by Check_Your_Premises 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I always figured Jehovah was the father, Jesus was the son, and we don't know what to call the Holy Spirit. Is this the orthodox view?
But if God is triune in nature and all that, is Jehovah the name for all 3 dudes lumped together, or is it just the name for the Father?
CYP
My guess would be that Jehovah, in orthodox Christian theology, = God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). I may be wrong, but we don't see Jehovah and Father being used together ever in the OT.
There is only ONE god, and this is Yahweh (If Jesus is a separate, junior god, not falling under the "Yahweh" title, then where does this leave him?)
Deut 4: 35 (YLT): Thou, thou hast been shewn [it], to know that Jehovah He [is] God; there is none else besides Him.
Deut 4:35: (YLT): that Jehovah He [is] God, in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath -- there is none else.
ISAIAH 43:10,11 — 10 Ye [are] My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And My servant whom I have chosen, So that ye know and give credence to Me, And understand that I [am] He, Before Me there was no God formed, And after Me there is none. 11 I -- I [am] Jehovah, And besides Me there is no saviour. (YLT)
ISAIAH 44:24 (YLT): Thus said Jehovah, thy redeemer, And thy framer from the womb: `I [am] Jehovah, doing all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, Spreading out the earth -- who [is] with Me? 6
ISAIAH 44:6: (YLT) Thus said Jehovah, king of Israel, And his Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts: `I [am] the first, and I the last, And besides Me there is no God.
In the NT, Jesus is often contextually equated with YHWH.
As explained in http://www.tetragrammaton.org, "In Romans 14:3-9, the early and late context talks about Christ. However, in the main body of the verses, within the context of teaching about Christ, Paul used Kyrios and God as functional synonyms. In these passages, Kyrios was often given attributes belonging only to God."
Understanding of this comes from understanding what YHWH stands for. Even JW (I guess) admit that it is form of hebrew word "to be". But very specific form which isn't possible in english or my native language. Somehow transcendental "to be". So actually YHWH for english would be "Creator" "One who makes it to be". So it is very core of nature of God. God is one who creates reality. He is source of everything what is. He is arche of all creation. So for english it would be "Creator" "God" "LORD". And it is how christians udnerstood it it is how Jews understood the meaning of the word. Exodus 3:14 is where God reveals his very nature his core. To reveal your name is to reveal your nature. God's Name is reflection of God's very nature.
So for orthodox YHWH is name of nature of 3une God.
As far as orthodox theology from the late 2nd century onward is concerned, there is hardly another option than equating the OT "God" with the totality of the Christian godhead => considering the three "persons" as a distinction within Yhwh rather than being "Yhwh + 2 others".
About a different representation in the background of orthodox theology, see http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/115511/2.ashx
For some reason my post from last night didn't register. No worries - the guys above have pretty much said everything I attempted to say, but better
Thanks all!!!
It depends whether you see "Jehovah" as a name or a description.
When Moses asked "Who shall I say sent me"
God replied "Tell them I AM sent you" He was making a statement of who He was THE GOD
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit making up the I AM ...the one God.
Also keep in mind that "Jehovah" is a made up name from the 13th Century by a Catholic monk and approved by the Catholic church.
Odd when you think about it that the Watchtower abhors anything to do with the Catholic Church.
Yet uses a name for God devised by a Catholic and endorsed by the Catholic Church.
And ironically even the title "God" is a more modern affair, being an Olde English word.
