The names of God and of Christ are not mere names, such as those we use to distinguish one person from another, but designate qualities, or attributes, or dispensational relationships, and thus are indicative of the character in which God, or Christ, is spoken of in the place where the name is used. This makes a reference to these names often of moment, and facility of reference to them very convenient. And, while the study of the particular passage is that which, with divine help, gives the best insight into the use of the particular title, yet the gathering them together in one collected whole, gives a clearer perception of how large the field of inquiry is.
The use of special names in particular epistles too, tends to characterise the epistle itself, and the mind of the Spirit in it. Thus, in Thessalonians-the freshest of all the epistles, addressed to new converts in all the bloom of their living and early faith, though in the midst of persecution, and taught to look constantly for Christ-we have the simplest names given, and of titles peculiar to them one only in each, and these as simple, and experimentally personal as the rest.
Something of the same kind will be found in Timothy 1, 2, where we shall find, with much ecclesiastical instruction, little development doctrinally of the characters and dispensational positions of Christ.
The frequency of the term, God our Saviour, in Titus is striking. It may be well to notice that it is found also in Timothy, and is characteristic of what are called the pastoral epistles, more directly connected with Christ in Titus, but possibly, in one case at any rate, referring to God as God. The comparison of these passages will lead, under God's grace, to deeper acquaintance with the mind of God. It is in facilitating such research that this index has its value.
I add another example. In the book of Revelation the titles not found elsewhere are far more numerous than those which are. It is a book of special dealings and dispensation, and is thus characterised, not by the simple personal name and title, Jesus Christ, with doctrines reasoned out connected with them ; but by the names which relate to those dealings.
The same will be found in a measure in the epistle to the Hebrews, where the special new position of the Christ is brought out in contrast with Judaism. In the Epistle of John, His person, God and man in one, becomes life and light in and to man, also gives more than one or two distinctive names.
The index will afford great help to those who, with a serious heart, search scripture to know Christ better. This they must do to make it really profitable, and study the names in their scriptural connection. It is not desirable, nor would it be useful as a mere table of names without this.
Here and there, there may be passages, the application of which to Christ may be doubtful, and in some scriptures God and Christ are so united in the Spirit's mind in one person, that it is as difficult to distinguish them as it is in this case undesirable ; but the value of the index is just this, that it facilitates and suggests these inquiries. But I repeat, to use it to profit, it must be followed out in the study of the context of the inspired word.
J. N. D.