The Name of God and the Sacred Name Controversy
by admin ~ October 7th, 2009
The Gospel of Salvation sits upon a firm foundation–the rock of Christ. In order to insure (as best we can) that the gospel does not fall by the wayside, on the stony ground, or amongst the thorns, we must constantly provide the right food and water to help it grow. This food and water is nothing less than the love of God understood through the dogma which provides the drama of our faith.
In this light, the gospel story here at Paul’s Primers Ministry is constantly being presented along with the already come-to-pass back-story which gives it such power and meaning. We define this back-story through 10 Key Areas of Christendom:
Key Area 1: Triune God
Key Area 2: Creation Account
Key Area 3: Kingdom of Satan, the Prince of Darkness
Key Area 4: Path to the Christ
Key Area 5: Incarnation and Christology
Key Area 6: Jesus Christ’s Ministry
Key Area 7: Jesus Christ’s Victory Over the Kingdom of Satan
Key Area 8: Administration of Jesus Christ’s Kingdom
Key Area 9: Fulfillment of the Full Implementation of God’s Kingdom
Key Area 10: Kingdom Life
Today let’s take a further look at Key Area 1, the Triune God.
THE NAME OF GOD – The Sacred Name Controversy:
We believe that Jesus is the fully revealed name of the triune Spirit God, as Jesus is the revealed name (according to the given name of God through the Angel) of the visible manifestation (through the Incarnation) of the invisible God. Therefore we refer to Jesus Christ as the one True God in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells, and Who is the ultimate object of all true Christian worship. By worshiping the Son we are worshiping the Father in Spirit and in Truth. In fact, we believe that worshiping the Son is the only way to truly worship the Father in Spirit and Truth.
As for the “name” Jehovah/Yahweh, we think it is in fact not a name at all, but instead a descriptive term as is evidenced with Moses. You see, when Moses asked the triune Spirit God what was His name, this God Who is a Spirit told him not a “name” as such, but a prophetic description for the people to believe in; specifically that the true God is self-existent and will reveal Himself fully in the appropriate time—that is in the end of time (see Hebrews 1:2). Thus, for Moses and the Old Testament people of Israel, it was only in part that they would get to know God.
So, the descriptor Jehovah/Yahweh had great yet mysterious meaning to Moses, for it was full of the mystery, the secret of God in Christ, yet to be unveiled. Nevertheless, specifically what did it mean to Moses at that time? What was revealed to him in this title? Well, God was telling Moses “I am that I am, and I will become what I will become.” In other words, I can tell you now that I AM, and I can tell you now that one day I will become fully revealed unto you, but for now, that is enough. So this is what Moses was to share with the people when they asked the name of this God, “I AM has sent me.”
When we understand this name thus, we can see that this descriptive term is prophesying of the Incarnation! Remember, “In the volume of the book it is written of Me!” This is but one such example. The true and fully revealed name of the triune God Who is a Spirit, is Jesus (or Jesu, etc., depending on your language), and Jesus literally means “I am salvation—I have become what I promised, your salvation.” Notice the difference, the true name of God (Jesus) means “I am salvation, I have become what I promised;” very different from the prophetic mystery of Jehovah, which was but a descriptor of the greater revelation to come.
So even in the revelation of God by His titles in the Old Testament, as we came to know Him more and more through time as recorded in Scripture, our loving God ultimately leads us to the most precious name of all; and in this revelation through His titles leading ultimately to the revelation of His personal name, we have revealed unto us the glorious mystery, the story so to speak, of the Gospel of Salvation.
Our God is indeed exactly what He promised to Moses, He is our salvation. . . and as He became so, He revealed unto us His personal name—Jesus—the only name under Heaven by which we can be saved.
We discuss such teachings regularly in our writings and other Ministry services, especially in our Daily Scripture Reading Service, where each day we go in depth as we wrap the Daily Scripture Reading with an informative and heartfelt Inductive Bible Study. The amazing love of God is always at the core of each ten minute daily podcast, and the doctrine is always in support of the culmination of God’s love—the Gospel of Salvation, as portrayed in the writings of the early church fathers. You can learn more at: http://www.cjrpress.com.
(c) Copyright – Paul Rakowicz. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
October 8th, 2009 at 7:56 PM
I did a search this afternoon on “The name of God has always been sacred” as I reflected with a friend on the tetragrammaton, YHWH. I’m writing a research paper on the theological significance of one of the names of God and have chosen “Yahweh”. As I emailed two friends (both evangelists, one in Czech and one in Israel), they each said more or less what you’ve said here, that any OT name of God was intended to draw us closer to Jesus as NT revelation of God. And both felt it was odd that I was focusing on one name until I told them I HAD TO – IT’S FOR A PAPER!
Well, a question: do you see any connection to what at times may have been a superstitious refusal to speak the name of God, instead using YHWH, and what I have seen lately in using “G*d” instead of “God”? When did using “G*d” originate? Is “G*d” somehow deferential or polictically correct? Neither?
Thanks for thinking…
October 8th, 2009 at 9:00 PM
Timothy,
Thank you for the thoughtful post.
My sense of the “superstitiousness” of “some” refusing to speak certain titles of God is nothing more than that spoken of by the Apostle Paul, these are those who are creating “fables” or “myths” meant to draw believers away from the only thing that really matters, Jesus Christ (see Titus 1:14, actually the whole end of that chapter).
Thus, in simple terms, by creating such a myth they sought to cloud the fact that these weren’t really even names. They were trying to create doubt and hide the fact that the true name of God, a God in whom they obviously did not believe, was yet to be revealed. They meant/mean to get people to believe that the name of God is something other than Jesus.
When brought out into the open, which you have opportunity to do in the paper you are writing, we can then be of those who speak the things which become sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). This is the best means to help those in need. Who knows, maybe someone will come to know Jesus Christ in this way!
Again, thanks for your post, I hope this helps.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Paul
October 9th, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Pastor Paul, thanks for the response. While Paul’s comments in Titus are helpful and useful for my paper, I wonder how far these feelings go back? Did the Hebrews of Moses’ time also have the same hesitancy? What about other Jews as late as the intertestamental period? I might not be able to know for sure, but any comments in this regard will be helpful. Again, thanks!
October 9th, 2009 at 2:27 PM
Timothy,
For a specific understanding of the formation of the Pharisaical origin of these fables, most scholars would send you back to the Babylonian captivity. Your question is really one of tracing the origin of the Pharisees and their writings which ultimately produced what is known today as the Talmud. Such study would demonstrate there were no “feelings” about not speaking the various titles of God in the time of Moses. If you were compelled to answer what “time” these feelings started, I think you would find it in chasing down the origins of the Pharisees.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Paul
October 9th, 2009 at 9:34 PM
Thanks again, Pastor. I will look into what material I currently own about the Pharisees.