John Steward of Jesus
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His Name

(6-26-04)
My response will not apply to the question of whether you should prepare such a document, or how you should title it. My response is intended to apply only to the question of how we can best use words to correctly point to Him. I wish only to share what has become my comfort level after considering the same question for years.

Gregory has well reminded us that words have use only when they correctly focus our minds on ideas and experiences. In themselves they are babble.

My parents and siblings call me by the usual sounding "John". My
grandparents called me what sounded like "Yon". If their relatives in the Netherlands had sent me a letter they might have sent it to "Jan". I had a dear Scottish teacher who called me what sounded to me like "Shawn". All of this is acceptable to me when I believe that others are addressing me as I intend to present myself to them. The name is simply a tool we use as a link in communication. So long as we both agree on the link, its precise audible or visible form is irrelevant to the intended purpose. It is my understanding that variations of "John" in other languages are: Jean, Jon, Jan, Ivan, Giovanni, Johan, Johannes, Shawn, etc. In certain circumstances, I would accept any of them (and perhaps many variant pronunciations of any of them) as "my" name. The issue is simply whether someone is thinking of me, not the spelling or pronunciation.

Since the One we are thinking of is presented to us in the earliest ancient scriptures as the creator of heaven and earth, some of the designations or names which have seemed appropriate and useful to me have been, the Creator of all things, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Creator of us all, the One who created everything, etc. In my concept of reality, no one else can be so designated.

He is referred to in the scriptures as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That also seems to me to be unambiguous. As does the One who revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush. Depending on the audience, I am comfortable using the "name" specified in that context, YHWH, Yahweh, Jahweh, with possible variations. When old friends of mine sing praises to "Jehovah", I understand who they mean. Another designation from the same context might be "the One who brought Israel out of Egypt, the house of bondage". From such contexts arise names as Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer.
From later history of Israel names as Rock, Fortress, Shield become useful when the context and the audience leave no doubt who is in focus.

Because Jesus called Him Father, and told us to address him as Our Father in Heaven, I am content with the designations, "the Father of Jesus Christ", "the One Jesus called Father", "Our Father in Heaven", or even in context, "Our Father" or "My Father".

In context, names as "our Protector", "our Provider", "our Helper", etc, are useful and appropriate.

When in doubt, I simply use the label which leaves as little ambiguity as is humanly possible.

We learn to know His name as we learn to know Him. May the knowledge of Him increase in all of us, to His honor.

John



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