In a recent podcast, I heard a preacher say that Saul of Tarsus’ name was changed to Paul after his conversion. He went on to describe the miracle of transformation that occurred in Paul’s life, saying that because of this transformation, the apostle received a new name from the Lord. The preacher went on to associate salvation with a marked outward change in a person’s behavior. An external proof is often seen as necessary to validate the inward birth. Some even change their name after being saved to indicate this change.

This view is a long-standing misinterpretation within the church today, sadly perpetuated by Bible teachers like this podcaster. The truth about Paul’s name change is not actually miraculous. In fact, there wasn’t a change at all. I am sure many readers of this blog already know that Saul was his Hebrew name, while Paul was his Roman or Latin name. He would have been referred to as both interchangeably, pre- and post-salvation. It should also be noted that the claim that God gave him this new name is pure fiction. At no point does the Bible record the Lord’s assigning a new name to the apostle.

However, this misconception has become popular and shapes how some see the use of names in the Bible, which is often used as proof of salvation. Faith is deemed an insufficient validation of salvation. Because of this misunderstanding, whole passages have been misinterpreted and misapplied.

For example, this misconception is applied to a passage about the patriarch Jacob. In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles with the Angel of the Lord, who was the pre-incarnate Christ. After wrestling all night, Jacob is blessed and receives a new name, Israel. This encounter is often seen as the patriarch’s salvation experience. Lordship teachers argue that Jacobs’ wrestling and ultimate surrender to the Lord indicates of his “surrendering” to the lordship of Christ, which was necessary for him to obtain eternal salvation. His new name is seen as the outward proof of the inward transformation of his spiritual birth.

There are many problems with this interpretation, the main one being that salvation is by faith alone and not by surrendering to the Lord or wrestling with Him. This is a works-based interpretation of eternal salvation and therefore must be rejected. This is actually a passage about Jacob’s sanctification. Bob Wilkin recently wrote about this issue in a blog, which you can check out here.

As for the name change, this new name will be used to distinguish the patriarch’s descendants and therefore has a wider, corporate, emphasis concerning the Lord’s chosen nation. This is supported by another name change that occurs in the book of Genesis. Abram received a new name in Gen 17:5, 15. Abraham was justified by faith in chapter 15 but didn’t receive a new name until many years later. Obviously, Abraham’s name change was not indicative of his regeneration. The name change is significant as a marker of the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham. The name Abraham means “father of a multitude,” and indicated the sure promise of the Lord. Abraham would have an heir, and through that heir a great nation would be born. The same can be said about Jacob, as the nation would be referred to as Israel. It should also be noted that the two names—Jacob and Israel—are used interchangeably for the patriarch after Genesis 32.

If the name change indicated the man’s regeneration, then one would not expect the Lord to refer to him as Jacob again. However, the Lord does refer to Jacob by that name many times. For example, the Lord refers to him that way at the burning bush (Exod 3:14-16), centuries after Jacob wrestled with the Lord at Peniel. It is also used in the NT (Matt 22:31-32) and throughout the OT. In the examples of Abraham and Jacob, their new names were indicative of a role as the nation’s patriarchs and their covenants with the Lord. Neither deals with regeneration.

At first glance, this may seem a benign issue. Certainly, believers are transformed at the moment of faith, having been born again into the family of God. A new name can be a way to reflect this status. However, if Bible students associate new names with proof of regeneration, it can lead to a misinterpretation of the text and even a misunderstanding of the saving message. Jacob wasn’t saved because he wrestled with the Lord, surrendered his life, or received a new name. He was saved the same way his grandfather was, by faith alone in the coming Messiah for eternal life (Gen 15:6, Rom 4:1-4).