Is the Name “Jesus” Pagan?

by John K. McKee

As more and more of Ephraim come out of the church system, Messianic Israel is having to answer some serious questions, the foremost being: “How much Christian theology do we reject?”

Obviously, some valid teachings to reject would be dispensationalism (depicts our God as One Who is doing first one thing and then another), antinomiaism (lawlessness), and the pre-tribulation rapture (leads non-Jewish Believers to feel they have nothing to do but to wait for the “Rapture Bus”). But what of issues such as, what name of the Messiah do we use?

Some claim to be offended if one even speaks the name “Jesus.” Others use the names “Jesus” and “Yeshua” interchangeably. So, we ask: Is the name “Jesus” pagan?

Some say Jesus is pagan because of its Greek linguistic origins. Some have even called our Messiah “Gee-Zeus,” implying that those who call on Him are actually calling on the Greek god, Zeus.

However, a study of Greek grammar, or more specifically, Hebrew to Greek transliteration, shows…”

(This is an excerpt from the July-August 2001 edition of The Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 10, click this link: http://biblesabbath.org/tss/490/tss_490.pdf