Article June 29, 1957 Issue

NAME AND NATURE

MARION M. BISHOP

What's in a name? More than a personal identification tag or a casual title; much more, as anyone who has made a study of word origins and derivations can tell us. In its deeper significance, a name often denotes some outstanding quality or characteristic of the bearer. Students of Christian Science are particularly interested, of course, in the meaning of Scriptural names and of the word "name" itself as used in the Bible, for it stands for nature or essential character. This meaning held in thought as we study makes many verses clearer.

We easily see that the works Christ Jesus did in his Father's name were really in the Father's nature of goodness and love and that the "name which is above every name," which God gave him (Phil. 2:9), was of course the nature of God's own holiness, above all earthly natures. In fact, it was the spiritual nature of God, which Jesus expressed as the Christ, and not his human name of Jesus which healed those who sought him.

Mary Baker Eddy was divinely led to interpret the word "name" in the Lord's Prayer, in the phrase (Matt. 6:9), "Hallowed be thy name," as "Adorable One" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 16). Much spiritual enlightenment and blessing come for those who deeply ponder and truly pray this succinct phrase, "Adorable One."

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