the name of Jesus

November 14, 2021

The name of Jesus (2 Thess. 1:12)

“Thus,

The name of our Lord Jesus

May be glorified

In you,

And you in him,

According to the grace

Of our God

And the Lord

Jesus Christ.”

ὅπως ἐνδοξασθῇ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Paul said, “Thus (ὅπως), the name (τὸ ὄνομα) of our Lord (τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν) Jesus (Ἰησοῦ) may be glorified (ἐνδοξασθῇ) in you (ἐν ὑμῖν), and you in him (καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ,), according to the grace (κατὰ τὴν χάριν) of our God (τοῦ Θεοῦ) and the Lord (καὶ Κυρίου) Jesus Christ (Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ).”  Only this letter to the Thessalonians used this unique word ἐνδοξασθῇ, that means to glorify, acknowledge the glory belonging to, or recognize as glorious.  This is the second time in the last three verses that Paul had talked about the glorification of Jesus.  This almost sounds like the end of a prayer.  Paul continued to show the close relationship between God the Father and his son Our Lord, Jesus Christ.  There was an emphasis on the glorification of the name of Jesus Christ.  However, this was a reciprocal arrangement.  Just as the glorious name of Jesus might be in them, so they would be with Jesus Christ due to the grace of God, the good free will of God towards them.  Our Lord Jesus Christ made all this possible for them.  Is Jesus Christ glorified in you?

August 10, 2018

The final commission (Mt 28:18-28:20)

“Jesus came to them.

He said to them.

‘All authority

In heaven and on earth

Has been given to me.

Go therefore!

Make disciples

Of all nations!

Baptize them

In the name of the Father

And of the Son

And of the Holy Spirit!

Teach them

To obey everything

That I have commanded you!

Remember!

I am with you always,

To the end of the age!”

 

καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος,

διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος.

 

This is unique to Matthew, as he had Jesus give his farewell speech on this unnamed mountain top in Galilee.  The risen Jesus came to his 11 disciples (καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς).  He told them (ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων) that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to him (Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς).  Thus, he wanted them to go forth to make disciples in all the gentile countries (πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη), since this was no longer a mere Jewish message, but a wider message to the whole world.  He wanted them to baptize people (βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς) in the name of the Father (εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς) and of the Son (καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ), and of the Holy Spirit (καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος).  No longer was it good enough to have the baptism of John or baptism in the name of Jesus, it had to be trinitarian, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  They were to teach people to obey everything that he had commanded them (διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν), without setting any priorities.  He told them to remember that he would always be with them until the completion of all time (καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος), the end of the world.