Acts Theology 71: The Embodied Name Of God

In Acts 4:7, the Jewish authorities questioned Peter: “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Peter’s response in Acts 4:10-12 – "let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
The Old Testament 'name theology' referred to God not just by His personal divine name (e.g., Yahweh) but also as 'Ha Shem' (the Name). This was often a circumlocution, but in certain passages like Isaiah 30:27 and Exodus 23, the Name was personified or embodied in a human figure, an angel, in whom God's very essence resided. When Peter invokes 'the Name' of Jesus, his Jewish audience would connect this profound concept of God's embodied presence and authority to Jesus, suggesting Jesus is the very essence and embodiment of God.
This challenges us to consider the profound depth of Jesus' identity. When we invoke the 'name of Jesus,' we are not merely speaking a word or title; we are appealing to the embodied essence and authority of God Himself. It calls us to a deeper understanding of His person and the divine authority he wields, reminding us that salvation and power flow from His very being.