If His name was Yeshua, why do we call Him Jesus?
QuestionAnswer Some believe that our Lord should not be referred to as “Jesus” because it is offensive. Instead, we should only refer to Jesus by his given name, Yeshua. Some even go so far as to suggest that naming Him “Jesus” is blasphemous and should be avoided at all costs. The name “Jesus” is considered unbiblical by some since the letterJ is a later innovation because there was no letterJ in ancient Greek or Hebrew. The Hebrew name Yeshua is pronounced “Joshua,” while the English form is “Joshua.” It is pronounced “Iesous,” which is the Greek transcription of the Hebrew name, and it is spelled “Jesus.” In this way, the names “Joshua” and “Jesus” are nearly identical; both are English pronunciations of the Hebrew and Greek names for our Savior.
A collection of pages that has been bound and covered is referred to as a “book.” In German, it is spelled as abuch.
The language changes, but the item itself remains the same as before.
Furthermore, we can speak to Jesus as “Jesus,”” Yeshua, or ” YehSou” (Cantonese) without His essence being altered.
- As for the issue around the letter J, it appears to be all for naught.
- However, this does not rule out the possibility of references to “Jerusalem” in the Bible.
- Even within a same language, spellings might differ: Americans write “Savior,” whilst the British write “Savior,” respectively.
- Jesus is the Saviour and the Savior, and He is the Lord.
- Not once in the Bible does it say that we must only pronounce or write His name in Hebrew or Greek.
- Instead, on the Day of Pentecost, the apostles delivered the gospel news in the languages of the “Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; citizens of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the regions of Libya near Cyrene,” according to Acts 2:9.
- It didn’t matter if the words were spelled correctly.
- Scripture does not place a higher priority on one language over another, and it makes no hint that Christians must use the Hebrew language when addressing the Almighty.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what language we use to call on Him: He is our salvation in English, Korean, Hindi, or Hebrew. Return to the previous page: Questions concerning the deity of Jesus Christ Why do we refer to Him as Jesus while His given name was Yeshua?
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Should You Really Be Calling Jesus by the Name Yeshua?
Is Yeshua the correct spelling of Jesus’ given name? It is believed by followers of Messianic Judaism, Jews who embrace Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and they are not alone in their belief. In fact, some Christians believe that individuals who refer to Christ by his Hebrew name, Yeshua, rather than by his English name, Jesus, are worshipping the incorrect savior. These Christians believe that naming the Messiah by his given name, Jesus, is equivalent to calling the Messiah by the name of the Greek deity Zeus.
What Is Jesus’ Real Name?
Indeed, the Hebrew word for Jesus is Yeshua (Jesus). It is an acronym that stands for “Yahwehis Salvation.” Yeshua is spelled “Joshua” in the English language. However, when the name Yeshua is translated from Hebrew into Greek, which is the language in which the New Testament was written, the name becomesIsous. “Jesus” is the English spelling of the name Isous. The names Joshua and Jesus are the same, which suggests they are related. One name has been translated from Hebrew into English, and the other has been translated from Greek into English, respectively.
- Consider the following scenario: Languages use various words to describe the same item in different ways.
- Furthermore, we can refer to Jesus by several names without altering his character in any way.
- In English, he is referred to as Jesus, with a “J” that sounds like the letter “gee.” Portuguese speakers refer to him as Jesus, but with a “J” that sounds like “geh,” and Spanish speakers refer to him as Jesus, but with a “J” that sounds like “hey,” respectively.
- Of course, they are all speaking in their own tongue.
The Connection Between Jesus and Zeus
The names Jesus and Zeus have absolutely nothing to do with each other. This hypothesis is based on fabrications and has made its way across the internet, where it has been joined by a slew of other false and misleading material.
More Than One Jesus in the Bible
Jesus Christ, in reality, was not the only Jesus mentioned in the Bible; there were other others. Jesus Barabbas is one of several people with the same name that are mentioned in the Bible. He is commonly referred to as just Barabbas, because he was the prisonerPilate was freed from instead of Jesus Christ: “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is considered the Messiah?” Pilate inquired of the multitude after it had assembled. (Matthew 27:17, New International Version) In the genealogy of Jesus, an ancestor of Christ is referred to as Jesus (Joshua) in Luke 3:29, according to the Bible.
and Jesus, whose surname is Justus. My fellow laborers for the kingdom of God are the only ones who are circumcised among them, and they have been a source of consolation to me. (Colossians 4:11, English Standard Version)
Are You Worshiping the Wrong Savior?
The Bible does not give preference to one language (or translation) over another in terms of significance. We are not required to invoke the Lord’s name entirely in Hebrew, as we are in other languages. Furthermore, it makes no difference how we say his name. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, according to the text of Acts 2:21. (ESV). God is aware of those who invoke his name, regardless of whether they do it in English, Portuguese, Spanish, or Hebrew.
Matt Slickat, Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, summarizes the situation as follows: “Some believe that if we do not pronounce Jesus’ name correctly, we are in sin and serving a false deity; however, this claim cannot be supported by Scripture.
Receiving the Messiah, God manifested in human, through faith is what distinguishes us as Christians.” So go ahead and call out in the name of Jesus with confidence.
This Is What Jesus’ Friends And Family Actually Called Him — And No, It Wasn’t Jesus
Even among people of different religious beliefs, the name “Jesus” is almost universally recognized. It may come as a surprise, however, that the name “Jesus,” which millions of Christians all over the world are urged not to use in vain, was not in fact the name of the historical figure. Despite the fact that the assertion appears to be controversial, the truth is that it is more of a translation issue.
What Was Jesus’ Real Name?
Commons image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons “Isous” is the Greek transcription of Jesus’ given name, whereas “Yeshua” is the late Biblical Hebrew form of Jesus’ given name. Of course, neither English nor Spanish existed in their present forms during the time when the genuine Jesus was living, nor was the New Testament written at the time that the original Jesus was alive. Jesus and his followers were all Jewish, and as a result, they all received Hebrew given names – despite the fact that they would have spoken Aramaic.
As a result, the majority of academics think that the Christian Messiah’s given name was really “Yeshua,” which was a very popular Jewish given name during Jesus’ lifetime.
This raises the question of how the name “Jesus” got to be unique in the first place, given that there were apparently so many individuals called “Yeshua” moving around at the time.
How “Yeshua” Became Lost In Translation
Commons image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Because of this, the King James Bible was written in the “I” spelling rather than the “J” spelling. Given the fact that not every language has the same sounds, people have traditionally adopted their names in order to be able to pronounce them in a number of different languages. Even in modern languages, there are discrepancies in how Jesus is pronounced from one dialect to another. In English, the name is pronounced with a hard “J,” yet in Spanish, the name is pronounced with what would be a “H” in English, despite the fact that the spelling is the same.
The New Testament was initially written in Greek, which not only has a completely different alphabet than Hebrew, but also does not include the “sh” sound present in the Hebrew word “Yeshua,” which means “Yeshua.” After deciding to use the Greek “s” sound instead of the “sh” sound in the name Yeshua, the New Testament authors added a final “s” to the end of the name to make it more masculine in the original language.
When the Bible was translated into Latin from the original Greek, the term “Iesus” was used by the translators to refer to the person who had given the name.
For decades, this inscription has been a typical feature of portrayals of the crucifixion in Western Christianity as “INRI,” an acronym for the LatinIesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, or “Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews,” which translates as “Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews.” Because Latin being the main language of the Catholic Church, the Latinized form of the name “Yeshua” was used to refer to Christ across the rest of Europe and beyond.
Even the King James Bible, which was first published in 1611, utilized the “Iesus” spelling.
How “Yeshua” Eventually Became “Jesus”
It’s difficult to identify precisely where the “Jesus” spelling originated, while some historians believe that a variant of the name that originated in Switzerland is the most likely candidate. It is more common for the “J” in Swiss to be pronounced like an English “Y” or the Latin “Ie” as in “Iesus.” In 1553, when the Catholic Queen “Bloody” Mary ascended to the English throne, thousands of English Protestant intellectuals fled, with a large number eventually settling in Geneva. It was at Geneva that a group of some of the best English minds of the day collaborated to create the Geneva Bible, which was the first to utilize the Swiss spelling of the name “Jesus.” Commons image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons A significant contribution to the popularization of the “Jesus” spelling was made by the Geneva Bible.
Eventually, it was transported to the New World on the Mayflower, which arrived in 1620.
As a result, the name used by English speakers today is an English adaption of a German translation of a Latin transliteration of a Greek transliteration of an initially Hebrew name, which was then adopted by the English language.
Then read about Jesus’ tomb being opened after it had been sealed.
Jesus (name) – Wikipedia
| Pronunciation | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Hebrew |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Joshua,Yeshua,Isa |
Isous(o; Iesus in Classical Latin) is an ancient Greek version of the Hebrew and Aramaic names Yeshua and Y’shua (Hebrew: ). It is used as a given name for boys and men. Because its origins lay in the name Yeshua/Y’shua, it is etymologically connected to another biblical name, Joshua, because both names derive from the same root. “Jesus” is not commonly used as a given name in the English-speaking world, but its equivalents, like as the SpanishJesus, have had long-standing popularity among persons from other language backgrounds.
Etymology
There have been a number of different hypotheses as to the actual etymological meaning of the nameYhôua(Joshua,Hebrew:), includingYahweh /Yehowah saves, (is) salvation, (is) a saving-cry, (is) a cry-for-help, (is) my aid, andYahweh /Yehowah saves, (is) salvation, (is) a As may be seen in the Hebrew text of Ezra 2:2, 2:6, 2:36, 2:40, 3:2, 3:8, 3:9, 3:10, 3:18, 4:3, and 8:33, as well as in the Biblical Aramaicat text of Ezra 5:2, Ezra 3:19, 7:7, 7:11, 7:39, 7:43, 8:7, 8:17, 9:4, 9:5, 11:26, 12 These Bible passages are about 10 different people (in Nehemiah 8:17, the name refers toJoshuason ofNun).
- This historical transition may have occurred as a result of a phonological shift in which gutturalphonemes, such as, were diminished.
- However, this has changed recently (-yah).
- During the Second Temple era, the name Yeshua/Y’shua was widely used by Jews, and numerous Jewish religious luminaries, including Joshua in the Hebrew Bible and Jesus in the New Testament, were known by this name.
- In contrast, both the Western Syriac Christian tradition and the Eastern Syriac Christian tradition employ the Aramaic names (in Hebrew script: )Yeshu and Yisho, respectively, which include the ayin.
- Earlier, in the 3rd century BCE, theSeptuaginthad already transliterated the Hebrew name (Yeshua) into Koine Greek as nearly as possible, resulting in the name (Isous).
When speaking Hebrew or Aramaic during this period, the diphthongalvowel of the Masoretic name Yehoshua or Yeshua would not have been present in the pronunciation of the word, and some scholars believe some dialects dropped the pharyngealsound of the final letter ayin, which had no equivalent in ancient Greek in any case.
- According to thePanarionofEpiphanius of Salamis, the nameIsous is derived from Hebrew/Aramaic and means “healer or physician, and savior,” and that the early Christians were known as Jessaeans before they were known as Christians.
- From Greek, (Isous) made its way into Latin, at the very least by the time of theVetus Latina.
- The word (Isous) was transliterated into the Latin word IESVS, where it remained for centuries.
- Minuscule(lower case) letters were formed about the year 800, and a little time later, theUwas invented to separate the vowelsound from the consonantalsound, and theJwas invented to distinguish the consonant from the vowelsound.
- The name Jesus comes from the Middle English word Iesu, which means “Jesus” (attested from the 12th century).
- Because of this, early 17th century works such asthe first edition of theKing James Version of the Bible(1611) continued to print the name with an I, as did the Frenchman Pierre Ramus in the 16th century.
The English language borrows the Latin names “Jesus” (from the nominative form) and “Jesu” (from the genitive form) (from the vocative and oblique forms). “Jesus” is the most often used version, with “Jesu” appearing in a few older, more ancient manuscripts as well.
Declension
The name is declined in an irregular manner in both Latin and Greek:
| Latin | Greek | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | Jēsūs | Iēsūs(Iēsus) | Ἰησοῦς |
| accusative | Jēsūm | Iēsūm(Iēsum) | Ἰησοῦν |
| dative | Jēsū | Iēsū | Ἰησοῦ |
| genitive | |||
| vocative | |||
| ablative | – |
Biblical references
Jesus (Yeshua) appears to have been in common usage in the Land of Israel around the time of Jesus’ birth, according to archaeological evidence. As an added bonus, Philo’s reference to Joshua (o), which means redemption () of the Lord inMutatione Nominumitem 121 suggests that the etymology of Joshua was known outside of Israel. Jesus Barabbas, Jesus ben Ananias, and Jesus ben Sirach are some of the other characters with the name Jesus. In the New Testament, an angel advises Mary to name her child Jesus inLuke 1:31, and an angel tells Joseph to name the kid Jesus in Matthew 1:21, both of which occur during Joseph’s first dream.
“You shall call his name Jesus, for he will rescue his people from their sins,” the angel says.
At the same time, it accomplishes the dual objectives of recognizing Jesus as the savior and emphasizing that the name was not chosen at random but rather in response to a divine order.
Other usage
During the 1380s, John Wycliffe used the spellingIhesusand also used the spellingIhesu(the letter ‘J’ was then awash glyphvariant of ‘I’, and was not considered to be a separate letter until the 1629 Cambridge 1st RevisionKing James Biblewhere the name “Jesus” first appeared) in oblique cases and also in the accusative, and sometimes, seemingly without reason, even for the nominative. Unlike Tyndale, who used Iesuin oblique cases and in the vocative on occasion in the 16th century, the 1611King James Version uses Iesus throughout, independent of syntax and case.
Jesu (pronounced JEE -zoo; derived from the Latin Iesu) is a pronoun that is sometimes used to refer to Jesus in English.
Other languages
The nameJesus is used in numerous languages, including East Scandinavian, German, and several others. Other examples of language use are as follows:
| Language | Name/variant |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Jesus |
| Albanian | Jezui |
| Arabic | ʿIsàعيسى(Islamic or classical arabic) /Yasūʿيسوع(Christian or latter Arabic) |
| Amharic | ኢየሱስ(iyesus) |
| Aragonese | Chesús |
| Aramaic / Syriac | ܝܫܘܥ(Isho) |
| Arberesh | Isuthi |
| Armenian | Հիսուս (Eastern Armenian) Յիսուս (Western Armenian)(Hisus) |
| Azerbaijani | İsa |
| Belarusian | Ісус(Isus) (Orthodox) /Езус(Yezus) (Catholic) |
| Bengali | যীশু(Jeeshu/Zeeshu) (Christian)’ঈসা(‘Eesa) (General) |
| Breton | Jezuz |
| Bulgarian | Исус (Isus) |
| Catalan | Jesús |
| Chinese | simplified Chinese:耶稣;traditional Chinese:耶穌;pinyin:Yēsū |
| Coptic | Ⲓⲏⲥⲟⲩⲥ(Isos) |
| Cornish | Yesu |
| Croatian | Isus |
| Czech | Ježíš |
| Dutch | Jezus |
| Estonian | Jeesus |
| Filipino | Jesús(Christian and secular) /HesúsorHesukristo(religious) |
| Fijian | Jisu |
| Finnish | Jeesus |
| French | Jésus |
| Galician | Xesús |
| Garo | Jisu |
| Georgian | იესო(Ieso) |
| German | Jesus |
| Ewe | Yesu |
| Greek | Ιησούς(Iisúsmodern Greek pronunciation) |
| Haitian Creole | Jezi |
| Hausa | Yesu |
| Hawaiian | Iesū |
| Hebrew | Yeshua /Y’shuaיֵשׁוּעַ |
| Hindustani | ईसा / عيسى (īsā) |
| Hmong Daw | Yexus |
| Hungarian | Jézus |
| Icelandic | Jesús |
| Igbo | Jisos |
| Indonesia | Yesus (Christian) / Isa (Islamic) |
| Irish | Íosa |
| Italian | Gesù |
| Japanese | イエス (Iesu)/イエズス (Iezusu)(Catholic)/ゼス(zesu) ゼズス(zezusu)(Kirishitan)イイスス(Iisusu)(Eastern Orthodox) |
| Jinghpaw | Yesu |
| Kannada | ಯೇಸು (Yesu) |
| Kazakh | Иса (Isa) |
| Khasi | Jisu |
| Khmer | យេស៑ូ (Yesu), យេស៑ូវ (Yesuw) |
| Kikuyu | Jeso |
| Kisii | Yeso |
| Korean | 예수 (Yesu) |
| Kurdish | Îsa |
| Latvian | Jēzus |
| Ligurian | Gesû |
| Limburgish | Zjezus |
| Lithuanian | Jėzus |
| Lombard | Gesü |
| Luganda | Yesu |
| Māori | Ihu |
| मराठी-Marathi | येशू – Yeshu |
| Malagasy | Jeso, Jesoa, Jesosy |
| Malayalam | ഈശോ (Īsho), യേശു (Yēshu), കർത്താവ് (Kartāvŭ) (Karthavu is the literal translation of ‘Lord’) |
| Mirandese | Jasus |
| Maltese | Ġesù |
| Mongolian | Есүс |
| Neapolitan | Giesù |
| Norman | Jésus |
| Occitan | Jèsus |
| Piedmontese | Gesù |
| Polish | Jezus |
| Portuguese | Jesus |
| Romanian | Iisus (Eastern Orthodox) / Isus (other denominations) |
| Russian | Иисус (Iisus) |
| Sardinian | Gesùs |
| Serbian | Isus / Исус |
| Sicilian | Gesù |
| Sinhala | ජේසුස් වහන්සේ – Jesus Wahanse (Catholic Church), යේසුස් වහන්සේ – Yesus Wahanse (Protestantism) |
| Shona | Jesu |
| Slovak | Ježiš |
| Slovenian | Jezus |
| Somali | Ciise |
| Spanish | Jesús |
| Swahili | Yesu |
| Tajik | Исо (Iso) |
| Tamil | Yesu (இயேசு) |
| Telugu | యేసు – ఏసు -Yesu |
| Thai | เยซู – “Yesu” |
| Turkish | İsa |
| Turkmen | Isa |
| Ukrainian | Ісус (Isus) |
| Urdu | عیسیٰ |
| Uzbek | Iso |
| Venetian | Jesu |
| Vietnamese | Giêsu, Dêsu |
| Welsh | Iesu |
| Xhosa | Yesu |
| Yoruba | Jesu |
| Zulu | uJesu |
See also
- Name of Jesus
- Isa (name)
- Joshua (disambiguation)
- Holy Name of Jesus
References
- AbLiddell and Scott are two of the most well-known names in the world of sports. An Aramaic–English Lexicon, p. 824
- AbcCatholic Encyclopedia: The Origin of the Name Jesus Christ
- Robinson 2005
- Stegemann 2006
- “”, Ernest Klein,A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language(New York: Macmillan Publishing Company 1987)
- Talshir, M. H. Segal,A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew(Tel Aviv: 1936), p. 146
- Brown, Driver, Briggs, Ges The Talmud and other Jewish sources, where Jesus is referred to as Yeshu and other Jews with the same name are referred to by the fuller names Yeshua and Yehoshua, “Joshua,” suggest that this is the case
- Jennings and Brown Driver Briggs Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
- Hendrickson Publishers 1996
- “Strong’s Hebrew: 3467. yasha – to deliver”.biblehub.com
- “Strong’s Hebrew: 3467. yasha – to deliver”.biblehub.com Brown Driver BriggsHebrew and English Lexicon
- Hendrickson Publishers 1996ISBN1-56563-206-0
- Brown Driver BriggsHebrew and English Lexicon
- “1. The Proto-Semitic root *y’ appears to have preceded Hebrew, as evidenced by the fact that it is found in proper names in NWSem and most of the ESA languages. According to the Ug evidence, the second consonant is pronounced as (Sawyer 1975:78). This new evidence calls into question several previous interpretations based on Arb (see B.1). A.3, A.4, B.3), the collocation of y’ phrases with deities’ names (as with y
- See A.1, 3, 5, 7-10
- Also Syntagmatics A.1), historical evidence (see A.5, 7-10
- Also Syntagmatics A.1), and phonetic equivalence are the key points presented by Sawyer (1975). (B.1). It had been previously endorsed by KB (412, together with wasia), Huffmon (1965: 215), and Stolz (1971: 786, citing Sawyer 1965:475-76, 485)
- And at the conference where Sawyer first presented his article, T.L. Fenton and H.W.F Saggs had stated their great agreement with it (Sawyer 1975: 83-84). The most notable example of this viewpoint is that it was adopted in the newest Hebrew lexicon in order to accommodate philological facts (Ges18: 510).” (AitkenDavies, 2016)
- Philo Judaeus, “De ebrietate” in Philonis Alexandrini opera quae supersunted (Philo Judaeus, “De ebrietate” in Philonis Alexandrini opera quae supersunted (Philo Judaeus, “De ebrietate” in Philonis Alexandrini opera quae supersunted (Philo Jud P. Wendland, Berlin: Reimer, 1897 (repr. De Gruyter, 1962), vol. 2:170-214, Section 96, Line 2
- Williams, Frank
- Translator. P. Wendland, Berlin: Reimer, 1897 (repr. De Gruyter, 1962), vol. 2:170-214, Section 96, Line 2. “Introduction”. Book I of Epiphanius of Salamis’ Panarion (Panarion of Salamis) (Sects 1-46). 1987. (E.J. Brill Publishing, Leiden) This image depicts a page from the very first edition of the King James Version of the Bible, which contains the Gospel of Luke. ISBN90-04-07926-2 From. Matthew, who was able to get a hold of the information on March 28, 2006
- By Douglas Hare 2009ISBN0-664-23433-Xpage 11
- Matthew 1-7by William David Davies, Dale C. Allison 2004ISBN0-567-08355-1page 209
- Bible explorer’s guideby John Phillips 2002ISBN0-8254-3483-1page 147
- The Westminster theological wordbook of the Bible2003 by Donald E. GowanISBN0-664-22394-Xpage 453
- Who Te Aka Mori Dictionary is a free online resource for Mori language learning. Retrieved on June 10th, 2021
Bibliography
- Graham DaviesJames K. AitkenJames K. Aitken (2016). “Another ‘Deliverance’ Word from the SAHD” “Lexeme: (from the SAHD ‘Deliverance’ Words” (PDF). Robinson, Neal’s Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database is 15 pages long and has 15 entries (2005). “Jesus”. Jane Dammen is a character in McAuliffe (ed.). The Qur’an is an encyclopedia of knowledge. Brill, doi: 10.1163/1875-3922 q3 EQCOM 00099
- Stegemann, Ekkehard (Basle)
- Stegemann, Ekkehard (Basle) (2006). “Jesus”. Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider published a book titled (eds.). Brill’s New Pauly (doi: 10.1163/1574-9347 bnp e522560)
- Brill’s New Pauly (doi: 10.1163/1574-9347 bnp e522560)
- Bri
Should Christians Say Yeshua Instead of Jesus? — The Cross Church
Kent Langham contributed to this article. “Yeshua” and “Jesus” are two different names for the same person. Is one more accurate or better than the other in terms of accuracy? Is it necessary for us to speak the name of the Son of God in the Hebrew language? Should Christians refer to Jesus as “Yeshua” rather than “Jesus”?
The Jewish Roots of Christianity
An increasing number of people are becoming interested in the Jewish “origins” of Christianity. A movement of Gentiles has risen up in recent years claiming to rediscover the “Hebrew Roots” of Christianity. They contend that Christianity as it is practiced today is heavily influenced by and even perverted by pagan Greek and Roman culture, which they claim has been perverted by Christianity as it is currently practiced. While we will not be able to dissect many of these assertions in their individual contexts in this space, what I have found intriguing (and rather disturbing) is the increased evangelical emphasis on “Hebrew origins.” Specifically, I’m referring to organizations of gentile believers who support the fundamental ideas of Christianity, congregate in churches, but who also highlight certain dates from the Hebrew calendar, observe Jewish holidays, and refer to Jesus Christ asYeshua, the Messiah.
Specifically, it is this final point that I wish to address in this piece.
YeshuaThe Hebrew Roots Movement
In light of the growing influence of the Hebrew Roots Movement (which, despite its name, does not have a formal doctrinal statement or set of unifying principles to distinguish who is in or who is out), as well as the growing interest in Jewish culture and tradition among evangelicals (which is particularly prevalent in charismatic churches), many Christians today are grappling with the following question: If the incarnate Son of God was Jewish, and his name was Yeshua, and he was recognized and called by the name Yeshua, then why wouldn’t we refer to him as Yeshua in all of our communications?
A number of people have gone so far as to assert that in order to be saved, we must call upon the name of Yeshua HaMashiach, and that to do so in any other way is to call upon a false deity (though this extreme seems to be rare amongst the most influential proponents of these ideas on a broader scale).
Yeshua vs Jesus: The Main Question
Here is the fundamental problem at stake, which I believe most people are overlooking, and the question that must be answered is: Who has the ability to make these decisions on our behalf? To put it another way, how can we determine what we should refer to as the Son of God? What is our standard of excellence? I believe that if we can answer this fundamental issue, we will almost surely be able to address the question at hand.
The Answer
I believe that the Bible is the solution to all of the concerns raised above, as well as to all other questions about life and godliness: The Bible. We may find the solution in the Protestant Bible, which has sixty-six books and contains the answers to all of our questions about salvation and worshiping God (1 Peter 1:3;2 Tim. 3:16). If we are expected to call God by a certain name, you better believe that the Bible has revealed that to us, since the Bible has shown clearly and plainly the method of salvation as well the means of honoring God in our life, so you better believe that the Bible has revealed that to us.
If you are not fluent in Hebrew, then while it may not be wicked to use his Jewish name (although it very well may be depending on the motivation), there is simply no legitimately reasonable reason for you to do so if you are not fluent in Hebrew.
The Name That Is Above Every Other Name
Please keep in mind that the solution to this issue does not rest in man’s opinion, tradition, or skepticism, but rather in the Word of God himself. So let us turn to the Bible for guidance. Philippians 2:6-11 contains what many orthodox New Testament scholars refer to as the “Carmen Christi,” or “the hymn to Christ as to God,” which is a hymn to Christ as well as to God. This “hymn” or poem had previously been in circulation among the churches in Paul’s day, and many of these academics think that Paul used it to show humility to his audience (the church at Philippi), however some scholars believe Paul personally penned it.
- 11).
- If Paul wrote this letter in 62 AD, then the song would very definitely have been in circulation among the churches for several years prior to that date in order for Paul to use it as an example in his letter.
- Well, I believe that this verse of Scripture provides an unequivocal response to our issue and leaves no space for debate.
- Think about it and share it with one another because you have the same mentality as Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but humbled himself by taking on the form of a servant and being born in the image of mankind.
- As a result, God has elevated him and given him the name that is above all names, so that at the mention of Jesus’ name, every knee should bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- This last statement in Isaiah 45:23 is translated as “every tongue shall confess to God” in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament), which Paul and the early churches would have been reading in the first century.
- According to Paul, this passage of Scripture from the book of Isaiah, in which Yahweh speaks and declares that to him every knee will bend and every tongue will swear homage, is best understood in the context of the Lord Jesus.
If Yahweh proclaims that you will bow the knee to him, then for Paul and the early church, this means that you will bow the knee to Jesus as well.
NamesThe Name
What does any of this have to do with names, you might wonder. In any case, the Septuagint, which is what would have been in use by the early New Testament church, translates God’s personal name, YHWH, as Kyrios, or ‘Lord,’ just as our English versions of the Old Testament interpret God’s personal name, YHWH, as LORD (in small caps). As a result, when Paul writes in Philippians 2:11 that “every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,” he is equating Jesus Christ with Yahweh, who is the creator of the universe.
There is no indication that the New Testament was originally written in Hebrew, which is important to remember.) That is pure conspiracy theory, and it has absolutely no historical foundation.) As a result, the statement “every tongue must acknowledge that Isous Christos Kyrios” is the one that Paul really wrote while writing to the church in Philippi (Jesus Christ is Lord).
Paul, Christ’s apostle and the author of two-thirds of our New Testament, does not use the term Yeshua HaMashiachisYHWH, but he transliterates the word from Hebrew into Greek instead of saying it.
Evidently, for Paul, simply uttering the Son of God’s name in its Greek form was sufficient for associating him with the God of Israel and addressing him as “Lord” was sufficient.
No Other Name Under Heaven
There are many who object to the Son being addressed by any name other than his Hebrew name, citing Acts 4:12, which states, “And there is salvation in no one other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” This line of reasoning, on the other hand, is utterly erroneous. I’d want to know once again in what language Luke originally wrote this passage from Peter’s announcement. In fact, he composed it in Koine Greek rather than Hebrew! Then, in verse 10, Peter declares, “let it be known to you and all the people of Israel that this man is standing before you well by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth(Ious Christos Nazraios), whom you crucified and whom God resurrected from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well.” Another time, for emphasis, I’ll state it one more: Luke recounts Peter’s testimony in Greek, not in Hebrew.
- So, if one truly wanted to be consistent in arguing that we must speak the name correctly in order to be saved, one would have to call on Yeshua’s name in Greek, wouldn’t they?
- Alternatively, one may claim that Luke initially penned this piece in Hebrew and that it was reproduced in Greek and passed off as the original by some diabolical scheme.
- To become entangled in all of this, I believe, is to completely miss the purpose of the book.
- Resisting the temptation to believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the Scriptures means rejecting the one means of redemption available; there is no other way to be saved.
- Do you perceive the majesty of the Son of God in His glory?
- Whatever language you speak, then call on him and be saved.
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, pouring his treasures on all who call on him,” says the Bible. Because “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” according to the Bible (Romans 10:12-13).
Going Forward
Allow me to summarize my line of thinking in one statement in the hopes of making things more clear: Because the Apostles were not concerned with using the name “Yeshua” instead of “Jesus” (or whatever name a particular language uses as its transliteration), and because the Apostles were Jesus’ hand-selected “sent ones” to preach the gospel, establish churches, write Scripture, and establish the doctrine of the church until Jesus returns, we should regard them as our final authority on all matters concerning the church until Jesus returns.
To put it bluntly, I rely on the Apostolic testimony as revealed in Scripture as the foundation for my decision to refer to the Eternal Word as “Jesus Christ.” Please understand that I do not believe there is any need to be interested in “rediscovering” the Hebrew Roots of Christianity because the Apostles did not appear to be concerned in spreading their Hebrew roots and culture throughout the world.
- “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” says the Apostle Paul to them (Galatians 3:28).
- As the Apostle Paul writes, “For while I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, in order that I may gain more of them.” They were not interested in promoting Jewish tradition or culture; rather, they were interested in rescuing souls.
- I pretended to be a person under the law (despite the fact that I was not myself under the law) in order to win over people who were under the law.
- So that I might win over the weak, I made myself weak in order to win over the weak.
- I do everything for the sake of the gospel, so that I may participate in its blessings with them as well.
- I am also concerned that the views I have attempted to dispel in this post are not for the purpose of the gospel, but are rather “foolish debates, dissensions, and quarrels over the law,” and “are useless and worthless” in the eyes of the Lord (Titus 3:9).
The Controversy Over the Name of Yeshua
The Sea of Galilee, where Yeshua performed a slew of miraculous signs and wonders. Consequently, God raised him to the greatest position and bestowed upon Him the name that is above all names. Philippians 2:9 (Philippians 2:9) Some of our readers have recently inquired as to why we use the name Yeshua instead of Jesus in our writings. Many of our readers have urged us to use Yahshua rather than Yeshua, claiming that Yah more authentically expresses the divine essence of Yeshua and is the proper way to pronounce Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah.
Another school of thought holds that Yeshua’s given name is the disparaging Yeshu. Which of the following is correct? James Tissot’s Yeshua Teaches People by the Sea is a short story.
Joshua and Jesus in Greek
Because the word “Jesus” appears more than 900 times in our English Bibles, some people are persuaded that the Jewish Messiah was known by the name Jesus. As a matter of fact, the name Jesus is an English counterpart (translation) of the Greek name Ios, which is pronounced as “eeaysoos,” and which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is pronounced In this case, the idea that we must only use the name Jesus because it is the name used in the Brit Chadashah is not entirely correct.
- They claim that individuals who use the English name of Jesus or the Greek name of Iesous are summoning a pagan deity to their aid.
- Because the Greek alphabet does not have the letters “y” or “sh,” the letters “Ye” and “sh” in the name of Yeshua were written as “eeay” and “sh,” respectively, in Greek lettering.
- As a result, Yeshua’s Hebrew name was changed to Iesous’ Greek name.
- The name Yeshua is spelled in a variety of ways in Hebrew.
Joshua and Yeshua in Hebrew
The true Hebrew name for Jesus is Yeshua (), which literally translates as “salvation.” A abbreviated version of the Hebrew name Yehoshua (), which is spelled Joshua in English, and which meansthe Lord saves, theLord is salvation, or theLord will save. This shorter version of Yehoshua was widespread and popular in Jerusalem during the time of Yeshua, as evidenced by the fact that several ossuaries from that time period have the name. The names Yeshua and Yehoshua are referenced about 30 times in the Tanakh (Jewish Bible), and they are given to five distinct characters in the book of Genesis.
- In Israel, a number of ossuaries, or chests that served as the ultimate resting place for human skeletal bones, bearing the name Yeshua have been discovered.
- (Joshua).
- The nameHosheameanshe is a name that saves.
- Moses changes his given name to Yehoshua by taking the name Hoshea and adding the letter yud, which comes from the letter yud in YHWH, the heavenly name, to make it more meaningful.
Moses sent these men out to investigate the area, and these are their names.” (Moses gave the name Yehoshua to Hoshea son of Nun, who was his father.)” (See also Numbers 13:16.) When it comes to later books of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and among the Jews of the Second Temple era, the name Yehoshua Ben Nun is interchangeably used with the name Yeshua Ben Nun.
In Nehemiah 8:17, Joshua son of Nun, typically referred to as Yehoshua Ben Nun, is referred to as Yeshua Ben Nun. The days of Joshuason of Nun were followed by that of today.” James Tissot’s painting, Moses Blessing Joshua Before the High Priest, is available online.
Why Jewish People Call Him Yeshu
The name Yeshua appears just once in the Talmud (Rabbinic teachings), and that is in connection to Yeshua ben Jozadek (whom we mentioned above). All other occurrences of the name Joshua are translated as Yehoshua, with the exception of one individual, Yeshua of Nazareth, who is transcribed as Yeshu (). It has been proposed that this name is an abbreviation for the Hebrew phrase “Y’mach Sh’mo V’Zichrono” (May his name and memory be wiped away), however some have argued that it is a Galilean variant of the Hebrew name Yeshua.
Although He is frequently referred to by His given name, even the Israeli media, for the most part, refers to Yeshua by his given name, save in rare instances.
This name exists in the Ben Yehuda Hebrew lexicon as well as in most secular Hebrew works; nevertheless, the Hebrew spelling Yeshua () is used in New Testament translations into Hebrew, which is the same as the English spelling.
Is His Correct Name Yahshua?
Our readers have requested that Bibles For Israel use the name Yahshua rather than Yeshua in its publications. The majority of them think that, because the letter “Yah” is the first part of God’s personal name, “Yahweh,” it is also expected to be the first part of His Son’s name. No one, however, can be certain that His name is pronounced “Yahweh” because there are no vowels in the Hebrew language. What we do know for certain is that the usage of the word “Yah” in the Messiah’s Hebrew name is not supported by any evidence that has been uncovered in archaeological finds, such as the Dead Sea scrolls, in inscriptions, or in any rabbinical literature.
- Because this name, which is considered to be pronounced as Yahweh, but some suggest Jehovah, is so sacred, it was only spoken outside of the Temple once a year on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) by the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest).
- The name (Yah) is a name of God that is connected to the name (YHVH), and it is maybe a truncated version of the unutterable name (Elohim).
- Many Hebrew names, such asElijah(Eliyahu), Isaiah(Yeshayah), and Jeremiah(Jeremiahu), are derived from this term.
- The name “Yahshua,” on the other hand, does not appear elsewhere in the Bible or in the Hebrew historical record.
- The name Yahshua means “Jesus” in Hebrew.
- Sacred Name Movement (SNM), which employs its own unique Hebrew spelling of Yahshua (), which is not found anywhere else in the Hebrew Scriptures, adopted a form of this new spelling a few years later.
- This name was given by Moses to Joshua the son of Nun, according to the organization Yahweh’s Assembly in Yahshua, which is affiliated with the Sacred Name Movement.
(8th issue of the YAIY Beacon, April-June 2013) Because the “oo” letter does not appear in either the Hebrew or English spelling of the name, it is necessary to modify the pronunciation of Hoshea to Hoshua in order to generate this novel combination, which is not found in any lexicon or dictionary.
It is necessary to begin with a fictitious Hebrew name in order to get at this rendition of Yeshua’s name. The Tetragrammaton (YHVH) is shown in a stained-glass window in the cathedral of Winchester.
Calling on His Name
Those who insist on using this pronunciation of Yahshua appeal to Yeshua, who states, “I have come in the Name of My Father,” as scriptural evidence for their position. (See also John 5:43) They deduce from this scripture that His given name must contain the letter Yah. However, as previously stated, this variation of Yeshua does not appear in any Hebrew or Aramaic sources. There is no historical evidence that Yeshua ever used the name of Yah in his ministry. While on the cross, Yeshua did not address His Father by his personal name, Yahweh, but rather by the phrase “around three o’clock in the afternoon, Yeshua cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, lemasabachthani?’ (which translates as “My God, My God, why have you deserted Me?”).
(See also Romans 10:13.) “For this reason also, God exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Yeshua EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Yeshua HaMashiach is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (1 Thessalonians 2:9–11; see also Isaiah 45:23; 2 Timothy 3:16) He Heals the Lame is a novel written by James Tissot.
Not only does the Greek wordonomadoes relate to a person’s name in the literal sense; it also refers to the individual’s fundamental existence.
The name Yeshua means “salvation,” and it is exactly what Yeshua is and what he represents.
It also does not make sense that everyone who has sincerely loved and followed the Jewish Messiah throughout history has not and will not be saved simply because they did not speak this new form of Yeshua’s name, which was “revealed” to a select few during the early years of The Sacred Name Movement.
We do not receive it as a result of our deeds, and it has absolutely nothing to do with how we pronounce the Messiah’s name, as some believe.
Messiah himself declared, “I am both the resurrection and the life.” It is possible for someone who believes in Me to live even if they are killed.” (See also John 11:25) The Resurrection of Lazarus is a play written by James Tissot.
Writing the Sacred Names in Early Manuscripts
In the event that correctly pronouncing Yeshua’s name was critical to our salvation or even our faith, it would appear that the early scribes would have preserved the Hebrew names while copying the Gospels and Paul’s letters of instruction to the early Believers in the New Testament. This, however, is not the case. As an example, the earliest copies of the Gospel of John (known as P52 and P66) were created barely 50 years after the original authorship of the text. The pronunciation of Hebrew words is not attempted in these versions.
- The name Yeshuais abbreviated as – (transliterated into English asJe – orYe – for the nameJesus)
- The name Messiahis abbreviated as – (spoken asChr – for the Greek nameChristosor English nameChrist)
- The name Elohimis written simply as -, which is short forTheosorGod
- The name Abbais written as -, which is short forPater orFather
- And the
A Torah scroll is written by hand by a Jewish scribe. They deliberately avoided depicting the hallowed names of God and the Messiah, rather than attempting to correctly reflect them as they were known at the time. This is in accordance with Jewish tradition, which calls for the use of euphemisms, letters, or syllables to prevent the names of God from being defiled, annihilated, or otherwise destroyed by mistake. The spiritual sensitivity that underpins the protection of God’s names, however, is now being referred to as a conspiracy two thousand years later.
Daniel Botkin, pastor of the Gates of Eden Messianic Congregation on the Yeshanet website.
According to him, in order to defend the usage of the name Yeshua, Dr.
It may appear to be a romantic concept to believe that Yeshua and Yahweh have the same pronunciation—Yah.
Furthermore, it is deadly heresy to assume that only this specific pronunciation must be employed in order to attain salvation, as many adherents of the Sacred Name Movement believe to be true.
Bibles for Israel believes that calling on the name of Yeshua, which in Jewish belief is a cry for salvation, is appropriate since the name represents the person and the character of the One who came.
Additionally, we believe in praying in the name of Yeshua.
It implies that when we pray, our petitions should be shaped by His agenda, ideals, and goals, rather than our own selfish desires and conceitful fantasies.
Because of what Yeshua has achieved via His holy life, His death on the Roman execution stake, His burial, and His resurrection, we can stand confidently in the presence of our heavenly Father.
We come with the knowledge that, as a result of His resurrection, He not only has the authority to forgive our sins, but also has complete triumph over death and has conquered the adversary once and for all in battle!
Consequently, God elevated Him to the highest spot and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the mention of Yeshua, every knee should bow, both in heaven and on earth and beneath the earth. Philippians 2:9–10 (Philippians 2:1–10)