The Name of Jehovah or/and the Name of Jesus

by Kenneson 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Kenneson

  Hello Everyone:

  In an effort to bolster the name of Jehovah, the Watchtower book entitled "Revelation Its Grand
  Climax At Hand!" on page 36 boasts how songbooks have gone from praising Jesus to praising
  Jehovah above Jesus. But does the New Testament agree with the Watchtower's mission to
  restore the Divine Name to its pre-eminent position?

  Yet, if the name Jehovah was of such supreme importance why would Philippians2:9-10 tell us that the Father
  gave Jesus the name that is above every other name so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend...and every tongue
  should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord...?" Is the Father not here saying that the name of Jesus is now higher than
  His own name Jehovah? Also, Acts 4:12 proclaims that "There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved." See also Acts 9:14, 21.

  It is in the name of Jesus that evil spirits are cast out. See Acts16:18. Whatever we ask in Jesus' name will be given to us.
  See John 14:13 and John 15:16. Miracles were performed in the name of Jesus. See Acts 19:17

  Far from minimizing Jesus or his name, the whole New Testament centers on his life and mission. His followers preached Jesus whereever they went and did all kinds of wonderful works through his name.

  If one loves Jesus, he will be loved by the Father. See John 14:21 No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. See John 14:6, 7. To know Jesus is to know the Father. See John 8:19 He who honors Jesus honors the Father. If you want to know who the Father is, look at Jesus.
• 

  Fredhall

  Kenneson,

  Keep on preaching dude!!! Can you us the reason why many bible tranlators took God's name out of the bible?
• 

  SixofNine

  As I was leaving the borg, about 1.5 years ago, I remember thinking about what a piss poor job of informing the public JW's had done. Sure, everyone knows the word Jehovah, but how often would we feel heartened when we were able to assure a householder that, indeed, we were 'christians'?

  Seems like after 100 years or so, the public at large should be aware whether or not a church is of the christian variety.
• 

  Frenchy

  Yet, if the name Jehovah was of such supreme importance why would Philippians2:9-10 tell us that the Father
  gave Jesus the name that is above every other name so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend...and every tongue
  should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord...?" Is the Father not here saying that the name of Jesus is now higher than
  His own name Jehovah? Also, Acts 4:12 proclaims that "There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved." See also Acts 9:14, 21.

  Given how Jesus viewed his father and his subordination to Him, I would think the writers of the Greek Scriptures and its first readers would hold that it was self-evident that the statement about Jesus’ name being above all others would exempt the Father’s own name. So, Jesus’ name would not be higher than Jehovah’s. Please note 1 Cor 15:27, NIV cited below:
  
  ::: For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.:::

  Far from minimizing Jesus or his name, the whole New Testament centers on his life and mission.

  True enough but one must remember that the writers of that New Testament were Jews who were already very reverent of God and his name and their readers as well. Jesus’ importance was the thing being stressed and it is unlikely that the Jewish converts would allow God’s name to take second place to that of Jesus.
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  accuracy

  Frenchy is correct, here. Note that Jesus' exaltation is given to him by the Father, who must be greater than Jesus is. Even when the NT says that "Jesus is Lord!" it is not for himself, but "to the glory of God the Father."

  The name of Jehovah (YHWH) is unique in the Bible in that it belongs to the Almighty God alone. When you really consider it, the name Jesus is the same in Hebrew as the name of Moses' assistant, Joshua. In the Greek Septuagint Bible, the book of Joshua is called IESOUS: Jesus.

  Jesus the Christ is indeed worthy of honor, praise, and glory. But that is because he fulfilled the will of Someone else who was greater than he was -- his Father. And he was humble enough to admit this.
• 

  Francois

  "The God you can name is not the eternal God..."
  Lao Tzu
• 

  aChristian

  The name "Jehovah's Witnesses" was taken from God's words to Israel recorded in Isaiah 43:10. For a Christian group to take on such a name clearly conflicts with the teachings of scripture. First, as mentioned, the words spoken by God recorded in Isaiah 43:10 were spoken to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. The Bible tells us that Christians are to be witnesses of Jesus just as the Jews were witnesses of Jehovah. Jesus said, "You will be witnesses of me." (Acts 1:8) And the Bible tells us that it was "by divine providence," by God's own direction, that His people in the post-Jewish age would be known by the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 11:26 NWT) Thus, instructing Christians to identify themselves by the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" clearly conflicts with the teachings of scripture.

  The fact of the matter is, the Watchtower Society's use of the name "Jehovah" is not scriptural. They have added the name "Jehovah" many times to the text of the New Testament even though they admit that, "…no early surviving Greek manuscript of the ‘New Testament’ contains the personal name of God." ( The Watchtower March 1, 1991 p. 28 ) The Watchtower Society has said that they believe that the writers of the New Testament used the divine name in their original writings but that their original writings were later corrupted. However this contradicts what the Society itself has said. The Society tells us that, "Jehovah God has seen to it that his Word has been protected not only from mistakes copyists made but also from attempts of others to make additions to it. The Bible itself contains God’s promise that his Word would be kept in a pure form for us today." ( You Can Live For Ever in Paradise on Earth, 1982 p. 53 ) So, Jehovah's Witnesses had no business inserting the name Jehovah into the New Testament portions of their New World Translations when that name is not found in any early surviving Greek manuscript of the New Testament.

  Historians tell us that the personal name of God, as used in the Old Testament, was not used in either its written or spoken form for many years before the time of Christ. Because the Jews were afraid overuse of the divine name might amount to "taking the name of the Lord in vain," they actually forbid its use altogether. I believe God allowed this to happen in order to make way for the time which was coming, the time when He wanted the name of Jesus to be promoted above every name. (Phil. 2:9)

  Jehovah's Witnesses do not do this. Their putting the name Jehovah into the New Testament portions of their New World Translations and promoting that name above every name, rather than the name of Jesus as the Bible says Christians should be doing, is one of many things which show that Jehovah's Witnesses are not really Christians.
• 

  Adonai438

  Actually- just a bit of info on the Divine name for ya'll:
  Jehovah is the one translation of God's name we know for sure is not the correct one :)
  Why? Because the Masoratic text includes it--
  Jews take the commandment to not take the name of the Lord in vain so seriously that they prefer not to say it at all. Kind of superstitious- they still won't say it today. They actually insert different vowel points into the tetragrammaton when writing it so that when they read the (scrolls)Old Testament they don't say it by accident.
  That is how the word Jehovah appears in the Masoratic:
  The tetragramaton is 'YHWH' - God's name +
  The scribes always inserted the vowel points from either Elohim or Adonai or another of God's titles.
  So the fact that the Masoratic text says Jehovah with the fact that the Jews would never write the divine name proves that Jehovah is an innacurate translation. I can document this if neccessary but just gave a brief summary on it here. Plus archeology has found very ancient artifacts with Yahweh written on it so this is strong evidence that this was how it originally was.
  So for a religion that claims they are the truth based on the thinking that they are the only ones using God's name this is bad news.
  They know and admit that Yahweh is more accurate but say it's not a big deal.
  So which is it?
  Big deal= only true religion or No big deal=when the translation proves inaccurate?
  I agree with Kenneson - this is just some food for thought :)
  <><, Angie