The Association of the Covenant People
Burnaby, B.,C. Canada - July 2013
Contentions-Confusions-Divisions
by BOB VERMAAT
"And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."
(Mark 3:25)
We are living in a world that is rife with division among the people. Divisions are to be found in the people's political -views and in today's world especially in the people's moral views, but what concerns me most are the contentions, confusions and division among the various Christian groups of people. They all profess to believe in one and the same God and Saviour, but they cannot agree on many doctrinal aspects and thus are divided in many ways. Look around and see what I mean. It is said that in North America alone there are at least 180 different Christian denominations, so it is little wonder that there is so much division and confusion. But division in church circles goes back a long way. It occurred already in the early apostolic church. In chapter fifteen of Acts we read how there was dissension among the believers regarding circumcision and how at the first church counsel James settled that dispute. In the same chapter we read that there was a contention between Paul and Barnabas as to who would go along on the second missionary journey and it was at that point that Paul and Barnabas parted ways. For the first three hundred or so years of church history there were several church counsels where church fathers from all over Europe and Asia-Minor would gather to iron out doctrinal differences and find solutions to the problems. During the Dark Ages and the reign of Papal Rome there were no divisions to speak of and during the latter years of that period dissenters were either beheaded or burned at the stake. That is, until the Reformation was in full swing and the Papal Church was losing its power.
But with the Reformation came not only freedom of religion but also division, for no two groups could or would agree on most things religious. So, here we are in the twenty-first century and things are still the same. Contentions, confusion and divisions abound. Even in the Christian Identity circles this ugly beast has reared its head. Two items especially stand in the forefront, the one is universal salvation and the other is the so called sacred name issue, and it is the latter I want to take a look at.
In a recent article I read in the Saxon-Union a Mr. Shreffler basically states that if we use the word "Lord" or the "Lord God" as used in the King James Bible and other Bible translations, we are in effect worshipping Baal, and that instead we should always use the Sacred Name. The Tetra-grammation, JHVH, HTVH, JHWH and YHVH appears in the old Hebrew writings in four different forms, and even the Sacred Name users are not quite sure how to use these four different forms of the name of God. In their writings, you will also find . differences in the name using diverse vowels to fill in the blanks. As the name of God was too sacred to the old Hebrew people of God to be spoken or mentioned out loud why would we in today's modern world profane that Sacred Name that our forefathers were too afraid to mention? Instead they used "El", "Elohim" or "Adonai" when speaking of their God.
Another thing that should be kept in mind is the fact that a language is a living thing that evolves both with time and locality. We know that Abraham came from Ur of the Chaldean which is in Ur of the Chaldean which is in South Mesopotamia and moved first Harah in Syria and then on to Canaan where his sons and jandsons were born. His grandsons, Jacob-Israel children, were also resident in Canaan land until their sojourn in Egypt. When they left Egypt under the guidance of Moses, some 430 years had passed from Ur to Sinai. It is fair to assume that for those people of Israel, having lived among strangers for so long, to have adopted some of the speech of each of the people with and among whom they dwelt. God named Himself "I AM" to Moses and one has to wonder how "I AM" corresponded to the name by which Abraham knew God, and so it has happened to modern day Israel.
After their captivity they migrated and wandered from Asia-Minor through Eastern Europe until they reached their appointed place in Western Europe and the Isles of the West, a journey that lasted well over a thousand years. Throughout their travels they came in contact with other people already living along the path of their journey and subsequently they adopted some of the speech and customs of these people along the way. It was God's plan and purpose that they should lose their identity, their native speech and their customs as He directed them into the future in order that He, God, could bring them back unto Himself under a new name. (Isa. 62:2). When the people reached their appointed place the various factions or tribes had developed the speech or language that we have now, the most dominant one being English. And so, in that tongue in the sixteenth century the translation was made from the old Hebrew, from the New Testament Greek and from the Latin of the Papal church into what has become known as the "King James Bible," and thus we worship the Everliving God according to the words used in that Bible or a version thereof, for there really is no better translation in the English tongue for these names in question.
So I and millions of Bible believing Christians across the globe worship the Heavenly Father and our Saviour the Christ, addressing them respectively as the Lord our God and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I for one do get a little perturbed when a person of the Sacred Name persuasion states that I am worshipping Baal. As stated in the caption verse "A house divided against itself cannot stand" and if we continue to pursue these differences we will never attain unity in the body of believers, which is the church. In the Book of Zephaniah we read of a latter day prophecy in verses 9 and 13, "For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." This speaks of unity among the believers, not division, and then in verse 13 the prophet continues, "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid." (Zeph. 3:9,13).
This tells me that in the latter day we will serve the Lord in purity of heart and tongue. Also in Jesus' last commission to the disciples, just prior to His ascension, He states in Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow those that believe; In my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues" (new languages), not Hebrew. not Greek. nor Latin, but English. And so I will worship according to Christ's commandment, with all my heart, mind and soul, the Lord my God and the Lord my Saviour.
I hope that all you do the same!
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I HAVE ON MY WEBSITE A FULL IN-DEPTH SERIES OF STUDIES CONCERNING THE TOPIC OF "SACRED NAMES" - WHICH WILL GIVE YOU THE FULL ANSWER TO THIS DIVISIVE DOCTRINE.
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