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In The Name Of The Lord

by Micky Galloway

The apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, (do) all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” In the context of this passage, the apostle has given instructions about how to live. “Set your mind on the things that are above…” (verse 2). “Put to death therefore your members … Put on the new man…” (verses 5-10). The new man is to bear the “image of him that created him” (verse 10). Paul further elaborates in verse 12, “Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness meekness, longsuffering…” We are commanded to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” and the “word of Christ dwell” (live, mg), “in you richly” (verse 16). In fact in “whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, (do) all in the name of the Lord.” Specific application is made to wives, husbands, children, fathers, servants, and masters (Colossians 3:18-4:1). What does the phrase “in the name of the Lord” mean? How is it used in the Scriptures? What practical importance is it to you and me?

To act in someone’s name means to act under their authority, strength, or power. W.E. Vine in his Dictionary Of New Testament Words says, “for all that a ‘name’ implies, of authority, character, rank, majesty, power, excellence, etc., of everything that the ‘name’ covers.” In Acts 4:7, after the healing of the lame man, inquiry was made, “By what power, or in what name, have ye done this?” Certainly, Peter understood the question as a question of authority. He answered, “Ye rulers of the people, and elders, if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, (even) in him doth this man stand here before you whole” (Acts 4:8-10). When Peter and John came upon the lame man seeking alms at the door of the temple, Peter said to him, “Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:5). The council threatened the apostles, charging them not to “speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:17-18). Later, the high priest said, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name…” The apostles were beaten and again charged “not to speak in the name of Jesus (Acts 5:40). What were the apostles doing? They were declaring the authority of Christ to save! “And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

How is this expression “in the name of” used in the Scriptures? Jesus came in the name of the Father. “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not…” (John 5:43). The works that He did were “in my Father’s name” (John 10:25). Jesus came by the authority, strength, or power of His Father. Some would claim to “prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works,” yet their works were not by the authority of Christ, but were declared to be works of “iniquity” (lawlessness, works without authority) (Matthew 7:22-23). Paul preached boldly in Damascus and in Jerusalem in the name of the Lord (cf. Acts 9:27-29). His preaching was by the authority, strength, or power of the Lord. In fact Jesus had said earlier to the other apostles, “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me” (Matthew 10:40). Paul commanded the Corinthians in the name of the Lord to deliver their brother who was committing fornication to Satan. They were “not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat” (I Corinthians 5:4, 11). Likewise, he commanded the Thessalonians, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us” (II Thessalonians 3:6). When Paul instructed on church discipline, he spoke with the authority, strength, or power of the Lord.

Why is this so important to us? Salvation is offered only in the name of Jesus Christ. “And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We must “believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God or we stand condemned (John 3:18). We must “repent …, and be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ unto (for KJV) the remission of … sins” (Acts 2:38). This was consistent with the instructions of Jesus to the apostles, that the message of “repentance and remissions of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; cf. Matthew 28:19). Those who were baptized with John’s baptism were commanded to be “baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:5). Today, we must understand that denominational baptism has no power to save. It does nothing to bring one under the authority of Christ and into a relationship with Him as a member of His body, the church.

The context of Colossians 3 demands that the whole of my new life in Christ, “whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed,” be brought under the authority, strength, or power of Christ. The question asked by the chief priest and elders, “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” is still a good question. Jesus’ answer, “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men?” is still a good answer (cf. Matthew 21:23-27). “Whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed;” is it by the authority of heaven, in the name of the Lord or is it authorized by men? There is no third choice. What say ye?

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