No Other Name! (Part Two)

From the heart of Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D. In Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter announced that salvation is found in no one else than the person of Jesus, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” In biblical times, a person’s name had much greater significance than it does today. Names were not simply random titles to distinguish someone’s identity. A name represented one’s essential character and personhood. In Scripture, names were generally descriptive of the person, of his position, of some circumstance affecting him, or hope entertained concerning him, so that “the name” often carried the same weight and authority as the person to whom it was given! In the same way, the name of Jesus and the person of Jesus are inseparably linked. Jesus’ name and His power, authority, and personhood are one and the same. The name of Jesus embodies who He is. The English name Jesus comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which literally means “Yahweh is salvation” or “The Lord Saves.” When the angel appeared to Joseph, he told him to name his son “Jesus” because “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Only the name of Jesus can offer salvation because it is the only name that has received “power of attorney” from God to provide salvation to humans. In our passage, Peter is asserting that God the Father Himself had assigned the role of salvation to Jesus. There’s no power, authority or reputation to save in the names of Krishna, Buddha, Mohammed, Zoroaster, Confucius, or ANY OTHER! The name of Jesus—the power, authority, hope, and person of Jesus—was given to humans by God so they could be saved. Be encouraged!