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Bible Dictionaries
Jesus
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua (‘salvation of Jahweh’), as we find it in the Septuagint and NT writings. It is thus applied to-
1. Jesus Christ; see article Christ, Christology.
2. Joshua the son of Nun, who led Israel into Canaan; referred to by Stephen in his speech before the council (Acts 7:45) and by the writer to the Hebrews (Hebrews 4:8). See Joshua.
3. Jesus surnamed Justus (Colossians 4:11), a Christian convert of Jewish descent who was with the Apostle Paul in Rome at the date of his writing the Epistle to the Colossians. He is described, along with Mark and Aristarchus, as a fellow-worker unto the Kingdom of God and as having been a comfort unto the Apostle. This reference singles out the three mentioned as the only members of the ‘circumcision’ who had been helpful to the Apostle in Rome, and reminds us of the constant hatred which the narrower Jewish Christians exhibited towards St. Paul, and also of the failure of many of the Roman Christians to assist and stand by the Apostle during his imprisonment (cf. Philippians 2:20-21, 2 Timothy 4:10). It has been pointed out that the mention of Jesus in this passage by the Apostle creates difficulties for those who impugn the authenticity of the Epistle and suggest that it is based on Philemon. If Philemon is genuine, why add an unknown name which might arouse suspicion? It is extremely unlikely that an imitator would add a name which so soon became sacred among Christians (cf. A. S. Peake, in Expositor’s Greek Testament , ‘Colossians,’ 1903, p. 546).
W. F. Boyd.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Jesus'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/j/jesus.html. 1906-1918.
