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Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. (Philippians 2:5-6)
What The Scripture Says
How Can We Know For Sure What Is True?
If they do not speak according to this Word, they have no light (Isaiah 8:20).
Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord (Jeremiah 23:16).
Test everything. Hold on to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11).
Christ Is The Very Essence of God
(Phil. 2:6) in very nature God is “affirming” that Jesus is fully God.” And further, the word “nature” here (morphe in the Greek) is “the sum of those qualities that make God specifically God”
Ontologically, what we are saying is, that in this verse of Holy Scripture the Bible is unmistakably teaching that Jesus of Nazareth by being in very nature God is literally made of the same essence that makes God Who He is.Silva provides an illustration:
Now, you and I are human beings in our nature. Are we not? And as such we are made up of all of the stuff (essence) that comprises a human being.
Christ Was Already Living Before He Lived On Earth
The Deity of Christ Is Not A Human InventionWhat The Bible Tells Us About The Historic Person Jesus Of Nazareth
John 1:1 — In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Here it is again broken down in the original Greek. En arche. In the beginning — before anything originated and began to exist. En ho Logos — was the Word. The Word already was existing. Do you see how this agrees with what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:6? Now John himself is also telling us the Word—Christ Jesus—was already existing.
Colossians 2:9. Here the Apostle Paul tells us — For in Christ pleroma tes Theotes somotikos — in the Greek. This means — “everything that makes God Who He is” lives in the Man Jesus of Nazareth.
Hebrews 1:3 The Son [Jesus] is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His — [the Father’s] — being. Charakter hautou hupostasis — in the original. The substance—or essence—of God’s exact nature—Deity. Once again we learn here that the Father and the Son are identical in their nature, which is what makes them Who they are—and that is Deity—God. And so Christ Jesus really could say — “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).As Dr. Robert Lightner informs us:
The term translated nature morphe in verses 6 and 7 is a critical term in this passage. This word (trans. form in the KJV and NASB) stresses the inner essence or reality of that with which it is associated (cf. Mark 16:12). Christ Jesus, Paul said, is of the very essence (morphe) of God, and in His incarnation He embraced perfect humanity. His complete and absolute deity is here stressed by the apostle
(The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, 653,654).
What was Jesus claiming that made His adversaries so mad:
The Savior’s claim to deity infuriated the Jewish leaders (John 5:18) and caused them to accuse Him of blasphemy (John 10:33)” (ibid.). Which you will recall, is the very crime for which Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified.
The Deity of Christ Is A Crucial Issue
We need to remember that the Bible tells us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11). We also must understand that the Deity of Christ is Satan’s prime target of attack. And here’s why. In the Gospel of John 8:24 our Lord says something that cuts to the very heart of all that we have been talking about. Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord of Glory, and the only Savior of this lost world is quoted by the Apostle John who is an eyewitness to this event.But What Does The Watchtower Say To Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Finally Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989) gives us the benefit of his wisdom in this critical area of the classic historic orthodox Christian faith. From his classic text book The Kingdom of the Cults we read:
No treatment of the deity of Christ would be complete without mentioning the greatest single testimony recorded in the Scriptures. John 20:28 presents that testimony… Following through the sequence of events in verses 26 and 27, we learn that the Lord appeared to Thomas together with the other disciples and presented His body bearing the wounds of Calvary to Thomas for his inspection.
This was no spirit or phantom, no “form” assumed for the occasion, as Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain. This was the very body of Christ that bore the horrible imprints of excruciating torture and the pangs of an ignominious death. Here before the eyes of the unbelieving disciple was the evidence that compelled him by the sheer power of its existence to adore the One who manifested the essence of Deity. “Thomas answered and said unto him, My lord and my God.” This was the only answer Thomas could honestly give; Christ had proved His identity; He was truly “the Lord God.” Let us substantiate this beyond doubt…
The picture is clear. Thomas adored Christ as the risen incarnation of the Deity (Jehovah); John declared that Deity was His from all eternity (John 1:1); and Christ affirmed it irrefutably: “If ye believe not that I am he [Jehovah], ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24, cf. Exodus 3:14, bracketed mine). All of the pseudo-scholastic and elusive tactics ever utilized can ever change the plain declarations of God’s Word. Jesus Christ is Lord of all; and like it or not, Jehovah’s Witnesses will never destroy or remove that truth. Regardless of what is done to God’s Word on earth, it remains eternal in the glory, as it is written, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
So, Who Are You Going To Believe?
The problem we run into immediately is that none of this agrees with the historic record of the actual Person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, which we read about in the Bible—the true history of our Lord and Savior—Christ Jesus. This would mean then, according to Holy Scripture, that all people who believe the things that we just read, and who deny His full Deity remain condemned to Hell (see—John 3:36).
You’ll recall that the Apostle John, in his eyewitness deposition we call the Gospel of John, records the real Jesus as saying — “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I Am — [the eternal God Himself come in human flesh] — you will indeed die in your sins.” And so, clearly, we are not dealing with some minor issue here. But rather, this is the heart of the very Gospel of Jesus Christ itself!
We should now be able to see that many who would claim to be Christian really have little idea about what the Bible actually says concerning our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (see—Roman 9:5; Titus 2:13).
The Bible tells us that Jesus went to that grisly death for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). And what was that joy set before Him? His unfathomable love for —you. Do you see it? God doesn’t just talk about His love for us. No; the Bible says God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
It Was God Upon That Cross
As has been asked elsewhere: Do you realize that when the very Creator of the universe came into His world there was no room in His world for Him? So, the next time you look at a nativity scene, just think about it. God became man, born as a tiny, helpless, infant making Himself vulnerable to His rebellious creatures. Why? So that He might demonstrate to us what He had said all along in Holy Scripture — the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).
And Now The Rest Is Up To You
Labels: Jehovah's Witnesses
1914
Christ's invisible return, start of reign as King, end of last days. "Gentile times" ended, but this has no visible effect, except an (JW-imagined) increase in violence, wars, pestilence, earthquakes and other calamities since that year.
Current JW doctrine. From 1922 this was held to be start of Christ's *reign*, from 1930 also the start of invisible presence (earlier held to be 1874). [Note 2] Until recently, the WTS taught that some of those who experienced the events in 1914 would be alive to see the end of the world. This "1914 generation" doctrine was removed in November 1995. See WT 11/1 1995 p17. The "Creator's promise" about the end of the world before the 1914-generation died was removed from masthead (p4) of Awake! in 11/8 1995 issue. Whole idea of "generation" in Mt 24:34 being specific individuals is now abandoned.
1935
Close of "high calling" to be of the 144.000. From this date, JWs have taught that the "great Company/Crowd" in Rev 7 will live on Earth, not in heaven. The "Great Crowd", all JWs except ~8000 living now, is not considered anointed Christians, is not "born again," do not partake in communion and does not have Christ as mediator. They expect eternal life on Earth. See WT 6/15 1992 p23; Proclaimers (1993) p166. This date is justified only on the fact that the doctrine about earthly hope for "great crowd" was created in 1935.
With doctrine, the Witness expositors recognize that "on the surface" many Bible verses clearly contradict the teachings of the Society. These verses are therefore "spiritualized" and often interpreted to mean precisely the opposite of what they actually say! With prophecy, this "spiritualized" method enables Watchtower theologians to wrest the application of Biblical prophecies from the people to whom they were originally given (the nation Israel, for example) in order to apply them to "Jehovah's modern-day organization."
Frequent use of this allegorical or "spiritualized" method of interpretation also creates another convenient situation for the Society. If much of Scripture is to be applied "spiritually," or "symbolically," then how are we to know how to interpret the Bible at all? How are we to know which passages are to be understood "spiritually" and which are to be taken literally? Hence arises the need for a special class of Bible interpreters, the "faithful and discreet slave class." The average Witness himself is very careful not to accept the Bible's teachings at face value. He will instead look to the "slave class" to provide all necessary interpretation for him.
by Brian Thornton @ http://voiceofthesheep.wordpress.com
If you will recall, I had a great discussion with two Jehovah’s Witnesses who came a knocking on our door exactly two weeks ago yesterday (Thursday, March 24th). I also had a visit from two JW’s last July. Anyway, as I wrote a couple of weeks ago, the senior Witness wanted to set a day for a return visit, to which we both agreed would be two weeks from that day, which was this past Thursday. I really didn’t know if they would show up or not, and as the morning wore on I forgot about it, but not without first doing some quick verse checking just in case. The topic of discussion - if they were to show - was supposed to be the person and work of Christ. Around eleven o’clock, my daughter called up to me from downstairs by saying, “Dad! The Jehovah’s Witnesses are here!”
Their arrival took me a little off guard since I had figured they were not going to show. But I happily answered the door, stepped outside onto our front porch, and greeted them. The senior Witness (a lady who we will call Judy) was back, and this time she had a gentleman with her, who I figured to be someone even more senior than her. We exchanged quick pleasantries and then Judy started right in.
She confirmed that our topic was to be the person and work of Jesus, and pulled out her New World Translation to show me a couple of passages. She first took me to 2 Tim. 3:16 and reiterated that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, rebuke, correction, etc. I agreed completely. Then she turned to Matt. 16 where Jesus asks the disciples who they say that He is. Her point was to show that Jesus Himself confirmed that He was the Son of God, and not God Himself.
I replied by asking her (and the gentleman, who was quietly taking everything in) this question, “Who is the Alpha and the Omega?”, to which she immediately replied with no hesitation, “Jehovah God!”. “Absolutely.”, I said. And the gentleman also agreed. I then asked, “Well, then how come Jesus also claims to be the Alpha and the Omega?”. Both of them looked rather stunned, a little bewildered, and quite skeptical of what I had just attributed to the claims of Jesus.
As they tried to get a handle on my question, I asked Judy if I could see her Bible (I really don’t like calling it that, but that’s another topic for another day). She handed it to me and I turned to the book of Revelation. If curiosity ever killed the cat…these two were perfect case studies, as they watched and listened intently while I turned to Rev., chapter one, verse eight. Once there I read, ” ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says Jehovah God, “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.” ‘ - NWT
“That’s Jehovah God talking.”, I said. And they agreed enthusiastically. I got the feeling that they thought that was the only verse I was going to reference to make my first point because I noticed a little smile on Judy’s face. The smile left as I turned to the back of Revelation to chapter 22, starting at verse 12. There I read, “Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is. I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, the beginning and the end.” I kid you not…you could have heard a pin drop at that moment! They agreed that this was indeed Jesus talking, to which I asked, “Why would Jesus claim to be the Alpha and Omega if He was not Jehovah God?”.
They hemmed and hawed (that’s Southern for ‘they couldn’t come up with a good explanation other than the one I had given’), but there was no getting around what they had just read…in their own translation! We discussed several other passages during the next 30-45 minutes, but I repeatedly took them back to the clear claims of Jesus Himself in Revelation each time they tried to redirect me to some other passage to prove that Jesus was not Jehovah (I also addressed whatever verse or passage they would bring up).
During our conversation, we spoke much on the triune nature of God (which JW’s vehemently reject), and toward the end of our time together I asked the gentleman when the Holy Spirit was created since He also was not God in their theology, and since I could not recall any passages that discussed the creation of the Spirit. “Oh”, he said, “the Holy Spirit wasn’t created…He has always been…He is eternal.”. To which I replied, “Well, that’s two outta three! You are almost there!” - referring to his acknowledgment that both the Father and Spirit are eternal with no beginning or end. He laughed, shook my hand, and that was the end of our conversation. We left on good terms, and I told them they were welcomed back any time.
I could tell they were a little shaken by the Revelation passages, and I encouraged them to study the clear claims found there by Jesus. They promised they would. I pray that God would see fit to open their hearts so that they might be able to understand the truth of Jesus, the real Jesus of Scripture, for the very first time.
By Jason Carlson and Ron Carlson @ http://reformedevangelist.com/
When teaching on the cults, rarely do we encounter someone who hasn’t had a Jehovah’s Witness come knocking on their front door. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are notorious for their aggressive door-to-door evangelistic strategy. And while many people might view the Jehovah’s Witnesses at their door as an annoyance, they are literally a mission field at our doorstep. Therefore, we try to encourage Christians to view their visits as an opportunity, an opportunity to open their eyes to the truth and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
The next time the Jehovah’s Witnesses comes to your front door, instead of simply turning them away, why not spend five minutes and sow some simple seeds of truth into their lives? You may not convert them to true Christianity right there at your doorstep, but you can give them some important truths to consider, truths which may eventually bear genuine fruit of repentance and conversion in their lives.
The basic error of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is what we call a “theology of denial”. Jehovah’s Witnesses basically deny all of the central doctrines of the Christian faith; most significantly, they deny the Deity of Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses wrongly believe that Jehovah alone is God almighty, Jesus is only a god- a created being (actually the archangel Michael), and the Holy Spirit is simply an active force. This is a far cry from the true biblical doctrines of the Trinity and the Deity of Jesus Christ.
Now, if you only have five minutes to spend with a Jehovah’s Witness, try walking them through the following passages of scripture, passages that bear witness to the reality of the Deity of Jesus Christ (and the beauty of sharing these passages is that you can even use the Jehovah’s Witness’ false version of the Bible, the New World Translation):
1) Begin by reading with the Jehovah’s Witness from Revelation 1:8.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
After reading this verse together, ask them the following question, “Who is the Alpha and the Omega?” They will respond by saying something like, “Well, it says right there, the Alpha and the Omega is the Lord God (or Jehovah God in their translation).”
2) Next, ask them if they will read another passage of scripture with you, and read from Revelation 22:13.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”
After reading this verse with them, ask them, “Now, who exactly is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last?” And they will probably respond by saying something like, “We just saw who the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last is, he is the Lord God (or Jehovah God in their translation).
3) Lastly, ask them if they’ll look at one more passage with you, and read with them from Revelation 1:17-18.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last (stop here and ask again, ‘who is the First and the Last?’). I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!”
After reading this last passage of Scripture with them, ask the Jehovah’s Witness, “So, when exactly did the Lord God (or Jehovah God in their translation) die?” And most Jehovah’s Witnesses will just look at that passage in bewilderment, for you have just shown them conclusively, even from their own translation, that Jesus is the Lord God (or Jehovah God). If you want to demonstrate this reality even further, read with them from Revelation 22:13 & 16, where the Alpha and the Omega says, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.”
This series of passages can be a powerful tool when witnessing to a Jehovah’s Witness. These passages demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the Lord God, or Jehovah God. Jesus Christ is not simply a god, a created being; he is the eternal Lord God.
The next time the Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your front door, instead of simply turning them away, why not try sharing these 3 passages with them? God could use you to powerfully impact the life of a Jehovah’s Witness… and it only takes five minutes!
Distributed by http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/
