NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) In Christianity

There are college athletes that have become millionaires, while still attending school, because of something known as NIL. So, the question is, “What is NIL (name, image, likeness),” and is there a parallel in the church?

AI Overview:

“NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) refers to the legal rights of individuals, particularly student-athletes, to control and profit from their personal brand and identity. Since 2021, NCAA rules allow athletes to earn compensation for endorsements, social media, appearances, and merchandise without losing eligibility.”

Key Aspects of NIL

• Name: An individual's legal name, nickname, or persona.

• Image: Still photos, videos, and artistic depictions.

• Likeness: Voice, signature, or other personal identifiers.

How NIL Works

• Compensation: Athletes can earn money through third-party deals, such as autograph signings, product endorsements, or personal appearances.

• Restrictions: While generally permitted, some restrictions exist regarding school involvement, pay-for-play, and specific state laws.

• Platforms: Social media is a primary tool for athletes to monetize their brand.

• Collectives: Groups of alumni or supporters often pool funds to create NIL opportunities for athletes at specific universities.

“NIL is rooted in the “right of publicity,” which prevents others from using an individual's identity for commercial gain without permission.”

NIL Personalities In The Church

“NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) refers to the legal rights of individuals, particularly student-athletes, to control and profit from their personal brand and identity…”

• Many Christian ministries operate under the same business model for “control and profit from their personal brand and identity.”

• Like the student-athletes, social media has become their primary tool used to monetize their brand.

• The only name, image, and likeness we should be striving to represent and exalt is that of Christ. Instead, these narcissistic, arrogant leaders end up destroying themselves, and their followers, through self-exaltation. They have become a god in their own eyes, and among their faithful worshippers.

• These flock-fleecing, pick-pocketing pulpiteers have become wealthy through their numerous “third-party deals” with other minsters/ministries who promote them through “product endorsements, or personal appearances” at their so-called Christian gatherings.

Name:

Zechariah 14:9

9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name.

NIV

Malachi 1:11

11 "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations," says the Lord of hosts.

NASU

Malachi 2:2

2 "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the Lord of hosts, "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.

NASU

Acts 4:12 – Salvation is only in the name of Jesus.

12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

NASU

Philippians 2:8-11

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

NASU

Revelation 22:3-4 – The name of Jesus will be “on the foreheads” of His faithful bond-servants. The self-exalting children of destruction choose to endorse their own names, their own kingdoms.

3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;

4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

NASU

Image and Likeness:

Genesis 1:26-27 – Mankind’s original image and likeness was to be a reflection of God. Christians are to be a reflection of Him, a representative figure re-made in His likeness, with His glorious light to those living in darkness.

26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image [6754], according to Our likeness [1823]; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

NASU

OT:6754 tselem (tseh'-lem)

(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e. (figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol:

KJV - image, vain shew.

(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

image

   a)   images (used of tumors, mice, heathen gods)

   b)   image, likeness (used of resemblance)

   c)   mere, empty, image, semblance (figurative)

NT:1504 eikon (i-kone')

(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

from NT:1503; a likeness, i.e. (literally) statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance:

KJV - image.

(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

an image, figure, likeness

   a.   the image of the things (Matthew 22:20)

   b.   metonymically, the image of one; one in whom the likeness of anyone is seen (1 Corinthians 11:7)

(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)

denotes "an image"; the word involves the two ideas of representation and manifestation.

OT:1823 demuwth (dem-ooth')

(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

from OT:1819; resemblance; concretely, model, shape; adverbially, like:

KJV - fashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude.

(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

as a feminine noun:

   1)   likeness, similitude

as an adverb:

   2)   in the likeness of, like as

Romans 8:29

29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image [“likeness”] of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren…

NASU

1 Corinthians 15:49

49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image [“likeness”] of the heavenly.

NASU

2 Corinthians 3:18

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image [“likeness”] from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

NASU

The Loss Of Eligibility In God’s Kingdom

“Since 2021, NCAA rules allow athletes to earn compensation for endorsements, social media, appearances, and merchandise without losing eligibility.”

• Eligibility – “Eligibility is the state of meeting specific, predetermined criteria [whose criteria?], requirements, or qualifications necessary to participate in an activity, hold a position, or receive benefits. It determines who is qualified, entitled, or worthy to be chosen for a particular opportunity.”

• These pick-pocket pulpiteers that have been fleecing the flock of God for years, operating under their own rules rather than His. They believe they can operate under their own authority and not lose their “eligibility” in regards to their salvation. Examples of doctrines that promote this self-determined eligibility are the “once saved, always saved” teaching, “hyper-grace,” etc.

Regarding God’s rules for our “losing eligibility” in His kingdom, Paul said in his first letter to the highly dysfunctional church in the city of Corinth;

• “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes [ in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified [96- “not standing the test, not approved, rejected, reprobate”] for the prize.”

  (1 Corinthians 9:24-27/NIV)

Concerning the keeping of our eligibility, Jesus Himself declared;

• John 8:31-32 – Jesus gave this warning to those who had believed Him, they had “trusted” in Him. He said that these new followers would be set free from their bondages to sin “IF” they continued in His word. By definition of the original Greek word, to continue is “to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy), to remain, to abide, not to depart or leave.” The great apostasy (i.e. defection from Christ) Paul told us would be occurring in the church, among Christians, right before Christ’ return, is happening right now.

  31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed [4100- “to believe, to be persuaded of, to place confidence in, to trust”] Him, "If you continue [3306- “to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy), to remain, to abide, not to depart or leave”] in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;

  32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

  NASU

• John 15:6 – What many Christian doctrines do not acknowledge is that Jesus, by saying that if we do not abide/remain in Him, means that there is the possibility of not remaining or abiding in Him, the consequence of being cast into the fire and being burned.

  6 "If anyone does not abide [3306] in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

  NASU

These are just a couple of the numerous examples, per the guidelines of Jesus, on how to keep our eligibility with Him. May the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31), guide us into all truth.