Wikipedia
The Tetragrammaton (Greek: τετραγράμματον word with four letters) is the Hebrew name for God, which is spelled (in Hebrew); yod י heh ה vav ו heh ה or יהוה (YHVH), it is the distinctive personal name of the God of Israel.
Of all the names of God in the Old Testament, that which occurs most frequently is the Tetragrammaton, appearing 6,823 [SIX THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE] times according to the JewishEncyclopedia.com (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=52&letter=N). According to Biblica Hebraica and Biblica Hebraica Stuttgartensia, the original texts of the Hebrew Scriptures, written in both Hebrew and Aramaic, contain the Tetragrammaton 6,828 times. It is evident that the Tetragrammaton was used very extensively in original language, ancient Hebrew and Aramaic texts. This indicates a much more personal reference to the special identity of the Almighty (as opposed to impersonal titles such as "God" or "Lord"), on the part of the Bible writers. Many Bible scholars view this as evidence that the Bible writers (and indeed, likely the ancient Hebrew and Israelite people) viewed the Name represented by the Tetragrammaton as very important, and commonly used it in their everyday speech and prayers. And, for those that believe the Bible was inspired by God, it shows how he felt about his own personal name.
In Judaism, the Tetragrammaton is the ineffable name of God, and is not pronounced. Other written forms such as ד׳ or ה׳ are read as "ha-Shem" (The Name), for this reason.
One theory regarding the Tetragammaton is that the Jewish taboo on its pronunciation was so strong that the original pronunciation may have been lost somewhere in the first millennium. Since then, many scholars (particularly Christians) have sought to reconstruct its original pronunciation. For example, circa 1518 Christian theologians1 introduced the pronunciation "Yehovah" , which is generally held to be grammatically implausible based on the written form יֱהוִֹה that was used to indicate to the reader of the Bible in Hebrew to pronounce it "Elohim" (אֱלהִׄם).
Quoted Statements:
"I have a great respect for Christianity. I often read the Sermon on the Mount and have gained much from it. I know of no one who has done more for humanity than Jesus. In fact, there is nothing wrong with Christianity, but the trouble is with you Christians. You do not begin to live up to your own teachings." - Mahatma Gandhi
I like your
Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are
so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian
countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that
says it's not possible to worship both
Mammon and God at
the same time.
-Mahatma
Gandhi
As quoted by William Rees-Mogg in The Times [London] (4 April 2005). Gandhi here makes reference to a statement of Jesus: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke 16:13); also partly quoted in Christianity in the Crosshairs : Real Life Solutions Discovered in the Line of Fire (2004) by Bill Wilson
Primitive Christianity
Question to the reader:
The fact that God cannot die and the original version of Christianity are so closely interwoven can be seen in the only celebration authentic Christians were commanded to observe. Search as you may, you will find no other observance that specifically states nor implies the following: "Keep doing this in remembrance of me." - Luke 22:19.
It is the time of year when primitive Christianity and the subject of when to celebrate the death of our Lord is so important. Last year you should should have observed it after sundown on Thursday April 9, but this year it fell on Tuesday evening, March 30th and next year it falls on a Sunday, April 17th.
Are you following tradition or are you observing Christ's command recorded at Luke 22:19? Why was it on Tuesday, March 30 after sundown this year and why was it on a Thursday evening (April 9th) last year? Why it will be on a Sunday (April 17th) next year in 2011? You may reason: Well, at least Christmas always falls on the same date each year and the traditional celebrations of Good Friday and Easter Sunday this week always fall on the same days of the week. You should ask the people who extend invitations to celebrate Christ's death on the Jewish calendar of Nisan 14 to explain Luke 22:19 within its historical and scriptural context.
Here is some interesting information about primitive Christians who were called Quartodecimans. Just another instance where primitive Christianity differs so greatly from traditional religion.
The Christians of Asia Minor
were called Quartodecimans [Fourteenthers] from their custom of
celebrating the pascha [Lord’s Evening Meal] invariably on the 14th of
Nisan . . . The date might fall on Friday or on any of the other days of
the week.”—The
New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge,
Volume IV, page 44.
“As regards the day for observing the Pascha [the Lord’s Evening Meal],
the usage of the Quartodeciman churches of Asia was continuous with that
of the Jerusalem church. In the 2nd century these churches at their
Pascha on the 14th of Nisan commemorated the redemption effected by the
death of Christ.”—Studia Patristica, Volume V,
1962, page 8.
Because they did so on Nisan 14, they were called Quartodecimans,
meaning “fourteenthers.” “The Christians of Asia Minor were accustomed
to celebrate this sacred feast, commemorative of the institution of the
Lord’s supper, and the death of Jesus Christ, at the same time when the
Jews ate their Paschal lamb, namely on the evening of the fourteenth day
of the first month [Nisan]. . . . They considered the example of Christ
possessing the force of law.” —Historian
J. L. von Mosheim.
For the next two centuries, many Christians held to Nisan 14, they being
known as Quartodecimans, from the Latin for “14th.” “The churches of
Asia Minor celebrated the death of the Lord on the day corresponding to
the 14th of the month Nisan, on which day, according to the opinion of
the whole ancient Church, the crucifixion took place.”—M’Clintock
and Strong.
“The Christians of Asia Minor were accustomed to celebrate this sacred
feast, commemorative of the institution of the Lord’s supper, and the
death of Jesus Christ, at the same time when the Jews ate their Paschal
lamb, namely on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.
For . . . they considered the example of Christ possessing the force of
law; and, as is equally manifest, they did not conceive our Savior to
have anticipated the passover, . . . but that the Paschal lamb was eaten
by him and his disciples on the same day on which the Jews . . . were
accustomed to eat theirs.”—Historian Mosheim,
History of Christianity, the First Three Centuries, Vol. 1, p. 529.
What tradition caused early Christians to stop observing what Christ commanded?
“It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom (the calculation) of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded.” —A History of the Christian Councils, by K. J. Hefele, Volume 1, page 322.
To be in such a position was viewed as a “‘humiliating subjection’ to the Synagogue which irked the Church,” says J. Juster, quoted in Studia Patristica, Volume IV, 1961, page 412.
