewis was born in 1898 into a bookish family of Protestants in Belfast, Ireland. He grew up reading and imagining. His mother died from cancer when he was nine, and it turned him away from God. He felt that God had not answered his prayers for her recovery, and that, coupled with some bad experiences in boarding school, convinced the boy that God did not exist. By the time C. S. Lewis entered Oxford in 1917, he was an avowed atheist. After he graduated from Oxford, he began teaching there, becoming a renowned expert on medieval English literature. He possessed a brilliant mind, and he read deeply and widely. One of his books, English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Excluding Drama, took him eighteen years to write because to write it he read every single book translated into English during that century. But as C. S. Lewis read, he came across some Christian authors such as George MacDonald and G. K. Chesterton, and he began to have agonizing doubts about his own atheism. There were also several other brilliant professors at Oxford who challenged Lewis’s atheism, and finally C. S. Lewis could not intellectually resist or refute the logic of theism (a belief in God). His journey to Christ took several years, as he moved from Atheism to Theism to Christianity and on to Christ. He once called himself the “most reluctant convert in all of England.” Interestingly, J. R. R. Tolkien, author of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, played a decisive role in Lewis’s decision to receive Christ. On a fall evening in 1931, Lewis had dinner with Tolkien. They walked through a nearby park and talked until the wee hours of the morning, and the conversation took an interesting turn. Both men, of course, were deeply fascinated by the literature of fantasy and mythology. Tolkien suggested that the beauty of Christianity is that it is a myth that happens to be true. The universal story that is somehow in the heart of every individual, the universal hunger, the universal need that is played out in myth is in truth and actually acted out with full veracity in Christ. In Jesus Christ, God really did walk across this earth, die, and rise again. A few days later, as C. S. Lewis pondered the conversation, he got into the sidecar of a friend’s motorcycle for a trip to the zoo. He later wrote, “When we set out I did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did.” Almost immediately Lewis began writing books that reflected his new-found faith. His autobiographical account of his conversion is a wonderful book entitled Surprised by Joy. When I graduated from Columbia Bible College, Ruth Bell Graham sent me a hardbound edition of The Screwtape Letters, and she told me that reading C. S. Lewis always helps her “think straight,” as she put it. And it was by reading C. S. Lewis’ classic book, Mere Christianity (Mere Christianity - online without restrictions or here), that the Watergate villain and Nixon hatchet man, Charles Colson, was converted in prison. By the time he died in 1963, C. S. Lewis was one of the most influential spokesmen for Christianity in the English-speaking world. Here’s what C. S. Lewis wrote about Jesus Christ in his book on miracles: The historical difficulty of giving for the life, saying and influence of Jesus any explanation that is not harder than the Christian explanation is very great. The discrepancy between the depth and sanity of His moral teaching and the rampant megalomania which must lie behind His theological teaching unless He is indeed God has never been satisfactorily explained. Hence the non-Christian hypotheses succeed one another with the restless fertility of bewilderment.” What Lewis was saying is this. Those opposed to Christianity have a real problem when it comes to explaining the person of Christ and His teachings. He made remarkable and extravagant claims for Himself. He claimed to be life itself. He claimed to be light. He claimed to be the water and the bread of life that quenches the hunger and the thirst of every human being. He claimed to be truth itself. He claimed to be the resurrection and the life. He claimed to be God. If He is not who He claimed to be, He was a megalomaniac madman. And if He was a megalomaniac madman, how is it possible that He spoke such beautiful, life-changing, ethically pure, and eternally hopeful words that have so changed human history and that have so changed so many individual lives. No one has ever offered a satisfactory answer to that quandary. Lewis said something similar, but in simpler terms, in Mere Christianity. I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus Christ]: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral te acher, but I don't accept his claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse … You can shut him up for fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to. (Mere Christianity - online without restrictions or here.) THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES W H Griffith-Thomas adds his thoughts on Name - The sphere in which life becomes ours and is enjoyed by us is found in the words in His Name. The word name is characteristic of John, and the two prepositions (eis and en) in connection with it are also among the features of this Gospel. The name stands in Holy Scripture for the nature or revealed character of God, and not as a mere label or title. It is found very frequently in the Old Testament as synonymous with God Himself in relation to man; for example: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower” (Prov. 18:10). “In the name of the Lord will I destroy them” (Ps. 118:10); and: “Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name?” (Ps. 74:10). In the New Testament the same usage is perfectly clear. For example: “In the name of Jesus” (Phil. 2:10), “Baptizing them into the name” (Matt. 28:19). In the fourth Gospel we have “Into the name” (eis) as the object of faith (John 1:12; John 2:23; John 3:18). Then we have “In the name of the Father” (John 5:43; John 10:25), referring to the divine authority and power with which our Lord came. The same phrase occurs no less than nine times in John 14 through John 17. Then our Lord is said to have manifested and made known His Father’s name to the disciples (John 17:6, 26). These passages clearly show the importance and significance of the name as standing for the revealed character and will of God in Christ. Thus, to have life in His name is to have it in union with what we know of Him and of His manifested character and revealed will. Life is thus “in Christ” and not outside or apart from Him. (Ibid) Name - What's in a Name? Well, if it's the Name Jesus, then the answer is "Everything is in that Name!" His Name Jesus (Iesous) means "Jehovah saves" which is what sinners need! His Name used frequently in John is also "I Am," (cf Jn 8:58, 8:24, 8:28, 13:13, Jn 18:5, 6, 8) signifying He is eternally self-existent and is the source of eternal life for spiritually dead sinners. It is as if Jesus says "I Am everything you will ever need for time and eternity!" In short, in just these two Names of Jesus, we find everything a sinner needs for eternal and abundant life! And remember that eternal life is not simply endless time, for even the lost will experience this fate. Eternal life is better thought of not as a quantity of life but as a quality of life. Wiersbe says "Eternal life means the very life of God experienced today… it is the spiritual experience of "heaven on earth" today." When we are saved the Lord of Heaven comes to live within our very being so that we immediately begin to experience this new quality of life referred to as eternal life. We don't have to wait to die to possess it beloved! Now that's Good News. That's the Gospel truth! Amen Name (3686 -Strong's number includes L-S and Thayer's definitions) (onoma) means that by which something or someone is called or known. Thus a name constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing. However in antiquity the name meant more than it does today. We use a name as little more than a distinguishing mark or label to differentiate one person from another. But in the ancient world the name signified not only the person's identity but the inherent character of the person designated by the name. Stated another way, in ancient times, one's whole character (title, reputation, person) was implied in the name. For example, in John 1:12 to "believe in His Name" (cf Jn 3:18, 20:31, 1Jn 3:23) is to believe (with a belief that results in a new, "circumcised" heart) in all Jesus is and all He has accomplished to effect our eternal redemption (Heb 9:12). Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible - “Name” in biblical usage correctly describes the person, place, or object and indicates the essential character of that to which the name is given. Adam names the animals according to their nature (Gen 2:19, 20); “Noah” means “one who brings relief and comfort” (Gen 5:29); “Jesus” means “savior” (Mt 1:21). Hayford's note on onoma - Compare “anonymous,” “synonym,” “onomancy,” “onomatology.” In general, the word signifies the name or term by which a person or thing is called (Matt. 10:2; Mark 3:16; Luke 1:63). However, it was quite common both in Hebrew and Hellenistic Greek to use onoma for all that the name implies, such as rank or authority (Matt. 7:22; John 14:13; Acts 3:6; 4:7), character (Luke 1:49; 11:2; Acts 26:9), reputation (Mark 6:14; Luke 6:22), representative (Matt. 7:22; Mark 9:37). Occasionally, onoma is synonymous for an individual, a person (Acts 1:15; Rev. 3:4; 11:13). God's Names are in a very real sense God in His self revelation. This is especially true in the Old Testament where we repeatedly and progressively see God revealing His character through a new Biblical Name - See table summarizing some God's names - Name of the LORD is a Strong Tower and discussion of the Name of the LORD is a Strong Tower: Why Should You Study It? An interesting aspect of Names especially in the Old Testament is the change of a person's name to reflect a change in their relationship with God. We see this especially with Abram who was renamed (by God) Abraham and Sarai who was renamed Sarah. See The Oneness of Covenant - Exchange of Names and Sharing Names or Change of Names. Onoma is a root of our word metonymy (mesa + onoma = a change of name) which is a word used in place of another word to portray some actual relationship between the things signified. For example in Ex 12:21KJV the passage literally says "kill the Passover" (NAS adds lamb, but more accurately Passover is a metonymy for the paschal lamb). As Detzler says " In Hebrew thinking a name is identified with character, and the name of God is the repository of God's power." In Mark 3:17 Jesus "gave the name Boanerges, which means, "Sons of Thunder"." Their name depicted their character (specifically James and John, the later who when "tamed" by the Gospel became the disciple who Jesus loved! [Jn 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20] THOUGHT - Who do you think is too distant from the radically transformative power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Think again! He can turn a personality from thunder to a gentle shower so to speak!) Onoma is used over 1000x in the Septuagint. In Daniel 9 there is an interesting use. In this chapter Daniel is confessing the sins of the nation (Da 9:4-14) recalling that God made "a Name (Lxx = onoma)" for Himself in delivering Israel from Egypt (Da 9:15). And then in Da 9:18, because of the fact that God's Name is on the city (Jerusalem), Daniel asks God to take action because of His Name - "For Thine own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy Name.” (Da 9:19) And so we see the fundamental basis of Daniel's appeal for God to intervene on behalf of His people is the Name of God. We see parallel passages in Isaiah 48:9-11 and Ezekiel 36:20-32 (See especially Ezek 36:20-23-note), where the Name of God (His reputation, honor, glory) is the ultimate grounds for Jehovah's action of sparing a remnant of Israel. These uses emphasize that God Himself considers His Name as equivalent to all that He is. Little wonder that Exodus 20:7 states "You shall not take the name (Lxx = onoma) of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name (Lxx = onoma) in vain." Warren Wiersbe has these insightful comments on God's Name and the book of Ezekiel - "If the Book of Ezekiel teaches us anything, it teaches us that we must honor God’s NAME and magnify His glory. The glory of God departed from Israel because they defiled the temple. The glory of God returned to the new temple because it was holy and a place where God could dwell (Ed: See related resource: Jehovah Shammah -The LORD is There). “They shall know that I am the Lord” (Lxx = ego eimi kurios) is a statement found at least sixty times in Ezekiel’s book. While God’s glory doesn’t dwell in our church buildings, God can be glorified or disgraced by what we do in those buildings we have dedicated to Him. As His people, we must be reverent and honor His NAME." Onoma - (1) Onoma is used for proper names of persons and places. (2) In Revelation 3:1 onoma conveys the sense of "reputation". (3) Onoma also occurs in the sense of title, as in Mt 10:41 (the literal in the name of a prophet means "because he is a prophet" or "because he has the title prophet"). In Hebrews 1:4 onoma refers to "Son" as the name or title that is more excellent than the angels', and in Philippians 2:9 the "Name that is above every name" is the title "Lord" (kurios), as explained in verse Php 2:11 (But see Moule's comment below on this passage). (4) The phrase "in Jesus' name" is not a mystical formula attached to the end of a prayer. It's an expression of faith that identifies the Person whom believers serve (Acts 2:38). In Acts 1:15 name refers to person which is a use found in the Greek Papyri of that period as well as in the Septuagint. In 1Cor 5:4 the phrase "in the name of our Lord Jesus" means in the authority of (Paul was speaking to the church at Corinth as Christ's apostle with His authority). In Rev 13:1 "blasphemous names" is an indication of the (godless, ungodly) character, emphasizing that onoma in many contexts signifies character. (cp Nabal = fool - 1Sa 25:25; Babel = confusion) In some contexts, to give a name in the OT was to signify lordship over (Adam naming the animals - Ge 2:19ff) It is probably no coincidence that in the NT, the first use of onoma is also the greatest use, for there we see the Name Jesus which means "Jehovah saves' (Mt 1:21) and it is closely followed by the name "Immanuel" which means God with us (Mt 1:23). Acts 3:16 says "on the basis of faith in His Name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man." It is still on the basis of faith in His Name that healing of a sin sick soul occurs (and no other Name - Acts 4:12!) The Father's Name is to be treated as set apart, holy, consecrated (Mt 6:9). The 3 uses of onoma in Mt 7:22 clearly show the human tragedy that one can intellectually know Jesus' Name, but still not know Him in their heart! For other Biblical Names for Jesus which give a powerful picture of His personality and personal care for us His creation take some time to study, ponder, mediate, worship and praise the Names, Titles and Characters of Jesus Christ. You won't be disappointed! Anyone who has ever sat at the feet of Jesus and beheld His beauty has never been disappointed! (cp Lk 10:39-42) Vine on Name - is used (I) in general of the "name" by which a person or thing is called, e.g., Mark 3:16,17 , "(He) surnamed," lit., "(He added) the name;" Mark 14:32 , lit., "(of which) the name (was);" Luke 1:63; John 18:10; sometimes translated "named," e.g., Luke 1:5 , "named (Zacharias)," lit., "by name;" in the same verse, "named (Elizabeth)," lit., "the name of her," an elliptical phrase, with "was" understood; Acts 8:9 , RV, "by name," Acts 10:1; the "name" is put for the reality in Revelation 3:1; in Philippians 2:9 , the "Name" represents "the title and dignity" of the Lord, as in Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 1:4; (II) for all that a "name" implies, of authority, character, rank, majesty, power, excellence, etc., of everything that the "name" covers: (a) of the "Name" of God as expressing His attributes, etc., e.g., Matthew 6:9; Luke 1:49; John 12:28; 17:6,26; Ro 15:9; 1Ti 6:1; Heb 13:15; Rev 13:6; (b) of the "Name" of Christ, e.g., Mt 10:22; 19:29; Jn 1:12; 2:23; 3:18; Acts 26:9; Ro 1:5; James 2:7; 1 John 3:23; 3 John 1:7; Revelation 2:13; 3:8; also the phrases rendered "in the name;" these may be analyzed as follows: (1) representing the authority of Christ, e.g., Matthew 18:5 (with epi, "on the ground of My authority"); so Matthew 24:5 (falsely) and parallel passages; as substantiated by the Father, John 14:26; 16:23 (last clause), RV; (2) in the power of (with en, "in"), e.g., Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17; Acts 3:6; 4:10; 16:18; James 5:14; (3) in acknowledgement or confession of, e.g., Acts 4:12; 8:16; 9:27,28; (4) in recognition of the authority of (sometimes combined with the thought of relying or resting on), Matthew 18:20; cp. 28:19; Acts 8:16; 9:2 (eis, "into"); John 14:13; 15:16; Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:17; (5) owing to the fact that one is called by Christ's "Name" or is identified with Him, e.g. 1 Peter 4:14 (with en, "in"); with heneken, "for the sake of," e.g., Matthew 19:29; with dia, "on account of," Matthew 10:22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17; John 15:21; 1 John 2:12; Revelation 2:3 (for 1 Peter 4:16 , see Note below); (III) as standing, by metonymy, for "persons," Acts 1:15; Revelation 3:4; 11:13 (RV, "persons"). (Vine's Expository Dictionary - NT) NIDNTT (see online page 648 for 9 page article on NAME) - Of primary significance is the name of Yahweh, which He Himself made known in his revelation (Ge 17:1; Ex 3:14; 6:2). One of the most fundamental and essential features of the biblical revelation is the fact that God is not without a name: he has a personal name, by which he can, and is to be, invoked. When appeal is made to Yahweh, He comes near and makes his promise true: “in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you” (Exod. 20:24; cf. Num. 6:24ff.; → Remember). Priests and Levites, and even the king, → bless in the name of Yahweh (Num. 6:27; Deut. 10:8; 2 Sam. 6:18). The name of Yahweh, indeed, is such a powerful expression of his personal rule and activity that it can be used as an alternative way of speaking of Yahweh himself (Lev. 18:21; Ps. 7:17; Amos 2:7; Micah 5:4). It is the side of Yahweh which is turned towards men, in which Yahweh reveals himself. His historical dealings with men in the past (Exod. 3:6, 13, 15), present (Exod. 20:7) and future (Ezek. 25:17; 34:30 et al.) are inextricably bound up with his name. Misuse of this name in → magic or in false oaths (for oaths were accompanied by mention of Yahweh’s name; → Swear) is forbidden (Exod. 20:7), for the name of Yahweh is a gift of the revelation which is not at man’s disposal (Gen. 17:1; Exod. 3:14; 6:2). The name of Yahweh is committed in trust to Israel: the heathen do not know it (Ps. 79:6). Israel has the task of hallowing it. This takes place in the cult, at sacrifice, in prayer, in blessing and cursing, and also in the holy → war (Ps. 29:8), in other words, in serving Yahweh, and him alone, and in obeying his commands. To take part in the cult-worship of another god therefore involves profanation of the name of Yahweh (Lev. 18:21). The invocation of his name over → Jerusalem (Jer. 25:29), over the → temple (Jer. 7:10) and over the ark (2 Sam. 6:2), consecrating them and associating them with him, is the sole basis of that sanctity Wayne Detzler on Name - MEANING - The word "name" is a translation of the Greek word onoma. This word is most commonly identified by its root nom, which is seen in the Latin word nomen and the English and German word "name." It is also reflected in such a combination word as "pseudonym" (a false name) or "homonym" (a word or name which sounds the same), or "synonym" (a word which means the same). In ancient Greek culture, which was ruled by irrational demons, there were many animistic superstitions concerning names. For instance, some believed that to know a person's name was to hold some superstitious power over him. Later on Greeks came to believe that the higher a god stood in the pantheon, the more names he had. Finally the Stoics combined all the gods into one, Zeus. Thus the name of the true God became identified with the power of that deity. In the Septuagint Greek Old Testament the word onoma appears no fewer that 1,000 times. In Hebrew thinking a name is identified with character, and the name of God is the repository of God's power. In the times of the patriarchs human names were still full of meaning. But by the dawn of New Testament times, names were much less indicative of character. BIBLE USAGE - In the New Testament the word onoma and its verb form, onomazo (to name someone), appear 228 times. The most significant use of "name" is in relation to God or Jesus. In fact, when Jesus declared that discipleship was to be His disciples' main ministry, He commanded them to baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). This is the clearest New Testament reference to the Trinity. The name of God the Father seems to embody all that He is. His glory is identified with His name (John 12:23-28). His love is vested in the name (Jn 17:26). The perseverance of the saints is related to His name (Jn 17:12). Prayer is performed in His name (Mt 6:9). The name of God is able to impute life to the spiritually dead (1Jn 5:13, cp Jn 20:31). The focus of the proclamation of Christ was the name of God, His Father (John 17:26). Just as the name of God is significant, so are the names of Christ. Before His birth Christ was the divine Logos, the Word of God (John 1:1-3). At His birth He was given the name of Jesus, to signify that He is the Saviour (Mt. 1:21). Because He is the God-Man, God come in the flesh, He is also called Emmanuel, "God with us" (Mt 1:23). He was called God's "beloved Son" at His baptism in the Jordan (Mt 3:17). He continually acted on behalf of His Father and in His Father's name (John 10:25). After His suffering He was exalted to heaven, where His triumph was trumpeted with a new name (Phil. 2:9-11). The Holy Spirit is poured out on Christians in the name of Jesus (John 14:26). Salvation is seen as belief in the name of Jesus Christ (Jn 1:12; 2:23; 1 John 3:23). In the name of Jesus, and because of Him, Christians claim innumerable blessings. Salvation is mediated through His name (John 20:31; Acts 4:12). When Christians do good deeds, they should do them for the glory of the name of Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17, 23). Christians also pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:24)… The sole subject of Christian proclamation is embraced in the name of Jesus Christ. This is our confession before a doubting world (Acts 8:12). Paul was commissioned at his conversion to bear that name (Acts 9:15). Missionaries go out to declare the name of Christ (3Jn 1:7). The disciples summarized their message by referring to the name of Christ (Acts 4:17; 5:28, 40). On the basis of Christ's name Paul pleaded with the Corinthians to believe biblically (1 Cor. 1:10). ILLUSTRATIONS - When compared with all other names, the name of Jesus is the most sublime of all. The Bible attributes more than 100 names to Christ, among which are these: Advocate (1 John 2:1), Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8), Author and Perfector of our Faith (Heb. 12:2), Cornerstone (Ps. 118:22), Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4), Sunrise (Luke 1:78), Firstborn (Rev. 1:5), Head of the church (Eph. 1:22), I Am (John 8:58), King of kings (1 Tim. 6:15), Lamb of God (John 1:29), Light of the world (8:12), Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8), Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), Morning Star (Rev. 22:16), Nazarene (Matt. 2:23), Passover (1 Cor. 5:7), Rock (1Cor 10:4), Saviour (Luke 2:11), Truth (John 14:6), Word (Jn 1:1). Few themes are so often sung as the name of Jesus. Several years ago my wife and I translated a German hymn titled, "The Wondrous Name of Jesus." Here is the first stanza: O hear the matchless, wondrous name of Jesus, Sent from heaven down to earth. It is the only hope of saint and sinner Ever since Creation's birth. Many eloquent hymn-writers have also added their praise to the name of Jesus. In the 19th century Caroline Noel (1817-77) wrote the famous hymn which commences: At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, Every tongue confess Him, King of glory now; 'Tis the Father's pleasure we should call Him Lord, Who from the beginning was the mighty Word. During the past few years many choruses have also been written that exalt the name of Jesus Christ. One of these is "His Name Is Wonderful." It contains the names Great Shepherd, Rock of all Ages, Almighty God, and King. The aim of this chorus is that its singers may bow down in adoration before the Lord. (BORROW New Testament words in today's language PAGE 288) Rob