The Best Explanation Surrounding the Name of Jesus Christ

by David J. Cody

INTRODUCTION          

This article is written to show the major reasons for certain attacks against the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; the debate surrounding it, and how to Answer it.

Why The Attack On the Name of Jesus

          For the past three centuries, the name of Jesus has been the predominant name in the Christian religion as the name above all names. However, in recent years, the argument of the name, “Yeshua,” as being Christ’s original name has gained strong recognition, as a name that should be used in place of the name, Jesus. One of the major reasons for this desired act comes from individuals who have been raising the question, that, if the letter “J” was not recognized as an English alphabet until the 1500s, why do the scriptures write in Philippians 2:9-11, state the Name of Jesus, as the name above every name, rather than His original Hebrew name! This answer will be revealed and explained in this article.

          Other critics of Christianity, have purported that the name “Jesus,” is an invention of the Roman Emperor, Constantine, and his council. But that theory has been refuted for the very fact that a Roman Emperor would never design an idea for his empire and then, give the honor of it to a Jewish background, real or mythical. Still, some, of the anti-Christian movement, who insist that Christianity is a White Man’s religion, have spread the false belief that the name of “Jesus” comes from a slave ship used to bring black Africans to America as slaves. Historically, this particular ship was called, “Jesus of Lubeck;” Lubeck being a Free Imperial City in Germany. The ship was not built for slave porting but for representative purposes only. It was obtained by Henry the 8th, King of England to enlarge his naval force. However, the ship was later involved in the Atlantic Slave Trade under John Hawkins but was destroyed by a Spanish fleet in 1568.

Names Intended to Replace Jesus’

          Certain groups, known as  —Sacred Name Believers Organizations— have chosen to adopt names, such as Yahashua, or Yahshua, as replacements for Jesus. These organizations believe that, since the Messiah professed to have come in the name of His Father, the word “Yah” meaning, Yahweh(God) should precede the beginning of His name, as in, “Yah-ashua.” But there is no support for this variant in any Bible or linguistic history translation records, Hebrew or Greek. 

          However, the name of Yehoshua (spelled differently from Yahashua) has been proven to be the more accurate name of Christ in the Hebrew language which commonly takes on its shortened form, [Yeshua].

          However since Hebrew text did not include vowels as a part of its writing system during the first half of the Millennium A.D., the European linguistic translators took it upon themselves to incorporate the vowel system in the translation of Hebrew text. But in an attempt to minimize confusion between the name, “Yehoshua,” and its shorter form, “Yeshua,” And being unlearned in the linguistic rules of the Hebrew language; and being unable to pronounce some of the phonetic characters in its original Hebrew dialect; the translators engaged in a common practice of transliteration. Therefore, the name that we now know as, Jesus, is the transliteration from the Hebrew version of the name, Yeshua.  As a result, the Europeans came to know Him as Jesus, while the Messianic Jews retained the name Yeshua. 

Does The Name Matter?

          History shows that, before the name, Jesus, became globally known as we know it today, it was pronounced and written in different forms by various cultures with complex linguistic rules of Latin, Greek, and English; but over time became decisively known as “Jesus the Christ,” especially by the mid- 1600’s. But we know that, whether we call Him, Jesus, Iesous, Yeshua, or Yasu’a; we’re talking about the same person with the same historical background.

NOTE:

When the first English Bible was printed in 1611, the name Jesus was not written with the letter “J,” but the letter “I.” It was pronounced with a “y” sound as in [yes] rather than a soft “g” sound as in [jay]. Subsequently, the name King James, also took on the same linguistic phonetic rules of that time, along with all the other names we now pronounce with the letter “j.” Should we return to pronouncing their names according to the phonetic utterances expressed before the letter “J” became accepted? Of course not. Everybody understands the name by the person it identifies.  

Our real concern should be with God’s response to the name we choose we call Him. It is not the name itself, that holds the power, but rather, the entity of the name. There are over 259,000 people in the U.S. with the first name Jesus. And about 1,600 people in the U.S. with the first name Yeshua. Does that mean they have all power simply because they occupy that name? Of course not. Does each of these individuals have a name which is above every name? Of course not. Only One has a name above every name, and He’s God.

          So which name did God intend to be the name above all names? Is it Yeshua? Or, is it Jesus? The answer is simple when we consider that the Entity to which the name is applied is what attributes the importance and power to the name itself. And being that the Entity we speak of is the Lord of Host, and that all power in heaven and earth is in His hand, and that He created all languages and tongues; we can conclude that all languages spoken upon the face of the planet are as one language in Him. So whether we call Him Yehoshua, Yeshua, or Jesus; it is all one Name in Him.

          Therefore, these debates, concerning the names of Christ, can agree on the fact that every nation and tongue has the exclusive privilege of appreciating their relationship with God, by calling Him in the Name that is consistent with their language, their tongue, and their faith in Him, for God will answer for Himself to the Name He approves.

          Many miracles have been done in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not so much because of the name itself, but because of faith in the Entity connected with the Name. The name “Lord Jesus Christ” is more known than the Name of Yeshua because the European nations, who acknowledge Him as Jesus Christ, have sent out more missionaries to spread the Gospel of Christ than the Jewish communities. Not to mention the mass production and marketing of Bibles with the Name of Jesus written throughout the New Testament. The Jewish Apostles of Christ were commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), but instead, most of them stayed among their people. The Apostle Paul was one of the few that took the commandment to heart (Galatians 2:8-9).

God’s approval of the Name, “Jesus,” is evident by the miracles He has performed in that Name. And He will continue to perform miracles in that Name so long as our faith in Him is in that Name. 

So, is it Yeshua? or is it Jesus!… Of course, It is the Name that is consistent with your conviction. Anything else is a lie.

NOTE:

The Son of God never referred to Himself as Jesus or Yeshua. These are names that He has answered to. But whenever the Messiah referred to Himself, He referred to Himself as “I Am.” As is written in John 8:58 “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” This He said, referring to His statement in the book of Exodus 3:14, expressing to Moses that when the Israelites ask who sent you, tell them, that, “I Am,” sent you!

So many people get caught up in the Names of God but never come to know the God of the Names. No matter how well-versed one may be in the Bible, the Torah, or the Quran, if that person hasn’t had the Pentecostal Experience expressed in the Book of Acts 2:4, that person can only assume to know God from his/her intellectual observations. This Spiritual understanding can not be obtained by mere intellectual methods only.

This message is given to you with all Love in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

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