Dr Paul Allen

“And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.” ( Genesis 7:16 ) Many stirring books have been written on the general subject of the names of God. Most of the names make use of one or two of the three primary names. The first is Elohim , meaning “mighty one.” It is a uni-plural name—plural in form but singular in meaning and verb usage, suggesting the uni-plural nature of the triune Godhead , appearing in most English translations as “God.” It most often is used when worldwide events or attributes are discussed, including creation, judgment, sovereignty, transcendence, and salvation. The second is Jehovah , meaning “the self-existent one,” which appears as “LORD” in English translations. It stresses God’s holiness, nearness, concern for man (especially Israel ), hatred of sin, love of sinners, and His revelatory nature and communication. The third is Adonai , a more general term meaning master and used of both men...

Titlepage of the New Testament section of a German Luther Bible, printed in 1769. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In the New Testament , the Greek word for bishop is the term episcopus. The word episcopushas a rich and fascinating history. It is made up of a prefix epi and a root scopus. We get the English word scope from this root. A scope is an instrument we use to look at things. We have microscopes to look at little things and telescopes to look at things that are far away. The prefix epi serves simply to intensify a root. There is, for example, knowledge (gnosis) and profound knowledge ( epignosis ). There is desire (thumia) and passionate desire or lust (epithumia). We see then that an episcopus is a person who looks at something intensely. In the ancient Greek world , an episcopus could be a military general who periodically visited various units of the army to make them stand inspection. If the troops were alert, sharp, and battle-ready, then they received the commendation of th...