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From this analysis two facts emerge that are of importance to us all.
(1)
No other writer than Paul uses the title.
(2)
The title does not occur in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
The title does not occur in II Thessalonians, but as this is a corrective of I Thess.,
where the title is found, and as both epistles can be considered a pair, this leaves Hebrews
as the only one of Paul's epistles where, apparently, the title has no place. As to the
distinctive meaning of this title, The Companion Bible (App. 98, 11: and 12:) says:
"Jesus Christ.--In the combination of these two names, the former is emphatic by its
position, the second being subsidiary and explanatory. In the Gospels it
means `Jesus the Messiah'. In the Epistles it means, Jesus Who humbled
Himself but is now exalted and glorified as Christ. Care should be taken to
note the various readings.
Christ Jesus.--This is the converse of `Jesus Christ' (11:) and denotes the now exalted
One, Who once humbled Himself."
In one or two cases the title "Christ Jesus" is found joined with another: "Our hope"
(I Tim. 1: 1); "The Man" (I Tim. 2: 5); "Our Saviour" (II Tim. 1: 10; Titus 1: 4). This
leaves one reference by Peter, Acts 3: 20, and, if we include the words of Felix, we
have seventy occurrences of the simple title "Christ Jesus" in the rest of the N.T., every
reference being intimately associated with Paul as the Apostle of the Gentiles.
The distribution of the title according to the two great divisions of Paul's epistles, are
the first seven (Rom., Gal., Heb., I & II Thess., and I & II Cor.), twenty-six
occurrences. The second seven (Eph., Phil., Col., I & II Tim., Titus and Philemon),
forty-three occurrences. There are seventy-two chapters in the first set of epistles with
their twenty-six occurrences and there are twenty-eight chapters in the second set of
epistles with their forty-three occurrences. This works out in the proportion of (33:153)
thirty-three to one-hundred and fifty-three, revealing that the mystery, with Christ as the
ascended and seated Lord, is essentially related to Him in His capacity as "Christ Jesus".
These facts would have been out of place in an exposition of the Epistle, but under the
title "Ephesia" can be given a place.
We would acknowledge our indebtedness to Miss Ada Habershon's Concordance to
the Names and Titles of the Lord of glory, which was published by James Nisbet in 1910.
(see: Romans30, pages 152 156).