"Now You Are God's People" - "A PEOPLE FOR HIS NAME"

At a meeting of the governing body of first-century Christias held in 49 C.E., the disciple James stated: "Symeon [Peter] had related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name." (Acts 15:14)  This new people bearing Jehovah's name could include both Jewish and non-Jewish believers. (Romans 11:25, 26) Later, Peter wrote: "You were once not a people, but now you are God's people."  Peter outlined their mission by stating: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies' of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9, 10) They were to sound forth the praises of the One they represented and publicly glorify his name.  They were to be courageous witnesses for Jehovah, the Universal Sovereign.

As had been true of fleshly Israel, members of spiritual Israel were the ones Jehovah called "the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise." (Isaiah 43:21)Exposing all the false gods that were being worshipped at that time, those early Christians boldly proclaimed that Jehovah is the one true God.  (1 Thessalonians 1:9)  They bore Witness to Jehovah and to Jesus "in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth." -ACTS 1:8; Colossians 1:23. 

An intrepid member of the first-century "people for [Jehovah's]name" was the apostle Paul.  Standing before pagan Philosophers, he boldly defended the sovereignty of Jehovah, "the true God who made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth." (Acts 17:18, 23-25) Toward the end of his third missionary journey, Paul warned members of God's name people: "I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." (Acts 20:29, 30) This foretold apostasy had clearly manifested itself by the end of the first century. - 1 JOHN 2:18, 19.

After the death of the apostles, that apostasy blossomed and produced the churches of Christendom.  Far from proving to be "a people for [Jehovah's ] name," apostate Christians have even removed the divine name from many of their translations of the Bible.  They have adopted pagan rituals and have dishonored God by their unscriptural dogmas, their "holy wars," and their earth but no organized "people for his name." 

Next time: "Now You Are God's People" - REBIRTH OF GOD'S PEOPLE 

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