Dear Doves,

    I appreciate Jim Bramlett shining some historical light on the subject
of the name of God.  Since both common sense and the New Testament agree on
this subject, I am amazed that the question has to be periodically addressed
anyway.  I am 56 years old and my earthly father is 89.  He has a given name
which others address him by, but his children all still call him "daddy".  I
have never addressed my father by his given name and never will, because it
would be disrespectful to do so.  He is special, not because of his name,
but because of his relationship to me.  He is the one who fathered me,
raised me, taught me, provided for me and has always loved me.  He has
always been and always be "daddy" to me.
    I also have a heavenly father with whom I have the same relationship.
He fathered me in the spirit, and continues to train me, provide for me,
protect me, love me, and always will.  He sent his spirit into my heart
crying Abba, (Daddy).  To me it would border on being disrespectful to call
him by any name but "Father".
    Since the scripture said to let everything be established by two or
three witnesses, hear the example set by three New Testament witnesses on
how we should address our Heavenly Father:  Jesus called him Abba, Father in
Mark 14:6 as he earnestly prayed in the garden.  We along with the Apostle
Paul cry , Abba, Father in Romans 8:15, and the Holy Spirit, himself, cries
Abba, Father in Galatians 4:6.  Not one time in the New Testament is there
even a hint that the sons of God should address the Father by any other
name.  We are not servants under the Old Testament law, but adopted children
under a new and better covenant.  Having the privilege of knowing him as
Father and approaching him as Abba (daddy), why anyone would want to address
him any other way, is beyond me.  When you have the best relationship and
can use the best name, "daddy", to look elsewhere doesn't even make sense to
me.  But I guess everyone doesn't know him as Father so they have to call
him by something else.

May you truly come to know him and the power of his resurrection.

David Robinson