In Philippians 2:9-11 we read. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
How do you understand Philippians 2:9-11?
At first glance, it seems as if the Bible says, by the name of Jesus every knee should bow and acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord. So, the name of Jesus carries with it such authority that only speaking the name would cause everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth to bow.
The problem with this interpretation is that the Bible was not originally written in English but in Greek. In Greek, it says Jesus was given the onoma above every ononma. (the name above every name). What does onoma mean in Greek? It could mean name or reputation, or both at the same time. How, then, are we to understand Phil 2:9-11? Was Jesus given the name above every name, reputation above every reputation, or both?
To understand the answer to this question, we first have to begin reading from Phil 2:6: “Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,” In Greek, the last part of this sentence reads: counted equality not something that could be grasped. Did you catch that? Phil 2:6 says: Jesus never aspired to be equal with God because equality with God is not possible. The first part of the sentence reads: who, being present as an appearance of God in character and action.
Phil 2:6 reads in Greek: Who, being present as an appearance of God in character and action counted equality not something that could be grasped.
In verse 7, the Bible says Jesus chose to become a slave of God, and therefore Yehovah birthed him into this world as a human being. In verse 8, the Bible says Jesus discovered his calling to be an appearance of God in character and action as a slave of God; Yehovah made him obedient to death, even death on a cross. 9. Therefore exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So Jesus was given the name above every name because He decided to be a slave of God and live in total obedience to Yehovah. This is also what Jesus taught us to do (Matt 6:25-34, 7:21-23) and what Paul did (1. Chor 11).
This proves he was given a reputation above every reputation because of what he did.
But what about the name?
The name Jesus with a J does not exist; it is a translation of the Hebraic name Yeshua which is short for Yehoshua. Yeshua/Yehoshua means Yehovah saves. This meaning of the name is essential:
In verse 8, we learn how Jesus’s decision to be a slave to Yehovah and live in total obedience to Him led to Yehovah strengthening Jesus to be obedient to death, even death on a cross. Jesus’s death on the cross is our only means of reconciliation with Yehovah. But as we have just learned, Jesus could only be obedient to death, even death on a cross, because Yehovah strengthens him. So the one responsible for Jesus’s death on the cross is not Jesus; it is Yehovah.
So Yeshua the man was given a reputation above every reputation because he chose to be obedient to Yehovah, obedient until death. But Yehovah, our God, reconciles us by the Blood of Yeshua, and His name (Yehovah saves) is the name above every name because of what our God has done for us.
It is, therefore, both the name Yeshua and the reputation.
How does this help us in our everyday life and living?
The first and most important part of this is verse 5, for here we read how Paul encourages us to have the mind of Christ. He then proceeds to describe how Christ was given a reputation above every reputation because he decided to become a slave of God, just as Paul says in 1. Cor 11 and John in 1.John 2: If we imitate the life of Christ, we will have a living saving faith.
The second and just as important part of this is the power in the name Yeshua which means Yehovah saves. In Numbers 6:27, the Bible says that if we call upon Yehovah’s name, He will come and bless us. In Prov 18:10 and Psalm 91:2, the Bible says the name of Yehovah is a protection and a strong tower for those who have the mind of Christ. So when you need salvation (not just for eternal life, but also deliverance from your everyday life challenges), Phil 2:9-11, Numbers 6:27, Prov 18:19, and Psalm 91:2 say we are to call upon the name of Yeshua and Yehovah will deliver us.
How Yehovah will deliver us, we can’t know in advance; the only thing we can know for sure is that He will deliver us one way or the other if we have the mind of Christ and call upon His name.