S101-4. Did Paul Come in his OWN NAME? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. S101-4. Did Paul Come in his OWN NAME?
Chapter 4.
Did the Apostle Paul come in his OWN NAME. Did Saul CHANGE his name to Paul? The reason that I ask this question is because some Christians have doubts about whether or not the Apostle Paul is a true Apostle of Jesus Christ. In other words, the “Jesus Words ONLY” Christians argue that since other Christians teach that Almighty God CHANGED the name Saul to the name Paul to show his true CONVERSION to Christianity, then that PROVES they are being DECEIVED by the teaching of the Apostle Paul. For you see, they argue that God did NOT change the name Saul to Paul, which is true, God Himself did not CHANGE Paul’s name. And thus, the Jesus words ONLY Christians ASSUME that Paul himself CHANGED his name from Saul to Paul the Apostle to self exalt himself. But the TRUTH of the matter, there is NO evidence in the Bible ITSELF that Paul CHANGED his name from Saul to Paul. In other words, there are no Scriptures of Paul saying from now on call me Paul instead of Saul. But there is evidence in the Bible that teaches us that MANY disciples of Jesus had TWO names, including the Apostle Paul.
Please read Acts 13:1-13.
“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, (Notice that Simeon had TWO names, which was not uncommon in those days for an Israelite to have TWO NAMES given to them by their parents. The SAME person is called Simeon and also called Niger) and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (So then, Saul was INDEED considered by the CHURCH at Antioch to be a prophet and a TEACHER) 2. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (Here we see that the Holy Spirit of Yahweh is still calling Paul by the NAME Saul. So God Himself did not CHANGE the name Saul to the name Paul. And NEITHER did Saul CHANGE his name to Paul as you will soon see. Also, notice that it was Almighty God the Father who said SEPARATE to me Barnabas and Saul for the WORK whereunto I Yahweh have CALLED them) 3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they (Speaking of the CHURCH that was in Antioch where believers in Jesus were first called Christians, according to) sent them away. (Speaking of sending out Barnabas and Saul out into the ministry that Almighty God CALLED them to) 4 So they, (Again, speaking of Barnabas and Saul) being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they also had John as their minister. 6. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: (Which means or is translated as son of Jesus) 7. Which was WITH the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9. Then Saul, (who ALSO is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, (So then, Saul had TWO names the WHOLE time like Simeon in verse 1 had TWO names the whole time. Or more PRECISELY, there are two SPELLINGS of the SAME name Saul. In other words, the Hebrew spelling of Noah is Noe in the Greek transliteration. The name Jonah is Jonas. And in some cases BOTH SPELLINGS are used in the New Testament, For example, the land of Judah is sometimes spelled as Judaea. See Matthew 2:1 and Matthew 2:6 where we see the SAME verse the SAME NAME is spelled in TWO DIFFERENT ways but that does NOT mean that ANYONE CHANGED the name Judah. It is also spelled using the Hebrew spelling of Judah ONE time in Hebrews 8:8, which surprised me at first. But understanding that these Hebrews were raised in a Greek SPEAKING time in that area of the world, then it is not surprising that they FAVORED the Greek or Roman SPELLING of Paul over the Hebrew SPELLING as Saul) 10. And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, you child of the devil, (Speaking to BarJesus whose OTHER name was Elymas) you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. 13. Now when Paul and his company set loose from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.”
So then, the FIRST time that Saul USES his OWN name Paul is around 11 years after being converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus. This was also the first RECORDED miracle that Almighty God Yahweh did by the hands of the prophet and teacher Paul. The word “Apostle” means to be COMMISSIONED and SENT out on a mission. So in a sense Saul was COMMISSIONED AGAIN by the Holy Spirit to be an Apostle to the Gentiles here in Acts chapter 8. For you see, Christians can be FILLED with the Holy Spirit over and over again and again throughout their lives. Now before this time of Saul being FILLED again with the Holy Spirit, Barnabas was always named or listed FIRST as Barnabas and Saul. But after the Holy Spirit SEPARATED Barnabas and Saul from church at Antioch, Saul began using his OTHER name Paul. And from then on the name Paul is listed before the name Barnabas as Paul and Barnabas. Again, many Israelites had TWO names their whole life and at times they used one name and at other times they used their OTHER name. Here are a few examples. In the New International Version, Hebrews 4:8 is translated as “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day” instead of “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day” For you see, Joshua is the Hebrew name of the Messiah and Jesus is the Greek name for the Messiah. Another example of this is the name Jacob and the name James. Jacob is the Hebrew name for the Apostle James while the name James is the Greek name for the name Jacob. That is one way that the saved Israelites had TWO names, but most of them are ONLY referred to by their GREEK name in the New Testament that is translated from the Greek manuscripts. Now, the Apostle Peter had THREE names. His OWN TWO names were Simon and Peter. And then Jesus said to Simon in John 1:42, you shall be called CEPHAS which means a stone. In other words, Simon CALLED Peter were the TWO names given to him by his parents. And thus, Peter had TWO names, which is again not uncommon for Isrealite children to be given TWO names by their parents. The Apostle Matthew was called Levi who was a tax collector and called a publican by the Pharisees in Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27. But after Jesus CALLED Levi to follow him, he used his OTHER name Matthew. We do not see any clear, plain, and undeniable evidence that Jesus CHANGED anyone's name, but only ADDED the name Cephas to Peter who was ALSO called Simon. And thus, Peter had THREE names. So the logical conclusion concerning the ALLEGED so-called name CHANGE of the name Saul to the name Paul is that Saul was his Israelite name and the Roman SPELLING of pf Paul which is the name that he had his WHOLE life. But Paul used the Hebrew SPELLING of the SAME name until Acts 13:1-9 when the Holy Spirit sent him and Barnabas out on a missionary journey to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Again, there are no Scriptures of God or His Son Jesus saying to Saul, your name SHALL be called Paul. And in my OWN OPINION Saul decide to start using the OTHER SPELLING of his name which is SPELLED as Paul instead of the Hebrew spelling of Saul after being WITNESSED by Almighty God that he was a TRUE prophet and teacher by the MIRACLE God did through him to cause BLINDNESS to a man who was a JEW but a FALSE prophet set AGAINST the TRUTH of the gospel. Here is how E-Sword defines the Greek name “Paul”.
G4569 Σαῦλος Saulos sow'-los Of Hebrew origin, the same as G4549; Saulus (that is, Shaul), the Jewish name of Paul: - Saul. Total KJV occurrences: 17.
The Hebrew name Saul means asked or requested. The children of Israel ASKED God to give them a king like all the other Gentile nations, so God granted their REQUEST. Hence the meaning of the name Saul to mean ASKED. Now, just prior to the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus, the church in Acts 4:23-33 was in one accord praying or ASKING God to deliver them from the PERSECUTION. God gave them great boldness and power to stand up against the persecution coming from the unsaved men of Israel, according to Acts 5:29-39, saying we must obey God rather than MEN. And then we see in Acts 8:1-3 great lamentation over the stoning of Stephen and how the UNSAVED Saul was still making havoc of the church with great PERSECUTION even after Stephen was martyred. So you know that in their lamenting hearts over the stoning of Stephen they were ASKING God again to end the persecution coming from Saul. And in Acts chapter 9 we see the ANSWER to their ASKING God in PRAYER concerning the PERSECUTION and the threats from the unsaved men of Israel desiring to SLAY them in Acts 5:29-39. Now, to all my readers who DOUBT or who QUESTION that the Apostle Paul is NOT a TRUE Apostle of Jesus and that his teachings are NOT the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ, I want you to closely and truly consider the words of the Apostle Peter in Acts 5:28-40.
Acts 5:28-40.
“Saying, Did not we (Speaking of the men of Israel) just get through commanding you that you should NOT teach in this name? And, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. (The men of Israel) 29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30. The God of our fathers (Speaking of the fathers of the children of Israel, which included the Apostles of Jesus AND the men of Israel who were PERSECUTING them) raised up Jesus, whom you slew (Speaking of the men of Israel who crucified Jesus by stirring up the Roman government to do it for them) and hanged on a tree. 31. Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him. 33. When they (The men of Israel) heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. 34. Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; 35. And said unto them, You men of Israel, take HEED to yourselves what you intend to do as touching these men. 36. For (Or for you see) before these days (Of this sect called the Way preaching the name of Jesus) rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away many people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39. But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest haply you are found even to fight against God. 40. And to him they (The men of Israel) agreed: and when they had called the Apostles, and had beat them, they commanded that they should NOT speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.”
My point is that the Apostle Peter says in Acts 2:22,23 and in Acts 2:36 that the men of Israel had Jesus crucified. And it was the men of Israel who PERSECUTED the Apostles and disciples of Jesus, according to Acts 5:35. But the Jesus words ONLY Christians argue that the church has been deceived to wrongly believe that the Jews are a PART of Israel. In other words, some seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians CLAIM that Jesus is NOT a JEW. In chapter 5 called S101-5 Are the JEWS ISRAELITES we will cover the basics showing that the people called the Jews in the Bible are Israelites called the children of Israel. And to find the links to all of the other chapters please click on the link called S101-0 The JEWISH MESSIAH is Jesus! Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus. So, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading >>>D-0. THE BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of JESUS!<<< And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading >>>C-0. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH!<<< This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!
To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. So please read ALL of the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ! |
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