Truth Seeker
  No Other Name
 

for there is no other name under heaven given among men,
by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12, Webster

The primary question for the Bible student considering this question is this: What is your agenda? 
To know the Bible's truth?
or to preach your own gospel?

Intro: There are many reasons that a particular dogma may seem unpalatable – perhaps, a denomination, a sect that is unappealing may teach it? 

To those that at times feel like that, I'll say this: Just because a particular dogma is taught by the Bible and is taught also by a particular denomination does not mean that you have to join this denomination.  Isn't it most important to achieve accurate knowledge?
Matt 15:9, But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. (ASV)

Hosea 4:6,  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children. (ASV)
When you do, you'll discover that there exists no denomination on earth that rigidly searches for the Bible's truths.  All churches unfortunately enforce their own dogma over the Bible's.  The adherents are not free to discuss and accept the pure unadulterated Bible truth found therein.  The unadulterated truth, you'll discover, frees you from the teachings of men and from dependence upon churches established by men

Thus my philophy is that of Hosea 6:6
6For I delight in loving-kindness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings. (Darby)
God delights first in love, loving kindness, and knowledge.  Thus a church that tyrannically oppresses Bible truths – pure Bible study, and conclusions based on such Bible study – is anathema to God; to follow such men's teachings is idolatry, the worship of men.


What does "for there is no other name under heaven given among men,by which we must be saved" mean?

Does this mean that the Father is secondary?  That is the question and the attitude of many Christians.  These feel that Christ is it.  What, however, did Christ teach?

Many have been mislead and are confused.   Jesus himself said, 'when you pray' pray like this 'Our Father . . .'  An oft quoted scripture that many love, including myself, is John 3:16, and it should be remembered!

John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. (Darby)

Matt 6:9, Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. (DRC)
What is said?  Jesus told us to pray to God, the Father.  Jesus told us that God gave us his son.  And, yes, that we should believe in the Son to obtain salvation.

How does this combine?
 
Again, in Philippians we read:
Philippians 2:9-11, Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and granted him a name, that which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly and earthly and infernal beings , 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to God the Father's glory. (Darby)

A Name Above Every Other Name – With the Exception of God's Own !

Ask yourself this question, who gave Jesus this great name?  The answer is: God of course.  When God gives him a name "above every other name" this is understandably with the exception of God's own name, obviously!  Those that object should meditate on this:
1 Corinthians 15:27 . . .For [God] “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that it is with the exception of the one who subjected all things to him.

This same logic seen in 1 Corinthians 15:27 also goes for Philippians. Thus when Christ has been given this most superior name, as it says: 

Acts 4:12 12 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.. . . 

How then has that superior name been given?  By us having Christ as the mediator, the way.  The mediator between who?  The way to where?  Indeed, Christ is the way to God, the only way ! He is our mediator who stands before God and pleads with God for him to forgive us when we sin by means of Jesus own blood.
Hebrews 7:25, Whence he is able, even to be saving unto the very end, them who approach, through him, unto God; Since he evermore liveth to be interceding in their behalf. (Rotherham)

John 14:6, Jesus says to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father unless by me. (Darby)

I Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: 6Who gave himself a redemption for all, a testimony in due times. (DRC) 

So what is the point of it all?

Christ is the way, the road.  To where, to whom?  To God.

Do not forget that only Jews wrote the Bible?  (Yes, Paul was also Roman)  All of those Jews believed from birth on without deviation, without doubt in the Almighty Jehovah God.  The new teaching coming with Christ is that we need Christ to come to God.  In this way, Christ is the only name given us through whom we may reach God.  Since our salvation depends on our faith in this ransom, most certainly this is true: "for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, Webster)

 
 
Reach God through Christ
Reach God through Christ
Reach God through Christ
Reach God through Christ
Reach God through Christ

Christ must not be worshiped but should be given equal honor to God because that is God's will.
John 5:22-23 . . .For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, 23 in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.. . .
As such, we should commonly pray to God through Christ.  Can we also pray to Christ?  I believe so, however, it should be while recognizing their relative positions, and while recognizing that God is the one that is primary and gives Christ the power to help us.

If we worship the road, the way, we will never get off the road
and cannot reach our destination.  Thus we need to avoid fuzzy logic and need to seek the truth.  It is too bad a great many people become confused because as the Bible says, they do not seek God's righteousness.  Let us all seek God's righteousness, his truths – not our own.  This leads to salvation.

So as to give the right balanced view of things, the following is included.


Who is the one for which the favour of suffering has been given us?   Christ indeed it is.
Philippians 1:29, Because, unto you, hath it been given as a favour, in behalf of Christ, not only, on him, to believe, but also, in his behalf, to suffer: (Rotherham)
Who is always going to be present when two or three are assembled in his name?  Christ !
Matt 18:20, For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (DRC)
Who is going to be with us always until the end of time?   Christ !
Matthew 28:20, . . .behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (DRC)
Who shall give us what we ask in his name?  Christ !
John 14:13-15, Because I go to the Father: and whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you shall ask me any thing in my name, that I will do. 15If you love me, keep my commandments. (DRC)
Whom do the Saints marry?    Christ !

In Matthew below, please determine on your own for whom the Christian loses his life !

Matthew 10:22, and ye shall be hated of all on account of my name. But he that has endured to the end, *he* shall be saved.
10:38, 39, And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39He that finds his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it. (Darby)
Yes you are right, it is for Christ that we sacrifice our own lives.

Whom do we live for?  Christ, it says.
II Cor 5:14,15, For the love of Christ holds us together, having judge this, that if one died for all, then all died. 15And he died for all so that those who live would no longer live to themselves, but to him who died for them, and was raised. (ACV)
So, there it is.  It doesn't surprise us then that it was with 'divine providence' that we came to be known as Christians.  Let us keep a balanced view of things and do our best to honor both God, the Father and Christ the Son equally.  

If you still think otherwise, try to use a search for the word Father in the NT Bible.  You will be surprised at how much Jesus focused on his Father.

Let us also focus on reaching the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ, and while doing this, honor both equally.  Remember though, as Jesus told the Devil, worship God alone !

Honoring the Father

Indeed, attaining a balance in this matter is admittedly difficult.  The problem is obvious when we look at what many denominations teach.  To assist in achieving a balance, the material above and below contains scriptures that may help us do just that.
1 Cor 3:23, And you are Christ's; and Christ is God's. (DRC)
The prior scriptures abundantly underscore that all Christians are Christ's.  Thus we live, die, and suffer for Christ.  We pray in Christ's name, and may even pray to Christ.  But Christ himself belongs to God, and it is God that gives us good gifts, the utmost of these is Christ himself for the remission of our sins.  Commonly, we should then pray in the name of Christ to God, the Father.
Romans 15:5,6, Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of one mind one towards another, according to Jesus Christ: 6That with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (DRC)

Luke 11:13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him?  (DRC)

Matt 5:16So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (DRC)

Matthew 6:8, Therefore be ye not like them: for your Father knoweth what things ye need before ye ask him.  (Webster)

Matthew 6:14,  14For, if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (24)  24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Webster)

Matthew 12:50, For whoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Matthew 15:13m And, he, answering, said—Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, will be uprooted (Rotherham)

Matthew 16:23, But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.  (ASV) (27) 27For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his heavenly agents, and then he will reward each man according to his actions. (ACV)
The above demonstrates the need to honor both the Father and the Son equally.

 
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