WHAT'S HIS NAME

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end
of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20)

Hopefully we all know the name of the Son. His name is given in the English Bibles as Jesus. In the Hebrew rendering of the New Testament, we read that his name is Yeshua. The Hebrew Names Version of the New Testament has the text in English, but carries the various names of the characters in the English rendering of the Hebrew. Here is how Matthew 1:21 reads in that version.

"She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name Yeshua,
for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."

Christians have become familiar with the so called 'great commission' given by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-19. We use it to claim that Jesus told us to be missionaries. We don't normally include verse 20 when we quote the passage, even though that verse is part of what Jesus said. I wonder if we ever think about what the entire passage says? That's a subject for another writing, but let's do consider what Jesus said in verse 19.

"baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

Do we baptize people in the name of Jesus? The person doing the baptizing usually ends what he has to say by saying: "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:". Where was Jesus' name in all of that? Shouldn't we expect to hear something more like; 'I baptize you in the name of Jesus'? There is a scripture supporting that idea.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

An answer might be that we say exactly what Matthew 21:19 says we should say, and perhaps that is as it should be, but then, I would have to ask if I can use that same logic in the application of Jesus' words in John 14:14?

"If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it."

Should we close our prayers by saying something: "in my name, Amen"? Of course not. Look how Peter used the actual name when he pronounced a blessing of health upon the lame man at the gate of the temple (Acts 3:6).

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give
I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

What did Jesus mean when He told us to baptize in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost? Again, we know the name of the Son, but

What is the name of the Father?

What is the name of the Holy Ghost?

Let me answer with two statements.

1) We are not given separate names for 'the Father' and the 'Holy Ghost'.

2) Acts 4:12

That being said, let me ask a foundational question: How many Gods are there?

The correct answer is: Only one. (Isaiah 43:10-12, Isaiah 44:6-8, Isaiah 45:5-7, Isaiah 46:9)

Another question: Is Jesus, God?

The correct answer is: Yes.

Next question: What is the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?

The correct answer is: Jesus.

I propose that we take Peter's example and use the actual name of God, Jesus when we call on Him and when we baptize people.

Since there is only one God, His name is Jesus. Notice what Jesus said about us praying.

"These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time
will come, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but
I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask
in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father
for you: For the Father himself loves you, because ye have
loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came
forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again,
I leave the world, and go to the Father." (John 16:25-28)

Previously, Jesus had told them that He would pray to the Father on their behalf, and that the Father would grant the request. Here, Jesus says that things will be different after He departs. He will no longer be praying to the Father for them, but they will be praying to the Father "in his name".

What does "in his name" mean? Does it mean that we're supposed to conclude our prayers with words like; "in the name of Jesus" or "in your name"? That's what we have been taught to say.


John 16:28 above says that Jesus came forth 'from' the Father, and will return 'to' the Father. The language presents a somewhat 'side-by-side' image of Father and Son. In verses 27-28, Jesus is trying to explain why the situation will change after his departure. He tells his disciples:

"For the Father himself loves you, because ye have loved me,
and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth
from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave
the world, and go to the Father."

It's almost like we can see Jesus coming away from God; departing from His side. I've highlighted the word from for a reason. We need to look at the original language there. If you click on this link you will see Strong's presentation on that word. Notice the usage numbers.

AV — of 51, with 42, from 24, by ... side 15, at 12, than 11, misc 45

This word can mean either from or of. The problem with it being translated as from in these verses is that it conveys the idea of Jesus being at the side of the Father, and that can confuse the casual reader. The Father and the Son are not two separate beings that can stand side-by-side. They are one and the same being; there is only one God. Take a look at this same passage with the word translated as of rather than as from, and remember, that to the Jewish ear, there is no distinction. It is simply the Greek word; para.

"For the Father himself loves you, because ye have loved me,
and have believed that I came out of God. I came forth
of the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave
the world, and go to the Father."

The Greek word para is translated as of 51 times in scripture, as compared with being translated only 24 times as from. The numbers don't mean everything, but they may indicate something. However, the most important thing to remember is that, to the original writer, it was simply the word para; it was that translators who decided that it would say from.

Now back to Jesus' explanation to his disciples. He told them that once He returned to the Father, He would no longer pray to the Father for them, but that they would pray to the Father directly, "IN HIS NAME" (the name of Jesus). His words indicate that there is significance to His Name.