by Honesty 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Why did Jesus make a distinction between the body and the soul if they are one and the same as the Watchtower Society teaches?
Matthew 10:28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell .
apologists?
Where is scholar when you need him?
How about defd or whatever name he is using today?
Great discussion here, covering many (!) of the relevant passages on this issue:
Ok you want the WTS explanation?
"soul" here is representative of future resurrected life.
So the interpretation is, "do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the future resurrected life"
That's the gist of it.
They'll shift meanings of words enough to make yer head spin.
We need to keep in mind the following:
As per the scripture used in this post the soul CAN be killed – so again it isn’t something that is mystical and immortal
You're assuming that destroyed in hell = killed
The soul is the essential you - and that can be destroyed too - eg. in the jws - hell is an imprisonment
Ever hear the term "soul destroying" ?
Away from me, I don't know who you are - the essential you isn't there
This is in stark contrast to the concept of being like Him - I am who I am
Your body is the physical temple which God has given you to dwell in while here on earth. The Soul is the core of your being, the part of you which holds personality, memories, emotion, etc. It is who you are - Adam became a "living soul." The spirit is your immaterial nature which, though the body dies, lives beyond the grave. Even our being is a type of trinity. See how it's possible? You are a living soul and your existence is made up of three distinct parts (body, soul, and spirit). God is also one God and eternally lives in the persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God did say, "let us make man in our image", and we've been make like Him in more than just a physical sense.
I'm not attempting to make this thread a trinity debate, but you should be able to see the relation here. It is possible for God to have three separate persons and inseparablly be one God. We have a finite human mind and in our mind it seems impossible, but nothing is impossible with God. He is greater than us and He draws near to Himself those He chooses. That's grace, nothing we have done. Those who do not believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God have been blinded and do not know the Father because they do not know the Son. The scriptures say that if you do not believe the Son, you also do not believe the Father and you make God to be a liar because you don't believe the Son whom He has sent. Eternal life is believing in Jesus Christ. If you believe Him, you will love His holy commands and live for Him.
Jesus said to Philip, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (Jn 14:9)
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn 20:28,29)
