the striking title of the ' Prince ' or ' Author ' ' of life ' (3^^). In other discourses Peter calls Jesus a ' Prince and Saviour' (5^^) and indeed even 'Judge of the quick and the dead' (lo'*"). The composite portrait which he presents of Jesus the Messiah as he passes freely from one of these designations to another Is a complex and very lofty one: what Is most apparent Is that he conceives Him as the focus upon which all the rays of Old Testament prophecy converge, and as ex- alted above all earthly limitations. A somewhat simi- lar list of designations is placed on the lips of Paul. To him the 'Lord Jesus' (16=^^ ao^^-^-^s ^i^^) is 'the Christ' (17^ 26-3), 'the Holy One' (13^^)^° 'the Righteous One ' (22^S cf. 7^^ Stephen) ^^ who has come as a 'Saviour' (13^^) to Israel, and who though a
of the same one ; and while some held * him of whom Moses wrote in the law' (Jno i*^) or 'the prophet who should come into the world' (6^*, cf. 1^) for the Messiah, others must have distinguished Him from the Messiah (i2i,cf. 20, -,40. cf. 41), According to these last, he was, in harmony with the prophecy of Malachi (3I 4^"'^), the returning Elijah, who was to prepare the way before the Messiah (Mt 17^°). The Christians did not share this view. While they also had expected an Elijah and had found him in John the Baptist (Acts 13^*), they con- ceived that the promise of Moses had found its fulfilment only in the Messiah; and Peter, therefore, in his preaching, appealed directly to these words (Acts 3^-), and Stephen also seems to have meant the same thing {^^''). Accordingly on their basis the gift of prophecy was a main element of the idea of the Messiah, and that, such a gift as placed Him by the side of Moses and elevated Him above all other prophets. There was certainly connected with this also an inner communion with God ; and God was understood to speak with Him face to face, and to reveal to Him His counsel more clearly as in the case of Moses (Ex 33I1, Numb 126-8)."
2"Cf. 227, In both cases it is derived from Ps 16I®, and the term employed is 8<Tio<i, not aYio<;^ as in 7}*, cf. Mk i24, Lk 48*, Jno 68», 1 Jno 320, Rev 3'^. See on the titles of this sort Hastings' D. C. G., I. pp. 730-31.
^1 Cf. Stanton, op. cit., p. 170.
2iS The Designations of Our Lord
'Man' (aj^3yV» ^T^) is 'God's own Son' (13^^), nay, in some high sense ' God ' Himself (20-^), — for it was by nothing else than " the blood of God " that the Church was purchased.'^^
A rapid enumeration of the mere titles applied to Christ, such as we have made, fails utterly to repro- duce the impression which they make on the reader as he meets them in the course of the narrative. That impression is to the effect that although the true hu- manity of our Lord is thoroughly appreciated (dvOpiozo^, 5-^ cf. f^: duijp^ 2^- if\ cf. Lk 24^^), yet it is the majesty of this man which really fills the minds of these first Christians, as they perceive in Him not merely a man of God's appointment, representing God on earth, In whom all that they can conceive to be the source of dignity in Old Testament prophecy meets and finds its fulfillment (10^-'^^), but also something far above hu- manity, which can be expressed only in terms of precise deity (20^^).
A side-light is thrown upon the high estimate which
was placed among these early Christians on Jesus'
person by the usurpation by it of the
'The Name' Old Testament pregnant use of the term " Name." As in the Old Testa- ment we read continually of " the Name of Jehovah " as the designation of His manifested majesty, and even of simply " the Name " used absolutely with the same high connotation, so in Acts we read of the Name of
22 The variant reading, " the blood of the Lord," means the same thing. But Dr. Hort justly says, ^^tou 6eou is assuredly genuine." See for a discussion of the reading, Westcott and Hort, The New Testa- ment in the Original Greek, 11. pp. 98-99.
The Designations in Acts 219
Jesus Christ, to the exckision of the old phrase,^' and again of simply "the Name" (5*^ cf. 3 Jno 7) used absolutely of Jesus. Those who were persecuted for His sake we are told rejoiced " that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name" (5**, cf. 3 Jno 7 ) }^ In the Old Testament this would have meant the Name of Jehovah: here it means the Name of Jesus.^^ " The Name," as it has been truly remarked, " had become a watchword of the faith, and Is conse- quently used alone to express the name of Jesus, as it stood in former days for the Name of Jehovah (Lev 24") ." ^^ Nothing could more convincingly bear In upon us the position to which Jesus had been exalted In men's thoughts than this constant tendency to substitute Him in their religious outlook for Jehovah.