by JH 20 Replies latest jw friends
Our church also uses the name Jehovah from time to time.....and we sing the song "Jehovah Jirah...". In fact, we had quite an interesting sermon a few months ago about the history of the name Jehovah, Yahweh, and "I AM".
I listen to church sermons on the radio from time to time (I do a lot of driving in my job) and I hear it on there too. So the JW's don't have the corner on the market........although they like to pretend they do.
"As to the Old Testament name of God, certainly the spelling and pronunciation "Jehovah" were originally a blunder."
(The Bible in Living English, 1972, p.7, Watch Tower Bible And Tract Society Of Pennsylvania)
I was quite surprised at how frequently the name Jehovah and Yahweh are used in other churches. Not in every other sentence (ala JWs) but in prayers, collects, hymns and anthems. As for "Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah," it is a great hymn.
3rd
Other religions use the term "Hallelujah", which when translated means praise Jehovah. (Hallel = Hebrew for 'praise', Jah = an abbreviated form of 'Jehovah')
Many churches use the "Hallelujah Chorus" from the opera "The Messiah" by Georg Handel, which is over 2 centuries old.
I think the JDubs feel they have the market on the name but it is not really so, the Mormans, Iglesia ni Christos, and many smaller sects/cults use it on a fairly regular basis, many mainstream religions know of it and use it sparingly, however the JW's almost take to an abuse of the name.
Seedy
In my travels I have seen several churches with Jehovah iin their name:
Jehovah Jireh Services & Activities:
Monroe Faith Center
16910 161st Ave, SESnohomish, Washington 98290
http://www.monroechurches.org/jehovahjireh.html
Jehovah Jireh Ministries International
http://www.jehovahjirehministries.com/
Jehovah Jireh Church of God in Christ
6120 Xerxes Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55430
JEHOVAH JIREH CHRISTIAN CHURCH of San
Antonio, Texas
Jehovah Jireh Baptist Church
536 W 148th Street - New York, NY
Reverend Vernon William of the Jehovah Jireh Baptist Church speaking on International Human Rights Day.
http://www.blackstarnews.com/human%20needs.html
Jehovah Jireh CME Church Okolona, MS
Lots of other "religions" use the contrived name Jehovah. Where the line is drawn is that true CHRISTians (if they can do it so can I) do not insert the word into the New Testament where it never was (save some OT quotes), just cause they say they think it should be there. It would be just as legitament if any one of the posters on this board were to insert their "handle" - (made up name) in the NT.
WILL
I was raised in the Christian Reformed Church. It is a Dutch, quite calvanistic church, as I recall. They regularly used the name Jehovah, then. I recently looked at their website and they no longer seemed to used that name. I was also at a funeral in a CR Church, and I didn't hear the name Jehovah, once. I guess they saw the error of their ways.
The English version of God's Hebrew name, Jehovah or Yahweh has been around for many centuries ... the JWs simply capitalized on it as part of their marketing package ... after I left the JWs and attended many different churches, I discovered songs using the name Jehovah, and at times preachers used it, and various religious articles contained the name ... but the JWs are the most avid users of the name, whereas Christians used the Biblical name assigned above every other name under heaven, that is, Jesus Christ. Go figure.
There's a "JEHOVAH LUTHERAN" church on Snelling Avenue North in St. Paul, Minnesota (USA).
I heard that the major benefactor for this impressive church building provided major funds only on the condition that Jehovah's name would be on the church.
One time a major crime story happened in the parking lot of this church, and people mistakenly thought it happened at a Jehovah's Witness building.
