The Biblical Footnote

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.  Acts 4:10 NASB

Name – “In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk.”  And, of course, we read this as if the name was the magic formula for success.  As a result, millions of prayers are offered “in the name of Jesus.”  Perhaps it never crossed our minds that his name isn’t “Jesus.”  Technically, we were praying in the name of someone who never existed.  But that didn’t seem to matter.  After all, God knew what we meant.  And things happened.  All the more reason to ignore the Jewish context and continue using the name as an incantation.

Now let’s ask, “What did Peter mean when he said, ‘by the name of’”?  What’s the historical background?  Did you imagine that Peter thought of the name of the Messiah, his real name, as some sort of magical cure-all?  Or was he following a long-established rabbinic pattern? Consider these examples:

1. Nehilai b. Idi said in the name of Samuel: As soon as a man is appointed administrator of a community, he becomes rich. . .[1]
2. Judah says in his name: In any place where there is a local Congregation . . .[2]

Said R. Shizbi in the name of R. Eleazar b. Azariah, “Gaining the sustenance of man is as difficult as . . .”[3]

What is the purpose of “in the name of” in these occurrences?  The phrase is used like a modern footnote, recognizing the authority behind the statement.  When Peter uses this common rabbinic designation, he is not reciting a magic name.  He is simply saying that the event demonstrates the authority of the Messiah whose name is Yeshua.  We were taught to pray “in the name of Jesus Christ” because we thought we were calling on God (in the second person) to fulfill our requests.  But that is a thoroughly Christian Trinitarian idea.  It’s certainly not what Peter was doing—and his statement doesn’t set a precedent for us.  He’s simply doing what everyone else did in the Jewish world of the first century—citing his reference.

If this is true, then why is there so much evidence confirming divine intervention when prayers are offered “in the name of Jesus”?  Why?  Well, only God knows.  What I know is that the magic is over.

Topical Index: in the name of, rabbinic, Talmud, Acts 4:10

[1] Babylonian Talmud Tractate Yoma 22b

[2] Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot IV, VII, p. 199

[3] The Traditions of Eleazar ben Azariah, p. 165.