The English name Jesus

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(open in New Window to retain this web page)</FONT></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="086f0f03.jpg"> <div> <I>The English name Jesus</I></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Introduction</U></B></div> <div> I received an e-mail in Sept. 2006. from Tommy Bryan, whom had visited my web page <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000CC" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id233.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The name Jesus or Yeshua"><U>The Name Jesus or Yeshua</U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Tommy had some very pointed questions as he was searching for the truth about the proper name of Jesus. Having investigated this matter, Tommy sent me a pdf file with the following. With his permission, I am pleased to present it to you!  </div> <div> Brian O'Connell     </div> <div> www.crossbearer.net</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Author Tommy Bryan</B></div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:tommybryan@intrstar.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:tommybryan@intrstar.net"><U>tommybryan@intrstar.net</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Jesus</B></div> <div> The Name above every name that is named.</div> <div> <I><B>Can we trust its English translation?</B></I></div> <bR> <div> Several years ago, while traveling through the state of South Carolina, my wife and</div> <div> I were listening to a Christian radio station. We heard a man, who claimed to be a</div> <div> dedicated Christian, lambasting the Name “Jesus” as a mistranslation of the original</div> <div> Hebrew word “Yeshua.” He spoke of the fact that the letter J was not fully developed</div> <div> until less than 500 years ago, and therefore, the Name Jesus is a relatively recent and</div> <div> corrupt translation, has no meaning in English, and should not be used when praying or</div> <div> speaking with regard to our Savior. (Talk about a “shock” to a Christian trying to concentrate while</div> <div> driving on I-95 at night!)</div> <bR> <div> Since that time, I have discovered that there is a growing movement of seemingly</div> <div> well meaning folks who make the same assertions. I must confess, that like many other</div> <div> Christians, I too began to worry just a little that there might be an element of truth to</div> <div> these disturbing claims, as I reasoned: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>Why would I not call upon my Lord with His</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>original Hebrew Name? Would it make a difference in my prayers?</I></div> <bR> <div> As time went on, I studied this issue and found a number of inconsistencies in the</div> <div> claims I had heard, but, in order to have full peace about the matter, I still needed the</div> <div> truth – as the Lord sees it.</div> <bR> <div> The reality is that I actually began to loose sleep over this issue of the Lord’s Name,</div> <div> as I prayed for understanding of this all important subject. At first, the Lord Jesus</div> <div> seemed to remain silent as I struggled for more insight; but later, I was to learn that this</div> <div> was His way of making me explore more fully a matter that I now realize is important to</div> <div> many people. He in fact wanted me to discover the real truth so that I might have</div> <div> peace, and also be able to share it with others. Yes, now I know, more than ever, that</div> <div> the Lord Jesus is very concerned that we as His children feel comfortable with, and</div> <div> have confidence in, the Name we use to call upon Him.</div> <bR> <div> The Lord finally allowed me to uncover and document many of the wonderful truths</div> <div> regarding the subject of His Name and its translation into the many languages and</div> <div> dialects spoken around the world. However, it has taken much effort, as I was opposed</div> <div> by the enemy on more than one occasion; but the outcome has been a wonderful</div> <div> peace about the Name I have been using all along -- the Lord "Jesus.”</div> <bR> <div> As I began to discover some of the facts I needed, the Lord, through jewels of truth</div> <div> already in His Word, began to reveal in my heart some things you just don't get from the</div> <div> natural world; and together with the facts of history uncovered, the whole picture came</div> <div> together with clarity that I had not fully anticipated.</div> <bR> <div> Before reviewing some of the documentation I uncovered, please allow me to share</div> <div> a revelation of truth which the Lord gave me early on, that I might have some relief from</div> <div> the anxiety which had already begun to creep into my heart over this matter. It was the</div> <div> profound awareness (yes, the Lord just mercifully placed this into my heart) that, considering the</div> <div> global population growth over the last 500 years, it is through the Name "Jesus," and</div> <div> the various pronunciations of the same word around the world, that more people have</div> <div> received salvation and the accompanying "peace that passes all understanding," and</div> <div> have also been delivered from drug and alcohol abuse, broken homes and marriages</div> <div> mended, sicknesses cured, wayward children returned to reality, even rain given during</div> <div> times of drought (my wife and I have personally witnessed local farmers meeting at Church to pray for</div> <div> rain and the miraculous results wrought by their fervent prayers), and other enumerable miracles</div> <div> performed -- than by all the other Names attributed to our Lord -- combined. I beg the</div> <div> reader to simply allow this profound reality to sink in, as it cannot be honestly refuted.</div> <bR> <div> The second understanding which the Lord allowed me to have, and document, is</div> <div> the fact that the Lord did not introduce His Name to the world through the Hebrew</div> <div> language -- but by <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Greek</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>. </B></FONT>Now, hang on to your hat, as you are about to discover even</div> <div> more about this profound reality. By the way, this is a truth which the "naysayers" hate.</div> <div> When discussing this issue, they do all they can to steer others away from it, as they</div> <div> have even fabricated blatant untruths to deliberately diminish its significance.</div> <div> So here we go as we explore, in a condensed fashion, the marvelous truths</div> <div> regarding the Lord's revelation of His Name through the Greek language. As we</div> <div> proceed, please allow me to note that this whole subject can appear to be rather</div> <div> complicated, but only because we are dealing with words from three different</div> <div> languages. Once the reader begins to fully recognize these relatively few important</div> <div> words, then the horizon becomes clear again. My goal is to lay the subject matter out in</div> <div> a logical sequence in order that the reader may have the best chance of grasping and</div> <div> comprehending the facts.</div> <bR> <div> The entire New Testament was written, by inspiration of the Lord's Spirit, in the</div> <div> Greek language. That's right -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the writer of Hebrews, Paul,</div> <div> Peter, James, and Jude -- all -- independently, yet collectively, were inspired to write</div> <div> their portion of Holy Scripture in Greek. May the reader never lose sight of this reality.</div> <div> There are several significant reasons why the Lord God chose Greek to reveal the</div> <div> Gospel message, and along with it His Name, to the world. First of all, if the Lord were</div> <div> concerned that all people pronounce His Name with a Hebrew "sound," then He would</div> <div> not have used the Greek word “Iesous” as the first introduction of His Name. In doing</div> <div> so, He knew that Greek-speaking people around the world would pronounce His Name</div> <div> in their own language -- as Iesous. (Iesous is pronounced "ee-sous" by Greek speaking people</div> <div> today, but as "ee-ay-sous" in modern textbooks which promote a more ancient form of Greek.)</div> <div> Now keep in mind that the Greek word Iesous sounds nothing like the Hebrew word</div> <div> from which it came -- Yeshua. But then again, when names are translated into other</div> <div> languages they almost always take on a different sound. Sure, the Greek speaking</div> <div> people of the world can pronounce "Yeshua," but it is not a Greek word. If we</div> <div> translated all words into a form that sounded exactly as they do in their original</div> <div> language (which isn't always possible), then we would only need one language. It just</div> <div> doesn't work that way! Translation is done by transforming a word into a form that is</div> <div> conformable to the characteristics of the language we normally speak. </div> <bR> <div> For example,</div> <div> John is pronounced as Juan in Spanish, Jean in French, Jovan in Serbian, Eoin in</div> <div> Scottish, Johan in Scandinavian, and Ioannes (I pronounced E) in Greek. Accordingly,</div> <div> Peter is pronounced in Spanish as Pedro, in French as Pierre, Danish as Peder,</div> <div> Scottish as Peadar, and Greek as Petros. It is also recognized around the world that no</div> <div> insult or injury is meant to the individual (or taken) when his or her name is pronounced</div> <div> differently in the various languages.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Now friend, the facts presented in the preceding paragraph are a big deal, as they</div> <div> fully demonstrate that the Lord loves us so much that He obviously desires that all</div> <div> people be able to call upon Him in their native tongue, using the "sound" conformable to</div> <div> their own language. This is only part of His way of revealing that He wishes to be</div> <div> "personal" with every person who is willing to come to Him in repentance, asking Him</div> <div> for forgiveness of their sins, and trusting in His redemptive role for us at Calvary.</div> <div> We will later cover more fully how Iesous is translated into English (Jesus), and also,</div> <div> how it is pronounced in various languages around the world; but first, let's take a look at</div> <div> another important reason why the Lord chose Greek to introduce the Gospel, and along</div> <div> with it, His Name.</div> <bR> <div> Over 300 years before the time of the New Testament, Alexander the Great had, to</div> <div> a great extent, "Hellenized" (transformed the culture and language into Greek) the entire region</div> <div> of Palestine and the Roman Empire. This may come as a surprise to many Christians,</div> <div> but it is an established fact. While many of the Jews of Jesus' day spoke Hebrew</div> <div> and/or Aramaic, the language of the street, necessary for trade with the multinational</div> <div> mix of foreigners who traveled to and from Jerusalem, was Greek.</div> <bR> <div> In its September/October 1992 issue of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Oblique" ><I>Biblical Archaeology Review</I></FONT>, the Biblical</div> <div> Archaeology Society published an article entitled, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>Jewish Funerary Inscriptions -- Most</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>Are in Greek</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >. I obtained a copy of this article by contacting the publishers. This article</FONT></div> <div> gives the hard evidence that, during the days of the New Testament, the major</div> <div> language of the street in Palestine and the surrounding Roman Empire was Greek. It</div> <div> goes on to mention that of the 1600 Jewish grave markers uncovered of that era, over</div> <div> 70 percent of them were inscribed in Greek. In the same issue of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>Biblical Archaeology</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>Review</I>,<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" > an article entitled </FONT><I>Did Jesus Speak Greek?</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Oblique" ><I> </I></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >was also published. Now, the truth</FONT></div> <div> is, Jesus was/is God and could have spoken any language He wanted to; but the article</div> <div> makes a good case, by the mention in Scripture of the discourses He had with certain</div> <div> gentiles, including Roman leaders, that He did in fact speak Greek, as well as Hebrew</div> <div> and Aramaic.</div> <bR> <div> The opponents of the Lord's Name, on the other hand, try to refute the fact that the</div> <div> New Testament was originally written in Greek; they also make the false claim that</div> <div> Greek was not the general language of the region. They like to point to Josephus, a</div> <div> Jewish historian of the first century, who stated that even he had difficulty with the</div> <div> pronunciation of some Greek words, as if he didn't speak much Greek. Regarding this, I</div> <div> can't help but note that I only know one language -- English -- and I have difficulty with</div> <div> many English words. Also, never mind the fact that Josephus translated his <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>Jewish</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>War</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >, a record of the Jewish revolt, from his native tongue (probably Aramaic) into Greek for</FONT></div> <div> the masses living throughout the Roman Empire.</div> <bR> <div> The opponents of the Lord’s Name also like to point out that Josephus stated that</div> <div> many of the Jews of his day looked with disdain upon those who actually became</div> <div> polished with their use of any foreign language, since that would tend to dilute their</div> <div> Hebrew culture; but the fact remains that he, like the other Jewish people, had to be</div> <div> able to converse -- even if some could only do so in a broken fashion -- with the</div> <div> multitude of people dwelling in and traversing the land who only spoke Greek.</div> <div> Regarding their argument that the New Testament was not originally written in</div> <div> Greek, the opponents of the Lord's Name point to a mention by Papias, a second</div> <div> century bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, who said that Matthew had put together the</div> <div> logia (“sayings”) of Jesus in the Hebrew dialect. In other words, they maintain that</div> <div> Matthew, and by extrapolation, the other writers of the New Testament, first wrote their</div> <div> works in Hebrew. The truth is not a single fragment of any evidence of this has ever</div> <div> been found. Furthermore, if any of the writers of the New Testament had in fact, at</div> <div> some time, written their portion of Holy Scripture in Hebrew, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>the fact remains that they</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>were all compelled by the Lord's Spirit to compose their works in Greek</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >; and yes,</FONT></div> <div> there may have been other reasons why the Lord chose to give us the New Testament</div> <div> in Greek, such as the fact that it is known to be a very "precise" language. Either way --</div> <div> He did so. (The "naysayers" totally ignore this reality.)</div> <bR> <div> Perhaps, before proceeding further, I should mention that my studies on this</div> <div> subject carried me (by phone and e-mail) to the language department of many universities</div> <div> and institutions across the country. I wanted a "cross-section" of input from the</div> <div> acquired knowledge of several Greek and Hebrew scholars so as to verify that my</div> <div> findings were in fact correct. For those who deem it important to know, some of these</div> <div> professors were at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC,</div> <div> Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in</div> <div> Fort Worth, Texas, California Baptist University in Riverside, CA, Fuller Theological</div> <div> Seminary in Pasadena, CA, Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, and Zion's Hope in</div> <div> Orlando, Florida. (Zion's Hope is a Jewish Christian Organization with Jewish and non-Jewish</div> <div> professors specializing in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic languages, as well as some who have studied</div> <div> other ancient languages such as Egyptian, Latin and Germanic.)</div> <bR> <div> Let's continue with a few interesting facts about the Greek word for the Lord's</div> <div> Name -- Iesous. This word is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Yeshua.</div> <div> Yeshua is a contracted form of Yehoshua. It is contracted exactly as "you all" is</div> <div> contracted to "y'all." (Yes, I'm from the south.) However, like all words together with their</div> <div> contracted form, both Yehoshua and Yeshua mean the same. The normally recognized</div> <div> meanings for these words are, "Jehovah is salvation," "Jehovah saved," or simply,</div> <div> "salvation" -- depending on the context as used. Some insist that Yehoshua means</div> <div> "Jehovah is salvation," while Yeshua simply means "salvation" (even some textbooks</div> <div> indicate this); but as the Hebrew scholars I spoke with verified, Yeshua is in fact only the</div> <div> contracted form of Yehoshua, and therefore, carries with it the same meaning.</div> <div> Now hang on, as it really isn't as complicated as you may think. It just takes a little</div> <div> close study to thoroughly understand. So keep the faith, and learn these valuable</div> <div> truths, as you will surely be faced with those who try and discredit the Lord's Name.</div> <bR> <div> Many of the opponents of the Lord’s Name as Jesus argue that Iesous is actually a</div> <div> corrupt Greek translation of the Hebrew word Yeshua, and therefore, any translation</div> <div> from the Greek would also be corrupt. Hence, they insist we should use only the</div> <div> Hebrew word Yeshua. (Sounds like they have a good argument, doesn't it? Not really.) It just so</div> <div> happens that Yeshua is a common name in Hebrew for Joshua (the English translation of</div> <div> Yeshua), and Greek speaking Jews of the days of the New Testament had been using</div> <div> the Greek word Iesous for Yeshua for over 200 years. Why? Because, since Greek</div> <div> was becoming such a popular language, even among Jews, Jewish scholars felt it</div> <div> necessary to translate the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) into Greek, and it became</div> <div> known as the "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Helvetica" ><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint"><U><B>Septuagint</B></U></A></FONT>." This was the main Bible used by many Jewish people during</div> <div> the days of our Lord's sojourn upon the earth. Therefore, the word Iesous was a</div> <div> perfectly accepted Greek word for Yeshua, even by the Jewish scholars of the day.</div> <div> (Those who oppose the name of Jesus don't want you to know this.)</div> <bR> <div> So, when you translate Yeshua into Greek, you have Iesous. Accordingly, when</div> <div> you translate Yeshua directly into English, you have "Joshua." However, since Greek</div> <div> was the universal language of the day, the Lord chose the Greek language for the New</div> <div> Testament -- and thus -- the Greek word Iesous as His choice of words for the</div> <div> introduction of His Name. It is also important to note that the word Yeshua was never</div> <div> used once in the New Testament writings of Scripture.</div> <bR> <div> This means that the word Iesous -- exactly as the Lord planned -- is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>the </B></FONT>word which</div> <div> gets translated into the various languages of the world as His Name, while leaving the</div> <div> Hebrew word Yeshua for those who speak Hebrew and Aramaic -- as the Aramaic</div> <div> pronunciation of the Lord's Name is almost identical and means the same. In other</div> <div> words, if you speak Hebrew or Aramaic, then Yeshua is the perfect word to use as you</div> <div> call upon the Lord.</div> <bR> <div> Do you think there was perhaps another motivation for the Lord's use of the Greek</div> <div> word Iesous in the introduction of His Name? Consider the following: How would you</div> <div> feel about praying to "Joshua?" Would you perhaps feel just a bit uncomfortable</div> <div> pleading with "Joshua" in fervent prayer to heal your broken marriage? How would it</div> <div> sound to you as little children sang, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>"Joshua loves the little children, All the children of</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>the world, Red and yellow, black and white</I><I>, Joshua loves the little children of the</I></div> <div> <I>world?"</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Oblique" ><I> </I></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >Don't you believe the Lord knew ahead of time that the Hebrew word Yeshua</FONT></div> <div> would eventually be translated into the common English name of Joshua? (Hmmm?)</div> <div> Now let's bring together what you just read in the preceding paragraph with</div> <div> something which no doubt is very special. Does not the Lord tell us in His word to be</div> <div> "sanctified" -- set apart from the world as belonging to Him? Does He not deserve a</div> <div> Name which is also "sanctified" -- set apart as reserved for Himself? </div> <bR> <div> By translating the word He chose for the introduction of His Name -- Iesous -- directly into English, we end</div> <div> up with "Jesus." (Again, we will take a look at the actual translation a little later.) Stop and think</div> <div> for a moment: Except for a few parents who name one of their sons Jesus (I suppose in</div> <div> honor of the Lord), this Name -- Jesus -- and the various pronunciations of the same word</div> <div> around the world, is one of the most "sanctified" words in existence. It is universally</div> <div> recognized as the Name of the Savior, the Son of the living God, and is usually</div> <div> reserved exclusively for use as His Name. By design and divine foreknowledge, the</div> <div> Lord's Name has become, to a great extent, "sanctified" -- just for Him. As the Psalmist</div> <div> has stated, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Oblique" ><I>Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.</I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> By the way, it is technically incorrect to say that Iesous is the Greek translation of</div> <div> Joshua, as the word Joshua was not even a word at the time. Yes, the Hebrew word</div> <div> Yeshua, translated into Greek, is Iesous; but Joshua was a much later translation of</div> <div> Yeshua into English. This fully demonstrates that the text books which state that Iesous</div> <div> is a translation of Joshua -- are simply wrong. Yes, Yeshua and Joshua are</div> <div> synonymous, but the Greek word Iesous and the English word Joshua are both</div> <div> translated from Yeshua. By the way, this was one of the main points I covered with the</div> <div> Hebrew scholars I spoke with, and they all fully agreed that there can be no</div> <div> contradiction when you consider that Joshua was a much later translation of Yeshua.</div> <bR> <div> At this point, I want to share something else with the reader which the Lord Jesus</div> <div> gave me regarding the subject at hand. Throughout the centuries, the Name Jesus,</div> <div> and the various forms of the Lord's Name attributed to Him, have also been the object of</div> <div> insult and ridicule, uttered in profanity, twisted, distorted, and slandered in many ways.</div> <div> If the Lord God is perfect and Holy in every way, without spot or blemish (and He is), then</div> <div> He must put down all forms of sin and transgression -- and He will. When every trace of</div> <div> evil is banished forever, He will reveal a Name to us that we will use throughout eternity</div> <div> that has never known insult or ridicule. It will be His perfect Name, never tarnished or</div> <div> blemished through misuse or abuse, and is right now, known only to Him and His Son.</div> <div> He gives us His hint of this wonderful truth in Revelation 19:12.</div> <bR> <div> Rev. 19:12 </div> <div>     His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a </div> <div> name written, that no man knew, but he himself. </div> <bR> <div> One of the main points of this reality is that those who are searching for a possibly</div> <div> overlooked "magic" name that will cause their prayers to be instantly answered and</div> <div> consequently open up a whole world of miracles and other possibilities -- might as well</div> <div> forget it -- as they won't find it -- for now. Please don't take this to mean that by using</div> <div> the Name Jesus we won't get our prayers answered, or the possibility of marvelous</div> <div> miracles occurring, because they certainly do: however, I am sure you know what I</div> <div> mean by the preceding, as many people just don't seem to be satisfied with any name</div> <div> they presently know to address the Lord.</div> <bR> <div> Before getting to the matter of how Iesous is translated into English as Jesus,</div> <div> perhaps we should clear up something already alluded to about the pronunciation of</div> <div> Iesous in the Greek language. Every single concordance and textbook I've studied</div> <div> have indicated that Iesous is pronounced in Greek as ee-ay-sous. However, I recently</div> <div> discovered "The Jesus Film Project" posted on the internet. Via this website, one can</div> <div> view the story of the Lord Jesus in just about any language they choose by simply</div> <div> clicking on the appropriate link. Since they use native persons to narrate the story, I</div> <div> found this to be a fantastic way of hearing just how the Lord's Name is pronounced in</div> <div> various languages. When I viewed a portion of the Greek version, I was totally</div> <div> shocked, considering all the textbooks and commentaries, to discover that Iesous is</div> <div> pronounced by Greek speaking people as "ee-sous" -- no "ay" as a second syllable.</div> <div> (Visit the Jesus Film website, click on the Greek link and you will find the Lord's Name </div> <div> pronounced at exactly 2 minutes, 10 seconds.) <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Helvetica" ><A HREF="http://www.jesusfilm.org/languages/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jesusfilm.org/languages/"><U>http://www.jesusfilm.org/languages/</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> This "revelation" prompted my quick communication with a native Greek person</div> <div> with whom I am acquainted, and I questioned him regarding this issue Yet again, I was</div> <div> very pleased to hear even he pronounce the Lord's Name in Greek as -- "ee-sous."</div> <div> When I pointed out the fact that so many English textbooks and scholars pronounce it</div> <div> as ee-ay-sous, he replied: "That's their problem." as he had no explanation for this</div> <div> wide-spread error. (Thank you Lord Jesus for bringing me to this important truth.)</div> <div> Certainly one may wonder: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>How did so many people get the Greek pronunciation</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>wrong?</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Oblique" ><I> </I></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >After doing some research on the subject, I discovered that a sixteenth century</FONT></div> <div> scholar named Erasmus published a treatise on how he believed ancient Greek</div> <div> should be pronounced. It became known as the "Erasmian System" of Greek</div> <div> pronunciation. As it turns out, his work has influenced much of today's scholarly</div> <div> thinking, as his system of Greek pronunciation is used in many colleges and</div> <div> universities; but the incredible truth is that Erasmus' work was only focused on the</div> <div> classical Greek spoken before about 300 BC -- and not the time of the New Testament.</div> <div> (Yes, I'm still scratching my head over this one.) (See "The Renaissance" near the bottom of the</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >following webpage: </FONT><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_phonology" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Gre"><U>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_phonology</U></A> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> More to the point, the first letter of Iesous in Greek is the Iota and is pronounced as</div> <div> "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>e-</B></FONT>o-ta." (Yes, in English it is usually "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>i</B></FONT>-o-ta.") This gives the first letter of Iesous an "e"</div> <div> sound. Then, the second letter of Iesous is the Eta. The Erasmian System of</div> <div> pronunciation pronounces this letter as "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>ay</B></FONT>-ta." This apparently led to the modern</div> <div> pronunciation of Iesous as ee-ay-sous. <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>However</B></FONT>, in both modern and New Testament</div> <div> Greek, the Eta is actually pronounced as "ee-ta" or "ee-tha" -- thereby giving the first</div> <div> two letters of Iesous an "e" sound -- hence the simple pronunciation of "ee-sous."</div> <div> It may also be helpful to point out that since there are no silent letters in Greek, and</div> <div> since Greek speaking people are accustomed to “sounding” each letter of their</div> <div> alphabet, the double <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>e </B></FONT>at the beginning of Iesous is actually subtly pronounced; but we</div> <div> who speak English do not normally hear it. We simply hear -- "e-sous."</div> <div> If you would like to hear each letter of the Greek alphabet pronounced, you can do</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >so at: </FONT><A HREF="http://www.biblicalgreek.org/links/pronunciation.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblicalgreek.org/links/pronu"><U>http://www.biblicalgreek.org/links/pronunciation.php</U></A> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >Be sure to listen to the</FONT></div> <div> pronunciation of the Eta by scrolling down to the seventh letter. It looks like our capitol</div> <div> H and small n. (The Iota is the ninth letter.) Also, be sure to click on the Erasmian, Biblical,</div> <div> and Modern pronunciations. To see the spelling of each Greek letter, visit:</div> <div> <A HREF="http://greek-language.com/alphabet/ " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://greek-language.com/alphabet/ "><U>http://greek-language.com/alphabet/ </U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >(You will need Quick Time if you don't have it. The free</FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >player version can be downloaded at: </FONT><A HREF="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/"><U>http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html</U></A> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >)</FONT></div> <div> Finally, we come to the matter of how Iesous is translated into English. Again, the</div> <div> opponents of the Lord's Name proclaim that the word Jesus is a corrupt form of the</div> <div> Greek word Iesous -- which they also claim was a corrupt form of the original Hebrew</div> <div> word Yeshua. However, as we have already seen, Iesous was a perfectly accepted</div> <div> Greek translation of Yeshua, as it had been in existence for over 200 years in the text of</div> <div> the Greek Septuagint. Therefore, Iesous is a legitimate word with which to begin our</div> <div> translation. But alas! There is more to their false accusations. They also claim that by</div> <div> going through Greek, then into Latin, and then into English, the word Jesus is "three</div> <div> times removed" from the original Hebrew word Yeshua, rendering the Name "useless"</div> <div> and "meaningless." They also point to the fact that the J was not developed in the</div> <div> English language until about 500 years ago, therefore, the Name Jesus was not even</div> <div> heard prior to that time -- <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>and </B></FONT>-- to add insult to injury, they also blatantly claim that the</div> <div> word Jesus was derived from the spelling of a false god -- which I won't dignify by even</div> <div> spelling the word. (As the Scriptures indicate, I don't think it is proper.)</div> <bR> <div> Perhaps we should first review the development of the letter J in the English</div> <div> language, as it is a major "rub" with the opponents of the Lord's Name. The reader</div> <div> must also bear in mind that the opposition to the word Jesus is the fact it does not</div> <div> "sound" like the original Hebrew word Yeshua. They contend that a personal name</div> <div> should be pronounced the same in all languages. All the websites and published</div> <div> material on the subject, authored by those who oppose the Lord's Name as Jesus, use</div> <div> as their major premise that it has no similarity in sound or meaning to the original word</div> <div> Yeshua. Furthermore, they can't even agree between themselves on just what their</div> <div> original word is: some insist on other words such as, Yahshua, Yehoshua, Yahweh,</div> <div> and other names which contend for the top spot on their combined list.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Please forgive me for this unorthodox way of drawing</B></div> <div> <B>the reader's attention to the next two paragraphs,</B></div> <div> <B>but as they distill much information, they are that important.</B></div> <bR> <div> As already mentioned, one of the most fundamental truths regarding the translation</div> <div> of the Lord's Name into English, or any other language, is the fact that it was the Lord</div> <div> Himself who gave the writers of the New Testament the word to use as His Name -- and</div> <div> that was the Greek word -- Iesous. It is also a well established fact that Iesous was the</div> <div> Greek word for the Hebrew word Yeshua -- but sounds nothing like Yeshua. Again, this</div> <div> clearly demonstrates that the Lord intended for people of all nations to call upon Him</div> <div> with His Name translated into a form conformable to the "sounds" and character of their</div> <div> own language. Those who are trying to coerce the rest of us into using the Hebrew</div> <div> word Yeshua, or any other word they deem as "original" in the Hebrew language, are</div> <div> totally ignoring this reality. Actually, they are not really ignoring it, as they have used</div> <div> every tactic conceivable to twist, distort, cover-up, and/or push aside any evidence that</div> <div> demonstrates that the Lord actually gave the New Testament writers the word He chose</div> <div> as His Name.</div> <bR> <div> The English alphabet, with its accompanying "sounds," has evolved into its present</div> <div> day form, just as all the other languages of the world have done. Therefore, as long as</div> <div> words are translated in accordance with the accepted standards of any language, then</div> <div> no criticism is justified. In other words, over the centuries, every single letter of our</div> <div> alphabet, including the letter J, has come into being, and then followed an evolutionary</div> <div> process into its present day form. This is simply the way it is, and has always been with</div> <div> every language on the planet.</div> <bR> <div> Yes, the naysayers will now probably contend that the Lord had no way of knowing</div> <div> just how languages would evolve over the centuries, and if He had known, He would</div> <div> probably have invented the tape recorder way back then just so He could preserve the</div> <div> "sound" that He wanted spoken by all of humanity when we speak His Name. Do you</div> <div> get my drift? (Their problems are self-inflicted.)</div> <bR> <div> For what it is worth, the "sound" of the letter J has been around in subtle forms for</div> <div> centuries; however, it was not pronounced in its modern hardened form until it became</div> <div> a separate letter in the English alphabet. As subtle J sounds evolved, a "tail" was</div> <div> added to the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>I </B></FONT>so as to give the reader an indication when the evolving sound was to be</div> <div> used. As the J became more pronounced in its usage, the tail was eventually dropped</div> <div> from the I and the letter J formed as a separate letter. Now you know "the rest of the</div> <div> story" of the letter J.</div> <bR> <div> By the way, many do not realize that the Name Jesus was spelled "Iesus" in the</div> <div> original 1611 King James Bible, and since the " I " was pronounced as today's Y, the</div> <div> Lord's name was pronounced as "Yesus." The J was only then beginning to evolve into</div> <div> its more hardened form of pronunciation, as well as its status of being a stand-alone</div> <div> letter of the alphabet. The King James Bible subsequently went through several</div> <div> revisions, as the old Elizabethan style of English was evolving into a more modern form.</div> <div> These later editions were published in 1629, 1638, 1762 and 1769. As the form of</div> <div> English and its pronunciation changed, so did the Name of our Lord as it came to be</div> <div> spelled and pronounced as -- Jesus. The following is a depiction of a small portion of</div> <div> Luke, chapter 4, in the original 1611 King James Bible. The reader can compare the</div> <div> difference of the Elizabethan style of English to that of today, as well as the spelling of</div> <div> the Lord's Name.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Georgia" ><B>Luk 4:1</B></FONT>  And <B>Iesus</B> being full of the holy Ghost, returned from Iordane, </div> <div> and was led by the spirit into the wildernesse, </div> <div> Luk 4:2<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Being fourtie dayes tempted of the deuil, and in those dayes he did eat nothing: </FONT></div> <div> and when they were ended, he afterward hungred. </div> <div> Luk 4:3<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  And the deuil saide vnto him, If thou be the Sonne of God, </FONT></div> <div> command this stone that it be made bread. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Luk 4:4</FONT>  And <B>Iesus</B> answered him, saying, It is written, that man shall not liue by bread alone, </div> <div> but by euery word of God.     KJV 1611</div> <bR> <div> As we proceed with the translation of the word Iesous into Jesus, allow me to note</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >something which occurred to me as I studied this issue.</FONT> <I>If you translated Iesous directly</I></div> <div> <I>into English -- using today's translational standards, and effectively by-passing all the</I></div> <div> <I>so-called "evolutionary processes" which have occurred along the way -- what word</I></div> <div> <I>would you wind up with?</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Oblique" ><I> </I></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >Would it be "Jesus?" What would it mean if it turned out to</FONT></div> <div> be another word? On the other hand, what would it mean if it really did turn out to be</div> <div> Jesus? Now if the latter were the case, then it seems to me that this would <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>really </B></FONT>blow</div> <div> the doors off the fortress occupied by the naysayers! Well -- if you are ready -- let's</div> <div> take a look at the step by step process.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The letters used for the spelling of the Greek word Iesous are:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="608862c0.png" border=0 width="134" height="44" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Iota --- Eta --- Sigma --- Omicron --- Upsilon --- Sigma</div> <bR> <div> <B>Using today's standards of translating Greek into English:</B></div> <bR> <div> The Iota is pronounced as “<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>I</B></FONT>” (as in <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>I</B></FONT>srael) when it precedes a consonant.</div> <div> It is pronounced as "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>J</B></FONT>" when it precedes a vowel.</div> <bR> <div> In the word Iesous, the Iota is followed by a vowel -- the Eta:</div> <div> therefore, </div> <bR> <div> The Iota is correctly pronounced as --------------------- <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>J</B></FONT></div> <div> The Eta is correctly pronounced as --------------------- <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>E</B></FONT></div> <div> The Sigma, Omicron, Upsilon, Sigma -- "sous"</div> <div> is correctly contracted to the English form ------------ <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>S</B></FONT></div> <div> ---------------------------------------------------------- <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>U</B></FONT></div> <div> ---------------------------------------------------------- <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>S</B></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Hallelujah -- praise the Lord Jesus!</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> By the way, do you remember the point mentioned earlier, that by using the Greek</div> <div> word Iesous to introduce His Name to the world, the Lord Jesus knew that Iesous would</div> <div> subsequently be the very word used for the translation of His Name into the vast</div> <div> majority of spoken languages, thereby creating a more "sanctified" word for His Name?</div> <div> Consider the following:</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The English translation of Iesous (ee-sous) is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Jesus</B></FONT>.</div> <div> (The following are spelled the way they sound.)</div> <div> In French He is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Ja-su</B></FONT>.</div> <div> In Russian He is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>E-zous</B></FONT>.</div> <div> In German He is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Yee-zous</B></FONT>.</div> <div> In Albanian, Kosovar, and Armenian, Jesus is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Ye-zous</B></FONT>.</div> <div> In Spanish He is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Hey-sous</B></FONT>.</div> <div> In Nigerian He is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Jesus</B></FONT>.</div> <div> In Swahili, Tanzania He is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Ye-su</B></FONT>.</div> <bR> <div> Though they have similar "soundings," one of the obvious lessons we can learn</div> <div> from the preceding is the fact that names are naturally pronounced somewhat differently</div> <div> when translated into other languages. Therefore, the opponents of the Lord's Name</div> <div> don't have a leg to stand on when they insist the whole world should pronounce His</div> <div> Name the same. Yes, we will -- when His "secret" Name is revealed to mankind -- or</div> <div> should I say -- to all of Creation; but for now, He is pleased to allow every person to call</div> <div> upon Him in the language and "sound" of their own dialect. The reader should listen to</div> <div> some of the Asian languages, such as Japanese or Chinese and try to imagine how</div> <div> "unnatural" it would be for people of their culture to use Yeshua or Jesus as an</div> <div> everyday word. I listened to some of these pronunciations (on the Jesus Film website) and I</div> <div> can't even spell in English how they actually sound.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>YHWH -- "I AM That I Am"</B></div> <bR> <div> It would really not be appropriate to end even a brief historical overview of the</div> <div> Name Jesus without also giving some explanation of important root words such as</div> <div> YHWH, Yahweh, Yehovah, Jehovah, and Adonai. Accordingly, since they are closely</div> <div> linked, I fully believe the reader may find this information to be just as interesting as the</div> <div> information already given.</div> <bR> <div> The best way to explain these words, in an accurate yet concise manner, is to start</div> <div> right from the original word in the Scriptures for the Name of the Creator. That word,</div> <div> represented by a tetragrammaton is -- YHWH. (The word "tetragrammaton" is derived from the</div> <div> Greek language meaning "four letters" and is usually reserved for the Hebrew Name of the Almighty.)</div> <div> In Exodus 3:14-15, the Lord appears to Moses and gives three instances of His</div> <div> Name. As an example of how a concordance and other textbooks can be inaccurate, or</div> <div> incomplete to say the least, these three instances of the Lord's Name are usually</div> <div> treated as if they are the same, with YHWH being used in each instance. Not true! In</div> <div> the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>first instance</B></FONT>, the Lord gives the meaning of His Name as "Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh."</div> <div> This statement in Hebrew is usually translated as "I Am That I Am", or "I Will Be What I</div> <div> Will Be", or "I Am Who I Am", etc. In the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>second instance</B></FONT>, the Lord simply tells Moses</div> <div> to say to the Israelites that the "I Am" has sent you, or "Ehyeh". <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>Then</B></FONT>, in verse 15, the</div> <div> Lord reveals to Moses His Proper Name when He says tell them that YHWH has sent</div> <div> you. These three instances are simply the process by which the Lord chose to reveal</div> <div> His Name and its meaning to Moses. Also, please note that, because its pronunciation</div> <div> is not known, the word YHWH is not used in most translations of the Bible. As you are</div> <div> about to discover, the word “Lord” or “Jehovah” is usually substituted.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Adonai -- Lord</B></div> <bR> <div> The Hebrew scholars soon took it upon themselves not to pronounce YHWH, as</div> <div> they were afraid of somehow becoming guilty of blaspheming. So they decided to write</div> <div> the Name, but not pronounce it. However, for reading purposes, they would substitute</div> <div> the Hebrew word "Adonai" ("Lord" in English) wherever YHWH was found in the text.</div> <div> Since only consonants are used for YHWH, and since the Jews stopped</div> <div> pronouncing it hundreds of years ago, the actual pronunciation is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>lost</B></FONT>. Even in the</div> <div> days just prior to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, the Name was only allowed to</div> <div> be pronounced by the priests during the festival of Yom Kippur, also known as "The Day</div> <div> of Atonement." Accordingly, it has not been pronounced since, as there is no temple</div> <div> and Holy of Holies for the priests to enter into during Yom Kippur.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Jehovah</B></div> <bR> <div> During the middle ages, an attempt was made to produce an English translation of</div> <div> YHWH. Somehow, the vowel pointings of the substitute word "Adonai" were applied to</div> <div> YHWH. They used a technique which had been formulated by the Masoretic scribes in</div> <div> the first century AD. The result of the new English translation was either "Iehowah" or</div> <div> "Iehovah," then pronounced as "Yehowah" or "Yehovah." As the English language</div> <div> developed, along with the letter J, Yehovah became known as "Jehovah." (Whew!)</div> <div> So the truth is, the word Jehovah is not really an accurate translation of YHWH,</div> <div> though it is now accepted as an acceptable substitute with all the original meanings</div> <div> carried over with it. (If you perhaps think this is a little complicated, you should have been in my</div> <div> shoes as I attempted to extract this and other information from the many Greek and Hebrew scholars I</div> <div> spoke with -- as well as the abundance of text material necessary to sift through. Nevertheless, the</div> <div> opportunity has been most rewarding, and I humbly thank the Lord Jesus for this wonderful privilege.)</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Yahweh</B></div> <bR> <div> Then, probably within the last two hundred years, scholars began to piece together,</div> <div> with all the available textual evidence, the most likely vowel pointing of YHWH and</div> <div> came up with the word "Yahweh." (If you take a close look at YHWH you will see how the vowels</div> <div> were logically added.) All the Hebrew scholars I spoke with agreed that the word Yahweh</div> <div> is probably the closet pronunciation we now have of the original YHWH. In other words,</div> <div> they believe that Yahweh may in fact be the actual word spoken to Moses from the</div> <div> burning bush of Exodus 3:15. <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>However</B></FONT>, it is also conceded that it is not an absolute</div> <div> certainty. The following websites may be helpful, and seem to be as accurate as any,</div> <div> that is when I compare them to the statements of the Hebrew and Greek scholars I've</div> <div> spoken with. <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Helvetica" ><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adonai" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh http"><U>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adonai</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Yahshua</B></div> <bR> <div> Yahshua is a word that many of the naysayers proclaim we should be using</div> <div> instead. Considering the fact that Yahshua is not even a Hebrew word (and never has</div> <div> been), it is almost inconceivable that they offer so much fabricated “evidence” to support</div> <div> their claims. The word Yahshua was literally “invented” for their own purposes by</div> <div> taking the "Yah" from Yahweh and connecting it with the "shua" of Yeshua, and presto --</div> <div> they came up with "Yahshua." If the reader will simply visit the Jewish Encyclopedia</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >website </FONT><A HREF="http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/"><U>http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/</U></A> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >and type in a search for Yahshua, you will</FONT></div> <div> discover that you will <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>not </B></FONT>find it. However, if you search for Yahweh, Yehoshua,</div> <div> Yeshua, and Adonai you <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>will </B></FONT>find them.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Yehoshua</B></div> <bR> <div> Yehoshua is a very important word. It is the name which Moses gave to Joshua in</div> <div> Numbers 13:16, who was then known as Hoshea. As Joshua was a type of Christ, as</div> <div> he led the children of Israel into the promised land, his new name, Yehoshua, is linked</div> <div> to YHWH and its meaning is -- “YHWH is salvation.” Accordingly, it is also the word</div> <div> designated by the Almighty as the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Helvetica-Bold" ><B>correct linage </B></FONT>to the Name “Jesus.” Yehoshua was</div> <div> contracted to Yeshua, Yeshua was translated into Greek as Iesous, and of course,</div> <div> Iesous is now translated into English as “Jesus.”</div> <bR> <div> Something we should "zero in on a little closer" is the fact that we do not have a</div> <div> definite translation or pronunciation of the original word YHWH. We have Yahweh and</div> <div> Jehovah as the best attempts of translators through the years, and we know that YHWH</div> <div> has as its meaning, "I AM THAT I AM" etc. because this was given by the Lord to</div> <div> Moses in Exodus 3:14. Therefore, we can definitively say that the Name "Jesus" can be</div> <div> traced back to the "I AM" through the linage mentioned in the previous paragraph.</div> <div> So perhaps now may be a good time to ask an obvious question: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>Why has the</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>Almighty allowed the pronunciation of His Name, as revealed to Moses, to be lost</I></div> <div> <I>throughout the centuries?</I></div> <bR> <div> It would not surprise me to know that many of those who have carefully read this</div> <div> writing probably already have a good idea as to the answer to the preceding question.</div> <div> There may in fact be other reasons, but surely, the Lord God has carefully orchestrated</div> <div> events throughout the centuries in such a way that the Name "Jesus" would have</div> <div> absolute preeminence as the highest Name given among men whereby we must be</div> <div> saved. For this servant, this is sufficient cause to accept it as -- cased closed.</div> <div> By the way, when I inquired to Greek and Hebrew scholars about the preservation</div> <div> of the original "meaning" of words translated into English (or any language for that matter),</div> <div> they all responded by noting that the original meaning is always carried over into the</div> <div> translation. However, there is a "catch:" One must research the original word to</div> <div> discover its meaning. Duh!! I should have known that! As Bible students, and</div> <div> sometimes as students of the meaning of our own personal names, we are all</div> <div> accustomed to this process. Why didn't I think of that before? (I bet you didn't think about it</div> <div> either!)</div> <bR> <div> So what does the word Jesus mean? Well, it has already been clearly</div> <div> demonstrated that through the linage of the root words of Iesous, Yeshua, Yehoshua,</div> <div> and YHWH, the answer is apparent for all to see: Jesus is -- the "I AM THAT I AM."</div> <div> Friend, the profound truth which the information in this document has revealed is</div> <div> the fact that the Name "Jesus" is one of the most historically accurate translated words</div> <div> in existence. It is the word which the Almighty determined long ago to become one of</div> <div> the most sanctified words for use as His Name. It is thus the Name we can fully trust</div> <div> as we call upon our Creator and Lord.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> On the other hand, we can now clearly understand the un-seen motivation behind</div> <div> the present day movement of discrediting the Lord's Name. It is obviously an attempt to</div> <div> shake the confidence we have in the very Name we have come to love and trust as we</div> <div> call upon our Savior. If one cannot trust and have full confidence in the Name with</div> <div> which they call upon the Lord, then their very faith is shaken to the core. The irony is</div> <div> most of the people behind this movement seem to be sincere people. However, as the</div> <div> facts unmistakably reveal -- they are sincerely wrong!</div> <bR> <div> As we bring our study of the Lord's Name to a conclusion, please allow me to give</div> <div> the reader a few helpful tips regarding the Jesus Film website previously mentioned. It</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >is found at: </FONT><A HREF="http://www.jesusfilm.org/languages/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jesusfilm.org/languages/"><U>http://www.jesusfilm.org/languages/</U></A> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >You will need Real Player, so if you</FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >don't have it on your computer, you can easily download it at: </FONT><A HREF="http://www.real.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.real.com/"><U>http://www.real.com/</U></A> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Helvetica" >Be</FONT></div> <div> careful to find and download the free version.</div> <bR> <div> After installing Real Player listen to the first few minutes of the English version of</div> <div> the film and familiarize yourself with the movie scenes surrounding the mention of the</div> <div> Lord's Name as "Jesus" at the following time slots: 9:50 -- 11:50 -- 12:44 and 12:54.</div> <div> (You can move the slider bar over to speed up the process.) Next, go to any other language you</div> <div> prefer and find the same scenes to hear how Jesus is pronounced. There is, however,</div> <div> a small "adjustment" to make, as the introduction used in the English version is not used</div> <div> in the other language versions. Therefore, the time slots are different in the other</div> <div> languages. These time slots are usually as follows: 2:10 -- 4:55 -- 5:50 and 5:58. Trust</div> <div> me: you will find this process to be most interesting, genuinely educational, and</div> <div> probably a little emotional for yourself as you hear the Savior's Name pronounced in the</div> <div> various languages of the world.</div> <bR> <div> May the Lord Jesus truly bless you with full confidence in His Name that He might</div> <div> bless you even further by drawing you ever closer.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> In Him,</div> <div> Tommy Bryan</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:tommybryan@intrstar.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:tommybryan@intrstar.net"><U>tommybryan@intrstar.net</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>