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******Also many who have never even heard the name 'Jesus Christ' but nonetheless worship God in faith through Him, the same person by another name.***

another name ??? ....

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

Tom and Jan are newlyweds near the college campus.

Tom is a grad student in engineering, while Jan has decided to take a semester off anticipating their first child.

Every morning Tom gets up early and goes to his 8:00 am graduate engineering classes. He generally returns in the afternoon for lunch or late at night.

Soon after he departs every morning, Jan goes for her morning walk up a freshly washed sidestreet in the fresh morning sun. Half way up the block, like clockwork, she runs into an elderly, genteel ol' gent walking his dog.

Over the years, Jan has become good friends with the elderly gent, Bob, who acts more or less as a surrogate grandfather. Jan pets the dog, scratches his head behind the ears and has become good friends with the dog and Bob, who always seems to have an anecdotal allegory for whatever difficult time might be plaguing Jan.

Now as finals approach, Tom is busy more than ever, studying for exams and preparing for his orals.

After completing his exams and preparing for his orals, Tom comes home after working all night in the library, having turned in his test and is actually at home in the morning.

Jan invites Tom for a morning walk, it's peaceful and besides maybe we'll meet Bob and perhaps he'll have an different perspective.

Tom is rather agitated because his grades from Dr. Freeman didn't come in as high as he felt he might have scored. In fact, the questions he failed to answer conclusively had not even been taught during the semester.

"That Dr. Freeman, what a jerk,...if I never see that bum again as long as I live it'll be too soon." exclaimed Tom.

Jan, attempting to console her diligent husband, remarked, "Well, it's probably not that bad,...maybe you just missed a few questions you forgot to study?"

"Balderdash!", "I studied 5 hours for every hour of class, I've read all the undergraduate work and graduate texts, it's the third class I've had in this series and my notes are more comptrehensive than the textbooks Freeman eaches about." "I know the material,...it's just the prof who wants to be a jerk and flout his authority by flunking people." "Besides, you know the guy and what a jerk he is!"

Jan trying to be understanding , remarks that she's never been introduced,...she's heard about Dr. Freeman, but never has seen him, and doesn't know who he is.

Again, Tom gets upset,..."Oh, com'on know,...you know this guy, you used to talk about him all the time. How he's your buddy."

Jan, now getting a bit defensive reasserts herself,.."No, I don't,...you've told me how tough he was, how he runs the department, but I've nver met him. I'm always at home,....besides let's stop this and go for a walk,..it'll do us both some good!"

So Jan and Tom put on their shoes and begin walking up the lane.

Tom can't seem to get this off his mind. " I could have sworn you knew Dr. Freeman and always used to talk about him."

Jan again replied, "No, you've never introduced me, I don't even know what he looks like."

About this time Bob comes around the corner walking his dog just like clockwork.

"Jan now becomes ebullient and shouts out, Hi, Bob!

Tom looks at Jan in the face and shouts,..."Why you've known Dr. Freeman all along, even better than I did!...You LIED!"

This is an example of De Re, De Dicto. ..or of the subject meaning, of the identifying name.

In this case, Tom knew the person as Dr. Freeman, while Jan knew him as Bob. The same being was known by different names, perhaps as different persons in different contexts.

In Scripture, we study God and He is known to us in three persons, but as one God. Even as one God, and as one person, each of us might be first introduced to Him in different circumstances or environment. This doesn't diminish His characteristics or qualities.

Many of us in the Church Age have a rich heritage whereby we have been provided Scripture to study these many aspects of Him.

I understand the passage in Acts to give reference that the person, Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, and raised in Nazereth. That same person is also known by over 500 names, references, nouns, in Scripture. We are saved by and through Him, and His name has been provided as such in heaven.

Wouldn't a blind-deaf-mute, if knowing Him in the person of the Son of God and Son of Man, God incarnate, who died and became the sustitutionary atonement for sin, also be a brethren of the church, a saint, even if he had never heard the name, but nevertheless believed in Him?

Interesting verse. Do you believe that if a person is not saved explicitly upon the particular name of Jesus Christ, that that person is doomed to eternal damnation?