1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Note that Verse 2 is in parenthesis, so it explains the last phrase 'the gospel of God'. Verse 2 tells us that the gospel of God was promised before now by the prophets as recorded in scriptures. Since verse 2 is in parenthesis, we can take out the parenthesis and read it this way " Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God;1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;"
So the gospel of God is concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. So the way to know you're propagating the gospel of God is when you are propagating the son, Jesus Christ. So the word of God admonishes us to preach Jesus christ.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
This was the COMMAND Jesus gave to his disciples (including you and I) to teach all nations whatsoever things he had commanded. So the commander is Jesus.
Someone once said to me ' I am not a Jesus witness i am a Jehovah's Witness' amazing analogy. So my question was simple 'who is Jesus and who is Jehovah?
Who is God?
Is God a name? No!
God is a description of a sovereign being. So what is his name. This sovereign being we worship; What is his name?
Let's examine these scriptures.
Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Psalms 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
These are the scriptures in the old testament that used the name 'Jehovah'. You know, some people say in the old testament God revealed his name to them as Jehovah, but in the new testament he reveals his name as "Jesus". As good at this sounds it is not even true.
Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
This is the scripture that seem to throw the dust, but that is not true, the word of God is truth and there is no lie or contradiction in it.
Ok. Back to Ex 6:3 God was speaking to Moses and he said
" Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."
"but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them?" but in Gen 22:14 , Abraham used the word Jehovah.
So why would God say, when he appeared to Abraham (Gen 17), he didn't reveal the name Jehovah to Abraham, yet in chapter 22 of the book of Genesis, Abraham named a place JehovahJireh?
The word JEHOVAH means 'The Self Existing One', this was only a description of his personality but NOT his name.
So when he said in Ex 6:3 that
" I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."
What he was saying was, Abraham only had the revelation of me as God, he NEVER had the Revelation Of me as 'THE SELF EXISTING ONE'
So Moses had a higher revelation of God as 'The Self Existing One', so from the era of Moses, the full understanding of God as the 'SELF EXISTING ONE' began.
Exodus 17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
Moses was saying 'the self existing one is my banner'
So JEHOVAH is only a description of who he truly is.
When God met Moses in Exodus chapter 3, this was how he addressed himself.
Exodus 3:13 - 14
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
I AM THAT I AM.
In John 8 there was a dialogue between Jesus and the Jews. Ok, let's read from verse 48
John 8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
8:49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 8:50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
8:52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 8:53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
8:54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
8:55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Jesus told them in Verse 56 that Abaraham rejoiced to see my day.
Don't forget that the name 'JEHOVAH' was not revealed to Abraham, but about 430 years later the same God that appeared to him, appears to his descendant and introduces himself as 'I AM THAT I AM'
The jews did not catch it, they said ''you're not even up to fifty years and you're saying Abaraham rejoiced the day you came into the scene''
Then Jesus made the most mind blowing statement they've ever heard.
Jesus said
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Heyyyy! Instantly they took stones to stone him. Do you know why?
The Greek rendering of Jesus response was exactly the Hebrew rendering of Exodus 3:14.
So Jesus was saying to them 'I am the I AM THAT I AM'. They coulnt just take it.
Jesus is the I AM THAT I AM.
Glory to God.
In Jn 10 there was a similar conversation
John
10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
10:30 I and my Father are one.
10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
Jesus made another Mind Blowing statement. Jn 10:30 "I and my father are one" You might be tempted to say 'O he meant 'I and the father are at the same side for the same purpose'' that sure sounds good, but if that was what he intended in Jn 10:30, then they would not have wanted to stone him. Their action showed that Jesus called himself GOD.
So Jesus is God.
So what is the name of God?
Let's revisit one of the scriptures we started with
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Notice verse 19 "...baptizing them in the name" not in the names.
"name", Singular; not "names," Plural.
So in verse 19 we find the name of the father, the name of the son and the name of the holy ghost.
(Remember Gen 1:1
Gen 1:1 " In the beginning God created the heaven and earth"
The word 'God' in Gen 1:1 is 'elohim' - a PLURAL word for God, to show the involvement of more than one person.)
Father is not a name, son is not a name, it simply means an offspring, Holy Spirit is not a name, it simply means a spirit that is Holy.
What what is their name.
The name of the son is revealed
Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
So the name of the son is Jesus.
Putting this into Mt 28:19, the name of the father, son and holy spiri is JESUS.
One NAME for three entities.
So the name of God (elohim) is JESUS.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Hear what the prophet David said
Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
"For thou hast magnified THY WORD above All thy name"
Who is the word? John 1 shows us clearly that THE WORD is JESUS.
So the name JESUS is more than every and any description of God you can come up with. Whether you say 'Jehovah Jireh' ,'Jehovah Nissi' etc, the name JESUS is higher.
He has been given a NAME THAT IS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER NAME!
That's why Rom 1:3 tells us that the gospel is about Jesus. Because the knkowledge of God is in the knowledge of Jesus.
I WITNESS JESUS!
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