Ben, Joe, Sara, Sally, Sue. What does a name tell you? We place a lot of value and summarize all we are in our personal names. And Bill's "a rose by any other name" comment notwithstanding, we make definite associations by names.
Yet by itself, a name doesn't truly reveal a whole lot. Perhaps that's why you might be wondering about my...unfamiliar appellation. (ha-ha. get it? appellation? never mind) I'm sure you're more familiar with the import of names like Jacob, the deceiver, Joshua, Jehovah is salvation, or the wonderful names of the Son of God--Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins, Emmanuel, because He is God with us, Christ, because He is the Anointed One.
But what's with this "Apelles" thing?
In Romans 16:10, Paul is concluding his inspired treatise on salvation with some personal comments and commendations. He says, "Greet Apelles, approved in Christ."
My Pastor, David Whitcomb of Community Baptist Church in Greer, SC, brought my attention to this verse. In fact, he preached an entire message on the names in this list. Now, maybe you're more insightful than I, but I have always struggled to find meaning and instruction in the lists of names in the Bible, be they geneologies or salutations. But this name really caught my attention. Apelles...approved in Christ.
"Approved" is a word that refers to proven character, to be shown as genuine on the basis of testing (BDAG). It does not convey the concept of approval in the sense you might be thinking. Apelles, like any true Christian, was already accepted in the Beloved. He was already accepted by God just as much as Christ is. A good translation of this phrase would be "Apelles, the tried and true Christian."
I do not know what Apelles did to be approved, and so apparently what he did is not the point. The point is, what can I do to be approved in Christ?
Some other passages that use the exact same word are a good place to start.
Take James 1:12. It tells me that I can be approved by enduring temptation. 2 Corinthians 10:18 tells me that God is the only true validator of my enduring character, and 1 Corinthians 11:19 reveals that standing against heresy is a sure way for me to become tried and true. Paul's great personal fear was that, after preaching to others, he would turn from the truth and be unapproved.
But perhaps the most meaningful passage of all to me is 2 Timothy 2:15. I must study, applying diligent effort to demonstrate myself to be tried and true, becoming a worker that does not need to be ashamed, cutting the Word of God in a proper line.
And so when I see the name Apelles, I think of my need to resist temptation, to stand for and fight for God's truth, to apply my entire mind and energy to understanding God's Word. I am reminded that one man countless decades ago lived a proven Christian life through all trials. And I am stirred to meet the Biblical standard of "tried and true."
That's what I think when I see the name "Apelles." But I was wondering--what do people think when they see and hear your name? What characteristics does your name bring to the minds of your families, your closest friends, or even those who know you only from a distance? Perhaps Apelles is a good goal for us all.
david
Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands:
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.
Othello, Act 3, Scene 3
William Shakespeare
Great posting on a name!
I think that the true key to having a good
and meaningful name is to not seek for it.
I believe that that to have a truly approveable
name, we must seek first the name of Christ,
and be entirely focused on giving Him a good
name in the world around us. If we are entirely
focused on making Him preeminent (Col 1:18) We need not worry what others think of us.