Jehovah’s Witnesses

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shittim

Senior Member
Dec 16, 2016
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Ever since the first chapter He has spoken to man, somewhere, somehow, as in Chronicles. looking for those through whom you may show yourself strong, since Jesus now indwells His own and Holy Spirit speaks only what is given to Him we have a constant source of truth from Him. He never sleeps, neither does our spirit. Our body sleeps, our soul sleeps, our spirit never sleeps, thus His dreams of guidance and instruction can and are given us as we ask for them.
We have not because we ask not, we ask and receive not because we ask amiss.
best wishes
 

Blade

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2019
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A couple times a month, JW’s come to visit the industrial estate where I work. They’re always welcoming and we always have a healthy debate, but everytime I ask the question why they don’t believe Jesus is God they stop talking and direct me to their website.
I can’t understand how someone who reads the same scriptures that we do, does not believe that Jesus is Lord? Or are they reading different scripture? As they’re trying to convert me, I offer counterpoints to make them think about what they believe. I’m not bashing JW’s. I just can’t fathom how you can read the same book, but come to a different conclusion of who/what God is. Thoughts?
Directing you to there web site is smart :) Yet that does not mean those that are sharing do not believe. Like with Mormons there are many that know believe in Jesus Christ as lord. I know we all love to believe we see the truth and all others are lost huh :) We have the real Jesus! AMEN! Yet with our bible we know this or that book/letter was never allowed in or this or that chapter was taken out. Words were added to verses on and on and on. Then all Hebrew and Greek translations do not agree on and on.

Is it not odd at least for me I am or never have had to turn away all those Christians. Now Mormons and JW yes... that along speaks volumes The only ones (Christians) that have ever come to the door was from this small black Church praise God for them. Now from Washington to Calf, Burbank, Glendale on and on then Colorado the only Pastor that ever in 61 years that came our door was from a hmm a oh Church of God Church. If you know about Church of God it was the good one if that makes sense. Yet I always wondered well he said our name crossed his desk. He took over that very small Church which we had never been to never knew it was there :)

Side note we use to talk almost every day. We went to that Church for some years. He always said he was not one of those pastors that would leave where God put them to go over where the grass is greener as in a bigger Church. Yet left that tiny Church for a very big Church. Last time I spoke to him "oh our Church has its own indoor basketball court." and shared all the other really nice things it had. Praise God.

So whos out there sharing the good news door to door? Do I believe in what I believe to do it? Do I have to be told by my Church to go door to door? Hmm
 
Jun 20, 2022
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Trinity doesn't save or condemn anybody. Jesus is never called "God the son". I believe Jesus is divine but NOT God! Anyone who believes in Jesus' virgin birth life, miracles, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension - is a Christian!

It's impossible for Jesus to be God or better yet - equal to God the Father. Bible says God is ONE - NOT 3 in1. Bible says God cannot be a man. Jesus said he's NOT equal to the father. I believe Jesus and the bible. Who do you believe?
No, Jesus is has always, and will always be the WORD!

As the WORD, he removed all of WHO HE IS and emptied Himself by fulfilling a Role of Lamb to be Sacrificed.

But HE was the WORD from Beginning to End and End to Beginning.

The WORD is Spirit made Flesh.

He is literally God inside a human body.

Only God Himself and HIS OWN BLOOD could provide Salvation.

Not a sinless human dummy. It had to be acceptable to God's Standards. There was no other choice but God coming down and fulfilling the only Sacrifice HE could ever accept.

Think about these 2 factors Omnipresent and Omniscient.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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Isaiah 43:10-11
This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation exists
in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:11-12
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
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Can I ask you a very simple question?

In 2 Peter 1:1, the author writes to a body of believers as "those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours," and then goes on to immediately refer to Jesus as "our God and Savior." Included in the "faith" received that 2 Peter 1:1 refers to is the notion that Jesus is "our God and Savior." Therefore, should anyone not believe Jesus is both God and Savior, then your faith is not the same faith as 2 Peter, and his letter is not intended for you. And if you are not apart of the community of which 2 Peter was directed to, then there is only one other group that 2 Peter speaks of -- there's "us," and there's "them" -- the "us" (the body of believers to whom 2 Peter was written) and the "them" (the reprobate). This sort of "us" vs. "them" contrast is weaved throughout the epistle: you are one or the other. And since you don't refer to Jesus as "our God and Savior," that pretty much narrows it down, does it not?

Feel free to curse until your face turns blue; it doesn't bother (nor will it deter) me in any way.
If you do happen to ask me any questions, just assume they need to be simple.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
60,334
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Another One Bites The Dust
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
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They would confess Jesus as Lord, but not as God.

As far as salvation goes in scripture, the case that if someone doesn't believe in the deity of Christ prevents him from believing the Gospel and mean he's going to Hell seems a bit thin. Why didn't the apostles hammer on this point in their evangelistic preaching or why doesn't Paul mention it in summaries of the Gospel, like in I Corinthians 14.

Also, some of the 'Arian' groups in history accepted the deity of the Son, but were not convinced of the personhood of the Spirit. I read the confession Wulfius adhered to. I heard the Vandals and I think it was Visigoths were Arians, but I wonder if these eastern Germanic tribes adhered to the same creed as Wulfius who had won eastern Germanic tribes.

Those who confess the Athanasian creed, which we might call the pseudo-Athanasian creed, and isn't really an ecumenical creed, deny salvation to Arians.

I also wonder, a bit whimsically, whether JWs are so against Santa Claus because of the slap-- you know, St. Nicholas giving Arius a Nice slap.

Anyway, the Watchtower also denies the bodily resurrection of Christ which is a big issue related to salvation.
“They would confess Jesus as Lord, but not as God.”

yep and it just doesn’t make sense because they claim to be so scripturally sound

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:10-12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭18:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭15:41‬ ‭

“And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭29:46‬ ‭

“and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:4-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬
A
The lord is God
 

Lafftur

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2017
6,895
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To all Jehovah’s Witnesses:

PLEASE GO BUY A KING JAMES VERSION OF THE HOLY BIBLE AND READ IT WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD GIVING YOU UNDERSTANDING.

If you want to give your life away, might as well give it to JESUS CHRIST ALONE instead of a cult.
 

Webers.Home

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May 28, 2018
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John 1:1a . . In the beginning was the Word

The Greek translated "word" in that verse is logos (log'-os) which is
somewhat ambiguous. One of its meanings pertains to vocal expression; for
example:

Gen 1:3 . . God said: Let there be light

So the cosmos-- all of its forms of life, matter, and energy --came into
existence by means of God's voice, viz: by means of His speech.

2Pet 3:5 . . By the word of God the heavens existed long ago, and the
earth was formed out of water and by water

We pretty much have to spell the God in the next verse with upper case so
that there's absolutely no mistaking whose speech we're talking about.

John 1:1b . . and the Word was God.

The thing is: we cannot allow for God's own vocal expressions to be any less
divine than Himself-- in print is one thing, but when he's actually speaking,
that's something else.

According to John 1:14, God's speech took on the nature of human life. How
it's possible for God's spoken words to be anything other than His
vocalizations, I haven't a clue; but if God's spoken words can become
human, then there are no doubt many other things they could become
should God want them to: for example clouds, flames, winds, or even bolts
of lightning.

I haven't a clue how it is that God's spoken words constitute a divine being;
nevertheless, John 1:1-3 says the Word is exactly that. But we are not
talking about two divine beings in that passage; only one; and that's
because (to my knowledge) God has only one voice with which to speak His
words.

NOTE: The Watch Tower Society alleges that the Logos (a.k.a. the Word) is a
celestial being named Michael the arch angel. Well; I seriously doubt that an
angel comes flying out of God's mouth whenever He says something. Also,
were God's voice to be an angel, that would mean that all the while that
Michael wasn't existing as an angel, God was mute.
_
 

Webers.Home

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The Watchtower Society's theology is a based on a version called
monolatrism, which basically alleges that all gods are actual deities; though
not all deities are deemed worthy of worship. This is not quite the same as
polytheism where numerous gods are all considered worthy of worship.

Monolatrism is distinguished from monotheism (asserts the existence of only
one god) and distinguished from henotheism (a religious system in which the
believer worships one god alone without denying that others may worship
different gods of equal value)

While classical Christianity recognizes but two categories of gods-- the true
and the false, viz: the authentic and the imitation, the intrinsic and the
artificial --the Watchtower Society's theologians took the liberty to create a
third sandwiched between the true and the false called "mighty ones". The
mighty-one category is a sort of neutral zone where qualifying personages
exist as bona fide deities without violating the very first of the Ten
Commandments. For example:

"I myself have said: You are gods" (Ps 82:6)

The gods referred to in that passage are humans; which everybody should
know are only imitation deities rather than the genuine article; so in order to
avoid stigmatizing humans as fake gods, the Society classifies them as
mighty ones.

This gets kind of humorous when we plug "mighty one" into various
locations. For example:

"In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was a mighty one." (John 1:1)

And another:

"No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten mighty one who is in
the bosom position with the Father is the one that has explained him." (John
1:18)

The "mighty one" category was an invention of necessity. In other words:
without it, the Society would be forced to classify the only-begotten (John
1:18) and the Word (John 1:1) as a false god seeing as how Deut 6:4, John
17:3, and 1Cor 8:4-6 testify that there is only one true god.

POSIT: Jesus verified the authority of Ps 82:6 in a discussion recorded at
John 10:34-36. If the word of God cannot be nullified, then those gods have
to be real gods.

REPLY: Oh; they're real alright: real imitations because according to Deut
6:4, John 17:3, and 1Cor 8:4-6 there is only one true god. Therefore the
gods in Ps 82 are artificial gods. Plus; true gods don't die; viz: they're
immortal, impervious to death. The gods in Psalm 82 are neither immortal
nor impervious to death.

"Surely you will die just as men do" (Ps 82:7)

So then, what does all this say about the Word of John 1:1? Well; if the
Word is only a mighty one, as the Watchtower Society alleges; then he's an
artificial god-- i.e. a false god --and his divinity is no more divine in reality
than a totem pole or a statue of Shiva.

POSIT: If true gods don't die, then Jesus is not a true god because he was
mortal.

REPLY: If Christ's origin had begun only with Adam, then the posit's
conclusion would be 100% correct. However, I know from John 1:1-14 and
Heb 3:3-5 that Christ's origin is an eternal being who not only pre-existed
the first man, but also got him started.

* I have thus far been unable to comprehend how it's possible for the
eternal being who created the first man to then biologically descend from
that very same man. In other words: I can't imagine how it's possible for
someone to exist as a spirit being and a material being simultaneously.
_
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
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Monolatrism is distinguished from monotheism (asserts the existence of only
one god) and distinguished from henotheism (a religious system in which the
believer worships one god alone without denying that others may worship
different gods of equal value)


While classical Christianity recognizes but two categories of gods-- the true
and the false, viz: the authentic and the imitation, the intrinsic and the
artificial --the Watchtower Society's theologians took the liberty to create a
third sandwiched between the true and the false called "mighty ones". The
mighty-one category is a sort of neutral zone where qualifying personages
exist as bona fide deities without violating the very first of the Ten
Commandments. For example:


_

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 8, 'For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth...' Christianity acknowledges that supernatural beings recognized by people as 'gods' do exist. This is evidence in both the Old and New Testaments.

The word translated 'angels' in 'Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels' is 'elohim.' The book of Hebrews clarifies that this is referring to angels.

If it's in the Bible, it is a part of Christianity.

Maybe some uninformed scholarly version of medieval Christianity or later pop Christianity doesn't realize this stuff. It is obvious from careful Bible study.

Confusing the pre-Incarnate Logos with some mere created angelic being is the problem. But clearly 'elohim' is used in contexts to refer to beings other than the Almighty.
 

Webers.Home

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Psalm 8:5 is the one and only place in the entire Old Testament where the
Hebrew word 'elohiym is translated "angel" and that's likely because it isn't
translated in that verse, rather, it's interpreted.

When translated, instead of interpreted, that verse in context with Psalm
8:4-8 is readily seen a reference to Genesis 1:28 which says:

"God blessed them and said to them: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill
the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air
and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

NOTE: Hebrews 2:7 is a bounce from the Septuagint version of Psalm 8:5 rather
than a bounce from the original Hebrew.

Anyway; the whole idea is that God created humanity in His own image and
likeness, i.e. humanity came into being not all that far below the top in the
grand scheme of things; and then the letter to Hebrews goes on to explain
where Jesus fits into that scheme.
_
 

Webers.Home

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John 20:17 . . Be on your way to my brothers and say to them; "I am
ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God."

FAQ: If Jesus is God, as classical Christianity claims, then how can anyone
be his superior?

REPLY: I have yet to encounter the language of John 20:17 in reverse, viz: I
have yet to see a passage in the Bible where the Father refers to His son as
"my God". The reason for that is very simple; Jesus is a son.

Ex 20:12 . . Honor your father

John 8:49 . . Jesus answered: I honor my Father

There's a hierarchy in the divine relationship just as there is a hierarchy in
human relationships. Though all members of a human family are equally
human, they are not all equal in rank and privilege; some are superior and
some are subordinate. (cf. John 14:28, 1Cor 15:28)

The Watchtower Bible And Tract Society calls Jesus "the only-begotten son
from a Father" (John 1:14). Don't let that mislead you. The Society dare not
accept Christ's status as God's literal progeny because the ramifications
would force them to revise their theology.

The Society also calls Jesus "the only-begotten god" (John 1:18). Well; If
the true God were to beget a god, wouldn't that god be just as much the
true God as its father? When God begot His son, did He beget a false god?

For simplicity's sake; it helps to think of the true God as a species; viz: if
indeed the true God were to reproduce and beget a child, He would beget a
child of like species; i.e. the true God would beget true God, i.e. more of
Himself, because that's the only kind of offspring that the true God could
possibly reproduce; just as when a true human being begets a child, they
beget a child of like species i.e. they beget a true human being like
themselves because that's the only kind of offspring that a true human being
can reproduce.

Now, we can volley back and forth with JWs, countering each other's verses
with more verses-- verse upon verse --but I can just about guarantee that
us and they will both be chasing our tails and getting nowhere until they
agree to approach the Son's relationship to his Father from a biological
perspective; which is a perspective that just about anybody with even a
cursory knowledge of the birds and the bees can understand with ease.

FAQ: How can the true God be two of Himself out there when even Jesus
plainly declared there is only one true God? (John 17:3)

REPLY: The Bible also declares that there is only one Man. (Acts 17:26)

In the beginning, when God created the Man, He created him male and
female; i.e. two persons. But the two persons do not represent two Mans.
There is only one Man though the one Man is a binary creature and can be
spoken of with a plural pronoun. (Gen 1:27, Gen 5:2)

After God created Adam, he then proceeded to construct Eve from Adam's
body rather than create her from the soil as before. That way, Eve retained
Adam's humanness rather than be given a unique humanness of her own,
viz: Eve was in Adam, and he in her.

In a similar manner-- though no doubt quite a bit more complex --God's son
is in God, and God is in His son. i.e. the Son extends the Father just as Eve
extended Adam.

In point of fact, the New Testament verifies that the Son is God's direct
descendant, i.e. a being consisting of God similar in manner to how Eve was
a being consisting of Adam.

1John 3:9 . . Everyone who has been born from God does not carry on sin,
because His reproductive seed remains in such one, and he cannot practice
sin, because he has been born from God.

* That verse explains how Jesus was able to remain 100% sinless the whole
time he was here.
_
 

Webers.Home

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FAQ: Aren't born-again Christians per John 3:3-8 God's progeny?

REPLY: Born-again Christians aren't God's direct descendants like His son Jesus,
rather, they're His handiwork, i.e. creations.

Eph 2:10 . . . For we are a product of his work and were created in union with
Christ Jesus

Eph 4:24 . . Put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in
true righteousness

Col 3:10 . . Clothe yourselves with the new personality, which through accurate
knowledge is being made new according to the image of the One who created it,

After undergoing the Spirit birth spoken of by John 3:3-8, the new creations are placed
in God's home via the process of adoption.

Gal 4:4-5 . . But when the full limit of the time arrived, God sent forth His son, who
came to be out of a woman and who came to be under law, that he might release by
purchase those under law, that we, in turn, might receive the adoption as sons.

Eph 1:5 . . . For he foreordained us to the adoption through Jesus Christ as sons
to Himself,

Now; the pot of gold related to this adoption is that adopted kids have just as much right
to an inheritance as kids born in the home; and they have a right to be known by their
adoptive father's name, plus: the right to a place in his genealogy. In other words, born
again Christians have the right to be known as God's descendants-- not direct descendants
of course but descendants none the less. (For those among us who at one time were in
line for the sum of all fears, adoption into God's home is quite an improvement.)

* Nothing in the above paragraph applies to John Que and Jane Doe rank and file JWs
because the Watchtower Society's hewers of wood and haulers of water-- i.e. the great
crowd --do not expect to undergo the Spirit birth spoken of by John 3:3-8 either in this
life or the next; ergo: they are facing a very deprived future.
_
 

Bruce_Leiter

Active member
Feb 17, 2023
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A couple times a month, JW’s come to visit the industrial estate where I work. They’re always welcoming and we always have a healthy debate, but everytime I ask the question why they don’t believe Jesus is God they stop talking and direct me to their website.
I can’t understand how someone who reads the same scriptures that we do, does not believe that Jesus is Lord? Or are they reading different scripture? As they’re trying to convert me, I offer counterpoints to make them think about what they believe. I’m not bashing JW’s. I just can’t fathom how you can read the same book, but come to a different conclusion of who/what God is. Thoughts?
They have their own translation that slants ours to deny the plain truth that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all one God in three Persons, a clear teaching of the Bible, especially the Gospel of John.
 

Angela53510

Senior Member
Jan 24, 2011
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I noticed that word 'a' in that verse many years ago. Had a JW friend, loaned me a NWT to check it out. That was the first verse that I came to and then I just closed the book. I ended up buying this friend a NKJV bible for Christmas. Hope it did some good.
In fact, Koine Greek doesn't use the word "a" at all. Not just in John 1:1, but anywhere! There are words for counting, but no indefinite articles like we have in English, French, German etc. Ukrainian tends to follow the Greek, but has no definite or indefinite articles.

That's a pretty good argument against the JW "New World Translation of the Holy Scripture" which has translated it wrongly! But a very good example of eisegesis, reading into the Bible something you believe, even if you had to add words that do not exist in the language the Bible was written!