The Meaning and Importance of Names

 

According to the Biblical Worldview, the Name Contains the Essence of a Thing

According to the Biblical worldview of the ancient world, the name of a thing contained its essence. Therefore, to know the name of a thing was to have power over it. To be able to name a thing was to have the essential understanding of it. Having learned the name of a thing, its use was not too far away.

This is fundamentally the way that names were understood by the early Church, particularly by those authors that we describe as "the Fathers of the Church." As a result, when we look to the Fathers for interpretation of the epistle reading, which we had today from the Acts of the Holy Apostles, we find that the Fathers agree that it is no gratuitous detail that Saint Luke (the author of the Acts) gives the name of the woman Peter raised from the dead AND also interprets that name. St. Luke tells us her name was Tabitha, which means "a gazelle or young deer." Thus, the name is given first in Syriac, then in its Greek form (Dorcas).

When Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Bede the Venerable see Saint Luke record the details of the story in this way, the see in those details things of great significance. It is through the name and the description of the deeds of the individual, they point out, that Saint Luke is holding Tabitha (Dorcas) up as a model of emulation.

The Significance of Tabitha (Gazelle or Fallow Deer)

Chrysostom and Bede immediately begin to reflect upon the nature of the animal that is described by the Syriac word tabitha. Tabitha is an herbivore that, for its own safety, on account of fear of predators, dwells in the mountains. Chrysostom and Bede look to this detail for a description of the conduct of all the saints. The saints, those who are truly in Christ, are to be peaceable and unwarlike, doing injury to none. They are to be like the herbivores of the animal kingdom. Chrysostom points out that it is sometimes the case that a dangerous snake can be killed by a stag's antlers, but a fallow deer is completely helpless, with no other recourse from predators but flight.

In addition to this consideration, the fallow deer is also a model for the saints in that she, first of all, must dwell in the mountains, so as to avoid predators. In just the same way, the saints must keep their minds on the things of Heaven, on the Kingdom that is above, in order to avoid dangerous falls among the spiritual predators of this world. This way of reasoning was very familiar to the Fathers of Church. In the well-known communion prayer authored by Saint Symeon Metaphrastes the Logothete, the saint excuses himself for approaching Holy Communion (even though he considers himself unworthy). He says that, despite his unworthiness, he is receiving communion in the Body an Blood of the Lord, so that the Enemy will not find him vulnerable, having long absented himself from Holy Communion. As he puts it, "lest I should fall prey to the intangible wolf."

Yes, the fallow deer must live in the mountains, the saint of God must live with his thoughts on the things above in the Heavenly Kingdom. Nevertheless, the fallow deer must be constantly aware of potential threats. For the saint, of whom the fallow deer is a symbol, these threats come from thoughts. It is largely the life we live in our thoughts, which determines our salvation or our damnation. We must strive to be constantly aware of potential threats that come to us from our thoughts. 

The Community Also Bears Witness What Kind of a Person Tabitha Was

When Peter arrives in Joppa, the Christian widows of the town come to him weeping, telling him about the recently departed Tabitha, and showing him various tokens, which stand as evidences of her good works. When she was still alive, it is clear by implication, she was very much one in solidarity with this group of holy women. They are now intercessors for her before the Lord and His holy apostle. We should notice that there is no distinction in this depiction between the prayers and good works of the departed Tabitha. She was an intercessor entire by prayer and by deed, just as her friends are now interceding for her.

Tabitha was indeed the fallow deer, with her mind on the things above in the Heavenly Kingdom, yet she was also constantly attentive to potential threats from the spiritual carnivores, the malevolent evil spirits that seek our destruction in this world. In addition, she lived her life for others, both by prayer and good works. Apparently, she was a gifted seamstress, and she used her gifts in the service of others.

Indeed, what amazing things the Fathers have found in the details of this story! Through their interpretations, Chrysostom and Bede have given us, in Tabitha, an model of the Christian life worthy of emulation. This model contains for us various imperatives. First of all, as people who truly believe that Christ has risen from the dead, we must strive to meditate from day to day upon the things above in the Heavenly Kingdom, reading and meditating on the words of Holy Scripture. Second, however, we must be constantly aware of what is going on in our thoughts, so that we are not subtly and gradually enticed to evil. We must cast aside every evil thought that we become aware of, either outright, or by substituting the evil thought for one, which is good. Lastly, we must live for others by prayer and deed, with gladness and joy, full of confidence in the life that we share in Christ.