What is Behind the Name: T Church

Prelude

When our church pondered upon a name, the adoption process was guided by certain principles:

• It should be a unique name that resonates with both current and future generations.

• It should possess simplicity in appearance yet hold profound meaning.

• It should provoke questions in the minds of individuals, inspiring them to ask why this name was chosen and what it signifies.

• It should integrate the name and its shape into a comprehensible understanding.

• It should unite the Old and New Testaments, offering an encompassing perspective of the entire Bible.

AS A RESULT, WE WERE LED BY THE LORD TO THE NAME: “T”

Retrospect

 The cross, a legendary symbol of Christianity, serves as a reminder of Christ's passion and sacrifice for humanity, redeeming mankind from the wages of sin and rising from the dead on the third day. The shape of the cross holds numerous historical stories. While many see the letter "T" merely as the 20th letter of the English alphabet, it bears deeper significance. The 19th letter of the Greek alphabet is Tau, which also resembles "T." This ancient symbol, present in both Greek and Hebrew alphabets, finds specific mention in the Old Testament. Some speculate that Jesus was crucified on a Tau cross. The Tau cross had significance for various cultures before it became closely associated with Christianity, particularly the Franciscan Order. In Hebrew, Tau is the final letter, symbolizing the revealed Word of God and its perfection, even representing the Last Day.

• The Tau cross is representative of salvation and of life, due in part to its association with the sparing of believers in the Bible.

• As Tau is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, it symbolizes the revealed Word of God, its completion and perfection. It also can be said to symbolize the Last Day.

• It’s believed that St. Francis used the Tau as an amulet to protect against plagues and diseases, rampant at the time. As such, the Tau signifies protection.

• The Tau cross, much like any other type of Christian cross, is a symbol of Jesus’ crucifixion and everything that it represents for Christians.

• The symbol of the Tau is sometimes considered to represent the habit of a friar with arms stretched out. St. Francis is believed to have told his fellow friars that their habit was in the shape of the Tau. As such, they were to be ‘walking crucifixes’, representing the compassion and faithfulness of God.

• Tau crosses are often carved out of wood, to signify humility, simplicity and flexibility, characteristics essential for believers.

• The Tau had significance to other cultures as well. It was an emblem of the Roman God Mithras. It was also believed to represent Tammuz, the Sumerian god of death and resurrection. In pagan beliefs, the Tau symbolized immortality. One of the most simple and recognizable Christian crosses, the Tau cross is a beloved symbol among Christians. However, while it’s an excellent way to represent one’s faith and identity, the Tau is an ancient symbol that pre-dates Christianity and holds pagan associations.

Relevance of this symbol in today’s world

 The Tau is among the most popular crosses today, often worn by believers as a pendant or a charm, as a reminder of their commitment to their Christian beliefs. The tau cross is a T-shaped cross, sometimes with all three ends of the cross expanded. It is called a “tau cross” because it is shaped like the Greek letter tau, which in its upper-case form has the same appearance as Latin letter T.

 What was the real shape of Cross?

 When we read the “New Testament History: A Narrative Account” by Ben Witherington III, it mentions, “the inscription and sigil found on a first or second-century ossuary from Jerusalem had the inscription on the bone box reads "Jesus of Aloth" followed by a "T." One archaeologist, E. L. Sukenik, interpreted this to be the sign of the cross, and therefore claimed this inscription as the earliest Christian burial label.”[1]

From the curiosity and with the google effect, the writer just typed: What was the real shape of Cross? in google. The google gave:

“The instrument of Jesus' crucifixion (known in Latin as crux, in Greek as stauros) is generally taken to have been composed of an upright wooden beam to which was added a transom, thus forming a "cruciform" or T-shaped structure."[2]

Storyline

It is not purely coincidence that the whole bible can be explained with words that starts with “T” and when we start with Genesis it is the creation of the earth that is mentioned and the creator mentioned there is the Trinity. Thus it starts… I will give the important words and it will describe the whole bible in the way it appears in the bible. Let us go through this mental exercise;

· Time

· Trinity

· Tree

· Temptation

· Trouble

· Tower

· Terah

· Tigris

· Tent

· Tithe

· Tribe

· Trade

· Tetragrammaton

· Tabernacle

· Tablet & Ten-commandments

· Treaty

· Torah

· Temple

· Tarshish

· Tehillim

· Tanakh

· Talmud

· Testaments

· Tax Collector

· Theophilus

· Thunder, Sons of

· Teacher (Rabbi)

· Twelve Apostles

· Talents

· Treasure

· Tabor Mount

· Tiberias

· Talitha cum(i)

· Table

· Tear

· Trial

· Thorn

· Three

· Thieves

· Title

· Tetelestai

· Tomb

· Towel

· Thomas

· Transfiguration

· Tongues, gift of.

· Testimony

· Temperance

· Transgression

· Theology

· Titus

· Thessalonians

· Timothy

· Thyatira

· Tribulation

· Triumph

· Trust

· Truth

· Triumphant

· Treasures

· Trumpet

· Tombs

· Transformation

· Theocracy

· Thousand

· Throne

· Timeless

· Thanksgiving/Thankfulness

Conclusion

Here we are not trying to make a new theology or a trend. We try to lean on God’s plan instead of human thinking and thought pattern.

According to Andy Crouch, “Christians are called to bear the image of God, to restore the image the God and to make the most of today, while it is called today.” When Os Guinness describes the purpose in life he wraps it in a single verse as, “For a purpose big enough to absorb every ounce of your attention, deep enough to plumb every mystery of your passions, and lasting enough to inspire you to your last breath?.” So, as a child of God I should practice my purpose of life today which is lasting enough to inspire till my last breath in earth.

Hope the name and the church will be beneficial in your spiritual journey with God. God Bless.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aschmann, Risk. “Semistic Alphabets.”, Chronology of the Bible (18 May 2020). https://aschmann.net/BibleChronology/SemiticAlphabets.pdf (accessed April 18, 2021).

Crouch, Andy. “The Three Callings of a Christian: Get the first two right, and the third will almost surely follow.” andy-crouch.com (January 2015). https://andy-crouch.com/extras/the_three_callings (accessed April 18, 2021).

Crowe, Elizabeth Powell. Genealogy Online. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2011.

Ellingson, Stephen. New Research on Megachurches, Non-denominationalism and Sectarianism. Maiden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Michigan: Zondervan, 1994.

Guinness, Os. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003.

Jehle, Paul. “The Meaning of Thanksgiving.” In Plymouth Rock Foundations Newsletter, vol. 30, no. 6 (November-December 2007): 1-12

Labuschagne, Casper J. Numerical Secrets of the Bible: Rediscovering the Bible Codes. Texas: Bibal Press, 2000.

Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. God the Father, God the Son: Great Doctrines of the Bible. Illinois: Crossway Books, 2003.

Malphurs, Aubrey. Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century: A comprehensive guide for new churches and those desiring renewal. 3rd ed. Michigan: Baker Books, 2004.

Pennick, Nigel. Magical Alphabets: The secrets and significance of ancient scripts-including Runes, Greek, Ogham, Hebrew and Alchemical Alphabets. Boston: Weiser Books, 1992.

Roberts, Bob Jr. The Multiplying Church. Michigan: Zondervan, 2008.

Stott, John R. W. The Cross of Christ. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1986.

Wilkinson, Robert J. Tetragrammaton: Western Christians and the Hebrew Name of God: From the Beginnings to the Seventeenth Century. Boston: Brill, 2015).

Witherington, Ben III. New Testament History: A narrative account. Michigan: Baker Academic, 2001.