I know that the OT has a name for god - Elohim/Yahweh or something & that the NT dropped the name/s & choose the word "god" instead. What I want to know is when did the name disappear to be replaced by the word "god".
I also read that some ancients believed that to put a name onto something will actually take away its "power" & make it "mundane". Is this dropping of the name of god an attempt to bring back the "power" of mystery & unknown to their god ?
Hope someone can shed some light on this.

Hi KC

First, the reason the Elohim is not used in the NT is simply because of a difference in languages. The OT is written in Aramaic and Hebrew, and in those languages, Elohim is the word for "God" and for "gods". In the language of the NT, Greek, the word is theos, which also translates as both "God" and "gods".

As for "Yahweh" or "YHWH" as it is written in Hebrew, this translates as "I AM" in English, and in Greek it is EGO EIMI. The famous "I AM" sayings of Jesus found in the Gospel of John are seen by theologians as being among the clearest indication from the NT that Jesus is linked to God, and is God. See especially John 8:58, and John 14:6.

The most common name for God in both the Old and New Testaments, however, is "Lord". In Hebrew this word is written as YHWH, and in Greek it is KURIOS, and this was traditionally abreviated to KS to signify that it is a sacred name (or nomina sacra).

The Jews had a deeply imbedded taboo against speaking the name of God, and this is why it was abbreviated by them (YHWH), and to this day, they still write God as G-d and Lord as L-rd in English. The early Christian writers picked up on this tradition, and also abreviated their sacred names (like Jesus, Lord, God, The Twelve, ect.) out of respect, and probably to keep the mystery and power of the name intact. Modern Christians tend to merely capatilize these words, thus we write God, Lord, He, Him, His, ect when talking about God.

I hope that this helps.

Nomad

No correction, but I always thought the Hebrew word for "Lord" was Baal (lord, master). Also 'adonai' is translated as "lord" with an overtone of ownership, no?

Michael

Hi Michael

You raise a valid point.

BA'AL(also ba'al) is used in the OT to indicate a human "lord" and sometimes, for a foriegn god. It was also used for the word "husband" and "owner", and even as "man" in general, usually plural. It was never applied to God or YHWH.

The word adonai this was used sometimes for either earthly human lords, men in general, husbands, masters and priests. It was also used as a way for the Jews to avoid saying the name of YHWH out loud. It's Greek equivalent remains kurios.

Peace,

Nomad

Isn't Baal sometimes used as regard to the so call satan as well ? Or are these two different in some way/s ?

Baal was a rival god worshipped by some Israelites and their neighbours. You will find him mentioned in the "history books" of the OT, especially Judges, 1&2 Samuel, and 1&2 Kings. Probably the most humourous encounter with the worshippers of this god comes in Elijah's challenge to the priests of Baal found in 1 Kings 18.

Baal is only mentioned once in the NT (Romans 11 in reference to the story from 1 Kings 18-19).

Satan is also sometimes referred to by the name Beelzebub in Matthew and Luke. This may be who you are thinking of, but I do not believe that there was any connection between Baal and Beelzebub in Jewish thought.

Nomad

nescio

I've heard that Beelzebub is derived from a Hebrew phrase Ba'al ze Bab (I may have the exact phrase and/or spelling wrong), which means "Lord of the Flies." Somehow later the name got corrupted and was applied to the Christian devil.