THE NAMES OF GOD

MBS 047 By Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. THE PRIMARY HEBREW NAMES OF GOD

A. YHVH
1. The Meaning of the Name
2. The Emphases of the Name
B. Elohim
1. The Origin of the Name
2. The Emphases of the Name
C. Adon or Adonai
1. The Meaning of the Name
2. The Emphases of the Name
a. Lord
b. Master
c. God’s Responsibility to His Name
II. THE COMPOUND PRIMARY HEBREW NAMES OF GOD
A. YHVH Elohim
1. The Translation of the Name
2. The Emphases of the Name
a. The Relationship to Humanity
b. The Relationship to Israel
B. Adonai YHVH
1. The Translation of the Name
2. The Emphasis of the Name
III. THE COMPOUND HEBREW NAMES: A PRIMARY NAME FOLLOWED BY A NON-PRIMARY NAME
A. The Compound Hebrew Names with YHVH
1. YHVH Tzvaot
2. YHVH Yireh
3. YHVH Rophecha
4. YHVH Nisi
5. YHVH Mekadishchem
6. YHVH Shalom
7. YHVH Roʾi
8. YHVH Tzidkeinu
9. YHVH Makeh
10. YHVH Shamah
B. The Compound Hebrew Names with Elohim
1. El Shaddai
2. El Elyon
3. El Olam
4. YHVH Roʾi
5. El Gmulot
IV. THE OTHER HEBREW DESIGNATIONS
V. THE NEW TESTAMENT NAMES, TITLES, AND OTHER DESIGNATIONS
A. Greek Names
1. Theos
2. Kurios
3. Despoteis
4. Logos
5. Hupsistos
6. Pantokrator
B. The Trinitarian Titles
1. Father
2. Son
3. Holy Spirit
C. Other Designations

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you.

Exodus 3:14

INTRODUCTION

This is a study of the various names of God, their meanings, their ramifications, and their applications. It will include both the Hebrew and Greek names for God.

I. THE PRIMARY HEBREW NAMES OF GOD

The first category of the names of God is the primary Hebrew names of which there are three: YHVH, Elohim, and Adon or Adonai.

A. YHVH

The most common name for God in the Hebrew text is comprised of four Hebrew letters that transliterate into the four English letters YHVH. This name of God is known as the Tetragrammaton, meaning “the four letters,” and is used over seven thousand times in the Old Testament. Exactly how this four-letter name was to be pronounced is no longer known, because the Jewish people refused to pronounce this name of God. In order to obey the commandment in Exodus 20:7: You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain, they would substitute another Hebrew word that meant “Lord.” In the course of time, the proper pronunciation of this name of God, YHVH, was forgotten. Some suggest that the pronunciation should be “Yah weh,” and you may have heard the term Yahweh used here and there, but even that is only a guess. These four letters are translated into English Bibles either as Jehovah or as LORD, with all four letters capitalized, and also by the term GOD, with all three letters capitalized.

1. The Meaning of the Name

The basic meaning of YHVH is given in Exodus 3:14: And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you.

The basic root meaning for the name of God is: I AM THAT I AM. This name of God comes from a Hebrew root hayah, which means “to be” or “to exist.” God’s name implies that He is the One who is continuously coming to be. It emphasizes existence, not existence in static form, but existence in motion. The picture of this name is that God is the eternal, Self-Existing One.

The name is given further meaning in Exodus 6:2–3:

And God spoke unto Moses and said unto him, I am Jehovah: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them.

Exodus 6:2–3:

According to this passage, God’s name, YHVH, was not known to the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God was known to them as God Almighty, but not as Jehovah or YHVH. That seems a bit strange because, as one reads through the Book of Genesis, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all address Him as YHVH. The Hebrew word for known means “to know by experience.” From Genesis, it is rather obvious that they did know that God’s name consisted of these four Hebrew letters. What Moses meant, then, was that these patriarchs did not know Him as YHVH, but only knew him as God Almighty or El Shaddai.

2. The Emphases of the Name

There are five emphases of the name YHVH. First, it emphasizes God as the Covenant Keeper. God’s unchangeableness in His relationship to Israel means that YHVH is the Covenant-Keeper. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all experienced God as the Covenant-Maker, but they did not experience Him as the Covenant-Keeper because they had died before the covenant started to be fulfilled. In the time of Moses, the Jews were experiencing the knowledge of God as the Covenant-Keeper. While Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did know what God’s name was, they did not experience the emphasis of that name. Rather, they experienced the emphasis of another name, El Shaddai or God Almighty, the One who has the authority and power to make covenants, but not as YHVH, the Covenant Keeper. They knew the name, but they did not experience the meaning of the name in its redemptive sense. The emphasis of the name YHVH is that this is God’s covenant name; it is the whole manifestation of God in His relationship to Israel. Some examples of this emphasis of God as the Covenant-Keeper in conjunction with the name YHVH are: Exodus 10:3; 20:1–2; and Jeremiah 31:31–34. So the major name of God, YHVH, emphasizes God as the Covenant-Keeper.

A second emphasis of the name YHVH is on the singularity of that name in that no other god has this name. This is brought out by Exodus 20:7, emphasizing the fact that this is God’s unique name; He will not give it to any other. The same emphasis is made in Psalm 8:1; 48:10; 76:1; and Isaiah 42:8.

The third emphasis of the name YHVH is that it is concerned with His divine attributes. In Exodus 33:19, God promised Moses:

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Exodus 33:19

What God promised Moses in Exodus 33:19, He fulfilled in Exodus 34:5–7:

And Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.

Exodus 34:5-7

There is a clear emphasis in these verses on connecting the name YHVH with His divine attributes. All His divine attributes are somehow connected with the uniqueness of that name. But the attribute of holiness is the one that stands out most often. Some examples of this are: Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:1–2; and 20:26.

The fourth emphasis of the name YHVH points to God’s hatred of sin. This is found in Genesis 6:3–6; Exodus 34:6–7; and Psalm 11:5–6.

And the fifth emphasis of this name stresses His work of redemption. Some examples are: Genesis 3:24; Exodus 12:12–14; Isaiah 53:1, 6, and 10.

B. Elohim

The second primary name of God is Elohim. The basic name Elohim has three different forms in the Hebrew text. First, it is found merely as El, which is the singular form. Depending on whether it is speaking of the true God or of a false god, this name is translated either with a capital “G” or with a small “g.” It is used two hundred fifty times, primarily in the poetic sections of the Old Testament. Some examples of this form are: Job 5:8; 9:2; and 15:4.

The second form of the same root is Eloah, also a singular form meaning “God.” It is not used very often and is primarily found in poetic literature such as Job 9:13 and 31:6.

The third form and by far the major usage of this name of God is Elohim. This is the plural form and can be used either of the true God or false gods. When it is used of the true God, it is translated into the singular form; when it is used of false gods, it is translated into the plural form. This one form is used two thousand five hundred fifty-five times in the Old Testament. The majority of the time, it is used of the true God. But this very same word, Elohim, is also used of the heathen gods as in Genesis 31:30; Exodus 12:12; Judges 5:8; Psalm 82:1; 96:5; and 97:7.

1. The Origin of the Name

The name Elohim originates from two different Hebrew root words. The first root meaning is that of “being strong and mighty.” The second root means, “to be smitten with fear.” By putting both of these roots together, the meaning of the name Elohim is “the Strong and Mighty One who is the object of fear.”

2. The Emphases of the Name

The name Elohim has three basic emphases. First, it emphasizes God’s power as in Numbers 23:22. Secondly, it emphasizes the God of Creation and Nature as in Genesis 1:1. And thirdly, it emphasizes the kind of God that He is, as in Psalm 86:15.

C. Adon or Adonai

The third primary Hebrew name for God is Adon, the singular form, or Adonai, the plural form.

1. The Meaning of the Name

The root for the word Adon or Adonai means “to judge” or “to rule.” It is a word that has three basic meanings. First, it means “lord.” Secondly, it means “master.” And thirdly, it means “owner.”

As mentioned previously in dealing with the name YHVH, it also has the meaning of “lord.” The difference is that when the four letters of God’s personal name are used, the Tetragrammaton, the translation is in all capital letters: LORD. When the word Adonai is used for God, then the translation has only the first letter capitalized: Lord. But this word Adonai, like the name Elohim, is also used of things that are not God. It is also used of man. When it is used of man, it is translated as lord with a small “l,” but if it is used of God, it is written as Lord with a capital “L.” Some examples where the term Adon is used for man would include: Moses, in Numbers 11:28; in Deuteronomy 23:15, with the meaning of “master”; in 1 Kings 16:24, with the meaning of “owner.” In the majority of the cases when used in its plural form, it is used for the true and only God.

Sometimes the word Adonai is used by itself, as in Deuteronomy 10:17 and Joshua 5:14. But sometimes the word Adonai is used in conjunction with YHVH, as in Exodus 4:10 and Malachi 1:6. In those cases when it is used together with the Tetragrammaton, the translation will be either as the Lord Jehovah in the American Standard Version of the Bible or as Lord GOD in the King James Version, with the word GOD in all capital letters.

2. The Emphases of the Name

a. Lord

The first emphasis brings out the basic meaning of “Lord.” God is the Almighty Ruler to whom everything is subject and to whom man is related as a servant.

b. Master

The second emphasis brings out the basic meaning of “master.” God as the Master has the right to expect obedience. Since this name emphasizes the relationship of a servant to his lord or to his master, the master obviously has every right to expect full and complete obedience from His servants. If believers are the servants of God, and, if God is indeed their Master, then as their Master, He has every right to expect total obedience. Believers obligation in conjunction to this name is to obey their Lord; to obey the commandments He has given them. They can either obey His commandments out of fear, emphasizing more the meaning of Elohim, or they can obey His commandments out of love as Yeshua (Jesus) Himself taught His disciples in John 14:15: If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. If people ever ask the question, as they often do, “How can believers show their love for God?” The answer is, “They do not show their love for God through emotionalism. They show their love for God by means of their obedience.” This is the way Yeshua showed His love for the Father; He obeyed the Father; He learned obedience. This is the way believers should show their love for the Father.

c. God’s Responsibility to His Name

The third emphasis of this particular name is a development from the first two names in that the servant has the right to expect direction. The master has the right to expect obedience, but the servant has the right to expect direction. This is God’s responsibility to this name. If He is going to fulfil what this name implies, if He is really going to be the Almighty Ruler to whom everything is subject and to whom man is related as a servant, then that servant has the right to expect to receive directions from his Lord. Indeed, the Lord has given believers direction through the Scriptures. He has given them commandments and principles to follow, and that is their obligation to the name of Adonai. But being the servants of Adonai, believers have the right to expect direction, and indeed, they have it through the Word of God.

II. THE COMPOUND PRIMARY HEBREW NAMES OF GOD

There is a second category of divine names in which the three primary names: YHVH, Elohim, and Adonai are compounded in two ways: YHVH Elohim and Adonai YHVH.

A. YHVH Elohim

1. The Translation of the Name

Sometimes the name of YHVH and the name Elohim are used together as YHVH Elohim. This compound name is translated in two ways. Sometimes it is translated as Jehovah God, as it is in the American Standard Version. In other translations such as the King James Version, it is translated as LORD God. The name LORD has all capital letters emphasizing that the Hebrew word here is the four-letter name of God, and the word God has only the first letter capitalized reflecting the word Elohim. Examples of the two names together as Jehovah God or LORD God are Genesis 2:4–5, 7–9, 15–16, 18–19 and 21–22.

2. The Emphases of the Name

a. The Relationship to Humanity

The first emphasis is the relationship of God to humanity in general. There are four facets to this emphasis.

The first facet is that of Creator in Genesis 2:7–15. In Genesis 2, the compound name YHVH Elohim is used so frequently in the context of God’s creation of man that it emphasizes God as man’s Creator.

The second facet of this compound name emphasizes God as having authority over man in Genesis 2:16–17. In this passage, God issued His directives to man: He gave them commandments; He told them what they may do and what they may not do, showing that God has authority over the man He had created.

The third facet of this compound primary name emphasizes God as creating and governing earthly relationships with man in Genesis 2:18–24 and 3:16–24.

The fourth facet of this compound name emphasizes God as redeeming man in Genesis 3:8–15 and 21. It is under this compound primary name that God promised to send the Redeemer, the Seed of the woman, who would someday finally deal with the problem of sin that had entered the human experience.

So the first major emphasis of this compound name is the relationship of God to man in these four facets: first, as the Creator; secondly, as the One in authority over man; thirdly, as the One creating and governing earthly relationships with man; and fourthly, as the One who is redeeming man.

b. The Relationship to Israel

The second major emphasis of this compound name is the relationship of God to the nation of Israel in particular. Examples of this are found in Genesis 24:7; Exodus 3:15–18; Deuteronomy 1:11, 21; Joshua 7:13, 19–20; and Judges 5:3.

B. Adonai YHVH

1. The Translation of the Name

This combination is also translated in two different ways. The first way is Lord Jehovah, such as in the ASV. The term Lord has only the first letter capitalized showing that the Hebrew word behind it is Adonai. The word Jehovah reflects the name YHVH. In other translations, such as the KJV, the translation is Lord GOD. The word Lord has only the first letter capitalized showing that the word is Adonai, but the word GOD is in all capital letters to show that, in the Hebrew text, the word behind GOD is the name YHVH, not Elohim. Examples of this compound name are: Genesis 15:2; 2 Samuel 7:18–20; Isaiah 7:7; and Jeremiah 1:6.

2. The Emphasis of the Name

What is the emphasis when these two primary names are used together? Referring back to the name Adon or Adonai, the emphasis there was that of a master, owner, or lord. So the first name still emphasizes God as the One who is in control of His universe and of His creation. The name YHVH emphasizes God as the Covenant-Keeper. When these two primary names are compounded together, they emphasize God as the One who has the power and the strength to fulfil the covenants that He has made because He has total control of everything. While YHVH emphasizes God as the Covenant-Keeper, that may only emphasize the concept of intention: to fulfil His covenants. If He did not have the power of control to fulfil His Word, then the best intentions would have very little practical value. The two names together emphasize the fact that God is the Covenant-Keeper, and the reason He is able to fulfil His covenants is because He has the power and the strength and the control of His creation to bring these covenants to their ultimate fulfilment.

A good example of this concept in action is found in Exodus 2:23–25, where God promises to do something on the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant: And it came to pass in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the children of Israel, and God took knowledge of them.

Here is the very clear concept that God is the Covenant-Keeper and, at this point, He intended to fulfil His covenant. The term YHVH emphasizes Him as the One about to keep His covenant; the word Adonai emphasizes His power to do so.

In Exodus 3:6–8, God said to Moses: Moreover he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

The uniqueness of this compound primary name Adonai YHVH emphasizes Him both the Covenant-Keeper and as the One who has the great power to fulfil these covenants.

III. THE COMPOUND HEBREW NAMES: A PRIMARY NAME FOLLOWED BY A NON PRIMARY NAME

This section can be divided into two categories: compound Hebrew names with YHVH and compound Hebrew names with Elohim.

A. The Compound Hebrew Names with YHVH

Altogether there are ten compound names incorporating the name YHVH in the Hebrew Bible.

1. YHVH Tzvaot

The first name is YHVH Tzvaot, which means YHVH of Hosts. The word hosts mean “army” and has to do with the angelic armies. Some examples of this compound are: 1 Samuel 1:3; 4:4; Isaiah 6:2–3; and Hosea 12:4–5. The emphasis of this name is twofold. First, this name emphasizes “to inspire confidence.” It is used to inspire confidence in 1 Kings 18:15; Psalm 46:7, and 11. The second emphasis is that of God’s special help to Israel in 1 Kings 19:14; Isaiah 1:9; 10:24–27; 31:4–5; Haggai 2:4; and Malachi 3:16–17.

2. YHVH Yireh

The second compound Hebrew name is YHVH Yireh, which means, “YHVH will provide” and emphasizes God as the One who provides the sacrifice. It is not a name used for general provision, but the particular provision of a substitutionary blood sacrifice. This name is found in Genesis 22:14.

3. YHVH Rophecha

The third compound Hebrew name is YHVH Rophecha, which means “YHVH, your Healer” and emphasizes that God heals both physically and spiritually. This name is found in Exodus 15:26.

4. YHVH Nisi

The fourth compound Hebrew name is YHVH Nisi, which means “YHVH, my Banner” and emphasizes God as the One who protects. This name is found in Exodus 17:15.

5. YHVH Mekadishchem

The fifth compound Hebrew name is YHVH Mekadishchem, which means “YHVH, your Sanctifier” and emphasizes God as the One who sets apart. This name is used in Exodus 31:13 and Leviticus 20:7–8.

6. YHVH Shalom

The sixth compound Hebrew name is YHVH Shalom, which means “YHVH is peace” and emphasizes the fact that God gives peace in spite of adversity. This name is found in Judges 6:24.

7. YHVH Roʾi

The seventh compound Hebrew name is YHVH Roʾi, which means “YHVH, my Shepherd” and emphasizes God as the One who keeps and protects. This name is used in Psalm 23:1.

8. YHVH Tzidkeinu

The eighth compound Hebrew name is YHVH Tzidkeinu, which means “YHVH, our Righteousness” and emphasizes God as being the One who will rule righteously in the Messianic Kingdom. This name is found in Jeremiah 23:6 and 33:16.

9. YHVH Makeh

The ninth compound Hebrew name is YHVH Makeh, which means “YHVH smites” and emphasizes God as the One who punishes sin. This name is used in Ezekiel 7:9.

10. YHVH Shamah

The tenth compound Hebrew name is YHVH Shamah, which means “YHVH is there” and emphasizes the presence of God. This name is found in Ezekiel 48:35.

B. The Compound Hebrew Names with Elohim

The second category of compound names contains the name Elohim followed by a non-primary Hebrew name. There are five combinations with the word Elohim.

1. El Shaddai

The first compound is the name El Shaddai, which means “the Almighty God.” It is used a total of forty-eight times in the Old Testament. The word Shaddai has two roots. The first root means “to be powerful,” emphasizing the fact that God possesses all power in Heaven and on earth. It pictures God as subjecting all the power of nature and making it subservient to the work of divine grace. The second root for the word Shaddai is “breast,” which emphasizes God as the nourisher and sustainer. As the All-Sufficient One, He is the source of blessing and comfort. Used together, these words emphasize the greatness of God. This name relates God to His covenant blessings. This was a very early name for God that was especially known experientially by the Patriarchs in Genesis 17:1; 28:3; and Exodus 6:3.

2. El Elyon

The second compound name is El Elyon, which means “the Most High God.” The word Elyon comes from a Hebrew root that means, “to be elevated.” Primarily, it emphasizes God as the Exalted One. From this primary emphasis, a secondary emphasis is derived that stresses God’s sovereignty over Heaven in Isaiah 14:13–14 and over earth in 2 Samuel 22:14–15; Psalm 21:7; 83:16–18; and 91:9–12. A third emphasis is on God’s relationship to Gentiles in Genesis 14:18–19; Numbers 24:16; and Deuteronomy 32:8–9.

3. El Olam

The third compound name is El Olam, which means “the Everlasting God.” The root for the word Olam means “age” or “hidden.” It emphasizes God as the God of Eternity, the God of the Ages, the One who is sovereign over time and eternity. Some examples are: Genesis 21:33 and Isaiah 40:28.

4. El Roʾi

The fourth compound name is El Roʾi, which means “the God of Sight” and emphasizes God as the One who keeps watch. This name used in Genesis 16:13.

5. El Gmulot

The fifth compound name is El Gmulot, which means “the God of Recompense” and emphasizes God as the One who avenges; the Avenging God. This name is found in Jeremiah 51:56.

IV. THE OTHER HEBREW DESIGNATIONS

There is a fourth category of names of God, which contains other Hebrew designations for God. Altogether, there are sixteen such designations, most of which are titles of one sort or another. These are: King in Isaiah 43:15; Shield in Genesis 15:1; Lawgiver or Judge in Genesis 18:25; Rock in Isaiah 44:8; Fortress, Tower, Deliverer in Psalm 18:2; Shepherd in Psalm 23:1; husband in Jeremiah 31:32; as a husbandman in Isaiah 5:1–7; Redeemer in Isaiah 44:6 and 24; Father in Isaiah 63:16; Creator in Ecclesiastes 12:1; Isaiah 40:28 and 43:15; the Holy One of Israel, emphasizing God’s special covenant relationship to Israel in Isaiah 1:4; the Mighty One, emphasizing the omnipotence of God and His divine aid for the oppressed in Israel against her enemies in Genesis 49:24 and Ruth 1:20–21.

V. THE NEW TESTAMENT NAMES, TITLES, AND OTHER DESIGNATIONS

The fifth category deals with the New Testament Greek names, titles and other designations for God.

A. Greek Names

1. Theos

The first name is the Greek word Theos, which is equivalent to the Hebrew word Elohim and expresses the essential deity and essence of God. It is used over one thousand times in the New Testament of the true God. One example is John 1:1. Also like the Hebrew Elohim, it is used of the heathen gods in Acts 28:6 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

2. Kurios

The second New Testament Greek name is Kurios, which means “Lord” and is the equivalent of two Old Testament names, YHVH and Adonai. The root for Kurios is a Greek root that means “power.” It emphasizes God as the Mighty One, the Lord Possessor and Ruler. It emphasizes God as the One who is, and who was, and who is to come in Revelation 1:4; 2:8; 21:6; and 22:13. It is a word used of both human relationships in Matthew 6:24 and divine relationships in Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 4:11. As a title for Jesus, it is used six hundred fifty times, clearly identifying Him with the Elohim and YHVH of the Old Testament as in Matthew 3:3.

3. Despoteis

A third New Testament Greek name is the word Despoteis, which means “lord,” “master,” “owner.” The English word “despot” comes from this Greek word. It is used in reference both to God and to man. When it is used of human relationships, it emphasizes a man as an owner, particularly a slave owner in 1 Timothy 6:1–2. But the term Despoteis as a concept of ownership is also used of God. It is used of God the Father in Luke 2:29 and Acts 4:24 and of the Messiah in 2 Peter 2:1.

4. Logos

A fourth New Testament Greek name is the term Logos, which means “Word.” The root has the concept of “thought,” “conception,” “expression,” or “utterance.” It is used of the Messiah in John 1:1–14. It emphasizes a revealer in John 1:18; as the visible portrayal of the invisible God in John 6:46 and Hebrews 1:3; and Yeshua as the embodiment of divine wisdom and the collective thought of God in 1 Corinthians 1:24; Ephesians 3:10–11; and Colossians 2:2–3.

5. Hupsistos

The fifth New Testament Greek name is Hupsistos, which means “the Highest.” It emphasizes God as the Highest in Heaven in Matthew 21:9 and as God Most High in Hebrews 7:1. It is used of the Messiah in Luke 1:32.

6. Pantokrator

And the sixth New Testament Greek name is Pantokrator, which means “the Almighty” emphasizing God as the All Powerful One. It is a word used only of God as in Revelation 1:8.

B. The Trinitarian Titles

All three of the Trinitarian titles are found in Matthew 28:19: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

1. Father

Concerning the title Father, the Greek word is Pateir that designates God the Father as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; and Colossians 1:3; the Heavenly Father in John 17:1; the Father of spirits in Hebrews 12:9; the Holy Father in John 17:11; the righteous Father in John 17:25; the Father of lights in James 1:17. When the First Person is called the Father, it emphasizes Him in three relationships: first, as the Father of Creation in 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Ephesians 3:14–15; secondly, as the Father of the Messiah in Luke 2:49; and thirdly, as the Father of believers in John. 1:12; Romans 8:15; and Galatians 4:5–6.

2. Son

The second Trinitarian title is Son, specifically used of the Lord Jesus Christ. The term Lord emphasizes His deity; the name Jesus, meaning “salvation,” emphasizes His humanity; and the title Christ emphasizes His office, for it is the Greek word for Messiah, which means “the Anointed One” in Hebrew.

3. Holy Spirit

The third Trinitarian designation is that of Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has several designations: the Spirit of God in Romans 8:14; the Spirit of truth in John 16:13; the Spirit of life in Romans 8:2; the Spirit of Christ in Romans 8:9; the spirit of adoption in Romans 8:15; and the Holy Spirit of promise in Ephesians 1:13.

C. Other Designations

Finally, other New Testament designations of God include: Creator in Romans 1:25; Potentate in 1 Timothy 6:15; shepherd in Hebrews 13:20; Bishop in 1 Peter 2:25; and King in Revelation 15:3.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS BIBLE STUDY, DR. FRUCHTENBAUM RECOMMENDS:

MBS022 THE SHECHINAH GLORY IN HISTORY AND PROPHECY. https://ariel.org.nz/product/the-shechinah-glory-in-history-and-prophecy/

MBS050 The Trinity. https://ariel.org.nz/product/the-trinity/

MBS051 God the Father. https://ariel.org.nz/product/god-the-father/