How do preachers or teachers explain this?

[HeirConditioned]

JOHN 14:12
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Interestingly, the Greek word translated here as "greater," [ megas ], is translated another 150 times as simply "great." (In the kjv, anyway)

In the summary of translations, this same word is listed under "12 misc" translations. ( translated as "loud" 33x )

This may seem a small matter to some, but the "-er" is what has our attention, and for some, that little suffix can mean that pleasing God is impossible.. after all, its hard enough just to be like Him and not have to worry about doing anything "greater."

I do agree with others regarding the Spirituals (gifts). Though I am convinced that it means we have to know, to accept, and to nurture that part of Himself that He blessed us with. However, we should not think of this "giving" as an ability, but as Him personally, dwelling in us and, (if we allow Him to be), working through us to to draw others to Himself. Understandably, some may be best fitted to the noble tasks of service to one another, rather than evangelizing the unsaved.

In whatever we are given, we must not focus on whether or not we can achieve these greater things, but that we should allow Him to work in us and be able to recognize what it is that He wants to do.

 

[Godsgood]

I already have identified Him as the God spoken of in the Bible, the Creator and sustainer of all things. What further identification are you requesting?

Do you have an ID? What is written on your ID? Isn’t it your name? Then identify who the one true God is.

 

[Godsgood]

I already have identified Him as the God spoken of in the Bible, the Creator and sustainer of all things. What further identification are you requesting?

Suppose, for example, that you are an engineer, and you were the one who designed and had the Golden Gate Bridge built. Would your ID say, “The one who designed and had the Golden Gate Bridge built,” or would it have your name written on it? Is identification really that difficult to understand?

 

[Godsgood]

I am saying quite the opposite, that I do know Him.

You say that you know the one true God, yet you cannot name Him. Are you telling the truth, or are you lying?

 

[Godsgood]

But you are making an assumption there. I do know, because the Bible tells me so, that God is able to do everything that He wills to do. In Isaiah, we read these words of God:

NKJV Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'
Isa 46:11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.

So the one true God is the One of Whom we read in those verses in Isaiah 46.

You are describing Him, but you are not naming Him.

Can you answer the question WHO? Who is the one true God?

 

[Godsgood]

I already have identified Him as the God spoken of in the Bible, the Creator and sustainer of all things. What further identification are you requesting?

In terms of the parts of speech, do you know the difference between a noun and an adjective?
What I am asking about is the noun, but your answer is about adjectives.

 

[DavidLamb]

Do you have an ID? What is written on your ID? Isn’t it your name? Then identify who the one true God is.

No, if by ID you mean an identity document. When I am required to prove who I am, I have to produce some documentation such as a birth certificate or a utility bill. But it seems from this post that you are asking me to give God's name. Which one do you want? God reveals several names in the Bible, including these:

NKJV Exo 3:13 Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
Exo 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
Exo 3:15 Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'

He is also known as El Shaddai, translated as "Almighty God" in English:

NKJV Gen 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
Gen 17:2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

Hagar called Him El Roi, or "the God Who Sees":

NKJV Gen 16:13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?"

He is called Jehovah-Sabbaoth, or in English, the Lord of Hosts:

NKJV 2Sa 6:2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.

There are many more biblical names of God.

 

[DavidLamb]

You say that you know the one true God, yet you cannot name Him. Are you telling the truth, or are you lying?

If you had made clear in the first place that you were asking for a name, I would have replied, as I just have in my previous post) that God is given many names in the Bible. I do know them. You seem to be suggesting that He is only given one name in the Bible. That just is not so.

 

[DavidLamb]

You are describing Him, but you are not naming Him.

Can you answer the question WHO? Who is the one true God?

I have just provided some of His Biblical names, and another one, in the New Testament, is Abba (when referring to God the Father):

NKJV Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

 

[DavidLamb]

In terms of the parts of speech, do you know the difference between a noun and an adjective?
What I am asking about is the noun, but your answer is about adjectives.

You asked me to identify God. It is possible to identify somebody in other ways than by name. Somebody could identify me as "the man who lives in the bungalow halfway down Greenlands Avenue", or "the person who writes the biblical 'Thought for the Week' in our local weekly newspaper." When the police hold an identity parade, they ask a witness to point out which person they saw committing a crime. They certainly don't expect the witness to be able to give the criminal's name. Anyway, as I have now indicated, the Bible provides us with many names for God. I have given some of them.

 

[Godsgood]

As usual, you have grossly misunderstood the passage you quote.

It is NOT saying that we each must avoid all other people as we journey through life, and eschew the assistance of others in our walk with the Lord. NOT EVEN A LITTLE.

Further, EVEN IF you had correctly interpreted the verse (which you most certainly have not!), YOU'RE STILL WRONG because I have contributed of my own accord without David having requested my involvement. You cannot rightly hold him guilty for something he has not done. So your accusation that he is a liar on this basis is empty, false, and stupid.


I have been responding to your ignorant drivel since you first joined this site, long before David did.

He has not requested my involvement at all. I first commented at the top of page 2. Stop making ridiculous false accusations.

Further, it's NOT just the two of you talking here. This is a DISCUSSION FORUM open to all members of the site. Deal with it.

Further, it's NOT just the two of you talking here. This is a DISCUSSION FORUM open to all members of the site. Deal with it.

What’s the purpose of a Bible discussion forum? Isn’t it about seeking the truth?

Everyone who wishes to join is welcome. However, it is not in accordance with the truth for us to speak on their behalf. Each person should speak for themselves and seek the truth for themselves. As the Scripture says, “work out your own salvation.”

 

[Godsgood]

No, if by ID you mean an identity document. When I am required to prove who I am, I have to produce some documentation such as a birth certificate or a utility bill. But it seems from this post that you are asking me to give God's name. Which one do you want? God reveals several names in the Bible, including these:

NKJV Exo 3:13 Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
Exo 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
Exo 3:15 Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'

He is also known as El Shaddai, translated as "Almighty God" in English:

NKJV Gen 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
Gen 17:2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

Hagar called Him El Roi, or "the God Who Sees":

NKJV Gen 16:13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?"

He is called Jehovah-Sabbaoth, or in English, the Lord of Hosts:

NKJV 2Sa 6:2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.

There are many more biblical names of God.

If you were to get a birth certificate, what would be written on it? Would it contain a description of you, or would it contain your name?

The statements you mentioned from the verses,“God is His name,” “I AM WHO I AM,” and “I AM has sent you” are not actually the name of God. They are statements describing or referring to God, rather than His personal name.

Based on your answers alone, despite your claim that you know the one true God, the fact that you cannot identify Him by name is evidence that you are not being truthful when you say that you know His name.

 

[Godsgood]

If you had made clear in the first place that you were asking for a name, I would have replied, as I just have in my previous post) that God is given many names in the Bible. I do know them. You seem to be suggesting that He is only given one name in the Bible. That just is not so.

The things you mentioned are not the name of God.

 

[OMC]

You are describing Him, but you are not naming Him.

Can you answer the question WHO? Who is the one true God?

The one true God is the LORD — Yahweh — the Father, revealed by the Son and known through the Spirit;
Jesus names Him directly in John 17:3 (“the only true God”),
Moses identifies Him as I AM (Exod 3:14),
the prophets call Him the Holy One of Israel (Isa 43:10–11), and
the apostles confess Him as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3);
He is not an abstract description, not a system, not a category —
He is the covenant God;
who created all things (Gen 1:1),
who chose Israel (Deut 7:6),
who sent His Son (John 3:16),
who raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:24), and
who will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31).
That is the answer to WHO — Yahweh, the Father, the only true God.
Is that enough of an ID for you?

 

[Godsgood]

I have just provided some of His Biblical names, and another one, in the New Testament, is Abba (when referring to God the Father):

NKJV Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

The things you mentioned are not the name of God.

Because God has only one name.

 

[Godsgood]

You asked me to identify God. It is possible to identify somebody in other ways than by name. Somebody could identify me as "the man who lives in the bungalow halfway down Greenlands Avenue", or "the person who writes the biblical 'Thought for the Week' in our local weekly newspaper." When the police hold an identity parade, they ask a witness to point out which person they saw committing a crime. They certainly don't expect the witness to be able to give the criminal's name. Anyway, as I have now indicated, the Bible provides us with many names for God. I have given some of them.

It all comes down to the same point: you do not know the one and only name of the one true God, yet you continue to claim that you do.

However, those of us who have been enlightened by the Word of God and have come to know the one true God know His one and only name, because He has revealed it to us.

 

[Godsgood]

No, if by ID you mean an identity document. When I am required to prove who I am, I have to produce some documentation such as a birth certificate or a utility bill. But it seems from this post that you are asking me to give God's name. Which one do you want? God reveals several names in the Bible, including these:

NKJV Exo 3:13 Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
Exo 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
Exo 3:15 Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'

He is also known as El Shaddai, translated as "Almighty God" in English:

NKJV Gen 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
Gen 17:2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

Hagar called Him El Roi, or "the God Who Sees":

NKJV Gen 16:13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?"

He is called Jehovah-Sabbaoth, or in English, the Lord of Hosts:

NKJV 2Sa 6:2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.

There are many more biblical names of God.

The one true God has only one name. And the things you mentioned are not names, but identifiers. There is a difference between an identifier and a name.

 

[Godsgood]

The one true God is the LORD — Yahweh — the Father, revealed by the Son and known through the Spirit;
Jesus names Him directly in John 17:3 (“the only true God”),
Moses identifies Him as I AM (Exod 3:14),
the prophets call Him the Holy One of Israel (Isa 43:10–11), and
the apostles confess Him as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3);
He is not an abstract description, not a system, not a category —
He is the covenant God;
who created all things (Gen 1:1),
who chose Israel (Deut 7:6),
who sent His Son (John 3:16),
who raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:24), and
who will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31).
That is the answer to WHO — Yahweh, the Father, the only true God.
Is that enough of an ID for you?

Yahweh is not the name of God.

The name “Yahweh” is a modern pronunciation or representation of the four Hebrew letters יהוה (YHWH), which are known as the Tetragrammaton.

 

[OMC]

Yahweh is not the name of God.

The name “Yahweh” is a modern pronunciation or representation of the four Hebrew letters יהוה (YHWH), which are known as the Tetragrammaton.

Oh absolutely, brother — thank you for the breaking‑news revelation that “Yahweh isn’t God’s name,” because apparently when God Himself says, “THIS is My name forever” (Exod 3:15), He was just spitballing, waiting 3,400 years for modern internet commentary to correct Him; and when the inspired authors wrote יהוה over 6,800 times, they were obviously giving us identifiers, not a name — just like when your driver’s license says your name, that’s clearly an identifier and not your name, because we all know real names must meet your personal linguistic criteria.
Meanwhile Jesus quotes Psalm 110 using the divine name logic, the prophets proclaim “YHWH is His name” (Isa 42:8), and the apostles treat the Tetragrammaton as God’s covenant name — but sure, let’s toss all that because “modern pronunciation” makes you uncomfortable.
World‑system diagnosis: this is peak System 3 sentimental‑semantic nitpicking dressed up as theological insight, while Scripture itself stands firmly in System 1 covenant‑juridical reality: God named Himself, not you.

 

[Godsgood]

You asked me to identify God. It is possible to identify somebody in other ways than by name. Somebody could identify me as "the man who lives in the bungalow halfway down Greenlands Avenue", or "the person who writes the biblical 'Thought for the Week' in our local weekly newspaper." When the police hold an identity parade, they ask a witness to point out which person they saw committing a crime. They certainly don't expect the witness to be able to give the criminal's name. Anyway, as I have now indicated, the Bible provides us with many names for God. I have given some of them.

If someone were looking for you, the first thing they would ask for is your name.

So what they would ask is, “Do you know this name?” and not Do you know the one who lives in bungalow halfway down greenlands avenue? Without naming your name.

When you report a crime to the police, the first thing they will ask is whether you know the suspect’s name. They do not first ask for the suspect’s description.