by Curtains 8 Replies latest watchtower bible
Our memorial talk focused on John 3.16 - the exercise aspect of exercising faith. The speaker began by saying 'this evening whilst we are all gathered together many are exercising in the park - they are working hard - jogging and running. Shouldn't we work that hard when we are exercising our faith'. He then went to the apostle Paul to link faith and works...
Is it my imagination or does the word "exercise" not even appear in John 3:16?
The New World Translation does, but most don't
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. NWT
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Obviously all these other Bible translations are just being Lazy!!!!!
Its just a play on words and mind games to get them out there pounding the streets and knocking on doors. I bet subconsciously they all feel motivated to go spread the news after that.
thanks still thinking
the Kingdom interlinear uses believing instead of exercising faith.
And if they want to refer to work and faith.....
JOHN 6:28 & 29
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent forth
Lazy Lazy Lazy.......where is the pounding the pavements???? Where is the sweat??.....we know your not working if we don't see you sweat.
Before Protestants kicked a hole in the Catholic Church an entire 1500 years went by.
The difference between being a christian in good standing and a backslider with one foot on a banana peel and the other in Hell was this:
PARTICIPATION in official Church RITUAL. This would include confession, attending Mass and doing penance. The Church did the rest.
After the Protestant Reformation, non-Catholics became christians in good standing a new way.
The BELIEVED and read their Bible and interpreted for themselves. No ritual was required. No works for Grace required.
Jehovah's Witnesses want to be what the Catholic Church once was in all its glory, so, they've resurrected the Catholic power.
Grace, for JW's, is PARTICIPATION in official JW RITUAL. This includes, meeting attendance, door to door ministry and a gigantic list of NO-NO'S.
The No-No's are NEGATIVE WORKS: blood transfusions, christmas celebration, holidays of all sorts, using the word Grace, Trinity belief, etc.
So, Jehovah's Witnesses have the WORST of those two worlds because alot has been yoked to their PERFORMANCE.
Jesus said his yoke was light and that the false religious leaders of his day burdened believers with heavy loads.
What else can we conclude but that being a Jehovah's Witness is Labor for Pay under a heavy taskmaster?
Thanks still thinking and curtains. That is unbelievable. Especially if their own interlinear says believing
Still Thinking, that was great! I'm going to remember this one:
Obviously all these other Bible translations are just being Lazy!!!!
And also what Terry said i thought was so profound. "So, Jehovah's Witnesses have the WORST of those two worlds" YES, i've thought this too. They take grace away completely, the work of Christ FOR us, the promises TO all, etc. -- They say all the "indicatives" dont' apply to you, but pound away on the "imperatives." They take away Gospel, but keep Law. They rob you of promise, but keep the exhortations.
It's ridiculous how they use verses from the Pauline epistles in the publications to exhort the people, but don't you dare claim any of the good stuff unless you're "Annointed"!
It's a non-starter..............your most fanatical Evangelical did an alter call or some type of 'coming to Jesus' thingy....that's work!
thanks for your comments. I agree that there is lots of good stuff being kept back from rank and file JWs. the leaders are merely power hungry desperately trying to hang onto their positions - beating the slaves to do more.
a look at strongs concordance reveals that pistis that is translated faith is related to peithoo which is translated as persuasion (yielding and trusting are also encapsualted by pistis stemming from peithoo). so to me this suggests that a believer convinces/persuades himself that a new beginning dawns in the love that God expresses in sending his son. Thus any work that a christian does is in self persuasion primarly so that he develops the conviction that this is so.
And even if faith refers to convincing others then surely it is to do with convincing others about christ and grace than about jehovahs witnesses and their organisation.
