About the Author
Who is Yoder Fozzgood?
Yoder Fozzgood is the “person” credited with writing most of the articles found on our 1st John website. As declared on our About Page, Yoder is not a real person, but our ‘persona grata’ to whom we ascribe authorship for a specific reason. In this article we will share the origin of Yoder and what purpose he fulfills for all of us.
Historical Origin of the name “Yoder”
Microsoft Copilot provided the following “search” information:
“The name Yoder has Swiss German origins, originally spelled as Joder, and dates back to at least 1260. It is derived from the personal name Jodocus, a Latinized form of the Germanic name Jodok, which itself comes from the Greek name Theodokos, meaning “gift of God”. Wikipedia+3
Historical Origin of the name “Fozzgood”
Microsoft Copilot finds nothing under the name Fozzgood, but under the name “Fozz” it gives the following:
The name Fozz has several origins and meanings:
- It is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word “foz,” meaning “mouth,” “ford,” or “foss/ditch.” This name is often linked to geographical features, such as river mouths, and has evolved into a surname indicating a family’s origins near such features.
- In Spanish, Foz can also refer to a diminutive form of the name Fos, which relates to the term “foss,” meaning “ditch” or “channel.” This connection to geographical locations is preserved in place names throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
- The surname Foz is of Spanish origin, likely stemming from a diminutive form of the name Fos, and may also relate to geographical locations indicating a family’s origins near a water feature or similar terrain. Thus, the name Fozz has strong ties to geographical and linguistic roots, particularly in Spain and Portugal.
We became aware, only recently, of the historical meanings of these names. Now we ponder their meaning considering how we are making use of this name, “Yoder Fozzgood” as a “gift of God” and “the mouth of a river”. Perhaps the seeds of our endeavor began 58 years ago? If so, to God be the glory!
When the name “Yoder Fozzgood” was first imagined
It was 58 years ago that the name Yoder Fozzgood was conceived by one of our members. The first name, Yoder, was adopted from the surname of a childhood friend. The last name emerged spontaneously without an origin to claim. Combined, Yoder Fozzgood was a name never forgotten all these years, but not applied to anyone, real or imaginary. This same member in 2019, began to delve deeply into the Bible on a mission to challenge a Christian doctrine he had been raised to believe. He began writing down his findings and signed them with this name “Yoder Fozzgood” as the author, which appeared on a few articles shared among friends.
Yoder Fozzgood in Use Today
Today, the name Yoder Fozzgood is being used as a pen name for authorship on our webpage, 1st John, which publishes articles representing serious research in the scriptures to uncover false doctrines commonly found in Christian churches. From that first research effort in 2019, further research has been ongoing, plus an effort to connect with other people who share a common concern about false doctrines and exposing the harm they do to the Christian message. This is not a small undertaking. We welcome the help, in the form of time–not money, of all who have a genuine hunger for truth and a heart’s desire to do God’s will at any cost. Even your encouragement is very welcome.
Why we give authorship credit to Yoder Fozzgood at 1st John
Our intention–all of us seek humility in everything we do. The last thing we want is notoriety. We believe we are on an assignment from God to work faithfully, in the background, which is our sanctuary. Our goal is to work as a volunteer maintenance crew on the graveyard shift, busy setting things in order for each new day, making the main feature sparkle, clean, welcoming, purposeful and effective, at no cost to anyone.
We believe everything we need for salvation is right there in our Bible and we are shining a spotlight on “knowing” what our Bible teaches, sound doctrine. Our goal is to highlight this truth repeatedly without drawing any attention to ourselves. We are nothing more than an arrow pointing to Biblical truth, fulfilling the instruction found in Matthew 10:27-28. The very real person we focus our attention on is Jesus Christ, and His gift to the world, which we cannot attain through false doctrines.
