What's in a name?

What’s in a name?

By: Dr. Jeff Fuller

Names are funny.  Whether it is a surname, a business name, or a nickname.  Sometimes you have surprise a grin and belly laugh when you see the names of some of these.

Such as my last name.  “Fuller” means “someone who treats wool” (Wikipedia) and in scripture means, “cleansing garments and whitening them” (Smith's Bible Dictionary).  Through the process of washing and working the rough wool, it was made usable for clothing.  Additionally, the fuller used soap to make clean the garments.  As recorded in Malachi, “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap.” (Malachi 3:2 KJV)

Then there is the family who just moved to our area, they are the Biernesser’s.  Now that is truly a name.  It means, “beer maker.”  That is a good solid Baptist member name.

A friend of mine once owned a company named “ATAP.”  He named it as such, because he believed that “All Things Are Possible.”  Yes, that comes from scripture: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13 KJV)

Then there are nicknames.  I am called “Bubba” by my brother and nieces and nephew.  This is the same nickname my dad was called growing up.  At times it came out as “Bubber,” by my aunt, as she addressed her brother, and at times that is the way it has come out for me.  My oldest niece was singing one day, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.  Uncle Bubba in the sky…”

Recently while we were riding along the highways and country roads of our great state, I started paying close attention to the names of churches.  Some names are easy to understand, while others are very difficult to comprehend.

Take these examples.

When you are passing through Rockford and you see the sign of Rockford Baptist Church, that makes sense right.  Or the Church at Brook Hills, Gardendale First Baptist Church, and Flint River United Methodist Church.  Those all reflect the community and town in which those churches reside.

On the other hand there are those which must be pondered.  If you are passing through the farmland of a beautiful countryside and you stumble up on a little building with no trees around it and the sigh reads Shady Grove Independent United African Methodist Episcopalian Church you must scratch your head in amazement.  Another good one was Lakeview Church of Christ.  There was not a lake within fifteen miles.

The best ones I say was the very ones that left me totally baffled.  We passed New Hope Baptist Church.  Then less than a mile, on the other side of the road was New Hope #2 Baptist Church.  Another two miles and we encountered The Church of New Hope and across the street was Hope Church.  I would have to say that someone was really having trouble with “hope.”

There is one name that will never give you pause, cause you to scratch your head, or make you take another look.  That name is a name that has been around for a long time-since the beginning of time.  It is a name which causes angels to rejoice and hell to tremble.  That name is the name “Jesus.”

The scripture tells us that the name of Jesus is powerful and strong.  Paul wrote, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11 KJV)

Until next time…