In one simple sentence:
Generally, Christians didn't bother using 'God's Name', be it
'Jehovah' or 'Yahweh' or whatever. They were obsessed with personal
references to Jesus Christ, as many fundamentalist groups are
today. Countless early Christians didn't even know what the
Tetragrammaton was when they saw it, as the Society admits
(Insight Vol.2 pg 9).
The Watchtower Society attempts to wedge the name into the Greek
text based on the unproven assumption that Bible writers slavishly
quoted from versions of the Septuagint that had it. There is not
a single shred of direct manuscript evidence for this.
Even with this assumption, the Name is completely missing from:
Esther
Ecclesiastes
Phillipians
1 Timothy
1 John
2 John
3 John
What is most remarkable is that Watchtower evidence for the
Name's usage is actually strong proof it was avoided!
Jesus avoided using the Name in the Lord's Prayer ("Our Father")
Paul avoided using the Name in explaining the fundamental
principle of Christian faith - 1 Cor. 8:6 "there is actually
to us one God, the Father...and.. one Lord, Jesus Christ"
Every reference the Watchtower cites of the "Name" in the Gospels
is yet another proof that it was not used (John 17:6).
Most surprizing of all is God Himself avoiding the use of his
Name! (John 12:28)
The lack of use is also seen in writings of the 'Church Fathers'
in the first and second century. You can read Clement of Rome,
Ignatius, and Justin Martyr and find the same pattern Paul
set forth - God is "the Father" and Jesus is the "Lord".
Christians were obsessed with Jesus' name and made common personal
references in conversation about it (Col.3:17).
Yet, Jehovah's Witnesses avoid calling Jesus "Lord"
in common conversations and often cringe if other Witnesses do
so - suspecting THEM OF APOSTACY!!!!
Life experiences in the Watchtower ALMOST ENTIRELY MAKE NO
REFERENCE TO JESUS - much less thank him. I dare you to pick
up ANY bound volume at random and notice this omission.
Jesus is an 'also ran', a 'bit player', a nearly forgotten
'cast member' - not because of OFFICIAL WATCHTOWER DOCTRINE
but because of real life Watchtower practise.
Contrary to the Witness use of 'Jehovah', it makes perfect
sense to call God , "the Father" , as a loving figure of
Authority that would be part of a universal religion.
The Witness lack of personal attachment to Jesus has earned
them persecution in Eastern Europe by being rightly called
"Jehovists" - rather than Christians. The Bible warns against
suffering for no good reason (1 Pet.2:20) as nonsense.
Why is the 'Truth' not true? Because in practice, Witnesses
barely qualify as Christians at all! After all, why should
their avoidance of calling Jesus "Lord" be ignored as anything
but a real disqualification of Christian identity ( Ro. 10:9)?
This brief rant of mine is yet another illustration
of what simple ordinary truths must be relearned together
with the 'unlearning' of so much Watchtower nonsense.
metatron