It is a good question because there have been those, in the past, who have not been too bothered about their reputation outside the Church, as long as they had a good report within the Church of God.   It is a topic worth reviewing.

First of all, let us look at “having a good report” within the Church of God.  If we can’t measure up to this requirement, then we shouldn’t be a Church member, and having a good report from those outside the Church becomes irrelevant.

In respect of the ministry, we read in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 about the qualifications of the ministry. Verse 2 says: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach.”   Verses 3-6 continue along the same lines, and in verse 7, we read: “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”   Many other translations reflect this same need to have a good testimony or report from those who are not Church members.

This clearly shows that a minister in the Church of God must have a good report both inside and outside the Church, and he is to speak the Truth and shepherd the flock.  There are many other Scriptures that give the same advice and instruction; for example, see Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:14-26; Titus 1:7-9; Titus 2:7; 1 Peter 5:2-3 (and there are many more).

Ministers have to set the example in the Church of God but such an example is not the preserve of just ministers.   Likewise, members have to live up to high expectations as required by God of His people.

In a piece by one Christian author, entitled, “An Example for Others to Imitate,” he wrote that “being a godly example is not an option, it is commanded in Scripture. We have no choice in being an example of some kind and having an impact on those around us, but we do have a choice in the kind of witness and impact we provide. Someone is going to follow us and be influenced by us. We need Christian maturity that provides people with real honest-to-God examples of authentic Christ-like living and that mature Christians and leaders have a responsibility to maintain a consistent example.”

Let us review just a few Scriptures about members inside the Church.

Matthew 5:13-16 reads: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

God is not calling the whole world now. He is only working with a small group of people at this time to get a specific job done, that of preaching the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness to all nations (see Matthew 24:14).   In other words, Christians are rare.   True Christians are basically sprinkled across the earth like you would sprinkle salt across food – sparingly.   But what a difference they make in the world!   One thing we can learn from Christ’s metaphor of salt is that our calling and commission are unique, important and highly valuable.   It is indeed a rare opportunity to be called by God in this age.

We can see that salt is pure. It spices and flavours, it creates thirst, and it preserves, and all the analogies are applicable to a Christian’s life.   

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, we read about Paul serving all men: ”For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

Unfortunately, some take this to mean that a true Christian must be accommodating about all things, which is obviously in error.  One commentator wrote that “We do not lower our standards but we waive our privileges.”  When rightly understood, this is about setting the very best example to encourage and help those who may be interested in the true message of the Bible and showing that we are not hypocrites but live by every word of God (see Matthew 4:4).

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 shows us that we are to be about our Father’s Work: ^“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.”

We have been chosen by God.  1 Peter 2:9-10 states: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

Further, we are to follow Christ’s example, as we read in 1 Peter 2:22-23: ““Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…”

Acts 16:2 reads: “He (Timothy) was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.”

We must always be cognisant of the fact that our attitude and approach can affect hundreds, maybe even thousands of people during our lifetime.

A review of some Scriptures about having a good report outside the Church will show us how important this is.

Proverbs 22:1 states: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold,” and Ecclesiastes 7:1: reads: “A good name is better than precious ointment…”

One writer observed: “There are people you have never seen or met—yet just their name gives you an opinion of them. For example, when you hear the name George Washington, you think of a man who sacrificed greatly to help form the United States of America; but when you hear the name Adolph Hitler, a very different picture comes to mind.”   A good name usually refers to the reputation of that person.

Romans 12:17 states: “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.”   Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers observes: “Let your purposes be such that all men shall recognise their complete integrity. Do not engage in enterprises of a doubtful character, that might bring not only yourselves but the Christian body into ill repute.”

Romans 15:1-3 reads: “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’”

This is about helping others and not being self-serving which is a trait and a trap that most in this world can fall into.

1 Corinthians 10:32 exhorts: “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God”.  Ellicott’s Commentary put this succinctly: “A practical test of whether any course of conduct is to the glory of God. If it cause[s] any human being to offend then it is not to God’s glory.”

1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 points out: “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.”   Put another way, their actions were worth a thousand words, and in spite of “much affliction,” this did not deter them from setting the right example.

As mentioned previously, 1 Timothy 3:7 stated: “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”   This couldn’t be clearer, and while this is speaking about a minister, the same principles would certainly apply to a Church member who falls into reproach, that is, into disapproval, criticism or disappointment, which, inevitably, will damage the reputation of both the Church and that individual.

Titus 2:6-8 reads: “Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

How could any opponent of the Truth of God have anything wrong to say about a Christian who would exhibit such an example, unless they twisted what was said and done in a distorted and dishonest way – and that would be to their shame, should they do so.

1 Peter 2:12 reads: “…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”  This shows that true Christians will be “spoken evil of” by those who have little or no knowledge of the Way of God but they will realise, at some time in the future whenever God chooses, that the example of beliefs of such Christians was the Truth all along.   This shows that our example and current life-style is so important, not only at the present time but also at some time in the future for those who may mock and scorn us now.

As Benjamin Franklin once observed: “A good example is the best sermon.”

There is no doubt that there will be times, probably many times, when true Christians have to go against the prevailing ethos or culture in our respective countries and stand out as being different for the sake of our beliefs.   As time goes on, this will surely accelerate as society plunges into new depths of anti-godly behaviour, and we will be out of sync with most people.   That should not worry us; surely, the worry would be if we were in tune with what is going on.

Mr Herbert Armstrong told the story of those who managed a particular Feast site and who remarked that Church members were great but “oh that crazy religion”—never realising that it was their religion, their Christian faith, which made them the decent individuals that they dealt with.   At that time, such members set a very good example of God’s Way of Life.

We should be concerned about the way we are perceived by others, as we don’t live in a vacuum.  In short, we should always endeavour to set the very best possible example that we can, both in the Church and outside in society, but realise that many times we will have to set our face against the prevailing ways of man which will set us apart, and if that means that we will “be spoken of as evil” (see Romans 14:16), then that is the price we have to pay.  

We are to have a good report from those outside the Church, but without compromising or accommodating the world in any way.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In this final installment of this series, we look at four more descriptions of Jesus and conclude with some more general information which includes seven interesting descriptions in Revelation 2 and 3.

• A Ransom For Many

Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible gives testimony to the fact that Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This is reinforced in 1 Peter 1:18-19: “…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

And we read in Ephesians 1:7 further confirmation of this: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

We read further in 1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…”

There are many other references to this in the Bible which are worth reviewing.

It is true that Christ gave Himself a “ransom for all,” potentially, but that is not to say that all would accept His Sacrifice. That is why we read in John 3:16 that only those who “believe” in Him would not perish. Also, Christ said in Matthew 20:28 that He gave His life a ransom for many. The ransom is for those who will repent and accept His Sacrifice. Christ did not give His life as a ransom for those who would reject His Sacrifice.

For a full explanation of this vital matter, please read our Q&A on “Unconditional Love (Part 3)”.

• The Rock

We read in Matthew 16:18 one of the most famous verses in the Bible: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

In our Q&A entitled: “Could you explain the extent of the power that Christ gave in Matthew 16:19, to ‘bind and loose’?” we stated the following:

“The word ‘Peter,’ i.e., ‘petros’ in Greek, means ‘a little stone.’ The ‘rock,’ on which Christ would build His church, is ‘petra’ in Greek, meaning a solid rock. Christ was not saying here that Christ would build the church on ‘Peter,’ but on THE ROCK — Christ Himself. It is CHRIST who is identified as ‘THE ROCK’ in passages such as 1 Corinthians 10:4. Peter, as well as the other apostles, in addition to the prophets, are part of the foundation, but Christ is the CHIEF cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The Church is built on Christ, who is the LIVING Head of the Church (Ephesians 4:15). That is why the ‘gates of Hades’ or ‘Death’ cannot overcome or defeat it. Christ, as the LIVING Head of the Church — as the foundation of the Church — has overcome death, having the ‘key of Hades and of Death’ (Revelation 1:18). Paul explains that no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is laid, which is Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).”

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, we read that The Rock, Christ, was the God of the Old Testament: “… and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Christ’s statement to Peter was never understood by the apostles to imply that Christ would build His church on “the rock” Peter. In our above-quoted Q&A, we continue to state:

“Unger’s Bible Handbook agrees, as follows: ‘Thou art Peter [petros, a stone] and upon this rock [petra, great ledge of rock] I will build my church’ (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-6, where the apostle made it clear he was never to be thought of as ‘the rock.’”

“The Broadman Bible Commentary points out:

“In the Greek text, two forms appear in ‘you are Peter’ [Petros], and ‘on this rock’ [petra]… The masculine form, Petros [and]… the feminine form, petra… If [Peter] is the rock, it is strange that the impersonal ‘this rock’ follows the personal ‘you are.’… Although Peter and all the apostles (Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14) were in some sense the foundation upon which the church was built, the New Testament never allows this in an absolute sense. Jesus Himself is ‘the rock’ upon which the church is built… there could be a church without Peter, none without Christ. Peter is neither the head nor the foundation of the church. Jesus founded it; it stands or falls with him; and he is yet its living Lord and head.”

The Geneva Study Bible adds: “… in Greek… the different word endings distinguish between Peter, who is a piece of the building, and Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation…”

When Jesus spoke to Peter, we can imagine the following exchange: Christ pointed at Peter, saying; “You are a little stone,” but then He pointed at Himself, continuing: “… and on this Rock (Jesus) I will build My church.”

• Bridegroom

In John 3:28-30, we read what John the Baptist said about Christ: “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

In Revelation 19:7-9, we see the fulfilment of John’s words: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”  And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’”

The Bible teaches about the second coming of Christ, and when He does return, He is to marry the Church.

Marriage today between a man and a woman (please review Ephesians 5:22-23) is an example of the marriage of Jesus Christ to the Church. Those of us in the true Church of God constitute the Bride of Christ, when we will, later, be joined in marriage to Him for all eternity.

We explain the bride’s marriage to the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, in our Q&A on “spiritual analogies,” as follows:

“The New Covenant is a marriage agreement. The consummation of our marriage with Jesus Christ—the bridegroom and the Lamb—is still in the future. This is where the biblical concept of betrothal becomes important. In biblical times, the parties went through a period of ‘betrothal’ before they actually consummated the marriage. Mary was already betrothed to Joseph when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18). Since they had not consummated the marriage, Joseph thought that Mary was guilty of fornication. But Mary and Joseph were already called, at the time of their betrothal, husband and wife (Matthew 1:19–20, 24; compare also Deuteronomy 28:30). Betrothal was a binding agreement or contract of marriage, and it could only be severed through a divorce. With this contract, the husband had promised his wife to consummate the marriage with her, after a certain period of time.

“In the same way, we, when we became baptized, entered into a covenant with God, and into a contract of betrothal with Jesus Christ. The consummation of our marriage will occur, once Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom. At that time, we will be immortal Spirit beings—born-again members of the God Family…

“Jesus Christ is the bridegroom who will marry the bride upon His return… Jesus spoke of Himself as the ‘bridegroom’ (Luke 5:34–35). When Jesus was on this earth, He taught that He would be taken away and that no ‘marriage’ would be consummated at that time. Note, as well, that Jesus gave a parable indicating that He, as the bridegroom, would return (compare Matthew 25:1–13). In this story, Jesus began His teaching with these very important words: ‘The kingdom of heaven shall be LIKENED to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom’ (Matthew 25:1)…

“The spiritual consummation of the marriage between Christ and His Church, as well as the spiritual ‘marriage supper’ celebration [compare Revelation 19:9], will be ongoing… There will of course not be any physical consummation of the marriage agreement when Christ returns to marry His bride.”

We recommend that you review the entire Q&A, as it also discusses other analogies applying to our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

• Alpha and Omega

It is probably appropriate to conclude our review of the names of Jesus in this Q&A with Him being the Alpha and the Omega. There are several references in the Book of Revelation. Let us look at Revelation 22:12-13: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

There are also the same references in Revelation 1:8 and 21:6. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet and mean the beginning and the end.  We know that Jesus as the Logos was before all things and He will be there at the end of this age setting up the eternal Kingdom of God.  With Him creation began, and in the context of Revelation 22:12-13, He will end this present evil world and will usher in the wonderful world tomorrow.  He always existed and He will also exist for all eternity. He is the FIRST in everything (under God the Father), having in all things the pre-eminence (Colossians 1:18),  and He will still exist when this physical world will have ceased to exist. It shows that He is ageless, immortal.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains:

“It means that he is the beginning and the end of all things; that he was at the commencement, and will be at the close; and it is thus equivalent to saying that he has always existed, and that he will always exist… There can be no doubt that the language here would be naturally understood as implying divinity, and it could be properly applied to no one but the true God. The obvious interpretation here would be to apply this to the Lord Jesus.”

Having this information should be so helpful to us as we go through our tests and trials, knowing that we have a Savior who will be there for us at all times.

CONCLUSION:

Author Warren Wilcox wrote: “Have you ever realized the Bible had so much unity? Fifteen hundred years, forty different authors, three [or four] different languages, five or six different countries. And yet with all of these variations, there’s still just one theme and it all harmonizes together. The Bible is a library of sixty-six different books, long and short, written in different languages (Hebrew, Chaldean and Greek; we might add: “and to a small extent Aramaic”), written in various countries (Judea, Babylon, Asia Minor, Greece and Italy), written in various times during a period stretching over about fifteen hundred years and with an intermission of about 400 years, written by about forty different authors, people with Egyptian culture, people with Jewish culture, people with Greek and Roman culture, people with no culture.”

The unity of all of the Bible is amazing, considering how it was assembled.  Unity from the first word until the last word – a perfect piece of literature which shines through when you put all of the information together about Jesus Christ, the second member of the God Family which we have looked at in this series of Q&As.

The designations we have included in this series of Q&As are:

Creator, the Word, the I AM, Son of God, Immanuel, Redeemer, the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus, son of Joseph, Jesus Christ (Jesus meaning “the Lord is salvation,” while Christ meaning “the anointed one”), the Son of Man, the Lamb of God, The Light of the World, The Bread of Life, King of the Jews, King of kings, Rabbi, Savior, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Chief Cornerstone, Apostle and High Priest, The Way, the Truth and the Life, The Good Shepherd, The Lion of Judah, Head of the Church, A Ransom for Many, The Rock, the Bridegroom and Alpha and Omega.

We have looked at just 30 descriptions and attributes, as above, of the One who became Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. There are many others that we haven’t addressed in this series, including A Friend of Sinners, Judge, Firstborn Over All Creation, The Holy One, Lord of All, Deliverer, Mediator, the life, the Light, The Propitiation for our Sins, and many more.

In addition, there are other descriptions in Revelation 2 and 3. We will just list these which can be read at the beginning of each letter in these two chapters.  

You may wish to personally review these in greater detail which are discussed in our booklet: “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation,” in Chapter 1 – “Christ’s Message to the Seven Churches,” on pages 5-13.

Some of the following descriptions may also be found in other parts of the Book of Revelation.

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands’” (Revelation 2:1).

^“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life’” (Revelation 2:8).

^“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword’” (Revelation 2:12).

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass’” (Revelation 2:18).

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars’” (Revelation 3:1).

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’” (Revelation 3:7).

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God’” (Revelation 3:14).

As we mentioned in part 1, one author listed more than one hundred names, titles, and metaphors of the Lord Jesus Christ, together with references from the Old Testament; another author asserts that there are some 200 names and titles of Jesus found in the Bible. Therefore, we have only scratched the surface of this subject, and it shows the importance to the lives of everyone living today, and those who have ever lived, with almost all of them not realising how their future depends on the Plan of God which Jesus came to announce.  He has been, is and will continue to be of vital importance to all that lies ahead of us. We are blessed indeed to have a loving Father and His Son who will return to this earth to set up the eternal Kingdom of God which all of God’s faithful people will be a part of.

Lead writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

We continue our journey to review more descriptions in the Bible about Jesus.

• Savior

There are a number of Scriptures that reveal that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. In Luke 2:11, we read: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Right from the very beginning of His human life, it was revealed to a few people, His parents, the shepherds and later the wise men, that Jesus Christ was the Savior–the Lord. Remember that we explained in part 2 of this series that “Jesus” means “the Lord is salvation” or “the Lord saves,” while Christ means the “anointed one” or the “chosen one.”

The wording, “a Savior” instead of “the Savior” in Luke 2:11 is interesting. We know that there is no salvation in any other than Jesus Christ, and we read in Isaiah 45:21 that Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, is the only Savior for mankind. Still, we need to understand that God the Father is also called our Savior (1 Timothy 1:1), in that it was He who gave His only begotten Son and the Savior for mankind, and God’s born-again children are also referred to as saviors (Obadiah 1:21), in that they will help Christ to bring about the salvation of all mankind.

Still, the emphasis in Luke 2:11 is on Jesus Christ, and in this regard, the Living Bible is correct when translating: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem!”

In our booklet “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?,” we read the following on page 9:

“The Bible teaches very clearly that Jesus Christ is God. For undeniable proof, notice Titus 2:11–14: ‘For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.’

Christ—the Great God and Savior

“The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary confirms that the entire phrase ‘Great God and Savior’ refers to Jesus Christ:

“There is but one Greek article to ‘God’ and ‘Savior,’ which shows that both are predicated of one and the same Being… Also… ‘appearing’ (epiphaneia) is never by Paul predicated of God the Father… it is invariably applied to Christ’s coming… Also… in the context… there is no reference to the Father, but to Christ alone… Also… the expression ‘great God,’ as applied to Christ, is in accordance with the context, which refers to the glory of His appearing.”

There is so much information on the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind that, for true Christians, this matter is irrefutable.

• Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

All five of these attributes are seen in Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

There is so much to think about and digest about the above attributes of Jesus that it would take much more than a Q&A to explain these. We can only wonder, at this time, how great a difference the Kingdom of God will make after the return of Jesus to the appalling state of society worldwide today.  Man has simply no answer to the insurmountable problems that exist so much so that at the end of this age, it will take divine intervention to save the world from extinction: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Christ spoke here about human survival; not spiritual salvation. Therefore, the meaning is that no human being and no animal would be saved alive; no flesh would survive.

The attributes in Isaiah 9:6 will be clearly seen when Jesus returns to this earth—something that all true Christians should be eagerly looking forward to.

Christ will indeed be “Wonderful” or full of wonders and true miracles, and He will usher in the wonderful world tomorrow. He will be a true Counselor by giving sound counsel and advice; and He will be the Prince of Peace as of “the increase of His government and peace There will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). As we have seen above, He is also called the “Great God” or, as Isaiah says, the “Mighty God,” “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). He will also live for all eternity (compare Revelation 1:18; 4:9), so the designation “everlasting” is quite appropriate. But why is He also called the “Everlasting Father,” given the fact that He is not our Father, but that He is the Son of God the Father?

We state the following in our Q&A on the question why Jesus is referred to as “Father”:

“Since God [the Father] created everything through Christ, it is also said in Isaiah 9:6 that Christ will be called in the future—after His Second Coming—the ‘Everlasting Father.’ This statement proves, too, that Christ existed for all eternity. He is referred to here as the ‘everlasting Father’ or ‘the everlasting Source’ of everything—the ‘beginning of the creation of God.’ However, when the Bible speaks of the ‘Father,’ it normally refers strictly and exclusively to the highest God being in the God Family… Jesus, who as the Son was also a ‘Father’ or better ‘Source’ in the creation of mankind–especially for the people of Israel–acknowledged the ultimate authority of God the Father: ‘…My Father is GREATER than I’ (John 14:28).”

• Chief Cornerstone

When Peter addressed the Sanhedrin as outlined in Acts 4, he made these important statements: “… let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’”(Acts 4:10-12).

Wikipedia gives this information about what a cornerstone is: “The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” They go on to say: “cornerstone (Greek: Άκρογωνιεîς Latin: Primarii Lapidis) will sometimes be referred to as a ‘foundation-stone’, and is symbolic of Christ, whom the Apostle Paul referred to as the ‘head of the corner’ and is the ‘Chief Cornerstone of the Church’ (Ephesians 2:20).”

This is a vital description of Jesus Christ. As mentioned several times before, He is the only One through whom salvation is available.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary gives the additional explanation of the words “chief cornerstone”:

“The head of the corner; or the corner stone: Christ is frequently so called (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10), and that,

“1. Because he sustains and upholds the whole building.

“2. He is a rock or stone of offense (Romans 9:33); as many run upon and are hurt by a corner stone.

“3. He is most precious (1 Peter 2:6), as the corner stones are usually the largest, firmest, and best.

“4. Christ is a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of the people of Israel; and both Gentile and Jew are united in him, and saved by him, as the corner stone is equally necessary for both sides, which are united in it, and borne up by it.”

• Apostle and High Priest

In Hebrews 3:1, we read: “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus…”

According to The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, an apostle is one sent with a special message or commission. We understand that Jesus came to preach the gospel of the soon-coming Kingdom of God (compare Mark 1:14-15).

Christ was sent by God the Father (John 6:57). Christ, as THE Apostle, sent His disciples or apostles into the world to proclaim the gospel message to all nations (John 17:18).

He is also referred to as our High Priest:

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).

On biblehub.com, we read: “Christ is called the High Priest of our profession. High Priest, because He stands for mankind before God: High Priest, because He has made one all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of men: High Priest, because He does for men what they could not and cannot do for themselves. Christ’s priesthood means that we have a way by which we may approach the eternal and all-holy Father.” 

He is the one who intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; compare also Hebrews 9:11-14, 24).

• The Way, the Truth, and the Life

In John 14:1, when comforting His disciples, Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me,” and then in verse 6: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

Jesus is the way, the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12).

In John 17:17 we read: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

It is only through Jesus that we can receive and understand the Truth and receive eternal life. There is no other way, and we read in 1 John 5:11-12: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Christ is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life; and He shows us the way, reveals the Truth to us, and leads us to eternal life.

• The Good Shepherd

Jesus told us: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:11-14).

A shepherd’s main responsibility is the safety and welfare of his flock. The Church is the flock which Jesus tends and looks after. In Psalm 23:1, we read what David said: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

The Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary states:

“‘I am the good shepherd’—emphatically, and, in the sense intended, exclusively so (Isa 40:11; Eze 34:23; 37:24; Zec 13:7).”

The Pulpit Commentary adds:

“There may be many shepherds worthy of the name, but he alone justifies the designation… The good Shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep; not only does his work with his life in his hand, but he deliberately lays down his life and consciously divests himself of his life, and is doing it now. The Shepherd dies that the sheep may live (cf. 1 John 3:16; John 15:13). Elsewhere Jesus says, ‘The Son of man gives his life a ransom for many’ (Matthew 20:28). The thought is very grand, and is a strange addition to the claim to be the Shepherd of Israel, and gives intense pathos to the language of our Lord to Simon Peter (John 21:16), ‘Shepherd my sheep.’”

As Christ, as THE Apostle, sends out human apostles and other ministers to preach the gospel, so Christ, as THE Shepherd, uses human “shepherds” to feed the flock in a selfless and concerned way.

See also our Q&A on “Feeding My Sheep.”

• Lion of the Tribe of Judah

In the Book of Revelation, we read in chapter 5 about the Lamb taking the scroll.   We’ve already covered earlier in these Q&As that Jesus was the Lamb of God, and in Revelation 5:5 we read: “But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’”

In the following verses 6 and 7, we read that the Lamb (Jesus) took the scroll.  The rest of the chapter is praise about the Lamb.

Barnes Notes on the Bible writes:

“This appellation [“Lion of the Tribe of Judah”] is not elsewhere given to the Messiah, but it is not difficult to see its propriety as used in this place. The lion is the king of beasts, the monarch of the forest, and thus becomes an emblem of one of kingly authority and of power… and as such the appellation is used in this place. It is because Christ has power to open the seals – as if he ruled over the universe, and all events were under his control, as the lion rules in the forest – that the name is here given to him.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary writes:

“The Lion of the tribe of Judah; he is so called, undoubtedly, with allusion to Jacob’s prophecy, Genesis 49:9, 10, wherein Judah was compared to a lion’s whelp, because he should be victorious. Christ was to be born of this tribe, and was to be a great Conqueror.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible reads:

“Christ, who, according to the flesh, was to come of the tribe of Judah; and certain it is, that our Lord sprang from thence: and he is said to be the lion of that tribe, in allusion to the prophecy concerning Judah in Genesis 49:9, where he is said to be a lion, an old lion stooping down and couching, and on whose standard was the figure of a lion. Christ may be compared to one, because of his great strength, he being the mighty God, the able Saviour, and strong Redeemer, and protector of his church and people, and the avenger of their enemies; and because of his courage and intrepidity when he engaged with Satan, and his principalities and powers, when he bore the sins of his people, sustained his Father’s wrath, and the terrors of death set themselves in array against him; and because of the fierceness of his wrath, and fury against the wicked, and for his generosity and lenity towards those that stoop unto him, and obey him…”

• Head of the Church

We know that there are different governmental structures in the churches of God today where human leadership exists. However, we read in the Word of God that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and human leaders themselves are to be subject to Jesus Christ as the spiritual Head of the true Church of God.

In our booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians — How to Understand It,” we read the following on page 18:

“… Paul goes on to say that through God’s power, Christ was placed above all ‘power, and might, and dominion.’ As we explain in our free booklet, ‘Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,’ these expressions could refer to angelic ranks in the spirit world. Paul’s point is that Christ was placed over anything and everything created. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Hebrews 1:1–4). All things are placed under His feet, and He is the Head over all things, including the Church, the ‘body of Christ’ (Colossians 1:18).”

Ephesians 1:21-23 reveals more information about Christ being the Head of the Church: “… far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Matthew 28:18 is revealing: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’”   Since He was given this authority over all things, these would include His Church. Ephesians 5:23 says specifically: “Christ is the head of the church” (Authorized Version).

Beware of any man who may wish to take all authority to himself and ignore the Head of the Church who is also the Word of God!

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link