Jehovah’s Witnesses

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Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,661
5,908
113
#62
I believe it is because a lack of cross referencing in the scriptures.
yeah it could possibly be part of the issue it seems like many read the Bible one verse at a time , instead of reading it like a message communicating consistent principles from beginning to end.

i think , at least for myself , prayer for understanding was what really began to help me understand a little bit of the Bible. And letting the scripture explain itself
 

MessengerofTruth

Well-known member
Dec 21, 2022
688
435
63
#65
yeah it could possibly be part of the issue it seems like many read the Bible one verse at a time , instead of reading it like a message communicating consistent principles from beginning to end.

i think , at least for myself , prayer for understanding was what really began to help me understand a little bit of the Bible. And letting the scripture explain itself
"Call unto Me and I will show you Great and Mighty things you know not."

Says the LORD. :giggle:
 

Walter

Well-known member
Jul 20, 2022
1,282
598
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77
Washington
firstthings1sttab.tripod.com
#67
A couple times a month, JW’s come to visit the industrial estate where I work. They’re always welcoming and we always have a healthy debate, but everytime I ask the question why they don’t believe Jesus is God they stop talking and direct me to their website.
I can’t understand how someone who reads the same scriptures that we do, does not believe that Jesus is Lord? Or are they reading different scripture? As they’re trying to convert me, I offer counterpoints to make them think about what they believe. I’m not bashing JW’s. I just can’t fathom how you can read the same book, but come to a different conclusion of who/what God is. Thoughts?
Hello Samuel, how are you all I could not pass your post but have anyone read this search about Jehovah's Witness's Belief, you might find it interesting.

jehovah witness beliefs - Search (bing.com)

And about Jesus is GOD, some of it is in the search, well after Jesus said that God is a spirit, and the Angel Gabriel said to Mary He shall be called the Son of the highest, I had believed that for a while, but now we have learned that He is both Lord and Christ from different the scriptures.

Love, Walter and Debbie
 
N

Niki7

Guest
#68
I know they are heretical ive had a debate or two with them in the past. They are always next to the shopping centre I go to. I am not a JW.

I just mentioned that yes, they do say "Jesus is Lord" and as @Nehemiah6 pointed out its another Jesus. Its the archangel michael Jesus.
Yes, I read your op and understand you are not a JW. They can be deceptive so do not fall for everything they say, which they will say, in order to try and get you on board. The woman I worked with (actually I had hired her) had become a JW but her mother was a Christian so it was kind of interesting. They do believe Jesus is Lord.

It may interest you to know they consider all who are not JW's, are 'goats'. As in not sheep.
 

awelight

Well-known member
Aug 10, 2020
1,629
490
83
69
#69
A couple times a month, JW’s come to visit the industrial estate where I work. They’re always welcoming and we always have a healthy debate, but everytime I ask the question why they don’t believe Jesus is God they stop talking and direct me to their website.
I can’t understand how someone who reads the same scriptures that we do, does not believe that Jesus is Lord? Or are they reading different scripture? As they’re trying to convert me, I offer counterpoints to make them think about what they believe. I’m not bashing JW’s. I just can’t fathom how you can read the same book, but come to a different conclusion of who/what God is. Thoughts?
In the simplest of answers, The Jehovah Witnesses, are the BLIND leading the blind. As Scripture says, they will both fall into the ditch.

The JW's believe in much heresy. But because they deny the Eternal Sonship of Christ, I will have nothing to do with them. Additionally, there are other heresies:

They deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Thus, He is not the God-man, Just a holy man.
They deny the Trinity of God.
They therefore, deny the Holy Spirit.
They believe that they make-up God's chosen people.

One could go on and on from here.
 

Webers.Home

Well-known member
May 28, 2018
5,895
1,084
113
Oregon
#70
.
The passages below are paraphrased in harmony with the Watchtower
Society's translation of John 1:1-3 and Col 1:16-17

Gen 1:1 . . In the beginning, a god created the heavens and the earth.

Heb3:4 . . Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but he that
constructed all things is a god.

In order to comply with the Watchtower Society's teachings related to the
creation story, we would have to be constantly making mental word
substitutions when ever and where ever "God" appeared in order to be
consistent with the their rendering of John 1:1-3, especially the creation of
human life.

Gen 2:7 . . And the Word went on to say: Let us make man in our image,
according to our likeness

And the sabbath:

Gen 1:2-3 . .Thus the heavens and the earth and all their army came to
their completion. And by the seventh day the Word came to the completion
of his work that he had made, and he proceeded to rest on the seventh day
from all his work that he had made. And the Word proceeded to bless the
seventh day and make it sacred, because on it he has been resting from all
his work that the Word has created for the purpose of making.

The Society's translation of Gen 2:4 credits Jehovah God with the creation of
the heavens and the earth; while their translation of John 1:1-3 credits the
Word. That would be acceptable if they believed God and the Word are one
and the same; but they portray him as a tin God instead.
_
 

Komentaja

Active member
Jul 29, 2022
450
235
43
#71
Yes, I read your op and understand you are not a JW. They can be deceptive so do not fall for everything they say, which they will say, in order to try and get you on board. The woman I worked with (actually I had hired her) had become a JW but her mother was a Christian so it was kind of interesting. They do believe Jesus is Lord.

It may interest you to know they consider all who are not JW's, are 'goats'. As in not sheep.
As is typical of most cults, its only our little group that is saved. No one who isn't affiliated with us isn't saved.
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
9,165
1,795
113
#72
A couple times a month, JW’s come to visit the industrial estate where I work. They’re always welcoming and we always have a healthy debate, but everytime I ask the question why they don’t believe Jesus is God they stop talking and direct me to their website.
I can’t understand how someone who reads the same scriptures that we do, does not believe that Jesus is Lord? Or are they reading different scripture? As they’re trying to convert me, I offer counterpoints to make them think about what they believe. I’m not bashing JW’s. I just can’t fathom how you can read the same book, but come to a different conclusion of who/what God is. Thoughts?

They would confess Jesus as Lord, but not as God.

As far as salvation goes in scripture, the case that if someone doesn't believe in the deity of Christ prevents him from believing the Gospel and mean he's going to Hell seems a bit thin. Why didn't the apostles hammer on this point in their evangelistic preaching or why doesn't Paul mention it in summaries of the Gospel, like in I Corinthians 14.

Also, some of the 'Arian' groups in history accepted the deity of the Son, but were not convinced of the personhood of the Spirit. I read the confession Wulfius adhered to. I heard the Vandals and I think it was Visigoths were Arians, but I wonder if these eastern Germanic tribes adhered to the same creed as Wulfius who had won eastern Germanic tribes.

Those who confess the Athanasian creed, which we might call the pseudo-Athanasian creed, and isn't really an ecumenical creed, deny salvation to Arians.

I also wonder, a bit whimsically, whether JWs are so against Santa Claus because of the slap-- you know, St. Nicholas giving Arius a Nice slap.

Anyway, the Watchtower also denies the bodily resurrection of Christ which is a big issue related to salvation.
 

Webers.Home

Well-known member
May 28, 2018
5,895
1,084
113
Oregon
#73
.
John 1:18 . . No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god
who is in the bosom position with the Father is the one that has explained
him. (Watchtower Bible)

The Greek word for "only-begotten" in that verse is monogenes (mon-og
en-ace') which is also found in John 1:14, John 3:16, John 3:18, and 1John
4:9. It's a combination of two words.

The first is mono, which music buffs recognize as a single channel rather
than two or four in surround sound stereo. Mono is very common; e.g.
monogamy, monofilament, monotonous, mononucleotide, monochrome,
monogram, monolith, monologue, monomial, et al.

The other word is genes; from whence we get the English word gene; which
Webster's defines as a biological term indicating a part of a cell that controls
or influences the appearance, growth, etc., of a living thing. In other words:
monogenes refers to one biological gene set rather than many.

Monogenes always, and without exception, refers to parents' sole biological
child in the New Testament. If parents have two or more biological children,
none of them qualify as monogenes because in order to qualify as a
monogenes child, the child has to be an only child.

Other examples of monogenes children are located at Luke 7:12, Luke 8:42,
and Luke 9:38.

So then, scientifically speaking, Christ is unique in that he is God's only
offspring by means of reproduction, whereas God's other children are not;
viz: they're adopted. (Rom 8:15-16, Gal 4:4-6, Eph 1:4-5)

FAQ: God fathered a child?

REPLY: I haven't quite figured this all out yet; but according to Luke 1:35,
the Holy Ghost played a miraculous role in Jesus' conception in such a way
that Jesus came into the world as God's next of kin, i.e. His descendant.

FAQ: What about Heb 11:17 where Isaac is stated to be Abraham's
monogenes child? Wasn't Ishmael a biological child of his too?

REPLY: At the time of the event recorded in the 22nd of Genesis, Ishmael
was no longer Abraham's son. Paternal laws back in that ancient culture
allowed a man to disown a son if the lad was born of a mother in slavery to
the man. The catch is: the father had to emancipate the mother, which
Abraham had already done at Sarah's urging, and God's approval, prior to
the Akedah. So then according to the laws of nature, Ishmael was one of
Abraham's biological sons whereas according to the will of God, he wasn't.
_
 
N

Niki7

Guest
#74
As is typical of most cults, its only our little group that is saved. No one who isn't affiliated with us isn't saved.
I guess you mean 'is saved'?

Join us or you are going to hell is the rallying cry of even quite a few fringe Christian groups. I can't stand that 'hellfire' preaching or when someone at front starts yelling at everyone. I mean who did Jesus yell at? We are not going to make whips and go after people as Jesus did in the Temple, but some seem to believe that is how it's done.

Actually, I am more than a little done with so many shenanigans that pass for a church service and the 11 am to 12 pm services, in and out like fast food and done for the week. Jesus did not give his life for that.

Rant over and not aimed at you ;) :)
 
Dec 7, 2022
45
13
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#75
Yeh, they’re real nice people when you speak to them but as soon as you have a few questions they kind of back off. Their beliefs baffle me and I’m quite saddened by it really, that they don’t see Jesus the way we do!
Well, I see Jesus the way Jesus sees Himself. A man who said the Father is Greater - a man who said he can do nothing on his own - a man who doesn't know the day or hour of his return.

I'm not JW but I fully reject Trinity.
 

Aussie52

Active member
Aug 31, 2022
161
150
43
#76
Well, I see Jesus the way Jesus sees Himself. A man who said the Father is Greater - a man who said he can do nothing on his own - a man who doesn't know the day or hour of his return.

I'm not JW but I fully reject Trinity.
I will pray for your lost soul.
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,701
1,235
113
#77
A couple times a month, JW’s come to visit the industrial estate where I work. They’re always welcoming and we always have a healthy debate, but everytime I ask the question why they don’t believe Jesus is God they stop talking and direct me to their website.
I can’t understand how someone who reads the same scriptures that we do, does not believe that Jesus is Lord? Or are they reading different scripture? As they’re trying to convert me, I offer counterpoints to make them think about what they believe. I’m not bashing JW’s. I just can’t fathom how you can read the same book, but come to a different conclusion of who/what God is. Thoughts?
anything a child is taught develops major power in the conditioned response center of the brain objectively & subjectively. even fear, although inactive, allows a child to remain believing. & it maintains into adulthood. i think its fair to say JW's are without the Holy Spirit. any born again Christian knows how to recognize the Holy Spirit's promptings & teachings & utterances. (John 16:13, 14:16,17,26). then you have power in numbers, arrogance, afraid to change & other weaknesses to remain in unbelief.
 

Aaron56

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2021
3,044
1,799
113
#78
JWs lack a corporate understanding of Christ, but so does much of the church.