Why do Christians/Jews call their god 'God' instead of a name like Jehovah or Jesus or something?

Question

The generic name can make it confusing as to just what god you are really talking about after all . . .

LOL @ Tommy's answer :)

L'Chaim:
No, it does not work for everyone. You are forgetting some people . . .

Answer 1

I think it a matter of tunnel vision. They don't believe in any other gods and can't imagine that anyone else would either. So of course everyone will know exactly what they are talking about.

Answer 2

The reason that Christians don't call their god by a personal name has its origin in the history of the Jewish people. At one time the Jews knew and used God's name. It was written as four Hebrew letters called the Tetragrammaton (in English, YHWH.) There were no vowels in the Hebrew language - they were supplied when spoken. Since God's name was often used, the pronounciation was well known.

In time, some of the Jews developed an overly extreme reverence for the Divine Name itself, and stopped using the name, feeling it was too sacred to be spoken aloud. Eventually the pronounciation was lost, but the name was preserved in its written form which in English is YHWH. When the Scriptures were read aloud, the reader would say "Lord" instead of YHWH.

The earliest Christians were Jews and continued the tradition of using "Lord". For centuries, the Name wasn't used - orally - because no one knew how to pronounce it correctly. So it was customary to say Lord or God.

A few hundred years ago (about the 12th century) a pronouncable name came about when some translators mistakenly combined the vowels of Adonay (Hebrew word for Lord), with the consonants. Eventually it developed into Jehovah which is generally accepted as God's personal name today, in English.

Yahweh is another name which is thought by some scholars to have been the original pronounciation, but no one really knows.

Because of the uncertainty of the name and the fact that Jehovah is a mis-translation, most translators have substituted Lord for YHWH, and omitted the personal name altogether. In the last century, however, several English translations have translated YHWH either as Jehovah or Yahweh. The most common translation, though, the King James, uses Lord (except in four places, where Jehovah is used).

The New International Version says: "In regard to the divine name YHWH, commonly referred to as the Tetragrammaton, the translators adopted the device used in most English versions of rendering that name as "LORD" in capital letters to distinguish it from Adonai, another Hebrew word rendered "Lord" for which small letters are used".

The New American Standard Bible says: "There is yet another name which is particularly assigned to God as His special or proper name, that is, the four letters YHWH....It is known that for many years YHWH has been transliterated as Yahweh, however no complete certainly attaches to this pronounciation." So the NASB chose "Lord", not because they didn't want to use a personal name for God, but simply because of the uncertainly of what that name actually is.

So that is why most Christians don't use a personal name for God and in fact many are not even aware that he has a personal name, unless they actually are familiar with the Bible.

Answer 3

God is not a name, it is a noun and a title.

a simple test to verify if a noun is a name or a title is add "the" to the noun.

the God, the President, the Ancient of Days,
the Lord, the Eternal One, the Father

These are all titles

Jesus, Matthew, Luke, names can not have "the" placed in front of the.

You will never read the Jehovah.

You will read "Jehovah the God of Abraham."

the name of Jehovah.

Pharaoh found out the hard way who Jehovah was. Let us learn from his mistake.

Answer 4

It's not exactly wrong to call the Almighty by the impersonal "God", just as it's not wrong to call one's offspring "Child". If we want a familiar and close relationship, however, it makes sense to use the personal name of someone we love. The Scriptures encourage us to use God's personal name.

The Hebrew name “Yahweh” (or “Yehowah”) may accurately pronounce the divine name. But just as the Hebrew name “Yeshua” (or “Yehoshua”) is translated into “Jesus” in English, the Hebrew name “Yahweh” is translated into “Jehovah” in English.

The important thing is to use God’s personal name in whatever language you speak, rather than insisting upon the impersonal! The name “Yahweh” is certainly preferable to the non-name “God” or “Lord”, especially if you speak Hebrew. If you speak English, feel free to use the name "Jehovah".

(Psalms 83:18) That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth

(John 17:26) [Jesus said] I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/na/index.htm

Answer 5

we as Jehovah Witness use the Holy Name Jehovah. God is a title not a name. it is also in the king James bible ps 83 verse 18. also it is not another name for Jesus Christ. Jesus is the son of Jehovah God. Jehovah's first creation. www.watchtower.org

Answer 6

in accordance to the Trinity doctrine, Jesus is God, yet a separate individual from the father. The doctrine teaches that there are 3 separate persons -- the father, The Son and The Holy Spirit -- who all contain one God. If this coaching is genuine, there should not be any scripture interior the Bible that portrays Jesus as an entity separate and different from God -- separate and different from the father, particular; yet not separate and different from God. by ability of way of assessment, notice that there is not any scripture interior the Bible that portrays the father as a separate and different entity from God. it would be completely ridiculous, confusing, pointless and contradictory for the Bible to persistently talk with Jesus as an entity separate and different from God, if Jesus is God. however the scriptures you quoted do merely that. repeatedly they talk of Jesus being on the ultimate hand of, not the father, yet God, to that end contradicting the Trinity doctrine. via fact the Bible is God's notice of reality, the reality that it so usually contradicts the Trinity doctrine can recommend in hassle-free terms one ingredient -- the Trinity doctrine is fake. (John 17:17) i've got faith -- via fact i've got faith maximum persons have a minimum of a modicum of intelligence -- that deep down, many Trinitarians understand that the doctrine is fake. yet delight and/or a desire to slot in with the 'Christian' crowd compels them to play alongside, pretending or convincing themselves that they have faith it. Many are to that lead to a state of denial approximately this falsehood. merely look at how they answer the question. Many won't even tackle the particular difficulty you have raised, head on -- via fact they are in a position to't. Their in hassle-free terms determination is to ignore approximately it and quote different so stated as 'evidence texts'. it is not via fact they lack intelligence. that is via fact there is not any credible and passable argument to disprove what the Bible -- God's authoritative notice of reality -- very blatantly shows.

Answer 7

Jews have many names for God -- Adonai, Elohenu, Hashem, Shechinah, etc. etc. The personal name of God in Hebrew is written YHVH (no vowels in Hebrew). Jews have never spoken the word -- it would be as offensive as calling Queen Elizabeth "Lizzy." Since the word has never been spoken, no one knows the correct pronunciation.

Since Jews and Muslims do not believe that Jesus was God, it is offensive when Christians offer prayers to him in public gatherings. The generic "God" works for everyone!

Answer 8

Jehovah's Witnesses are the only religion that consistently uses the Divine Name. We worship the one true God and feel comfortable using his name, as we would address any dear friend by their name.


http://www.watchtower.org

Answer 9

First, there is only one G-d. Judeo-Christian beliefs say there is only one G-d.

Second, Jews do NOT call G-d, G-d. There are few different references inluding HaShem which is used in a very day talk. If you are praying there is a different one, but you never use that word or G-d casually since that is considered a violation of the third commandment.

Answer 10

There are christians and Jews who reffer to GOD by other names such as Jehovah, YWYH, Ehlom and Adoni jus to name a few.