About Jesus Steve Sweetman

About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman

Misusing God's Name

I was raised in 1950's and 1960's King James Bible style Evangelical Christianity where I perceived we believed the third command told us not to use the name of God or Jesus as a swear word. This was based on the KJV's rendering of the third command found in Exodus 20:7.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

Here's Exodus 20:7 in the New International Bible.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."

Here's Exodus 20:7 in the Christian Standard Bible.

"Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name."

Both the NIV's and the CSB's translation of the third command tell us not to misuse the name of our Lord. I prefer the word "misuse" over the KJV's words "in vain" because I think it better reflects the contextual meaning of the verse and makes it more understandable in today's world. So what does this mean? Is there more to the third command than what I understood as a child?

The Ten Commandments were originally given to the Jews who were known by the name of Yahweh, their God. New Testament Christians are known by the name of Jesus, much like I am known by the Sweetman family name. Whether it's the Jews of old, Christians, or me, misrepresenting, abusing or disgracing a name that we are associated with misuses that name. We bear that name in vain, causing it to lose its rightful meaning.

If I act like an arrogant, stupid fool, I am destroying the Sweetman name in the locality in which I live. People will believe that all Sweetmans are like me, when they are not. You might say that the name Sweetman loses its sweetness. It's what taking a name in vain means.

It is a mistake to selfishly use the name of Jesus as if it was a magical formula to claim something from God that we think we deserve. The phrase "in the name of Jesus" as it applies to Christians means that because we belong to Jesus, we are known by His name, and thus, we must live accordingly. We must represent Jesus as He wants to be represented. Anything we do that discredits or disgraces Jesus misuses His name. It violates the intent of the third commandment.

Such violations have been commonplace throughout Christian history. When the fourth century Emperor Constantine and his successors tried to Christianize the Roman Empire through political mandates, they misused Jesus' name and violated the third command. When the eleventh-century Holy Roman Empire fought Muslims in the name of Christ, it misused Jesus' name and violated the third command. When sixteenth-century Christian reformers executed fellow Christians for what they perceived was heresy, they misused Jesus' name and violated the third command. When today's Christian National activists use the name of Jesus to advance their political position, they misuse the name of Jesus and violate the third command. When Christians carry crosses as if they were machine guns aimed at their social political opponents, they misuse Jesus' name and violate the third command. On and on the misuse goes.

Obviously I am opposed to irreverently using the name of Jesus or God as a swear word. That being so, taking the name of our Lord in vain means much more than that. Using Jesus to support or promote any personal cause, disgracefully misuses or takes His name in vain.

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