Biblical usage of the word “name”.
Which name should we be called by? Which name saves us?
Acts 4:10-12; Phil 2:9; Rom 10:13; Eph 1:21
If Christians are persecuted for the sake of Jehovah’s name, why did Christ tell the first Christians that they would be persecuted for the sake of his (Jesus’) name instead of Jehovah’s (Mat 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:12, 17; 24:47; John 15:21; and Acts 4:18; 9:16)?
(source) Once the spurious addition of the word Jehovah is removed from the New Testament it is very clear that:
Jesus is the name borne witness to.
- Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said to him: “Be on your way, because this man is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel.”
- Acts 1:8 “YOU will be witnesses of me (Jesus) both in Jerusalem and in all Ju·de´a and Sa·mar´i·a and to the most distant part of the earth.”
- Revelation 12:17 “So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her offspring, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness concerning Jesus.”
Jesus is the name used to expel demons.
- Mark 9:38-39 “John said to him: “Teacher, we saw a certain man expelling demons by the use of your name and we tried to prevent him, because he was not accompanying us.” But Jesus said: “Do not try to prevent him, for there is no one that will do a powerful work on the basis of my name that will quickly be able to revile me;” Jesus is the subject of the kingdom good news.
- Galatians 1:7 “But it is not another; only there are certain ones who are causing YOU trouble and wanting to pervert the good news about the Christ.”
Jesus name invokes persecution, yet Jehovah’s Witnesses claim their persecution in the name of Jehovah fulfills prophecy.
- Matthew 24:9 “Then people will deliver YOU up to tribulation and will kill YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name.”
Jesus name alone is the means of salvation.
- Acts 4:10-12 “… let it be known to all of YOU and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Naz‧a‧rene′, whom YOU impaled but whom God raised up from the dead, by this one does this man stand here sound in front of YOU. This is ‘the stone that was treated by YOU builders as of no account that has become the head of the corner.’ Furthermore, there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.”
Falsely inserting Jehovah into the New Testament is an important manipulation. Jehovah’s Witnesses are led to believe that this proves they are the only true religion and the only ones that will be saved, due to being the only ones that consistently call on the name Jehovah. However, a reading of the New Testament as it was originally written results in a different understanding of this doctrine. If the early Christians did not use the divine name it can not be a prerequisite for salvation.
Being aware the word Jehovah does not appear in the New Testament and knowing that the name was not promoted by Jesus changes significantly the message of salvation. It becomes apparent that calling on the word Jehovah is not a requirement for salvation. Overuse of the word Jehovah taints a Jehovah’s Witnesses understanding of Jesus. True Christians need to feel comfortable giving Jesus the rightful honour that he deserves as our God and Saviour.
What does John 17:11,12 mean? (NWT 2013) “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, watch over them on account of your own name, which you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. 12 When I was with them, I used to watch over them on account of your own name, which you have given me; and I have protected them...”
1 John 2:23 (NWT 2013) Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. But whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
1 John 5:12 (NWT 2013) The one who has the Son has this life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this life.
Having the Father is dependent on having the Son.
Who should be the focus of our ministry?
For whose name would Christians be hated? (Mat 10:22)
By whose name were people healed? (Acts 3:6; 4:10)
By whose name were demons expelled? (Luke 10:17; Acts 16:18)
By whose name would people receive the Holy Spirit? (John 14:26)
In whose name would people pray to God? (John 15:16)
By whose name would people be named? (Isa 62:2; Acts 11:26)
By whose name would people be reconciled to God? (Rom 5:10; 2Co 5:18)
By whose name would people be forgiven their sins? (Mat 26:28; Acts 2:28; 10:43; Eph 1:7)
In whose name would people be judged? (John 5:27)
By whose name would people be resurrected? (John 5:28)
In whose name would people be baptized? (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; 22:16)
In whose name were people to put faith? (John 2:23)
In whose name was Saul/Paul commissioned to preach? (Acts 9:14-16)
For whose name would Christians be reproached? (1Pe 4:14)
In whose name were Christians to gather together? (Mat 18:20)
For whose name would Christians make sacrifices? (Mat 19:29)
For whose name would Christians be persecuted and killed? (Luke 21:12,16,17)
In whose name will every knee in heaven and on earth bend? (Php 2:10)
In whose name would people be declared righteous? (1Co 6:11)
Is the name Jehovah present or absent in the citations above?
Whose witnesses should we be (Isa 43:10)?
WT March 15, 2013 p. 24 par. 2 Honor Jehovah’s Great Name: “Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the other hand, are proud to bear God’s name and to glorify it.”
The Greek word: μαρτύριον means “witness”, “bear testimony”.
Isaiah 62:2 — “... And you will actually be called by a new name, which Jehovah’s own mouth will designate.”
Acts 11:26 — “the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
Mat 10:18 — “... for my sake, for a witness to them and the nations.” [Jesus]
Mark 13:9 — “... before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them.” [Jesus]
Luke 24:47,48 — “and on the basis of his [Jesus] name, repentance for forgiveness of sins would be preached in all the nations... You are to be witnesses of these things.”
John 1:15 — “John bore witness about him...” [Jesus]
John 5:37 — “the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me.” [Jesus]
John 8:18 — “the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” [Jesus]
John 15:26,27 — “... will bear witness about me; and YOU in turn, are to bear witness.” [Jesus]
Acts 1:8 — “You will be witnesses of me...” [Jesus]
Acts 4:33 — “with great power the apostles continued giving forth the witness concerning the resurrection of the Lord Jesus”
Acts 4:17,18 — “... upon the basis of this name [Jesus] ... upon the basis of the name of Jesus.” [Jesus]
Acts 10:39 — “And we are witnesses of all the things he [Jesus] did...”
Acts 10:43 — “To him all the prophets bear witness...” [Jesus]
Acts 13:31 — “who are now his witnesses to the people.” [Jesus]
Acts 22:15,16 — “because you are to be a witness for him [Jesus] to all men... be baptized ... calling on the name of the Lord.”
Acts 22:20 — “... the blood of Stephen your witness was being spilled...” [Jesus]
Acts 23:11 — “... a thorough witness on the things about me in Jerusalem...” [Jesus]
Acts 26:16,18 — “I [Jesus]... choose you as an attendant and a witness ... respecting me... in order for them to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by [their] faith in me.” [Jesus]
1 Corinthians 1:6 — “even as the witness about the Christ...”
Galatians 1:6-8 — “...if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond what we declared to you as good news [about Christ] , let him be accursed.”
1 Timothy 2:6 — “... [this is] what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times.” [Jesus]
2 Timothy 1:8 — “Therefore do not become ashamed of the witness about our Lord...” [Jesus]
1 John 5:9 — “... because this is the witness God gives, the fact that he has borne witness concerning his Son.”
Revelation 1:9 — “... for speaking about God and bearing witness to Jesus.”
Revelation 3:8 — “...and you kept my word and did not prove false to my name.” [Jesus]
Revelation 12:17 — “... and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus.”
Revelation 19:10 — “... the work of witnessing to Jesus ... bearing witness to Jesus.”
Revelation 20:4 — “... for the witness they bore to Jesus.”
All the prophets spoke about Christ.
Luke 24:27 (KJV) And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Acts 3:21 (WEB) whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.
Acts 3:24 (WEB) Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.
Acts 3:25 (WEB) You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘In your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.’
Acts 7:52 (WEB) Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.
Acts 10:43 (WEB) All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.
Acts 24:14 (WEB) But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
Acts 26:22 (WEB) Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,
Acts 28:23 (WEB) When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about the Kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.
