The Best Name
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the most popular name for newborn boys in the state is Jacob. Of 43,740 boys born last year in Arizona, there were 616 named Jacob and 607 named Jose.
There were 392 Emilys born, taking back first place from 345 Ashleys – that is out of 41,465 girls. Emily is a named I have always associated with literary personalities, like Emily Dickenson. Ashley is a name that I have always associated with “Daddy’s girls.” Both names are lovely, and still seem unusual to me [my age is showing], but all of these name have thought associations for me.
I have always thought that it is better for an individual to be first noticed for his strong character than for something unusual about his name. I once knew a nice couple who named their three boys Sundown, Thunder, and Twister. Not surprisingly, all three went by their initials when they got to school. Another couple in the same congregation, Jerry and Lucy, had three boys, Matthew, Mark, and John. Whenever Jerry was asked what happened to Luke, he would say that he was happy with Matthew, Mark, Lucy, and John. Biblical names are nice, strong, and dependable.
There is something in a name. God promised his children a new name in Isaiah. “And the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall name” (Isa. 62:2).
In the Bible, names signified something about or desired in the one who wore the name. For instance, Abraham’s name was first “Abram,” meaning “exalted father.” But God changed his name to “Abraham,” which means “father of a multitude.” Jacob’s name meant “the supplanter” or “one who takes the heel,” but God changed his name to “Israel,” indicating the close relation they were to have.
My favorite name in the Bible [other than David – the beloved] is “Maher-shalal-hash-baz,” found in Isa. 8:3. It was the name of Isaiah’s prophesied son. I forget what it means right now, but I could look it up.
Significantly, the new name God gives Israel in Isaiah 62 is two-fold. It is first Hephzi-bah, “and thy land Beulah” (Isa 62:4). Hephzi-bah means “my delight is in her,” and Beulah means “married.” In the prophecy, the change of name indicates a change of relationship between God and his people. They had been cast off and forsaken because of their sin, but the new name indicates a reconciliation by God.
The prophecy also deals with that which pertains to Israel’s future. It has to do with the fact that under the Messiah, God’s people will be blessed with a new name, a name that God would give them. That name is the name “Christian.” This name is found three times in the Bible, each time with some significance.
First is Acts 11:26: “… and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” This passage helps us to understand what a Christian is. A Christian is a disciple of Christ. A disciple is not merely a learner, but one who follows a teaching or discipline. Jesus said,
, “…If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my disciples” (John 8:31). The word “abide” comes from the Greek word meno, which means to “continue.” In other words, a Christian is one who has made the words of Christ the rule of his life. He is one who has entered the discipline
The Second passage is Acts 26:28: “And Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.” In this verse Agrippa states two truths unwittingly about the name. First, one wears the name voluntarily. Second, he wears it because he is persuaded by the weight of the evidence that Jesus is the Christ. Something else we learn about the name is that in the minds of the infidel or the Jew, the name was merely that of a sect of the Jews. Those who do not hold the name in its proper high esteem do not seek to wear it, or be saved by it (Acts 4:12).
The Third verse that has the name “Christian” in it is this: “… but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name” (1 Peter 4:16). There are many situations in which one might feel the sting of persecution. He might suffer physical harm or economic sanctions because of his faith. In our day, more likely he will suffer in the sense that he is ridiculed or contradicted in what he believes. Some might be ashamed from the standpoint that they fear for their well-being. Others might be ashamed in that they are embarrassed by the ridicule, or annoyed by the confrontations that seem to follow the name. If others think the name of Christ to be worthy of such ridicule, we are not to bow our heads in shame. We are the children of the Creator, and we are servants of the King. Who and Why should we fear or be ashamed?
Sometimes being ashamed in the Bible carries with it the idea of regret. We can claim the name of Jesus, not only without fear, but also without regret for what might have been. The reward of wearing the name is eternal life. And as for those who would hinder us our persecute us, there is God who will set things straight in the last day (2 Thess. 1:7-9). Jesus tells his disciples and us, “And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul …” (Matt. 10:28).
The name is nothing to be ashamed of or to be hesitant in using. It has been said that there is a prejudice in the community toward the name “Church of Christ,” therefore it might be better to not refer to ourselves by that name, or even not use signs that have that name on them. It has been suggested that instead, we might use a sign that merely states, “Christians Meet Here,” or “The Church,” or some other seemingly neutral term that does not arouse so much resistance.
I understand the problems associated with the name of the church, but I would like to suggest also, that in this day and time, not enough people are familiar with what the church of Christ stands for enough to have that prejudice. And those who do are prejudiced because of what they perceive to be our teaching [in many cases they are right about that]. While it is true that “Church of Christ” can become quite denominational in its use [shame on us if it does], it is a scriptural term that associates us with an attempt to follow and continue in his word (John 8:31).
No name raises the hackles higher on the backs of those outside of Christ than the name of Christ. But it signifies our relationship to him – that we belong to him, we are his disciples. My plea is that we continue wearing his name and glorying in it, and that the signs on our meeting places that identify who we are that meet continue to have his name on them. We are the church of Christ (Rom. 16:16), those of us who have been redeemed by his blood, and we should not be hesitant to identify ourselves with a scriptural name.
