Is it a sin not to use the right name to address God or Jesus?
Question:
Hello Sir,
Will God or Jesus condemn us or punish us for not knowing the right name to call Him? I’ve seen some say that it’s a form of idolatry or worshiping someone else if you don’t know the correct name to call God or Jesus. Some say his name is Yahweh or Yeshua or a million other names I don’t know. I know they say the letter J wasn’t even invented when Jesus was alive. I’m sure you’ve heard the conversations regarding this.
Also, I saw a documentary that talks about how the Romans invented Christianity.
Do you have any sources or recommendations for a Christian who is weak in the faith and has no strong foundation on how to not be so immediately and easily misled or swayed by anyone claiming anything contrary to the Bible?
Answer:
Do you know of a passage where God says that everyone must address Him by a particular name? I certainly don't recall reading one. Instead, we find that a variety of names are used to describe God and are used by God to describe Himself. See The Name of God.
God created the multiple languages that we have in this world (Genesis 11:7). Thus, when I talk about a particular animal, I will call it a "goat." But a speaker of the Spanish language will say "cabro." The animal doesn't change, only the word to describe the animal changes.
In English, the word for God is "God," but in Hebrew, it is "אלוהים" which is pronounced as "elohim" when using English letters. In Greek, it is "Θεός" (Theós). It doesn't mean the three languages are speaking of three different Gods. There is one God and each language has its own word to refer to Him.
The same is true for all the other names for God. Sometimes, when a language doesn't have an appropriate word to match another language, a similar-sounding word is created by transliteration the sounds into the language. Over time, those words morph to become more like the native language. Thus, "Jehovah" is not how a Hebrew speaker would pronounce the name of God which means "eternal ruler" (יהוה) but it has become the English word that has the equivalent meaning. By the way, a modern Hebrews speaker will pronounce this word as "ye-ho-VAH".
The Romans were worshipers of multiple gods, many of whom were borrowed from the Greeks and given Latin names. Early Christians were viewed as atheists by the Romans because they denied that there were many gods. The Bible documents the start of Christianity. To deny the historical source document is to deny history. But then, controversy sells views, so you will find things on the Internet that claim ridiculous things simply because they can get more advertisement revenue. You always must consider the credibility of the source of your information. A claim never makes something true.
The one way to become stronger in the faith is by learning your Bible. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Jesus established the church to spread the knowledge of the Bible. "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-15). Thus, to become a strong Christian, you need to become a part of a good church.
