Some Strange Names in the Bible
(1) The Rulers of the Synagogue.
We read in several places in the New Testament of those men who are referred to as “the rulers of the synagogue”. These were apparently “laymen” and came next in rank to the Scribes – the exponents of the Law. We see at least two of their offices from the pages of the New Testament. First: To keep order within the synagogue precincts. This is evidenced by “the ruler of the synagogue” who “rebuked” Jesus for healing a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. (Luke 13:12-14). Second: To arrange the order of service and to appoint the speakers and readers for the day's worship. This is seen in Acts 13:15 where the Apostle Paul speaks at the request of “the rulers of the synagogue”.
(2) The “Naughty” Figs.
In chapter 24 of his prophecy, the prophet Jeremiah sets a parable before us concerning “two baskets of figs”. One basket contained “very good figs”, but the second was a basket of “very naughty figs”. In our own day the adjective “naughty” is usually associated with a misbehaving child, etc., but in the 17th century, when our Authorised Version of the Bible was translated, it had a much different usage. At that time the word was reserved for those people who were considered to be “good nor naught”, i.e. Good for nothing. And it's in this way that we are to understand Jeremiah's parable. The Lord was going to lead many of His people into “captivity” in the land of Babylon. But, contrary to a lot of common opinion, these captives would, in fact, be the “good figs” for God would work with this captive band and out of it bring His “remnant according to the election of grace”. It was those who were being left “safely” at home in Israel that were really the “good for naught” figs – the “naughty figs” which God had given over to their own ways.
(3) The Nicolaitans.
The Church at Ephesus, in Revelation 2:6, was said to hate “the deeds of the Nicolaitans”, and for this, that church was commended. The Nicolaitans are thought to have originated through the influence of Nicolas of Antioch (Acts 6:5), from whom they took their name. The Nicolaitans endeavoured to work out a form of compromise between the church and the pagan society in which the church was situated so that the believers wouldn't feel “over-embarrassed”. There may also be a reference to the deeds of Balaam who corrupted Israel in the Old Testament. (Numbers 22).
(4) Arcturus and his Sons.
When the Lord “answered Job out of the whirlwind” in chapter 38 of the Book of Job, he asked him several questions; one of those questions is contained in verse 32 of that chapter; “Canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?”, the Lord asks Job. Arcturus is the Old Testament name that was given to that constellation that we now call “The Great Bear” or the “Plough”. The “sons” are probably the seven main stars in the constellations, or possibly the three stars that form the “tail of the bear”, or “the handle of the plough”. The American Standard Version of the Bible translates the verse “Canst thou guide the bear with her train?”
(5) The Orators.
In Acts chapter 24 we read of “Ananias the high priest” coming to “the governor” to accuse the apostle Paul of being a troublemaker. Ananias is accompanied by “the elders” and by “a certain Orator named Tertullus”, we are told. The orators were a group of men – mostly Greek or Roman – who excelled in the art of writing and delivering speeches; this was known as “Rhetoric”. In the case of Acts 24, Tertullus has taken on the office of “Barrister” in order to plead the cause of the Jewish elders before the Roman governor. The orators need not necessarily have any sympathy with the case they pleaded and were merely interested in performing their skills before an audience. Paul himself was a master of this art which was part and parcel of the education of his day; however, he reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:4 that when he came to the Corinthians, he came not with “enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”; and this, in all likelihood, is an allusion to the orators who would be plentiful in Corinth.
(6) The Fullers.
In Malachi 3-2 we read of the “fullers' soap” to which our Lord is likened at His appearing: “And he shall sit as a refiner … for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap”. The fuller was the man who prepared the garments and cloths for the process of dyeing. All the oils and gums needed to be thoroughly removed from the garment before dyeing, and for this purpose a strong soap was required that would completely penetrate the impurities – hence Malachi's reference to our Lord's coming. At the transfiguration in Mark 9:3, our Lord's garments are described as being “as no fuller on earth can white them”, and there are several references to the “fullers' field” where the garments dried in the sun.