Today, when most people think of slaves, they automatically picture something like the example of innocent people captured from Africa in chains and forced into hard labor under torturous circumstances. Nowhere does the Bible advocate this kind of behavior or treatment to our fellow man.
One thing to consider is how the slave came to be in that situation in the first place, how humanely they are treated, and the conditions of release. For instance, when considering the Israelite society, a person who became poor could sell himself or his children into slavery to care for his indebtedness:
Lev. 25:39 "And in case your brother grows poor alongside you and he has to sell himself to you, you must not use him as a worker in slavish service."
Le 25:47,48 "But in case the hand of the alien resident or the settler with you becomes wealthy, and your brother has become poor alongside him and must sell himself to the alien resident or the settler with you, or to a member of the family of the alien resident, after he has sold himself, the right of repurchase will continue in his case. One of his brothers may buy him back."
Also, the Bible indicates that a Hebrew slave was to be released in the seventh year of his servitude or in the Jubilee year...whichever came first. During the time of his servitude, the Hebrew slave was to be treated as a hired laborer:
Ex 21:2 "In case you should buy a Hebrew slave, he will be a slave six years, but in the seventh he will go out as one set free without charge."
Le 25:10 "And YOU must sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land to all its inhabitants. It will become a Jubilee for YOU, and YOU must return each one to his possession and YOU should return each one to his family."
De 15:12 "In case there should be sold to you your brother, a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, and he has served you six years, then in the seventh year you should send him out from you as one set free."
Another thing that is not commonly associated with slavery today is that a Hebrew who sold himself into slavery to an alien resident, to a member of an alien resident's family, or to a settler could be repurchased at any time, either by himself or by one having the right of repurchase. The redemption price was based on the number of years remaining until the Jubilee year or until the seventh year of servitude. (Lev. 25:47-52) And then, when granting a Hebrew slave his freedom, the master was even to give him a gift to help him in getting a good start! (De 15:13-15)
At times, slaves even held positions of great trust and honor in a household. For instance, Abraham's aged servant managed all of his master's possessions. (Ge 24:2;) And Joseph, when he was a slave in Egypt, came to be in charge of everything belonging to Potiphar, who was a court official of Pharaoh. (Ge 39:1, 5, 6)
Leviticus 25:49 indicates that in Israel, there was even the possibility of a slave's becoming wealthy and redeeming himself:
"Or his uncle or the son of his uncle may buy him back, or any blood relative of his flesh, one of his family, may buy him back.
"'Or if his own hand has become wealthy, he must also buy himself back."
In our present time, in the western world and most other countries, the idea of forcibly capturing and enslaving another person is abhorrent to the average person. And even the less extreme case of someone selling himself or his family to settle a debt or an injustice is distasteful. Our current society have found other ways and means to handle these situations.
Jesus said that you "'must love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets." (Mt. 22:39, 40) Forcibly capturing and enslaving another person certainly would not be demonstrating love to your neighbor! People should be responsible for the intentional debts that they have accrued, but our current society has found ways other than slavery to legally handle these situations. However, if two parties want to work out some kind of deal to settle debts on a private level and understanding, they should also be able to do so as long as the actions from both parties are in line with the commandment of "loving your neighbor as yourself."
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
When was Ba'bel built and what became of Nimrod after that?
Also see BABEL - Links to Information From the Watchtower Online Library)According to the Bible, when was the city (and tower) of Ba'bel built?
The date of the attempt at building the city of Babel is not stated in the record, but Genesis 10:25 indicates that the division resulting from the confusion of the languages there occurred sometime during `the days of Peleg'. His name even meant “Division,” for “in his days the earth [that is, “earth’s population”] was divided”; Jehovah “scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth.” (Ge 10:25; 11:9) A text of Skarkalisharri, king of Agade (Accad) in patriarchal times, mentions his restoring a temple-tower at Babylon, implying that such a structure existed prior to his reign.
So now we have a good idea of when the building of Babel was started since Biblical chronology has Peleg living from 2269 to 2030 B.C.E.
When God scattered the people, was there anyone left at Babylon and what became of Nimrod after that?
It appears that Nimrod himself remained in the region after the first builders abandoned the tower. Note this from the Insight book:
"It appears that after the building of the Tower of Babel, Nimrod extended his domain to the territory of Assyria and there built "Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah and Resen between Nineveh and Calah: this is the great city." (Gen. 10:11, 12; compare Mic 5:6.) Since Assyria evidently derived its name from Shem's son Asshur, Nimrod, as a grandson of Ham, must have invaded Shemite territory. So it would seem that Nimrod made the start in becoming a mighty one or hero, not only as a hunter of animals but also as a warrior, a man of aggression. (Gen. 10:8)
Observes the Cyclopaedia by M'Clintock and Strong:
'"That the mighty hunting was not confined to the chase is apparent from its close connection with the building of eight cities. . . . What Nimrod did in the chase as a hunter was the earlier token of what he achieved as a conqueror. For hunting and heroism were of old specially and naturally associated . . . The Assyrian monuments also picture many feats in hunting, and the word is often employed to denote campaigning. . . . The chase and the battle, which in the same country were connected so closely in aftertimes, may therefore be virtually associated or identified here. The meaning then will be, that Nimrod was the first after the flood to found a kingdom, to unite the fragments of scattered patriarchal rule, and consolidate them under himself as sole head and master; and all this in defiance of Jehovah, for it was the violent intrusion of Hamitic power into a Shemitic territory."—1894, Vol. VII, p. 109." (*** it-2 p. 503 Nimrod ***)
============================================
And the city itself was rebuilt many times from that time forward:
"Nimrod, who lived in the latter part of the third millennium B.C.E., founded Babylon as the capital of man's first political empire. Construction of this city, however, suddenly came to a halt when confusion in communication occurred. (Gen. 11:9) Later generations of rebuilders came and went. Hammurabi enlarged the city, strengthened it, and made it the capital of the Babylonian Empire under Semitic rule." *** it-1 pp. 235-236 Babylon ***
Also see:
Does Genesis 10:5 really suggest that various tongues (languages) already existed BEFORE the confusion of tongues at Babel (Genesis 11:1)? (Search For Bible Truths)
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Angels - Why are they referred to as male in the Bible?
"God is a Spirit" (John 4:24) and so are all of the angels. Spirit creatures are different than physical ones as we know that flesh and blood cannot enter heaven. (1 Cor. 15:50 ) According to Mt. 22:30, angels do not marry nor can reproduce their own kind and so are therefore sexless:
"For in the resurrection neither do men marry nor are women given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven."
Most likely, angels are generally represented as males because God and his Son are spoken of as males. When referring to spirit persons, the masculine gender is given, probably because the male was to be the head of the female as according to the God-ordained headship principle:
"But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God." (1Cor. 11:3)
So in deference to their authority and superiority, they are given masculine names and referred to in the masculine gender. That is why when taking human form on earth, the angels take on fleshly bodies of men.
For more, see:
Angels
Angels - Who They Are
The Truth About Angels
Angels How They Affect Us
How Angels Can Help You
Do Humans Become Angels When They Die?
Spirit Creatures How They Affect Us
What Can Angels Do for You?
Does God Take Children to Become Angels in Heaven?
Do You Have a Guardian Angel?
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
"For in the resurrection neither do men marry nor are women given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven."
Most likely, angels are generally represented as males because God and his Son are spoken of as males. When referring to spirit persons, the masculine gender is given, probably because the male was to be the head of the female as according to the God-ordained headship principle:
"But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God." (1Cor. 11:3)
So in deference to their authority and superiority, they are given masculine names and referred to in the masculine gender. That is why when taking human form on earth, the angels take on fleshly bodies of men.
For more, see:
Angels
Angels - Who They Are
The Truth About Angels
Angels How They Affect Us
How Angels Can Help You
Do Humans Become Angels When They Die?
Spirit Creatures How They Affect Us
What Can Angels Do for You?
Does God Take Children to Become Angels in Heaven?
Do You Have a Guardian Angel?
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
Why did Jehovah God's anger blaze against David for taking a census of Israel?
(Also see: CENSUS - Links to Information, From the Watchtower Online Library INDEX)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why did Jehovah God's anger blaze against David for taking a census of Israel?
The specific reference is recorded at 2 Samuel 24:1 where it says: "And again the anger of Jehovah came to be hot against Israel, when one incited David against them, saying: `Go, take a count of Israel and Judah.'"
Taking a census or registration of the people was not something that was prohibited in Israel. But David's motive to follow through with this advice may have been due to pride and trust in the numbers of his army. So when he ordered Joab to take the registration, it may have demonstrated a failing to manifest full reliance on Jehovah and that glorifying God was not his main priority.
This conclusion is mainly based on what David's general Joab said at 2 Sam. 24:3: "May Jehovah your God even add to the people a hundred times as many as they are while the very eyes of my lord the king are seeing it. But as for my lord the king, why has he found delight in this thing?"
Here, Joab implies that the national strength didn't depend on numbers but on Jehovah, who could supply the numbers if that was what Jehovah wanted.
More information concerning this can be found in "Registration" I.S. Vol.2 and 3/15/69 Watchtower Questions From Readers
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why did Jehovah God's anger blaze against David for taking a census of Israel?
The specific reference is recorded at 2 Samuel 24:1 where it says: "And again the anger of Jehovah came to be hot against Israel, when one incited David against them, saying: `Go, take a count of Israel and Judah.'"
Taking a census or registration of the people was not something that was prohibited in Israel. But David's motive to follow through with this advice may have been due to pride and trust in the numbers of his army. So when he ordered Joab to take the registration, it may have demonstrated a failing to manifest full reliance on Jehovah and that glorifying God was not his main priority.
This conclusion is mainly based on what David's general Joab said at 2 Sam. 24:3: "May Jehovah your God even add to the people a hundred times as many as they are while the very eyes of my lord the king are seeing it. But as for my lord the king, why has he found delight in this thing?"
Here, Joab implies that the national strength didn't depend on numbers but on Jehovah, who could supply the numbers if that was what Jehovah wanted.
More information concerning this can be found in "Registration" I.S. Vol.2 and 3/15/69 Watchtower Questions From Readers
Friday, February 26, 2010
Is it wrong to take the life of a very sick or old pet?
At Genesis 1:28, God told the first humans that all of the animals of the earth would be in subjection to them:
“Have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth.”
God also made it clear that animals could be properly used and killed by man. For instance, their skin could be used as garments. God also gave permission for humans to eat the meat of animals after the Flood of Noah’s day, supplementing the diet of vegetation they were originally given. (Genesis 3:21; 4:4; 9:3)
Animal cruelty, on the other hand, is against God's will. Consider Nimrod at Genesis 10:9. The Bible describes Nimrod as “a mighty hunter”, suggesting the wanton killing of animals for sport. The same verse says that this put him “in opposition to Jehovah.”
Also, the Bible tells us that:
"The righteous one is caring for the soul of his domestic animal." (Proverbs 12:10)
However, this does not mean that God views animals in the same way that he does humans. The Bible indicates that God gave humans the hope of everlasting life, but not for animals. (See "Is there a hope of an afterlife for animals?")
The decision to not let a pet suffer needlessly because of very old age, severe injury, or terminal illness is up to a Christian's own personal decision. If he decides that it would be merciful not to let a pet continue to suffer without any reasonable hope for recovery, then he may choose to have it put to sleep.
For more, see:
Pets - Keep a Balanced View of Them
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
“Have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth.”
God also made it clear that animals could be properly used and killed by man. For instance, their skin could be used as garments. God also gave permission for humans to eat the meat of animals after the Flood of Noah’s day, supplementing the diet of vegetation they were originally given. (Genesis 3:21; 4:4; 9:3)
Animal cruelty, on the other hand, is against God's will. Consider Nimrod at Genesis 10:9. The Bible describes Nimrod as “a mighty hunter”, suggesting the wanton killing of animals for sport. The same verse says that this put him “in opposition to Jehovah.”
Also, the Bible tells us that:
"The righteous one is caring for the soul of his domestic animal." (Proverbs 12:10)
However, this does not mean that God views animals in the same way that he does humans. The Bible indicates that God gave humans the hope of everlasting life, but not for animals. (See "Is there a hope of an afterlife for animals?")
The decision to not let a pet suffer needlessly because of very old age, severe injury, or terminal illness is up to a Christian's own personal decision. If he decides that it would be merciful not to let a pet continue to suffer without any reasonable hope for recovery, then he may choose to have it put to sleep.
For more, see:
Pets - Keep a Balanced View of Them
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
Armageddon - What should we do while waiting for "the day of Jehovah"?
Peter mentioned that we should be demonstrating "holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion":
"Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah!" (2 Peter 3:11, 12)
Jesus Christ provided the example for us. So learning as much as we can about Jesus and his Father, Jehovah can help us know what to do to please them and it will also mean "everlasting life". (John 17:3)
Also, sharing with others what we have learned about God, His Son and the Kingdom was a command that Jesus gave:
"Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things." (Mt. 28:19, 20)
True Christians would most likely strive to keep diligent, even if Armageddon didn't come in their lifetimes.
Jesus gave this illustration:
"Let your loins be girded and your lamps be burning, and you yourselves be like men waiting for their master when he returns from the marriage, so that at his arriving and knocking they may at once open to him. Happy are those slaves whom the master on arriving finds watching! Truly I say to you, He will gird himself and make them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. And if he arrives in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them thus, happy are they! But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have kept watching and not have let his house be broken into. You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely the Son of man is coming." (Luke 12:35-40)
For more, see:
Worship That God Approves
Armageddon—God's War to End All Wars (esp. the last few paragraphs)
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
"Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah!" (2 Peter 3:11, 12)
Jesus Christ provided the example for us. So learning as much as we can about Jesus and his Father, Jehovah can help us know what to do to please them and it will also mean "everlasting life". (John 17:3)
Also, sharing with others what we have learned about God, His Son and the Kingdom was a command that Jesus gave:
"Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things." (Mt. 28:19, 20)
True Christians would most likely strive to keep diligent, even if Armageddon didn't come in their lifetimes.
Jesus gave this illustration:
"Let your loins be girded and your lamps be burning, and you yourselves be like men waiting for their master when he returns from the marriage, so that at his arriving and knocking they may at once open to him. Happy are those slaves whom the master on arriving finds watching! Truly I say to you, He will gird himself and make them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. And if he arrives in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them thus, happy are they! But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have kept watching and not have let his house be broken into. You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely the Son of man is coming." (Luke 12:35-40)
For more, see:
Worship That God Approves
Armageddon—God's War to End All Wars (esp. the last few paragraphs)
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Why Do Some Scientists Believe in God?
There are many reasons. But one major reason has to do with the fine-tuning of our universe. It is equipped with fixed physical laws and with natural constants that are precisely and ideally suited to support a planet like ours and all the life on it.
For instance, the precise settings of the four fundamental physical forces (electromagnetism, gravity, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force), affect every object in the universe. They are set and balanced so precisely that even slight changes could render the universe lifeless.
Consider the comments from Science Digest, October 1983, p. 24:
"At the heart of the mystery lies the discovery that many of the familiar structures of the physical world—atoms, stars, galaxies, and life itself—are remarkably sensitive to the precise form in which the fundamental laws of physics manifest themselves. So sensitive are they that the slightest shift in nature's parameters would bring about a catastrophic change in the organization of the cosmos. It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature's numbers to make the universe work properly.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? [emphasis by Science Digest writer] .... Scientists are aware that if the catalog of `happy accidents' had not worked out so propitiously, we should not be around to comment on the fact. Any old universe won't do—it has to be a well-organized job."
For much more, see:
The "Impossible Universe" (Search For Bible Truths)
The "coincidences" of extra protons, and the very small mass difference between a neutron and proton, etc. (Search For Bible Truths)
The "Just Right" Status of the Gravitational Force (Search For Bible Truths)
Why Do Some Scientists Believe in God? (Search For Bible Truths)
What is the Big Bang Theory? (Search For Bible Truths)
Does God Really Exist? (Search For Bible Truths)
How Did the Universe and Life Originate? (g02 6/8 pp. 4-7; Watchtower Online Library)
Is There Really a Most High Creator? (pc pp. 9-12; Watchtower Online Library)
For instance, the precise settings of the four fundamental physical forces (electromagnetism, gravity, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force), affect every object in the universe. They are set and balanced so precisely that even slight changes could render the universe lifeless.
Consider the comments from Science Digest, October 1983, p. 24:
"At the heart of the mystery lies the discovery that many of the familiar structures of the physical world—atoms, stars, galaxies, and life itself—are remarkably sensitive to the precise form in which the fundamental laws of physics manifest themselves. So sensitive are they that the slightest shift in nature's parameters would bring about a catastrophic change in the organization of the cosmos. It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature's numbers to make the universe work properly.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? [emphasis by Science Digest writer] .... Scientists are aware that if the catalog of `happy accidents' had not worked out so propitiously, we should not be around to comment on the fact. Any old universe won't do—it has to be a well-organized job."
For much more, see:
The "Impossible Universe" (Search For Bible Truths)
The "coincidences" of extra protons, and the very small mass difference between a neutron and proton, etc. (Search For Bible Truths)
The "Just Right" Status of the Gravitational Force (Search For Bible Truths)
Why Do Some Scientists Believe in God? (Search For Bible Truths)
What is the Big Bang Theory? (Search For Bible Truths)
Does God Really Exist? (Search For Bible Truths)
How Did the Universe and Life Originate? (g02 6/8 pp. 4-7; Watchtower Online Library)
Is There Really a Most High Creator? (pc pp. 9-12; Watchtower Online Library)
Did Those Who Knew Jesus Think He was God?
Did those who knew him during his lifetime understand Jesus to be God?
"Father, ... This is eternal life: to know thee who alone art truly God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." - John 17:1,3, New English Bible.
There are a number of places in scripture where those who actually knew Jesus let us know by their words and actions if they thought he was God (or even if they believed that he taught that he was God). Let's look at a few of them (remember it means everlasting life to know God and Jesus).
1. Nowhere in the synoptic Gospels (the first Gospels to be written: Matthew, Mark, and Luke) do the family, friends, disciples (or enemies) of Jesus say anything even hinting that they thought he was God (or that he was teaching or claiming that he was God). That such essential new information (if true) should be ignored completely is impossible to believe. Compare all the times Jesus is called the Christ or Messiah. Since these were written many years before the fourth Gospel, they should show the most important news about Jesus: information which is essential for his followers to know.
2. Those Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead could have merely said that he claimed to be God (an automatic death sentence). But, although they condemned him to death because he claimed to be the Messiah, they never accused him of being God in the Synoptic Gospels. They even hired false witnesses to lie about him, but even those false witnesses did not accuse Jesus of claiming to be God. - Matthew 26:59 -63.
The one place in John's later Gospel where many trinitarian Bibles render the Greek to read as though the Jews accused Jesus of 'making himself God' is clearly a mistranslation (as the New English Bible indicates) because of context and NT Greek grammar. - (See "My God" and "Theon" files.)
3. What did those who knew him best and were taught privately by him have to say about who he was? After being told that the people believed Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the [other] prophets, Jesus asked his disciples: "But who do you say that I am?" The answer was "the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-20. Neither the people nor the disciples themselves considered Jesus to be God! (Compare Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20.)
4. Look at the teachings of Jesus in the temple. (Matt.21:23-24:1) If any of the priests, officials, etc. thought Jesus had ever even implied that he was God, he would have been killed on the spot. And, for certain, he would never have been allowed to teach in the temple! But, if by some miracle, he was allowed to teach there (and there was any doubt whatsoever that he may have ever claimed that he was God or that any of his followers believed that he was God), every question to him would have been about that most important subject of all! But, no, he is never asked about such a thing!
5. When Jesus was dying, the rulers of the Jews spoke about him. Did they say, "If he is really God, let Him save himself!"? If they thought he claimed to be God, surely they would have said that instead of what they actually said: "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God." - Luke 23:25, NAB. (Cf. Matt. 27:42, 43; Mark 15:31, 32.
.......................................................
Just as Jesus would have been stoned to death if he was understood to be claiming he was God when teaching in the temple, so his disciples would have been driven out of the synagogues and stoned if it was understood that they believed Jesus was God!
Acts13:13-16, 42 (NASB)
13 Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." 16 Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: .... 42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath."
Acts 17: 1, 2 (KJV)
Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures ....
(NASB) Acts 18:4 And he [Paul] was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
(NASB) Acts 19:8 And he [Paul] entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
For more, see:
Is Jesus God?
Trinity Indexes
Examining Trinity 'Proof Texts'
"Father, ... This is eternal life: to know thee who alone art truly God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." - John 17:1,3, New English Bible.
There are a number of places in scripture where those who actually knew Jesus let us know by their words and actions if they thought he was God (or even if they believed that he taught that he was God). Let's look at a few of them (remember it means everlasting life to know God and Jesus).
1. Nowhere in the synoptic Gospels (the first Gospels to be written: Matthew, Mark, and Luke) do the family, friends, disciples (or enemies) of Jesus say anything even hinting that they thought he was God (or that he was teaching or claiming that he was God). That such essential new information (if true) should be ignored completely is impossible to believe. Compare all the times Jesus is called the Christ or Messiah. Since these were written many years before the fourth Gospel, they should show the most important news about Jesus: information which is essential for his followers to know.
2. Those Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead could have merely said that he claimed to be God (an automatic death sentence). But, although they condemned him to death because he claimed to be the Messiah, they never accused him of being God in the Synoptic Gospels. They even hired false witnesses to lie about him, but even those false witnesses did not accuse Jesus of claiming to be God. - Matthew 26:59 -63.
The one place in John's later Gospel where many trinitarian Bibles render the Greek to read as though the Jews accused Jesus of 'making himself God' is clearly a mistranslation (as the New English Bible indicates) because of context and NT Greek grammar. - (See "My God" and "Theon" files.)
3. What did those who knew him best and were taught privately by him have to say about who he was? After being told that the people believed Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the [other] prophets, Jesus asked his disciples: "But who do you say that I am?" The answer was "the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-20. Neither the people nor the disciples themselves considered Jesus to be God! (Compare Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20.)
4. Look at the teachings of Jesus in the temple. (Matt.21:23-24:1) If any of the priests, officials, etc. thought Jesus had ever even implied that he was God, he would have been killed on the spot. And, for certain, he would never have been allowed to teach in the temple! But, if by some miracle, he was allowed to teach there (and there was any doubt whatsoever that he may have ever claimed that he was God or that any of his followers believed that he was God), every question to him would have been about that most important subject of all! But, no, he is never asked about such a thing!
5. When Jesus was dying, the rulers of the Jews spoke about him. Did they say, "If he is really God, let Him save himself!"? If they thought he claimed to be God, surely they would have said that instead of what they actually said: "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God." - Luke 23:25, NAB. (Cf. Matt. 27:42, 43; Mark 15:31, 32.
.......................................................
Just as Jesus would have been stoned to death if he was understood to be claiming he was God when teaching in the temple, so his disciples would have been driven out of the synagogues and stoned if it was understood that they believed Jesus was God!
Acts13:13-16, 42 (NASB)
13 Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." 16 Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: .... 42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath."
Acts 17: 1, 2 (KJV)
Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures ....
(NASB) Acts 18:4 And he [Paul] was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
(NASB) Acts 19:8 And he [Paul] entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
For more, see:
Is Jesus God?
Trinity Indexes
Examining Trinity 'Proof Texts'
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Does anyone ever get out of the Bible hell?
Yes. But it first would be beneficial to understand what "Hell" in the Bible really means.
The word "hell" is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses other translations read "the grave," "the world of the dead," and so forth. Other Bibles simply transliterate the original-language words that are sometimes rendered "hell"; that is, they express them with the letters of our alphabet but leave the words untranslated. Those words are the Hebrew she'ohl´ and its Greek equivalent hai´des, which refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the COMMON GRAVE OF DEAD MANKIND. (For more, see: "Why is the word "Hell" an unsatisfactory translation of the original Hebrew and Greek Bible words "She´ohl" and "Hai´des"?")
With this in mind, note what Rev. 20:13, 14 in the King James Version says concerning the question of souls getting out of "hell" (the common grave of dead mankind):
"The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." (So the dead will be delivered from hell. Notice also that hell is not the same as the lake of fire but will be CAST INTO the lake of fire which symbolizes eternal destruction.)
Jesus was even spoken of as having been in "hell" or the grave and yet he was raised up from the dead:
Acts 2:25-27, KJ: "David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], . . . Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
For more, see:
What is Hell as mentioned in the Bible?
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
The word "hell" is found in many Bible translations. In the same verses other translations read "the grave," "the world of the dead," and so forth. Other Bibles simply transliterate the original-language words that are sometimes rendered "hell"; that is, they express them with the letters of our alphabet but leave the words untranslated. Those words are the Hebrew she'ohl´ and its Greek equivalent hai´des, which refer, not to an individual burial place, but to the COMMON GRAVE OF DEAD MANKIND. (For more, see: "Why is the word "Hell" an unsatisfactory translation of the original Hebrew and Greek Bible words "She´ohl" and "Hai´des"?")
With this in mind, note what Rev. 20:13, 14 in the King James Version says concerning the question of souls getting out of "hell" (the common grave of dead mankind):
"The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." (So the dead will be delivered from hell. Notice also that hell is not the same as the lake of fire but will be CAST INTO the lake of fire which symbolizes eternal destruction.)
Jesus was even spoken of as having been in "hell" or the grave and yet he was raised up from the dead:
Acts 2:25-27, KJ: "David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], . . . Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
For more, see:
What is Hell as mentioned in the Bible?
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Quotes: Holy Spirit is a Force from God, Trinitarians Admit
In the Old Testament (OT) it is clear that the inspired Bible writers intended holy spirit (ruah or ruach in Hebrew) to be understood as an invisible, powerful force from God. Even many trinitarian scholars will admit that.
For example, The Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 269, 1976, admits:
"In the OT the Holy Spirit means a divine power..."
And the New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale House Publishers, 1984, pp. 1136,1137, says:
"Spirit, Holy Spirit. OT, Heb. ruah 378 times ...; NT, Gk. pneuma 379 times." And "Divine power, where ruah is used to describe ... a supernatural force...." And "At its [the Old Testament's concept of ruah, God's spirit] heart is the experience of a mysterious, awesome power - the mighty invisible force of the wind, the mystery of its vitality, the otherly power that transforms - all ruah, all manifestations of divine energy." And "at this early stage [pre-Christian] of understanding, God's ruah was thought of simply as a supernatural power (under God's authority) exerting force in some direction."
The Encyclopedia Americana tells us:
"The doctrine of the Holy Spirit [as a person who is God] is a distinctly Christian [?] one.... the Spirit of Jehovah [in the OT] is the active divine principle in nature. .... But it is in the New Testament [NT] that we find the bases of the doctrine of the Spirit's personality." And "Yet the early Church did not forthwith attain to a complete doctrine; nor was it, in fact, until after the essential divinity of Jesus had received full ecclesiastical sanction [in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicaea] that the personality of the Spirit was explicitly recognized, and the doctrine of the Trinity formulated." Also, "It is better to regard the Spirit as the agency which, proceeding from the Father and the Son, dwells in the church as the witness and power of the life therein." - Vol. 14, p. 326, 1957 ed.
And the Encyclopedia Britannica Micropaedia, 1985 ed., Vol. 6, p. 22 says:
"The Hebrew word ruah (usually translated `spirit') is often found in texts referring to the free and unhindered activity of God, .... There was, however, no explicit belief in a separate divine person in Biblical Judaism; in fact, the New Testament itself is not entirely clear in this regard....
"The definition that the Holy Spirit was a distinct divine Person equal in substance to the Father and the Son and not subordinate to them came at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381...."
Many historians and Bible scholars (most of them trinitarians) freely admit the above truth. For example: "On the whole, the New Testament, like the Old, speaks of the Spirit as a divine energy or power." - A Catholic Dictionary.
An Encyclopedia of Religion agrees:
"In the New Testament there is no direct suggestion of the Trinity. The Spirit is conceived as an impersonal power by which God effects his will through Christ." - p. 344, Virgilius Ferm, 1945 ed.
Even the trinitarian New Bible Dictionary tells us:
"It is important to realize that for the first Christians the Spirit was thought of in terms of divine power." - p. 1139, Tyndale House Publishers, 1984.
And the respected (and trinitarian) New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology confirms:
"As in earlier Jewish thought, pneuma [`spirit'] denotes that power which man experiences as relating him to the spiritual realm of reality which lies beyond ordinary observation and human control. Within this broad definition pneuma has a fairly wide range of meaning. But by far the most frequent use of pneuma in the NT (more than 250 times) is as a reference to the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, that power which is most immediately of God as to source and nature." - p. 693.
"The Spirit in the earliest Christian Communities and in Acts. `Holy Spirit' denotes supernatural power, altering, working through, directing the believer .... This is nowhere more clearly evident than in Acts where the Spirit is presented as an almost tangible force, visible if not in itself, certainly in its effects. This power of the Spirit manifests itself in three main areas in Luke's account of the early church [Acts]. (a) The Spirit as a transforming power in conversion. [p. 698] .... (b) The Spirit of prophecy. For the first Christians, the Spirit was most characteristically a divine power manifesting itself in inspired utterance. The same power that had inspired David and the prophets in the old age (Acts 1:16; 3:18; 4:25; 28:25) [p. 699] .... (c) The Spirit was evidently experienced as a numinous power pervading the early community ....
"The Spirit in the Pauline Letters. [p. 700] .... It is important to realize that for Paul too the Spirit is a divine power whose impact upon or entrance into a life is discernible by its effects." - pp. 693-701, Vol. 3, Zondervan, 1986.
"The emergence of Trinitarian speculations in early church theology led to great difficulties in the article about the Holy Spirit. For the being-as-person of the Holy Spirit, which is evident in the New Testament as divine power ..., could not be clearly grasped.... The Holy Spirit was viewed NOT AS A PERSONAL FIGURE BUT RATHER AS A POWER" - The New Encyclopedia Britannica.
For more, see:
Examining the Holy Spirit
Examining Holy Spirit 'Proof-Texts'
Is the Holy Spirit really God?
Do scriptures personifying the "Holy Spirit" mean that it is a person?
What is the Holy Spirit?
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
For example, The Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 269, 1976, admits:
"In the OT the Holy Spirit means a divine power..."
And the New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale House Publishers, 1984, pp. 1136,1137, says:
"Spirit, Holy Spirit. OT, Heb. ruah 378 times ...; NT, Gk. pneuma 379 times." And "Divine power, where ruah is used to describe ... a supernatural force...." And "At its [the Old Testament's concept of ruah, God's spirit] heart is the experience of a mysterious, awesome power - the mighty invisible force of the wind, the mystery of its vitality, the otherly power that transforms - all ruah, all manifestations of divine energy." And "at this early stage [pre-Christian] of understanding, God's ruah was thought of simply as a supernatural power (under God's authority) exerting force in some direction."
The Encyclopedia Americana tells us:
"The doctrine of the Holy Spirit [as a person who is God] is a distinctly Christian [?] one.... the Spirit of Jehovah [in the OT] is the active divine principle in nature. .... But it is in the New Testament [NT] that we find the bases of the doctrine of the Spirit's personality." And "Yet the early Church did not forthwith attain to a complete doctrine; nor was it, in fact, until after the essential divinity of Jesus had received full ecclesiastical sanction [in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicaea] that the personality of the Spirit was explicitly recognized, and the doctrine of the Trinity formulated." Also, "It is better to regard the Spirit as the agency which, proceeding from the Father and the Son, dwells in the church as the witness and power of the life therein." - Vol. 14, p. 326, 1957 ed.
And the Encyclopedia Britannica Micropaedia, 1985 ed., Vol. 6, p. 22 says:
"The Hebrew word ruah (usually translated `spirit') is often found in texts referring to the free and unhindered activity of God, .... There was, however, no explicit belief in a separate divine person in Biblical Judaism; in fact, the New Testament itself is not entirely clear in this regard....
"The definition that the Holy Spirit was a distinct divine Person equal in substance to the Father and the Son and not subordinate to them came at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381...."
Many historians and Bible scholars (most of them trinitarians) freely admit the above truth. For example: "On the whole, the New Testament, like the Old, speaks of the Spirit as a divine energy or power." - A Catholic Dictionary.
An Encyclopedia of Religion agrees:
"In the New Testament there is no direct suggestion of the Trinity. The Spirit is conceived as an impersonal power by which God effects his will through Christ." - p. 344, Virgilius Ferm, 1945 ed.
Even the trinitarian New Bible Dictionary tells us:
"It is important to realize that for the first Christians the Spirit was thought of in terms of divine power." - p. 1139, Tyndale House Publishers, 1984.
And the respected (and trinitarian) New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology confirms:
"As in earlier Jewish thought, pneuma [`spirit'] denotes that power which man experiences as relating him to the spiritual realm of reality which lies beyond ordinary observation and human control. Within this broad definition pneuma has a fairly wide range of meaning. But by far the most frequent use of pneuma in the NT (more than 250 times) is as a reference to the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, that power which is most immediately of God as to source and nature." - p. 693.
"The Spirit in the earliest Christian Communities and in Acts. `Holy Spirit' denotes supernatural power, altering, working through, directing the believer .... This is nowhere more clearly evident than in Acts where the Spirit is presented as an almost tangible force, visible if not in itself, certainly in its effects. This power of the Spirit manifests itself in three main areas in Luke's account of the early church [Acts]. (a) The Spirit as a transforming power in conversion. [p. 698] .... (b) The Spirit of prophecy. For the first Christians, the Spirit was most characteristically a divine power manifesting itself in inspired utterance. The same power that had inspired David and the prophets in the old age (Acts 1:16; 3:18; 4:25; 28:25) [p. 699] .... (c) The Spirit was evidently experienced as a numinous power pervading the early community ....
"The Spirit in the Pauline Letters. [p. 700] .... It is important to realize that for Paul too the Spirit is a divine power whose impact upon or entrance into a life is discernible by its effects." - pp. 693-701, Vol. 3, Zondervan, 1986.
"The emergence of Trinitarian speculations in early church theology led to great difficulties in the article about the Holy Spirit. For the being-as-person of the Holy Spirit, which is evident in the New Testament as divine power ..., could not be clearly grasped.... The Holy Spirit was viewed NOT AS A PERSONAL FIGURE BUT RATHER AS A POWER" - The New Encyclopedia Britannica.
For more, see:
Examining the Holy Spirit
Examining Holy Spirit 'Proof-Texts'
Is the Holy Spirit really God?
Do scriptures personifying the "Holy Spirit" mean that it is a person?
What is the Holy Spirit?
Search For Bible Truths - ARCHIVE
Scriptures Index
Search For Bible Truths - Search Guide
Monday, February 22, 2010
Examining Trinity 'Proof Texts'
The following links lead to research showing how the most frequently used so-called 'Proof Texts' are not proof of the Trinity in any way.
(Links to more guides can be found at the bottom of this list.)
Gen. 1:26
Gen. 1:26 - "Let Us Make Man in Our Image" (SFBT); This scripture prove Trinity? (SFBT); Image (Examining the Trinity); How is Man Made in God's Image? (Gen. 1:26) (SFBT); ("Let us make man in our image") - ELOHIM 3-6; I-AM 5; (Examining the Trinity); Is there a hope of an afterlife for animals? (SFBT)
Gen. 19:24
Gen. 19:24 ("Jehovah rained down fire ... from Jehovah") (Examining the Trinity)
Ps. 45:6
"Your throne, O God" - HEB (Examining the Trinity); God and gods (SFBT); How is Jesus a god? (SFBT)
Isa. 6:3
"Holy, Holy, Holy" - Is. 6:3 (SFBT)
Isa. 9:6
Isa. 9:6 "Mighty God, Eternal Father" (Examining the Trinity); Isa. 9:6 - NWT (DNWT); NAME - “Jesus,” “Immanuel,” and Is. 9:6 (Examining the Trinity); BOWGOD (God and gods) (Examining the Trinity); Does Isa. 9:6 prove that Jesus is God? (SFBT); Why is Jesus called "Mighty God" at Isa. 9:6? (SFBT); One God in Three? (Pastor Russell; Heading: "No Trinity in the “Old Testament”'); How does the Codex Sinaiticus render Is. 9:6? (JWQ&A); How is translated Isaiah 9:6 in old Aramaic Targums? (JWQ&A)
Isa. 42:8
Heb. 1:3 / Isa. 42:8 Does Jesus really share Jehovah's Glory? (Examining the Trinity)
Isa. 43:11
Isa. 43:11 / 2 Pet. 3:18 Jehovah only Savior; Jesus Savior (SFBT); Title Confusion Trick "Saviour" (Examining the Trinity); How many saviors at Isaiah 43:11? (jwitness forum); A short exchange on "savior" and Isaiah 43:11 (INDNWT)
Isa. 44:6
Isa. 44:6 "pronoun confusion trick" (Examining the Trinity); Isa. 44:6 / Rev. 1:17 "First and the Last" (SFBT)
Isa. 48:16
Isa. 48:16; Trinitarian "speaker confusion" trick (SFBT)
Jer. 23:6
"Jehovah Is Our Righteousness" - NAME 4 (Examining the Trinity); Why is Jesus called Mighty God? (SFBT)
Micah 5:2
Micah 5:2 (Examining the Trinity); BWF - 'Beginning,' 'Wisdom,' and 'Firstborn' (6th par. down; Examining the Trinity); Is Micah 5:2 saying that Jesus' ORIGIN was “from early times”? (SFBT); Who created Jesus? (SFBT); Did Jesus have a beginning (Micah 5:2)? (jwitness forum); Micah 5:2 (JW Stand Firm)
Hab. 1:12
Habakkuk 1:12 (INDNWT); Why does the NWT render Habakkuk 1:12 "Are you not from long ago, O Jehovah? O my God, my Holy One, you do not die", when many other Bibles render it as "O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die."? (JWQ&A); Scribal notes (JWQ&A); "King of Eternity" did not die, but His Son did (JWQ&A)
Zech. 12:10
Zech 12:10 / John 19:37 (DNWT); Zech. 12:10 "...they shall look upon me whom they have pierced." (DNWT); Zechariah 12:10 (INDNWT)
Mt. 1:22,23
Matt. 1:23 ("Immanuel") - NAME 2 (Examining the Trinity); How was it that "all things were made through (Jesus)"? (Vs. 22) (SFBT); How and why did Jesus come to Earth? (SFBT); Jesus merely a man? (SFBT); Should Jesus really be considered to be God because he was symbolically “named” Immanuel (Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:23) which means “God is with us”? (SFBT)
Mt. 12:32
Blasphemy to Christ: forgiven; to HS: not - HS (Last 20 par.) (and f.n.#10 &11);(Examining the Trinity); BOWHS (f.n.) (Examining the Trinity); Matthew 12:32 "whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven" (Examining the Trinity)
Mt. 28:19
What does Mt. 28:19 mean? (JWQ&A; Quote from WT 2002 April 1st); Mt. 28:19 "...in the NAME of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity); Mt. 28:19 - NWT (DNWT); Does Mt. 28:19 prove that the Holy Spirit is God? (SFBT); Concerning Mt. 28:19... (JWQ&A); 2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (SFBT); Shem Tov's Hebrew Matthew 14th century manuscripts (JWQ&A); Some comments by scholars and translators (JWQ&A); Online references that discuss the possible spurious origins of Matt. 28:19 (JWQ&A)
In Defense of the New World Translation. John 1:1 files (INDNWT); John 1:1 - A Number of Trinitaran Translations and Scholars Admit "a god" (Defending the NWT); Defending the charge that the NWT translators made up a rule for the word for "God/god" (theos). (Defending the NWT); How does the Coptic text render John 1:1? (VIDEO AT BOTTOM OF POST; SFBT); The Coptic Language and John 1:1 (SFBT); John 1:1c - English translation: "The Word was a god." (SFBT); John 1:1 "and the Word was" (pastorrussell); "and the Word was divine." (pastorrussell); Should John 1:1 read: "And the Word was divine"? (JWQ&A); "and the word was with (pros) God." (JWQ&A); John 1:1c Primer (Examining the Trinity); DEFinite John 1:1c (Examining the Trinity); Harner's JBL 'Qualitative' Article (Examining the Trinity); HARNER: JBL 'Qualitative' Article Refuted (Examining the Trinity); QUAL ("Qualitative" John 1:1c) (Examining the Trinity); SEPTGOD (John 1:1c and the Septuagint) (Examining the Trinity); Logos (The 'Word') (Examining the Trinity); VIDEO: John 1:1 Part 1 and Part 2 (SFBT); John 1:1 was examined by Origen in his "Commentary on John." (JWQ&A); IF God is a trinity, then how is it that “the Word (Jesus) was WITH God”? (John 1:1) (SFBT); Is the New World Translation the only Bible to phrase John 1:1c as "the Word was A God"? (SFBT); NWT - John 1:1 (Defending the NWT); "Was" and "Beginning" in John 1:1 (Examining the Trinity); If Jesus is not God, how can he be a god? (SFBT); God and gods - What is a god and who have been called 'gods'? (SFBT); Video: "Early Jewish and Christian Monotheism - The Early use of "God" and the Christological Implications" (SFBT); God and gods (from BOWGOD study) (Examining the Trinity); Was the Word “God” or “a god”? (pastorrussell); If the Father is the "only true God" (John 17:3), does that mean that Jesus is a false god? (SFBT); Why is Jesus called "Mighty God" at Isa. 9:6? (SFBT); The Holy Trinity (pastorrussell); They call me Trinity (pastorrussell); What About Trinity "Proof Texts"? (WBTS); The Truth About the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (WBTS); Is Jesus God? (WBTS); “Those Who Are Called 'Gods'” (WBTS); Is There Only One True God? (WBTS); Jn 1:1 NWT - Mantey (DNWT); Jn 1:1 Martin (DNWT); John 1:1c - English Translation: "The Word was a god." (SFBT); With God? (SFBT)
RU - Jesus Raised Himself? (Examining the Trinity); The Trinity and John 2:19-22 (JW United)
John 5:18 "...making himself equal to God" (Examining the Trinity); John 5:18 - What is this scripture saying? (JWQ&A)
John 5:23 - "That all may honor the Son JUST AS [kathos] they honor the Father." - NIV (Examining the Trinity)
John 6:7-15 Holy Spirit as a "he" (Examining the Trinity); Why, in John 16:7, is the holy spirit spoken of as a "helper"? (Examining the Trinity)
John 8:19
What did Jesus actually say at John 8:58? (SFBT); John 8:58 "I AM"; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); In Defense of the New World Translation. John 8:58 files (INDNWT); Stafford's "'ANI HU and the LXX of Isaiah" (INDNWT); Sahidic Coptic John 8:58 and Sahidic Coptic Exodus 3:14 (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses); What About...John 8:58? (From God's Word); John 8:58 (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to First Scriptural Heading); Miscellaneous Questions about the New World Translation (Jn 8:58) (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to Fifth Heading); What About Trinity "Proof Texts"? (WBTS; Scroll down to 5th Heading); How do we know that 'I Am' at Ex. 3:14 in KJV is incorrect? (JWQ&A); Jesus' reply had to do with the length of his existence...not his identity (JWQ&A); Luke 23:43 and the New World Translation (SFBT)
Did Jesus raise himself up from the dead (John 10:17-18)? (SFBT); RU - Jesus Raised Himself? (Examining the Trinity)
ONE - John 10:30 (Examining the Trinity); In John 10:30, does Jesus say that he and his Father are one person? (SFBT); What About Trinity "Proof Texts"? - John 10:30 (WBTS; 2nd heading down)
John 10:33 "a god" or "God"? (Examining the Trinity); THEON (Examining the Trinity); MY GOD 8-9; (Examining the Trinity); How is Jesus a god? (SFBT); John 1:1c - English Translation: "The Word was a god." (vs. 33) (SFBT); How is John 10:33 translated in the coptic? (JWQ&A)
Seen Me: Seen Father - John 14:7-9 (Examining the Trinity)
John 14:14
John 14:14 (DNWT); Words Omitted (John 14:14) (DNWT); What kind of prayers are heard by God? (SFBT); Ask Who? (jwitness forum); John 14:14: To "me" or not to "me", that is the question (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses); The Sahidic Coptic of John 14:14 (JWQ&A)
John 20:28 "My God" (DNWT); MY GOD (Examining the Trinity); Why did Thomas say "My Lord and my God" at John 20:28? (SFBT); Why did the apostle Thomas exclaim "My Lord and my God!" at John 20:28? (JWQ&A); John 20:28 - Is Jesus Given the Title 'ho theos'? (Bible Translation and Study; Scroll down to 3rd Scriptural Heading); God and gods (SFBT); How is Jesus a god? (SFBT)
Acts 5:3, 4 Lied to the Holy Spirit...lied to God? (Examining the Trinity); Acts 5:3 "play false" (INDNWT); The Doctrine of the Trinity and Acts 5:3, 4 (JW United); The Holy Spirit - God's Active Force (JW United)
Acts 8:29
Acts 10:38
"Anointed with Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity)
Acts 13:2
Acts 13:2 "The holy spirit said: “...for the work to which I have called them.'” (Examining the Trinity); The Holy Spirit "speaks" at Acts 13:2 ('Reasoning From Scripture' Archive)
Acts 20:28
Acts 20:28 ("God...with his own blood") (DNWT); ACTS 20:28 (In Defense of the NWT); Does Acts 20:28 really say that God bought the church with his "own" blood? (SFBT); Acts 20:28 ("God...with his own blood") (Examining the Trinity); A Response to Alleged New World Translation "Errors" (Jehovah's Witnesses United); "The Sahidic Coptic version...does not speak of 'the church of God which he purchased with his own blood,' (Acts 20:28) (NWT and Coptic); God bought church with His own blood?; (SFBT); How does the 2nd/3rd century Sahidic Coptic version translate this text? (JWQ&A); Does God have blood (Acts 20:28)? (jwitness forum
Acts 28:25
Acts 28:25 "The holy spirit aptly spoke through Isaiah" (Examining the Trinity)Rom. 8:27
Rom. 8:27 (phronema) (INDNWT); Rom. 8:27 - Why is the Greek word translated differently in the NWT? (Jehovah's Witnesses United); Rom. 8:27 "Mind of the Spirit" (Examining the Trinity)
Rom. 9:5
ROM. 9:5 - " ... Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." - KJV (DNWT); AO - Speaker Confusion (Listing #6) (Examining the Trinity); Is Rom. 9:5 really proof that Jesus is God? - " ... Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." - KJV (SFBT); ROMANS 9:5: Is the Christ here "God"? (IDNWT); "God Over All" in Romans 9:5: Translation Issues and Theological Import (JW United); "The Coptic text of Romans 9:5 has some ambiguity, it appears to be less so than the Greek, and points clearly to two entities -- Christ and God" (Sahidic Coptic Insight on NT Verses)
1 Cor. 8:5,6
How was it that "all things were made through (Jesus)"? (Vs. 6) (SFBT); 'Unitized Title' Vs. 'Title with Identifiers' (1 Cor. 8:6) (Examining the Trinity); 1 Cor. 8:5,6 ("To us one God, the Father") - TC 6-7 (and f.n.'s #4, 6); BWF 3-4 ("source")
1 Cor. 12:11
1 Cor. 12:11 "The holy spirit wills" (Examining the Trinity); Do scriptures personifying the "Holy Spirit" mean that it is a person? (SFBT)
2 Cor. 3:17
2 Cor. 3:17 "The Lord is the Spirit." (Examining the Trinity)
2 Cor. 4:4
2 Cor. 4:4 "Christ, who is the image of God" (Examining the Trinity); Image (Examining the Trinity); Does Gen. 1:26 prove Trinity? (SFBT)
2 Cor. 13:14
2 Cor. 13:14 "the sharing in" (INDNWT); 2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (SFBT); HS fn. #13 (Examining the Trinity); 2 Cor. 13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity); 2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity)
Eph. 4:30 "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit" (Examining the Trinity); How can the Holy Spirit be "grieved"? (SFBT); What about scriptures that seem to show the Holy Spirit being personified? (SFBT)
Eph. 5:5
Eph. 5:5 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule" (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)
Phil. 2:6
PHIL 2:6; Part 2 - Notes (Examining the Trinity); NWT - Criticism by Zondervan's So Many Versions? - "[Other]" and Phil. 2:6 (DNWT); New World Translation and Philippians 2:6 (INDNWT); What does it mean when Phil. 2:6 says that Jesus was in God's form? (SFBT); Huparchon (or `Uparchon') - Does the word `being' in Philippians 2:6 [KJV], really literally mean `remaining or not ceasing to be'? (SFBT); God and gods (SFBT)
Why does the NWT at Col. 2:9 state that in Jesus "all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily," where as other translations state that in Jesus "dwells the fullness of Deity or the Godhead?'"; (DNWT) Does Col. 2:9 prove that Jesus is God? (SFBT); Col. 2:9 - "Fulness of Deity" (Examining the Trinity); "Theotes simply does not literally mean "godhead," and the use of "godhead" by the KJV translators was not intended as some would understand it today..." (JWQ&A); "The Fullness of the Divine Quality" in Colossians 2:9 (Bible Translation and Study)
SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule" (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)
1 Tim. 3:16
1 Tim. 3:16 God "manifest in the flesh" KJV (Examining the Trinity); How does the 2nd/3rd century Sahidic Coptic version translate this text? (JWQ&A); Did God become flesh (1 Tim 3: 16)? (jwitness forum)
1 Tim. 5:21
SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule" (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United); 2 Cor.13:14 "Jesus", "God", "and the...Holy Spirit"
SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Titus 2:13 "Sharp's Rule"; (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)
Heb. 1:3
Heb. 1:3 `He [Jesus] is the reflection of his [God's] glory' (Examining the Trinity); Heb. 1:3 / Isa. 42:8 Does Jesus really share Jehovah's Glory? (Examining the Trinity)
Heb. 1:6
Heb. 1:6 "All angels of God worship him" KJV (Examining the Trinity) Worship (as used in Scripture) (Examining the Trinity); Worship or Obeisance? (Bible Translation and Study); PROSKYNEO-Always "Worship"? (In Defense of The New World Translation); Heb. 1:6 - "Let all the angels of God worship him [Jesus]." (JWQ&A); Heb. 1:6 "All angels of God worship him" KJV (SFBT); Should we worship Jesus (Hebrews 1: 6; Matthew 1:2)? (jwitness forum); Did Jehovah's Witnesses worship Jesus prior to 1954? (jwitnessforum); Instance of prototokos in NT (SFBT)
Heb. 1:8 "Thy Throne O God" (Examining the Trinity); Hebrews 1:8 "Thy throne, O God" (DNWT); Heb. 1:8 (INDNWT); George Wesley Buchanan and Hebrews 1 (INDNWT)
2 Pet. 1:1
Trinity "Proof Texts"SHARP'S RULE - Pt 1 (Examining the Trinity); SHARP'S Rule - Pt 2 (Endnotes) (Examining the Trinity); 'Sharp's Rule' Primer (Examining the Trinity); Sharp's Rule (A response to a major accusation made by Robert H. Countess) (DNWT); Trinitarian Apologetics: A Case Study Involving Rob Bowman and Granville Sharp (Jehovah's Witnesses United)
2 Pet. 3:18
Isa. 43:11 / 2 Pet. 3:18 Jehovah only Savior; Jesus Savior; (SFBT); Title Confusion Trick "Saviour" (Examining the Trinity)
1 John 5:7
The 'Johannine Comma' - 1 John 5:7 (INDNWT); But Your Bible's Been Changed! (From God's Word); Newton proved that the words in 1 John 5:7 were spurious... (Pastor Russell); 1 John 5:7 (KJV) (Examining the Trinity); How does the accuracy of the New World Translation Bible compare to other translations? (SFBT); 1 John 5:7 proof of the Trinity? (SFBT); "Word" and 1 John 5:7, KJV ("Oneness") (JWQ&A); "Jehovah" in the New Testament (end notes) (SFBT, 10th par. end note #1, 10th par. "Zondervan")
1 John 5:8
1 John 5:8 (Examining the Trinity); Trinitarian reasoning - water and blood persons too? (SFBT); How can the Holy Spirit be "grieved"? (SFBT); What about scriptures that seem to show the Holy Spirit being personified? (SFBT)
1 John 5:20
Translating "In" (DNWT); 1 John 5:20 "True God" (DNWT); 1 John 5:20 "We are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." - KJV (Examining the Trinity); 1 John 5:20 (INDNWT); "The Only True God" (Examining the Trinity) If the Father is the "only true God" (John 17:3), does that mean that Jesus is a false god? (SFBT); The Bible’s Viewpoint - Is There Only One True God? (WBTS); Is Jesus Christ God? WHO IS “the Only True God”? (WBTS)
Rev. 1:8
Rev. 1:8 "Alpha and Omega" (Examining the Trinity); Is Jesus the "Alpha and the Omega" (Rev. 1:8)? (jwitness forum)
Rev. 1:17
Isa. 44:6 / Rev. 1:17 "First and the Last" (SFBT); Title Confusion Trick - "First and Last" (Is. 44:6; Rev. 1:17) (Examining the Trinity)
Rev. 5:6
Throne (Rev. 22:1) (Examining the Trinity); Rev. 5:6 and Rev. 5:13 "Throne" (Examining the Trinity); "Jehovah" in the New Testament; "Holy, Holy, Holy" - Is. 6:3 (SFBT)
Rev. 5:6 and Rev. 5:13 "Throne" (Examining the Trinity)
Rev. 22:1
Throne (Rev. 22:1) (Examining the Trinity)
Rev. 22:13
Alpha and Omega (AO) - Speaker Confusion Trick (Examining the Trinity); Is Jesus the "Alpha and the Omega" (Rev. 1:8)? (jwitness forum)
More material:
Trinity 'Proof' Texts Refuted (From In Defense of The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures)
What About Trinity "Proof Texts"? (From the Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Still can't find what you're looking for? Try using the Scripture Index.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)