Tuesday, January 6, 2009

What's your name?

I was born Jennifer. But have used the nicknames Jenny, Jen and JLo. But that's really the only names I answer to. OK, when I was a kid, my classmates also took my last name "Moore" and would call me "Lawnmoore" or "Moorehead" - oh! weren't we just horrible kids??? LOL!!! I know that in Spanish, my name is Juanita. But if someone yelled out "Hi Juanita!" - I'd ignore them as I don't "hear" that as my name.

I'm sure you are the same! If you are Susan, you would answer to Sue, Susie, Suzanne.....but would you answer to Sally? or Sherry? Or Cindy? Probably not.

One of my earliest childhood questions was, "How did Jesus get his name?" I think at a very young age, I knew that English was a different language from what the Bible was originally written in. I remember being told that the New Testament was written in Greek and that Christ came from Christos which was the Greek translation of His name. But no one ever said what His name was in the original text.

Which leads me back to my first paragraph. If I don't recognize my own name in a foreign language.....why would we expect Him to recognize His name in English??? When I pray....am I calling upon the "wrong" name?

And here's another thought. If Budda is Budda in Hindu, English, Spanish....why did His name change when language changed?

Muhammed's name in Arabic, English, and every other language remains Muhammed. In fact, every single "god", "Prophet" or "holy man" from every religion retains their name in every language EXCEPT for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Is it because someone is attmpting to hide his name? Acts 2:21 "whoever calls on the name of Adonai will be saved."




Yes, Adonai is the name of Yeshua.....the "real" name for the son of God. Why did these names get changed with the Greek and then the English translations?



Jesus is supposedly the English translation of the Greek word Ieosus which is a translation of the Hebrew Yeshua. Iesous is pronounced "E-A-Zoos". Hmmm....isn't that a little too close to the term "Zeus"? Would this have been a means of keeping the Greeks from coming to know the true Messiah?



And if you google language, you will see that the letter "J" was not even introduced into the English language until the 1400s. OK, I think this is all the proof that I need that many translators are actually working to take those who read the Bible away from the truth....not closer to it!



I pray to Yeshua. But I write the letters God and Jesus.....because that's what we have come to recognize traditionally as the names applying to Jehovah and the Messiah. Just give it some thought....if you call me Juanita....I won't answer. If you call Him Jesus...will He answer?

I love these 12" letters - perfect for ART on the wall!!!

5 comments:

Ginni said...

Interestingly enough, I was also called Juanita for two years of Spanish class because Virginia just doesn't sound very pretty in the Spanish language - LOL!

Ginni

Peggy said...

Jen Your knowledge is amazing and I am so thankful that you take the time and energy to share. Not only is your art inspiring but you challenge us to think!
Thank you!
Peggy

Jeni Calkins said...

Jen, very interesting, something for me to ponder. So many of the things we sight from the bible as law are taken out of context, when you add in the translation issues, and then politics of the time…. Things that make you go hum.

Jennifer Moore Lowe said...

Jeni - I love an artist who ponders! Maybe that's where we get our creativity from!!!

Peggy, I really don't know much at all....I just ask a lot of questions....all the time!

And Ginni - from one Juanita to another....call me that sometime...see if I answer! LOL!!!

Unknown said...

My maiden name was Molden.....In 8th grade one of my teachers wrote...'' If you can grow algae in a pond.....what do you grow Molden?" Ive never forgot that....
My mom's maiden name was Campbell...she was always a Campbell Soup kid. Kids are aweful!