What are the main doctrinal differences between Jehovah's Witnesses and mainstream Christianity?

[Aunty Jane]

Some people argue just to argue, I only read the first part of your post @Aunty Jane. Yes I can be inconsiderate sometimes; but nonetheless do we all fail; but is it not also true that by and in faith can we live and love when a person dies to themselves and lives for God and Christ; there shouldn’t be anything less than agape love with no secrets of hate.

Cause God sees our hearts and that is all I know; and boy sometimes I don’t do the right things all the time and sometimes that is at a cost of getting pruned back by the Father. Being kept humble, realizing the need for Him over trusting me and my own ways.


(John 15)

My post was to remind people that they have choices to make and that these choices have far reaching consequences....
When I see someone come to a fake Jesus it breaks my heart Matthew! The devil has created a Jesus that the Bible does not speak of.

What does it mean "to live for God and Christ" if not the promotion of the truths they taught?

No one who is led by the devil into false worship can be saved....its their choice to believe as their hearts dictate....
And its true that God does see the heart, and when it is a good heart that is willing to accept a difficult truth, and put down previously held beliefs like all the first Christians had to, that is when God steps in.....

John 6:44, 65....Jesus said....
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. . . . . Jesus added, “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.”

Do you see how it works? No one can come to the Father unless it is through his son.....and no one can come to the son unless it is granted by the Father'.....so that means that it is God who chooses us, as much as we think we are choosing him. At the end of the day, we have all sealed our own fate.

 

[Aunty Jane]

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. - Hebrews 1:1-4

Have you really meditated on the words of that scripture and used the rest of God's word to interpret it correctly? Lets take those verses one at a time...

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds".

What is this telling us? That God spoke to his people in times past by means of his prophets......his earthly servants who were sometimes visited by materialized angels, who sat with them, and ate and drank with them. And at other times he demonstrated his presence by physical phenomena....a burning bush....and also for Moses standing before the cherubs positioned on the ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy compartment of the Tabernacle.....God spoke to him there represented by the Shekinah light.

But "in these last days", (back then it was the days before the end of the Jewish system) he spoke to his people by means of his son, whom he appointed heir of all things".....how is Jesus appointed as an "heir of all things" if he is the Creator of them? An heir is an inheritor, so the one who bequeaths something to an heir has given them something that was not already theirs.

"Through whom he made the worlds" (plural). These "worlds" were not created by Jesus, but by his Father using the agency of his son.
John 1:2-3 confirms this...
"He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made."

Don't we have to ask "what beginning is this?" The eternal God had no beginning, but from these verses it is clear that the pre-human Jesus did.
Col 1:15-17...
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

All things came "THROUGH" the son....NOT from him.

Proverbs 8:22, 30, 31.....as "Wisdom personified" this is clearly the one who was at his Father's side in creation.

"The Lord created me as the beginning of his works, before his deeds of long ago. . . .
then I was beside him as a master craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, rejoicing before him at all times,
31 rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and delighting in its people."

Revelation 3:14 says...
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation."

Jesus calls himself "the Amen"..."the faithful witness" and "the beginning of God's creation".

There is the scriptural proof that Jesus is a creation of his Father.....his "only begotten son". He is "begotten" by his "begetter"....Father and son...that is their relationship....that is what they call themselves.

Next it says in Hebrews...
"who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high"....

An image is not the real thing....an image of you is not you....but it looks like you. And our children can even express mannerisms that come through their genetics or by observing a parent....."like father, like son" is an old expression. It applies to Jesus too.

In "upholding the word of his power", don't we have to ask "whose power" he manifested when on earth after his baptism?
Only then did he receive the power of God's holy spirit, and the first miracle he performed was turning water into wine.
He was just Jesus, Joseph the carpenter's son until he was 30 years old....very little is written about him prior to his presenting himself for baptism to John....but for the next three and a half years his words and activities would fill volumes.
After his execution, he returned to heaven to await certain events to take place. This was foretold by David at Psalm 110:1-2...

"Here is the Lord’s (Jehovah's) proclamation to my lord (future Messiah):
“Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord extends your dominion from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies."

The Messiah was to 'sit at the right hand' of David's God "until" his enemies were placed as a stool for his feet.
And his rulership would begin "in the midst of his enemies".....so not a time of peace.....just the opposite.

Then Hebrews goes on to say....
"having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
Now think about that for a moment....how does God "become so much better than the angels"? And how can he inherit "a name more excellent than theirs"...? Wasn't his name always more excellent than anyone's?

It doesn't take much to see through false religious teachings in the light of other scripture.

 

[MatthewG]

Yeah, everyone got choices. Don’t spend too much time on here see you.

 

[David in NJ]

Have you really meditated on the words of that scripture and used the rest of God's word to interpret it correctly? Lets take those verses one at a time...

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds".

What is this telling us? That God spoke to his people in times past by means of his prophets......his earthly servants who were sometimes visited by materialized angels, who sat with them, and ate and drank with them. And at other times he demonstrated his presence by physical phenomena....a burning bush....and also for Moses standing before the cherubs positioned on the ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy compartment of the Tabernacle.....God spoke to him there represented by the Shekinah light.

But "in these last days", (back then it was the days before the end of the Jewish system) he spoke to his people by means of his son, whom he appointed heir of all things".....how is Jesus appointed as an "heir of all things" if he is the Creator of them? An heir is an inheritor, so the one who bequeaths something to an heir has given them something that was not already theirs.

"Through whom he made the worlds" (plural). These "worlds" were not created by Jesus, but by his Father using the agency of his son.
John 1:2-3 confirms this...
"He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made."

Don't we have to ask "what beginning is this?" The eternal God had no beginning, but from these verses it is clear that the pre-human did.
Col 1:15-17...
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

All things came "THROUGH" the son....NOT from him.

Proverbs 8:22, 30, 31.....as "Wisdom personified" this is clearly the one who was at his Father's side in creation.

"The Lord created me as the beginning of his works, before his deeds of long ago. . . .
then I was beside him as a master craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, rejoicing before him at all times,
31 rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and delighting in its people."

Revelation 3:14 says...
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation."

Jesus calls himself "the Amen"..."the faithful witness" and "the beginning of God's creation".

There is the scriptural proof that Jesus is a creation of his Father.....his "only begotten son". He is "begotten" by his "begetter"....Father and son...that is their relationship....that is what they call themselves.

Next it says in Hebrews...
"who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high"....

An image is not the real thing....an image of you is not you....but it looks like you. And our children can even express mannerisms that come through their genetics or by observing a parent....."like father, like son" is an old expression. It applies to Jesus too.

In "upholding the word of his power", don't we have to ask "whose power" he manifested when on earth after his baptism?
Only then did he receive the power of God's holy spirit, and the first miracle he performed was turning water into wine.
He was just Jesus, Joseph the carpenter's son until he was 30 years old....very little is written about him prior to his presenting himself for baptism to John....but for the next three and a half years his words and activities would fill volumes.
After his execution, he returned to heaven to await certain events to take place. This was foretold by David at Psalm 110:1-2...

"Here is the Lord’s (Jehovah's) proclamation to my lord (future Messiah):
“Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord extends your dominion from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies."

The Messiah was to 'sit at the right hand' of David's God "until" his enemies were placed as a stool for his feet.
And his rulership would begin "in the midst of his enemies".....so not a time of peace.....just the opposite.

Then Hebrews goes on to say....
"having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
Now think about that for a moment....how does God "become so much better than the angels"? And how can he inherit "a name more excellent than theirs"...? Wasn't his name always more excellent than anyone's?

It doesn't take much to see through false religious teachings in the light of other scripture.

Follow the WORD

a.) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

b.) YHWH is the WORD that spoke to Moses = "before Abraham IAM"

c.) "the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us" = this is your KEY to understanding

Here is the most important TRUTH for you to know and love with all of your heart ,mind, soul and strength.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

SAME AS

there is no other God besides Me,
A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.

“Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to Me every knee shall bow,
Every tongue shall take an oath.

SAME AS

"IAM the Way the Truth and the Life"

the LORD Jesus never calls His FATHER 'YHWH/the LORD' and never instructed the Apostles to pray to YHWH(LORD) unless He was speaking of Himself.

God the Father does instruct us to pray to LORD Jesus Christ = the Name that is Above all names, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth

This is why YHWH said: "
‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

 

[Wrangler]

Have you really meditated on the words of that scripture and used the rest of God's word to interpret it correctly? Lets take those verses one at a time...

19 paragraphs! Good lord! Your propensity to write >12 paragraph posts is relentless.

 

[Aunty Jane]

19 paragraphs! Good lord! Your propensity to write >12 paragraph posts is relentless.

The Bible is a big book, not for those who have the concentration span of a goldfish and need everything expressed in 3 paragraphs or less......how many books of the Bible are written in three paragraphs or less?

I am a student and teacher of the Bible.....there is much to say. Details are important so nothing is lost for the sake of brevity. No one is forcing you to read my posts...are they?

Declaration of truth should be relentless....

 

[MatthewG]

Declaration of truth should be relentless....

If that is the case then Abraham should have never lied to the kings he came across saying that Sarah’s wasn’t his wife but sister. His son followed suit in the same way. So there is some type of principle to learn from this stance, that Abraham himself took. And God allowed.

 

[Aunty Jane]

If that is the case then Abraham should have never lied to the kings he came across saying that Sarah’s wasn’t his wife but sister. His son followed suit in the same way. So there is some type of principle to learn from this stance, that Abraham himself took. And God allowed.

Matthew...read the Bible and know what it says.....he did not lie...Sarah was his half sister. Remember that this was common in those times before the formation of the nation of Israel. There was no prohibition on marrying a close relative before God’s law was written. Isaac and Jacob also married their relatives...

 

[David in NJ]

The Bible is a big book, not for those who have the concentration span of a goldfish and need everything expressed in 3 paragraphs or less......how many books of the Bible are written in three paragraphs or less?

I am a student and teacher of the Bible.....there is much to say. Details are important so nothing is lost for the sake of brevity. No one is forcing you to read my posts...are they?

Declaration of truth should be relentless....

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Matthew 18:1-5

 

[David in NJ]

Matthew...read the Bible and know what it says.....he did not lie...Sarah was his half sister. Remember that this was common in those times before the formation of the nation of Israel. There was no prohibition on marrying a close relative before God’s law was written. Isaac and Jacob also married their relatives...

Rahab the Harlot lied to protect the Hebrew spies and her name is recorded in the Eternal Book of Life.

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace."
Hebrews 11:30-31

 

[Aunty Jane]

Follow the word? That is exactly what I do, and have done for some 50 years as a Bible Student and teacher.
Can you please give me time to respond before you post more points?

a.) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

b.) YHWH is the WORD that spoke to Moses = "before Abraham IAM"

c.) "the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us" = this is your KEY to understanding

a) The Almighty, as an Eternal Being, had no “beginning”....Jesus did. (Col 1:15; Rev 3:14)

b) God never said his name was “I Am”....the divine name means “I will be what I will be” according to the Jewish Tanakh. The Jews had just been liberated from slavery in Egypt through a series of incredible miracles...they knew he existed....his name meant so much more that simply a statement that ‘he is’......it was a statement of what he would “be” or “become” as their God from then on. Read Israel’s sad history and see what God had to ‘become’ in order to keep them in existence when at times he wanted to exterminate them for them lack of faith and obedience.

c) Yes, “the Word became flesh”...he was “with God”, so it was not God who “became flesh”. The pre-human spirit being who became the man, Jesus was “the firstborn of ALL creation” (Col1:15) which means that he was created first. He is “the beginning of God’s creation” (Rev 3:14)

Here is the most important TRUTH for you to know and love with all of your heart ,mind, soul and strength.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Again, you read that scripture as you have been taught to read it....not to mention that the translation you are using is a poor rendering of what Paul actually wrote....

Philippians 2:5-11....ESV...
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Break it down.....what “form” does God have? The scriptures tell us that “God is a spirit”, and that all who dwell in that heavenly realm are all “spirits”. Jesus in his pre-human form then, was also a spirit....not that he was “God”.
He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”....so the opposite of what your favoured translation implies.
He was “obedient to the point of death” but to whom was he obedient? Of whom was he a servant? (Acts 4:27) Who anointed him?
And if he was the immortal God, it would have been impossible for him to die......mere humans cannot kill God. Jesus had to die the same death as Adam to pay the price of mankind’s redemption.

After the completion of his earthly mission, Jesus returned to the spirit realm in spirit form. (1 Pet 3:18)
It says that “God highly exalted him”....how does God exalt himself? How does God give himself “a name that is above every name” when the one he has is already the highest there is. (Psalm 83:18)

Bowing before someone is not necessarily worship....it was how those in Bible times gave honor to someone. Obeisance and worship are the same word, but context determines how it is interpreted.

And we are to “confess Jesus” as our “Lord” (a title of honor bestowed on anyone who had authority) and recognise that all that Jesus did was for “the glory of God the Father”.

So this scripture is not saying what you think it is....

Same as

Not even close...

the LORD Jesus never calls His FATHER 'YHWH/the LORD' and never instructed the Apostles to pray to YHWH(LORD) unless He was speaking of Himself.

John 17:26...
“I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.”
He was speaking to his Father when he said that, not to himself.

God the Father does instruct us to pray to LORD Jesus Christ = the Name that is Above all names, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth

Where does it say that? We are to pray TO the Father THROUGH Jesus who is our appointed Mediator. You do know what a mediator is?

1 Tim 2:5....
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus”.

God cannot be his own Mediator......if Jesus was God we would need a mediator between us and him....

This is why YHWH said: "
‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Read that again....Yahweh is the God and Father of Jesus.....Jesus cannot be his own Father.
God does not worship himself. How is it that plain English escapes you?

 

[MatthewG]

Matthew...read the Bible and know what it says.....he did not lie...Sarah was his half sister. Remember that this was common in those times before the formation of the nation of Israel. There was no prohibition on marrying a close relative before God’s law was written. Isaac and Jacob also married their relatives...

He straight up lied.

Doesn’t matter half-sister or not; he lied about her being his wife to another human being.


The first episode appears in Genesis 12:10–20. Abram (later called Abraham) moves to ancient Egypt in order to evade a famine. Because his wife and half-sister, Sarai (later called Sarah), is very beautiful, Abram asks her to say that she is only his sister lest the Egyptians kill him so that they can take her.


He did so he wouldn’t be killed.

“And Abraham journeyeth from thence toward the land of the south, and dwelleth between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourneth in Gerar; and Abraham saith concerning Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister;’ and Abimelech king of Gerar sendeth and taketh Sarah. And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, ‘Lo, thou [art] a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken — and she married to a husband.’ And Abimelech hath not drawn near unto her, and he saith, ‘Lord, also a righteous nation dost thou slay? hath not he himself said to me, She [is] my sister! and she, even she herself, said, He [is] my brother; in the integrity of my heart, and in the innocency of my hands, I have done this.’ And God saith unto him in the dream, ‘Yea, I — I have known that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I withhold thee, even I, from sinning against Me, therefore I have not suffered thee to come against her; and now send back the man's wife, for he [is] inspired, and he doth pray for thee, and live thou; and if thou do not send back, know that dying thou dost die, thou, and all that thou hast.’ And Abimelech riseth early in the morning, and calleth for all his servants, and speaketh all these words in their ears; and the men fear exceedingly; and Abimelech calleth for Abraham, and saith to him, ‘What hast thou done to us? and what have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought upon me, and upon my kingdom, a great sin? works which are not done thou hast done with me.’ Abimelech also saith unto Abraham, ‘What hast thou seen that thou hast done this thing?’ And Abraham saith, ‘Because I said, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they have slain me for the sake of my wife; and also, truly she is my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becometh my wife; and it cometh to pass, when God hath caused me to wander from my father's house, that I say to her, This [is] thy kindness which thou dost with me: at every place whither we come, say of me, He [is] my brother.’”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ ‭YLT98‬‬

Genesis 20:2-13 and Abraham saith concerning Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister;’ and Abimelech king of Gerar sendeth and taketh Sarah. And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, ‘Lo, | Young's Literal Translation 189

and Abraham saith concerning Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister;’ and Abimelech king of Gerar sendeth and taketh Sarah. And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, ‘Lo,

bible.com

After reading all this, are you gonna tell me that Abraham never lied? Maybe Moses never killed the Egyptian either.



This why no one should trust what anyone says and seek information out for yourself in faith seeking God.

 

[Aunty Jane]

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Matthew 18:1-5

What does it mean to be “as a young children”?
What is the trait in children that is missing in adults?
Humility and teachableness.....children have no pre-conceived ideas to get in the way and make them doubt what is being taught to them. They have no natural ability to doubt because they are naturally trusting, ....and why the things that adults teach children can affect them for the rest of their lives. We have a school system that has virtually killed God in the minds of children who are taught that a Creator is unnecessary because science is the best teacher of what nature is.

 

[David in NJ]

Follow the word? That is exactly what I do, and have done for some 50 years as a Bible Student and teacher.
Can you please give me time to respond before you post more points?

a) The Almighty, as an Eternal Being, had no “beginning”....Jesus did. (Col 1:15; Rev 3:14)

b) God never said his name was “I Am”....the divine name means “I will be what I will be” according to the Jewish Tanakh. The Jews had just been liberated from slavery in Egypt through a series of incredible miracles...they knew he existed....his name meant so much more that simply a statement that ‘he is’......it was a statement of what he would “be” or “become” as their God from then on. Read Israel’s sad history and see what God had to ‘become’ in order to keep them in existence when at times he wanted to exterminate them for them lack of faith and obedience.

c) Yes, “the Word became flesh”...he was “with God”, so it was not God who “became flesh”. The pre-human spirit being who became the man, Jesus was “the firstborn of ALL creation” (Col1:15) which means that he was created first. He is “the beginning of God’s creation” (Rev 3:14)

Again, you read that scripture as you have been taught to read it....not to mention that the translation you are using is a poor rendering of what Paul actually wrote....

Philippians 2:5-11....ESV...
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Break it down.....what “form” does God have? The scriptures tell us that “God is a spirit”, and that all who dwell in that heavenly realm are all “spirits”. Jesus in his pre-human form then, was also a spirit....not that he was “God”.
He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”....so the opposite of what your favoured translation implies.
He was “obedient to the point of death” but to whom was he obedient? Of whom was he a servant? (Acts 4:27) Who anointed him?
And if he was the immortal God, it would have been impossible for him to die......mere humans cannot kill God. Jesus had to die the same death as Adam to pay the price of mankind’s redemption.

After the completion of his earthly mission, Jesus returned to the spirit realm in spirit form. (1 Pet 3:18)
It says that “God highly exalted him”....how does God exalt himself? How does God give himself “a name that is above every name” when the one he has is already the highest there is. (Psalm 83:18)

Bowing before someone is not necessarily worship....it was how those in Bible times gave honor to someone. Obeisance and worship are the same word, but context determines how it is interpreted.

And we are to “confess Jesus” as our “Lord” (a title of honor bestowed on anyone who had authority) and recognise that all that Jesus did was for “the glory of God the Father”.

So this scripture is not saying what you think it is....


Not even close...

John 17:26...
“I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.”
He was speaking to his Father when he said that, not to himself.



Where does it say that? We are to pray TO the Father THROUGH Jesus who is our appointed Mediator. You do know what a mediator is?

1 Tim 2:5....
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus”.

God cannot be his own Mediator......if Jesus was God we would need a mediator between us and him....


Read that again....Yahweh is the God and Father of Jesus.....Jesus cannot be his own Father.
God does not worship himself. How is it that plain English escapes you?

A.) In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God - John 1:1

When and where does the scripture say that the Word was created by God?

Your confusion comes from you not understanding this:

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."

"What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?"

Where was the Word before He humbled Himself and came in the form of a man = according to Scripture.

 

[MatthewG]

What does it mean to be “as a young children”?
What is the trait in children that is missing in adults?
Humility and teachableness.....children have no pre-conceived ideas to get in the way and make them doubt what is being taught to them. They have no natural ability to doubt because they are naturally trusting, ....and why the things that adults teach children can affect them for the rest of their lives. We have a school system that has virtually killed God in the minds of children who are taught that a Creator is unnecessary because science is the best teacher of what nature is.

Children,
They can doubt just set up an appointment that you’re gonna go take him out for a meal and don’t show up the first few times.

 

[MatthewG]

Do you know anyone on the Internet can say anything and they can sound like they are doing a great thing or whatever may be teaching.

The thing is no one should ever believe anything that anyone says on this online forum site, they should take things lightly.

But if they’re seeking for truth, may you seek the truth by worshiping God in spirit and truth, and seek out what is real and truththat comes from the Bible rather than from what someone may say.

That includes not taking it out of context.

I don’t have no problems with with anyone here as most people don’t believe like I do anyway so it doesn’t really matter but it’s funny to watch people fight but at the same time it’s really sad because at the end of the day it’s going to be can I love my neighbor and I can love any of you guys.

It’s just a struggle of doing it.

 

[David in NJ]

What does it mean to be “as a young children”?
What is the trait in children that is missing in adults?
Humility and teachableness.....children have no pre-conceived ideas to get in the way and make them doubt what is being taught to them. They have no natural ability to doubt because they are naturally trusting, ....and why the things that adults teach children can affect them for the rest of their lives. We have a school system that has virtually killed God in the minds of children who are taught that a Creator is unnecessary because science is the best teacher of what nature is.

Now follow the Word that was God and came to earth in the form of a man.

"Let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness" = 3 times

the Elohenu of Abraham/Father, the Elohenu of Isaac/Son, the Elohenu of Jacob/Holy Spirit = 3 times

When the Word walked this earth as the only Begotten Son of the Father, HE never spoke of YHWH but only of His Father.

 

[David in NJ]

Do you know anyone on the Internet can say anything and they can sound like they are doing a great thing or whatever may be teaching.

The thing is no one should ever believe anything that anyone says on this online forum site, they should take things lightly.

But if they’re seeking for truth, may you seek the truth by worshiping God in spirit and truth, and seek out what is real and truththat comes from the Bible rather than from what someone may say.

That includes not taking it out of context.

I don’t have no problems with with anyone here as most people don’t believe like I do anyway so it doesn’t really matter but it’s funny to watch people fight but at the same time it’s really sad because at the end of the day it’s going to be can I love my neighbor and I can love any of you guys.

It’s just a struggle of doing it.

Change "truth fool" to truthful in your Post.

 

[MatthewG]

Change "truth fool" to truthful in your Post.

Hi

 

[Aunty Jane]

He straight up lied.

Doesn’t matter half-sister or not; he lied about her being his wife to another human being.


The first episode appears in Genesis 12:10–20. Abram (later called Abraham) moves to ancient Egypt in order to evade a famine. Because his wife and half-sister, Sarai (later called Sarah), is very beautiful, Abram asks her to say that she is only his sister lest the Egyptians kill him so that they can take her.


He did so he wouldn’t be killed.

“And Abraham journeyeth from thence toward the land of the south, and dwelleth between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourneth in Gerar; and Abraham saith concerning Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister;’ and Abimelech king of Gerar sendeth and taketh Sarah. And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, ‘Lo, thou [art] a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken — and she married to a husband.’ And Abimelech hath not drawn near unto her, and he saith, ‘Lord, also a righteous nation dost thou slay? hath not he himself said to me, She [is] my sister! and she, even she herself, said, He [is] my brother; in the integrity of my heart, and in the innocency of my hands, I have done this.’ And God saith unto him in the dream, ‘Yea, I — I have known that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I withhold thee, even I, from sinning against Me, therefore I have not suffered thee to come against her; and now send back the man's wife, for he [is] inspired, and he doth pray for thee, and live thou; and if thou do not send back, know that dying thou dost die, thou, and all that thou hast.’ And Abimelech riseth early in the morning, and calleth for all his servants, and speaketh all these words in their ears; and the men fear exceedingly; and Abimelech calleth for Abraham, and saith to him, ‘What hast thou done to us? and what have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought upon me, and upon my kingdom, a great sin? works which are not done thou hast done with me.’ Abimelech also saith unto Abraham, ‘What hast thou seen that thou hast done this thing?’ And Abraham saith, ‘Because I said, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they have slain me for the sake of my wife; and also, truly she is my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becometh my wife; and it cometh to pass, when God hath caused me to wander from my father's house, that I say to her, This [is] thy kindness which thou dost with me: at every place whither we come, say of me, He [is] my brother.’”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ ‭YLT98‬‬

Genesis 20:2-13 and Abraham saith concerning Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister;’ and Abimelech king of Gerar sendeth and taketh Sarah. And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, ‘Lo, | Young's Literal Translation 189

and Abraham saith concerning Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister;’ and Abimelech king of Gerar sendeth and taketh Sarah. And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, ‘Lo,

bible.com

Sorry, but I would labor trying to read in that archaic language....
Reading it in the ESV it is easier to understand.....

“From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”. . . . . . And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

So who was Abimalech? He was the Philistine king of the city of Gerar, where Abraham and Sarah took up temporary residence in about 1919 B.C.E. Thinking the couple were brother and sister, he took Sarah to become his wife but, providentially, did not touch her. Warned by Jehovah in a dream, the king returned Sarah to Abraham together with compensation consisting of livestock and slaves and, in addition, a thousand shekels of silver as a guarantee of Sarah’s chastity. Sometime later this king concluded a covenant of peace and mutual confidence with Abraham at Beer-sheba.

No harm done. And Abraham did not lie because she was his sister and it was God who saved the day.
Abraham was not chastised for telling the King that Sarah was his sister. The King gained a new found respect for the God of Abraham. A similar thing happened with Isaac and Rebekah.