This is the name of our Creator, Yahweh, sometimes called the Tetragrammaton.  It is given here in the Phoenecian (Paleo-Hebrew) script, the Aramaic script and the Modern Hebrew script.

Tracing the Origin of the Word "God"

A five-part PowerPoint Presentation by Larry Acheson

2021-2022

In 2021, a dear friend named Tony Suckla asked me to present this study during a Shavuot (Pentecost) celebration held in Spring Branch, TX.  I delivered Part 1 in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. I later delivered Parts 2-5 as Zoom presentations, two of which were recorded and are available for viewing on YouTube.  In 2022, I began recording the remaining PowerPoint presentations. Alll five parts became available for viewing online in early 2023.

This is a brief synopsis highlighting our concerns regarding the title "God."  This word's origin is by etymologists' admissions spurious and even those who defend its use admit that we can't be certain of where this word originated.  On the other hand, we maintain that to find its origin we need to dig through the pages of Scripture, but even then its precise source of original use cannot be confirmed.  Nor can we ascertain a noble origin.  On the contrary. 

With a focus on brevity and an arsenal of self-explanatory information, we take you on a journey that traces "God" from a place called Haran, extending through Russia, Poland and even Ireland.  This study is geared to reach those who don't have the time to read our lengthier treatise God's Identity According to Ancient Hebrew Scholars.

PART 1  Part 1 of "Tracing the Origin of the Word 'God'" focuses on the fact that only in English are we taught that the name spelled G-a-d is pronounced "Gad as in sad," but when we perform deeper study, we learn that in Hebrew it's pronounced the same as "GOD," and that it's the name of a heathen deity whose worship is condemned by Yahweh.  In Part 1, I demonstrate how many of us were misled into believing the false idol's name is pronounced "Gad," whereas the Creator's name is "God." If the name of the heathen idol is actually pronounced "GOD," then do we honor Yahweh by referring to Him as God?  Is there archaeological evidence that a pagan idol named GOD was worshipped in ancient times?  Uploaded on 01/03/2023.

PART 2  Part 2 of "Tracing the Origin of the Word 'God'" was recorded by Tony Suckla as part of his "New Moon Zoom" meeting on November 25, 2022.  It is currently available for viewing on YouTube at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=CKemtTLIE1U

Part 2 addresses the command to not mention the names of other elohim, as well as how to understand the application of this command when pointing out the names of false idols to others. I also address whether or not we need to purge our vocabulary of words emanating from pagan worship. Finally, I challenge the common etymologists' argument that the "GOD" of our English Bibles is traced to a generic term for deity that translators chose to employ as a translation of the Hebrew title Elohim.

PART 3   Part 3 of Tracing the Origin of the Word 'God'" is subtitled "The Heart of the Matter." Not only is this the heart of my entire presentation, but I focus on the heart of the issue, including the heart that matters most. Here are the primary topics I address:

• How did the Early English Bible translators translate Isaiah 65:11?
• The LXX translation of Isaiah 65:11
• The “Law of First Mention”
• Did the Holy Spirit inspire Leah to name Jacob’s seventh son God?
• How strong was Jacob’s faith?

PART 4 Part 4 of "Tracing the Origin of the Word 'God'" is subtitled "The Gates of the New Jerusalem" because that's the primary focus—a red herring argument the opposition often brings into the mix whenever this topic surfaces.  I also address whether or not believers whose names can be traced to idol worship should change their names upon conversion to faith in Yahweh and His Son Yeshua.

PART 5   Part 5 is subtitled "Connecting the Dots" because this is where I put it all together. If you watch Part 5 before the others, you will likely short-circuit the otherwise methodical and cohesive course I have charted as we trace the origin of the word "GOD."  This finale is so long that I was coerced into splitting it up into two parts. Since everything presented in Part 5 is so tightly connected, it all needs to comprise one complete session, so breaking things up wasn't easy.

In Part 5a, One of the primary connections highlighted is serpent worship as the worship of an idol named God slithers its way northward from Haran to Russia and westward to Poland and Germany. Linguistic clues include the Russian (and Polish) word for "reptile" and "fortune teller."

In Part 5b, I establish a final connection in Ireland, an island where no serpents live, yet serpent worship was once a dominant force.  And what was the name of their chief deity?  Piecing together all the connections establishes a bifurcated course of serpent worship as it trekked across Europe, eventually making its way into our English Bibles, all under the guise that it was "never a name."  Just to be fair, I present a chart comparing the route modern-day scholars teach "GOD" took to make it into our Bibles (and vocabulary) against the path I come up with when tracing the origin of the word "GOD."

CONDENSED PART 5  Part 5 of "Tracing the Origin of the Word 'God'" was recorded by Tony Suckla as part of his "New Moon Zoom" meeting on January 23, 2023.  I cut out some parts and skimmed through others in an attempt to keep the presentation under two hours.  It is currently available for viewing on YouTube at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jkEUDnqnS8