HERESY?

[Wrangler]

Did I ever ask you to accept or deny MY OPINIONS as to what those verses said??? NO!!!

Touchy. Whether you asked or not, there it is. You are reading words not in Scripture. For all to see.

 

[Moriah's Song]

Touchy. Whether you asked or not, there it is. You are reading words not in Scripture. For all to see.

All cults deny the truth of God's Word. You KNOW that you are denying the truth of SCRIPTURE BUT CAN'T ADMIT IT AND SO YOU KEEP THE BLINDFOLD ON JUS AS THE PHARISEES DID.

Just what version do you read anyway?

 

[Moriah's Song]

Jesus never said he raised himself from the dead.

Scripture says:

John 2:19: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And John adds, “He was speaking about the temple of his body”
(John 2:21). "Destroy this body, and in three days, I will raise it up."
​

I listed only God's Word directly from scripture so you could not falsely accuse me of anything.

 

[Moriah's Song]

HOW MANY BIBLES DOES IT TAKE FOR INDOCTRINATED PEOPLE WHO TRUST THE HERESAIC NWT INSTEAD OF WHAT THIS LIST OF 46 BIBLE INTERPRETERS USING THE SEPTUAGINT FOR TRANSLATION USE TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES THAT A BIBLE FROM THE WATCHTOWER THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE 1800'S CAN BE SO DIFFERENT IN COMPARISON TO THIS LIST? EVEN THE DARBY/SCOFIELD BIBLE IS BETTER THAN THE NWT....and of which you will notice that it is NOT on the list at all!

◄ John 2:19 ►
Modern Translations
New International Version
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

New Living Translation
“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

English Standard Version
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Berean Study Bible
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

NASB 1995
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

NASB 1977
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Amplified Bible
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Christian Standard Bible
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus answered, "Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days."

Contemporary English Version
"Destroy this temple," Jesus answered, "and in three days I will build it again!"

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will build it again."

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus replied, "Tear down this temple, and I'll rebuild it in three days."

International Standard Version
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will rebuild it."

NET Bible
Jesus replied, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again."

Classic Translations
King James Bible
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

New King James Version
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

King James 2000 Bible
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

New Heart English Bible
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

World English Bible
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

American King James Version
Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

American Standard Version
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

A Faithful Version
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

Darby Bible Translation
Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

English Revised Version
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Webster's Bible Translation
Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Early Modern
Geneva Bible of 1587
Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Destroy this Temple, and in three daies I will raise it vp againe.

Bishops' Bible of 1568
Iesus aunswered, & sayde vnto them: Destroy this temple, & in three dayes I wyll reare it vp.

Coverdale Bible of 1535
Iesus answered & sayde vnto the: Breake downe this temple, and in thre dayes wil I set it vp agayne.

Early Modern
Tyndale Bible of 1526
Iesus answered and sayd vnto them: destroye this temple and in thre dayes I will reare it vp agayne.
Literal Standard Version
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Berean Literal Bible
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

Young's Literal Translation
Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.'

Smith's Literal Translation
Jesus answered and said to them, Loose this temple, and in three days will I raise it up.

Literal Emphasis Translation
Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.

Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus answered, and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Jesus responded and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Translaations from Aramaic
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Yeshua answered and said to them: “Tear down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Lamsa Bible
Jesus answered and said to them, Tear down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.

Godbey New Testament
Jesus responded and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rear it up.

Haweis New Testament
Jesus answered and said to them, Pull down this temple, and in three days I will rear it up again.

Mace New Testament
Jesus answered them, saying, destroy this temple, and within three days I will raise it up.

Weymouth New Testament
"Demolish this Sanctuary," said Jesus, "and in three days I will rebuild it."

Worrell New Testament
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

Worsley New Testament
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again: then said the Jews,

 

[Enoch111]

This thread is dead.

Correct. There is no point in going round and round and round the same nonsense. What we need is another section on CB titled "Nonsense". There could be a ton of nonsense posted every day. Good for laughs.

 

[Moriah's Song]

Correct. There is no point in going round and round and round the same nonsense.

Heresy is not nonsense. Heretical beliefs can potentially send one to hell - especially those who deliberately add to or change the intent of God's Word.

Rev 22:18-20..."I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 

[Enoch111]

Heresy is not nonsense. Heretical beliefs can potentially send one to hell - especially those who deliberately add to or change the intent of God's Word.

Agree with the last sentence. But heresy is "spiritual nonsense".

 

[Aunty Jane]

HOW MANY BIBLES DOES IT TAKE FOR INDOCTRINATED PEOPLE WHO TRUST THE HERESAIC NWT INSTEAD OF WHAT THIS LIST OF 46 BIBLE INTERPRETERS USING THE SEPTUAGINT FOR TRANSLATION USE TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES THAT A BIBLE FROM THE WATCHTOWER THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE 1800'S CAN BE SO DIFFERENT IN COMPARISON TO THIS LIST? EVEN THE DARBY/SCOFIELD BIBLE IS BETTER THAN THE NWT....and of which you will notice that it is NOT on the list at all!

◄ John 2:19 ►
Modern Translations <snipped for space>
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again:

Seems to me that you are getting all worked up over a single verse that can be interpreted to agree with all of what the Bible teaches....that was a bit of a waste really....

Could Jesus have been using symbolism in his statement? What agrees with the the rest of the Bible....
Consider this....
The context must be examined. John 2:13-18 shows that Jesus had cleansed the literal temple at Jerusalem, routing from it those who were making it a place of merchandise, and as a result had been confronted with this question from the Jews: “What sign have you to show us, since you are doing these things?” Then in John 2:19, Jesus told them the sign, which is the basis of this question. John 2:20-22 continues: “The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and yet You will raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking about the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.” (NASB)

This setting shows that Jesus was not talking about his physical body, but “he was talking about the temple of his body”. The temple in Jerusalem that Jesus cleansed represented not Jesus alone but also the body-members over which he is head. Just as the literal temple was not made up of one stone but many, so “the temple of his body” consists of many living stones, with Jesus as the foundation cornerstone: “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture”. (1 Peter 2:4-7 NASB)

After the Jewish religionists rejected Christ (the living stone) and broke him down by death on an execution stake, on the third day, his God and Father, raised him up to become the chief cornerstone of the temple of living stones then under preparation. He immediately appeared to his disciples and lifted them up out of their despondency, built them up spiritually so that they could “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God”. That this building of “the temple of his body” started then and continued through the years that followed is shown by Peter’s use of the present tense when years afterward he said Christ’s followers “are being built up a spiritual house”.

So from my studies, I do not read that verse as you understand it....its not the words but the interpretation of it that changes what it means and agrees with what Acts 2:31-32 says...
"he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. 32 It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses."

He was not speaking about the the literal temple...or his physical body, but about the spiritual "body of Christ". That to me agrees with what the rest of scripture teaches...unless of course you think it contradicts itself?

 

[Moriah's Song]

John 2:19: “a)Destroy this temple, b)and in three days I will raise it up.

This is what is correctly stated in the NWT bible from the Septuagint. However, if the NWT translators knew ANYTHING about the Greek language as they claim, then they surely would have known that the English word "temple" that Jesus was referring to in verse 19 is translated in the Greek as "naos." NAOS is the Greek word for the "Holy of Holies" in the inner sanctuary where only the High Priest was permitted to go. It is also the Greek word for "his body as the temple."(It is the area where the "ark of the covenant" was kept.)

Now the outer area where Jesus taught was in the courtyard. The building itself that surrounded the temple (where the Dome of the Rock is now) and the couryards are referred to as "hieron" in the Greek.

In section a) the word "temple" (naos) is misconstrued in the NWT to "a building" (heiron) They knew what they were doing. That verse should read "Destroy this "body", and in three days I will raise "my body" up" but the way they make it seem, it reads thus "Destroy this building (hieron) and in three days I will raise up "this building" (hieron).

The "slight-of-hand" deception is this...The JW's note writers had to have done this hoping their "students" would not know any Greek. Any interlinear Bible will show that what I have concluded is truth.

HOWEVER, the NWT indoctrinational study notes are a travesty because they openly don't want their student to know the truth and that is that "both Jesus and the Father could say the same thing and be true because of the tri/unity of the Godhead.

NWT says this..."Although Jesus said: “I will raise it up,” the Scriptures clearly show that it was God who resurrected him." (Acts 10:40) Now, here in Acts 10:40 is another deception because the true reading of this verse is...."but God raised him up(NOT "IT" up)!!!

 

[Aunty Jane]

This is what is correctly stated in the NWT bible from the Septuagint. However, the NWT translators knew ANYTHING about the Greek language as they claim, then they surely would have known that the English word "temple" that Jesus was referring to in verse 19 is translated in the Greek as "naos." NAOS is the Greek word for the "Holy of Holies" in the inner sanctuary where only the High Priest was permitted to go. (It is the area where the "ark of the covenant" was kept.)

Now the outer area where Jesus taught was in the courtyard. The building itself that surrounded the temple (where the Dome of the Rock is now) and the couryards are is referred to as "hieron" in the Greek.

In section a) the word "temple" (naos) is misconstrued in the NWT to "a building" (heiron) They knew what they were doing. That verse should read "Destroy this "body", and in three days I wil raise "my body" up" but the way they make it seem it reads thus "Destroy this building (hieron) and in three days I will raise up "this building" (hieron).

Is that all of what Strongs tells us is meant by this expression? Can you climb down off your anti-JW soapbox long enough to actually listen?

What is the whole of Strongs definition...?
"1. used of the temple at Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice (or sanctuary) itself, consisting of the Holy place and the Holy of Holies (in classical Greek it is used of the sanctuary or cell of the temple, where the image of the god was placed which is distinguished from the whole enclosure)

2. any heathen temple or shrine.

3. metaph. the spiritual temple consisting of the saints of all ages joined together by and in Christ."

So where is the truth in what you say? Number 3, says it can indeed mean what your sources said it can't.

The "slight-of-hand" deception is this...The JW's note writers had to have done this hoping their "students" would not know any Greek. Any interlinear Bible will show that what I have concluded is truth.

HOWEVER, the NWT indoctrinational study notes are a travesty because the openly don't want their student to know the truth and that is that "both Jesus and the Father could say the same thing and be true because of the tri/unity of the Godhead.

NWT says this..."Although Jesus said: “I will raise it up,” the Scriptures clearly show that it was God who resurrected him." (Acts 10:40) Now, here in Acts 10:40 is another decption because the true reading of this verse is...."but God raised him up(NOT "IT" up)!!!

More misrepresentation of what the NWT states....your hostility is not well founded and smacks of the attitude of the Pharisees in passing on hearsay instead of facts.

You are getting two entirely different events confused.....
What Jesus pointed to in John 2:20-22 was the temple of his spiritual body...the "body of Christ" chosen to rule with him in heaven....he was to raise them up......using the literal temple as a symbol because it would be destroyed and no man would bring about its restoration, (which to this day has never been rebuilt.) But the temple made of the living stones was restored when God raised his son (the chief corner stone) from the dead. Jesus did not raise himself, but as Acts clearly shows, "It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses."

It appear as though you have it all muddled....but we know who likes to cause confusion.....(2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

 

[Moriah's Song]

More misrepresentation of what the NWT states....

I am posting this list to show that the following religions are among those that reject the doctrine of the Trinity. The list is not exhaustive but encompasses several of the major groups and religious movements. Included is a brief explanation of each group's beliefs about the nature of God; revealing a deviation from the Trinity doctrine. I did not make this list up; it was provided by researching the internet. Those on this list are always listed as "cults." As you can see from this list, all of them were started on the east coast by "humans"; not divinely inspired through the Holy Spirit's (3rd person of the Trinity). The Evangelical Protestant Church was not started by "humans" but by our Lord God Himself with full actiity of the Tri-unity Godhead. The Evangelical Church has its roots actually in the Garden of Eden, and of which it then became more fully developed after Pentecost through divinely inspirted writings from the OT Moses to the NT John.

For comparison purposes, the biblical Trinity doctrine is defined by The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church as "The central dogma of Christian theology, that the one God exists in three Persons and one substance, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one, yet self-differentiated; the God who reveals Himself to mankind is one God equally in three distinct modes of existence, yet remains one through all eternity."

Notice the dates because the Mormons, the Christadelphians, the JW's, the Christian Scientists, and the Unitarians all originated in the USA during the same period - and of which they co-inside within the same era of Charles Nelson Darby's theory of Dispensationalism which he brought to the USA after making several trips here.

Mormonism - Latter-day Saints - Founded By: Joseph Smith, Jr., 1830.

Mormons believe that God has a physical, flesh and bones, eternal, perfect body. Men have the potential to become gods as well. Jesus is God's literal son, a separate being from God the Father and the "elder brother" of men. The Holy Spirit is also a separate being from God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is regarded as an impersonal power or spirit being. These three separate beings are "one" only in their purpose, and they make up the Godhead.​

Christadelphians - Founded By: Dr. John Thomas, 1864.

Christadelphians believe God is one indivisible unity, not three distinct persons existing in one God. They deny the divinity of Jesus, believing he is fully human and separate from God. They do not believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, but merely a force—the "unseen power" from God.​

Jehovah's Witnesses - Founded By: Charles T. Russell, 1879. Succeeded by Joseph F. Rutherford, 1917.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God is one person, Jehovah. Jesus was Jehovah's first creation. Jesus is not God, nor part of the Godhead. He is higher than the angels but inferior to God. Jehovah used Jesus to create the rest of the universe. Before Jesus came to earth, he was known as the archangel Michael. The Holy Spirit is an impersonal force from Jehovah, but not God.​

Christian Science - Founded By: Mary Baker Eddy, 1879

Christian Scientists believe the Trinity is life, truth, and love. As an impersonal principle, God is the only thing that truly exists. Everything else (matter) is an illusion. Jesus, though not God, is the Son of God. He was the promised Messiah but was not a deity. The Holy Spirit is divine science in the teachings of Christian Science.​

Unity School of Christianity - Founded By: Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, 1889

Similar to Christian Science, Unity adherents believe God is an unseen, impersonal principle, not a person. God is a force within everyone and everything. Jesus was only a man, not the Christ. He merely realized his spiritual identity as the Christ by practicing his potential for perfection. This is something all men can achieve. Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, but rather, he reincarnated. The Holy Spirit is the active expression of God's law. Only the spirit part of us is real; matter is not real.​

Oneness Pentecostals - Founded By: Frank Ewart, 1913.

Oneness Pentecostals believe that there is one God and God is one. Throughout time God manifested himself in three ways or "forms" (not persons), as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Oneness Pentecostals take issue with the Trinity doctrine chiefly for its use of the term "person." They believe God cannot be three distinct persons, but only one being who has revealed himself in three different modes. It is important to note that Oneness Pentecostals do affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.​

Armstrongism - Philadelphia Church of God, Global Church of God, United Church of God - Founded By: Herbert W. Armstrong, 1934.

Traditional Armstrongism denies a Trinity, defining God as "a family of individuals." Original teachings say Jesus did not have a physical resurrection and the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force.​

Unification Church - Founded By: Sun Myung Moon, 1954

Unification adherents believe that God is positive and negative, male and female. The universe is God's body, made by him. Jesus was not God, but a man. He did not experience a physical resurrection. In fact, his mission on earth failed and will be fulfilled through Sun Myung Moon, who is greater than Jesus. The Holy Spirit is feminine in nature. She collaborates with Jesus in the spirit realm to draw people to Sun Myung Moon.​

Scientology - Dianetics - Founded By: L. Ron Hubbard, 1954

Scientology defines God as Dynamic Infinity. Jesus is not God, Savior, or Creator, nor does he have control of supernatural powers. He is usually overlooked in Dianetics. The Holy Spirit is absent from this belief system as well. Men are "thetan" - immortal, spiritual beings with limitless capabilities and powers, though often they are unaware of this potential. Scientology teaches men how to achieve "higher states of awareness and ability" through practicing Dianetics.​

 

[Jane_Doe22]

I am posting this list to show that the following religions are among those that reject the doctrine of the Trinity. The list is not exhaustive but encompasses several of the major groups and religious movements. Included is a brief explanation of each group's beliefs about the nature of God; revealing a deviation from the Trinity doctrine. I did not make this list up; it was provided by researching the internet. Those on this list are always listed as "cults." As you can see from this list, all of them were started on the east coast by "humans"; not divinely inspired through the Holy Spirit's (3rd person of the Trinity). The Evangelical Protestant Church was not started by "humans" but by our Lord God Himself with full actiity of the Tri-unity Godhead. The Evangelical Church has its roots actually in the Garden of Eden, and of which it then became more fully developed after Pentecost through divinely inspirted writings from the OT Moses to the NT John.

For comparison purposes, the biblical Trinity doctrine is defined by The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church as "The central dogma of Christian theology, that the one God exists in three Persons and one substance, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one, yet self-differentiated; the God who reveals Himself to mankind is one God equally in three distinct modes of existence, yet remains one through all eternity."

Notice the dates because the Mormons, the Christadelphians, the JW's, the Christian Scientists, and the Unitarians all originated in the USA during the same period - and of which they co-inside within the same era of Charles Nelson Darby's theory of Dispensationalism which he brought to the USA after making several trips here.

Mormonism - Latter-day Saints - Founded By: Joseph Smith, Jr., 1830.

Mormons believe that God has a physical, flesh and bones, eternal, perfect body. Men have the potential to become gods as well. Jesus is God's literal son, a separate being from God the Father and the "elder brother" of men. The Holy Spirit is also a separate being from God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is regarded as an impersonal power or spirit being. These three separate beings are "one" only in their purpose, and they make up the Godhead.​

<< hippo, I just dropped in seeing this comment and have not been following the thread>>

I'd encourage you to think & research for yourself, rather than referring to the internet and "anti-cult" materials.

For example: "Mormons" like Athanaisian Christians believe that the Father, Son, and Spirit are 3 different divine persons in 1 God. The Athanasian Creed states that this unity is through a shared substance, LDS Christians through unity of purpose/will/goodness/etc (see John 17) and don't add go into the metaphysical. Both LDS Christians and Athanasian Christians believe that God the Spirit is a person of Spirt, and the God the Son has a divine spirit in a literal body of flesh & bone now resurrected & glorified. LDS Christians believe that God the Father is like the Son, Athanasian Christians like God the Spirit.

Yes, I do know what I am talking about here, I've been & active & studied member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (nicknamed "Mormon") for decades. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, is the center of my world. He is my Lord & Savior, without whom I would not be here so many times over.

Please spend the time to think for yourself, see other people relationships with Christ, and love. We are each saved through Christ, a gift none of us deserved nor earned (including by a person's ability to ace a theology test).

 

[Wrangler]

You KNOW that you are denying the truth of SCRIPTURE

Our exchange shows you are reading words into Scripture to make it fit your doctrine. That is the truth you are denying.

 

[Wrangler]

I did not make this list up; it was provided by researching the internet. Those on this list are always listed as "cults."

So, by this standard, the only way to not be a cult, in your estimation, is to accept the trinity?

Here is another. Believing a man is god is, by definition, a cult.

 

[Moriah's Song]

So, by this standard, the only way to not be a cult, in your estimation, is to accept the trinity?

The "ONLY WAY"? Of course not.

 

[Moriah's Song]

Here is another. Believing a man is god is, by definition, a cult.

And "Believing a man is god" is WHO?

 

[Wrangler]

The "ONLY WAY"? Of course not.

If not, then what is the purpose of the post in cults?

 

[Moriah's Song]

Believing a man is god is, by definition, a cult.

You avoided my question..

And "Believing a man is god" is WHO?

 

[Moriah's Song]

So, by this standard, the only way to not be a cult, in your estimation, is to accept the trinity?

Here is another. Believing a man is god is, by definition, a cult.

It seems as though Wrangler is a good name for you because there is deception in both.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(PART 1 - I have to post this article in two parts because of the length of it. See next post, PART 2 for the remainder of it.)

This is from:Christian Answers.net...

​

Many people are confused about the Jehovah’s Witnesses. People have written to ask if they are Christians or do they worship a different God? The following article may help to answer this important questions.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians have some things in common. For example, they share common concerns about religious apostasy, and they teach against Evolution.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians do, however, differ on many important doctrines. In an attempt to keep this article to a reasonable length, let us not concentrate on ALL the differences. Rather…

…let us investigate the most important issue, THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.

JW’s believe that Jesus Christ was a perfect man, and that He is a person distinct from God the Father. However, they also teach that before His Earthly life, Jesus was a spirit creature, Michael the archangel, who was created by God and became the Messiah at His baptism. According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus is a mighty one, although not almighty as Jehovah God is. According to John 1:1 in their Bible, The New World Translation, Christ is “a god,” but not “the God.” They teach that Jesus “was and is and always will be beneath Jehovah” and that “Christ and God are not coequal”.

Does the Bible confirm their beliefs, or does it teach the orthodox Christian concept that Christ is God? This is an extremely important question. Consider the following points:

1. The Christ of the New Testament is the Jehovah of the Old Testament.

• Isaiah wrote about seeing Jehovah in Isaiah 6:1-10.
• In John 12:31-42, we are told that Isaiah saw Jesus' glory and spoke of Him
• In Exodus 34:14 we are to worship no one but Jehovah.
• In Heb 1:6 the angels worship Christ.
• In Isa 44:6 Jehovah is called the first and the last (confirmed in Revelation 1:8),
• but in Rev 22:13 Christ is the first and the last.

These verses demonstrate that the name “Jehovah” is used for both God the Father and of God the Son. Although they are distinct persons they are each called “Jehovah” because they each possess deity.

1. The deity of Christ is taught in Scripture.
   In Matt 1:23, Christ is called “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.”
   When Thomas touched Jesus' wounds, after the resurrection, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). There is no basis whatsoever for saying, as some JW’s say, that Thomas was referring to Christ when he said “my Lord,” but was referring to God (Jehovah) when he said “my God.” Instead, Thomas called Christ both his Lord and his God. And Christ did not correct him! Col 2:9 clearly confirms the deity of Christ when it states that in Him “all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily” (New World Translation). Stephen called Jesus “Lord” (Acts 7:59,60), and we are to confess Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:9; I Cor. 12:3). “Lord” in these verses is Kurios, which is the Greek word for Jehovah in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament. It is evident from this that Christ the Lord (kurios) is Jehovah God.

(to be continued in next post)

 

[Moriah's Song]

PART 2.

1. 
   
2. Attributes of Christ show that He is God
   Jesus Christ knows all things (John 1:48; 2:25; 6:64; 14:30; 21:17). He is all-powerful (Matt. 28:18; Heb. 1:3), sinless (John 8:46), eternal (Mic. 5:2), and unchanging (Heb. 13:8). Since only God possesses these attributes, Christ must be God.
   
   
3. The works of Christ show that He is God.
   Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7; Eph. 1:7), give eternal life (John 10:28; 17:2), judge the world (John 5:22, 27), and control nature (Matt. 8:26). Since only God can do these things, Christ must be God.
   
   
4. Christ received worship as God.
   Jesus is worshipped by the angels (Heb. 1:6) and by man (Matt. 14:33), and yet only God is to be worshipped (Ex. 34:14). Christ Himself said that worship is due to God alone (Matt. 4:10), and yet He accepted worship. If Jesus in His pre-existent state were the archangel Michael, how could He have received worship, since angels are not allowed to receive worship (Rev. 19:10)? If Christ were not God, then worshipping Him would be idolatrous.
   
   
5. Jesus Christ as “the mighty God” in Isa 9:6.
   JW’s have a ready answer for this verse. They explain that Christ is “the mighty god.” but not “the almighty.” They say that Christ is the mighty, never the almighty and that Jehovah is the almighty God, never the mighty. However, Jer 32:18 shows that Jehovah is the mighty One. Therefore, since Christ is the mighty God (Isa 9:6) and Jehovah is the mighty God (Jer. 32:18), they are both God. They both possess full deity.
   
   
6. Christ is God, the Creator of all things according to Col1:15-17.
   JW’s refer to this passage to support their teaching that Christ was created by Jehovah (for example, Let God Be True, p.35). This is based primarily on the words, “the firstborn of all creation,” in verse 15. However, if this verse was teaching that Jesus Christ is the first created being made by God, the word “first-created” would have been used of Christ, not the word “firstborn.” These are two different words in the Greek, with two different meanings. “First-created” is protoktistos, and “firstborn” is prototokos. Col 1:15 does not use the protoktistos, “first-created.” Instead it uses prototokos, which means an heir, a begotten one, the first in rank. The teaching of Col 1:15 is that Christ is first in rank above all creation; He is the Heir of all things. He is prior to all creation and superior over it.
   
   The JW’s New World Translation adds the word “other” four times in Col1:15-17, so that the passage states that Christ created “all other things,” everything except Himself. However, there is no basis for adding “other.” It certainly does not occur in the Greek manuscripts. The translators of the New World Translation admit this by putting “other” in brackets. This “translation” attempts to comply with the assumption that firstborn means first-created. But, as shown, this is not the meaning of firstborn, and therefore it is also wrong to add the word “other.” There is no verse in the entire Bible that states that Christ was created by Jehovah!
   
   
7. Christ claimed to be equal with God in John 10:30.
   JW’s believe that this verse, “I and the Father are one,” means that Christ was one with God the Father in purpose and not in nature and essence. However, if that was all Christ was saying, why did the Jews want to stone Him? They themselves thought His purpose was the same as God’s. Verse 33 of John 10 explains that they wanted to stone Him because of blasphemy, because He claimed to be God!

The deity of Christ is the central point of the Scriptures. It clearly teaches that Christ is God. The teachings of the JW's concerning Jesus Christ clearly contradict the teachings of the Bible. Passages such as Phil 2:5-11 tell us that Jesus Christ, who existed as God, took the bodily form of a humble servant so that He could die on the cross in our place. “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (kurios), to the glory of God the Father.”