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#Post#: 112--------------------------------------------------
Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:03 am
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In these examples, only the meanings of the names were
emphasized, as is the case throughout Scripture.
Certain people—mostly of the Sacred Names sects—reject the
traditional names of “God,” “Lord” and “Jesus.” They believe
people should address the Father and the Son only by their
Hebrew names. According to them, the phonetic sounds of God’s
names are more important than their meanings.
Whether pertaining to heroes, patriarchs, or incidental
references in passing, biblical names have specific meaning and
are given for a purpose.
For example, Adam was created from the ground, and his name in
Hebrew simply means “red earth.” Likewise, Abram’s name was
changed to Abraham, meaning “a father of many nations.” Also,
Jacob’s name (meaning “supplanter”) was changed to Israel
(meaning “prevailer with God”).
Another account showing the importance of one’s name is found in
I Samuel 25. The wife of Nabal acknowledged how her husband had
lived up to his name. Interceding on his behalf for his
thoughtless and merciless acts, she pleaded, “Let not my
lord...regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name
is, so is he; Nabal is his name and folly is with him” (vs. 25).
The meaning of Nabal is “fool.” The context shows that, by his
actions, Nabal fulfilled the meaning of his name.
rcg.org
#Post#: 113--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:27 am
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God’s Names Have Meaning
The names of God are also filled with meaning, yet the Bible
places little, if any, importance on how each name should be
pronounced. If this were of importance to God—as the Sacred
Names sects insist—this would be a serious inconsistency in
God’s Word!
Shortly after the time of the Exodus, God, who thundered down
the Ten Commandments, was known by the name “YHWH,” a Hebrew
word meaning “Eternal” or “Everliving One.” Yet, today, no one
knows the exact pronunciation of this name. Some insist that it
must only be pronounced as “Yahvah,” while others say “Yehweh,”
and still others say “Yahweh.”
The same Personage who addressed Moses called Himself YHWH in
Exodus 6:2: “And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am
the Lord:” The capitalized name “Lord” is always used where YHWH
appears in the Old Testament and is understood as the “Lord,” or
the “Eternal.” This is the One through whom God the Father
created the universe (Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11) and who later became
Jesus Christ (I Cor. 10:4; John 1:1-4).
Exodus 6:3 reveals more about the names of God: “And I appeared
unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God
Almighty...” The name translated “God Almighty” comes from the
Hebrew term El-Shaddai. Note that this was the name God made
known unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yet, at the time of Moses,
God began to reveal more. Verse 3 continues, “...but by My name
Jehovah was I not known to them.” By a casual reading of this
verse, one would conclude that “Jehovah” was another revealed
name of God. But a closer examination of this word leads to a
different conclusion.
The name “Jehovah” in various Bible translations is a
mistranslation. The same Hebrew word translated “Lord” in verse
2 is mistakenly translated “Jehovah” in verse 3. Both of these
are YHWH and should have been translated “Lord.”
As explained in the Jewish Encyclopedia, the term “Jehovah” is
said to have been the invention of Pope Leo X’s confessor, Peter
Galatin. Other Catholic theologians introduced this
mistranslation into most Bible transcriptions. Even the
Jehovah’s Witnesses, as expressed in the preface of their
translation of the Bible, acknowledge, “While inclining to the
view the pronunciation ‘Yahweh’ as the more correct way, we have
retained the form ‘Jehovah’ because of the people’s familiarity
with it since the 14th century.” Clearly, the name Jehovah is
not biblical.
Another name of God is revealed in Exodus 3:13-14: “And Moses
said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel,
and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers has sent me
unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? What shall
I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He
said, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has
sent me unto you.”
“I Am” comes from the Hebrew word Hayah (HYH), which means “to
exist.” The name “I Am That I Am” carries a very profound
meaning somewhat beyond the English terms we use to express it.
It conveys the meaning of the “Self-Existent One” or the “One
Who Is.”
The name I AM THAT I AM only has meaning in the language one is
using—understanding. The true God appeared to Moses and
instructed him that He was, in effect, “the God who is,” as
opposed to “the many gods who are not.” The true God defines
Himself as the God who exists, when others do not.
A New Testament example of “I AM” is found in John 8:58: “Jesus
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham
was, I AM.” Here, the term “I AM” means the very same thing as
the term used in Exodus 3:14. Both mean “to exist” and refer to
the Self-Existent One—who became Christ. Certainly, Christ
existed before Abraham, because He was the One who created all
things (Eph. 3:9).
What meaning does any of this have to an Englishman if he must
only say it in Hebrew?
If our salvation rested upon how we pronounce the name YHVH,
then God would have made this crystal clear in His Word. Those
who make the detailed pronunciation of God’s names a primary
issue for salvation have the wrong priorities. Indeed, we are to
reverence and fear God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son.
Nowhere does the Bible require God’s people to accurately
pronounce His Hebrew names in order to achieve salvation.
Thirty-one times in the first chapter of Genesis, the word “God”
comes from the Hebrew word Elohim, a uniplural word indicating
more than one Being in the God Family. It means “mighty ones.”
The singular term for Elohim is El, which means “a mighty one,”
and is also translated “God.” When used with certain other
Hebrew words, the term El prefixes a variety of names for God,
each emphasizing different attributes of His nature and
character.
Sacred Names advocates claim that they elevate God’s names by
expressing them exclusively in Hebrew. Actually, just the
opposite occurs. This practice diminishes them—and the meaning
they are intended to convey—by substituting an ancient language
that hides the real meaning behind a foreign-sounding utterance.
In the English language, the term “Eternal” means “without
beginning or end, perpetual, and lasting throughout eternity.”
Suppose this English term is substituted where someone is
describing a concept in the Chinese language or perhaps in
Sanskrit. Substituting the English term for “Eternal,” instead
of the translated equivalent term in their spoken language,
would create a void in the intended thought. Likewise, the
substituting of the names of God in Hebrew serves to hide the
meaning behind them. Since the names attributed to God are not
without meaning, the act of masking them in an ancient language
serves to cloud or hide the honor intended to be conveyed by
those names.
rcg.org
#Post#: 114--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:29 am
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How Pronunciation Became Lost
The Hebrew language does not use vowels—only consonants and
semi-consonants. The pronunciation of “YHWH” was once well
understood among the Hebrews. (It is interesting that YHWH comes
from the root word in Hebrew HYH—an old form of the root HWH,
meaning be.”)
Israel and Judah had come to forget God’s name. They actually
came to superstitiously fear His name, choosing never to
pronounce it. This was partly because they made an idol out of
His name and partly because of their resentment against Him for
punishing them. Out of superstitious reverence and fear, they
refrained from repeating the name YHWH, though they knew how to
pronounce it. Instead, they chose to use, and say aloud, the
word Adonai, meaning “Lord” or “Master,” wherever YHWH appeared
in the text.
Thus, the correct pronunciation of YHWH was forgotten. Notice:
“I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my
name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall
this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? Yes,
they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think
to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which they
tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten
My name for Baal” (Jer. 23:25-27).
Because of the false belief that the name YHWH was too holy to
be uttered, its pronunciation became forgotten. And without
knowing the vowels, one cannot possibly know how to correctly
pronounce God’s name. The precise way of pronouncing YHWH is not
known today, but its meaning is preserved in Scripture.
Hebrew will not be the language in the soon-coming kingdom of
God. God will reverse the dividing of languages that He caused
at the tower of Babel and initiate a universal language: “For
then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may
all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one
consent” (Zeph. 3:9).
If this coming pure language were to be Hebrew, this verse would
have said so. Indications are that it will be a new
language—having simplicity and clarity, free from dubious
misunderstandings due to confusion over pronunciation of terms.
This eliminates Hebrew, which, with its absence of vowels,
causes endless disputes—even among the Sacred Names groups, who
can never agree which pronunciation is the most correct or
acceptable.
However, suppose one became convinced by the Sacred Names
arguments and decided to join their movement. Would this
decision settle the matter in his mind? Not at all!
The many Sacred Names groups are hopelessly divided as to how
the Hebrew names of God should be pronounced. And, since nothing
equivalent to vowels exists in written Hebrew (oral Hebrew
generally uses them), further division among these groups will
continue.
Again, some groups use Yahveh, others Yahweh, others Yehweh,
still others Yahvah or Jehovah, and still others Joshua or
Yeshua or Joheshua—and many, many more!
It is difficult to imagine that God would decree that His names
could only be pronounced in a particular language, but leave His
would-be worshipers in utter confusion as to the right way to
pronounce them. While this entire matter is marked by confusion,
God could not be its author (I Cor. 14:33)!
rcg.org
#Post#: 115--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:30 am
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God’s Names Translated in Scripture
As previously stated, all Sacred Names sects insist that only
the Hebrew names of God, properly pronounced in Hebrew, are
acceptable to Him. However, when we find God’s names translated
into different languages, their claims lose even more
credibility.
After the Babylonian captivity, Hebrew ceased to be the common
language among the Jews and was replaced with Aramaic. Five
chapters of Daniel were written in Aramaic, with the rest in
Hebrew. Four chapters of Ezra were also written in Aramaic, with
the rest in Hebrew. In these chapters, we find God’s
name—Elah—written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. Daniel and Ezra were
God’s dedicated servants, and they were not bound to only write
(or speak) the names of God exclusively in the Hebrew language.
Clearly, Daniel and Ezra, inspired by God, properly translated
His name into Aramaic. Therefore, the Hebrew names for God can
be translated into other languages, as well.
While the true names of God were often interchanged with the
names of pagan gods and idols, such acts by misguided human
beings does not taint His names. Romans 1:21-23, 28 records that
the ancients’ refusal to honor God returned upon their own
heads—yet God’s honor was not diminished. Some Sacred Names
sects actually use this weak argument to completely prohibit the
speaking of God’s names. They do this to justify their
“preservation” of hidden Hebrew terms for God in order to
maintain “purity” of His name.
rcg.org
#Post#: 116--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:31 am
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God’s Names in the New Testament
When the apostles wrote the letters that became Scripture, Greek
was the universal language in the Roman Empire. The Jewish
historian Josephus confirms that Greek was predominant
throughout the Roman Empire and that it was second only to
Aramaic among the Jews in Judea (Antiquities of the Jews, bk.
XX, ch. XI, sec. 2).
Much of the New Testament consists of letters from the apostle
Paul, addressing primarily Greek-speaking Gentiles. Paul’s many
references to the Father and Christ were not confined to the
Hebrew language. He spoke to the New Testament Church in Greek.
God inspired Paul to express the Hebrew word El as the Greek
word Theos—both terms mean “God.” Likewise, he was inspired to
express the Hebrew word, YHWH, into the Greek word
Kyrios—translated “Lord.” In fact, both Greek words can mean
either “Lord” or “God.”
Christ inspired the writers of both the Old and New Testaments.
He inspired Paul and other apostles to write the names of God
directly into the Greek. Nowhere in the New Testament do we find
that the apostles exclusively used the Hebrew names for God.
Even when Paul wrote the book of Hebrews in the Hebrew language,
it was translated by Luke shortly thereafter into Greek. This
translation served to help not only the Gentile brethren, but
also most of the Jews. Hebrew was rarely spoken during this
time, even among the Jews. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews was
written in Hebrew in order to gain the attention of the inner
circle of religious Jews. This letter was translated, and also
exclusively preserved, in Greek. This was also the case for the
gospel of Matthew.
Sacred Names sects claim that the bulk of the New Testament was
originally written in Aramaic. They strive to downplay the
preponderance of Greek during the apostolic era. Since their
goal is to promote only God’s Hebrew names, they would support
Aramaic because it is a step closer to Hebrew. But it is
nonetheless a separate and distinct language!
Acknowledging that Luke was written in Greek, the Sacred Names
proponents contend that the gospels of Mark and John were
written in Aramaic. We can prove that this is not true by
carefully examining Mark 15:34: “And at the ninth hour Jesus
cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
Which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?”
This matter is self-explanatory. Mark records the Aramaic quote
verbatim, followed by the interpretation in Greek. If Aramaic
were the original language of the book of Mark, there would be
no reason to “interpret” the Aramaic quote. Everyone who spoke
Aramaic would have automatically known what was said. This
proves that Aramaic was not the original language of the book of
Mark.
There are a number of other instances in the New Testament in
which Aramaic phrases are interpreted into Greek in a similar
manner. Yet, the Greek is always translated word-for-word,
without ever being interpreted. An interesting clarification is
found in John 1:41: “He [Andrew] first found his own brother
Simon, and said unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is,
being interpreted, the Christ.” The word “Messias” is the Greek
spelling for the Hebrew word “Messiah.” Messiah means “the
Anointed.” Since the Greek-speaking people were not familiar
with Messias, John translated the word into Christos, meaning
“the Anointed One.” Hence, John translated one Greek word
borrowed from the Hebrew into another Greek word more familiar
to those of the Greek language—the universal language of that
day.
Sacred Names sects all favor the word Messiah over Christos. But
clearly, John translated Messiah as “Christ,” indicating
approval and traditional use of that term.
The Sacred Names sects also reject the name “Jesus.” Admittedly,
this name is greatly overused by many modern evangelicals. But,
we should not allow this—what amounts to their vain
repetition—to diminish our appreciation of Christ’s name.
The English word “Jesus” derives from the Greek word “Iesous,”
which means “the Eternal is the Savior.” This name is equivalent
to the Hebrew name Joshua. In Hebrews 4:8, the translators left
the term in the Greek, instead of properly translating it back
to Joshua. Iesous became the personal name of Christ and was
used over 910 places in the New Testament. “Jesus” is ultimately
derived from YHWH.
Consider this. We also find “Word” as one of Christ’s names:
“And He [the Lamb—Jesus Christ] was clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God” (Rev.
19:13).
At the beginning of his gospel account, John also referred to
Christ in this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
rcg.org
#Post#: 117--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:34 am
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God’s Church Carries His Name
If God’s name were only allowed to be spoken as some unknown
Hebrew word, then this same mysterious name would be attached to
His Church. Christ stated, “And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep
through Your own name those whom You have given Me, that they
may be one, as We are” (John 17:11).
In twelve different New Testament passages, the Church is
referred to as the Church of God—kept through the Father’s name.
That Church is not known as the Church of El-Shaddai or the
Church of YHWH, but simply the Church of God!
One of the collective terms used for the Church is found in I
Thessalonians 2:14: “For you, brethren, became followers of the
Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for you also
have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they
have of the Jews.” Acts 20:28 is an admonition for the elders to
feed the “Churches of God.”
The terms “Churches of God” and “Church of God” were used by the
very apostles appointed by Christ. If these were improper names
for the Church, then this would not be the case. Anyone who
denies the use of the word “God” in association with His Church
is missing the point of Scripture.
Consider: The Church of God was led for 52 years in the
twentieth century by Herbert W. Armstrong, who also held the
office of apostle. God’s blessings were very evident during that
phase of His Work, and Mr. Armstrong was used by God to restore
a vast array of true doctrines to His Church. Could the same God
who led Mr. Armstrong in this way not also lead him to
understand His own name?
rcg.org
#Post#: 118--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:35 am
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Sacred Name Groups in Disarray
As alluded to earlier, advocates of sacred name usage are
hopelessly divided. They are unable to agree upon detailed
pronunciations of sacred names that are the centerpiece of their
movement. Therefore, the few groups that constitute their ranks
will continue to exist independently.
Matters of truth and doctrinal purity are given less emphasis in
these groups than the correct pronunciation of these names. This
leads to another dominant characteristic of that
movement—extensive doctrinal error. Such a condition is
inevitable, because such error always begets more of the same
(Gal. 5:9).
Another noticeable trait of those in the sacred names movement
is an accusative spirit toward others outside their domain.
Since they consider the precise usage of a phonetic sound as
most pleasing to God, they therefore view themselves as having
“special knowledge” that places them above those in other
groups.
rcg.org
#Post#: 119--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sacred Names Article
By: Mentor Date: December 8, 2012, 9:35 am
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Glorify God’s Name
Matthew 10:33 shows the importance of not denying the name of
Jesus Christ in word or action: “But whosoever shall deny Me
before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in
heaven.”
We have seen that the names of the Father and the Son are not to
be spoken exclusively with an unknown Hebrew pronunciation.
Rather, we find them freely translated into other
languages—disproving the claim that only the Hebrew names of God
should ever be used. The Word of God is a living Book, to be
read and understood in living languages!
Those whom God calls must worship Him in spirit and in truth
(John 4:23), and must not be at a loss to call upon His name:
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the
Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psa. 29:2). God is presently
known only by those He has called out of this world.
In the world to come, God’s name will be called upon by all
humanity: “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship
before You, O Lord; and shall glorify Your name” (Psa. 86:9)!
rcg.org
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