The names and titles of Jesus Christ show not only what he has accomplished but also what he is doing today. Seated at right hand of God means he has all authority, but also that he is carrying out God’s will as his CEO (chief executive officer). He has given us his name to use in our prayer life and that name is above every other name.
Captain is the Greek work archegos, from archo, to be first, rule, take commencement. The Aramaic word is risha. Archegos is translated prince, captain and author in the KJV. One definition is “one who takes the lead in anything and thus affords an example, a predecessor in a matter.”
Acts 3:12-16 APNT (after man at gate Beautiful was healed)
And when Simon saw [it], he answered and said to them, “Men, sons of Israel, why do you wonder at this [man]? Or why do you look at us as if by our own power or by our authority we did this, so that this [man] would walk?
13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, after he had thought it right to let him go.
14 But you denied the Holy and Just [one] and requested that a murderer should be given to you.
15 And you killed that Prince [risha] of Life, whom God raised from the dead. And we all are his witnesses.
16 And by the faith of his name he has strengthened and healed this [man], whom you see and know, and faith that is in him has given him this wholeness before all of you.
Jesus is the first or predecessor of all who will be raised from the dead. And by his name the man was healed who had been unable to walk since birth.
Acts 5:29-32 APNT
Simon answered with the apostles and said to them, “It is right to be persuaded by God, more than by men.
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed when you hung him on the tree.
31 God has established this [man as] a leader [risha] and savior and has elevated him by his right hand to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
32 And we are witnesses of these words and [so] is the Holy Spirit that God gives to those who believe in him.”
The NET notes are interesting: “…pioneer or trailblazer – prince or leader, representative head of a family – it also contains nuances of trailblazer, one who breaks through to new ground for those who follow him.” Archegos is also used 35x in LXX as captain – military leader. A captain leads the way to capture new territory.
Hebrews 12:1-2 APNT
Because of this also, we, who have all these witnesses that surround us like a cloud, should unfasten all our burdens from us, even the sin that is always prepared for us, and we should run with patience this race that is set for us.
2 And we should look at Jesus, who was the initiator and finisher of our faith, who for the joy there was for him endured the cross and discounted the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Because he had the full measure of faith and holy spirit, he has now given that to us to use as part of our gift.
Hebrews 2:5-10 APNT (from Psalm 8)
For he did not subject the age that is to come, about which we speak, to angels.
6 But as the scripture witnesses and says: WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM AND THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU VISIT HIM?
7 YOU HUMBLED HIM LOWER THAN THE ANGELS. YOU PLACED ON HIS HEAD GLORY AND HONOR AND GAVE HIM AUTHORITY OVER THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS
8 AND YOU SUBJECTED EVERYTHING UNDER HIS FEET.
Psalm 8: “a little lower than the Elohim” is interpreted correctly by Paul as angels. The word “little” is either measure or time, so it is better to translate this as “lower than the angels for a little while.”
Now in that he subjected everything to him, he did not leave out anything that was not subjected. But now, we do not yet see that everything is subjected to him.
9 But we see him, who was humbled lower than the angels, to be [this] Jesus, because of the suffering of his death. And glory and honor are placed on his head, for by the grace of God, he tasted death in place of everyone.
10 For it was proper for him, by whose hand everything [was] and for whose sake everything [was] and [who] brought many sons into glory, that he should perfect the prince of their life by his suffering.
Jesus is the man who fulfills Psalm 8 by suffering death and then being exalted to God’s right hand. He had to share in our humanity, to suffer and to die, so that we might share in his glory. He is the author or pioneer of salvation – he was qualified to be the trailblazer for the saving of many sons who will also be above the angels in the age to come.
Jesus is now not only our captain but the head of the Body. The word risha in Aramaic and it also means HEAD, or first leader.
Ephesians 1:19-23 KJV
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
NOW he has given us the right to use his name and all things will be put under our feet too in the future. So we should have no discouragement or despair – we have a great hope! The work is done. Christ is the second Adam. He will reign and rule and his brothers, the partakers of his salvation will reign with him. Jesus is the captain of their (the many sons) salvation.
Ephesians 4:13-16 APNT
until we all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and one mature man, in the measure of the standing of the fullness of Christ.
14 And we should not be babies, who are shaken and blown about by every wind of the deceitful teachings of men, who in their craftiness are plotting to deceive.
15 But we should be steadfast in our love, so that [in] everything we ourselves may grow up in Christ, who is the head. [captain, ruler, prince, author and finisher of our salvation]
16 And from him the whole body is fit together and is knit together in all the joints, according to the gift that is given by measure to each member for the growth of the body, that its building up would be accomplished in love.according to the gift that is given by measure to each member for the growth of the body, that its building up would be accomplished in love.
