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The Mystery of God's Name

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The Mystery of God's Name

by Bill Wassner 2 comments
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The Mystery of God's Name

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As Jesus shared His last Passover with His Apostles, He recapitulated that night some of the most profound teachings He had privately shared with them during their previous 3-1/2 years together. He finished His discourse with an open prayer to God (John 17) in which He emphasized a most important truth regarding a special relationship we have to God's name. But, what is that "name" to which He alludes, and to which we have such a connection? Is it "YHWH" as some contend, or is it a name that touches us personally and gives our lives the most sublime meaning?

Comments

  • huntingtonwindowcleaning
    Bill Wassner Author
    You actually imply that the "scholarship of the Hebrew YHVH" agrees w/ me, that the name, "YHVH," "is not just 'phonetics." (Compare to your previous paraphrase of my comment, that "God is 'not into phonetics.") So there is in fact no disagreement here on your FIRST POINT. On your SECOND POINT, that the Greek, "...made known to them your name" (Jn 17), "refers to the representation, the character (istics) of God," I also agree. For it is this particular "representation and characteristic" of God, I propose, that is the very mystery that Jesus came to reveal. Thus far then, and respectfully, I see no conflict with the Heb & Grk scholarship to which you refer. And this brings us to your LAST POINT. And here again I agree. Nothing mysterious about the term "father," per se. But there are different senses of meaning. George Washington is known as the "Father of our nation." Similarly, I believe, God was the Father of Israel. But He was not Israel's Father in the sense that they were His BEGOTTEN children. Jesus was the 1st begotten (Heb 1:5), but also the firstborn of MANY BRETHREN (Rm 8:29, 14-15). This, I say, is the mystery in Christ's revelation of God as "Father."
  • americade
    Pj de Marigny
    "Name of God" caught my attention b/c it is a sensationalized subject on the internet. However, the point of this is that Jn17:26 "I made know to them your name …" means that Jesus was revealing a "mystery" that was not know to Jews: the name of God. Then you say that name is "father." You additionally say that YHVH is not the name and it was probably knows to "Jews" at that time; and that God is "not into phonetics" so YHVH is not the name he is known by in this new "mystery." This is a reflection of a lack of scholarship of the Hebrew YHVH that is not just "phonetics" but is the most used name for God in the Tanakh and Apostolic scriptures (the Greek kurios) and it is robust with meaning. Second, Jn17:26 is not referring to revealing a "mystery" (sic) name. This is a misunderstanding of the Greek which cannot be interpreted word-by-word for meaning. "...made known to them your name" (cf) refers to the representation, the character (istics) of God. The Bible uses multiple terms for God depending on context. Last, the term "father" is not a mystery in either testament. God is referred to as (my/our) "father" in Isa (9:6) (64:8) & Mal 2:10 connected w/"Mashiach" (Messiah).

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