NAMES CONNECTED WITH BELIEVERS

F. C. Mutton

Acts 11: 19–26; 9: 13–16; Genesis 48: 14–16

These scriptures relate to the matter of persons’

names. In Acts 11 there had been a remarkable work of God; the saints were being persecuted, and God used this for the spreading of the gospel. This has often happened in history, so that these scattered saints announced the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus, and the preaching was very effective. It says in verse 21 that “the Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord”. I trust every one of us has turned to the Lord.

He was before us during our earlier meeting, the One who suffered and died for us to deliver us from the power of sin, so that we might have salvation and liberty and the gift of the Holy Spirit. So the work of God went on in this place, Antioch; first of all Barnabas served them, and then he sent for Saul because he could see his help was needed, and so these new converts had the great advantage of the teaching of Saul (whose name was later changed to Paul, Acts 13: 9). It says in verse 26, “for a whole year they were gathered together in the assembly”. Now this really is an outline of Christianity. We learn about the Lord Jesus, we trust Him as our Saviour, and then we have instruction for “a whole year”, the full course of teaching.

I would encourage the dear young brethren to go in for the teaching, the great truths of Christianity. Paul says to Timothy, “Have an outline of sound words” (2 Timothy 1: 13), that is we are to have an orderly understanding of the truth, but Paul adds, “in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus”. We love the truth because we love Jesus, otherwise intelligence can become something cold and legal. The truth relates to a Person, but the truth also relates to the assembly, so for a whole year these new converts were together in the assembly. What is the assembly? The assembly is formed of believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit; the assembly is the body of Christ united to her Head in heaven. For many centuries the truth of this was lost; it was in the Scriptures, clearly set out by Paul, but it was lost. Now I think one should qualify that statement, I believe that there were some all through the centuries who had some light as to Christ and the assembly. We do thank God that there has been a recovery to that wonderful truth.

Now the result was that in Antioch there was a body of persons different from anything that had been known in Antioch before, and people said, What shall we call them? These believers did not claim any name for themselves, so that other people gave them a name, and that name was Christians. What an honoured, privileged name to have! Now, am I a true Christian? I do not want to make things appear difficult because Christianity is really very simple if we love the Lord Jesus, but this scripture shows us what the first Christians were like. First of all they turned to the Lord, that is they viewed Him as their Lord and Saviour, and I ask you, Have you turned to the Lord? That is the beginning of everything, to turn away from myself, my sin, and find cleansing and blessing in the Lord. So that I can say, he is my Lord. Then He loves to give the gift of the Holy Spirit, it says that Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit, a wonderful thing to see a man like that, and he would have taught them about the Holy Spirit. To be a real Christian involves the reception of the Holy Spirit, and that means that a person is now part of the assembly, the most privileged company of men and women. May we have a greater sense of what the assembly is; every one who has the Holy Spirit belongs to it, though we do need to be exercised to be governed by the truth of the assembly.

One other thing I would say is that we always need teaching; that is why we come together so frequently, because there is so much to learn. God has prepared the most wonderful things for those who love Him. The Holy Spirit’s service is to teach them to us, and to guide us into all the truth. Let us be interested in all the truth in its many departments. There is the kingdom of God and the house of God, then the wonderful truth as to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all these are the subjects of teaching in the assembly, that we might grow by the true knowledge of God.

Now all this had a powerful effect upon these Greeks, they were used to Greek teaching and education, but now they had come under the influence of something infinitely better, and people said, What can we call these people? And the only answer to it was Christians. Jesus was no longer here, but there were people here, Gentiles who were like Him. What a wonderful thing, that these persons were such that the name of Christ could be put upon them. Christ Himself had been crucified but He was still here, in character, in those who loved and served Him. I say again, what an honoured title to be a Christian. What a privilege to bear that holy name, and yet what a constant exercise to be in accordance with it.

Now may we turn to our scripture in Acts 9 which relates to the conversion of Saul. Saul of Tarsus was morally like a leper. If you spoke to him he would tell you that, he would say, I am the first of sinners, the worst of lepers, but he had been cleansed, he had been converted. I think we are all familiar with this section. Ananias was very hesitant. Had this leper actually been cleansed? Could he be trusted? And so the Lord said to Ananias, “Go, for this man is an elect vessel to me, to bear my name before both nations and kings and the sons of Israel”, I just wish to stress that word, “to bear my name”. This is what every Christian is called to, a great and high privilege to bear the name of Jesus. As we go through this book we find Paul is bearing the name of Jesus. We find him before great assemblies, Agrippa for example in Acts 27, and he is there in the power and authority of the name of Jesus. What an honour! and this honour is yours and mine to bear His name in our lives, in our conduct, in our speech, in our dress, in what we do, to bear the name of Jesus. We speak of the testimony and this is an important part of the testimony that Christ is expressed in His people wherever they are.

People should be able to look at us and say, he is a Christian, in the real sense that Christ is expressed.

In fact, Paul says, “and no longer live, I, but Christ lives in me”, Galatians 2: 20. What does that mean? It meant that Christ was in Paul’s affections, and was the spring and motive of all he did. We need to think about that. It is not just that Christ is in me, but Christ lives in me.

He was in him actively. Now I have to ask myself. Is Christ living in me? Those who have to do with me would soon know. If I behave in a selfish, unkind, unchristian way, if I cannot walk happily with my brethren, there is no evidence of Christ living in me. But positively what a blessed thing it is to look round on the saints and see the expression of Christ. So Paul had been converted for this purpose, to bear Christ’s name, “for this man is an elect vessel to me, to bear my name”. Now Paul was specially chosen, he was an apostle, but each of us is elect, “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1: 2), elect to bear Christ’s name. It would involve suffering—“I will shew to him how much he must suffer for my name”, let us be prepared for reproach; our sufferings are really very, very small as we think of what many have suffered in church history, but let us be prepared for suffering and reproach. There are those spoken of in this very book who rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name. So may those we meet, those we work with, know that we are Christians, and may we bear His Name; not only in what we say but in what we are, so as to have part in the glorious testimony of Jesus in the world from which He has been rejected.

Our last scripture is in Genesis 48, and here Israel is blessing his two grandsons. He was very near the close of his life. His life was one of ups and downs, as we speak, but he was a wonderful man of God. He finished as a worshipper and as a blesser. I really would love to have those features, to be among the worshippers of God, and in some measure to be able to bless; to bring

in enrichment among the people of God. So Israel blesses Manasseh and Ephraim, placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, reversing the natural order, showing that God is sovereign in His blessing. So he bestows this very remarkable blessing. It is really a prayer to the God whom Israel had known, that the knowledge of that God might be experienced by these two young men, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and the God that had shepherded Israel all his life long. These things are to be very real to us; things are to be maintained at the height at which our fathers maintained them, that was Israel’s great concern. His son Joseph had been greatly prospered, now he was concerned about his grandchildren. The Lord is concerned about young men and young women. The fulness of what previous generations have enjoyed is to be yours. What a man of faith Abraham was, extraordinary faith in God, and obedience to God. He began his path in obedience, when God told him to leave his father’s house, and he went out not knowing where he was going, because he believed God, and God richly rewarded him. That same God was the God of Isaac, speaking to us really of resurrection, life beyond death, and our life as believers is beyond death; our life is hid with Christ in God. Then Israel had known that same God, and he prays to God to bless the lads. That surely is our prayer, that what has been known by men of God in the past might be known by you, beloved younger brethren, known in power and experience.

Then Israel says something very remarkable which links with this matter of names, “let my name be named upon them”. What does it mean? I think it means that people would look at Ephraim and Manasseh, and would say they are like their grandfather, not by inheritance, but through soul exercise. Well, I leave this as an exercise with myself. We think of our fathers, think for example of Paul and Peter and John; think of those whom the Lord has used in more recent years. Could their name be named upon me? Is some measure of

their faith and devotion found with me? Israel was longing that what had been experienced in the past should continue to be experienced. So he says, “and let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers’ Abraham and Isaac”. I hope this is understood. People would say, There is a young Abraham there; I can see the features of faith and obedience in him; someone who is a stranger and sojourner, whose hopes and outlook lie beyond this world.

May the Lord help us to take on these features. We respect and admire these great men of the past, but such manhood is to be continued. Paul says to Timothy, “But thou, O man of God”, 1 Timothy 6: 11. Let us long to be men of God! It is the greatest thing we can have before us to be here for God, growing by the knowledge of God, and thus promoting prosperity and blessing among the saints. May the Lord bless the word to us.

Address at Endbach
3 March 1984