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Question Title Posted By Question Date
Titles Edward Saturday, October 6, 2007

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatius Mary,

As titles such as "King of Kings" and "Queen of Heaven" were once applied to Nebuchadrezzar and the pagan goddess Ishtar, but are now properly applied to Jesus and Mary, is it proper to use to use other titles/names for God, such as "All-Father," which was once applied to the pagan god Odin?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Edward:

I think it is perfectly okay to refer to God according to the titles He gives for Himself. There are many titles for God in the Bible (which is God's Word). Here are a few (with scripture references):

our Advocate (1 John 2:1)
the Almighty (Rev. 1:8; Mt. 28:18)
the  Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)
the Great Amen (Rev. 3:14)
the Apostle of our Profession (Heb. 3:1)
the Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins (1 John 2:2)
the Author of Life (Acts 3:15)
the Author and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:2)
the Author of Salvation (Heb. 2:10)
the Beginning and End (Rev. 22:13)
the Blessed and only Ruler (1 Tim. 6:15)
the Bread of God (John 6:33)
the Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)
the Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15)
the Capstone (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7)
and Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20)
our  Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4)
the Christ (1 John 2:22)
and our Creator (John 1:3)
our blessed Deliverer (Rom. 11:26)
he is Eternal Life (1 John 1:2; 5:20)
the Gate (John 10:9)
the Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11)
the Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5)
the Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 3:14)
the First and Last (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13)
the Firstborn From the Dead (Rev. 1:5)
the Firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15)
the Gate (John 10:9) of eternal life
He is God (John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5; 2 Pet. 1:1;1 John 5:20; etc.)
the  Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20)
the Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14)
the Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23)
the Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)
our High Priest (Heb. 2:17)
the Holy and True (Rev. 3:7)
the Holy One (Acts 3:14)
our Hope (1 Tim. 1:1)
our Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27)
the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)
the I Am (John 8:58)
the Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4)
the Immanuel (Mt. 1:23)
the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)
the King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)
the King of Israel (John 1:49)
the King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11)
the King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
the King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3)
the Lamb (Rev. 13:8)
the Lamb of God (John 1:29)
the Lamb Without Blemish (1 Pet. 1:19)
the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)
the Life (John 14:6; Col. 3:4)
and the Light of the World (John 8:12)
the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5)
the Living One (Rev. 1:18)
and the Living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4)
the Lord (2 Pet. 2:20)
Lord of All (Acts 10:36)
Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8)
and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)
the Man from Heaven (1 Cor. 15:48)
the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15)
the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)
the Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
the Offspring of David (Rev. 22:16)
the Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:9)
Our Great God and Savior (Titus 2:13)
Our Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Husband (2 Cor. 11:2)
Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3)
Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Sacrificed Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)
the Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
the Precious Cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6)
the Prophet (Acts 3:22)
and Rabbi (Mt. 26:25)
the Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)
the Righteous Branch (Jer. 23:5)
the Righteous One (Acts 7:52; 1 John 2:1)
the Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)
and the Root of David (Rev. 5:5; 22:16)
the Ruler of God’s Creation (Rev. 3:14)
the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5)
the Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)
the Son of David (Lk. 18:39)
Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14)
Son of Man (Mt. 8:20)
Son of the Most High God (Lk. 1:32)
the Source of Eternal Salvation for all who obey him (Heb. 5:9)
The One Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5)
The Stone the builders rejected (Acts 4:11)
True Bread (John 6:32)
the True Light (John 1:9)
and True Vine (John 15:1)
the Truth (John 1:14; 14:6)
and the Way (John 14:6)
the  Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
the Word (John 1:1)
the Word of God (Rev. 19:13).

The following are titles given to God by the Church. These are perfectly okay also as the Church has been given the authority from Christ Himself to decide such things:

Our Lord and God is all in all. God of Heaven, God of earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of Virgins, God who has power to give life after death and rest after work, because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no other, for Thou are the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of Whose reign there shall be no end, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy glorious majesty.

If we could not use a title merely because a pagan used the same title, then we could not use any title whatsoever. Pope (pope means "Father"), teacher, brother, brethren, king, queen, prince, etc. are all titles used by pagans.

The issue is not the title, but WHO holds that title and who PROPERLY holds that title. Anyone can claim to be King of Kings, but only God is the true King of Kings. Anyone can claim to be Queen of Heaven, but only the Blessed Virgin Mary is the true Queen of Heaven.

There are many who are called god, even the actress Shirley MacLaine has called herself god; but there is only one true God.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary


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