The Names of God

THE DIVINE NAMES OF GOD AS VEHICLES OF REVELATION

THE 72 NAMES OF GOD

Tremendous efforts to find the origins and significance of the Hebrew divine names in other ancient Near Eastern cultures have yielded generally disappointing results. One of the major reasons for this is that the ancient Hebrew theology invested these names with a uniqueness that renders investigation outside the narratives of the OT incapable of exploring fully their historical and religious significance.

Basic to ancient Hebrew religion is the concept of divine revelation. While God is conceived of as revealing his attributes and will in a number of ways in the OT, one of the most theologically significant modes of the divine self-disclosure is the revelation inherent in the names of God.

This aspect of divine revelation is established in the words of Exodus 6:3, "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My Name the Lord [Yahweh] I did not make myself known to them." According to classical literary criticism, the verse teaches that the name Yahweh was unknown to the patriarchs. Thus, an ideological conflict exists between the Priestly author and the earlier believer of God who frequently put the name Yahweh on the lips of the patriarchs.

However, the words "by My Name Yahweh I did not make myself known to them" have a somewhat hollow ring if the name Yahweh is understood only as an appellative. The reason for this is that Moses asks in Exodus 3:13, "What is his name?” mah-semo has ) demonstrated that the syntax of this question does not connote an inquiry as to the name of God but an inquiry into the character revealed by the name. He says, "Where the word 'what' is associated with the word 'name' the question asked is what finds expression in or lies concealed behind that name".

Exodus 14:4 also support the view that the name Yahweh embodies aspects of God's character. It says, "and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh." It is hardly likely that the intent of this assertion is that they would learn only the name of the Hebrew God.

In the light of these observations, the use of the concepts of the name of God in the early narratives of the book of Exodus is far broader than simply the name by which the Hebrew God was known. It has a strong element of divine self-disclosure within it.

The corpus of divine names compounded with el and a descriptive adjunct also support this concept. The very fact that the adjunctive element is descriptive is an indication of its value as a source of theological content.

Typical of this type of name is el rot ("God who sees"; Gen. 16:13) and el olam ("God eternal"; Gen. 21:33). These el names sometimes emerge from a specific historical situation that illuminates their significance.

The Meaning of Yahweh, Jehovah (LORD): Efforts to determine the meaning of the tetragrammaton (YHWH) through historical investigation have been rendered difficult by the rareness of informative data relative to the various forms of the name ya in historical sources outside the OT. For this reason the investigation has generally followed philological lines. The form ya was originally an ejaculatory cry, "shouted in moments of excitement or ecstasy," that was to "prologue ya(h)wa(h), ya(h)wa(h)y, or the like." He suggested further that the name Yahweh arose from the consonance of an extended form of ya with the "imperfect tense of a defective verb." Thus, he saw the origin of the name in a popular etymology and asserted that its original form was forgotten.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

UNDERSTANDING THE NAMES OF GOD

should be The tetragrammaton understood as consisting of the ejaculatory element and the third person pronoun ,hu' meaning "O He!"

Another approach to the problem is as a form of to understand the tetragrammaton paronomasia. This view takes account of the broad representation of the name ya in extrabiblical cultures of the second millennium B.C. The name Yahweh is thus understood as a quadrilateral form and the relationship of the name of “haya” (“to be”) in Exodus 3:14-15 is not intended to be one of etymology but paronomasia.

The most common view is that the ,name is a form of a trilateral verb hwy. It is generally regarded as a third person imperfect verb in a causative stem. Is it is a Greek causative that should be translated "Sustainer, participle with ay preforrmative Maintainer, Creator-Establisher."

With regard to the view that the is an elongated form of an ejaculatory cry, it may be pointed out tetragramaton that Semitic proper names tend to shorten; they are not normally prolonged. The theory that the name is paronomastic is attractive, but when appeal is made to the occurrences of forms of ya or yw in ancient cultures, several problems arise. It is difficult to explain how the original form could have lengthened into the familiar quadrilateral structure. It is also difficult to understand how the name Yahweh could have such strong connotations of uniqueness in the OT if it is a form of a divine name that found representation in various cultures in the second millennium B.C.

The derivation of the tetragrammaton from a verbal root is also beset with certain difficulties. The root hwy would be based in this view is on which the tetragrammaton unattested in West Semitic languages before the time of Moses, and the form of the name is not consonant with the rules that govern the formation of lamed he verbs as we know them.

It is evident that the problem is a difficult one. It is best to conclude that the use of etymology to determine the theological content of the name Yahweh is tenuous. If one is to understand the theological significance of the divine name, it can be only be determining the theological content with which the name was invested in Hebrew religion.

Jah, Yah. This shorter form of Yahweh occurs twice in Exodus (15:2 and 17:15). The former passage is echoed in Isaiah 12:2 and Psalm 118:14. It also occurs numerous times in the adoration or worship formula haleluya (“praise yah”)

The compounding of yah with Yahweh in Isaiah 12:2 yah yhwh( indicates a separate function for) the form yah, but at the same time an identification of the form with Yahweh.

Yahweh Seba’ot (“the Lord of Hosts”) is The translated as .)" "He creates the heavenly hosts" has been suggested for this appellative. It is based on the assumption that Yahweh functions as a verbal form in a causative stem. This conclusion is rendered difficult by the fact that the formula occurs in the expanded Aramaic form yhwh elohe sebaor ("Yahweh God of hosts"), which attributes the function of a proper name to Yahweh. The word seba’ot means "armies" or "hosts." It is best to understand Yahweh as a proper name in association with the word "armies."

The names of God are vehicles for knowing and understanding His personality or essence not for the purpose of identification. God uses names that provide information’s and documentation of His perfect essence or personality to believers. The names of God are medium for knowing God.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

ELOHIM and EL SHADDAI

The root of Elohim is El or el. The form elohim is a plural form commonly understood as a plural of majesty. In the OT the word is always construed in the singular when it denotes the true God. In the Pentateuch the name elohim connotes a general concept of God; that is, it portrays God as the transcendent being, the creator of the universe. It does not connote the more personal and palpable concepts inherent in the name Yahweh. It can also be used to apply to false gods as well as to judges and kings.

El. El has the same general It is apparently the root on which the plural form.range of meaning as Elohim only in its use in has been constructed. It differs in usage from Elohim theophoric names and to serve to contrast the human and the divine. Sometimes, the pronoun El is combined with yah to become Elyah.

El Elyon (“God most High”) from an adjective meaning "high," is derived from the root,elyon' the word .)"which Ih ("to go up" or "ascend"). It is used to describe the height of objects (II Kings 15:35; 18:17; Ezekiel 41:7) as well as the prominence of persons (Psalm 89:27) and the prominence of Israel as a nation (Deut. 26:19; 28:1). When used of God it connotes the concept of "highest."

The name El Elyon occurs only in Gen. 14: 18-22 and Ps. 78:35, although God is known by the shorter title in a significant number of passages. Elyon

There is a superlative connotation In each case in which the adjective occurs it denotes that.elyon'in the word which is highest or uppermost. In Deut. 26:19 and 28:1 the superlative idea is apparent in the fact that Israel is to be exalted above the nations. The use of the word in I Kings 9:8 and II Chronicles 7:21 may not seem to reflect a superlative idea, but there is an illusion to Deut. 26:19 and 28:1, where the superlative idea exists. The superlative is also evident in the use of the word in Psalm 97:9, where it connotes Yahweh's supremacy over the other gods.

EL SHADDAI The root word of sadday is obscure, which has been connected with the Akkadian sadu ("mountain") deity by some ancient theologians. Others have suggested a connection with the word "breast," and still others have seen a connection with the verb sadad ("to devastate"). The theological significance of the name, if it can be understood fully, must be derived from a study of the various contexts in which the name occurs.

The name Shaddai frequently appears apart from El as a divine title. The translation “God Almighty” is somewhat dubious since it is based on a Hebrew root sadad, which does not exactly mean “almighty”, but “to deal violently with.”

Shaddai refers to a tribal deity, a high god worshipped by the patriarchs, who were not monotheists. They usually point to Deuteronomy 32:17 and Joshua 24:2, which recorded the facts that theirs ancestors served and worshipped other gods beyond the Euphrates.

Zurishaddai [Numbers 7:36] in many ancient Egyptians documents, Shadai amni is the same as Shadai-amni the Egyptian god of the mountains. Out of its 46 appearance in the Bible, only the RSV translated el Shaddai to God Almighty.

Shaddai is one of the unknown deity and who came from nowhere but feared by the ancient Israel who did not know God [see Deuteronomy 32:17]. The patriarchs were not monotheistic but served other gods [Joshua 24:2]. It is true that the term shaddai or shadday is in the Bible but does not refer to God of the Bible.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

THE GOD OF ISRAEL

El-Eloe-Yisrael is an appellation that occurs only in Gen. 33:20 as the name of the altar that marked the place of Jacob's encounter with God. It denotes the unique significance of El as the God of Jacob.

.Adonai is from the root dn which occurs in Ugaritic with the meanings " lord and father." If the word originally connoted "father," it is not difficult to understand how the connotation "lord" developed from that. The basic meaning of the word in the Old Testament is "lord."

Critical to the understanding of the meaning of the word is the suffix ay. .It is commonly suggested that the ending is the first person possessive suffix on a plural form of "addon" but the," my lord"). This is plausible for the form adonay( heightened form ,adonay which also appears in the Massoretic text, is more difficult to explain, unless it represents an effort on the part of the Massoretes "to mark the word as sacred by a small external sign."

Attention has been drawn to the ending - Ugaritic ,ai which is used in that language "as a reinforcement of a basic word," However, it is doubtful that this explanation should be applied in all cases. The plural construction of the name is evident when the word occurs in the construct as it does in the appellation "Lord of lords" adone ha adonim'() in Deut. 10:17. And the translation "my Lord" seems to be required in such vocative addresses as my Lord Yahweh" what will you, give me?" (Gen. 15:2; see also Exodus 4:10).

It appears, then, that it is best to understand the word as a plural of majesty with a first person suffixual ending that was altered by the Massoretes to mark the sacred character of the name.

Other Names of God in the Bible: The name Baali occurs only once, in Hosea 2:16 "My Baal," in a play on , the word with which it isisiwords. The word means "my husband," as does paired.

Ancient of Days is an appellation applied to God in Dan. 7. It occurs with other depictions of great age (vs. 9) to create the impression of noble venerability. The title is related to Christ title as Son of Man the perfect Judge of all men.

Abba is an alternate Aramaic term for "father." It is the word that Jesus used to address God in Mark 14:36. Paul pairs the word with the Greek word for "father" in Rom. 8:15 and Gal. 4:6.

The alep' that terminates functions as both a demonstrative and a vocative particle in ' the form 'abba Aramaic: In the time of Jesus the word connoted both the emphatic concept, "the father," and the more intimate "my father, our father."

While the word was the common form of address for children, there is much evidence that in the time of Jesus the practice was not limited only to children.

The word occurs three times in the NT. Mark uses it in Jesus' Gethsemane prayer (14:36). Paul employs it twice for the cry of the Spirit in the heart of a Christian (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). In every case it is accompanied by the Greek equivalent, ho pater that ) means Father.

Abba is from the Aramaic abba. It signifies "my father." It is not in the Greek Bible. In the original text, the Lord Jesus said only "Abba! Abba!" but the Aramaic and the English translators combined Greek and English terms. Paul's usage suggests it may have become a formula. quasiliturgical

Abba! Father! Denotes intimate relationship between Jesus Christ and God the Father

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

YAHWEH

Yahweh. The parallel structure in Exodus 3:14-15 supports the association of the name Yahweh with the concept of being or existence. It says, "I AM has sent me to you" (vs. 14; "The LORD has sent me to you" (vs. 15). The name "I AM" is based on the clause "I AM WHO I AM" found in 3:14 which, on the basis of the etymology implied here, suggests that Yahweh is 'the third participle form of the verb ehyah (I am).

The Aramaic clause “ehyeh aser ehyeh” been translated in several ways, "I am that I am" (AV), "I am who I am" (RSV, NIV), and "I will be what I will be" (RSV margin). Recently who is" has been suggested. The recent modern the translation "I am (the) One translations are grammatically incorrect.

The main concern of the context is to demonstrate that a continuity exists in the divine activity from the time of the patriarchs to the events recorded in Exodus chapter 3. The Lord is referred to as the God of the fathers (13, 15, 16). The God who made the gracious promises regarding Abraham's offspring is the God who is and who continues to be. The affirmation of verse 17 is but a reaffirmation of the promise made to Abraham. The name Yahweh may thus affirm the continuing activity of God on behalf of his people in fealty to his promise.

Jesus' application of the words "I am" to Himself in John 8:58 not only denoted his preexistence but associated him with Yahweh as the begotten Son of God.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham, the fulfillment of which Abraham anticipated (John 8:56).

In the Pentateuch, Yahweh denotes that aspect of God's character that is personal rather than transcendent. It occurs in contexts in which the covenantal and redemptive aspects of God predominate. The name YHWH is employed when God is presented to us in His personal character and in direct relationship to people or nature; and 'Elohim, when the Deity is alluded to as a Transcendental Being who exists completely outside and above the physical universe" This precise distinction does not always obtain outside the Pentateuch, but Yahweh never loses its distinct function as the designation of the God of Israel.

The name Yahweh Saboath appears for the first time in Israel's history in connection with the cult center at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:3): It is there that the tent of meeting was set up when the land of Canaan had been subdued by the Israelites (Josh. 18:1). The name apparently had its origin in the period of the conquest or the period. It does not occur in the Pentateuch. post-conquest

It is possible that the name was attributed to Yahweh as a result of the dramatic appearance to Joshua of an angelic being called the "commander of the host of Yahweh" at the commencement of the conquest (Joshua 5:13-15). The name would thus depict the vast power at Yahweh's disposal in the angelic hosts.

The association of this name with the Ark of the Covenant in I Samuel 4:4 is significant in that Yahweh is enthroned above the angelic figures known as the cherubim (II Samuel 6:2). Because the name was associated with the Ark of the Covenant, David addressed the people in that name when the ark was recovered from the Philistines (2 Samuel 6:18).

The almighty power of Yahweh displayed in this name is manifested in the sphere of history (Psalms 46:6-7; 59:5). His power may be displayed in the life of the individual (Psalm 69:6) as well as the nation (Psalm 80:7). Sometimes he is simply referred to as "the Almighty."

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

ELOHIM

Elohim is the more general name for God: In the Pentateuch, when used as a proper name, it most commonly denotes the more transcendental aspects of God's character. When God is presented in relation to his creation and to the peoples of the earth in the Pentateuch, the name Elohim occurs is the name most often used. It is for this reason that Elohim consistently in the creation account of Genesis 1:1-2:42 and in the genealogies of Genesis. Where the context takes on a moral tone, as in Genesis 2:4bff., the name Yahweh is used.

Throughout Genesis and the early chapters of Exodus Elohim is used most often as a proper name. After Exodus 3 the name begins to occur with increasing frequency as an appellative, that is, "the God of," or "your God." This function is by far the most frequent mode of reference to God in the book of Deuteronomy. When used in this fashion the name denotes God as the supreme deity of a person or people. Thus, in the frequent expression, "Yahweh your God," Yahweh functions as a proper name, while "God" functions as the denominative of deity.

The appellative Elohim connotes all that God is. As God He is sovereign, and that sovereignty extends beyond Israel into the arena of the nations (Deut. 2:30, 33; 3:22; Isaiah 52:10). As God to His people He is loving and merciful (Deut. 1:31; 2:7; 23:5; Isaiah 41:10, 13, 17; 49:5; Jeremiah 3:23). He establishes standards of obedience (Deut. 4:2; Jeremiah 11:3) and His sovereignty punishes disobedience (Deut. 23:21). As God, there is no one like him (Isaiah 44:7; 45:5-21).

The same connotations obtain in the use of the shorter form .el He is the God who sees El roi( Genesis 16:13) and He is el the God of Israel (Genesis 33:20).

As El Elyon, God is described in his exaltation over all things. There are two definitive passages for this name. In Psalm 83:18 Yahweh is described as "Most High over the earth," and Isaiah 14:14 states, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High."

However, in the majority of cases the attributes of this name are indistinguishable from other usages El or Elohim. He fixed the boundaries of the nations (Deut. 32:8). He effects changes in the creation (Psalm 18:13).

This name occurs six times in the patriarchal narratives. In most of those instances it is associated with the promise given by God to the patriarchs. Yet the name is often paired with Yahweh in the poetic material, and thus shares the personal warmth of that name. He is known for his steadfast love (Psalm 21:7) and his protection (Psalm 91:9-10).

The root of Adonai means, "lord" and, in its secular usage, always refers to a superior in the OT. The word retains the sense of "Lord" when applied to God. The present pointing of text is late; early manuscripts were written without the word in the Massoretic vowel pointing.

In Psalm 110:1 the word is pointed in the singular, as it usually is when it applies to humans rather than God. Yet and,Jesus used this verse to argue for His deity. The pointing is Massoretic no distinction would be made in the consonantal texts. Since the word denotes a superior, the word must refer to one who is superior to David and who bears the messianic roles of king and priest (vs. 4).

The name Abba connotes the exclusive fatherhood of God. This is affirmed by the accompanying translation ho pater ("father"), which occurs in each usage of the name in the NT (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

ABBA

The use of this name as Jesus' mode of address to God in Mark 14:36 is a unique expression of Jesus' relationship to the Father. He spoke to God like a child to its father, simply, inwardly, and confidently. Jesus' use of Abba in addressing God reveals the heart of his relationship with God.

The same relationship is sustained by the believer with God; It is only because of the believer's relationship with God, established by the Holy Spirit, that he can address God with this name that depicts a relationship of warmth and filial love.

In a sense the relationship designated by this name is the fulfillment of the ancient promise given to Abraham's offspring that the Lord will be their God, and they His people.

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet while Omega being the last letter. These letters occur in the text of Rev. 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13, and are represented by "Alpha" and "Omega" respectively. They mean "the first and last." (Compare: Hebrews 12:2; Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; Rev. 1:11, 17; 2:8.) In the symbols of the early Christian Church these two letters are frequently combined with the cross or with Christ's monogram to denote his divinity.

The rendering of the Greek expression to Alpha kai to O which is found in three places in the NT , (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13):

In this phrase there is probably a reference to the Jewish employment of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet to indicate the totality of a thing. "The symbol t' was regarded as including the intermediate letters, and stood for totality; and thus it fitly represented the Shekinah It is a natural transition to the thought of eternity when the expression is related to time.

The expression is essentially the same as Isaiah's words, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6). Thus it is a claim that the one to whom it refers is the Eternal One.

The expression in Revelation 1:8, due to the explanatory phrases that modify the subject, refers to the eternity and omnipotence of the Lord God. In 21:6 it is further defined by the words "the beginning and the end and in 22:13 by the words "the first and the last." The thought conveyed in the second and third occurrences is the same.

In patristic and literature the expression referred to the Son. It seems clear, however, that the first two occurrences refer to the Father (1:8; 21:6), while the third properly refers to the Son. On its last occurrence (22:13) the phrase is applicable in many senses, but perhaps it is used here with special reference to our Lord's place in human history. As creation owed it’s beginning to the Word of God, so in His incarnate glory He will bring it to its consummation by the Great Award.

Holy One of Israel: This title for God occurs twenty-six times in the book of Isaiah and only six times in the rest of the OT. From the very first chapter (1:4), Isaiah contrasts the perfection and purity of God with the corruptness and sinfulness of Israel.

A God so powerful and so holy deserved to be held in awe (8:13; 29:23), but instead the people of Israel spurned him and mocked him (5:19). It is against the background of Israel's blatant sin that Isaiah presents his vision of the Holy God in chapter 6. So overwhelming was his glimpse of the holiness of God in the heavenly temple that Isaiah acknowledged his sin and responded in obedience to the Lord.

Throughout the rest of the book Isaiah refers to "the Holy One of Israel" as the God set apart from all other Gods and worthy of all honors.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL

Jeremiah announces the defeat of mighty Babylon for the same reason the children of Israel were judged with fifth cycle of discipline [Jeremiah 50:29]. The Holy One is the judge of the entire world.

Six times Isaiah links the "Holy One of Israel" with the word "redeemer" (41:14; 43:14; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5). Just as God delivered his people from the slavery of Egypt, so will he bring them back from the Babylonian exile. God will build a highway for the redeemed, called "the way of holiness" (35:8-10). An incomparable and faithful God will once again come to the rescue of his chosen people (49:7).

It is likely that Isaiah patterns the name "the Holy One of Israel" after the title "the Mighty One of Jacob." This name for God first occurs in the patriarchal blessing of Genesis 49:24, and appears three out of six times in Isaiah (1:24; 49:26; 60:16). The first time it is given as "the Mighty One of Israel," rather than "Jacob," probably echoing "the Holy One of Israel" in 1:4. The God whom Jacob worshipped needed to be revealed in new power to the rebellious nation of Isaiah's day.

THE LOGOS is the most usual Greek term for "word" in the NT: occasionally with other meanings (account, reason, and motive); specifically in the prologue to the Fourth Gospel (John 1:1, 14) and perhaps in other Johannine writings (I John 1:1; Rev. 19:13) it is used of the second person of the Trinity. In ordinary Greek parlance it also means reason.

According to John 1:1-18 the Logos was already present at the creation ("in the beginning" relates to Gen. 1:1), in the closest relationship with God ("with" pros, not meta). Indeed, the Logos was God (not "divine," This relationship with God was effective in the moment of creation (1:2). The entire work of creation was carried out through ("by" =dia, verse 3) the Logos. The source of life (1:4) and light of the world (9:5) and of every man (1:9), and still continuing (present tense in 1:5) this work, the Logos became incarnate, revealing the sign of God's presence and his nature (1:14).

The prologue thus sets out three main facets of the Logos and his activity: his divinity and intimate relationship with the Father; his work as agent of creation; and his incarnation.

In I John 1:1 "the Logos of life," seen, heard, and handled, may refer to the personal Christ of the apostolic preaching or impersonally to the message about Him. Revelation 19:12 pictures Christ as a conquering general called the Logos of God. As in Hebrews 4:12, it is the OT picture of the shattering effects of God's word which is in mind or soul.

Diverse factors give some preparation for John's usage. God creates by the word (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:9) and his word is sometimes spoken of semi personally (Psalm 107:20; 147:15, 18); it is chock-full of life, dynamic, achieving its intended results (Isaiah 50:10-11). The wisdom of God is personified (Proverbs 8, note especially verses 22. on wisdom's work in creation). The angel of the Lord is sometimes spoken of as God, sometimes as distinct (Judges 2:1). God's name is semi personalized (Exodus 23:21; I Kings 8:29).

In the Palestinian Judaism, besides the personification of wisdom, the rabbis used the word me’mraword," as ' a periphrasis for "divinity.

Among the philosophers the precise significance of Logos varies, but it stands usually for "reason" and reflects the Greek conviction that divinity cannot come into direct contact with matter: The Logos is a shock absorber between God and the universe, and the manifestation of the divine principle in the world.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

LOGOS

In the Stoic tradition the Logos is both divine reason and reason distributed in the world (and thus in the mind or nous.

In Alexandrian Judaism there was full personification of the word in creation (Wisdom of Solomon 9:1; 16:12). The (Logos is "the image" (Colossians 1:15); the first form protogonos), the representation (charakter, Hebrews 1:3), of God; and even "Second (God" deuteros theos; the means whereby God creates the world from the great waste; and, moreover, the way whereby God is known through spiritual perception not through human wisdom.

Logos occurs frequently in the Judaism. though post-Christian, these are influenced by hellenistic,Hemmetica They indicate the Logos doctrine, in something like Philonic terms, in pagan mystical circles.

John 1 differs radically from philosophic usage. For the Greeks, Logos was essentially reason; for John, essentially word. Language common to Philo's and the NT has led many to see John as Philo's debtor. But one refers naturally to Philo's Logos as "It," to John's as "He." Philo came no nearer than Plato to a Logos who might be incarnate, and he does not identify Logos and Messiah. John's Logos is not only God's agent in creation; He is God, and becomes incarnate, revealing, and redeeming.

The rabbinic me’mra hardly more than a reverent substitution for the divine name, is not sufficiently substantial a concept; nor is direct contact with Hermetic circles likely. The source of John's Logos doctrine is in the person and work of the historical Christ. "Jesus is not to be interpreted by Logos: Logos is intelligible only as we think of Jesus.

Its expression takes its suitability primarily from the OT connotation of "word" and its personification of wisdom. Christ is God's active Word, his saving revelation to fallen man. It is not accidental that both the gospel and Christ who is its subject are called "the word." But the use of "Logos" in the contemporary hellenistic world made it a useful "bridge" word.

In two NT passages where Christ is described in terms recalling Philo's Logos, the word Logos is absent (Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:3). Its introduction to Christian speech has been attributed to Apollos.

The apologists found the Logos a convenient term in expounding Christianity to pagans. They used its sense of "reason," and some were thus enabled to see philosophy as a preparation for the gospel. The Hebraic overtones of "word" were under-emphasized, though never quite lost. Some theologians distinguished between the Logos prophorikos, or Word latent in the Godhead from all eternity, and logos prophorikos, uttered and becoming effective with creation and the creation Origen seems to have used Philo's language of the deuteros theos. In the major Christological controversies, however, the use of the term did not clarify the main issues, and it does not occur in the great counsel.

There is nothing in the Bible to support the heathen notion of a literal divine fatherhood of clans or nations. Several passages of Scripture imply that God is the Father of angels and men as their Creator (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalm 86:6; Luke 3:38). But it is chiefly in connection with Israel, the Davidic king, and Messiah that references to the fatherhood of God occur in the OT.

By the historical event of deliverance from Egypt, God created the nation of Israel and subsequently cared for them, establishing a special relationship with them. Allusions to his fatherly regard for them look back to this crisis as the time of the nation's origin.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

FATHER

The emancipation of the believers from slavery marked them off from other people as His adopted children. His care for them is frequently compared to that of a father (Hosea11:1; Deut. 14:1; 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalms 2:7; 89:26; Deut. 1:31; 8:5; Isaiah 1:2). On the other hand, a response of filial love expressed in obedience was required from them (Jeremiah 3:9; Malachi 1:6), and since it was so often refused, a more restricted conception of the fatherhood of God resulted. According to this deeper view, he is the Father of the God-fearing among the nation rather than of the nation as a whole (Psalm 103:13; Malachi 3:17).

The number of instances of the word "Father" as applied to God in the Gospels is more than double the number found in the remaining books of the NT. In the Gospel of John alone, the term occur 107 times. Two points in connection with Jesus' use of this title are of special interest:

First: He never joins His disciples with Himself in allusions to His relationship with the Father in such a way as to suggest that their relationship to God is of the same kind. He was aware of standing in an intimate and unparalleled relation. He claimed to be the preexistent eternal Son, equal with the Father, who became incarnate for the fulfillment of his purpose of salvation, being appointed by Him sole Mediator between God and men (Matthew 11:27; John 8:58; 10:30, 38; 14:9; 16:28; 3:25; 5:22).

Second: When he speaks of God as the Father of others He almost always refers to His disciples. While accepting the teaching of the OT that all persons are children of God by creation and receive his providential kindness (Matthew 5:45), he also taught that sin has brought about a change in men, necessitating rebirth and reconciliation to God (John 3:3; 8:42; 14:6).

In accordance with this, the apostles teach that one becomes a child of God by faith in Christ and thus receives the Spirit of adoption (John 1:12; Galatians 3:16; 4:5; Romans 8:15). Sonship leads to likeness and inheritance (Matthew 5:16; Romans 8:17, 29; I John 3:2). The Father is revealed as sovereign, holy, righteous, and merciful. Prayer may confidently be offered to him, but only in Jesus' name (Matthew 6:32; John 17:11, 25; 14:14).

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

ANGEL OF THE LORD

Both in the Old and New Testament mal’ak yhwh) is represented as acting on behalf of the(the angel of the Lord nation of Israel as well as of individuals. The lack of precise data in the OT with regard to the identification of this figure and his relationship to Yahweh has given rise to a number of conclusions. We have to understand the presence of the Angel of the Lord in the OT as an attempt to express the concept of Theophany in a less direct manner because of the early realization that it is impossible to see God.

The figure of the Lord may have been inserted into some of the older traditions in place of an original Canaanite writings. However, this presupposes an already concrete idea of the concept and does not explain its origin or the nature of the concept in early Israelite religion.

Many understand the angel of the Lord as a true Theophany. From the time of Justin on, the figure has been regarded as the preincarnate Logos. It is beyond question that the angel of the Lord must be identified in some way with God (Genesis 16:13; Judges 6:14; 13:21-22), yet he is distinguished from God in that God refers to the angel (Exodus 23:23; 32:34), speaks to Him (2 Samuel 24:16; I Chronicles 21:27), and the angel speaks to Yahweh (Zechariah 1:12). The evidence for the view that the angel of the Lord is preincarnate appearance of Christ is basically analogical and falls short of being conclusive.

The NT does not clearly make that identification. It is best to see the angel as a self-manifestation of Yahweh in a form that would communicate his immanence and direct concern to those to whom he ministered.

ANGEL OF THE LORD: The word "host" is associated in the OT with God's heavenly throne, with the created order, and with divine and human warfare. The heavenly host is the angels of God's council, also called "holy ones" or "sons of God" (I Kings 22:19; Psalm 89:6, 8; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7).

Although at times the biblical writers consider the heavenly bodies almost naturalistically as markers of time (Genesis 1:16; Isaiah 40:26; Nehemiah 9:6), elsewhere they describe them as exercising a delegated authority over the nations of the earth (Deut. 4:19; 32:8). While the heavenly host is as a whole subservient to God's will and offers him praise (Psalm 103:21), there are also elements of discord within its midst (I Kings 22:21; Job 1:6-12; 15:15), leading to God's final judgment (Isaiah 24:21).

The heavenly host also refers to God's army. The Lord of hosts yhwh sebaot) is a title associated with ( the Ark of the Covenant and the holy wars of early Israel (I Samuel 4:4; Numbers 10:36). In God’s saving appearance (or theophany) in support of Israel's army, He is accompanied by heavenly warriors (Deut. 33:2; Judges 5:20). The angelic leader of the heavenly host is called a "prince" (Hebrew ‘sar” a title later associated with the archangels (Joshua 5:14; Daniel 8:25; 10:13; 12:1).

The divine, cosmic, and military associations of the heavenly host reach far back into the biblical tradition and into the background of the ancient Near East, and they continue to flourish in the apocalyptic literature of the intertestamental period and to a lesser extent in the New Testament (Luke 2:13; Revelation 12).

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

THE WORD (LOGOS)

The most usual Greek term for "word" in the NT is logos occasionally translated with other meanings (account, reason, motive); specifically in the prologue to the Fourth Gospel (John 1:1, 14) and writings (I perhaps in other Johnnaine John 1:1; Revelation 19:13) it is used of the Second Person of the Trinity. In ordinary Greek parlance it also means reason.

According to John 1:1-18 the Logos was already present at the creation ("in the beginning" relates to Genesis 1:1), Indeed,.)in the closest relationship with God ("with" pros, not meta or syn) the Logos is God (not just a "divine being”. This relationship with God was effective in the moment of creation (1:2). The entire work of creation was vs. 3) the Logos.,by - dia"(carried out through

The source of life (1:4, probable punctuation) and light of the world (cf. 9:5) and of every man (1:9, probable punctuation), and still continuing (present tense in 1:5) this work, the Logos became incarnate, revealing the sign of God's presence and his nature (1:14).

The prologue thus sets out three main facets of the Logos and His activity: His divinity and intimate relationship with the Father; His work as agent of creation; and His incarnation.

In I John 1:1 "the Logos of life," seen, heard, and handled, may refer to the personal Christ of the apostolic preaching or impersonally to the message about Him. Rev. 19:12 pictures Christ as a conquering general called the Logos of God. As in Hebrews 4:12, it is the OT picture of the shattering effects of God's word, which is in mind.

Diverse factors give some preparation for John's usage. God creates by His Word (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:9) and His word is sometimes spoken of semi-personally (Psalms 107:20; 147:15, 18); it is active, dynamic, achieving its intended results (Isaiah 50:10-11). The wisdom of God is personified in His Word. The angel of the Lord is sometimes spoken of as God, sometimes as distinct (Judges 2:1). God's name is semi-personalized (Exodus 23:21; I Kings 8:29).

John chapter 1 differs radically from philosophic usage. For the Greeks, Logos was essentially reason; for John, essentially word. Language common to Philo's and the NT has led many to see John as Philo's debtor. But one refers naturally to Philo's Logos as "It," to John's as "He." Philo came no nearer than Plato to a Logos who might be incarnate, and he does not identify Logos and Messiah. John's Logos is not only God's agent in creation; He is God, and becomes incarnate, revealing, and redeeming.

The source of John's Logos doctrine is in the person and work of the historical Christ. "Jesus is not to be interpreted by Logos: Logos is intelligible only as we think of Jesus Its expression takes its suitability primarily from the OT connotation of "word" and its personification of wisdom. Christ is God's active Word, his saving revelation to fallen man. It is not accidental that both the gospel and Christ who is its subject are called "the word."

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

MESSIAH

The study of the rise and development of the figure of the Messiah is primarily historical, and then theological. Confusion arises when specifically Christian ideas about the Messiah invade the OT data. Jesus' concept of his messianic mission did not accord with contemporary popular Jewish expectation.

In the OT, "Messiah" is the Hellenized transliteration of the Aramaic mesiha. The underlying Hebrew word masiah is derived from masah, “to anoint or smear with oil’ This title was used sometimes of non-Israelites - sometimes of the prophet as in I Kings 19:16. But most frequently it referred to the king of Israel as in I Samuel 26:11 and Psalm 89:20. It is noteworthy that the word "Messiah" does not appear at all in the Old Testament.

The primary sense of the title is "king," as the anointed man of God, but it also suggests election, i.e., the king was chosen, elect, and therefore honored. It could scarcely be otherwise than that it referred to a political leader, for in its early stages Israel sought only a ruler, visible and powerful, who would reign here and now. But the entire evidence of later Judaism points to a Messiah not only as king but as eschatological king, a ruler who would appear at the end time.

David was the ideal king of Israel, and as such he had a "sacral" character, and this sacral characteristic came to be applied to the eschatological king who was to be like David.

How did the national Messiah come to be a future ideal king? After the death of David, Israel began to hope for another like him who would maintain the power and prestige of the country. But Israel came into hard times with the rupture of the kingdom, and with this event there arose a disillusionment concerning the hope for a king like David.

Gradually the hope was projected into the future, and eventually into the very remote future, so that the Messiah was expected at the end of the age. This is the mood of the messianic expectations in the latter part of the OT. It looks forward to the birth of the Davidic king in Bethlehem; and Zechariah 9 and 12 describe the character of the messianic kingdom and reign.

The Son of man figure in Daniel is not to be identified with the Messiah; it is later in the history of Judaism that the two figures were seen to be one. The suffering servant of Isaiah by reason of his role is yet another figure. So the Messiah or future ideal king of Israel, the Son of man, and the suffering servant were three distinct representations in the OT.

. As in the OT the formal use of "Messiah" is rare. It is well to remember that in this literature there is a distinction between Messiah and messianic; a book may have a messianic theme but lack a Messiah.

The book of Enoch is best known for its doctrine of the Son of man, which has many messianic overtones. Yet he is not the Messiah, but a person much like Daniel's Son of man. It remained to the Psalms of Solomon (48 B.C.) to provide the one confirmed and repeated evidence of the technical use of the term in the inter-testamental literature.

Out of the welter of messianic hopes in this period there emerges a pattern: two kinds of Messiah came to be expected. On one hand, there arose an expectation of a purely national Messiah, one who would appear as a man and assume the kingship over Judah to deliver it from its oppressors.

On the other hand, there was a hope for a transcendent Messiah from heaven, a Person with two natures: a perfect God and a perfect Man who would establish the kingdom of God on earth.

To the popular Jewish mind of the first two centuries before and after Christ these two concepts were not mutually hostile, but tended rather to modify each other. It has been argued by some scholars that the conflation of the concepts of Messiah and suffering servant took place in hypostatic union.

It remained for Jesus to fuse the three great eschatological representations of the OT, Messiah, suffering servant, and Son of man, into one messianic person. Apart from this truth there is no explanation for the confusion of the disciples when he told them He must suffer and die (Matthew 16:21). That Christ knew Himself to be the Messiah is seen best in His use of the title Son of man; in Mark 14:61-62 he equates the Christ and the Son of man.

"Christ" is simply the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "messiah." John 1:41 and 4:25 preserve the Semitic idea by transliterating the word "messiah." Jesus willingly accepted the appellation Son of David, a distinct messianic title, on several occasions, the cry of blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47), the children in the temple (Matthew 21:15), and the triumphal entry (Matthew 21:9), to name but a few. It has long been wondered why the Lord Jesus did not appropriate the title Messiah to Himself instead of the less clear title of Son of man.

The former was probably avoided out of political considerations, for if Jesus had publicly used "Messiah" of Himself it would have ignited political aspirations in his hearers to appoint Him as king, principally a nationalistic figure, and to seek to drive out the Roman occupiers. This is precisely the import of the Jews' action at the triumphal entry. Jesus seized on the title Son of man to veil to his hearers his messianic mission but to reveal that mission to his disciples.

The first generation of the church did not hesitate to refer to Jesus as the Christ, and thereby designate Him as the greater Son of David, the King. The word was used first as a title of Jesus (Matthew 16:16) and later as part of the personal name (Ephesians 1:1). Peter's sermon at Pentecost acknowledged Jesus not only as the Christ, but also as Lord, and so the fulfillment of the messianic office is integrally linked to the essential deity of Jesus. Acts 2:36 affirm that Jesus was "made" Christ, the sense of the verb being that by the resurrection Jesus was confirmed as the Christ, the Messiah of God. Romans 1:4 and Philippians 2:9-11 contain the same thought. Other messianic titles attributed to Jesus include Servant, Lord, Son of God, the King, the Holy One, the Righteous One, and the Judge.

The doctrine of the hypostatic union, first set forth officially in the definition of faith), concerns the (union of the two natures dyo physes) of deity and humanity in the one hypostasis or person of Jesus Christ. It can be stated as follows: In the incarnation of the Son of God, a human nature was inseparably united forever with the divine nature in the one person of Jesus Christ, yet with the two natures remaining distinct, whole, and unchanged, without mixture or confusion so that the one person, Jesus Christ, is truly God and truly man.

Jesus Christ is truly, perfectly, and wholly God and truly, perfectly, and wholly man.

Admittedly, this doctrine leaves many metaphysical questions unanswered. However, it should be noted that this doctrine was not produced as the fruit of philosophic speculation on the possible singular co subsistence of the finite and the infinite. Rather it was offered as a precise description of the incarnation recorded in Scripture, drawn from the greatest extent of biblical data and making use of whatever language that might help in that descriptive task (such as the introduction of a technical distinction between thesis, physis and hypostasis).

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

12/03/06