Did the first Christians worship Jesus? (page 7)

John 5:23 (English Standard Version)

23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

Blessings,

Stephen

slimboyfat

Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

Indeed...

John 13:16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Chalam

Thanks SBF, important point :)

JWs might think they are honouring Jesus (more likely they think they are paying Him obeisance) but if they are not worshipping Jesus they are not honouring Him as the Father.

Even more, according to the John 5:23 they are not actually honouring the Father either!

Blessings,

Stephen

More than anything else the conclusion I derived from reading Dunn's book is how remarkably close mainstream theology (as Dunn describes it) and JW theology is really when you strip it down to the essentials. They both believe that God was revealed in Christ and that acts of honour/worship directed through Jesus are to the glory of God. Arguments about the precise use of terms surrounding that basic framework seem almost trivial.

Chalam

You need to inspect closely!

A forgery might look like the real thing at first but look at the details it is completely bogus.

Blessings,

Stephen

slimboyfat

...the narcissism of small differences.

debator

Hi slim

we do not pretend honour and worship are the same word to prove our point!

The differences slim are great and the similaritie are only shallow stuff and not enough to get past worshiping different God's.

Chalam

...the narcissism of small differences.

I find the differences HUGE!

For the WT, Jesus is "a god".

For myself, Jesus is God.

There is NO bigger difference than that.

Blessings,

Stephen

Chalam

we do not pretend honour and worship are the same word to prove our point!

Hence the WT revised the NWT bible

In the original NWT edition, Jesus was "worshipped". Subsequent versions have "obeisance" substituted in respect of Jesus but not "Jehovah".

Check the original greek and you will see that proskuneó is indeed the same word for worship used in respect of the Son or the Father. Clearly, the WT are not following John 5:23 but they own agenda in demoting Jesus.

Blessings,

Stephen

slimboyfat

Whatever particular words you choose to use (a god/God is a distinction in the English language) God revealed himself through Jesus, and worship through Jesus is to the glory of God the Father. There is very little to separate JWs and mainstream Christians when you pare it down to scriptural language.

Did the first Christians worship Jesus?

John 5:23 (English Standard Version)

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