John Cooper argues that the term "name" can have four basic denotations: (1) a personal name (e.g. Jehovah or Peter); (2) a proper noun (e.g. Father, God, King); (3) a general designation (e.g. dog, cat, slanderer); (4) any linguistic reference (e.g. "God is light" or "the greatest possible being").
While it seems that the pre-Nicenes generally acknowledged that God had a name in the sense of (3) or (4) above, the early church writers often appear to be denying that God has a name in the sense of (1) or (2) above. I am reminded of Marcus Minucius Felix, who writes in Octavius 18:
"Nor should you seek a name for God: God is His name. We have need of titles in cases where we want to separate individuals from a large group; we use, then the distinguishing mark of personal names. But God is unique; all He has for title is God" (Nec nomen deo quaeras: Deus nomen est. Illic vocabulis opus est, cum per singulos propriis appellationum insignibus multitudo dirimenda est: deo, qui solus est, dei vocabulum totum est).
There is an anonymous God tradition in early Christianity that is manifested in the East and West. The tradition asserted that God does not have a proper name.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Anonymous God Tradition
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6 comments:
It seems to me exactly how Satan would want it. As we know, the demons fear the name Jehovah. Their religions would no doubt dispense with using that name.
Yet, all pagan gods have names. Doubtless, when one called on 'god' back then, others would want to know which god they referred to. Without a name, how would you know?
And Jehovah's name is used some 7,000 times in the Masoretic texts, and it is clear from the Scriptures that his name was meant to be used, sanctified, honored, spread abroad, called on, feared, respected, lauded, praised, etc.
This is another perfect example of the traditions overruling the Scriptures.
What you say is true, but I would like to point out that the Earliest Post-Biblical Christian writers were NOT as hostile to God's name as you may think.
I would like to ask you to Read the Didache, 1st Clement to the Corinthians, Shepard/Pastor of Hermas, Epistle of Barnabas again, and you will see that God's name has a lot more prominence than what you give them credit for.
But you are right, from the middle of the Second Century onwards starting with the Apologists Arestides, Justin Martyr etc, hostility to God's name grew. Probably because of the removal of the Tetragrammaton from the Septuagint and original Gospels.
I would like to know your opinion on particuarly the Didache and 1st Clement.
The Didache - A Translation by Rick Brannan 2009 Chapter § 8:2 “...Pray in this way: Our Father who [is] in heaven, may your name be holy...”
The Teaching Of The Twelve – Translated by S. Stanhope Orris P.H.D. 1884. [The Didache] Chapter § 8:2 “...Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...”
The Teaching Of The Twelve Apostles – Translated by Roswell D Hitchcock & Francis Brown. Chapter § 8:2 “...Thus pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...”
The Didache - A Translation by Rick Brannan 2009 Chapter § 10:2,3; “We give thanks to you, O Holy Father, for your holy name which you caused to dwell in our hearts ... 3 You, All-Powerful Master, you have created all things for the sake of your name...”
The Teaching Of The Twelve – Translated by S. Stanhope Orris P.H.D. 1884. [The Didache] Chapter § 10:2,3; “We thank Thee, Holy Father, for Thy holy name, which Thou hast caused to dwell in our hearts, … Thou Almighty Sovereign didst create the universe for Thy names sake...”
The Teaching Of The Twelve Apostles – Translated by Roswell D Hitchcock & Francis Brown. Chapter § 10:2,3; “...We thank thee, Holy Father for thy holy name, which thou hast caused to dwell in our hearts … Thou Master Almighty, didst create all things for thy names sake...”
The Didache - A Translation by Rick Brannan 2009 Chapter § 14:3 “For this is what was said by the Lord: “In every place and time, offer me a pure sacrifice because I am a great king,” says the Lord, “and my name [is] great among the nations.” [Footnote 68: Mal 1:11, 14]
The Teaching Of The Twelve – Translated by S. Stanhope Orris P.H.D. 1884. [The Didache]
Chapter § 14:3 “...For this is the one that was commanded by the Lord: 'At every place and in every place time, offer me a pure sacrifice for I am a great King, and my name is wonderful among he nations...”
The Teaching Of The Twelve Apostles – Translated by Roswell D Hitchcock & Francis Brown.
Chapter § 14:3 “...For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: 'At every place and time, bring me a pure sacrifice for a great king am I, saith the Lord, and my name is marvelous among he nations...”
I think the Didache gives more prominence to our God and Father JEHOVAH than is often given credit for. I will post a few example from 1st Clement when I get time.
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 43:6: “What think ye, dearly beloved? Did not Moses know beforehand that this would come to pass? Assuredly he knew it. But that disorder might not arise in Israel, he did thus, to the end that the Name of the true and only God might be glorified: to whom he the glory for ever and ever. Amen...”
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 45:7: “Or were Ananias and Azarias and Misael shut up in the furnace of fire by them that professed the excellent and glorious worship of the Most High? Far be this from our thoughts. Who then were they that did these things? Abominable men and full of all wickedness were stirred up to such a pitch of wrath, as to bring cruel suffering upon them that served God in a holy and blameless purpose, not knowing that the Most High is the champion and protector of them that in a pure conscience serve His excellent Name: unto whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 47:7: “And this report hath reached not only us, but them also which differ from us, so that ye even heap blasphemies on the Name of the Lord by reason of your folly, and moreover create peril for yourselves.”
Hard to tell here weather Clement is refering to the “lord Jesus Christ” or (יהוה) JEHOVAH “the LORD”?
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 58:1: “Let us therefore be obedient unto His most holy and glorious Name, thereby escaping the threatenings which were spoken of old by the mouth of Wisdom against them which disobey, that we may dwell safely, trusting in the most holy Name of His majesty.”
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 59:2: “...but we shall be guiltless of this sin. And we will ask, with instancy of prayer and supplication, that the Creator of the universe may guard intact unto the end the number that hath been numbered of His elect throughout the whole world, through His beloved Son Jesus Christ, through whom He called us from darkness to light, from ignorance to the full knowledge of the glory of His Name.”
More from Clement of Rome to come!
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 59:3: “[Grant unto us, Lord,] [ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχεγόνον πάσης κτίσεως ὄνομά σου,] that we may set our hope on Thy Name which is the primal source of all creation, and open the eyes of our hearts, that we may know Thee, who alone abidest Highest in the lofty, Holy in the holy; who layest low in the insolence of the proud, who settest the lowly on high, and bringest the lofty low; who makest rich and makest poor; who killest and makest alive; who alone art the Benefactor of spirits and the God of all flesh; who lookest into the abysses, who scanest the works of man; the Succor of them that are in peril, the Savior of them that are in despair; The Creator and Overseer of every spirit; who multipliest the nations upon earth, and hast chosen out from all men those that love Thee through Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, through whom Thou didst instruct us, didst sanctify us, didst honor us. [Footnote from CCEL.org Greek text [* There appears to be a lacuna in the Greek: Lightfoot supplies Δὸς ἡμῖν, κύριε.]]
Translated by Kevin P. Edgecomb in Berkeley, California 2006; - 1st Clement Chapter 59:3: [ Δὸς ἡμῖν, κύριε ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχεγόνον πάσης κτίσεως ὄνομά σου,] “Grant us, Lord, to hope in the Author of all creation,Your Name opening the eyes of our heart, in order to know You alone: “resting in the Height among Heights, the Holy among Holies,” “humbling the hubris of the proud,” “the Breaker of the reasoning of the nations,” “lifting high the humble” and “humbling the high,” “making rich and making poor,” “killing and making alive,” the only Discoverer of spirits and God of all flesh, “looking into the depths,” the Observer of human works, the Helper of the endangered, the Savior of the despairing, the Creator and Overseer of every spirit, multiplying the nations upon the earth, choosing from all those who love You through Jesus Christ Your beloved Child, through Whom You have disciplined, sanctified, and honored us.”
Translation by Rick Brannan 2005; - 1st Clement Chapter 59:3: [ Δὸς ἡμῖν, κύριε ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχεγόνον πάσης κτίσεως ὄνομά σου,] “Grant us, Lord, to hope in the ultimate source of all creation, your name,...”
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS translated by Charles H. Hoole, 1885 - Chapter 59:3: [ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχεγόνον πάσης κτίσεως ὄνομά σου,] “That we may hope in thy name, which is the first of all things, open the eyes of our heart to know thee, who art alone highest among the highest, holy among the holy, who puttest down the haughtiness of the proud, who scatterest the reasonings of the Gentiles, who exaltest the humble on high, and lowerest the lofty, who makest rich and makest poor, who killest and makest to live, the only benefactor of spirits, and God of all flesh, who lookest into the abysses, who beholdest the works of men, who art the helper of those in danger, the saviour of those who have lost hope, who art the maker and bishop of every soul, who makest the nations to multiply upon earth, and out of all hast chosen those that love thee through Jesus Christ thy beloved Son, through whom thou hast taught us, hast sanctified us, hast honoured us.”
(ἀρχεγόνον) Variously translated as: “Arch-begotten, Primal-source, Author, First-of,” in the translations I've looked at so far. Are you able to find any more information about this word? If you could find anything I'd appreciate it very much!
More from Clement of Rome on God's "NAME" to come!
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 60:4: “Give concord and peace to us and to all that dwell on the earth, as Thou gavest to our fathers, when they called on Thee in faith and truth with holiness, [that we may be saved,] while we render obedience to Thine almighty and most excellent Name, and to our rulers and governors upon the earth.”
Translated by J. B. Lightfoot - 1Clem Chapter 64:1: “Finally may the All seeing God and Master of spirits and Lord of all flesh, who chose the Lord Jesus Christ, and us through Him for a peculiar people, grant unto every soul that is called after His excellent and holy Name faith, fear, peace, patience, long-suffering, temperance, chastity and soberness, that they may be well pleasing unto His Name through our High priest and Guardian Jesus Christ, through whom unto Him be glory and majesty, might and honor, both now and for ever and ever. Amen.”
It's interesting that Clement reportedly one, if not the earliest of the so-called "Apostolic Father's", and the Didache, dating I guess - early 2nd Century, that God's NAME still had high importance, but from around about the middle of the 2nd Century things start to change. Plato's "nameless ONE and GOOD" philosophy had a big influence on many 2nd Century Christian writers. But as mentioned before the removal of the (τετραγράμματον) was far more influential.
Going by memory, what survives of Polycarp and Papias had little to say on God's name. Ignatius, well, what can you say, which recension (LONG Greek, MIDDLE Latin/Greek, SHORT Syriac) hasn't been tampered with! I'll have another look at these authors and what they had to say about God's name when I get time.
Barnabas and the Shepard of Hermas talk about the name of God quite a bit aswell. Barnabas (which some consider to be early-to-middle 2nd Century) in particular. If I get time I'll post what he had to say.
You could say that this is one more line of evidence to (particuarly when coupled with other evidence) show that the tetragrammaton ( יהוה ) was originally in the Christian Greek Scriptures and used by the EARLIEST CHRISTIANS.
I've been focusing and working more on a project about what the Post-Biblical Christian writers, translating their texts and what they had to say about the "Trinity", which of course is ZILCH! I hope to publish this in a blog of my own one day. I would very much like to get your input when I do.
I enjoy your posts very much, keep up the good work!
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