Thought for Friday, 2 December 2022

 Acts 13: 9,10

               Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,

“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right!  

 

The card making in the complex kind of went over time. As well as making superb Christmas cards for families we had a ‘deep’ discussion about names. Well really spelling of them, we have an Ann an Ann a Sheena, who gets agitated because the chef spells it with only one ‘e’ I don’t think John does it deliberately, but Sheena gets angry. We also have Anna, Ellen and Helen. Thankfully, I am unique.

Paul’s name changed from Saul when he started following Jesus. According to   roncantor.com this is wrong. Saul is a Jewish name, but Paul is a Roman equivalent.

For centuries Christians have taught that Saul changed his name to Paul after he became a believer. in other words, he had to get rid of his Jewish name and take on a Christian one. This is unreasonable on two levels, according to Ron Cantor.

 

Firstly, there were no ‘Christian’ names in the First Century! And why would a Roman name be preferred to a Jewish one?

Secondly, if Saul truly changed his name from a Jewish one to a Roman one, then why did he wait so many years after coming to faith to do so? Roman culture was a pagan polytheistic (belief in many gods) heritage and Rome became the primary persecutor of the body of believers for the first three hundred years.  Furthermore, there was no such thing as a Christian Name! The name Paul only became a Christian name because of Paul.

Jews Get Two Names

Anyone who grew up in a Jewish home outside of Israel would know that it is common for Jewish people to have two names, one that is connected to the area in which they live and then also a Hebrew name.  Ron Cantor tells us that he has an English name ‘Ron’ and a Hebrew name of Chaim (meaning life).

When Saul was traveling in non-Jewish areas, he used his Roman name.  Notice the passage does not say, “Saul, who changed his name to Paul,” but rather, “Saul, who was also called Paul…” (Acts 13:9) as, in addition to, not instead of. 

The name Paulos in Greek means small or humble. If Paul did take on this name later in life, it would not have been to separate himself from his Jewishness (See Acts 21:2, Acts 23:6), but more a nickname that may have been given to him to reflect his humility, as he calls himself the least of the apostles and even the worst of sinners.

In reading this thought I encourage you to look into some of the Messianic Jews websites. There are numerous Jewish folks who give alternative points of view and some of them valid points.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus help us to look for truth everywhere so that we may avoid false prophets. As time passes more and more of these people become known to us and try to point us away from You. Help us to recognise those who would lead us on the wrong path. With more of us looking into the information between us may we elicit the truth of wrong teaching. We depend on the teaching of Father, Son and holy Spirit to keep us with You always. We pray for Your Grace and Mercy for ever amen