Do We Really Need To Defend The Name Of JESUS Against The "Yeshua" Crowd?
Question: Do we really need to defend the name of Jesus against the "Yeshua" crowd? Do we need to be beware of the Christian Judaizers who try to convince us to obeserve the Sabbath and other Jewish feast days, keep Old Testament kosher laws? The Hebrew language today is a counterfeit made in 1882! We should call God Jehovah and not Yeshua according to the accurate KJV traditions, only this is right. If Jesus is present here, which Bible would Jesus use?
Answer: Greetings in Jesus name!
Let us not fight...it is all the same. But nobody should insist on exclusive name, because there is none but the name of Jesus the Christ which should be translated in other languages as per the mother tongues of each nations around the world.
We see in the New Testament day of Pentecost, all the people of different nations coming to hear the apostolic company praising God through the tongues they never knew before which was the language of the hearers from all nations, it was a sign from heaven to indicate from God that there can be no exclusive language for God but that He understands and considers all the language to be His creation for man to seek and find Him (Acts 2:5-13; 17:26-27). We all have our respect for Hebrew because it is the oldest language know in the history of humankind. It is the language which Abraham the Father of faith was associated with and Shem's God was related to be (Gen 9:26; 14:13). Jews call God 'HaShem' which means "the Name" as in Leviticus 24:11. Exactly 'The Name' was revealed to the world through the man of God Moses who was shown in a vision of how God created the world and how it evolved from that time onwards (Exodus 17:14; 24:4; 34:27; Numbers 33:1–2; Deuteronomy 31:9–11). Both the Old Testament writers and the New Testament agree perfectly under the inspiration of the Spirit, that the first five books were written by Moses (Joshua 1:8; 8:31–32; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 14:6; 21:8; Ezra 6:18; Nehemiah 13:1; Daniel 9:11–13; Malachi 4:4; Matthew 19:8; John 5:45–47; 7:19; Acts 3:22; Romans 10:5; Mark 12:26). Were there no inspired word from God given to the people until the time of Moses? There were inspired directions given from God through vision and dreams, but a direct law from God to the nation of Israel came only through Moses and further the grace to fulfill the law came only through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior later to the whole world (John 1:17; Num 12:6).
What Language Did Adam And Eve Speak?
Traditional Jewish exegesis such as Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 38) says that Adam spoke the Hebrew language because the names he gives Eve – Isha (Book of Genesis 2:23) and Chava (Genesis 3:20) – only make sense in Hebrew. The Jews always had a Law of God which is totally different from the laws of all others people in the world, which shows to us that Hebrew language did not just originate with Abraham but right from Adam through the faith community of people it continued to Abraham who was seperated and chosen among them because of his obedience to God and his Word (Esther 3:8; Gen 2:15-17; 3:8, 10, 11; 4:3-5, 7, 16, 25-26; 5:1; 6:8; 10:1; 12:1).
Thus, Abraham obeyed God's statutes (chuqqotay) as well as other written laws (mishmartiy, mitzotay, torotay). He left the wicked city of Ur to save his family (Genesis 26:5, Hebrews 11:8-10). He unquestionably had written instructions to use in following the statutes of the Lord. So before Abraham, there always used to be a written account of the line of Adam (Gen 5:1).
We know that Adam and Eve were created as a perfect adult with a vast intelligence to read, write, speak and relate to one another in Love which is the absolute likeness of God (Gen 1:26-27; 2:7, 22; 1 John 4:16). Adam could write as well as we can as adults, or perhaps even better could have had a photographic memory before the fall of humans in to sin which caused social, mental, emotional, spiritual and physical deterioration which increased more and more in humanity as time went forward (Gen 3:9-22)! He may have spoken Hebrew from the very first. He had to speak some language! And the accounts before and following Genesis 5:1 are all in Hebrew! Thus God's chosen ones from the beginning had His written instructions to follow that were not like those of any nation around them.
Yet, our GOD is a GLOBAL GOD and not a local god as pagan gods are. So we must see a GLOBAL GOSPEL and JESUS CHRIST within and not just a english speaking Jesus christ or just a Hebrew speaking Jewish Jesus Christ only (John 4:22; Mat 15:24; 2 Cor 5:16; John 17:20; 10:16; Luke 24:47; Mark 16:15; Matt 28:18-20). I agree that KJV is very close to both the original Hebrew and Greek...still those 72 who translated cannot be called as inspired but rather commanded by King James to keep the Church of England to be united with him and under him.
When Did English Come In To Existence?
English is a West Germanic language that originated from Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain in the mid 5th to 7th centuries AD by Anglo-Saxon settlers. With the end of Roman rule in 410 AD, Latin ceased to be a major influence on the Celtic languages spoken by the majority of the population. So English took over England and other united parts of it from that time onwards to stay and become a global language of the entire world till today in our times.
When English itself came in to existence from the above time, how come calling Jesus Christ in English can only be correct according to your own reason, when the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament wrote the Scripture in different languages of their times like Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek?
The Old Testament was written in Biblical Hebrew, with some portions (notably in Daniel and Ezra) in Biblical Aramaic. Biblical Hebrew, sometimes called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language. The very first translation of the Hebrew Bible was into Greek and that is the Biblical intimate connection between the two. The first known translation of this Hebrew Bible into Greek is called the Septuagint (LXX; 3rd–1st centuries BC). The LXX was written in Koine Greek. It contains the Hebrew Bible translated from Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek which was commonly spoken by Jews of Jesus times (John 12:20-22; 19:19-22; Acts 6:1).
What Language Did Jesus Really Speak?
Hebrew was used mostly by the scribes, teachers of the law, Pharisees, and Sadducees, the “religious elite.” Hebrew was likely spoken and read in the synagogues, so Jesus who grew in tutelage of the synogogue have learned to read the Scripture in Hebrew very well (Luke 4:16-21). If Jesus was here today, he would be using the Hebrew Bible as the main reference Bible because that is the first Bible given to humans from God, and would also use other languages and translations according to the need of the situation. Why do I say that? When he spoke some of the important words on the Cross, it was not completely in Hebrew, but also in Aramic which shows that Jesus would use languages and translations according to the situation. Because Greek was the language of the Romans, who ruled over Israel during Jesus’ time, Greek was the language of the political class and anyone who wanted to do commerce with the Romans. Perhaps, Levi in Greek and the same name used as Matthew in Hebrew can give us an idea of how Jesus must have spoken and conversed with the tax collectors in Greek as well as Hebrew as he was comtemptuously identified by the Pharisees and Scribes as the friend of dishonest tax collectors who were considered as sinners in the eyes of the religious Jews because they were working for Romans against the Jewish nation by collecting tax (Matt 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32). We also see the same scenario in the naming of Peter which is translation of the greek name 'Cephas' given by Jesus, as well as the name he previously had as Simon son of John which was in Hebrew. This shows that how much well versed Jesus must have been in Greek to name his disciples in Greek with a new name to symbolize what they will become in God's purpose and destiny that He has for them (John 1:42). Being able to speak Greek was a very useful skill as it was the universal language at that time, Jesus knew Greek through which he must have spoken before Pilate in his trial as there was no indication of a translator in between (Mk. 15:2-5; Mt. 27:11-14; Lk. 23:2-5; Jn. 18:29- 38; cf. 1 Tim. 6:13). Jesus may well have spoken Greek in Mark 7:25-30, when Jesus traveled to the area of Tyre where a woman with a daughter possessed by an evil spirit hears of his presence there and begs for Jesus’ help. The woman was called a gentile who is a Syrophoenician "Canaanite" women which shows that he must have conversed in the Greek to people like them as we hear of no translators in between them (Matthew 15:22). In other words, the description of the woman in the Gospel makes sure that the reader knows that the woman was a Greek-speaker despite her birth as a syrian canaanite as 'Phoenicia' was the name given to the region by the Greeks as they traded with them the most.
Jesus spent most of his time in the communities of Nazareth and Capernaum in Galilee, which were Aramaic-speaking villages. The Gospels support this view showing Jesus using various Aramaic terms: talitha koum (Mark 5:41); ephphatha (Mark 7:34); eloi eloi lama sabachthani (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34); abba (Mark 14:36). Historians, scientists, and social anthropologists largely agree that Aramaic was the prevalent language in Israel during Jesus’ time. Aramaic was very similar to Hebrew, but with many terms and expressions that were acquired from other languages and cultures, notably Babylonian. It is most probable that Jesus knew the three common languages of the cultures around him during his life on Earth: Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek. From this knowledge, it is likely that Jesus spoke in whichever of the three languages was most suitable to the people He was communicating with (John 19:19-22).
I think you are supporting a only KJV-King James Version cult group because I think you are in it.
Do you know that the first foundational apostles and apostle Paul who wrote nearly one third of the New Testament never knew English at all because it was not at all in existence at that time?
How must they have pronounced the name of Jesus? It must be in Aramic or in Hebrew or in Greek which had a major influence on the Jews of Jesus times.
Yeshua, What Does It Mean Really?
In Aramaic, the term, “Yeshu,” was transliterated from the Hebrew term of Yeshua, pronounced as “Yeh-shoo,” and missing the “a.”
Greek translations have “Yeshua” listed as Yesous, among first century Greeks, of which the name, Jesus, is derived. The involvement of the Council of Nicea, within the Roman Catholic Church, as well as influence of the English language into biblical text changed the use of “Yeshua” to describe the Savior into Jesus. “Yeshua” can be found most in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient texts that are still referenced among those in the Jewish faith.
The involvement of the Council of Nicea (modern Iznik, Turkey) the first council in the history of the Christian church that was intended to address the entire body of believers, within the Roman Catholic Church by the emperor Constantine on 325 A.D, as well as influence of the English language into biblical text changed the use of “Yeshua” to describe the Savior into Jesus. “Yeshua” can be found most in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient texts that are still referenced among those in the Jewish faith.
Although the term, “Yeshua,” cannot be found among Christian Bibles today, the hints at Yeshua can be found among mentions of Joshua, son of Nun, in Deuteronomy 32:44 (Joshua leading the people of Israel out of Egypt with Moses), Nehemiah 8:17 (the gathering of the Feast of Tabernacles that was lasted performed in the times of Joshua), Acts 7:45 (the tabernacle in the wilderness brought to the Gentiles by Joshua), Hebrews 4:8 (Joshua speaking of another day ahead for God’s people), and in the books of First and Second Chronicles and Ezra. In the Hebrew text, Joshua is named “Yeshua bin-Nun” (Neh. 8:17) and “Yehoshua.” (1 Chron. 7:27; 2 Chron 31:15)
The name Jeshua appears 30 times in the Hebrew Bible and is found in the books of 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. The name Yeshua/Jeshua is the Aramaic/Latin form of the Hebrew name 'yehoshua', Strong's #3091, which means "Yah is salvation."
The Latinized form of Yehoshua is Joshua, and as previously mentioned, the Latinized form of Yeshua is Jeshua. In the Greek Septuagint, the 2000 year old Greek translation of the Tanach / Old Testament, both Yeshua and Yehoshua are transliterated as Iesous. As there is no "Y" in Greek, the letter "I" is used and as there is no "Sh" in Greek, the letter "S" is used instead. When the Greek New Testament was written, the Greek name Iesous was used for both Yeshua/Jeshua and Yehoshua/Joshua, but when the Greek Iesous was Latinized it became Jesus, which is the Latinized form of the Greek Iesous, which is the Greek form of the Aramaic Yeshua, which is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew Yehoshua.
Due to this confusion with this name, some translations of the New Testament may have Jesus, but another translation may have Joshua, such as can be seen in these two translations of Acts 7:45.
Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles… (KJV)
Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered on the possession of the nations… (ASV)
It should be kept in mind that all of these names; Jeshua, Joshua, Jesus, Iesous, Yeshua and Yehoshua, are the very same name, all coming from the Hebrew name Yehoshua.
We can relate Jesus figuratively as Moses and Joshua of the Old Testament, a Savior who redeems his people from sin and makes them inherit the abundant life of Canaan in their spiritual life on earth which makes them to be rewarded with eternal life and glory of heaven in the days to come permanently, which both Moses and Joshua were not able to provide for the Israelites. So no matter how much people want to make the name "Yeshua" as a personal name to relate to the experience of their own salvation, it can only be a anti-type of the original name Jesus the Christ of the New Testament. Thus "Yeshua" can be a good typology for the Christians, but can never be claimed to be the true name of Jesus for us who read the English Bible, even though the pronounciation can be close to the original.
Should We Defend The Name of Jesus By Stopping People From Calling Him Yeshua?
So the bottom line regarding this great question, can only be decided spiritually. Have you ever seen a demon possesed person becomes afraid of the name of Jesus the Christ when it is spoken before it (Jam 2:19)? Do you know that all the demons and Satan himself recognizes the authority of the name of Jesus, no matter what language the name is called in (Mark 1:24-25; Matt 8:29)? I have seen it straight before my eyes in the life and ministry of my dad and also in the minsitry I have been doing in my own life. The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, seeing the awesome demonstration of the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ by Paul the apostle, they thought that they could do the same to demonstrate the power of God by calling and commanding the demons to go out of possesed people "in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches", but the demons did not find the anointing backing up their words as they were not born again children of God who have faith in their heart towards Jesus. The evil spirit within the possesed person said, "Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you?" (Acts 19:11-16), immediately the man in whom the evil spirit was there leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so they fled out of that house wounded and naked. Fear fell on them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
What can we learn from this above episode?
The lesson is a very very important one, that is, it doesn't matter with what semantic or language we call on the name of the Lord, but it is more important whether each of us have become a child of God or still remain the child of the devil without accepting the salvation that God has provided in Christ Jesus. When the devil hears the word, God or Jesus or Yeshua or the Lord or Jehovah through your mouth with the anointing that backs you up from above, he shudders to run away from you the moment he sees you. When a unsaved man, no matter with what sound or noise he tries to drive demons, they will over power him and bring shame on them. God is not much concerned with with what semantic or language or syllable we call on the name of the Lord, it is more important whether we call on Him with a clean heart, have the assurance of our sins forgiven by God and have the seal of the Holy Spirit which is the sign of a child of God by believing in the name of Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:22).
If the Yeshua crowd is a born again crowd, they will experience the anointing of the Lord to support them when they use the name "Yeshua", but when they are not the child of God with a pure heart cleansed by the blood of Jesus, no matter whether they call or command in the name of Yeshua, or Jesus, or Yesu, or in any other language of the world, they will have no response from the devil which will overpower them for trying to lord over them without real authority over them (Luke 9:49-50; Mark 9:38-41). The same applies when trying to worship and serve the Lord (Psa 96:9; Col 3:17), except we serve with the beauty of His holiness, all our service for God remains in vain. O God help us all to be holy by your power and glory through inheriting your great salvation and walk in it for your glory!
Beware Of Judaizers!
Judaizers started in the first century to deceive the Church and the apostles stood against its deceit, in the same way there is a wind of judaizers who are raising up their head to insist upon the Church to obeserve the Sabbath and other Jewish feast days, and to keep the Old Testament kosher laws to please God inorder to validate the truth of salvation. These are the days of deception and falling away from faith (2 Thess 2:3), that is why in the Bible through Revelation 3:9, Jesus has clearly foretold, "Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you." According to Jesus, the real Jews of the end time are not just those who are in the flesh, but also who in the spirit have been being born again by the Spirit of God through trusting the name of Jesus Christ by faith (Rom 2:28-29), therefore in these end of end times, we should look not to the world which will be deceived by the Jews in the flesh, but upon Jesus who will prove our love for Him through the Rapture which will help us escape the Tribulation that is coming upon the whole wide world (Rev 3:10; Luke 21:36).
Yes beware of the Judaizers who are false brethren of the end of end time who will come in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus. If we foolishly allow them by believing their baloney, they will bring us in to bondage of the law which nether they, nor their forefathers were able to carry (Gal 2:3-4; Acts 15:10, 24; Matt 11:28-30). Now with God only a new creation matters to Him (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 5:6; 6:15).
Have God Revived Hebrew Language?
In Zephaniah 3:9 the Lord had predicted, “I will return unto you a pure language.” Has not the prophecy according to you come true? Yes I believe the Hebrew language has been revived already by the Lord when the nation of Israel regathered from all corners of the earth, but it will further be cleansed when the Messiah comes in His Second Coming to the earth after which it will become refined as a pure Hebrew language. Hallelujah!
May God help us discern His will and His way to walk pleasing to Him in the last of the last days to bring glory to our God through our short lives that we live on earth. May we serve our King of Kings and Lord of Lords with all our heart in holiness and truth.
Remember the Five Solas which brought the reformation to the forefront of our Christian faith because this is the base upon which our spiritual life can always stay strong and healthy, so stand by (i) Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone"), (ii) Sola fide ("by faith alone"), (iii) Sola gratia ("by grace alone"), (iv) Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone") and finally (v) Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone").
Glory to God!
Much Blessings....
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