If His name was Yeshua, why do we call Him Jesus?

Answer

Some individuals argue that our Lord should be called “Yeshua” instead of “Jesus.” Some even claim that using the name “Jesus” is disrespectful. Others explain in detail how the name “Jesus” is not found in the Bible because the letter J is a recent addition, and there was no J in Greek or Hebrew.

“Yeshua” is the Hebrew name, and its English equivalent is “Joshua.” “Iesous” is the Greek version of the Hebrew name, which is translated to “Jesus” in English. Therefore, “Joshua” and “Jesus” are essentially the same; both are English renderings of the Hebrew and Greek names for our Lord. For instances where the two names are used interchangeably, refer to Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 in the KJV, where the term Jesus refers to the Old Testament figure Joshua:

Changing the language of a word does not alter its meaning. We refer to a collection of bound pages as a “book.” In German, it is called a “buch.” In Spanish, it is a “libro”; in French, a “livre.” The language may vary, but the object remains the same. As Shakespeare wrote, “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet” (Romeo and Juliet, II:i). Similarly, we can address Jesus as “Jesus,” “Yeshua,” or “YehSou” (Cantonese) without changing His essence. In every language, His name signifies “The Lord Is Salvation.”

Regarding the debate about the letter J, it is much ado about nothing. While it is accurate that the original languages of the Bible did not include the letter J, this does not negate references to “Jerusalem” or “Judah” in the Bible. It also does not prohibit the use of the spelling “Jesus.” If an individual speaks and reads English, it is appropriate for them to spell words in an English manner.English fashion. Spellings can vary even within a language: Americans write “Savior,” while the British write “Saviour.” The addition of a u (or its subtraction, depending on your point of view) has nothing to do with whom we’re talking about. Jesus is the Savior, and He is the Saviour. Jesus, Yeshuah, and Iesus all refer to the same Person.

The Bible nowhere commands us to speak or write His name only in Hebrew or Greek. It never even hints at such an idea. Instead, when the gospel message was being proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost, the apostles spoke in the languages of the “Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya near Cyrene” (Acts 2:9-10). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was revealed to every language group in a way they could easily understand. Spelling was not significant.

We call Him “Jesus” because, as English-speaking individuals, we are familiar with Him through English translations of the Greek New Testament. Scripture does not elevate one language above another, and it provides no indication that we must use Hebrew when speaking to the Lord. The directive is to “call on the name of the Lord,” with the assurance that we “shall be saved” (Acts 2:21;Joel 2:32). Whether we call on Him in English, Korean, Hindi, or Hebrew, the outcome remains the same: the Lord is salvation.