When God gave a new name
The Name Above Every Name
Every renaming in Scripture, every new name given to a servant or a stranger or a wandering people, seems finally to lean toward one Name that stands above them all. In Philippians 2 Paul sets down words that many believe the earliest Christians already sang. He describes the Son who did not cling to His glory but emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, and went all the way down to death on a cross. And then the movement turns. Because of that descent, God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name. Here is the summit of the whole story. The one who bore the name meaning He saves is lifted up, and at His name every knee will one day bow. It is a passage to read on your feet, or on your knees.
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”Philippians 2:9
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”Philippians 2:10
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”Acts 4:12
The name that was given
The exaltation is described in Philippians 2:9 and 10. God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Paul does not spell out a brand new word here so much as declare the surpassing worth of the name Jesus already bears, now vindicated and enthroned. The name that an angel once whispered to Joseph, the humble name of a carpenter's son, is shown to be the name before which all creation will bend. What began in a manger is honored above every rule and title the world has ever spoken.
What the new name means
To be given the name above every name is to be given supreme authority and honor. In the world Paul knew, a name carried rank and power, and to name someone Lord was to confess where true allegiance belonged. The passage declares that this rank belongs to Jesus without rival. The confession Paul quotes, that Jesus Christ is Lord, was costly in an empire that demanded that title for its own rulers. The exalted name signifies that all other authorities, however loud, are answerable to Him. It is worth noting that the exaltation follows the humbling. The name is not seized; it is given by the Father to the Son who first went low. Glory and lowliness meet in this one Name.
How it points to Christ
This passage does not merely point to Christ; it is entirely about Him, so no reaching is needed. It gathers up every earlier renaming and shows where they were always heading. Hoshea became Joshua, the LORD saves, and the fullness of that name arrived in Jesus. Immanuel declared God with us, and here that God-with-us is enthroned. The new name promised in Christ is possible only because this Name reigns. Acts 4:12 stands close beside it, insisting that salvation is found in no other name given among men. All the paths through Scripture converge here, at the name of Jesus, before which every knee will bow, not by force alone but, for those who love Him, in gladness. It is the same name that first meant simply, He saves.
Questions people ask
What is the name above every name in Philippians 2?
Paul most naturally means the name Jesus, now exalted, before which every knee bows. Some read the given name as the title Lord, which the passage also proclaims. Either way the point is the same. The person of Jesus has been given supreme honor and authority by the Father, and His name now stands above every other name that can be spoken.
Why does the exaltation come after the humbling?
That order is the heart of the passage. Philippians 2 shows Jesus first descending, emptying Himself to the point of death on a cross, and only then being highly exalted by God. The greatness is not seized but given, and given in response to His self-giving love. It teaches that in God's kingdom the way up runs through the way down.