Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
Here is an article from an unknown author that I wanted to share.
The name Jesus Christ is not the same in every language.
The name Yeshua is not the same in every language.
Is either name the only correct name? The answer is no.
Jesus Christ, Jesucristo, Иисус Христос, Ιησούς Χριστός, Yeshua, Iēsous, one could go on and on - all are equally powerful!
The Name of Jesus Christ in the Greek language will not be the same for the English alphabet or the English language. Any insistence that the name of Jesus Christ or Yeshua must be said the same in every language is simply incorrect. Not only is it incorrect, it is impossible.
The Bible nowhere commands us to only speak or write the Name of Jesus Christ in Hebrew or Greek. Or, for that matter Aramaic. In Aramaic, Jesus is called Ishoʿ (īšōʕ), which is a cognate of the Hebrew name Yeshua.
I’ve been to other countries and the Name of Jesus Christ is not pronounced the same, or even spelled the same.
The spelling of names and their pronunciations (including Jesus Christ) vary widely across different languages due to differences in phonetic sounds, pronunciation rules, and even cultural influences.
We must know that changing the spelling or pronunciation of a word does not affect the meaning of the word. Having said that, the words used to describe the same meaning may be as different as night and day.
With over 7,000 languages in the world, it is IMPOSSIBLE to say the name of Jesus Christ or Yeshua the same in every language.
Some would argue that the letter J is a modern invention so Jesus Christ is not the correct name. This logic falls short of being a valid explanation. There are over 7,000 languages in the world which will affect the pronunciation of the name Jesus Christ. In addition, there are up to 400 different alphabets or even more, which will also affect the “spelling” of the name Jesus Christ. Many alphabets do not even have the letter Y for Yeshua.
To revere the name Yeshua above the name Jesus Christ is to not have an understanding of the difference in languages. For instance, the Turkish name for Jesus Christ is İsa Mesih.
It is said the word hallelujah is pronounced the same in every language, maybe - - however the name Jesus Christ and the name Yeshua are not.
Mandarin Chinese and Japanese are tonal languages, which means words are differentiated by pitch. Korean is also a language isolate, meaning it is not related to any other language. This becomes problematic if one insists that the name of our savior, or Salvador, or Retter, or Sauveur….. Savior is not the same in every language. Jesus Christ isn’t either.
It’s ok to say the Name of Jesus Christ the way your language dictates. You do not have to use the name Yeshua if you speak English. The name of Jesus Christ works! The name of Jesus Christo works! To revere one above the other is error and a total misunderstanding of the languages God has given us.
The name of Jesus Christ is powerful / EQUALLY powerful in every language including sign language.
Here is a list of some language isolates, which are languages that have no known genetic relationship with any other language: Basque, Ainu, Burushaski, Korean, and Sumerian are a few examples of language isolates. Names will be spelled and pronounced differently in these and mostly all languages.
Each language has its own set of sounds and phonetic patterns, which may not exist in other languages. Consequently, when a name is transliterated or pronounced in a different language, it must submit to the phonetic rules of that language.
For those who say His name is Yeshua and not Jesus Christ they are correct, but only when referring to the Hebrew language. For English speakers His name is Jesus Christ. The logic that says His name is Yeshua in every language cannot be applied to the other 7,000 plus languages.
The name Yeshua works for healing. The name of Jesus Christ works for healing. The name of İsa Mesih works for healing.
People rebaptizing those who have been baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ into the name of Yeshua simply fail to understand the phonetic sounds, pronunciation rules, and cultural applications of different languages. If you believe Yeshua is the only acceptable spelling and pronunciation then you have just ostracized all of the languages which do not have a Y sound in their language. Many do not.
Quite simply not all names have direct equivalents in other languages.
The fallacy that you must be baptized in the name of Yeshua falls apart when you translate the name of Yeshua into the 7,000 languages and write the name in the hundreds of different alphabets known in the world.
Syllable stress, vowel sounds, and different consonant sounds are applied when a name is translated. John, Jean, Juan - is the same name in English, French, and Spanish. Linguistic and cultural guidelines are adhered to when translating names.
The name of Jesus Christ in different languages:
1. Arabic: عيسى المسيح (Isa Al-Masih)
2. Chinese (Simplified): 耶稣基督 (Yēsū Jīdū)
3. French: Jésus-Christ
4. German: Jesus Christus (Yey-zoos)
5. Greek: Ιησούς Χριστός (Iesoús Christós)
6. Hindi: यीशु मसीह (Yīśu Masīh)
7. Italian: Gesù Cristo
8. Japanese: イエス・キリスト (Iesu Kirisuto)
9. Portuguese: Jesus Cristo
10. Spanish: Jesucristo
The name Mark in 10 languages:
1. Spanish: Marcos
2. French: Marc
3. German: Markus
4. Italian: Marco
5. Portuguese: Marcos
6. Dutch: Mark
7. Russian: Марк (Mark)
8. Japanese: マーク (Maaku)
9. Chinese (Simplified): 马克 (Mǎkè)
10. Korean: 마크 (Makeu)
My Name Wylie in ten languages:
1. Arabic: وايلي (Wāylī)
2. Chinese (Simplified): 怀尔 (Huái'ěr)
3. Chinese (Traditional): 懷爾 (Huái'ěr)
4. Dutch: Wylie
5. Greek: Γουάιλι (Gouáili)
6. Hindi: वाइली (Vā'ilī)
7. Italian: Wylie
8. Japanese: ワイリー (Wairī)
9. Korean: 와일리 (Waili)
10. Portuguese: Wylie
The following is an excerpt from Bishop David Bernard’s book, In the Name of Jesus:
Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary clearly shows that the English name Jesus came from the Latin Iesus, from the Greek Iesous, from the Hebrew Yeshua. Yeshua, in turn, is a contraction of the original Hebrew name Yehoshua. This long form occurs in Numbers 13:16, and it comes from Yah (a short form of Yahweh) and hoshia (meaning “to help,” with the later connotation “to save”). To be consistent, one should not use the contracted form Yashua, but the original form Yehoshua or perhaps even Yahweh-hoshia. Moreover, the formation of the English name Jesus was not due to any sinister motive or meaning; it occurred according to standard rules and developments in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English.
It is not accurate to say that the name Jesus came from the combination of two separate words Je and sus, supposedly meaning “the pig,” any more than my name David comes from Da and vid, with the meaning of “daytime video.” Moreover, no dictionary says that je means “the” or that sus means “pig.” The relation of the endings of Dionysus, Zeus, and Jesus is purely coincidental. In the original Greek there is no connection, for the endings are, respectively, -os, -eus, and -ous. (Both eu and ou are diphthongs, which means that the vowels are to be pronounced as one unit and not to be regarded as separate sounds or syllables.) Fifth, as a practical matter, God Himself honors the use of the English name Jesus. When people pray by using this name in faith, they receive the Holy Spirit, answers to prayer, healing, and deliverance from demons.
In conclusion, the name of Jesus may be pronounced in many different ways in various languages, dialects, and accents. In all of its forms, it means the same thing: the one true God of the Old Testament has become our Savior in the historical person of Jesus of Nazareth. When a person uses the name with that understanding, and with faith in Jesus as Lord and Messiah, then regardless of the language he speaks, his prayer will reach the throne of God and his invocation of God’s name will be effective.
William James Roop
