3/9/14

Slide 4 ** One Name but many Titles **




** One Name but many Titles ** - Slide 4




What is the difference between "Name" & "Titles"?

  • A name is your identity, whereas a 'title' tells people what you do.
  • For eg. My name is Rosa. Sometimes people call me "Teacher". Teacher is not my name but a title. I teach them English so I have this title: "English teacher". I also teach piano, so other students call me by this title: "Piano Teacher". 
  • I am also a Pastor in the church. "Pastor" is not my name. Pastor is a title, a function in the church. If there are two "Pastors" in the church, we need to use "names" to distinguish them or else both "Pastors" will answer us when we call "Pastor".

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God has ONE Name but many 'Titles':

In the past, we never paid much attention to distinguish God's Name and Titles, therefore we thought God's Titles are also God's Name. 


Let's take a look at Jeremiah 10:10:

But יהוה is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King.


Please note the following 3 points from this verse:

a. יהוה - Yahweh is God's personal Name.

b. Titles: "God" & "King"

  • "God" is a generic title in the Bible. Most of the time, "God" is referred to Yahweh God. But sometimes "god" is referred to false gods. 

  • Paul says in 1 Cor 8:5, "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords".

  • So the title "God" can refer to the true God or a false god.

  • The title "King" in the Bible can refer to Yahweh God or to human kings, like King Saul, King David, King Nebuchadnezzar, etc. 


Using generic titles "God" or "King" do not point specifically to Yahweh.


c. In Jeremiah 10:10 - there are 3 Descriptive Titles.

  • "True God", "Living God", "Everlasting King" are Descriptive Titles referring specifically to God. They are not God's Name. They describe who Yahweh is and His functions.
  • – Yahweh is the "True God". 
  • – Yahweh is also the "Living God". 
  • – Yahweh is the "Everlasting King". Yahweh is the King who rules now and eternally.


The Name Yahweh is above all Titles. We will find out more in the next slide.



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