Pagan Names and Origins

One problem with stripping names from the calendar is that not all calendars use Sunday as the first day of the week. Many business calendars use Monday as the first day of the week.

As for the practice of just using numbers to denote dates, there is the problem of inconsistency in how it's done. Does 01/02/03 refer to January 2nd, or February 1st? There is no definitive, universal standard on that.

For practical purposes, to avoid confusion, I always use the names of days and the names of months whenever possible.

 

As for changing the calendar to read 1st month, 2nd month, etc., how is one to know whether it is a fiscal calendar, an acedemic school-year calendar, or what?

More confusion.

 

The confusion comes in communicating with others, who may go to church on a day other than Sunday, who may go to work on a day other than Monday, who may have a mid-week service on a day other than Wednesday, who may get paid on a day other than Friday, who may have a family day on a day other than Saturday.

 

Lets look at this some more: "Angela".

So it's greek. The Hellenistic period of time had lots of info on heaven. Who was in heaven according to the Greek culture? I believe they had "angels" too. A Greek name dealing with heaven is not necessarily Christian in origin. It is probably pagan. The messenger "Angela" of Demeter or Hermes could get alot of things accomplished in the minds of the Greek people.

Thanks -------Bart

 

If we trace most things back they will inevitably come from or pass through pagan societies.

Even neck ties that men wear today have their origins in being warn to ward off evil spirits.

It is how we use it, not the origin that matters.

For instance, if I name my daughter Diana because I want to honor the pagan God Diana then that would be wrong. But if I name my daughter Diana because I think it is nice sounding girl name and it is not to honor the pagan goddess diana than there is nothing wrong with that.

You know the Bible tells us about spending too much time in these petty things:

"3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith."
I Timothy 1:3(NIV)

Don't get me wrong, I love church history. There is a place for that, but when a Pastor stands up at a pulpit ranting each week about Baptist History and what names people have rather than preaching the Gospel and how to live the Christian life he has lost his focus.

I was a member of a Baptist Bride church, and fortunately the Pastor their was more balanced and did not spend all his time on it. But some of his Baptist friends who came to preach did - I a got a good idea of how they spend their time.

Jesus Christ himself used pagan names to in his speach:

Luke 16:19-24(NIV)
"19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell[Greek - 'Hades'], where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'"

The Greek word hades was well known in his day. 'hades' was universally known as the realm of the dead.

Do you know what the origin of the word hades was? It came from Greek mythology, where the god Hades was Lord of the Dead. Thus it refered not only to the realm of the dead, but to the god who was in charge of the dead.

Was Jesus wrong for using this word with pagan origins?

And this is only one instance where it was used, there are others as well.

I a look forward to your answer.

IFBReformer

 

I value world history and church history a great deal. I read on it often - it was my best subject in school.

I am not saying it does not have it place or that it is unimportant. Maybe your church is balanced on this issue and that is good.

Having said that Baptist Briders(which you may or may not be one - I thought you were) build a whole theological system around their theories of church history.

I have researched this topic a great deal and will be doing some articles on Baptist Bride theology on my website in the future.

But that is kinda of off point to you question regarding pagan names and origins.

Can you answer my question about Jesus using the greek mythogical name of hades and why hades is used to directly correspond to the hebrew 'sheol' in the book of Acts?

Was this not a wrong thing to do if you logic is correct regarding names with pagan origins?

IFBReformer

 

Guess you didn't see the link I provided a few posts up from yours eh?

Donna, by the way...your link doesn't work. Could you repost it? Thanks.


Angela from the root Angel:
ANGEL   m,f   English
Pronounced: AYN-jel
From the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word angelos meaning "messenger").

 

It appears the web site Donna linked is having problems. I went into their home page and got a strange message about problems with the page and the load being aborted. Odd wording on Babycenter.com huh?
Diane

 

Thanks for the link, Wisdom Seeker. By the way, slightly off-topic, but here's a link to a page on the origins and meanings of last names:

http://genealogy.about.com/cs/surnameorigins/?once=true&

 

Try http://www.babycenter.com/babyname/

 

thanks Mark...but I can't figure out how to figure out the origin of my surnames. But that's okay. My maiden name is Smithson...which I'm sure mean's son of the black smith, and is unmistakably English.

My married name is Winkler, which is surprisingly English as well as German, and I haven't a clue what it means. Someone who winks?

I find all this very fascinating. But I think we're probably going pretty off topic aren't we?

 

My first name = lily
Middle name = light
Hubby's first name = a cascade
Middle name = valley
Last name = Wine Village

So together we mean...........

A light cascading over Lilies of the Valley in a wine village.

 

That's neat Sue.

I found something on our surname, but it was the place of origin (England/Germany) and the coat of arms with our family motto...but still have no idea what our name actually means.. But I need a Latin dictionary to figure it out...and as Dr. Bob knows...I'm really really bad at that.

Our family motto is: Pro fide, cesare et patria.

Have no idea what that means.

 

Strong's Concordance, which is based on KJV, has the word listed as New Testament word #86. Here's a link to a web page discussing the word:

http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=86&version=kjv

Here's a link to a web page giving the scripture passages where the word is found:

http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?new=1&word=hell&section=2&version=str&language=en

Just in case those two links don't work -- they are links to search results, and such links don't always work -- here's a link to the online Bible site where you can do the search yourself:

http://bible.crosswalk.com/

In the field input box that says "search for:" type "Hell." In the field input box that says "in:" select "New Testament" from the drop-down list. In the field input box that is labeled "using:" select "KJV with Strong's Numbers," which is below the section headed "-Standard Translations-" in a section headed "-Strong's Versions-".

Hades is in the TEXTUS RECEPTUS (Received Text) Greek manuscript used by the KJV translators, so there shouldn't be any restrictions against your looking into the matter.

 

Gee Bart, you seem to be stuck on that name. Do you have a particular interest in that name? [/QB][/QUOTE]

Just wanted to be able to reference any information that I find out for a loved one of mine. She is always concerned with consistency and being balanced in what she believes and it may help her to see that it is very easy to "go to seed" on an issue. I have a pastor friend who has "gone to seed" on some issues and doesn't see the suffering that it has caused many people who were involved with him. Being sold out to Christ is our commandment but being extreme on perifeals (sp) is not. Alot of folks become so "charged" on these issues that they are no earthly good. (earthly good meaning seeing family members and friends and acquaintances come to Christ, being a viable witness in a hell-bound world) For instance, one believing in holiness in dress. Christian ladies and girls can dress modestly and holy without being so plain and drab that they look like walking maniqins from a thrift store. I mean it is ok to buy from a thrift store but you don't have to look like it. I don't want to get off point. Do we have Balance and Godly Wisdom in reference to the way we live. Am I so "Anti-Pagan" that my family rejects my attitude and never hears the message I am commanded to carry. So...just trying to look out for the ones that I love.
Thank You for asking. ------Bart