There are several strange and misleading teachings that make their rounds concerning the name of God and of Jesus Christ; one such false doctrine is the idea that the name of Jesus actually means “Hail, Zeus.” Promoters of this bizarre concept claim that anyone who uses the name Jesus is offering praise to a false god and is not saved. They go so far as to say a person must use only the Hebrew name for Jesus, since there is only one name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). This Cult is Big in SA aspecially under the Farmers in SA waking up from the Original Doctrine of demons called Calvinism.
First, we will explain the “Jesus-means-hail-Zeus” theory, the best we can. Then we will look at the truth of the matter from a biblical perspective.
Those who teach that the name Jesus means “Hail, Zeus” usually start with the name of God, YAH (see Isaiah 26:4, NET). From that name of God, they take the Messiah’s name to be YAHSHUA, which they say means “YAH Is Salvation.” They contend that is the name used by the apostles and by the Messiah Himself; however, after the apostles were dead and gone, the Roman Church took over Christianity. In order to make their brand of religion more palatable to the pagans, the Roman leaders changed the name of the Messiah into a Greek/Latin hybrid, Iésous, which (supposedly) means “Hail, Zeus.” Since Zeus (or Jupiter) was the chief god in the Greco-Roman pantheon, the pagans had little trouble accepting this new demigod. By changing the Savior’s name, Christianity had been effectively stripped of its Hebrew roots, and the melding with paganism was a success. The Greeks’ savior could still be Zeus. In time, the word Iésous was further corrupted into Jesus in English.
As “proof” for their conspiracy theory that Jesus means “Hail, Zeus,” advocates point to the fact that the second syllable of Jesus (-sus) sounds similar to the name of the chief Greek god. Especially when Jesus is pronounced in Spanish, it becomes “evident” that people are “actually” saying “Hey, Zeus.” Added to these “proofs” is the fact that ancient sculptures of Zeus show him with a beard—just like modern-day pictures of Jesus!
What can we say to such far-fetched nonsense? First, not everyone who has a beard is trying to take the place of Jesus. Second, just because a certain word or word part sounds like another word is no proof of commonality. Basing theories of word origin on pronunciation is preposterous. Humorous sounds exactly like humerus, but there’s nothing particularly funny about the bone that goes from the shoulder to the elbow. Third, the Messiah’s Hebrew name is Yeshua, not Yahshua—the latter being a fabrication in order to make the name sound more like YAH.
Fourth, the Hebrew name Yeshua transliterates into Greek as Iésous. This is the name that the angel Gabriel commanded Joseph to name Mary’s child: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The name Jesus is a simply a Greek form of Joshua, a common name among Jews. The same verse also alludes to the meaning of the name: the Lord was to be named Jesus because “he will save his people from their sins.” The name Jesus means “The Lord Saves” or “The Lord Is Salvation.” Whether you spell it Jesus or Joshua or Yeshua, the meaning stays the same, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Zeus.
Names can and do translate. Changing a name from one language to another does not change the meaning of the name, nor does it change the character or identity of the person. Elizabeth becomes Elixabete, Isabella, Zsoka, or Eliska, depending on the language. But she remains the same girl. A man named Stephen can be called Stephanos, Stefan, Estevao, Teppo, or Estebe, depending on where in the world he is. But he is the same person, regardless of what we call him. Similarly, Jesus and Yeshua refer to the same Person—and it’s not Zeus.
We use the name Jesus, an Anglicized transliteration of the Greek, because Greek is the language that Matthew and Mark and Luke and John wrote their Gospels in and because English is the language we speak. The best transliteration of Iésous into modern English is “Jesus.”
Part of Timothy’s work as a pastor was to “command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths” (1 Timothy 1:3–4). Paul was concerned that “such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith” (verse 4). Conspiracy theories and myths regarding the etymology of Jesus’ name are distractions from the true work of God. We should not pay any heed to claims that the name Jesus means anything but what Scripture says it means: “The Lord Saves.”
ARTIEKEL IN AFRIKAANS
Daar is verskeie vreemde en misleidende leringe wat hulle rondte maak oor die naam van God en van Jesus Christus; een so ‘n valse leerstelling is die idee dat die naam van Jesus eintlik “Gegroet, Zeus” beteken. Promotors van hierdie bisarre konsep beweer dat enigiemand wat die naam Jesus gebruik, ‘n valse god loof en nie gered word nie. Hulle gaan so ver as om te sê ‘n persoon moet net die Hebreeuse naam vir Jesus gebruik, aangesien daar net een naam is waardeur ons gered kan word (Hand 4:12). Hierdie Kultus is Groot in SA veral onder die Boere in SA wat wakker word van die Oorspronklike Leer van demone genaamd Calvinisme.
Eerstens sal ons die “Jesus-beteken-groet-Zeus”-teorie verduidelik, die beste wat ons kan. Dan sal ons vanuit ‘n Bybelse perspektief na die waarheid van die saak kyk.
Diegene wat leer dat die naam Jesus beteken “Gegroet, Zeus” begin gewoonlik met die naam van God, YAH (sien Jesaja 26:4, NET). Van daardie naam van God neem hulle die Messias se naam aan om YAHSHUA te wees, wat hulle sê beteken “YAH Is Verlossing.” Hulle beweer dat dit die naam is wat deur die apostels en deur die Messias self gebruik word; nadat die apostels dood en weg was, het die Roomse Kerk egter die Christendom oorgeneem. Ten einde hul handelsmerk van godsdiens meer smaaklik vir die heidene te maak, het die Romeinse leiers die naam van die Messias verander in ‘n Grieks/Latynse baster, Iésous, wat (vermoedelik) beteken “Gegroet, Zeus.” Aangesien Zeus (of Jupiter) die hoofgod in die Grieks-Romeinse pantheon was, het die heidene min probleme gehad om hierdie nuwe halfgod te aanvaar. Deur die Verlosser se naam te verander, is die Christendom effektief van sy Hebreeuse wortels gestroop, en die samesmelting met heidendom was ‘n sukses. Die Grieke se redder kan nog Zeus wees. Mettertyd is die woord Iésous verder gekorrupteer in Jesus in Engels.
As “bewys” vir hul samesweringsteorie dat Jesus “Gegroet, Zeus” beteken, wys voorstanders op die feit dat die tweede lettergreep van Jesus (-sus) soortgelyk klink aan die naam van die hoof Griekse god. Veral wanneer Jesus in Spaans uitgespreek word, word dit “duidelik” dat mense “eintlik” sê “Haai, Zeus.” By hierdie “bewyse” is die feit dat antieke beeldhouwerke van Zeus hom met ‘n baard wys—net soos hedendaagse prente van Jesus!
Wat kan ons sê van sulke vergesogte snert? Eerstens, nie almal wat ‘n baard het probeer die plek van Jesus inneem nie. Tweedens, net omdat ‘n sekere woord of woorddeel soos ‘n ander woord klink, is geen bewys van gemeenskaplikheid nie. Om teorieë oor woordoorsprong op uitspraak te baseer is belaglik. Humoristies klink presies soos humerus, maar daar is niks besonders snaaks aan die been wat van die skouer tot by die elmboog gaan nie. Derdens, die Messias se Hebreeuse naam is Yeshua, nie Yahshua nie—laasgenoemde is ‘n versinsel om die naam meer soos YAH te laat klink.
Vierdens, die Hebreeuse naam Yeshua translitereer in Grieks as Iésous. Dit is die naam wat die engel Gabriël Josef beveel het om Maria se kind te noem: “Jy moet hom die naam Jesus gee, want Hy sal sy volk van hulle sondes verlos” (Matteus 1:21). Die naam Jesus is bloot ‘n Griekse vorm van Josua, ‘n algemene naam onder Jode. Dieselfde vers sinspeel ook op die betekenis van die naam: die Here sou Jesus genoem word, want “Hy sal sy volk van hulle sondes verlos”. Die naam Jesus beteken “Die Here red” of “Die Here is Verlossing”. Of jy dit Jesus of Joshua of Yeshua spel, die betekenis bly dieselfde, en dit het hoegenaamd niks met Zeus te doen nie.
Name kan en vertaal. Om ‘n naam van een taal na ‘n ander te verander, verander nie die betekenis van die naam nie, en dit verander ook nie die karakter of identiteit van die persoon nie. Elizabeth word Elixabete, Isabella, Zsoka of Eliska, afhangende van die taal. Maar sy bly dieselfde meisie. ’n Man met die naam Stephen kan Stephanos, Stefan, Estevao, Teppo of Estebe genoem word, afhangend van waar in die wêreld hy is. Maar hy is dieselfde persoon, ongeag wat ons hom noem. Net so verwys Jesus en Yeshua na dieselfde Persoon – en dit is nie Zeus nie.
Ons gebruik die naam Jesus, ‘n verengelsde transliterasie van die Grieks, want Grieks is die taal waarin Matteus en Markus en Lukas en Johannes hulle Evangelies geskryf het en omdat Engels die taal is wat ons praat. Die beste transliterasie van Iésous in moderne Engels is “Jesus.”
Deel van Timoteus se werk as pastoor was om “sekere mense te beveel om nie meer valse leerstellings te verkondig of om hulle aan mites toe te wy nie” (1 Timoteus 1:3-4). Paulus was bekommerd dat “sulke dinge kontroversiële spekulasies bevorder eerder as om God se werk te bevorder – wat deur geloof is” (vers 4). Samesweringsteorieë en mites aangaande die etimologie van Jesus se naam is afleidings van die ware werk van God. Ons moet nie ag slaan op bewerings dat die naam Jesus alles beteken behalwe wat die Skrif sê dit beteken: “Die Here red.”