Our Father's Identity

Many people are accustomed to saying "e;Our Father"e; but they know little about who Our Father is, his identity. We are all most likely to be familiar with the term, in someone s name. We use the term to mean we are acting as agent for another person, with their complete authority and approval. Unfortunately, our modern cultures seldom represent the full meaning of name, as was the case in the Hebrew and Greek texts. There, what is translated as name, in most translations, would be better described as identity, today. Let me illustrate with an all-too-frequent criminal event, identity theft. When someone steals another s identity, they are doing much more that using one s name. They are:1. In fact, using one s name or appellation (what a person is called or called by). 2. But also, impersonating that person s character, for purposes of deceiving or defrauding. 3. Exercising that person s authority to take action or cause action. 4. Taking or filling that person s role or responsibility. All four of these attributes represent what the Hebrew or Greek mean by what is translated as name. Therefore, in The Meaning Bible, and in this Learning Module, we use the term identity to indicate that we mean all four attributes, not just name or appellation. We want to learn Our Father s Identity.