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Thursday, July 29, 2010

If Jesus is God, wouldn't that mean that Jesus was never really dead in the first place and therefore his sacrificial death never really happened? Even if it did, would God's death really be "a corresponding ransom"?

"Are you not from of old, O Lord my God, my Holy One? You shall not die." (Hab. 1:12) NRSV (If Jesus really were God, and God is immortal, Jesus could not have died.)

The argument that only the human part of Jesus died is a denial that God died for us. So the doctrine of the double nature of Christ not only conflicts with Scripture, it conflicts with other trinitarian dogma:

A comparable difficulty faces Trinitarians when they assert that only the human part of Jesus died. If Jesus were God, and God is immortal, Jesus could not have died. If Jesus is the whole person and Jesus died, he cannot be immortal Deity. It appears that Trinitarians argue that only Deity is sufficient to provide the necessary atonement. But if the divine nature did not die, how on the Trinitarian theory is the atonement secured?

God's Law to ancient Israel required "soul for soul [or, life for life]." (Exodus 21:23) So the death covering mankind's transgressions would have to equal what Adam had lost. Only the death of another perfect man could pay the wages of sin. 1 Timothy 2:6 & Romans 5:16, 17 outline that Jesus was such a man. Jesus was "a corresponding ransom" for the saving of all redeemable mankind descended from Adam.

Jesus, no more and no less than a perfect human, became a ransom that compensated exactly for what Adam lost—the right to perfect human life on earth. So Jesus could rightly be called “the last Adam” by the apostle Paul, who said in the same context: “Just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45) The perfect human life of Jesus was the “corresponding ransom” required by divine justice—no more, no less. A basic principle even of human justice is that the price paid should fit the wrong committed.

If Jesus, however, were part of a Godhead, the ransom price would have been infinitely higher than what God’s own Law required. (Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19-21) It was only a perfect human, Adam, who sinned in Eden, not God. So the ransom, to be truly in line with God’s justice, had to be strictly an equivalent—a perfect human, “the last Adam.” Therefore, when God sent Jesus to earth as the ransom, he made Jesus to be what would satisfy justice, not an incarnation, not a god-man, but a perfect man, “lower than angels.” (Hebrews 2:9; compare Psalm 8:5, 6.) How could any part of an almighty Godhead—Father, Son, or holy spirit—ever be lower than angels?

Related Articles:

Does the Bible Support the Doctrine of the Double Nature of Christ? (Search For Bible Truths)

Ransom - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

Was Jesus a Spirit or Wasn't He? - "Are there two natures in Jesus Christ? (Pastor Russell)

"The Fallacy and Ineptitude of the Doctrine of the Dual Nature of Christ" (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Did Jesus raise himself up from the dead? (John 10:17-18) (Search For Bible Truths)

Jesus Raised Himself? (Examining the Trinity)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Do Jehovah's Witnesses believe in Jesus?

Yes. Jehovah's Witnesses very much do believe in Jesus. Jehovah's Witnesses try to follow closely the
teachings and behavior of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:21)

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ (Acts 4:12), that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe.

And when people become Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are baptized in the name of Jesus.—Matthew 28:18, 19.

Why Do Some Say That Jehovah's Witnesses Are Not Christians?

Many falsely claim that Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in Jesus. They may do this due to a misunderstanding or because they wish to depict Jehovah's Witnesses in a bad light.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe in what the Bible says and what Jesus himself claimed...that Jesus is the SON OF God. Jesus is God's "only-begotten" son...the only being directly created by God. (John 1:18)

Jesus is "the beginning of the creation of God." (Rev. 3:14)

He is the "firstborn of all creation". (Col. 1:15)

Even though Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that Jesus is God Himself, this does not mean that they don't believe in Jesus! They believe that he is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. In fact, he is the second most important person in the Universe next to God Himself.

For more, see:

Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe in Jesus? (JW.ORG)

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christians? (JW.ORG)

Must You Believe in the Trinity to Be a Christian? (JW.ORG)

Jehovah's Witnesses Are Christians - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

Why Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Believe in the Trinity? (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

Jesus Christ - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

If God Intended For us to Live in Heaven And Not on Earth, Why Not Create us There in the First Place?

The Bible DOES show that SOME will be "bought from the earth" (Rev. 14:1-3), but this Scripture plainly shows that this number is limited to ONLY 144,000.

The Bible plainly shows that not all good people go to heaven. Acts 2:34 specifically mentions one good person that did not go to heaven:

"David [whom the Bible refers to as being `a man agreeable to Jehovah's heart'] did not ascend to the heavens."

If God intended for us to live in heaven and not on earth, wouldn't it make sense that He would just create us there to begin with? So why didn't He?

The Bible shows that God's original purpose was for mankind to live on earth (Gen. 2:17) and that the vast majority of mankind have the prospect of being resurrected in the future to life in Paradise on earth:

"But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." (Ps. 37:11)

Ps. 115:16 says: "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the EARTH he has given to human beings." (NRS)

"For thus saith Jehovah that formed the earth and made it, that formed it to be inhabited. " (Isa. 45:18) ASV

Matt. 5:5: "Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the EARTH."

Matt. 6:9, 10: "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon EARTH."

2 Pet. 3:13: "There are new heavens and a new EARTH that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell."

For more, see:

HEAVEN(S) (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

Heaven (Insight-1 pp. 1059-1065; Watchtower Online Library)

Heaven (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

Myth 3: All Good People Go to Heaven (THE WATCHTOWER 2009-11-01; JW.ORG)

What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe Regarding Physical And Heavenly Afterlives? The 144,000? (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

Monday, July 26, 2010

How and Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

Jesus was originally in heaven, "but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the
likeness of men." (Phil. 2:7)

God sent his Son to the earth by miraculously transferring the life of Jesus from heaven to the womb of a faithful Jewish virgin named Mary. Jesus inherited no imperfections because he did not have a human father. Jehovah God's holy spirit, or active force, came upon Mary, and his power ‘overshadowed’ her, miraculously causing her to become pregnant. (Luke 1:34, 35) Mary then gave birth to a perfect child. - Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22, 23; Mark 6:3.

Jesus did not simply materialize a human body as angels had done long ago, but was actually a ‘son of mankind’ through his human mother. (See 1 John 4:2, 3 and 2 John 7)

The Bible very plainly shows through it's descriptive account of Jesus having ‘become flesh’ (John 1:14), and having ‘come to be out of a woman’ through his conception and birth to the Jewish virgin Mary. (Gal. 4:4; Luke 1:34-36)

Because of all of these things, it is fitting for Jesus to have applied the expression "Son of Man" to himself. (John 1:51; 3:14, 15) (For more, see: Why Did Jesus Refer to Himself as the Son of Man?; Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

 
So why did he come to earth?

By sacrificing, or giving up, his perfect life in flawless obedience to God, Jesus paid the price for Adam’s sin. Jesus thus brought hope to Adam’s offspring. - Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22

By means of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, we can receive “the forgiveness of our sins.” (Colossians 1:13, 14) We also have the hope of everlasting life on a paradise earth: “The wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23)


For more, see:

Jesus Christ - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Why do Jehovah's Witnesses refer to their meeting places as "Kingdom Halls"?

Since many persons think of a church as a building for religious services rather than a congregation engaging
in worship, the rendering “church” can be misleading.

Kingdom Halls are also referred to by Jehovah's Witnesses as "congregations" a word that is used in the Bible. "Assembly" is also used in the Bible and is what Jehovah's Witnesses frequently refer to their larger gatherings.

The name Kingdom Hall is appropriate because Jehovah's Witnesses' Bible-based message is about God’s Kingdom.

Like their Lord Jesus Christ, the primary work of Jehovah's Witnesses is preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom that encompasses heaven and earth. (Matthew 6:9,10; 24:14)

Jesus said: "I must proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, BECAUSE I WAS SENT FOR THIS PURPOSE.." -- Luke 4:43, Holman Christian Standard Bible, emphasis added

As Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses share their Lord's purpose. The primary name of their meeting places harmonizes with that.

For more, see:

Why Don’t You Call Your Meeting Place a Church? (JW.ORG)

Where We Worship (Jehovah’s Witnesses Official Media Web Site)

Where And How Do Jehovah's Witnesses Meet? (Search For Bible Truths)

You Are Invited to the Kingdom Hall! (From God's Word)

What beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses set them apart as different from other religions? (Search For Bible Truths)

What would be appropriate attire when attending Jehovah's Witnesses' places of worship and why? (JWQ&A)
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Friday, July 23, 2010

Does the majority really necessarily indicate the true belief?

Does the majority really necessarily indicate the true belief?

Did the vast majority of Jewish priests, Sadducees, Pharisees, and others deeply trained in Jewish religion at the time of Christ, believe that Jesus was the Messiah (or believed much of what he taught)?

Were the vast majority of Christians (including the finest scholars of Christendom available from about 400 A.D. until 1600 A.D.) correct in believing and teaching that 'saints' could be appointed by men and prayed to?

Was this vast majority correct in believing and teaching that God's name in the Old Testament Hebrew manuscripts could be falsified in translations?

Was this vast majority correct in believing and teaching of the immaculate conception of Mary?

Were they correct in believing and teaching of the transubstantiation (eating Jesus' LITERAL flesh and drinking his LITERAL blood in the Celebration of the Eucharist)?

Were they correct in believing and teaching that Mary is the mediator (Mediatrix) between God and men and is also to be prayed to?

Were they correct in believing and teaching of Hades being a place where God has sinners tortured for all eternity?

Were they correct in believing and teaching that Purgatory is a place of torment for sinners which they will eventually escape from when their punishment is complete?

Was this vast majority correct in believing and teaching that the punishment of loved ones in purgatory will be lessened and shortened by the works (often including payment of money to priests - indulgences) of those still alive?
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“Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness." (Mt. 7:21-230

"Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones (even) finding it." (Mt. 7:13,14)


For more, see:

Religion


Can't find what you're looking for in the search box? Try using the alphabetical list of topics below (for example, see "A" for "Angels"):
# A B C D E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L M  N O  PQ R S T UV  WXYZ

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Flood - Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

FLOOD (Noachian) - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

DELUGE (Insight-1 pp. 609-612; Watchtower Online Library)

Flood (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

According to the Bible, what was the time span between Adam’s creation to the Flood? (Search For Bible Truths)

Men had life-spans up to 969 years between Adam’s creation to the Flood. If it was only 1,656 years between those two events, then why do those 10 generational names potentially add up to just under 10,000 years? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Did the Great Flood of Noah's Day Really Happen? (Search For Bible Truths)

What was the general population's attitude and the disobedient angels' motivations in the days before the flood? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

In order to marry the daughters of men and have sex relations with them, what did those angelic "sons of God" have to do? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers; 9/15/55 WT)

From what source was the Flood of Noah’s day? (Search For Bible Truths)

What effect of a rapid diminishment of a global water canopy? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Did humans eat meat before the flood? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

What does the Bible say concerning whether the whole earth was covered with water? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

In what year does the Bible indicate the Great Flood occurred and why didn't Noah's father and grandfather enter the ark? (Search For Bible Truths)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Is the fundamental nature of God SUPPOSED to be a "Mystery"?

An honest, clear statement of the Trinity Doctrine would be:

"For there are three persons who compose the only true God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And these three persons are the One God."

It isn't a difficult statement for anyone to write, let alone an inspired Bible writer. But you will never see that (not even once) in the inspired scriptures.


The Trinity is considered to be "one God in three Persons", yet many sincere believers have found it to be confusing, contrary to normal reason, unlike anything in their experience. How, they ask, could the Father be God, Jesus be God, and the holy spirit be God, yet there be not three Gods but only one God?

This confusion is widespread. The Encyclopedia Americana notes that the doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be "beyond the grasp of human reason."

Many who accept the Trinity view it that same way:

"The most sublime mystery of the Christian faith is this: 'God is absolutely one in nature and essence, and relatively three in Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who are really distinct from each other." - p. 584, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers, 1976.

"The doctrine of Three Gods in One, each separate and distinct, yet each totally God, is claimed by Christians to be a mystery and is accepted on faith." - pp. 79-80, Celebrations - The Complete Book of American Holidays, Robert J. Myers, Doubleday & Co., 1972.

Pope John Paul II even regarded it as "the inscrutable mystery of God the Trinity."

A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge says: "Precisely what that doctrine is, or rather precisely how it is to be explained, Trinitarians are not agreed among themselves."

"The Trinity is a mystery . . . in the strict sense . . . , which could not be known without revelation, and even after revelation cannot become wholly intelligible." (By Catholic scholars Karl Rahner and Herbert Vorgrimler in Theological Dictionary)

However, contending that since the Trinity is such a confusing mystery, it must have come from divine revelation creates another major problem. Why? Because divine revelation itself does not allow for such a view of God: "God is not a God of confusion." -1 Corinthians 14:33 (RSV)

With that Scripture in mind, would God really be responsible for a doctrine about Himself that is so confusing that even Hebrew, Greek, and Latin scholars cannot really explain it?

Furthermore, do people have to be theologians 'to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent'? (John 17:3, JB) If that were the case, why did so few of the educated Jewish religious leaders recognize Jesus as the Messiah? The disciples of Jesus were the humble common people, not the religious leaders. His faithful disciples were, instead, humble farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, housewives. Those common people were so certain of what Jesus taught about God that they could teach it to others and were even willing to die for their belief. (See Matthew 15:1-9; 21:23-32, 43; 23:13-36; John 7:45-49; Acts 4:13)



If the nature of God truly is a "mystery", then scriptures like John 17:3 become very confusing: "And this is the way to have eternal life...to know you, the only true God," (NLT)

God is not so cruel as to tell us that we need to know Him in order to gain eternal life but then not be able to receive it because His very nature is a "mystery"!

Also, given that Man was made in God's image (Gen. 1:26), then shouldn't Man naturally understand God's nature? If man is made in God's image, then why does Man not display any kind of a tri-nature about him whatsoever? Certainly if God possessed such a tri-nature, and such a fundamental tri-nature aspect is conspicuously absent in Man, how then could it be said that Man was made in God's image? He could have easily been created with three personalities. But God expressly made him in his image with one mind, one personality: one person.

The real mystery is why the Trinity Doctrine is still such an accepted teaching despite the relative ease to demonstrate it's pagan and unscriptural history.
 

Further reading:

Dozens of Questions For Those Who Believe in the Trinity (Examining the Trinity)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Soul - Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

Soul - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

SOUL (Insight-2 pp. 1004-1007; Watchtower Online Library)

The different ways that "soul" is used in the Bible (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

What does the Bible say as to what humans are and what becomes of them when they die? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

What Happens After You Die? (Search For Bible Truths)

Is the body and soul the same, and if so, why does Matthew 10:28 say, "And do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul"? (Search For Bible Truths)

Does the Bible say that animals are souls? (Search For Bible Truths)

Does the Bible indicate that the soul survives the death of the body? (Search For Bible Truths)

Why is the soul not immortal? (Search For Bible Truths)

What does the Bible say that helps us to understand what the soul is? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Do other scholars who are not Jehovah's Witnesses acknowledge that this is what the Bible says the soul is? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Can the human soul die? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Does conscious life continue for a person after the spirit leaves the body?
(Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

How does "the spirit...return to God who gave it"? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Is the soul the same as the spirit? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

What is the origin of Christendom's belief in an immaterial, immortal soul? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Where does the Bible say that animals are souls? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Monday, July 19, 2010

VIDEO: John 1:1 Part 1 and Part 2

For a prelude, you may appreciate watching the video: "Early Jewish and Christian Monotheism" before watching the following videos.


John 1:1 Part 1



John 1:1 Part 2



For much more information concerning John 1:1, see:

John 1:1 - Links to Information

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Dinosaurs - Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

DINOSAURS- Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

Dinosaurs (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

Does the Bible Mention Dinosaurs? (Search For Bible Truths)

Dinosaurs - When Did They Live? (Search For Bible Truths)

Dinosaurs and the Bible (Search For Bible Truths)

At Job 40:17, is the "Behemoth" a Dinosaur or a Hippopotamus? (Search For Bible Truths)

Why Some Scientists Believe in God - A Spotty Fossil Record (g04 6/22 pp. 5-8; Watchtower Online Library)

Dinosaurs - When Did They Live?; Part 2 (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Are things that seem to be at odds with the Bible's account really in contradiction to what the Bible says? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Is the Earth really only 10,000 years old? (Search For Bible Truths)

The Genesis Account and Dinosaurs (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Why did God create dinosaurs? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Should we attempt to please God as though working toward some kind of reward?

It is only natural to want, and to look for, the conclusion of the wickedness and suffering that occurs in this system today. Jesus' own apostles wondered when the "conclusion of the system of things" would happen. (Matt. 24:3)

Unfortunately, it has been observed how a few today have made it their main focus on the prospect of seeing the end of the system of things and then get disappointed and obsess about the fact that it hasn't happened yet and lose sight of the real reason why we follow Jehovah God's guidance.

We need to focus our attention on loving Jehovah God and serving Him for as long as He wishes. Take the focus off the End, though keep the urgency in mind. Use Peter as an example. He KNEW that he would die before the End, yet this is what he said:

(1 Peter 1:6-7) "In this fact YOU are greatly rejoicing, though for a little while at present, if it must be, YOU have been grieved by various trials, in order that the tested quality of YOUR faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being proved by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

(1 Peter 4:7) "But the end of all things has drawn close. Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers."

(2 Peter 3:11-12) "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 3:14) "Hence, beloved ones, since YOU are awaiting these things, do YOUR utmost to be found finally by him spotless and unblemished and in peace..."

The children and grandchildren of those who read Peter's words were probably a bit distressed that the End did not come quite as soon as it sounded like it might. But they apparently realized how important it was to really understand why we worship Jehovah God and pay attention to His commandments in the first place. It is not worded as though their main focus was to please Jehovah God as though working toward some kind of reward...such as seeing the end of the system of things and living through it (or even living forever for that matter). Rather, they sought to please the One who made us because He deserves that praise. They tried to live the way that He wants us to live (which is really the most beneficial way to live and best for us in the long run anyway).

The lesson is to keep that sense of urgency, live each day as though it could be the last, but plan for the future here so as to be able to keep active for as long as Jehovah God sees fit to let this system go on.

Today, even if we may not last in order to see the End, many have concluded that living according to the direction that they received from God's Word still imparts the best life now.

The more people learn about God and His beneficial instructions for us, the more they appreciate how much He just wants us to be happy. "His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3) Many problems that we suffer are caused by our own selves. If we will just listen to Him and heed His advice found in His Word, we can avoid all kinds of problems.

God's words at Isa. 48:17, 18 can be reminiscent of a concerned and loving parent who genuinely desires to have them "pay attention to (His) commandments" simply in order for them to "benefit" themselves and have "peace":

"This is what Jehovah has said, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: "I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit [yourself], the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments, Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea." (NWT)

Perhaps if we faithfully and unselfishly live our lives for Jehovah God as though we may die without seeing the End in our lifetimes or even die without being resurrected, then, perhaps we would prove ourselves as someone Jehovah God would want to share His eternal gift with.

Also see:

If we don't go to heaven or hell, then what motivates us to serve God? (Search For Bible Truths)


Can't find what you're looking for in the search box? Try using the alphabetical list of topics below (for example, see "A" for "Angels"):
# A B C D E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L M  N O  PQ R S T UV  WXYZ

Friday, July 16, 2010

Planets- Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

Planets (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

Planets - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

Does the Bible indicate whether or not life exists beyond the earth? (Search For Bible Truths)

The "Impossible" Universe (Search For Bible Truths)

Does Astrology Really Work? (Search For Bible Truths)

Are things that seem to be at odds with the Bible's account really in contradiction to what the Bible says? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Are Jehovah's Witnesses the first to reason that Jesus is Michael the Archangel?

Jesus Was God's Foremost Messenger (Angel)

Before citing the Scriptural evidence by scholars that the archangel was Christ himself, it would be helpful to first address what the literal definition of "angel" is in the Bible and also who Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus to be.

Trinitarians have problems with the term "angel" because to them it is clearly a subordinate term thereby reducing Jesus to a status lower than God Himself. Hence, the accusation arises that Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is "just an angel".

But what many people either do not understand (or are unwilling to understand) is that Jehovah's Witnesses do not view Jesus as "just an angel". Jehovah's Witnesses acknowledge that the Bible describes Jesus, not as God, but as God's Son - the only being directly created by God Himself and is the second most important person in existence. (Prov. 8:22-30; Micah 5:2; John 1:18; Col. 1:15; Rev. 3:14) (See: Who Is Jesus Christ?; JW.ORG)

Additionally, a large problem for many is that they do not have the proper understanding of what the literal definition of "angel" in the Bible is. Both the Hebrew mal·´akh´ and the Greek ag´ge·los literally mean “messenger.” When spirit messengers are indicated, the words are translated “angels,” but if the reference definitely is to humans, the rendering is “messengers.” (Gen. 16:7; 32:3; Jas. 2:25; Rev. 22:8) Whether human or angelic messengers are meant can be determined by the context.

Considering this, when Jesus was on earth, he was God's foremost messenger. He was called the "Word" because he was God's Spokesman:

“I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak. . . . Therefore the things I speak, just as the Father has told me them, so I speak them.” (John 12:49, 50; 14:10; 7:16, 17)

Jehovah Witnesses Weren't the First (nor only) Ones to Reason That Jesus is Michael the Archangel

Jehovah's Witnesses are not (and have not been) the only ones to understand that the name 'Michael' applied to God's Son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ and also after his return. From early Christian writings until now there have been many who have believed this.

Some Christian theologians, like John Calvin, (Calvin’s Commentaries on The Prophet Daniel, Vol. II, Baker reprint, vol. XIII, pp. 369, 370), John Gill (A Complete Body of Practical and Doctrinal Divinity, The Baptist Standard Bearer, 1987 reprint, p. 617), and Johathan Edwards (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 2, Banner of Truth, 1979 reprint, p. 606.), postulate that the archangel was Christ himself based on Scriptural evidence.

Also note what early Christian scholar Origen wrote:

"There are certain creatures, rational and divine, which are called powers [spirit creatures, probably ANGELS]; AND OF THESE CHRIST WAS THE HIGHEST and best and is called not only the wisdom of God but also His power." - ANF 10:321-322.

"The EARLIER PROTESTANT SCHOLARS usually identified Michael with the preincarnate Christ, finding support for their view, not only in the juxtaposition of the "child" and the archangel in Rev 12, but also in the attributes ascribed to him in Dnl." - The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, John A. Lees (1930, Vol. III), p. 2048.

"ARCHANGEL. This word is only twice used in the Bible, 1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 9. In the last passage it is applied to Michael, who, in Dan. 10:13,21; 12:1, is described as having a special charge of the Jewish Nation, and in Rev. 12:7-9 as the leader of an angelic army. So EXALTED are the POSITION and offices ASCRIBED TO MICHAEL, THAT MANY THINK THE MESSIAH IS MEANT." - Inter-National Bible Dictionary, published by Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, p. 35.

Even MODERN TRINITARIANS sometimes admit that Jesus in his pre-human existence appeared as an angel.

Highly respected trinitarian Bible scholar, Dr. E. F. Scott, Emeritus Professor at the Union Theological Seminary, wrote:

"The author of Hebrews ... thinks of [Jesus] as an angel, whom God had exalted above all others, investing him with his own majesty and calling him by the name of Son." - p. 726, An Encyclopedia of Religion, 1945 ed.

And, again, the very trinitarian The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible tells us that at this time the Jewish expectation was that the Christ was

"a pre-existent, heavenly angelic being who, at the end of time, will appear at the side of God as judge of the world [see Acts 7:55-56]." - p. 364, Vol. 3, Abingdon Press, 1962.

"Angel of the Lord [angel of Jehovah] - occurs many times in the Old Testament, where in almost every instance it means a supernatural personage to be distinguished from Jehovah .... Some feel the pre-incarnate Christ is meant." - p. 39, Today's Dictionary of the Bible (trinitarian), Bethany House Publ., 1982.

"Angel of the Lord. ... Christ's visible form before the incarnation." - p. 40, Smith's Bible Dictionary (trinitarian), Hendrickson Publ.

"ANGEL OF THE LORD, ... is represented in Scripture as a heavenly being sent by God to deal with men as his personal agent and spokesman [`word'] .... In the NT [which trinitarians agree explains and amplifies the OT] there is no possibility of the angel of the Lord being confused with God. .... mostly when appearing to men he is recognized as a divine being, even though in human form, and is [sometimes] addressed as God" - p. 38, New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale House (trinitarian), 1984 printing.

"The Angel of the LORD.... Traditional [from 2nd century A. D. (at least)] Christian interpretation has held that this `angel' was a preincarnate manifestation of Christ as God's Messenger-Servant. It may be ..., the angel could speak on behalf of (and so be identified with) the One [Jehovah] who sent him." - footnote for Gen. 16:7 in the highly trinitarian The NIV Study Bible by Zondervan Publishing, 1985.

Scripture Shows That There is Only One Archangel

Jehovah's Witnesses (like the scholars mentioned above) look to the Scriptural evidence which indicates that the name 'Michael' applied to God's Son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ and also after his return.

Additionally, the prefix "arch," means "chief" or "principal," and this implies that there is only ONE archangel, the chief angel; in the Scriptures.

Further implying that there is only one archangel in the Scriptures is that the word "archangel" is never found in the plural.

Because this evidence demonstrates that there is only ONE Archangel (compare Jude 9, "Michael THE Archangel"), when the voice of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is also described as being that of the "Archangel" at 1 Thessalonians 4:16, this suggests that he is, in fact, himself the Archangel.

The Bible clearly shows that Jesus is not God in hundreds of different ways. So the the over-the-top persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses by trinitarians over whether or not Jesus is Michael the Archangel is really an overreaction and demonstrates a clear ignorance of Scripture and History.

For more, see:

Archangel - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)

The Bible’s Viewpoint - Who Is Michael the Archangel? (g02 2/8 pp. 16-17; Watchtower Online Library )

Who Is Michael the Archangel? (bh p. 218 - p. 219 par. 1; Watchtower Online Library )

Is Jesus the Archangel Michael? (w10 4/1 p. 19; Watchtower Online Library)

MICHAEL (Insight-2 pp. 393-394; Watchtower Online Library)

Is Jesus Christ the same person as Michael the archangel? (Insight-2 pp. 393-394; Watchtower Online Library)

Is Jesus Christ Michael the Archangel? (Pastor Russell)

Who is the Archangel Michael? (Bible Translation and Study)

Biblical and Historical Views of Christ as an Angel (Jehovah's Witnesses United)

Angels as Jehovah's Representatives - Is Jesus Christ Michael the Archangel?
(Jehovah's Witnesses United)

High Angel Christology: Is Jesus Christ Michael the Archangel? (Jehovah's Witnesses Redefended)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Adam and Eve - Links to Information

(Also see Garden of Eden.)

Click on any of the following links to view:

Adam and Eve - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

Adam (Insight-1 pp. 44-46; Watchtower Online Library)

Eve (Insight-1 pp. 771-772; Watchtower Online Library)

Adam and Eve (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

What Is God’s Purpose for the Earth? (What Does the Bible Really Teach?; JW.ORG)

Can the Genesis account and Adam and Eve be believed? (Search For Bible Truths)

How is Man Made in God's Image? (Gen. 1:26) (Search For Bible Truths)

Was Eve created shortly after Adam? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Are things that seem to be at odds with the Bible's account really in contradiction to what the Bible says? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Why, in some Bibles, does it say that God called "THEIR name Adam"? (Gen. 2:5) (Search For Bible Truths)

What did the fruit from the tree of "the knowledge of good and bad" symbolize? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Did the snake really talk? How could it when snakes don't have vocal cords? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Didn't Adam and Eve Already Have to Know What Was Bad in Order to Eat From the Tree and Disobey God? (Search For Bible Truths)

What does Gen. 3:7 mean when it describes what happened immediately after eating the fruit: "At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness"? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Why did God forbid Adam and Eve from partaking? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

What would have happened if Adam had told Eve "No"? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Did Adam And Eve originally not know good and bad? Didn't Adam and Eve already have to know what bad was in order to eat from the tree and disobey God? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

If Adam and Eve were perfect, then does perfection require that Adam and Eve be unable to do wrong? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Was Satan around at the time of Adam and Eve and was he responsible for the snake? (Search For Bible Truths)

Where Do the Different Races Come From? (Search For Bible Truths)

Where did all of the varieties of human races/skin tones come from? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

According to the Bible, what was the time span between Adam’s creation to the Flood? (Search For Bible Truths)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Gospels - Links to Information

Click on any of the following links to view:

Gospels - Links to Information (INDEX; Watchtower Online Library)

Gospels (Search Results From the Watchtower Online Library)

"The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are authentic parts of the Word of God..." (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Apocrypha—of God or of Men? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

How do we know which books belong in the Bible? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

The Bible---Do We Have All of It? (Information concerning gnostic writings) (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Is there any connection between the Coptic canonical Gospels and the Coptic Gnostic "gospels"? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

What Is the Gospel of Thomas? (Jehovah's Witnesses United)

"Why is there no gospel of Thomas in the Bible when there other references to this elsewhere?" (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

I AM (John 8:58 / Ex. 3:14)

I AM (John 8:58 / Ex. 3:14)

Click on any of the following links to view:

John 8:58 - "The question of the Jews (John 8 verse 57) to which Jesus was replying had to do with age, not identity." (rs p. 405-p. 426; Watchtower Online Library)

What did Jesus actually say at John 8:58? (Search For Bible Truths)

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 (In Defense of the NWT)

Stafford's "'ANI HU and the LXX of Isaiah" (In Defense of the NWT)

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)

How do we know that 'I Am' at Ex. 3:14 in KJV is incorrect? (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Jesus' reply had to do with the length of his existence...not his identity (Jehovah's Witnesses Questions and Answers)

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Does Hebrews Chapter 1 show that Jesus is (and was) an angel and distinct from God?

It seems remarkable to nontrinitarians when trinitarians focus on Hebrews chapter 1. The fact that they occasionally do so is powerful proof that there is a serious shortage of support for their ideas.

Hebrews 1:5 and 1:13 in particular are absolutely the opposite of trinity proof texts! In fact, these verses (along with the verses from which Paul there quotes) demonstrate conclusively that Jesus is (and was) an angel and distinct from Jehovah. Those verses ask three questions which are actually specific references to earlier Scriptures about Jesus, and each and every one of those Hebrew Scriptures juxtaposes Jesus as separate and distinct from the person of "Jehovah" (note that each referenced "Old Testament" Scripture actually uses the Tetragrammaton). Thus, when each question frames itself as asking about “which angel” ("to which angel...?") then a well-read Bible student in Paul's day or our own day would immediately recognize the quoted verses which supply each answer as pointing to Jesus (A: "the angel is Jesus!"), and reminding that Jesus is a distinct person from Jehovah.

There is no reason to argue that the apostle Paul was asking rhetorical questions. Here is each of Paul’s rhetorical questions, along with the earlier Scriptural references from which Paul quotes...


From Hebrews 1:5, the question posed:

Q: [quote]To which one of the angels did [God] ever say: "You are my son; I, today, I have become your father"?[unquote]

The obvious answer:

To which angel? To the angel Jesus, the Christ, as Psalm 2 shows!

.. ..(Psalm 2:2-12) High officials themselves have massed together as one Against Jehovah and against his anointed one [footnote; "Christ"]... Let me refer to the decree of Jehovah; He has said to me: "You are my son; I, today, I have become your father..."


From Hebrews 1:5, the question posed:

Q: [quote]To which of one of the angels did [God] ever say: ..."I myself shall become his father, and he himself will become my son"?[unquote]


The obvious answer:

To which angel? To the angel Jesus, God's chosen King, as 2 Samuel 7 shows!

.. ..(2 Samuel 7:11-14) Jehovah has told you ... I myself shall become his father, and he himself will become my son.


From Hebrews 1:13, the question posed:

Q: [quote]To which one of the angels has [God] ever said: “Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet”?[unquote]


The obvious answer:

To which angel? To the angel Jesus, who waited patiently for God's purposes to unfold, as Psalm 110 shows!

.. ..(Psalm 110:1) The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: “Sit at my right hand Until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”


Remarkably, the only way this passage from Hebrews could possibly reconcile with trinitarianism is if one incorrectly believes that Paul was somehow asking trick questions to confuse his readers.

For more, see:

Archangel - Links to Information (Search For Bible Truths)

Friday, July 9, 2010

Huparchon (or `Uparchon') - Does the word `being' in Philippians 2:6 [KJV], really mean `remaining' or 'not ceasing to be'?

(Philippians 2:5, 6 is a common, so-called 'proof'-text Trinitarians use to try and show the Scriptural validity of the Trinity Doctrine. It is nothing of the sort and Phil. 2:6 is, in reality, proof that Jesus has never been equally God with the Father as the following will show.)

Huparchon (or `Uparchon')

Some claim that Christ never ceased to be Jehovah even during His earthly incarnation. They point to the Greek term uparchon, translated `being' in Philippians 2:6 [KJV], and say that it literally means `remaining' or 'not ceasing to be'. Therefore, they claim that the context shows that Christ never ceased to be God.

But if uparchon really had such a meaning, we would expect it to be used especially for God. What else that exists has an eternal existence? But search as we will we never see this word used for God. Some examples where we would expect to see it used (if it really meant `eternal existence') in the Bible Greek of the ancient Septuagint are Isa. 43:10, 25; 45:15, 22; 46:4, 9. Like all other Scriptures referring to God, they use forms of the "be" verb (eimi), which may be used to mean an eternal existence, but they never use uparchon to describe his eternal existence. (Isa. 45:22, for example, says, "I am [eimi] the God and there is no other." - cf. James 2:19 [estin, form of eimi]) So why is uparchon never used to show the eternal existence for the only thing in existence that has always existed (and which will never cease to exist)?

Uparchon is never used for God because it actually, literally means:

"to make a beginning (hupo, `under'; arche, `a beginning')" - W. E. Vine's An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 390.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance also defines huparcho as "to begin under (quietly), i.e. COME INTO EXISTENCE" - #5225.

And the authoritative (and trinitarian) An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell and Scott tells us:

"[huparcho] ... to begin, make a beginning ... 2. to make a beginning of ... 3. to begin doing ... 4. to begin [doing] kindness to one ... Pass. to be begun" - p. 831, Oxford University Press, 1994 printing.

So, even though it may be rendered into English as "existed" or "is," it nevertheless must also be understood as something that has come into existence at some point.

In that sense, then, uparchon is very much like another New Testament word, ginomai, ginomai [#1096, Thayer's], which also literally means "become" or "come into existence" but is sometimes translated into English as "is," "are," etc. E.g., 1 Peter 3:6 "whose daughters ye are [ginomai]," KJV, NKJV, NAB, RSV, NIV, is more properly understood as "you have become [ginomai] her children," NASB, NRSV, NEB, NWT - Cf. John 6:17, "It was [ginomai] dark."

As respected trinitarian NT Greek expert Dr. Alfred Marshall tells us:

"[Ginomai] denotes the coming into existence of what did not exist before.... This verb [just like huparchon] is therefore not used of God...."

Marshall further explains that although ginomai is often translated into English as "is," "are," "were," etc. it must nevertheless be remembered that it still retains the additional meaning of having come into existence! - p. 106, New Testament Greek Primer, Zondervan Publishing House, 1978 printing.

For another good example of the similarity of huparchon with ginomai see Luke 16:23 and 22:44.

Luke 16:23 - "he lifted up his eyes, being [huparchon] in torment," NASB.

Lk. 22:44 - "and being [ginomai] in agony he was praying," NASB.


In very similar statements Luke has used the very similar (in meaning) huparchon and ginomai and the highly respected NASB has rendered them both "being." But in both cases their fundamental meanings of "coming into existence" (or "coming to be") must be remembered. In other words, the person had not always been in torment or agony, but at some point had "come to be" in such a condition!

If you examine the following examples of the Biblical usage of huparcho, you will find they are clearly speaking of conditions which once did not exist but which have come into existence ("have begun to be"): Luke 16:23; Acts 2:30; Acts 7:55; Ro. 4:19; 2 Cor. 8:17; James 2:15 (plural form).

These last three verses not only show a state that has begun recently but a state that is transient, temporary - e.g., Abraham hadn't always been [uparchon] 100 years of age and certainly wouldn't continue to be 100 years of age: he had begun to be [uparchon] about 100 years old at this point - Rom. 4:19.

2 Cor. 8:16, 17 tells us:

"But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. For he [Titus] ..., being [uparchon] himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord." - NASB.

It should be obvious to everyone that Titus hasn't been earnest from all eternity. He obviously came to be earnest at some point in time. And, in fact, we are even told in verse 16 that at some point in time God put this earnestness into Titus' heart. Obviously it was not always there if God put it in his heart at some point! The meaning of uparchon as "having come [or begun] to be" is very certain from the context alone in these two verses.

James 2:15 tells us, in the KJV: "If a brother or sister be [uparchon] naked [`without clothes' - NIV, NASB]," we must help him to become clothed again. Obviously the brother has not been naked for all eternity but has very recently come to be in this condition. It's equally obvious that the brother will not always continue in this condition. In fact his brothers are commanded to ensure that he not continue in this naked state. (Famed trinitarian Bible scholar Dr. Robert Young noted the correct, complete meaning for uparchon in this verse: "BEGIN to be [uparchon] naked" - Young's Concise Critical Bible Commentary, Baker Book House, 1977 ed.)

Therefore, huparcho (or uparchon) does not mean "eternal pre-existence" as claimed by some trinitarians, and it certainly does not have to mean a condition that must continue to exist as Dr. Walter Martin also implies. Notice the solitary example (1 Cor. 11:7) he has selected to "prove" that uparchon means "not ceasing to be": "For a man ... is [uparchon] the image and glory of God" - NASB. My trinitarian NASB reference Bible refers this scripture to Gen. 1:26; 5:1; 9:6; and James 3:9. These scriptures all state that man was created or made in the image of God. (In fact James 3:9 literally says that men "have come to be [ginomai, #1096] in the likeness of God" and is usually translated in trinitarian Bibles as "have been made [or created] in the likeness of God." - NASB, NIV, RSV.)

So there is the real parallel meaning for the uparchon of 1 Cor. 11:7 - created (or caused 'to come to be'). There obviously was a time (before he was created) when a man was not the image of God. Furthermore, Martin's solitary "example" states that "a man" (NASB) is the image of God. This means that every man who lives has these qualities in some degree. However, not every man will have these qualities forever. Many, when they return to the dust of the earth, will cease to reflect God's qualities and glory! It would be much better to translate this verse literally as "For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he has come into existence [huparchon] in the image and glory of God."

There is little doubt about what huparchon was actually intended to mean (regardless of how modern trinitarian translators wish to translate it). Noted trinitarian scholar and translator Dr. Robert Young (Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible; Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible; etc.) has even admitted in his Young's Concise Critical Bible Commentary (p.134, Baker Book House, 1977) that his own rendering of huparchon as "being" at Phil. 2:6 in his own published Bible translation should be, to be more literal,

"beginning secretly [huparchon] in (the) form of God ...." - Phil. 2:6

So, rather than any "eternal pre-existence" being implied by Paul's use of huparchon at Phil. 2:6 ("who `always having been' in God's form" - cf. TEV), it is more likely just the opposite: "Who came into existence (or was created) [huparchon] in a form [morphe] similar to God (or in God's image)"! Of course, if Jesus first came into existence in God's image, then he cannot be the eternal, always-existent God of the Bible (nor even the always-existent God of the trinity doctrine)!

Or, put even more simply, since huparchon is never used for God himself, then its use for the pre-existent Jesus shows, again, that Jesus cannot be God!

What we really have at Phil. 2:6-7, then, may be more accurately rendered:

"who, even though he had come into existence as a glorious spirit person in a likeness [external form or guise] of God (or a god), never gave even the slightest consideration that by force he should try to become equal to God (in even a single aspect or quality), but, instead, emptied himself of his glorious form and took on the likeness [external form or guise] of a slave, being born in the likeness of a man."

Phil. 2:6 is, in reality, proof that Jesus has never been equally God with the Father!

And, of course, it is also proof that Jesus existed as a person ('the Word' in John 1) in heaven long before coming to earth as the human Jesus.

For more concerning Phil. 2:6, see:

Philippians 2:5, 6 (rs p. 405-p. 426; Watchtower Online Library)

PHIL 2:6;   Phil. 2:6; Part 2 - Notes (Examining the Trinity)  

New World Translation and Philippians 2:6 (IN Defense of the NWT)

What does it mean when Phil. 2:6 says that Jesus was in God's form? (Search For Bible Truths)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

"How do true Christians differentiate themselves from other religions when practicing Christianity?"

"How do true Christians differentiate themselves from other religions when practicing Christianity?"
 
First,

Ture Chistians MUST worship God in truth - John 4:24.

Eternal life is knowing the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent - John 17:1, 3.

In relation to Jesus' words, true Christians teach the truth to their neighbors in this life-saving essential area.

Second,

By making the Father's name known and teaching others to use it as a holy name, true Christians are following Jesus' words:

Declare the Father's name and help make it known as holy - John 17:26 and Matt. 6:9 ('Father ... may your name be held holy' - NJB).

(CEV) Matthew 6:9 You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name.

(TEV) Matthew 6:9 This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven: May your holy name be honored;

(BBE) Matthew 6:9 Let this then be your prayer: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

(GodsWord) Matthew 6:9 "This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy."

(ISV NT) Matthew 6:9 "Therefore, this is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

(Wey NT) Matthew 6:9 "In this manner therefore pray: `Our Father who art in Heaven, may Thy name be kept holy;

(Holman Christian Standard Bible) "Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy.

(The New Living Translation) Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.

(New Century Version) So when you pray, you should pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name always be kept holy.

(Easy-to-Read Version) So when you pray, you should pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, we pray that your name will always be kept holy.

(World English Bible) Pray like this. 'Our Father, who is in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

Third,

Jesus declares the most important commandments: (1) Must Love God (2) Must love neighbor - Luke 10:25-28 (and who is our neighbor? Even the 'hated' (by Jews) Samaritan - Luke 10:29-37).

So even though much of Christendom hates them, don't true Christians need to show love to their 'neighbors' by actively trying to share the essential truths taught by Jesus and the scriptures? Isn't that following Jesus' teachings?

Yes, even though there are going to be "many" who proclaim Jesus as their Lord (Matt. 7:21-22) but still continue along the wide road leading to destruction (Matt. 7:13), shouldn't true Christians be out there trying to help these 'neighbors' learn the truths taught by Jesus and the inspired scriptures? - Matt. 28:19, 20.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Do demons exist and what should a person do if they suspect that they are being harassed by them?

The Bible plainly shows that demons do exist and even though today they are evidently restrained from materializing, they still have great power and influence over the minds and lives of people, even having the ability to enter into and possess humans and animals. The Bible also shows that they use inanimate things such as houses and charms. (Mt. 12:43-45)

There have been instances where some people claim to have the overwhelming sense that they are being attacked by demons. However, not all who believe that they are being attacked by demons necessarily are. Demonic involvement is apparently the exception...not the rule. Some victims of mental difficulties fear they are under demonic attack, claiming at times to hear "voices." It is true that demons have been known to make sane individuals behave irrationally. (Mark 5:2-6, 15) But there is no proof that the demons are involved in most cases of bizarre behavior, any more than that they are involved in all cases of speechlessness, blindness, and epilepsy. Yet, back in Bible times, demons sometimes caused (or at least aggravated) these very ailments. (Matthew 9:32, 33; 12:22; 17:15-18) The Bible makes a clear distinction, though, between "those who were ill and those demon-possessed." (Mark 1:32-34; Matthew 4:24; Acts 5:16) So it seem as though the vast majority of cases of blindness or epilepsy today are caused by physical (not demonic) factors. The same no doubt can be said of most cases of mental distress.

Satan and his demons are `waging war' with God's people and have been known to harass faithful Christians. (Revelation 12:17; Ephesians 6:12) Because the demons are sadistic, it should not be a surprise that they take delight in tormenting some mentally distressed people...making their problems even worse.

But if there is good reason to suspect that demonic influence is involved, the following contains some sound, scriptural advice:

1) The disposal of any suspicious items directly and deliberately from individuals who are involved in some form of demonism may bring relief. (Acts 19:18-20)

2) Since Christians are told to "oppose the Devil," the afflicted one should reject any strange "voices" that could be of demonic origin. (James 4:7; Matthew 4:10)

3) If a person feels under attack, he should pray fervently, calling upon Jehovah's name out loud. (Ephesians 6:18; Proverbs 18:10)

For more, see:

Demons - Links to Information (Defend Jehovah's Witnesses)