No Other Name

Scripture — Acts 4:5-12 (NRSV)

The rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is

‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Devotion

Happy Easter—we’re still in the Easter season and will be until May 19, which is Pentecost. During the Easter season, in my Episcopal tradition we read passages from Acts instead of an Old Testament lesson so that we can hear the story of the early church. (You can read more about the history behind this practice here.)

If you take some time to read through Acts, you will probably notice two things. One is that it’s actually pretty exciting. There are dramatic sea voyages, dramatic imprisonments, dramatic escapes, dramatic debates, and (unfortunately) dramatic executions. The second thing is that every so often the action stops so someone can deliver a sermon. Jesus’s early followers are frequently asked about what they are doing by someone in authority, and every time this happens those followers, speaking through the power of the Holy Spirit, testify about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (fulfilling Jesus’ own prophecy in Matthew 10:19).

This particular sermon takes place after Peter and John have been arrested at the order of the “priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees” (Acts 4:1). Acts 4:2-3 says that they are arrested for their preaching, but Peter seems clearly to think that his arrest is also connected to the dramatic healing of a lame man he had performed right before he started preaching (Acts 3:1-10). Acts 4:14 says that the formerly lame man is also present at the trial.

If you read further in Acts 4, you will learn that those who have put Peter and John on trial agree that a significant sign has occurred through this healing (4:16) but attempt to prevent news of it spreading further (4:18)—possibly, though the text doesn’t say this, with the specter of some kind of Roman crackdown if this apparently internal Jewish religious dispute got out of hand.

Peter’s sermon here is a lot shorter than some later examples of testimony in Acts (compare it with Stephen’s great sermon in Acts 7 and Paul’s speech at the Areopagus in Acts 17.) But it follows the same basic outline: God has acted in history, and God has acted most significantly in history through the raising of Jesus of Nazareth, who was killed by human hands. Because God has acted in this way, everything is different; and because God has acted in this way, we need to respond.

I take a couple of things away from this story. One is that, if you’re going to carry a summary of the Gospel around inside your head for those moments when you are asked to verbally testify (which may be fewer than you think), this is a really good one. It preserves the notion of Christianity as a historical faith, not just vague nice feelings. It presents the narrative as a communal and cosmic story, not just a truth about individual human hearts. It places the responsibility for the Crucifixion on human sin (rather than some desire by God to torture . . .God?), and attributes the Resurrection solely to the miraculous power of God. It reminds us that this isn’t just an interesting anecdote, but something we are asked to reckon with.

That reckoning is my second takeaway. A lot of ink has been spilled in church history about what it means that there is no other name besides Jesus’ name that saves. Does it mean that people have to explicitly hear the name? Or can people who never manage to hear it, through no fault of their own, respond to the light they have been given? Once you hear it, can you unhear it and (in the terminology of my youth) “backslide,” and if so, is there grace?

As so often with these debates, I think we are, to some measure, asking the wrong questions. If you’re reading this devotional, then you’ve already heard the name of Jesus. How do you respond to it? In what areas of your life does Jesus have lordship? How can you live in response to his grace? If those of us who knew the name all lived according to and in response to the name, I think the other debates would probably take care of themselves.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Can a Great Failure Become a Great Leader?