…autumn trees without fruit?

Gary Mink a gentleman from Tennessee uses this quote at the head of his website, sacredname.com:

…autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted… (Jude 1:12)

This is a true statement, IF applied to what the context of Jude is all about. However, this is not what the site is talking about. Instead, Mr. Mink has picked out a certain Bible believing group to condemn with this statement. Does he have an axe to grind? It would appear so. The title of his website is Sacred Name Movement. Is this deceptive? Yes, it obviously is on more than one count. First, it misleads people to believe, by the title, that this is a site promoting the sacred name movement. It isn’t. It is just a come-on it appears. Secondly, the goal of the site is:

TO HELP ONE MORE PERSON GET OUT OF THE SACRED NAME ERROR

Now, with that in mind, it is clear that his use of the quote at the head of his site is to label those in the SN movement as “trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted…” and is not applying the verse to its actual context. Another deception. Deliberate or not.

What is one to think when confronting this misapplication of the Jude statement? Well, let’s explore the errors of the author and see where it leads us.

Full Disclosure First

The purpose of this critique of Mr. Mink’s site is to expose the basic errors of those who criticize the use of the name of the Creator of the Hebrew Bible, and the name of His Son described in the Greek Scriptures. Mr. Mink must think his arguments are powerful and cannot be explained. The only problem with most of them is this, they are the basic same false errors used by most Christians against the idea of using “HEBREW” names. They have no problem forcing people to use Latin and Greek names, but not “HEBREW” names. Yet, they use Hebrew names all the time, including the Father’s and never blink an eye.

It is not my prupose to improperly attack Mr. Mink as a person. Only to show that he has as many errors as he claims the sacred name movement has, and that his arguments do not stand.

Along with Mr. Mink I can name many others who have this same kind of position. One being my friend Fred Coulter, Michael Heiss, Bill Dankenbring, Carl Franklin. Each of these gentlemen have written similar attacks on the names question, but all fall short of the mark.

In addition to that many well known Christian ministers and ministries espouse the same kind of uninformed errors as facts againt the use of the names. One being primarily a typical excuse, that is, “Oh, don’t you know, these folks belong to a cult.” Yep, that solves it all in the Christian mind. No matter the truth within a group, if we label it a cult, our favorite word, then it must be bad. That seems to be the main idea, and main excuse. All the rest is just details.

Now, unlike Mr. Mink, and others, I never had any contact with sacred name peoples until way later in my adult life. Most of my life I just believed what I was told by other Christians. And, the SN question never came up.

When it did, I dug in to see what it was about, and to my satisfaction found that the basic premise was true. That is, the Father has a name, the Son has a name, and they tell us we will know what they are. Question is, do you?

Further, it should be noted that I have a website domain name which is: embassyofyhwh. com and . org.

This website is not connected to ANY group that you or anyone else can join. It is a domain name expressing what the Apostle Paul said as one translation has it. He said, “I am conducting an embassy… in chains.” And, as everyone knows, the Hebrew letters used in the Hebrew texts that convey the personage we call the Creator, is YHWH in English transliteration.

Nor is this a website that teaches what some particular group teaches. On the site I teach what I have discovered from the Bible through study in the Book since 1953. That’s it.

First Things First

There is one thing consistent with the Christians who criticize the use of the names. What could that possibly be? Why, of all things, they don’t seem to really believe what the Bible says! And, that’s a fact.

Here’s one verse to start with as an example.

My People Shall KNOW My Name.

You can get out a concordance and look it up yourself. That is, IF you really want the truth of these things.

Well, here’s the problem these Christians have, and they seem to know it on a subconscious basis. They admit they DON’T KNOW His name. What does that then tell us? Why, the obvious. If one does not KNOW “My Name” then they are NOT His people! Now, I would say that is a hard nut to swallow, wouldn’t you?

So, it appears that here we are defending the Father’s name against people who don’t know it telling the world that the Father didn’t mean what He said. And, of course, since they don’t fit the bill of being His people, why, surely they should know what they are talking about, right?

Or do they? Well, that’s what we will be doing in this series on the Sacred Names Question, finding out if they know what they are talking about, or NOT.

Next time, quotes from various individuals against the Hebrew names question showing they admit they don’t KNOW HIS NAME. What should that tell you about them? That is, if they and YOU believe the verse I mentioned above.

Do YOU know His Name? And, does it matter?