Analyzing Jehovah's Witnesses

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tigger 2

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"The way I see it: the Society has two options. Either the apostle Thomas knew what he was doing when he addressed Jesus as his god, or he meant to say something else."

There are at least two explanations. You may have guessed that the term "addressed" has something to do with one of them.
Examining the Trinity: MYGOD
 

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 he have a
God? Does God worship Himself?


A: 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.

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 the true God like its
father?

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

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)


A: The Bible also declares that there is only one Man.

In the beginning, when God created the Man species, He created it male and
female; i.e. two persons. But the two persons do not represent two Mans.
There is only one Man though the species can be spoken of with a plural
pronoun.

Gen 1:27 . . And God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s
image He created him; male and female He created them.

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 was in her, i.e. Eve perpetuated Adam.

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

Webers_Home

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It's both tragic and ironic that the Watchtower Society's rank and file
missionaries go worldwide advertising a kingdom that they themselves will
never be allowed to enter. Here's why.

At John 3:3-12, Christ discusses what he labels "earthly things".

The primary earthly thing discussed was the kingdom of God. The other
earthly thing discussed was a Spirit-birth requirement to enter it. In other
words: God's kingdom on earth, and a Spirit birth, are joined at the hip.

The overwhelming majority of JWs coming to our doors aren't Spirit-born
now, nor do they ever expect to be-- not in this life, nor in the next --yet
they sincerely believe they have a shot at admission to God's kingdom on
earth. However, seeing as how the Spirit-birth requirement is a must rather
than an option; they will not succeed.
_
 

Webers_Home

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Many of the Jehovah's Witness missionaries going door-to-door throughout
the world are honestly, and sincerely, wanting to enter the kingdom of God;
which is why I'm convinced that Christians really ought to know something
about New Testament hope before engaging JWs in a conversation about the
kingdom.

1Pet 3:15 . . Always be ready to make a defense before everyone that
demands of you a reason for the hope in you,

The New Testament Greek word for "hope" in Peter's instructions is elpis (el
pece') which means to anticipate (usually with pleasure) and to expect with
confidence. Note the elements of anticipation, and expectation, and
confidence.

In other words: elpis hope is a know-so hope rather than a cross your
fingers hope.

So, unless someone knows for proof-positive, beyond even the slightest
glimmer of sensible doubt, that they have a passport to the kingdom of God
locked in and irrevocable, then of course it is impossible for them to comply
with Peter's instructions seeing as they would not yet have the kind of hope
about which he wrote.

Rom 12:12 . . Rejoice in the hope.

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind
dreading the worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; but they do
have plenty of cause to fear the unknown.

Elpis hope is one of the three principal elements of Christianity (1Cor
13:13). It's also a calling. (Eph 4:4)

When people are lacking the kind of hope described by the Greek word elpis,
then I believe it's safe to assume that they have not yet responded to God's
call; or worse, He has not called them; and quite possibly never will.
_
 

Webers_Home

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John 14:16-17 . . I will request the Father and he will give you another
helper to be with you forever, the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot
receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. You know it, because it
remains with you and is in you.

John 14:26 . .The helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my
name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the
things I told you.

Rank and file JWs are taught to believe that they obtain boldness in speaking
the word of God, and zealousness in engaging in the work of witnessing,
from "having" the holy spirit. (pg 382, Reasoning From The Scriptures)

However; when speaking of "having" the holy spirit, the JWs mean that it is
alongside them rather than inside them. Only a special guild of 144,000 JWs
actually have the spirit inside them. The special guild are known as the
anointed class; a label taken from 1John 2:27.

The non-anointed class are in a very serious condition. Here's why:

Rom 8:9 . .You are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if
God's spirit truly dwells in you.

Seeing as how God's spirit does not truly dwell "in" John Q and Jane Doe
missionary, then they are, by default, in harmony with the flesh. That only
makes things worse.

Rom 8:5-8 . . For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on
the things of the flesh, but those in accord with the spirit on the things of
the spirit. For the minding of the flesh means death, but the minding of the
spirit means life and peace; because the minding of the flesh means enmity
with God, for it is not under subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it
be. So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God.

The non-anointed class' situation is just too ironic for words. They displease
God, and He displeases them; yet they go door-to-door sincerely believing
themselves Jehovah's friends and allies.
_
 

Webers_Home

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1John 2:26-27 . .These things I write you about those who are trying to
mislead you. And as for you, the anointing that you received from him
remains in you, and you do not need anyone to be teaching you; but, as the
anointing from him is teaching you about all things, and is true and is no lie,
and just as it has taught you, remain in union with him.

The anointing provides people with some valuable advantages to which
people who lack it of course have no access.

1) Protects people from deception

2) Enables people to grasp Jesus Christ's teachings the way he wants them
grasped

3) Makes it possible for people to remain in union with him.

According to Watchtower Society theology, only 144,000 special Jehovah's
Witnesses have the anointing. There aren't that many living Witnesses who
have the anointing though because when anointed Witnesses die, their
passing doesn't create vacancies; viz: 144,000 is the maximum unless an
anointed JW either apostatizes or is ousted via the process of disfellowship.


NOTE: Ironically, one of the anointing's primary purposes is to prevent its
recipients from becoming an apostate.

What that means is: the vast majority of today's living JWs don't have the
anointing. We're talking about some serious numbers here. Currently, there
are approximately 8.2 million living Witnesses. Even if all 144,000 anointed
Witnesses were alive today, that would leave 8,056,000 JWs roaming the
earth in our day who 1) have no protection from deception, 2) are unable to
grasp Jesus Christ's teachings the way he wants them grasped, and 3) not in
union with him.

Doubtless there are numbers of ordinary Witnesses who sincerely believe
that their association with the Watchtower Society keeps them in union with
Jesus Christ; but according to 1John 2:26-27, union with Jesus Christ isn't
accomplished on the coattails of an organization; it's accomplished by means
of the anointing.

Watchtower Society missionaries sincerely believing themselves in union
with Jesus Christ without the anointing are each themselves "one of those
who are trying to mislead you".
_
 

Webers_Home

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So-called Replacement Theology is just another name for identity theft. Take
for example the Watchtower Society's interpretation of Rev 7:1-8 wherein is
listed a specific number of Hebrews taken from every tribe of the sons of
Israel.

The Society claims that those aren't biological sons of Israel; but rather
"spiritual" sons-- referring of course to the Society's elite cadre of 144,000
Witnesses who have supposedly undergone a spirit birth as per Christ's
instruction at John 3:3-8; and the anointing as per 1John 2:26-27.

The Society's claim is premised upon its observation that there never was a
tribe of Joseph; when in reality Joseph is listed as both a son and a tribe
(Gen 49:2-28 and Ezek 48:31-34). So that portion of the Society's reasoning
is clearly a false premise.

The Society's claim is also premised upon its observation that Ephraim and
Dan are missing from the list of tribes at Rev 7:4-8. However, what the
Society's theologians have somehow overlooked in the Old Testament is that
it doesn't matter whose names are chosen to represent the twelve tribes of
Israel just so long as there are twelve names. Are there twelve in Rev 7:4
8? Yes. Well then that's good enough. I realize that makes no sense but then
the Lord's apostles were still referred to as "the twelve" even with Judas out
of the picture. So that premise in the Society's reasoning is spurious too.

The Society's claim is also premised upon its reasoning that Levi isn't a valid
tribe based upon the fact that the Levites are exempt from warfare.
However, Levi is clearly listed as both a son and a tribe (Gen 49:2-28) plus
Ezek 48:31-34, which is a good many years after Num 1:1-54. So that
premise is bogus too.

The Watchtower Society not wanting the 144,000 to be biological Hebrews is
one thing; but I would just like to know from whence Charles T. Russell's
and Joseph F. Rutherford's followers got the idea that their people constitute
the 144,000. That's a pretty serious claim. How do they validate it? I don't
know; but I can just about guarantee that their explanation is an outlandish
stretch of the imagination consisting of humanistic reasoning, rationalizing,
spiritualizing, clever sophistry, and semantic double-speak.


NOTE: According to Rev 14:1-4, the 144,000 are supposed to all be males,
and none have ever slept with a woman. That, if true, would of course
disqualify married JWs.
_
 

Webers_Home

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Matt 24:45-47 . .Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his
master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper
time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I
say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.

The core of the Watchtower Society-- the Governing Body --sincerely
believes itself the faithful and discreet slave spoken of in that passage, i.e.
believes that God chose the leaders of the Watchtower Society as His sole
distributor of truth to mankind; thus explaining why John Q and Jane Doe
Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that they need to submit unquestioningly to
the Governing Body in order to associate with God, and for protection from
doomsday, viz: the calamities depicted in the book of Revelation.

"That faithful slave is the channel through which Jesus is feeding his true
followers in this time of the end. It is vital that we recognize the faithful
slave. Our spiritual health and our relationship with God depend on this
channel.
" (Watchtower, 2013 Jul 15, p.20)

"We need to obey the faithful and discreet slave to have Jehovah’s
approval.
" (Watchtower, 2011 Jul 15, p.24, Simplified English Edition)

"A mature christian does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or
harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has
complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through
his Son, Jesus Christ, and "the faithful and discreet slave.
" (Watchtower,
2001 Aug 01, p.14)

According to the above: rank and file JWs are being taught that it's essential
to comply with the Governing Body's teachings. However; at the same time
they are warned that the Body's teachings cannot be assured that they are
either inspired or infallible.

"The Governing Body is neither inspired nor infallible. Therefore, it can err in
doctrinal matters or in organizational direction. In fact, the Watch Tower
Publications Index includes the heading “Beliefs Clarified,” which lists
adjustments in our Scriptural understanding since 1870. Of course, Jesus did
not tell us that his faithful slave would produce perfect spiritual food.
"
(paragraph 12, under the heading; "Who is leading God's People today?" of
the Feb 2017 Watchtower--Study Edition)

Just imagine the degree of confusion and insecurity that would pervade the
minds of regular Christians had the authors of the New Testament scriptures
attached a caveat to their writings similar to the above.
_
 

r1xlx

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Over last month or so I've been reading up on JWs and exJWs on Reddit and I AM AMAZED at how little Bible they know and how they hate GOD and Jesus!
The Watchtower tells JWs not to read the Bible as only the 8 men of the Governing Body can understand and explain it! Searching the scriptures daily is a definite sin for a JW!
Many exJWs gloat about how they left the society - cult - but they use so much evil language about GOD, Jesus, holy spirt that they are just as doomed outside the cult as in!
My suggestions that the Watchtower was started and run by Freemason devlworshippers falls on deaf ears!
When I ask them if they can see all the subliminal images of demons, reptiles, gods and creeping things the their magazines and books they are unable to. The images are inserted to make each magazine and book as evil as that windowless room Ezekiel described!
 
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Webers_Home

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Some of the Watchtower Society's ethics rub people the wrong way. For
example they don't celebrate birthdays, observe Christmas, participate in
Halloween, serve in the military, nor allow blood transfusions.

Their feelings about special days are protected by the fourteenth chapter of
Romans so it would be extremely unchristian to criticize them on that front.

Their feelings about blood transfusions appear tenable from the passages
below.

Gen 9:3-4 . . Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you.
As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you. Only flesh with its
soul-- its blood --you must not eat.

Lev 7:26-27 . .You must not eat any blood in any places where you dwell,
whether that of fowl or that of beast. Any soul who eats any blood, that soul
must be cut off from his people.

Lev 17:10-14 . . As for any man of the house of Israel or some alien
resident who is residing as an alien in your midst who eats any sort of blood,
I shall certainly set my face against the soul that is eating the blood, and I
shall indeed cut him off from among his people.

Acts 15:19-20 . . Hence my decision is not to trouble those from the
nations who are turning to God, but to write them to abstain . . from blood.

The Society construes those passages to imply that transfusing blood is all
the same as using it for food.

Rather than get into a semantic quarrel with the Society over its
interpretation of those passages; I suggest another tact. And our purpose is
not to win a debate; only to offer a second opinion.

The Jews' sabbath law is very narrow. In point of fact, the covenant that
Moses' people agreed upon with God imposes capital punishment for sabbath
violators. (Ex 31:14-15)

Now, that is very interesting because Jesus broke the sabbath on a number
of occasions, and when doing so based his actions upon the principle that
human life, safety, and welfare trump strict observance of religious law.

One of the best illustrations I've seen of a die-hard legalist was a cartoon
showing a man behind the wheel of his car stopped at a red light while huge
landslide boulders are within seconds of crushing to death him, his family,
and the family dog. While his wife and children shriek in mortal panic, the
legalist calmly points out that he can't move the car until the light turns
green.

Legalists typically refuse to accept the possibility of extenuating
circumstances, which Webster's defines as: to lessen, or to try to lessen, the
seriousness or extent of by making partial excuses; viz: mitigate.

Although it's illegal to run red lights, those boulders rumbling down the hill
to crush the man's family to death unless he moves the car, are an
acceptable excuse to go before the light turns green. In those kinds of
cases, human life, safety, and welfare trump strict conformity to the law.

Compare Ex 1:15-21 where Jewish midwives lied through their teeth in order
to save the lives of little Jewish boys. Did God punish the midwives for the
sin of lying? No, on the contrary; He overlooked their dishonesty and instead
rewarded the midwives' actions with families of their own. In point of fact,
their actions were adjudged as fearing the true God. (Ex 1:21)

Should someone reading this section chance to discuss blood transfusions
with a JW from Christ's sabbath perspective; I urge them to go about it with
the utmost in civility because this is an emotional issue. Should your JW
audience come to the realization that they've made a monstrous mistake,
they will be overwhelmed with guilt, disillusion, and humiliation; not to
mention fear of the organizational tsunami that'll come their way should
they dare to question the Society's stance on blood transfusions.
_
 

r1xlx

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Jesus said the sabbath was made for man.
Sabbath is Friday night to Sat night.
JWs work all Saturday morning.
JWs worship creeping things and Satan.
All JWs are doomed to destruction when Jesus returns.
 
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Webers_Home

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According to John 8:29, 2Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15, and 1Pet 2:22; Jesus Christ
committed no sins of his own. The Watchtower Society is of the opinion that
Christ didn't sin because he "chose" not to sin. In other words: he could've
failed, he could've sinned.

That's what they say; but it's not what the Bible says. The fact of the matter
is; Christ's divine genetics made it impossible for him to sin.

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 translation makes it look as though one born of God's reproductive
seed sins now and then but not all the time; viz: doesn't make a habit of sin.
But the text on the Greek side of the Society's Kingdom Interlinear reads like
this:

"He is not able to be sinning because out of God he has been generated."

There's more:

Col 2:9 . . It is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells
bodily.

The Greek word translated "divine quality" is theotes (theh-ot'-ace) which
means divinity; defined by Webster's as the quality or state of being divine.

I don't mean to split hairs but the order of those words in a sentence makes
a difference: divine quality and the quality of being divine are not the same.
For example: patience is a divine quality, but people capable of patience
aren't eo ipso divine. So let's get that straightened out right from the get-go.

Anyway; what we're looking at in Col 2:9 isn't nondescript divinity; rather,
"the" divinity; viz: we're looking at God's divinity; which I think pretty safe
to assume is impeccable. I seriously doubt even the Devil himself could fail
and/or sin were he brimming with not just a percentage; but with all the
fullness of God's divinity.


FAQ: If it was impossible for Christ to either sin or fail; then what practical
purpose did his temptation serve?


A: Christ testified "I always do the things pleasing to Him" (John 8:29). The
Devil's failure to break Christ certifies the truth of his statement. In other
words: Christ was proof-tested to demonstrate that he contains no flaws.

No doubt the Devil expected that after forty days in the outback without
food, Christ would be worn down to the point where he would no longer care
whether he sinned or not. But it made no difference. Christ was still just as
incapable of sin after forty days in the outback as he was during the first
thirty years of his life in Nazareth because Christ's innocence didn't depend
upon his resolve; rather, upon his genetics so to speak; viz: upon God's
[reproductive] seed. (1John 3:9)

While we're on the subject: what is the one thing God cannot do? Well; the
JWs' conditioned response is that God cannot lie (Heb 6:18). But a better
response than that is God cannot sin. In point of fact: it is just as impossible
for God to sin as it is for His progeny to sin. I mean; think about it. If God's
progeny is unable to sin due to the fact that out of God he has been
generated; then it goes without saying that the God out of whom he was
generated would be unable to sin too; viz: if God's reproductive seed is
unable to sin, then obviously the source of the seed would be unable to sin
too.

Jas 1:13 . . For with evil things God cannot be tried.


NOTE: The Watchtower Society religion is a bit of an odd duck in the world
of Christianity. While most, if not all, of the other denominations seek to
glorify Christ; it seems the Society's primary mission in life is to tear him
down.

A very common Greek word in the New Testament for the Devil is diabolos
(dee-ab'-ol-os) which refers to traducers; defined by Webster's as someone
who exposes others to shame or blame by means of falsehood and
misrepresentation; i.e. slander. Whether the Watchtower Society is
deliberately or inadvertently misrepresenting Jesus makes no difference: the
point is they are, that's what matters.
_
 

r1xlx

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Here's why JWs put subliminal images of Pan in their magazine pictures:
 

Webers_Home

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Mark 11:12-13 . .The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he
became hungry. And from a distance he caught sight of a fig tree that had
leaves, and he went to see whether he would perhaps find something on it.
But, on coming to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season
of figs.


FAQ: If Jehovah really was in the world as a man, then why didn't He know
by omniscience that the fig tree would have no fruit? Why was it necessary
for Him to examine it up close in person?


A: Jesus was able to observe things from a distance. (John 1:48)

Jehovah's conduct in Mark 11:12-13 would've been unusual but by no
means uncharacteristic.

In the 11th chapter of Genesis, the people built themselves a tower. Jehovah
came down to see the tower. Now, if Jehovah is omnipresent and
omniscient, then why bother coming down out of heaven to inspect the
tower in person?

In the 18th chapter of Genesis, Jehovah announced to Abraham that He was
on a journey to visit Sodom in order to determine whether the reports He
was hearing about the city were true or not. Again: if Jehovah is
omnipresent and omniscient, why bother coming down out of heaven to visit
Sodom in person?

In the 22nd chapter of Genesis, Jehovah had Abraham offer his son as a
sacrifice made with fire. At the conclusion of the event; a celestial being--
speaking for Jehovah and speaking as Jehovah --said: "Now I do know that
you are God-fearing in that you have not withheld your son, your only one,
from Me."

It goes without saying that Jehovah knows every man's thoughts, and He
also knows the future, viz: nothing we do, say, or think catches Jehovah by
surprise; He sees everything. So then, if Jehovah already knew in advance
that Abraham would offer Isaac, and already knew in advance that Abraham
was God-fearing, then why did He say "now I know"? Shouldn't Jehovah
have already known?

The only sensible answer to those questions, including the question about
the fig tree, is that there is a humanness to God that began quietly coming
to light all the way back in the very beginning of the Bible; but the New
Testament is where we see God's humanness on display even more.

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

"explained him" is accurate enough but doesn't really say it right-- "revealed
him" is much better.

John 14:7 . . . If you men had known me, you would have known my
Father also; from this moment on you know him and have seen him. Philip
said to him: "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said
to him: "Have I been with you men so long a time, and yet, Philip, you have
not come to know me? He that has seen me has seen the Father also.


FAQ: Well then, why didn't Jesus use his divine powers to make that tree
produce fruit for him to eat right then and there on the spot instead of
cursing the poor thing?


A: Isn't that similar to the Devil's reasoning in the 4th chapter of Matthew?

The fact of the matter is: Jesus was micro-managed. He cursed that fig tree
in compliance with his Father's wishes to do so.

John 6:38 . . I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the
will of him that sent me.

John 8:28 . . I do nothing of my own initiative

John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me; He did not abandon me to
myself, because I always do the things pleasing to Him.

John 10:30 . . I and my Father are unified

John 14:10 . . Do you not believe that I am in union with the Father, and
the Father is in union with me?

In the end; Jesus had to examine that fig tree up close and personal
because it was on his God-given itinerary to do so.
_
 

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FAQ: If Jehovah really was in the world as a man, then why didn't He know
by omniscience that the fig tree would have no fruit? Why was it necessary
for Him to examine it up close in person?


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Jesus cursed the fig tree as a demonstration to the disciples of the barren tree that will be quickly killed on Judgment Day. And apparently in those days the land wasn't as barren as now and wayside fig trees were for anyone to pick figs from.
GOD himself may have come down to look at Babel just as He came to My Sinai to speak directly with Moses.
It wasn't GOD but Jesus who came to Abraham before burning of Sodom as Abraham fed all three visitors.
It was also Jesus in the furnace with Shadrach and the others.
GOD actually wasn't as omniscient as you say because Jeremiah 19:5 shows He had never imagined that humans would burn their babies in HOLOCAUSTS devoted to Satan's imaginary god!
Jeremiah 19:5 King James Version (KJV)
5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
 

tigger 2

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Analyzing Jehovah's Witnesses (post #30) by r1xix:

"Over last month or so I've been reading up on JWs and exJWs on Reddit and I AM AMAZED at how little Bible they know and how they hate GOD and Jesus!"

T2: Evidence please. I've been a JW for 40+ years and have seen only the opposite!


"The Watchtower tells JWs not to read the Bible as only the 8 men of the Governing Body can understand and explain it!"

T2: We are strongly encouraged to read the entire Bible on our own and also in public Bible readings at weekly meetings throughout the year. I have never seen what you are accusing!



"Searching the scriptures daily is a definite sin for a JW!"

T2: Totally false.


"....


"My suggestions that the Watchtower was started and run by Freemason devlworshippers falls on deaf ears!"

T2: Wow! I wonder why that is. Maybe because JW's hate Satan and his demons? Maybe because it is a requirement for those asking to be baptized as a JW are required to cut ties with the Freemasons (and other such organizations and religions). I know this because I was required to write a letter disassociating myself from the LDS church. And I know this because my Father was a 33 degree Mason when he decided he wanted to become a JW. He had to write to and disassociate himself from the Freemasons!


This is not new. In the June, 1895 WT, we read:


'We note also that the Order of Free Masons, if judged by its past history, has some secret object or scheme, more than fraternity and financial aid in time of sickness or death. And, so far as we can judge, there is a certain amount of profane worship or mummery connected with the rites of this order and some others, which the members do not comprehend, but which, in many cases, serves to satisfy the cravings of the natural mind for worship, and thus hinders it from seeking the worship of God in spirit and in truth - through Christ, the only appointed Mediator and Grand Master.'



"When I ask them if they can see all the subliminal images of demons, reptiles, gods and creeping things the their magazines and books they are unable to. The images are inserted to make each magazine and book as evil as that windowless room Ezekiel described!"

T2: Maybe "they are unable to" because there is no such thing in their magazines and books as originally printed! Such false nonsense!
 

Webers_Home

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FAQ: In standard Bibles; Jesus told one of his fellow prisoners that they
would be in paradise the very day of their deaths (Luke 23:43). But three
days later he told Mary Magdalena that he had not yet ascended to his
Father (John 20:17). How do you reconcile Jesus' statements?


A: Well, of one thing we can be very certain: when Jesus died, he didn't go
up; quite the opposite direction: he went down. (Matt 12:40, Ps 16:9-10,
and Acts 2:25-31)

Paradise is structured such that its elements exist in more than one place.
For example: a city park system consists of any number of parks located in
any number of places, yet each individual park can still be correctly called a
city park.

For another example; the Pacific Crest Trail (a.k.a. PCT) traverses the
north/south length of three states-- California, Oregon, and Washington. No
matter where trekkers might be located on the trail at any given moment--
whether south at mile No.1 in Campo San Diego, or 2,140 trail-miles to the
north at Cascade Locks Oregon --they're all on the very same PCT
regardless of which State they happen to be passing thru.

Paradise is sort of like that. There's a section of it in the netherworld (Luke
16:19-31) another in a secret region called the third heaven (2Cor 12:2-4)
and yet another situated with God. (Rev 2:7)
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Webers_Home

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Some of Solomon's remarks in the book of Ecclesiastes appear to conflict
with Christ's teachings in the New Testament. Well; the answer to that is
actually pretty simple.

According to 2Tim 3:16, Solomon was inspired to write Ecclesiastes, but the
catch is: his comments essentially represent a world view-- a philosophy of
life under the sun --rather than a book of either history, revelation, or
prophecy.

In other words: Solomon's observations are limited to the scope of empirical
evidence and human experience; a perception of reality moderated by what
we can see for ourselves going on around us in the physical universe rather
than the spiritual-- which is at least one of the reasons why Ecclesiastes
appeals to cultists, atheists, and agnostics, et al.

Solomon's world view is punctuated with pessimism; which is basically a
mindset inclined to dwell on the negative in human experience rather than
the positive. For example:

"You only go around once, so do it with all the gusto you can get!"

That was a Schlitz beer slogan some years ago. It's worldly wisdom thru and
thru rather than Christ's. Compare it to a couple of Solomon's remarks:

Ecc 9:5 . . The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead,
they are conscious of nothing at all.

Ecc 9:10 . . All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for
there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, the place
to which you are going.

That wisdom reflects Schlitz beer wisdom, i.e. it's earthly wisdom rather
than the wisdom that comes from above.

Solomon was a very wise man; in point of fact, the brightest intellectual of
his day. But Solomon's knowledge and experience were limited. He didn't
know everything there is to know, nor had he seen everything there is to
see, nor been everywhere there is to go. Whereas Christ's knowledge is
extremely vast.

Col 2:3 . . Carefully concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom and
of knowledge.

Christ, in his capacity as the Word, created everything existing in the current
cosmos.

John 1:3 . . All things came into existence through him, and apart from
him not even one thing came into existence.

So then, it only stands to reason that Christ would know more about the
afterlife than Solomon because the Word has actually seen it for himself,
whereas Solomon didn't see anything beyond the grave when he penned
Ecclesiastes.

A good rule of thumb to apply when the teachings of Solomon and Jesus
contradict each other, is to keep in mind that Jesus is Solomon's superior,
viz: Jesus' teachings trump Solomon's.

Matt 12:42 . .The queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment
with this generation and will condemn it; because she came from the ends of
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but, look! something more than
Solomon is here.

John 3:31 . . He that comes from above is over all others.

And Jesus comes highly recommended too.

Matt 17:5 . . This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved; listen to
him.

So then, when encountering remarks in the book of Ecclesiastes that are out
of step with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament; my unsolicited spiritual
counseling is to ignore the Jehovah's Witnesses take on Ecclesiastes and go
with the wisdom of "my Son".

John 8:12 . . I am the light of the world. He that follows me will by no
means walk in darkness, but will possess the light of life.
_
 

tigger 2

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To even hint that punctuation can be precisely determined at Luke 23:43 is totally false. We see The Emphasized Bible by Joseph B. Rotherham also punctuating this scripture to produce a probable alternate to the tradition of the KJV:

"Verily I say unto thee this day: With me shalt thou be in Paradise."

And the footnote for Luke 23:43 in Lamsa's translation admits:

"Ancient texts were not punctuated. The comma could come before or after today."

The Concordant Literal New Testament renders it: "43 And Jesus said to him, 'Verily, to you am I saying today, with Me shall you be in paradise.'"

A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament by E.W.Bullinger, DD., page 811 says:

"'And Jesus said to him, Verily, to thee I say this day, with Me shalt thou be in the Paradise.' The words today being made solemn and emphatic. Thus, instead of a remembrance, when He shall come in...His kingdom, He promises a presence in association (meta, 'with') Himself. And this promise he makes on that very day when he was dying.... Thus we are saved (1) the trouble of explaining why Jesus did not answer the question on its own terms; and (2) the inconvenience of endorsing the punctuation of the [KJV] as inspired; and we also place this passage in harmony with numberless passages in the O.T., such as 'Verily I say unto you this day,' etc.; 'I testify unto you this day.' etc. Deut.vi.6; vii.1; x.13; xi.8;,13,23; xii.13; xix.9; xxvii.4; xxxi.2, etc., where the Septuagint corresponds to Luke xxii.43."

Yes, there is no reason to deny the rendering of Luke 23:43 as, "I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise."

Additional information may found here:

The Significance of a Comma: An Analysis of Luke 23:43