From “Answers To Your Bible Version Questions” ©2001 David W. Daniels.
Why doesn’t the King James Bible always translate “Yahweh” as Jehovah?
Answer: You expressed a concern about the following statement by Gail Riplinger:
“Now we are seeing a parallel move within the new Bible versions where it’s not Jehovah anymore it’s just ‘Lord.’ It’s not Jesus Christ it is just ‘the Christ.’”
You are correct that the KJV uses “LORD” to translate the divine name in most instances. However, there are seven instances in which the KJV translators used “Jehovah” for very specific reasons. Gail Riplinger actually was correct that modern Bibles have removed “Jehovah” in these seven instances.
The KJV translators used the name “Jehovah” whenever the name Yahweh was found under one of the following three conditions:
1. When YHWH is used as God’s personal name.
Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Ps 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
2. When God’s name is repeated as “Jah Jehovah.”
Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
3. When God’s personal name is part of a place name.
Jehovah-jireh
Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Jehovah-nissi
Exodus 17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi:
Jehovah-shalom
Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
Jehovah was the pronunciation of JHVH (YHWH) that the English speaking people understood as the Personal Name of God. So in places where the Personal Name of God was emphasized, the King James translators transliterated the Name Jehovah.
Jehovah or Yahweh?
While I am sure that God does not care whether we pronounce His personal Name as Jehovah or Yahweh, even the New American Standard translators admit the fact that “It is known that for many years YHWH has been transliterated as Yahweh, however no complete certainty attaches to this pronunciation” (Principles of Translation from the “Preface to the New American Standard Bible,” 1997 edition). The pronunciation is a moot point.
If the vowels added later in Hebrew (200-700 AD by the Massoretes) are not the way to pronounce the Name of God, then there is nowhere that we can find the correct pronunciation. Many modernist “scholars” say that Yahweh was a local god that was elevated by the tribe of Israelites to the One God. They say Yahweh was the consort (lover) god of Baal, maybe even female! But if you say, “Jehovah” (just like when you say, “hell” instead of “sheol”) people know what you are talking about: The One Personal, Invisible God of Israel and the Christian Church.
Gail Riplinger has a point. Something as clear and meaningful as this has been stripped of its significance by the generic word “LORD” or “GOD” in these specific seven instances. Just because the modern bibles (including the NKJV) changed it does not mean they IMPROVED it.
The King James translators understood, as our modernist translators do not, that there was significance in these specific seven places, where the personal name of God was referred to. They transliterated JHVH as Jehovah only in these places, for these good reasons. The modernists have once again simply decided to hide these significant points from the reader.
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Ridiculous KJB Bible Corrections:
Who is Yahweh?
by John Hinton, Ph.D.
jhinton@post.harvard.edu
Ex 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Ps 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Isa 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isa 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
The above quoted verses are the four verses where the name of God is pronounced in the KJV (as well as the ASV, and a few other English versions). There is a popular movement to replace the name of God, Jehovah, with the name Yahweh. This is being pushed especially hard among those in the Identity and Christian patriot movements, and especially among the alternative news community prominent on the shortwave, which some Christians perceive of as being a source of more purer form of broadcasted Christianity. There are exceptions, but overall this is nonsense because the shortwave Christian broadcasts are frequently every bit as commercialized (just different products) and apostate as the “Christianity” that is broadcasted on TV.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
This movement to alter God’s name with absolutely nothing that resembles scriptural, textual, or linguistic support, has misled huge numbers of Christians into denying the Bible and accepting the work of Bible-scoffing atheists who have dominated the academic field of biblical studies since the mid-nineteenth century. I even hear people who claim to be King James Bible supporters use this perversion of the name of God. If they deny what the KJV says about the name of God, then they do not believe the KJV is God’s word. In fact, they do not believe that the Hebrew Old Testament is God’s word either, because it clearly says Yehovah, which becomes Jehovah in English pronunciation, and pronounced He’ova in Spanish. If one can change that word simply on a whim, which is all the Yahweh spelling is, then they can deny the spelling of absolutely any other word in the entire Hebrew Bible.
This is one of the times that it is particularly important to use the proper Hebrew text. The perverted Hebrew text of Rudolf Kittel, derived from the Ben Asher text with Kittel’s amendments, which is known as the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS), may mislead any Hebraicist who tries to follow my argument if he looks at the wrong verses. The better Ben Hayim text, which is what the KJV and earlier translators utilized, should be used to understand the issue properly. The BHS is inconsistent in its vowel markings for YHVH (Yehovah), while the Ben Haim text is consistent. Among the Jehovah verses listed above, the second vowel (O) is included only in the Exodus verse in the BHS text, although it does appear in numerous other passages throughout the text. It is better not to use the text that was derived from the work of a Nazi and atheist, which is promoted by atheists, and instead use the unaltered text that was traditionally used before the great falling away of the modern era. If the reader does choose to use the faulty text, the results will be the same, but he may be confused by inconsistency of the diacritics, although in no verse can the diacritics be claimed to spell out Yahweh.
Myth of No Vowels
First we must deal with the common myth and that is that there are no vowels expressed in the Hebrew text. This is a convenient line of nonsense for those who want to change the text to fit their own views, but it is a dishonest line. Elaborate diacritic marks, called pointing by English-speaking Hebrew scholars, provide extensive information for vowels, doubled letters, stops, and other phonological features. Bible “correctors” are either ignorant of this fact or they pretend that they do not exist. Those who are aware of them and argue that they may be ignored because they were introduced into the text by the Massoretes at a later date are giving themselves free rein to alter virtually every word in the entire Hebrew Old Testament. Not only do these biblical detractors deny God’s promise to forever preserve his word, every jot and tittle, but they open the door for Bible manipulation that has no other criteria than personal judgment or fancy. If we are to deny the Masoretic reading we can do no end of mischief to the text by inserting our own vowels, doubled letters, and stops. This allows us to change positives into negatives, passives into actives and vice versa, statement verbs into causative verbs and vice versa, to convert verbs into nouns and vice versa, and to even change the entire meaning of the verb itself. Many words could have several or even a dozen different varied meanings by toying with the pointing. Furthermore, some diacritics indicate different letters entirely. A dot over the right side of a shin indicates an SH, while a dot over the left side of it indicates an S. A dot inside of a vav is pronounce like a long U while a dot over the vav turns it into an O, so the removal or addition of such a dot is fair game to the Yahweh crowd. A dot inside a Pe is pronounced like P, while if it lacks a dot it become an F. Similarly a Bet with a dot is a B and a V without one. A number of other letters have similar features of changing their sounds according to the presence or position of a dot. If we are to ignore the vowel pointings, we are equally justified in changing S to SH and vice versa, or many other consonant changes, since the Massoretes were responsible for the consonant identifying diacritics as well. Suggestions to alter the text is a common method of attacking the Bible that has been employed by Bible-scoffing scholars in academia for over 100 years, it is a common practice that I encountered frequently among fellow students in Hebrew classes. The practice is taught and encouraged by those who consider the Bible to be mythology.
It is amazing to see this being done by people who claim to honor the Bible. Dr. G.A. Riplinger, in her tome, In Awe of His Word, points out that ignoring the vowel marks in the Hebrew allow Jews and atheists to remove future references to our Saviour from the Old Testament by toying with these vowels. [Riplinger, pp. 433-434]. For this reason vowelless Tanakhs (Hebrew name for Old Testament) are sometimes used. In fact, if the Masoretic diacritics are ignored, there is scarcely a word in the entire Bible, if there is any at all, that cannot be altered or changed completely. Why is it that alleged Bible-believers think that it is wrong to change words in the Bible into entirely different words, but it is alright to ignore the reading of the Hebrew text and alter the name of God without any evidence to support their altered reading other than the opinion of 19th century atheists? In fact, they are changing it when linguistic evidence shows that the pronunciation that they are using is wrong.
Textual Preservation
The suggestion that the diacritics of the Hebrew text can be ignored not only indicates a belief that God not only lied about preserving his word, but that texts cannot be preserved without the help of modern style scholarship. Texts have survived intact without the help of modern scholarship and computers throughout history, and these include texts that God did not promise to preserve.
The Qur’an was not originally written down, but was only memorized. Still today men called hafizes exist all over the Muslim world who memorize the entire Qur’an and can recite any part of it at will. For the first couple hundred years or so that the Qur’an was written down there were no dots at all in the text due to the lack of an actual established alphabet for Arabic (early scripts like Nabatean previously existed, but were regional and temporal). This meant that not only were vowels, doubled letters, and stops not indicated, but most consonants were indistinguishable. There was no orthographic way to distinguish B, T, TH, N, and Y. Likewise the same can be said of J, H, and KH, or D and DH, or R and Z, or S and SH, or emphatic D and emphatic S, or emphatic T and emphatic DH, or F and Q, or Ayn and Ghayn, Imagine the confusion that a diacritic-free Qur’an could have caused, but through the work of hafizes and serious Muslims who had great familiarity with the words of the Qur’an, the text has been preserved since the seventh century with only very slight variations in a few minor spots in an Egyptian recension.
The Vedas are another example. The generally accepted date for the Rigveda is somewhere between 1500 to 1200 B.C. It was not written down for centuries, but memorized by individuals whose whole lives were devoted to retaining it in their heads and passing it on. To this day all four Vedas are completely memorized by certain Hindu priests who no longer even know what the text means (Vedic is quite different from later Sanskrit). There were a number of different geographically separated traditions of Vedic priesthoods. Centuries later some of these schools wrote down the text, and it was discovered to the shock of western scholars that they completely agreed with only minor insignificant discrepancies in a few places.
If Muslims and Hindus can accurately preserve their texts, why is it so hard for Christians to accept that a the text that they consider to be divinely inspired could not be accurately preserved when God promised that it would be! The faith of modern Christians is weak indeed!
The Pointing of YHVH
Throughout the Hebrew text the name YHVH appears with two different forms of pointing. The first and most common is with the pointings, sheva, holem, and kamats, (e-o-a), and the second with the vowels E-o-i. I have used e to represent the short vowel that is similar to the English schwa (the Hebrew Sheva can also indicate a stop, but the short vowel sound is phonetically required here), while E is used for the long vowel. Notice that nowhere is there a stop and an E as in Yahweh, nor is there an A as in father in the first syllable. Clearly the y-e-h-o-v-ah spells out Yehovah. How on earth does one get Y-a-h-stop-E out of that? If you want to butcher his name by calling him Yahweh, you have to do so by disregarding the text. Do so at your own peril. In the second pointing the name should be read as Elohim, which will be discussed below.
There is vast historical evidence showing that the pronunciation of Jehova/Yehova goes back thousands of years. In the 18th century John Gill outlined examples of the Jehovah pronunciation going back before the time of Christ. The following examples of its use appear in Gill’s work and are listed In Awe of Thy Word: “An occurrence from 277 B.C. (p. 249), Josephus in 70 A.D. (pp. 219, 221), the Zohar from 120 AD, A copy of Lamentations from 200 AD, Origen in Psalm 250 quotes Psalm 118:25 where Jehovah is mentioned three times, Jerome in 380 AD, and the grammarian Saadiah Gaon’s book on Hebrew diacritics cited the vowels of Jehovah.” [Gill, quoted in Riplinger, p.425]
GOD, LORD, and JEHOVAH
We have to deal with the issue of why the KJV, and most ancient and modern versions of the Bible, do not translate this name as Yehova or Jehova in all but a few verses. For centuries Jewish tradition, without which we would have no Bible, considered the name of God to be too lofty to pronounce. There were differences in the extent to which this reverence was expressed, since some spoke his name only when his name was being emphasized, as it is in the four verses above, and others would never utter it at all. For this reason the word for Lord, Adonai, is uttered wherever his name YHVH appears. The tradition of translating this occurrence as LORD in all caps is understood to represent YHVH, but is used to show respect for him as a superior. Wherever the actual word for “Lord” appears with YHVH, Elohim was uttered, hence the diacritics E-o-i. This is done so that he is not referred to as Lord Lord.
This practice should not be difficult to understand, but apparently in the modern day where etiquette and formality have been cast aside, it is not understood at all. We know God the Father’s name, but that does not mean that is the name that we should use casually as we would an equal. Doing so on a regular basis is overly familiar and indicates an attitude of chumminess rather than showing the respect and pious fear that God demands from us. Almost everyone knows the name of their fathers and mothers, but few address them or even refer to them by their names. I address my mother as mom. Forty some years ago I addressed her as mommy, and even earlier as mama. I will never get old enough to consider it proper to address her by her first name. She is my friend, but she will always be my elder and parent, and I would not undermine that relationship and show her disrespect by addressing her by her first name. The only time that I use her name is when I am introducing her to others who do not know her name, and then I introduce her as my mother before I provide her name. When I refer to her to that person from then on, I refer to as my mother and not by her name. I wonder if the crowd that throws God’s name out so casually do the same with their parents. Do they refer to their own fathers as Bill or Joe. Why do they do so with The Father. Jesus did not even do that when he addressed God The Father.
Mr 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Mt 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mt 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Nowhere do we find an occurrence of Jesus referring to God The Father by his personal name. We are supposed to be using Jesus as the model for our behavior, not 19th century atheist scholars and white supremist Identity cult members.
At this point it should not be necessary to explain why the name Jehovah was used in these passages instead of LORD. God’s name is being identified in them. The Exodus passage is where this name of God is introduced to the Israelites for the first time. The Psalm 83 is also mentioning that it is his name, and the Isaiah verses are referring to a name of God, Lord Jehova (YHVH is not pointed like Elohim as it is in other occurrences where the name is not being emphasized). These passages indicate how God might be introduced to someone who does not know him or recognize him as Lord; they are not invitations to address him by his name as you would an equal.
Modern Jews will still not utter his name even here when it is being identified, but they do not treat the occurrence in Exodus 6 the same way that they treat the name YHVH elsewhere. The Jewish Publication Society Version uses the actual Hebrew letters for YHVH with a footnote that reads: “The ineffable name, read Adonai, which means the L.”
Here modern versions like the RSV really blew it with “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.” Numerous other modern versions make similar errors. The ever foolish NIV has: “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.” It should be noted that these verses are serious evidence of the superiority and efficiency of the King James Bible translators. These occurrences of YHVH are different in the way that they are presented and the KJV translators and others before them recognized them as such. The RSV and other modern version “translators” had the KJV as a reference, which they all used, and they still failed to recognize it. The ASV and Darby got it right, but only because they were using the KJV as their “translation” guide (although they were perverting it).
Pronunciation
Those who are opposed to the KJV and call God by name Yahweh are not only giving an erroneous pronunciation of his name according to the pointing of the text, but according to the pronunciation of the Hebrew itself. As Gail Riplinger astutely points out in her Awe of Thy Word, the Hebrew vav is pronounced as V not W. This error came about due to the misreading of German Hebrew grammars, which use W for the English V (note: the German V is pronounced like the English F). If these Bible “correctors” want to ignore the Hebrew text and pronounce his name as suggested by 19th century atheistic mythologists, they should use the name Yahveh so that at least they would appear less ignorant. It always puzzled me to hear atheistic scholars at Harvard pronounce the name as Yahweh when the same scholars would always pronounce the vav as a V every other place that they use it. Apparently this perversion of his name has become so well established within the Bible-scoffing and Bible-correcting communities that even those who know better mispronounce even the perverted variation of his name. It confused me that they would pronounce it as if it were an Arabic word instead of Hebrew word until I understood the purpose of the corruption, which is the subject of the next section.
Yahweh the Storm God
Kittel, like most biblical scholars within the academic community today, was a believer in the storm god theory. Storm gods of Near Eastern and Vedic mythology were responsible for storms and disease. Riplinger quotes from an article that he wrote in The New Schaff:
“The origins of Yahweh worship…it appears that this cult was established before Deborah…Thus Yahweh appears as an old deity of Sinai, revered in untold antiquity as a weather-god…” (The New Schaff, Vol. XII, p. 472).” Riplinger also points out theat the early perversion of the name of God was used by a Catholic in the fifth century who did not know Hebrew by the name of Theodoret who confused it with a Syrian Jabe. (The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. XI). Later, prominent atheist scholars such as Driver of Brown, Driver and Briggs Hebrew Dictionary fame (the text that James Strong plagiarized for his concordance’s dictionary), proposed connections with deities from Aramaic and Babylonian texts named Yaho, Ya-hu, or Yave.
Riplinger also provides a list of reference of critics who proposed that the God of the Bible’s name was derived from various Canaanite gods with names such as Yave “(These critics include: von Bohlen (Genesis, 1835, p. civ.), Von der Alm (Theol. Briefe, I,1862, pp. 524-527), Colenso (The Pentateuch, V, 1865, pp. 269-84), and Goldziher (Der Mythus bei den Hebrern, 1867, p. 327). (See also: Driver, Studia Biblica, I. 20; I, 5; Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition, 1910-11, vol. 15, pp. 311-314, s.v. Jehovah; Delitzsch, “Wo lag das Paradies,” 1881, pp. 158-164; “Lesestucke,” 3rd ed., 1885, p. 42, Syllab. A, col. I, 13-16).”
Many etymologies have been suggested for the meaning of the name YHVH. The eternal one is one suggested by some Christians, and is how it is actually translated in French translations (l’Eternel). This is based on the root of the verb hava’ or havah, meaning to be or exist. Obviously this could also be translated as “the one who is.” Another verb havah (spelled the same, but with a different set of meanings) means to blow. It could be theorized that the name YHVH means “he who breathes life into living things.” An intensive meaning of this same verb means to blow furiously or to storm. This meaning can be used by modern scholars to support their storm god theory, which shows the possible mischief that can be created through imaginative etymologies. Riplinger refers to the suggestion of some atheist scholars that Yahwe means to destroy. This is in line with the storm god theory, that is that it comes from another similar Semitic root that means to destroy, hence they suggest that God’s name means the destroyer.
This is not the only example of God’s name being perverted by modern atheist scholars. I was taught that a possible meaning of God’s name of El Shaddai could be “god of the Mountains” being derived from an Ugaritic word meaning mountain. The common Semitic root shadd means to be mighty, powerful, violent, and the like. It appears in Hebrew and Arabic. In Ugaritic it appears that there is a word that means mountain that contains the same radicals. It could be an unrelated word, or it could actually mean volcano, which is a violent or powerful mountain, but in any event there is no reason to connect the Ugaritic meaning with the Hebrew word. The biblical word’s meaning is very obvious by examining the Bible, and even the modern versions know that Almighty is the proper translation. A simple verse comparison is all that it is needed, since the Bible contains its own definitions of its words. Only scholars who want to reduce God to a tribal storm god like those of the Mesopotamian and Hittite cultures suggest El Shaddai is the name of an Ugaritic storm god. The same storm god that they also call Yahweh.
The name El also is used to conflate the mythological god of Ugaritic texts, ‘Il, with God. In order to make this comparison more convincing ‘Il is almost always transliterated as El in spite of the fact that ‘I is the vowel normally used (Ugariticists almost invariably follow the a,i,u vowel scheme of Arabic). In either case ‘Il, ‘El, or ‘Al, is the word for God or a god in Semitic languages (Akkadian & Ugaritic illum, etc.). Textual evidence exists for many ancient cultures that show that a belief in an all powerful creator, or single God, once prevailed. Later demons, or what they call lesser gods (asuras or devas in the Vedic and Hindu spheres) began to be worshiped in place of God, and God himself was reduced to a powerless weakling or even a fool in the literature of these cultures. The ‘Il, or El as they call him, of Ugaritic texts was the worst mockery of God the Creator to ever survive in literature. Scholars of Ugaritic know very little about the language, and much of what they present as translation of the corpus is nothing but guesswork and tomfoolery, but what comes through in their interpretations is that the Ugaritic El is a mockery of God. He is presented by some scholars as a drunk who falls down in his own feces and urine. He is described in pornographic sexual terms by some, and as impotent by others. The only thing that we can be reasonably sure of is that this mythological perversion of divinity is not a noble figure at all. The illum of Mesopotamian cultures were little better. They were nothing but petty demons with petty desires. The same thing happened with the Vedic of Central Asia, the Hindu cultures of India, the Egyptians, and the ancient Chinese. This ancient plot to cast God aside, to mock him, and replace him with multitudes of demons is thousands of years old, and modern scholars perpetuate it by their efforts to conflate God with such perversions.
This perversion of the name of God is carried into the rhetoric of modern day heretics and apostates. I remember hearing the New Age, pseudo-patriot named Len Horowitz ranting about the word God. His contention is that God is dog spelled backward and that somehow this was done intentionally. This backward spelling has long been noticed by overt Satanists (Horowitz being a covert one) and used for the purpose of maligning God. Horowitz is doing the same through the back door. It should be noted that the German word for God is Gott, while their word for dog is hund. The Gothic words, which are much older than any occurrence in English or German is Gud and hund, so positing that the word God came about because it is dog spelled backward is ludicrous like most of his perverse Hindu-based theology.
Using reasoning that is at least as stupid, many modern day heretics and apostates also attack the title Lord as applied to God. Their reasoning is based on the fact that the word Baal means lord, so they posit that the biblical title of God as Lord comes from Baal worship. This convoluted argument ignores the fact that baal is only used for petty lords and husbands in Hebrew when it is applied to men. Only Adonai is used for Lord in the Bible, while Baal is used as a name for the false god of the Canaanites, who is always denounced. The actual word Adonai appears frequently in the Bible and is represented by the spelling Lord with lower case letters in the KJV and other translations. Removing the word Lord from the Bible is blasphemy of the worst order. What the Yahweh cult is doing in essence is proclaiming that God is not their God, nor is he their their Lord, but a storm god whom they address on equal terms is their master.
Y to J Issue
The final issue that must be addressed concerns the conversion of Y to J. This is such an utterly silly and ignorant criticism that I find it embarrassing that there are actually Christians that present it as an argument. I already dealt with the issue in my article on the name of Jesus, but I will restate some of it here with some additional historical linguistic information provided by Dr. Riplinger. Y becomes a J in every name in English, French, and Spanish. In English the J is pronounced like J in Japan, while in French it is pronounced like S in pleasure, in Spanish it is pronounced like an H, in German it is pronounced like Y. This is a phonological and orthographical issue, not a theological one. There is no theological issue at stake in how one language interprets a certain phoneme. In every case of a name in Hebrew that begins with a yod (Y) it is pronounced with the appropriate phoneme for that language. This came about through phonological and orthographical changes in the developments of those languages. Even Hebrew itself went through huge phonological and orthographical changes in its long history. God’s name is not a magic word to be chanted for power as the name cult seems to suggest for both the names of God and Jesus. My name comes from a Hebrew word meaning given by God, which begins with a Y in Hebrew. It is Jean (zhan) in French, Juan (hwan) in Spanish, Giovanni in Italian, Hans in German, Yani in modern Greek, Ivan (eevan) in Russian, Yahya or Hanna (with a heavy H) in Arabic, and other variations exist in other languages. They all translate as John and I have no trouble adapting to any of them within the respective cultures and there is no reason for me to be insulted by any of these names. On the other hand, being addressed by a made up name based on a pagan deity would insult me.
If these name cultists find the J so objectionable, why don’t they refer to Elijah as Elaiyah, Jeramiah as Yeramaiyah, Jacob as Yakov, Jonathan as Yanatan, Jerusalem as Yerushaleem, and so forth. For that matter why don’t they use the Hebrew pronunciation for all of the names in the Bible, such as Dahveed, Moshe (Moses), Shmu’el (Samuel), Sha’ul (Saul), Shlomo (Solomon), and so forth, if they consider the issue to be so important. Since those who call God by a name that is not even Hebrew at all, and since they do so without a scrap of evidence to override the very solid evidence to the contrary, why do they have any constraints at all about inventing whimsical pointings for other names in the Bible? Why not call David Dahwid, Duwad, Diwad, or Deewud. Or how about Da’ud as Arabic pronounces it? Since Yahwe sounds like an Arabic word (except for the long A) this should go over well. Better yet, why not Dood. After all, as I have already pointed out, the vav is read as a long U when there is a dot in the middle of it. The modern translations that want to relate to the modern youth could spell him Dude. Think of the great “Christian” rock lyrics that could come from that. While we are at it why not call Moses Mose instead of Moshe so it fits the atheist scholars view that his name is related to an Egyptian pharaoh with a similar name. Moshe could also be Masih (Arabic for Messiah), Shlomo could be Sulemaw, and Shmu’el could be Smiwal?
For those who still who are still confused about the phonological issue of sound changes between and within languages, the following historical-linguistic summary from the World Book Encyclopedia concerning the Y to J conversion as it relates to English should be helpful.
“The sound of the Hebrew letter jod came into English as the letter ‘I,’ used as a consonant and having the soft ‘g’ sound, like today’s ‘j.’ In the past the letter ‘I’ was used as both a vowel (i) sound and as the consonant ‘j’ sound. The OED says that the sound of ‘j,’ though originally printed as ‘I,’ was pronounced as a soft ‘g’ (Oxford English Dictionary, Unabridged, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991, s.v. J). The ‘JE’ sound in JEHOVAH was spelled ‘IE’ and pronounced as ‘JE.’ To distinguish the consonant sound (soft ‘g’) of the letter ‘I’ from the vowel sound of ‘I,’ many scribes in the 1200s began putting a tail on the soft ‘g’ ‘I’,’ making it look like our modern ‘J.’ The Spanish, in the 1500s, were the first to more consistently try to distinguish the consonant I (soft ‘g’) sound as the shape of a ‘J.’ At that same time English printers used ‘J’ and ‘I’ fonts interchangeably (as documented elsewhere in this book). During the 1600s, most languages began consistently using the extended ‘I’ form, now called a ‘J,’ to represent the ‘j’ (soft ‘g’) sound.” [quoted in Riplinger, p. 418]
Summary
What it boils down to is that modern rebels wish to change the names of God, eliminate them, malign them, and assimilate them into false religions. It is more than just a way to puff themselves up as possessing arcane metaphysical knowledge lacking in others, but as a way to get around the issue of having to be born again. To these rebels the possession of this Kabalistic knowledge, and its usual return to the Old Testament law (which they only do in words, not deeds), replaces repentance and rebirth. Conversion, repentance, and living by Christian standards has been replaced by using a mantra that is based upon using a “corrected” name of God, and a “corrected” name of Jesus (I dealt with his name in RBC #58). Unfortunately for them, God’s Word tells them in John 3:3 that “. except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We are also told the same thing in John 3:7 and 1 Peter 1:23:
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
What is amusing is that those who make a big deal out of the conversion to J, and who contradict the Bible by calling God Yahweh while still calling themselves Bible-believers generally know about as much about Hebrew as the average Australian aborigine knows about Lithuanian. It troubles me how very few people realize that the god that they now worship, named Yahweh, is derived from a storm god created by atheist scholars following in the steps of the late 19th century skeptics, and that these atheists are feeding them much of their theology (although this was the last thing that any of them intended).
Some may wonder why I know so much about these Bible-scoffing atheists of the scholarly community. It is because I used to be one of them. This familiarity is a byproduct of years of intense comparative religion study without the Holy Spirit to guide me. The Bible cannot be understood without spiritual discernment, no matter how deeply one studies philology, archaeology, history, and allied fields of scholarship. Like other secular scholars I studied Hebrew with intensity in order to understand the Bible from the perspective of a historian and philologist. I did the same thing with cuneiform languages (Akkadian, Sumerian, and Hittite), Arabic, Sanskrit, and Greek, and their associated religious traditions. I was given numerous fellowships, scholarships, and awards as a student, so I was quite successful in their world, but one thing separated me from my colleagues, which was an awareness that something was wrong with the whole endeavor. It is one-sided, spiritually empty, misguided, destructive, without merit, grossly naïve, ignorant, and void of anything resembling value, and even from an atheistic point of view it is without value (what could have value in a Godless universe?). After a while I could no longer consider my work to be a worthy labor, and I was unable to justify anything that I was doing at all. Only after I came to the point that I could no longer take serious the acquisition of knowledge for knowledge’s sake alone, and face the truth of my own miserable and sinful nature and my need for salvation, did the Lord, whom I had previously denied and blasphemed, call on me to humble myself before him and seek his forgiveness and guidance. It was only after I responded that I began to really read the Bible and to understand it. I also knew immediately that the KJV was the only Bible that I could use, because it was the only one that was attacked by the atheist and apostate Christian crowd that I had come to know so intimately, and it was the only one that had the power of God upon it. Reading the NIV, RSV and so forth, were like drinking Kool Aide with aspartame instead of fresh squeezed fruit juice, or like listening to a recording of Britney Spears instead of a Bach Cantata. Reading the Anchor Bible, the favorite of many “higher” critics, was like drinking antifreeze instead freshly squeezed fruit juice, and Black Sabbath instead of a Bach Cantata. I no longer tried to view God as a local Near Eastern storm god (or plague deity), or as a god with similarities to Varuna or Rudra of the Rigveda, because I am no longer blind. Today, I find it mind boggling that many who have been calling themselves Christians for years use a name for God that is derived from the world that I left behind, not the one that I entered upon when I got saved.
I will end this essay with three questions addressed to those Christians who abuse God’s word by perverting the name of God. (1) Why would you allow yourself to be influenced by Bible-scoffers who treat the Bible as a book of mythology instead of as Scripture? (2) Where did you get the authority to change both the English and Hebrew texts of the Bible when neither one of them is ambiguous in the least? (3) Do you think that God is going to honor you for doing so?
I hope that those of you who call God Yahwe who really do want to be Bible-believing Christians are not so proud and arrogant that you feel that you cannot repent of a clear error that you have made in ignorance. As for those of you who choose to continue to slander the Lord now that you can no longer claim ignorance, I will dust off my sandals.
For Further Reading
Gill, John (1697-1771). A Dissertation Concerning the Antiquity of the Hebrew Language, Letters, Vowel-Points and Accents.
Riplinger, Gail. In Awe of Thy Word: Understanding the King James Bible, Its Mystery and History, Letter by Letter, 2003.
The preceeding is part of a series of examples of KJV verses that arrogant would-be scholars have tried to correct and showed themselves to be fools. These examples are for the benefit of those who would like more ammunition to defend God’s Word against the attacks of the arrogant Bible “correcting” modernists. I hope that some of you find them useful.
Your servant in Christ,
John Hinton, Ph.D.
Bible Restoration Ministry
A ministry seeking the translating and reprinting of KJV equivalent Bibles in all the languages of the world.
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Mission Mexico Elvita Dejected then Blessed [video]
“Wow! God is sure blessing this ministry! And given you the heart of a servant. As I listened to these stories and saw all the pictures all I heard was Jesus! This whole Mexico Mission is all about Jesus! Not Todd but Jesus. Hallelujah!” Karen Cochran
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What Did Paul mean by “Double Honour”? [podcast]
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18
“Double honour” is generous but not lavish. “Double honour” limits the income of “the elders that rule well.” This would be in contrast to the many pastors today who make themselves rich in this world, as they “make merchandise” of their prey, the people they lead (2 Peter 2:1-3).
Do we not realize that “double honour” actually prevents making merchandise of God’s people by making millionaires our of con men? You are not wiser than God, sinner. You don’t decide what His Word says. It’s best to shut up in humility and simply render humble obedience on this topic, doctrine, and all others.
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice …” 1 Samuel 15:22
Tithing is not taught in the New Testament. Giving is to be done out of worship, gratitude, and the honor of the LORD. Christ’s New Testament disciples are to give out of a “cheerful” heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). Here is what the apostle Paul wrote about our giving under the New Covenant:
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. ” 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
It’s actually sickening to see how some, out of their own darkened and corrupted hearts, want to starve out the God-called elders from carrying out their divinely ordained duties to feed and equip the flock and to watch for their souls.
Some people are so deep in darkness and therefore blinded that they don’t realize that the work that they do in this world to earn money is not even important compared to the paramount divine work of an elder that God has prepared, sent forth, and diligently feeding His blood-bought flock.
“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. … 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:7, 16-17
1 Timothy 5:17-18 is specifically of those called-by-God elders “who labour in the word and doctrine.”
“Double honour” here is twice the average earning in the specific economy and time. This apparently is so that they have no financial worries and can concentrate on the most important work in the earth, the kingdom of Christ—feed His flock (John 21:15-17; 1 Peter 5:1-6, etc.). “The elders that rule well” are those who are to be given “double honour” and not the greed-driven enterprising salesmen …..
Of “double honour” one source notes the following (1 Timothy 5:17-18):
“In 1 Timothy 5:17, the “double honor” refers to giving financial support, respect, and esteem to elders who lead the church well and especially to those who work hard at preaching and teaching. This concept is rooted in the Old Testament principle that a laboring ox should not be muzzled, and a worker deserves their wages, highlighting the importance of caring for those who labor in ministry.”
What kind of men does the LORD look for to servant lead?
“Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:” Exodus 18:21
Paul’s refusal to covet what is not his own, in no way negates the compensation God has ordained for those who labor in His Word and doctrine to feed His sheep (1 Corinthians 9). There is no contradiction. Paul’s refusal to receive of the Corinthians doesn’t mean he didn’t receive from others. Take a look:
“And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.” 2 Corinthians 11:9
The above verse, revelation proves the argument wrong that suggests that ministers of the Gospel of Christ should reject receiving any giving to do His work.
The fact that “double honour” is appropriate to the elders described in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 is in NO way means this “double honor” compensation should be demanded. No. Yet God has stated such and in my opinion, from this passage and 1 Corinthians 9 and the Levites of the Old Testament, He says it should be a sufficient portion, a sufficient, a generous compensation that is supplied to “the elders that rule well.” Perhaps He stated double honor in order to be a measure of what is not enough and what is too much and so the elders defined here do not have to feel guilty. Also, is it not conducive to peace in one’s calling to know his bills are paid? As in no muzzling, no starving out the elder ox who treads out the corn of God’s Word, who works to feed the flock of God.
“Double honor – Διπλης τιμης. Almost every critic of note allows that τιμη here signifies reward, stipend, wages. Let him have a double or a larger salary who rules well; and why? Because in the discharge of his office he must be at expense, in proportion to his diligence, in visiting and relieving the sick, in lodging and providing for strangers; in a word, in his being given to hospitality, which was required of every bishop or presbyter.” Adam Clarke
“[Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine] Ruling elders, especially preaching and teaching elders are to receive double honor or wages (1Ti_5:17-18; 1Co_9:6-14; Gal_6:6; Heb_7:1-10). See note, Act_14:23.” Dake
“Let him that is taught in the word communicate (give) unto him that teacheth in all good things.” Galatians 6:6
The Greek word for “communicate” here is:
“koinōneō
koy-no-neh’-o
From G2844; to share with others (objectively or subjectively): – communicate, distribute, be partaker.”
We are privileged to supply those who feed us, to fund those who feed us God’s Word. Such men perform the most important and only eternal work in our lives in this world as we look for the soon return of our LORD.
Is “double honour” also not a demarkation…. where those who would dare exceed double honour to make themselves rich in this world are known as those who are making merchandise of the people? See 2 Peter 2:1-3. What the self-righteous who attempt to change “double honour” into something other than what it is don’t understand, is that “double honour” is a parameter that actually keeps men from making merchandise of the people, making themselves millionaires at the expense of, while exploiting the people. God is all wise….
John Wesley notes:
“Let the elders that rule well – Who approve themselves faithful stewards of all that is committed to their charge. Be counted worthy of double honour – A more abundant provision, seeing that such will employ it all to the glory of God. As it was the most laborious and disinterested men who were put into these offices, so whatever any one had to bestow, in his life or death, was generally lodged in their hands for the poor.”
It’s quite amazing how some expect the men who are prepared, called out by God to do the infinitely most important work in the earth are to do it for free. The origins of this lie which directly contradicts God’s Word, is “another spirit,” Satan—who wars against the LORD and His servants.
It seems that perhaps some become disillusioned when they realize they’ve been deceived by wolves in sheep’s clothing. Then they don’t give at all and yet the Word instructs us to give and to specifically give to the ministries that feed us the pure Word (Galatians 6:6; 1 Timothy 5:17-18).
The lost will never supply, support God’s work. And that’s because they are not of God and that the LORD has left that opportunity for His own people – to lay up treasure in glory which He instructed us to do (Matthew 6:19-21).
God’s people are divinely called and are to be allowed and granted the blessed opportunity to give to HIS work—not forcefully coerced but given opportunity (2 Corinthians 9:7). This is clear in Scripture. When we give, we thereby learn to trust Him who replenishes our supply as He so often promised to do (Proverbs 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, etc.). It would be wrong to disallow God’s people from giving actually. Moses did not stop God’s people from giving until there was so much given by God’s people that there was nowhere else to contain it! He had to tell them to stop bringing their things to the work of the LORD because they had nowhere else to store it—there was too much of it (Exodus 35). To tell people not to give to God’s work(ers) would mean he forbade them from doing what the LORD told His people to do from the beginning—give. The Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel set forth to continually worship and serve the LORD and His people, and Paul, Christ’s apostle, draws from this very truth/fact in 1 Corinthians 9 below.
God provides, yes, and His stated desire to supply, at least in part, is through His body—and that is so that they partake of the blessings both now and eternally (Galatians 6:6; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18). A proper and more thorough view of God’s kingdom reveals that to shut off the opportunity of giving and forbid His children from giving, stifles blessings.
When your reaction to evil produces more evil (causes you to trample on the clear contents of God’s Word, to pervert it), you know you fit what Paul calls men of corrupt minds (1 Timothy 6). While over reacting you perfect what Satan and his wolves perverted, you also are guilty of teaching against the LORD you falsely claim to serve and thereby bear false witness against the Almighty. “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). You have joined the ranks of those you condemn in that you too have “limited the holy one of Israel” while denying His truth, as you pretend to defend the faith (Psalms 78:41).
“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17
“Jeremiah 3:15: ‘And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you knowledge and understanding.’ These are pastors who live according to God’s word and understand the very heart of God, which is His Word (Psalm 33:11). We have very few of these in this late hour! Most are too consumed with self.” Karen Cochran
Your ill-advised inner embattlement that consumes you doesn’t change the very Word of God. You have over reacted and dismissed the very Word of the God you claim to serve. This puts you in the same camp as those you condemn. Isn’t it time for you to step back and get into the place of repentance before a holy God? That way you will cease perverting the right ways, the Word of God – trampling its contents out of the imbalance.
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. 13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” Hosea 10:12-13
“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13
Tithing? No. Levitical Priesthood Pattern brought into light by the apostle Paul? Yes.
It seems some are basing things on the wolves’ exploitation of the people and putting their weight there more than on the Scriptures which are clear concerning the compensation of certain elders, such as in 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy 5:17-18, etc. The Levites also. No the New Testament doesn’t teach tithing. No I am not trying to get anyone’s money, yet this ministry outreach accepts any cheerful giving from Christ’s saints…. which helps allow many to be reached with God’s Word.
Some novices on this thread seem to be making presumptuous conclusions of those who simply seek to stand on top of the whole counsel of Scripture on this topic. We must never abandon truth, God’s doctrine, due to others abusing it. Never abandon to abuse as it’s been put. We never throw out any part of the Word due to the abuse of it by others (Psalms 119:104, 128; 2 Corinthians 2:17).
A common misapplication of Scripture happens when people say “Freely ye have RECEIVED, freely GIVE.” (Matthew 10:8)
Watch closely what they quote – “Freely ye have RECEIVED, freely GIVE.” (Matthew 10:8) How are the men, the elders whom GOD has prepared and called out to serve HIM going to “GIVE” unless they are receiving? Some are misusing this verse. In the context of Matthew 10, the apostles had RECEIVED the Word, the Gospel from Christ and therefore were to GIVE it to others freely. That’s what ministry is and this is spoken in context of Jesus sending forth His disciples to minister. This in no way negates that God’s people are to be givers as they obey His command to lay up treasure in Heaven, to work so they “have to give”, but supporting His work – the going forth of His Word to feed, nourish, and equip Christ’s saints (Matthew 6:19-21; Ephesians 4:28). “How dwelleth the love of God in” those who don’t give? And where else to give but to poor Christians and the elders and work of Christ?
“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 3:17
Are God’s people not instructed to fund those who feed them God’s Word? Yes. (Galatians 6:6)
How nonsensical for God to send forth men to be used of Him without the plan in place to provide for them. (1 Corinthians 9:1-14)
How nonsensical for the LORD to instruct His saints to give, to lay up treasure in Heaven and not waste it on earth, without the plan in place for where they are to give? (Matthew 6:19-21)
Some make the common novice mistake of concluding that God’s Word should be disobeyed, His true elders should not be funded but rather starved out, all because his enemy, Satan, has used false prophets to make merchandise of many (2 Peter 2:1-3).
What Does the Bible Say about the Compensation of Christ’s True Ministers? Is this topic addressed in God’s Word? If so, what does it say?
Compensation for true ministers is the stated ordained will of God (1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14)… problem is not pay but rather the hirelings who are getting paid…. to mislead!
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” – 1 Timothy 5:17-18
Reading these 2 verses together makes it clear that “double honour” includes financial compensation. Otherwise the command of v. 18 is being violated—when called out elders are labouring in the Word and doctrine are being muzzled. Seems this could not be more clearly stated than the Holy Ghost through Paul penned it.
“Double honour” is to be given to divinely called-out elders “especially they who labour in the word and doctrine” (1 Timothy 5:17-18).
“Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” – 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 KJV
Recently one man attempted to reduce “double honour” to mere respect until shown the never verse, verse 18. He blocked me instead of amending his ways to believe the contents, the Word of Holy Writ.
“Double Honour”
“And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.” Luke 10:7
What does the Bible tell us concerning those who minister the Gospel?
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour (sufficient of generous financial reward), especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18
“Double honour” specifically means twice the average pay of the present economy. In general that means that God wants those He calls out into ministry to be well taken care of. And, that’s the responsibility of those who are fed by that ministry.
“Elders (5:17-25) 5:17 The rest of this chapter deals with elders. First of all, Paul lays down the rule that elders who rule well should be counted worthy of double honor. Rule might be translated ‘take the lead.’ It is not a question of control, but of example, such elders are worthy of double honor. Honor might mean respect, but it also includes the idea of financial reimbursement (Matt. 15:6). Double honor includes both ideas. First of all, he is worthy of respect from God’s people because of his work, but also, if his time is devoted to this work fully, he is also worthy of financial help. Those who labor in the word and doctrine are probably the ones who spend so much time in preaching and teaching that they are not able to carry on regular employment.
5:18 Two scriptures are introduced here to prove the statement that the elder is worthy of recompense. The first is Deuteronomy 25:4, and the second is taken from Luke 10:7. … These scriptures teach that an ox which is used in the harvesting process should not be deprived of a share of the grain. Also, a laborer is entitled to a portion of the fruit of his labor. So it is with elders. In spite of the fact that their work not be be physical, yet they are worthy of the support of God’s people.” William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, pp. 2096-297
Let’s address a very important, core issue: Do you believe that you are worthy of the money you are paid to do the work you do for a living? Do you believe in your heart, that those who do the work of the ministry are worthy to receive financial blessings from doing this all-important work? If you don’t, may I suggest that there may be a poverty curse on your life that needs to be broken (Deuteronomy 26,28). At the very least, there could be a lack of what the LORD has stated about this.
Many of the servants of the LORD are suffering at the hands of those who have the opportunity to give to the work of the ministry and haven’t. Beloved, let’s turn things around for those who bring us the Word and do the most important work in the earth.
When we truly begin to aggrandize divine truth, we will then begin supporting only those who truly preach all of it (full-counsel) fearlessly and cease from funding the ministries of false prophets who allow most of their ministry revenues to be absorbed on things other than that which is at the core of importance in the divine economy, like the true building up of the saints – getting them into the Word for themselves, and winning lost souls.
Concerning the work and workers of God’s kingdom, the Bible instructs us in Ezra 6:8 – “forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered” – that is, that God’s Gospel laborers be not hindered in carrying out His work.
The reason all of God’s people are to give to His authentic work is “that they (Christ’s workers) be not hindered” (Ezra 6:8).
It’s quite alarming how some have a death grip on their earthly riches and so come running to defend their refusal to give to the LORD, to HIS work.
“All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14
May our LORD bless each of us to be cultivated in a heart filled with sincere and true worship and thanksgiving to Him.
“Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8
We should understand that we have freely received the salvation of our God in Christ and that those who don’t give out of the mercy, forgiveness, love, supply that He has given us, are not in God’s will. Out of what God gives us we give out and this clearly proves we have given ourselves to the LORD. We are not still serving the false god of self and therefore mammon (Matthew 6:19-24). When Jesus spoke of giving and it will given back to us, He’s speaking of all these things and not just giving out of the monies God has prospered us with (Luke 6:38).
These darkened souls seem to attempt to reduce giving to merely giving out the Gospel that we received. The Bible says there’s much more to the stewardship of the LORD’s resources (Matthew 25).
RECEIVING and GIVING in God’s Word expands far being saved and giving others the Word.
Every disciple is to give his life to the LORD as Jesus came and gave His life freely to saved us (Luke 14:33; 17:33; 19:27; John 12:23-25, etc.). BUT first that life, eternal life, is to RECEIVE from Christ and we give it back to Him.
There is no giving until we have received of the hand of God.
“ALL THINGS COME of THEE and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14
Have we really given our lives to Christ who gave all if we don’t have a giving heart and hand?
There are seriously some people who HATE giving. They blame their refusal to be generous givers on the many false prophets who have made merchandise of them and many others. Also, they are greed driven hoarders who don’t want anyone suggesting that they should be cheerful, generous givers.
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Read that passage again and note that there is no “foundation against the time to come (eternal judgment),” no laying “hold on eternal life” if one doesn’t have saving faith, whereby he would otherwise be a giver. And everyone has something to give—just as the widow with the 2 mites (Mark 12:41-44). She gave all she had and Jesus honored it and yet did not honor those who gave a token tip, small percentages of what they possessed.
Every saint is to give of his substance, as he has received of God, so he is to give with a cheerful heart (Matthew 10:8; 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Ephesians 4:28, etc.).
It seems that the hoarding covetous, greed driven among us are possessed with deep hatred at the idea of giving. Their earthly gold is their god and they have rejected Christ (Matthew 6:21-24; Philippians 3:18-19). They have a deep and dark issue. Luke 12 and 16.
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5:5
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:18-19
The following scathing rebuke was sent to a woman who denies that God has a plan in place to compensate the men, the elders He has prepared and called out to “labour in the word and doctrine.”
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18
You have no biblical clue on this topic. It’s obvious from such a false statement.
Have you ever read, studied 1 Corinthians 9?
You’ve placed your personal issues above the Word of God which He has magnified above His own holy name and are in need of repentance (Psalms 138:2).
Were the Levites compensated? Yes.
So you like that the men who are prepared and ordained and sent out by God, to do the infinitely most important and only eternal work in the earth starve, and their families as well? Repent now.
Not one thing they state in arguing against Christ’s ministers being compensated undoes, negates the following Bible truth, facts:
1 Corinthians 9
Paul Surrenders His Rights
1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?
5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Many are biblically illiterate on this topic and yet argue in their ignorance (Proverbs 18:13). Note that they will say things like:
“Paul worked and said for them to follow his example. We are NOT in the Old Testament.”
Paul specifically refers in the New Testament to the Old Testament divine pattern of God-called elders who wait upon and serve the LORD and His people to be compensated—for doing the most important and only eternal work in the earth. Paul ties together and builds on his argument by drawing from the divine pattern as it was with Levites, the Levitical priesthood.
“Say I these things as a man? or SAITH NOT THE LAW THE SAME ALSO?” 1 Corinthians 9:8
“Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:13-14
“9:13 Paul next introduces the argument from the support of those who served in the Jewish temple. Those who had official duties in connection with the temple service were supported from the income the temple received. In this sense they lived off the things of the temple. Also, the priests themselves who served at the altar were given a certain portion of the offerings that were brought to the altar. In other words, both the Levites, who had the ordinary duties around the temple, and the priests, to whom were entrusted the more sacred duties, were alike supported for their service.” Believer’s Bible Commentary
Under the Old Covenant, the giving of the people went to the ordained set-apart full time ministers, servants of the LORD—the Levites, the Levitical priesthood. Paul brings that pattern into New Testament giving, supplying for the work of the LORD.
“And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.” Numbers 18:21
Clearly in his discourse on the compensation of God-called ministers, Paul is referring to this provision the LORD made for His servants under the Old Covenant in the middle of declaring and arguing that such is to be so under the New Covenant, in this time of the Church.
“Say I these things as a man? or SAITH NOT THE LAW THE SAME ALSO? … 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:8, 13-14
It is quite an indictment some dare level against God to say that He had, has a plan to call out and use His elders to feed and equip His blood bought flock and somehow has no plans, no provisions to provide for them. Nonsense. The LORD is the One who declared that “the labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7). Oh and He needed not nor asked for the puny permission of any mere sinner, man.
There was no money in the New Testament Scriptures collected to build a separate “church” building. The money went to the believers in need (the poor), elders teaching sound doctrine, etc. (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; Romans 15:26; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14, etc.). Also, we discussed that the highest paid elders are to be “they who labour in the word and doctrine” (1 Timothy 5:17-18). They are a type of New Testament full time servants of the LORD and His people—such as were the Levites, the Levitical priesthood under the Old Testament who were set apart to seek God and serve His people.
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18
It’s interesting that you are not arguing that plumbers, accountants, attorneys, teachers, etc., should not be compensated for their work. Wow. That’s the spirit of antichrist in you, make no mistake.
Your thinking is very convoluted at best, speaking of things being twisted. The King James Bible is the pure preserved Word of God (Psalms 12:6-7). Paul established as did Jesus that the workman of the Gospel is worthy of his hire. This is irrefutable. The way the individual works out his own salvation with fear and trembling is between him and God (Philippians2:12-13).
Clearing Up the Confusion
The lengths some go to in order to dismiss their clear teaching of Scripture is telling, revealing their are antichrists who are speaking against the Word of God. Notice these same people who want God’s pastoral oxen starved out, removed from their posts have never argued that plumbers, accountants, teachers, and doctors, etc. should provide their own way, to refuse to be paid for what they do. Yet what those laborers do is a temporal work, an infinitely inferior work compared to those God calls out to do the most important and only eternal work transpiring in the earth. Repent now.
The abuse of some, of wolves, in no way negates the LORD’s plain teaching that His workers are to be compensated.
“The labourer is worthy of his hire.” Luke 10:7
God’s pattern of the Levites continues:
“Say I these things as a man? or SAITH NOT THE LAW THE SAME ALSO?” 1 Corinthians 9:8
Paul uses the illustration of how the military are worthy of their hire—to be compensated for carrying out their duties to provide protection for a nation.
“Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?” 1 Corinthians 9:7
“Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?” In other words WHO within the military comes home from war and has to pay the bill he incurred by defending our nation? Does the USA give a bill to its military when they return from war? Such would be ludicrous and yet you foolishly suggest that men called to the infinitely most important warfare for the souls of men should be forced to fund their own way? God plainly disagrees.
To continue to make his point Paul then argues: “Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?” Yet you argue that those who plant gardens should refrain from eating of the fruits of that garden? And those who feed their flocks should not be able to drink of the milk of that flock.
Greedy, hoarding counterfeits hate the instruction to give. They have a death grip on their temporal trinkets and rusted gold which will be their eternal undoing (Luke 12, 16). Eternal damnation awaits (Ephesians 5:5).
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Articles
Sabbath Keeping, Justification, Sports, and Non-Essentials [podcast]
Hint: If something is not specifically named as a sin in God’s Word, leave others alone about it. MYOB, right? (Mind Your Own Business)
In this podcast, you will hear about a Recent Phone Call from Hell I received and how it was dealt with.
Over the years, I’ve conversed with men who are religious but not saved. Oh and boy are they fervent and sincere, and yet sincerely dead wrong. This particular phone conversation was no different. Many times Paul’s writings were born out of his defense of the faith of the original Gospel and this message is the same. Perhaps there’s a two-fold blessing in this:
- Continuing to established the essentials set forth in the original Gospel of Christ (John 21:15-17; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:15-17, etc.).
- A constructive example of how to biblically handle religious people like this (remember Jesus was most stern and straight with the rich and the religious. See Matthew 23, etc.).
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12
If all your religious activity hasn’t produced “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost”, all you have thus far is religion, not Jesus. Listen closely to what happens when Jesus saves you:
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17
This is the truth of God, the fruit granted to all who’ve truly believed on the LORD Jesus Christ and thereby been saved. One thing’s for certain: The LORD desires to give you “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost”.
Jesus is the Sabbath of Every Saved-by-Grace New Testament Saint – Not a Certain Day
“Sabbath” means intermission, to rest. All of God’s people now rest from attempting to keep the law perfectly and instead rest in the righteousness of Christ, the only One who ever kept the law perfectly.
“For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” Hebrews 4:3
“Hebrews 4:3: For we which have believed do enter into rest – The great spiritual blessings, the forerunners of eternal glory, which were all typified by that earthly rest or felicity promised to the ancient Israelites, we Christians do, by believing in Christ Jesus, actually possess. We have peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost; are saved from the guilt and power of sin; and thus enjoy an inward rest.” Adam Clarke
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” Hebrews 4:9-10
“In Hebrews 4:10 we are directed to our risen Lord, who has finished the work of Redemption and rests, as God did when He pronounced Creation to be ‘very good.’ When we understand what He meant by ‘It is finished’, we, too, shall rest.” FB Meyer
Some today uphold a certain day instead of the LORD who makes all days (Galatians 4:9-11). They prove to be lost souls. False teachers are known in that they uphold something, ANYthing other than Christ.
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” Colossians 2:14-19
Justification
It has been wisely stated that “If you’re flirting with Moses, you’re cheating on Jesus.”
Have you memorized John 1:17 ?
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
How does God save us?
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
The law finds us all guilty of breaking it. Even if it were just once, just one law we broke, we are guilty of breaking all of it and 100% fully worthy of death.
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10
God alone can justify us and He does such exclusively through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. “It is finished” means “paid in full.”
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4
Sports are Not a Sin – Unless they become One’s Idol or put before God.
Paul uses three different sports/games to illustrate spiritual truths, realities. This alone informs us, proves that sports in and of themselves, games, are not a sin. Running (track and field), boxing, and wrestling (1 Corinthians 9:24, 26; Ephesians 6:12).
In all the lists of soul damning sins found in Scripture, not one of them names sports or playing a game as a sin. If that were the case, playing a game of cards with grandma, or going to a nephew’s soccer game, would be a sin. Not. However, the misuse of anything on this earth can come out of a sinful heart of idolatry. Use and misuse. Work out YOUR own salvation with fear and trembling and cease being a busybody in the lives of other believers concerning things not essential to one’s salvation (Romans 14; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Peter 4:15).
“And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.” 1 Corinthians 7:31
What the Bible Teaches about Non-Essentials, Things not Essential to Salvation.
Never judge or destroy God’s work in the life of another saint for things that are non-essential, NOT essential to salvation.
“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. … 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. … 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.”
Justification | Support | STORE | Podcasts |
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