I'm Not a "Translation-Onlyist," But...

I’m not a “translation-onlyist,” never have been and never will be because frankly it’s idiotic. But ever since I’ve started primarily reading the LSB, I’ve striven to never be ashamed of using God’s name, to use it loudly and proudly, just as the Scriptures do (nearly 7,000 times, mind you) with verse upon verse upon verse lauding its majesty.

Bnonn Tennant remarked that “the name of Yahweh has been so lost that even in the church we needn’t forbid our children to use it in vain—because our children don’t know it.” This is so sadly and strikingly true.

I’m sympathetic to the arguments against, but they all fall short rather quickly and easily in my opinion. For one, Yahweh’s name is already so unavoidably intertwined into the Biblical vocabulary that even the most stringent opponent cannot avoid it in the Old Testament or the New: hallelu-YAH (meaning praise Yahweh); Zechari-YAH (meaning Yahweh remembers); the list really does go on and on.

Jesus Himself was bestowed by God “the name which is above every name” so that at that name “every knee will bow” and “every tongue will confess” that Jesus is “Lord.” What name, and why does it make Him Lord? Paul here, in his letter to the Philippians, is alluding to the vision of Isaiah where Yahweh says of Himself: “to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear.” So why is Jesus “Lord”? Because Jesus is Yahweh, King of the Universe—that’s why.

In fact, Jesus’ own name literally means Yahweh saves, reminding us Who Jesus is and Who sent Him. When Jesus sought to identify Himself as God to the Jews, He did not say “I am God”; He simply said “I am,” a direct reference to the name of God, Yahweh, which means “I am who I am.”

All this to say that your God has a name. And it did not cease to exist at the turn of the era; in fact, it only became more fully known in the Son, Jesus, the Christ.

You might say well why does it even matter if we now have Jesus? Because I want to pray with Job in my sufferings: “Blessed be the name of Yahweh.” Because I want to partner with the psalmist in my praises: “Praise Yah!” And perhaps most importantly, I want to simply honor what the Scriptures actually say—that alone should be enough.

Yahweh Himself said to Moses: “This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation.”