Monday 21 September 2015

DOES THE TRINITY & THE NAME “JEHOVAH” HAVE BIBLICAL LEGS TO STAND ON?

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME!

THE DIVINE NAME

Exodus 3:14-15: "And Elohim said unto Moshe, Eh-heh-yeh ashair Ehheh- yeh (I AM WHO I AM); and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the Bnei Yisroel, EHHEH-YEH (I AM) hath sent me unto you. And Elohim said moreover unto Moshe, Thus shalt thou say unto Bnei Yisroel: Hashem, Elohei Avoteichem, Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, and Elohei Ya’akov, hath sent me unto you: this is Shemi l’olam, and this is My remembrance unto all generations." - Orhtodox Jewish Bible

EHYEH ASHER EHYEH

I Am Who I Am - I Will Exist Because I Will Exist - I Exist Because I Exist -  I Will Be Who I Will Be - I Am That Which Exists - He Who Causes To Exist - He Who Gives Life


THE NAME WAR

In the Christian world today, there are many names and titles used when talking about the Almighty Creator. Some believe that the titles "God" and "Lord" are actual names and not just titles. Some even go to the ridiculous extreme of omitting the letter "o" from God as they believe this 'name' to be so holy that it is considered irreverent to write it fully, so use "G-d" instead. More recently, a predominantly coloured Christian group or groups, have sprung up declaring that the true name of the Creator is "Ahayah" (and some say it is "Yahawah") and that all other names are false. These same people teach that it is they - the coloured races, who predominantly form the scattered tribes (which I will adress later). This is the sad state of Christianity today - warring over names, titles, and lost tribe identities. I myself had previously been drawn into using the name "Yahweh" as the Creator's true name although understanding that the exact pronounciation could not be known for certain. Today I prefer to use "Creator", the "Almighty", or "Father". That way, I can't be wrong!

THE TITLE "LORD" (BAAL)

If you ask the average church-goer if he is involved in Baal worship, he will more than likely say “No!” If asked what God he worships, he will probably answer, “The Lord,” “God,” or maybe even “Jesus.” In his mind, he is not involved in Baal worship at all. But in this he has been deceived, just as Satan deceived Eve into partaking of the forbidden fruit:

2 Corinthians 11: 3: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”


Such a person is likely to “praise the Lord” and call upon the name of “the Lord” in prayer without any idea of Baal worship. He has been trained to do so all his life. The popular translations of the Bible have led him to believe that it is proper to call upon the name of “the Lord” rather than “Yahweh.” After all, it is generally assumed that the Christian writers of the Bible substituted “kyrios” (or kurios, the Lord) for God’s name in the Greek scriptures. Thus, he has usually accepted this tradition as truth without any further investigation.

In these modern times it is more common for Christians to think of the Creator God as a three-in-one trinity, and that His name is “Jehovah”, but that was certainly not always the case. Yeshua Himself made mention of a god He believed in and worshipped – with no mention whatsoever of a trinity – neither of Jehovah as being His name.

2 Timothy 2: 15:Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (orthotomeo – a perfectly right-angled cutting - correctly analysing and accurately dividing, rightly handling and skilfully teaching) the word of truth.”

Exodus 20: 2-4: I am the Lord (Yahweh) thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”


Isaiah 42: 5: “Thus saith God the LORD (Yahweh), He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.”

Matthew 5: 17-20: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

John 4: 23, 24:But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit (God is Spirit – the Holy Spirit): and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.


WORDS OF YESHUA RELATING TO THE FATHER AS SUPREME CREATOR AND ABOVE THE SON

John 8: 28: "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things."

John 14: 10: “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.”

John 17:2-4: “As Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given him.  And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee THE… only true God, and Jesus Christ (Yeshua Messiah), whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.”

Two scriptures appear in our modern Bible versions which contain a trinitarian formula:

1 John 5: 6-8: “This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

Matthew 28: 19:  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

John’s account, contains words that do not appear in any of the early manuscripts:

“in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth”.

“These verses contain words that do not appear in any of the early manuscripts. The words added begin in verse 7 with “in heaven” and go to “in earth” in verse 8. These words are found in only four Greek manuscripts before the sixteenth century, and these contain the passage in what appears to be a translation from a late recension (critical revision) of the Latin Vulgate. – Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary to The Greek New Testament, New York: United Bible Societies, 1971, pp. 716-717.

“First appearing in Latin copies, the added words crept into the English texts.” – The Companion Bible, London: The Lamp Press Ltd., p. 1876.
All early manuscripts read:

“For there are three that bear record, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”

Since the corruption of 1 John 5: 7 and 8 had not yet occurred by the 4th century, promoters of trinitarianism and adherents to the trinitarian baptismal formulae prior to the 4th century, had only one scripture on which to base their new theology – Matthew 28 : 19:

 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

This verse appears in all manuscripts after the 4th century. By that time, trinitarianism had become part of formal doctrine. Earlier manuscripts from which Eusebius (died 340 AD), quoted in the early part of the 4th century could not have contained the trinitarian words. He cited Matthew 28: 19 eighteen times without using them once! He wrote: “… disciple all nations in My Name”. 

There are only 2 extant manuscripts from the 4th century which contain Matthew 28: 19 – and none from previous centuries. The 18 times that Eusebius quoted the passage correctly are found in his writings prior to the Council of Nicaea where the subject of the person of Christ was brought to a head. After the Council, Eusebius quoted this same verse 3 times using the trinitarian formulae, showing the political and religious impact of Emperor Constantine – and the Nicaean decision.

Justin Martyr, the Christian who wrote in the middle of the 2nd century, never quoted “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost”, nor did Aphraates of Nisibis in the early 4th century. This shows that both Justin and Aphraates must have had earlier manuscripts than now exist. Furthermore – regarding water baptism – there is no record in the New Testament that the trinitarian baptismal ‘command’ from Jesus was ever carried out by the people He commanded nor by the 1st century Church in general.  They ALWAYS baptised in the name of Jesus Christ alone – Yeshua the Messiah.

Acts 2: 38: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 8: 16: “(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)”

Acts 10: 48: “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”

Acts 19: 5: “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

The Word of the Creator Yahweh quoted simply as is – nothing added!

During the persecution of the 2nd century, a small group of Christian intellectuals, most prominently Aristides & Justin Martyr, wrote dissertations to emperors and other notable persons to answer charges against the Church and to stop the persecutions. These writings, called Apologies, were in fact compromises between Christianity and Paganism. Because of the impact the Apologies had, the concepts of the triune God, plus Mary being the Mother of God, and also pagan symbolism, took root and began growing in both discussion and in writing.

“… The modern doctrine of the Trinity is not found in any document or relic belonging to the Church of the first three centuries. Letters, art, usage, theology, worship, creed, hymn, chant, doxology, ascription, commemorative rite, and festive observance, so far as any remains or any record of them are preserved, coming down from early times, are, as regards this doctrine, an absolute blank. They testify, so far as they testify at all, to the supremacy of the Father, the only true God; and to the inferior and derived nature of the Son. There is nowhere among these remains a co-equal Trinity. The cross is there; Christ is there as the Good Shepherd, the father’s hand placing a crown, or victor’s wreath, on his head; but no undivided Three, - co-equal, infinite, self-existent, and eternal. This was a conception to which the age had not arrived. It was of later origin.” – Alvan Lamson, The Church of The First Three Centuries, Boston: Walker Fuller & Co., 1865, pp. 75, 97 & 98.

Even the New Catholic Encyclopaedia states that trinitarianism became part of Christian doctrine in the 4th – not the 1st century:

“It is difficult, in the second half of the 20th century, to offer a clear, objective and straightforward account of the revelation, doctrinal evolution, and theological elaboration of the mystery of the Trinity… There is… recognition on the part of historians of dogma and systematic theologians that when one does speak of an unqualified Trinitarianism, one has moved from the period of Christian origins to, say, the last quadrant of the 4th century. It was only then that what might be called the definitive Trinitarian dogma ‘one God in three Persons’ became thoroughly assimilated into Christian life and thought.

…The dogmatic formulae ‘one God in three Persons’ … was the product of 3 centuries of doctrinal development.”

Please - take very careful note what the book of Revelation states regarding the revealed Word of the Creator God Yahweh: Revelation 22: 18, 19 : “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Messing about with The Word of The Creator, is a very dangerous occupation – we have all been clearly warned! We are also accountable to The Almighty for information that comes our way and that we reject. Study wisely – as you have been commanded!

The Creator God Yahweh of Spiritual Hosts is a jealous God and warns us in His first commandment to have no other gods before Him. Is the Church then worshipping His Son as the Creator – putting Jesus before Yahweh? Remember – the serpent was created the wisest beast of the field and we know via the scriptures that he and his followers moved into the early Church bringing in doctrines of devils – heresies. Are we so blind that we think he is not around anymore?

Matthew 22: 44:The Lord (Yahweh) said unto my Lord (Yeshua Messiah), Sit thou on My right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?”


1 Corinthians 15: 23-28: “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming.

24 Then cometh the end, when He (Christ - Yeshua) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He (Christ) shall have put down all rule and all authority and power (during His millennial reign here on Earth).
25 For He (Christ) must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For He (Yahweh) hath put all things under His (Christ) feet. But when He (Yahweh) saith all things are put under Him (Christ), it is manifest that He (Yahweh) is excepted, which did put all things under Him (Christ).
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him (Yahweh), then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him (Yahweh) that put all things under Him (Christ), that God may be all in all.”
END OF THE PAGAN TRINITY! 


Let us Now Take a Look at The Name “Jehovah”

Strong’s Concordance shows that the Hebrew word “hovah” means “disaster, ruin, mischief”.


How then – not being a Hebrew scholar myself - could the word “hovah” become an integral part of the name of the Creator? Hebrew words carry in-depth meanings which we lose when they are translated into other languages including our own English. The Creator’s name has various meanings (obviously) and His name describes His very character so “Jehovah” could be a very grave insult to Him and is possibly/probably another name for Satan himself. The Vatican – although it has used this name “Jehovah” in its translations of the Bible throughout the Spanish speaking world at least, freely admit that “Yahweh” is the most probable form of His name (although that too is possibly incorrect – coming from the Vatican! An alternative which seems to make more sense is included a little bit further on):

The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, vol. 14, page 1065, after discussing the usual meanings given to God’s name, states: “All these explanations, however, overlook the fact that in Ex 3: 14 a merely folk etymology of the name, based on the qal form of the verb ‘to be,’ is given. Grammatically, because of its vocalization, yahweh can only be a hi’phil or causative form of this verb, with the meaning ‘He causes to be, He brings into being.’ Probably, therefore, yahweh is an abbreviated form of the longer, yahweh aser yihweh, ‘He brings into being whatever exists.’ The name, therefore, describes the God of Israel as the Creator of the universe.”

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature: “Jehovah -- the imperfect of Jahve (Yahwe… or Jahwe (Yahweh)).”

The New American Encyclopedia: “Jehovah -- (properly Yahweh) a name of the God of Israel, now widely regarded as a mis-pronunciation of the Hebrew YHWH.”

The Oxford Cyclopedic Concordance: “Jehovah -- the name revealed to Moses at Horeb. Its real pronunciation is approximately Yahweh. The Name itself was not pronounced Jehovah before the 16th century.”

American Heritage Dictionary: “Yahweh -- A name for God assumed by modern scholars to be a rendering of the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton.”

New Century Dictionary: “Jehovah -- the common European rendering of Heb. JHVH (or YHWH), representing, without vowels, Heb. Jahweh (or Yahweh), a divine name… regarded by the Jews as too sacred for utterance and hence replaced in the reading of the Scriptures by Adonai or Elohim; the form Jehovah being due to a mispronunciation of Heb. JHVH with the vowels of the associated Heb. Adonai. A name of God in the Old Testament, being the Christian rendering of ‘ineffable name,’ JHVH in the Hebrew Scriptures.”

A History of Christianity, Kenneth Scott Latourette (pg. 11): “Israel regarded their god, Yahweh, a name mistakenly put into English as Jehovah, as the God of the universe, the maker and ruler of heaven and Earth…”

Another excuse for substituting “the Lord” or “God” for the Creator’s name is given in the “Preface” of The New American Standard Bible:

“This name [Yahweh] has not been pronounced by the Jews because of the great sacredness of the Divine Name. Therefore it was consistently pronounced and translated Lord.

“It is known that for many years YHWH has been translated as Yahweh. No complete certainty attaches to this pronunciation. However, it is felt by many who are in touch with the laity of our churches that this name conveys no religious or spiritual overtones. It is strange, uncommon, and without sufficient religious and devotional background. Hence it was decided to avoid the use of this name in the translation proper.”

The Revised Standard Version, (Preface) states:
“The form Jehovah is of late medieval origin; it is a combination of the consonants of the Divine Name and the vowels attached to it by the Masoretes but belonging to an entirely different word. The sound of Y is represented by J and the sound of W by V, as in Latin. The word ‘Jehovah’ does not accurately represent any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew.”

The Encyclopaedia Britannica (15th Edition) declares:
“The Masoretes, Jewish biblical scholars of the Middle Ages, replaced the vowel signs that had appeared above or beneath the consonants of YHWH with the vowel signs of Adonai or of Elohim. Thus the artificial name Jehovah (YeHoWaH) came into being. Although Christian scholars after the Renaissance and Reformation periods used the term Jehovah for YHWH, in the 19th and 20th centuries biblical scholars again began to use the form Yahweh. Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century, had used the form Yahweh, thus this pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was never really lost. Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh.”

“Additionally, some have pointed out that the structure of the word “Jehovah” indicates that it may actually slander the Creator! The prefix “Je” is often used to represent the shortened form of the Creator’s name, “Yah.” “Hovah” in Hebrew means “ruin” or “mischief.” (See Strong’s number 1943) Thus its meaning would be “Yahweh is ruinous,” or “Yahweh is mischievous.”

Hovah is derived from havvah which means “eagerly coveting and rushing upon; by impl. Of falling.” (Strong) Thus some claim that this is how insidiously Satan the Devil, the real mischievous one, the real “fallen angel” who “covets” the position of the Most High, has replaced the Creator’s name with a name that describes himself! (Isaiah 14: 12-14; Luke 10: 18; 4: 8, 9) It is for this reason that some have said that the strange word “Jehovah” really refers to Satan (meaning “opposer”) the Devil (meaning “false accuser, slanderer”)…

“However, just because there is uncertainty as to how the divine name should be pronounced does not mean that we feel it is proper to substitute “Lord” or “God” for the Creator’s name. The ancient Hebrews several times sought also to substitute God’s name with a word that means “Lord” -- that is, “Baal.” “And they forsook Yahweh God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked Yahweh’s anger. They forsook Yahweh and served Baal [the Lord] and the Ashtoreths. And the anger of Yahweh was hot against Israel.” (Judges 3: 7, 8; see also Judges 2: 11-14; 8: 33, 34; 10: 6, 7) And again in Jeremiah’s time Yahweh spoke against those who “try to make my people forget my name… as their fathers forgot my name for Baal [the Lord].” (Jeremiah 23: 27)…

Another reason the Tetragrammaton should not be rendered by “the Lord”, or “God” has to do with the meaning of God’s name… The usual meaning given to this word is something like “He is,” or “The Eternal.” Yahweh is the third person singular of the Hebrew verb hayah (to be or become). In Exodus 3: 14 Yahweh gives Moses a different variation of his name in the first person: “I will be what I will be (Ehyeh’ asher’ ehyeh’).” (Revised Standard Version - footnote) Many translations render this “I AM THAT I AM.” However, according to some authorities, the Hebrew word hayah, as used in this verse, means more than just to exist. It also carries with it the thought of coming into existence, or causing to exist. Thus the third person would mean: “He will cause to be,” or “He causes to be.”

Jehovah, therefore, cannot be the name of the Almighty Creator and we must also take care in using the titles “Lord” and “God”. He is, The Creator!

EHYEH ASHER EHYEH


I Will Exist Because I Will Exist - I Exist Because I Exist - I Am Who I Am - I Will Be Who I Will Be - I Am That Which Exists - He Who Causes To Exist - He Who Gives Life





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