Call Him Jesus?
If we did not already have confusion in Christianity today, there seems to be a growing number of Christians, or should we say Yahoshuans, Yeshuans, or Christianos that put forth an interesting array of apellations for the Saviour. -Now while there is nothing wrong with the various spellings or pronounciations, sometimes folks can slip into the legalistic side of how we call on the Saviour.
We culled a few variations from a number of websites:
Yahshua
"YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME YESHUA......."
Yeshua Adonai
Yeshua HaMashiach
Iesous
Ieshoua
yehÖshÙa
yehoshua
Y'SHUA
and this one from an email: YAHUSHUA that came in after we wrote this.
Now if you are Japanese, He is YaeSu Nim; in Tamil, YaeSu Nim; in Fiji, Jisu; or in Russia, Èèñóñ .
Why do we need to make such a simple thing so complicated? If you are reading this blog, God bless you, I sincerely mean no insult or offense to anyone from any of the various camps. It is only after hearing or reading numerous renditions of JESUS in the English-speaking and especially the non-Jewish Christians, that we were led to write this.
Note, there are a lot of people named in the Bible, why stop with only another translation version of Jesus? Here is a list in Romans of some of the other NAMES saints of God that Jesus lived in:
Rom. 16:
8 Salute Ampliatus...
9 Salute Urbanus... and Stachys my beloved.
10 Salute Apelles... the household of Aristobulus.
11 Salute Herodion... Narcissus...
12 Salute Tryphaena and Tryphosa.. Salute Persis....
13 Salute Rufus ....
14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas...
15 Salute Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints
And do not forget Mattew, Mark, Luke, John, Timothy, Titus, Paul (i.e. Shaul/ Saul), Philomen, Cornelius, Dorcas, and others.
Hopefully, you will see some humor in this exercise by now.
The chances are very good that if you are reading and understanding these words site is because you read and understand English no matter what your ancestry might be. And if you are the typical American Christian, you probably read and believe in the Bible Scriptures that you read in English, even if we get a bit tongue tied over some of the Biblical names.
Have you ever felt inferior or confused or that somehow by learning Greek or Hebrew that you might get closer to God and obtaining special knowledge? One lady told me how she had become confused of how to address God in prayer because of the variations of Jesus' name.
Well I hope many of us take comfort in the fact that even though some of us do not read Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, or Greek, the truth of Scripture is not limited or hindered by our lack of ability to read and/or speak those languages. If you are Latino, God bless you in the name of Jesus (Hay-soos) Christo. If you are from Alabama and speak with a Southern accent, Jesus saves. If you are praying and in need, calling on "JEEE-sus", or it comes out sounding like "JeSUS!", fear not. God hears and answers our cry.
Years ago, before any religion got to me, in repentence and brokeness, while on my face in the living room, I called out to Jesus to save me. HE did, and my life was changed by Him from that day forward. No, the Lord did not send someone over to correct the sylables I had uttered or instruct me in the Hebrew, Latin, or Greek pronounciation. I just started reading the Bible and experienced my prayers being answered when I asked in Jesus' name.
Later, as a Holy Spirit baptized believer, I began to experience healing and the casting out of demons through the Name of Jesus. Yes, people were healed, saved, and delivered all through the name of Jesus that I read about in my Bible. Praise the Lord.
There is absolutely no irreverence or disrespect in this writing, nor is it meant as a slap to any of our Jewish brethren that choose to call on "Yeshua" or the like. What God did for me through Jesus, He will do for a Jewish believer in Yehoshua, or a Latino who calls on "Hey-soos Christo".
The point is why get hung up or worried over getting the correct pronounciation from a language you don't even speak? If you are an English speaker, I assure you devils are cast out in Jesus' name, lives changed, healings and miracles are done. When we pray, God hears and answers, in Jesus name.
When we read our English KJV, ASV, NKJV, NASV, or even the NIV, there is no need to stumble over the English version of Jesus on the printed page, the same is true for a Chinese, Korean, or Russian Christian reading their translated version of the Name of Jesus. God still hears and answers.
What about God the Father?
Before, we sign off, we can make the same point about God, the Father of Jesus. "Yah", "Yahweh" "YHWH", "Jehovah", or "Eloheim". Yes, we know the verses both Old and New Testament, and do not deny for one moment that God has a Holy Name. Without going into a major technical discourse on the great "I AM", I would simply point out to everyone, what Jesus taught His disciples in regard to how they call upon Him...
Did Jesus say "Our Yahweh which art in heaven..." for example?
Since we have the New Covenant which changed the Old in terms of our relationship to God, we will focus on the New Testament portion of scripture, "that which is written".
The simple truth here again is:
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Matthew 26:39 And he went... and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am
John 17:5 O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am;
John 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee
and as the Word grew:
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:15 ... but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Galatians 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Philippians 4:20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
James 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father
2 John 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
and Paul wrote the church:
Ga 4:6... And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Abba means "Father")
--Did you catch that? Who's Spirit cries out of our heart? What does HE cry out?
Now you had an earthly father, did you call him Mr. ABC ( i.e. Jones, Smith, Moore, etc)?
I hope you had or have a family relationship with your "dad" on earth, but normally I have never heard someone call their earthly Father by the family name...
In the 52 years I knew my dad, I never once called him "Moore". Others did, but he was MY father and they did not have the relationship we did. Neither did Jesus or the apostles ever teach God's children to call Him by His name, rather, in over 1100 verses, God The Father was always referred to as "father" because that is the relationship the Father wants with His children.
Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
