God's Name? (page 2)

A Paduan

"o r something like that in whatever language we speak" - in hebrew the sound 'hovah' is mischief - It's a relief that the wt chose the name - I might have been put off if they had picked something else .

blackguard

Hi 'Truth,

It was WTS apologist Dr Firpo Carr that proposed that God's name is a trisyllable like adonai and elohim. "Yehovah" might be close to the original semitic pronounciation. The Name appears more times in the OT than God and Lord combined. I think it's significant that extant NT manuscripts are absent the prolific OT usage of the Holy Name. And Jesus introduced men to a greater intimacy with God by advancing "Father" usage more than the prophets before him. The WTS actually abuses God Holy Name by over-use and over-familiarity. And this seems to be the point Jesus made in the Our Father prayer,'Hallowed by thy name" and Moses, 'You must not prounce the name in a wothless way..'. God is surely to be identified by his personal Name that He gave unto himself, but used in the most respectful manner and not in the worthless watchtower way.

RevMalk

I believe that God is God, our heavenly father, but I do not believe Jehovah is his name.

I believe that Jehovah is the heavenly Jesus, the creator.

That might be why prayers to Jehovah are answered, because Prayer to Christ is very important :)

RevMalk

The Name appears more times in the OT than God and Lord combined

This is because Jehovah was in heaven at the time, and this is also why 'Jehovah' is not found in the NT, because Jehovah was on earth, as Christ Jesus.

And Jesus introduced men to a greater intimacy with God by advancing "Father" usage more than the prophets before him

Also, because the father is not Jehovah, and Christ surely wouldn't have called his father by his own name 'Jehovah'

If you are unsure what to call God, do as Jesus taught and call him father, that denotes intimacy, JWS do not have intimacy with him but they sure do have intamcy with the mispronounciation of his name...sounds futile doesnt it?

Yes, you can sure say that again.

All great points. These threads always help affirm my faith in my Christ and Saviour, Jehovah the Creator, and in my Heavenly Father as well!

Edited by - RevMalk on 8 February 2003 5:23:57

Robdar

God's name is: Bob

GSX, You are so wrong. God's name is Fred. And if you do not believe that, you are an infidel.

Love,

Robyn

RAYZORBLADE

Seeking_Truth, you said:

Are there any Witnesses here or is this a place for ex-witneses?

Well...not to be patronizing, but I think the posts and themes/topics and posts generally reflect what kind of forum this is.

Yes, there are some Witnesses here, but those that have question the WTBTS organization and their teachings.

Overall, it's an ex-JW site.

You're welcome to stay. But be prepared to be exposed to 'truths' and personal experiences that you would not hear nor read about at your Kingdom Hall or bible study.

If you are Seeking Truth, please investigate many of the postings on this forum and please keep an open mind. We are by and large, fun-loving yet caring and real human beings. We all stopped digesting everything being said by the WTBTS and began asking questions, and seeking answers to some very important questions.

If you are still reading this. Notice anything? Nothing terrible has happened to you, has it?

Welcome to the forum.

ExpandedMind

Good Morning!

Once I was at the Kingdom Hall (I was about 17) sitting next to a brother who was about 14, who told me that God's name was Harold. Huh?

You know, he said, as in "Harold be thy name"? Not sure where he heard that joke from, but it was a bit funny.

Personally, I am continually questioning things, even to the point of questioning the existence of God. I think once a person leaves a controlled group like the WTS, it is hard not to question everything.

But my personal experience was that Jehovah was the true God. Not that I thought that was the only pronounciation. There are other groups that claim to worship Yahweh or Jehovah that feel they know more accurately the pronounciation. From the things I have read, I don't know if the exact pronounciation is possible or even necessary. God, we believed, can read the heart.

As a JW I did believe that I had a personal relationship with Him through Christ. My relationship with Jehovah was as real as most of my other human relationships. I don't think this is the case with all JWs. Otherwise you would not have JWs leaving the organization and then AFTER their departure experiencing what they would describe as an "real" relationship with God or Jesus.

When I started doubting things about the WTS, I would question myself, thinking... "Who have I come to know, if it isn't "Jehovah" God?" Gradually I came to believe that Jehovah is greater than anything I previously believed about Him.

Honestly, I gradually used the Name, less and less, based on influence or whatever from other Christians I associated with at the time.

I think that anyone who has an experience with the "divine" or whatever one wishes to call it, will probably call God, by whatever "name" they knew when they had the experience. Not that that can't evolve.

Even now, when I think of dedicating my life to Jehovah, I feel "awe".

Yet I am still trying to make sense of it all.

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

gumby

Seeking truth,

Did you know God's name was used by a people called the "Ugarits" .....BEFORE the Hebrews!.The Hebrew God Jehovah was their "lesser god" and was a warrior god. Look up "Ugarits"on the internet and read about them. There are writings and finding of these people to prove the point. So......did the Hebrews "borrow" their God?

If not.........why was he known to them.......before god supposedly first revealed his name to Moses?

BTW....also look up the word " Name" in a bible concordance or dictionary and see if the word "Name" means what the society implies "Name " means.Jesus had a name yet all called him teacher, rabbi, lord........not by his first name. As many have noted here....the name Jehovah is ALSO used frequently in MANY church songbooks and that name is on church banners on the walls. Jehovahs witnesses are not the only ones who use this name............really!

Kenneson

"A name does NOT the PERSON make."

gsx1138

I believe Francois had a good quote for this subject. I think it was Lao Tsu. Something to the effect, "The God that can be named is not the eternal God."

God's Name?

Share this