Gayle Erwin on Names...

Being one of a somewhat strange name, names fascinate me. I attended high school with a girl named Penny Nickles who lived in Money, Mississippi. Little twin boys name Melt and Felt attended a church I once served. If you think Gayle is tough for a man, (In an interview years ago with Johnny Cash, we discussed, with humor my name and his song “A Boy Named Sue.”) a man who attended another church I served was named Hyacinth. Someone in each case was thinking originally. Maybe some of these names were eventually changed. I don’t know.

Some names, otherwise not strange, fall into disuse for obvious reasons; Benedict and Judas, for instance. Osama might stay within distant borders. These names carry images too negative to burden a human being today.

In Old Testament (and somewhat New Testament) days, names tended to have true meaning, often actually describing the person. If you knew the person’s name and the meaning of the name, you knew the person. As I have often shared, (Shall we count the times?) God defined his name to Moses as “Compassionate, Gracious, Slow to Anger, Abounding in Mercy and Faithfulness, Mercy to Thousands, Forgiving Wickedness, Rebellion and Sin.” I hang on to that for dear life.

In Bible days, names were sometimes changed to indicate significant events or conversions or growth. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham—from father of many to father of nations.

God changed Jacob’s name to Israel—from deceiver to Prince of God.

Moses changed Othea’s name to Joshua and later to Jehoshua. Perhaps Moses knew that Joshua (Yahshua) belonged eventually to the Messiah so he tweaked Joshua’s name. Interesting, too, that during the time of Nehemiah, it was changed again to Yeshua, the name currently used.

One interesting name refusal occurs in the Old Testament. The prophet Nathan instructed David and Bathsheba to name their son Jedediah. They named him Solomon instead.

In the New Testament, name changing continues unabated. Everyone knows the name Peter as the Jesus-given change from Simon. Seems almost to be an oxymoron to describe that man as Rocky, but Jesus knew what he would become. Levi, the hated tax collector, became Matthew, writer of the first Gospel. Saul, fire-breathing persecutor and killer of Christians, celebrates, with his spectacular conversion, the new name Paul.

The Early Church, caught up in this tradition, changed one leader’s name to a far more accurate description of his personality—Joses to Barnabas. Barnabas means “son of consolation” or “encourager.” What a great affirmation.

All of this brings us to a great realization and application. First, the realization—we are informed in Revelation that we each have been given new names known only to us. How wonderful that God should so carefully express his love toward us in such an unusual and creative way. Definitely in keeping with his nature.

Now the application. What name would you give to your brothers and sisters in the Lord? Would there be an Encourager? Would there be a Faithful? Would there be a Worker? If so, what might it mean to them if you told them the name you would give them? Worth a try.

And what kind of name would you like to have people give to you? Worth a want.
Let me see...if I were to change my name “Gayle” to something more meaningful...uh, let’s not go there.