God in Christianity

=== Name ===
{{Main article|Names of God in Christianity}}
[[File:Jhwh4.jpg|thumb|The [[Tetragrammaton]] YHWH, the name of God written in Hebrew, old church of [[Ragunda]], Sweden]]

In Christian theology, the name of God has always held deeper significance than purely being a label, considered instead to have divine origin and be based upon divine revelation.<ref name=Systematic47>''Systematic Theology'' by [[Louis Berkhof]] (24 September 1996) {{ISBN|0802838200}} pages47-51</ref><ref name=mercer336 >''Mercer dictionary of the Bible'' by Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard 1998 {{ISBN|0-86554-373-9}} page 336</ref> The Bible usually uses the name of God in the singular (e.g., Exodus 20:7<ref>{{Bibleverse|Exodus|20:7}}</ref> or Psalms 8:1),<ref>{{Bibleverse|Ps.|8:1}}</ref> generally using the terms in a very general sense rather than referring to any special designation of God.<ref name="Berkhof">''Manual Of Christian Doctrine'' by Louis Berkhof (1 August 2007), {{ISBN|1930367902}}, pages 19–23.</ref> However, general references to the name of God may branch to other special forms which express his multifaceted attributes.<ref name="Berkhof"/> The Old Testament reveals [[Tetragrammaton|YHWH]] (often vocalized with vowels as "Yahweh" or "Jehovah") as the personal name of God, along with certain titles including [[Elyon|El Elyon]] and [[El Shaddai]].<ref name="Parke-Taylor2006">{{cite book |last1=Parke-Taylor |first1=G. H. |title=Yahweh: The Divine Name in the Bible |date=1 January 2006 |publisher=[[Wilfrid Laurier University Press]] |isbn=978-0-88920-652-6 |page=4 |language=en|quote=The Old Testament contains various titles and surrogates for God, such as El Shaddai, El Elyon, Haqqadosh (The Holy One), and Adonai. In chapter three, consideration will be given to names ascribed to God in the patriarchal period. Gerhard von Rad reminds us that these names became secondary after the name YHWH had been known to Israel, for "these rudimentary names which derive from old traditions, and from the oldest of them, never had the function of extending the name so as to stand alongside the name Jahweh to serve as fuller forms of address; rather, they were occasionally made use of in place of the name Jahweh." In this respect YHWH stands in contrast to the principal deities of the Babylonians and the Egyptians. "Jahweh had only one name; Marduk had fifty with which his praises as victor over Tiamat were sung in hymns. Similarly, the Egyptian god Re is the god with many names.}}</ref><ref name="USCCB2008">{{cite web |title=The Name of God in the Liturgy |url=http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/frequently-asked-questions/the-name-of-god-in-the-liturgy.cfm |publisher=[[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]] |language=en |year=2008|quote=…pronouncing the God of Israel's proper name," known as the holy or divine tetragrammaton, written with four consonants, YHWH, in the Hebrew alphabet. In order to vocalize it, it is necessary to introduce vowels that alter the written and spoken forms of the name (i.e. "Yahweh" or "Jehovah").}}</ref> [[Jah]] or Yah is an abbreviation of Jahweh/Yahweh/Jehovah; it is often used by Christians in the interjection [[Hallelujah]], meaning "Praise Jah", which is used to give God glory.<ref name="Loewen2020">{{cite book |last1=Loewen |first1=Jacob A. |title=The Bible in Cross Cultural Perspective |date=1 June 2020 |publisher=William Carey Publishing |isbn=978-1-64508-304-7 |page=182 |language=English|quote=Shorter forms of Yahweh: The name Yahweh also appears in a shortened form, transliterated Jah (pronounced Yah) in the Revised Version and the American Standard Version, either in the text or footnote: "my song is Jah" (Ex 15:2); "by Jah, his name" (Ps 68:4); "I shall not see Jah in Jah's land (Is 38:11). It is common also in such often untranslated compounds as hallelujah 'praise Jah' (Ps 135:3; 146:10, 148:14), and in proper names like Elijah, 'my God is Jah,' Adonijah, 'my Lord is Jah,' Isaiah, 'Jah has saved.'|edition=Revised }}</ref> In the New Testament, ''Theos'', ''[[Kyrios]]'', and ''Pater'' ({{lang|grc|πατήρ}}, "father" in [[Ancient Greek|Greek]]) are additional words used to reference God.<ref name="GreenMcKnightMarshall1992">{{cite book |last1=Green |first1=Joel B. |last2=McKnight |first2=Scot |last3=Marshall |first3=I. Howard |title=Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship |date=18 February 1992 |publisher=InterVarsity Press |isbn=978-0-8308-1777-1 |page=271 |language=en|quote=Many of the uses of ''kyrios'' for God are in citations of the OT and in expressions derived from the OT (e.g., "angel of the Lord"), and in these passages the term functions as the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT name for God, Yahweh. For example, twenty-five of the uses of ''kyrios'' for God in Luke are in the first two chapters, where the phrasing is so heavily influenced by the OT. The third frequently used term for God is "Father" (''patēr''), doubtless the most familiar term for God in Christian tradition and also perhaps the most theologically significant title for God in the NT. Unlike the other terms for God already mentioned—without exception in the Synoptics, and with only a few exceptions in John--"Father" as a title for God appears only in the sayings attributed to Jesus (the Johannine exceptions are in editorial remarks by the Evangelist in 1:14, 18, a saying of Philip in 14:8 and the crowd's claim in 8:41).}}</ref><ref name="Berkhof"/>

Respect for the name of God is one of the [[Ten Commandments]], which is viewed not only as an avoidance of the improper use of the name of God, but also a commandment to exalt it, through both pious deeds and praise.<ref name=Miller>''The Ten Commandments: Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church'' by [[Patrick D. Miller]] (6 August 2009) {{ISBN|0664230555}} page 111</ref> This is reflected in the first petition in the [[Lord's Prayer]] addressed to [[God the Father]]: "Hallowed be thy Name".<ref>''Theology of the New Testament'' by Georg Strecker (2000) {{ISBN|0664223362}} page 282</ref>

In the theology of the [[Early Church Fathers]], the name of God was seen as representative of the entire system of "divine truth" revealed to the faithful "that believe in his name"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|1:12}}</ref> or "walk in the name of the Lord our God"<ref>{{Bibleverse|Micah|4:5}}</ref><ref name=Pink23>''Ten Commandments'' by [[Arthur W. Pink]] (30 December 2007) {{ISBN|1589603753}} pages 23–24</ref><ref name=Cyril>''John 11–21'' (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture) by Joel C. Elowsky (23 May 2007) {{ISBN|0830810994}} page 237</ref> In Revelation 3:12,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Revelation|3:12}}</ref> those who bear the name of God are "destined for Heaven". John 17:6<ref>{{Bibleverse|John|17:6}}</ref> presents the teachings of Jesus as the manifestation of the name of God to his disciples.<ref name=Pink23/>

John 12:27<ref>{{Bibleverse|John|12:27}}</ref> presents the sacrifice of Jesus the [[Lamb of God]], and the ensuing salvation delivered through it as the glorification of the name of God, with the voice from Heaven confirming Jesus' petition ("Father, glorify thy name") by saying: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again", referring to the Baptism and [[crucifixion of Jesus]].<ref name=WBC274>'' Wiersbe Bible Commentary'' by [[Warren W. Wiersbe]] (1 November 2007), {{ISBN|0781445396}}, page 274.</ref>