Never in Vain

Introduction:

“Oh my god!” With this simple exclamation my household would go completely silent. Terms such as “gosh”, “golly” and “oh my lord” would have a similar effect. These were all direct violations of commandment number three found in Exodus 20:7. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” While I understand this argument, I believe the violation of this commandment is most discernable in a far more obvious area.

What is God’s Name?

In most versions of the Bible, you will notice God is spelled at times with a capital G and at times with a lowercase g. This might lead one to believe that God’s name is god. However, when we search the Scriptures to see what God calls himself, we find a different name. For now, we will start with three common names for God. The purpose of this is to show terms like lord or god have some ambiguity in the English language. We understand that Thor is the god of thunder and Jesus Christ is God. However, the name we misuse the most has absolutely no ambiguity.

·       Elohim (God or strong one) This is the very first name used to describe Jehovah, however this name is also used for pagan gods or goddesses (Judges 11:24; 1Kings 11:5; 2Kings 1:2). There is a unique verbal difference in use, but we will save that for another discussion. It suffices to say in Biblical canon this name is not unique to God.

·       Yehovah Elohim (YHWY) One can only surmise why “Yehovah” was added to the name Elohim but as God gets more specific in His involvement with man’s creation and provisions for his livelihood, He includes his “memorial name to all generations” (Ex 3:15). There is the implication that from the beginning God preferred to be known as YHWY when dealing directly with man and a distinction is being made: only the God of gods interacts with man.

·       Jesus Christ This name is by far the most easily recognizable name in the English language. While YHWY and Elohim are both staples in Judaism it is the name of Jesus Christ that separates Christianity from Judaism. According to Philippians chapter 2 this is the name above all names, yet we use it far more flippantly than I believe is acceptable.

What is a Christian?

According to today's standards, I was born in a Christian nation, went to a Christian school, and have been surrounded by Christian individuals. But where is the Biblical thought process to substantiate such a claim? The last time I checked, Jesus referred to his followers as servants, disciples and believers among other things. “Christian” was a derogatory term used for followers of Christ given to them by people outside of the church. Calling ourselves Christians is easily one of the most arrogant things we as a Christian society have done. Calling ourselves Christ-like may be one of the most blasphemous things humanly possible. We could have no greater honor than for someone to look at us and be reminded of Christ, but to look in the mirror and proclaim that ourselves is a different matter entirely. Being a Christian is aspirational, not a plausibly achievable lifestyle.  In our misguided arrogance we have allowed the name of Jesus to be associated with racism, political affiliation, and western culture. While most followers of Christ understand the actual definition of Christianity, the same is not true for those outside our circle. If you were to ask an inner-city teenager what a Christian is, would he tell you about Christ-like young people or would he simply point you to the white expensive school.  

The “Christian” dilemma and why it matters

Immediately the response to this is typically, “Well what are we then? This is just a debate over semantics”. I disagree. If we label schools as “Christian” schools, we have now associated decades of racism with Jesus Christ. If we describe men as “Christ-like” men, it makes their actions representative of Christ does it not? If we look deeper, I believe pride is the leading cause for our need to label everything “Christian”. Instead of working to be more like Christ every day, we have unilaterally decided to just state that we are like Christ. This means we do not have to critically think about anything our “Christian” nation does, or what our “Christian” schools teach, or what “Christian” men do. When we remove all the filters, what we really have is a Protestant nation, a liberal arts and Bible academy, and servants of Christ. All these statements are intellectually honest and most importantly Bible based. We have become so accustomed to using the term Christian without regard to its true meaning and etymology is not a license to continue doing so. Today, the term “Christian” is far more related to political affiliation, country of origin, and education than it is to Christ.

If Biblically the term “Christian” was a worldly term of derision, and socially the term “Christian” is devoid of actual value, is it not in vain? The Websters dictionary defines vain as “having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth. Also having no meaning or likelihood of fulfillment”

Some common counterclaims:

1.     What about 1 Peter 4:16?

1 Peter 4:16, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

First, keep in mind this is the one and only place in the entire scripture this word is used by any man of God. Secondly, Peter did not label the followers of Christ as "Christian" in the passage. Read it again, very carefully. He said they were to be "as a Christian." This is very important. The word as means "like or similar to", but it does not mean one is that word.

For example:

·       Genesis 49:9, "...he crouched as a lion," does not mean Judah was a lion when he couched!

·       Exodus 15:5, "...they sank into the bottom as a stone," does not mean they were a stone when they sank.

·       Matthew 17:20, "...If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed," does not mean faith is a mustard seed.

·       Matthew 23:37, "...gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens," does not mean God's children were chickens.

·       Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ," does not mean husbands are Christ when they love their wives.

And therefore:

1 Peter 4:16, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian," does not mean man is a Christian when they suffer.

When someone is "as" something else, it does not mean one is that something. It means we are similar, in some way, to that name, but we are not literally that name. You see, the heathens are the ones who called the followers of Christ "Christians" (Acts 11:26; 26:28). When Peter was referring to the title "Christian" it is in the context of suffering and is in reference to the name as imposed upon them by their enemies, because our enemies want us to suffer.

2.     What about Isaiah 62:2?

Isaiah 62:2, "...and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name."

Does not the word "Christian" fulfill this verse?

If you read this verse in context, and read two verses further, you will see what this "new name" is that God will call them.

Isaiah 62:4, "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah..."

Hephzibah means "pleasure." This is the "new name" referred to in verse 2. This is the context. It is not referring to the name "Christian." In scripture, a name refers to ones "character."

Conclusion:

The purpose of this article is not to condemn people for the use of the word Christian. It is a reminder of how precious the name is. I feel we have become far too comfortable calling organizations, institutions, and people by a name that is far above their comprehension. If this term must be used, we have the responsibility to make sure it is only used when Christ is exemplified, and his glory magnified. And of course, never…never in vain.