Christian questions to ask current JWs

Christ Alone

Here are some questions that I thought would be interesting to ask a JW if they were open to a free and open discussion. This assumes a Christian worldview that the Bible is the Word of God. If you have any others, please post them! I'd actually like to get Eden's response to these questions, if he has the time...

Why did Jehovah’s Witnesses properly worship Christ Jesus until 1954?
If firstborn means first created, then what does firstborn of the dead mean? Could not Paul use firstborn in Messianic sense? (Ps 89:27 “I will also appoint him my firstborn (πρωτ?τοκον), the most exalted of the kings of the earth,”
Why is Christ Jesus calling himself the first and the last, a title that YHWH claimed for Himself?(Revelation 1:17-18)
If Jesus is a lesser god because he is only Mighty God(Isaiah 9:6), would that not make Jehovah God also lesser god since his is also called Might God(Isaiah 10:20-21)?
If Only-begotten(John 3:16) means Jesus was Jehovah’s first creation, how then do we explain Isaac(Hebrews 11:17) being the only-begotten of Abraham and not Ishmael?
Why did God, in Genesis 1:26, say let us make man in our image (God’s image, the same image, not angel + God)?
Could you explain how “Jehovah made it rain sulphur from Jehovah” Genesis 19:24 NWT?
Why did Thomas say to Christ Jesus “the Lord of me, and the God of me”(John 20:28 cf. Psalm 35:23)?
Why do historical documents show that the first Christians and Apostolic Fathers prayed and worshiped Christ Jesus as God?
If the name "Jehovah" is so important, then why does Acts 4:12 say, "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name [v10 Jesus Christ] under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved"? Would this not have been the logical place for God to have used the name "YHWH"?
What is the correct spelling of God's proper name "Yahweh" or "Jehovah"? If Jehovah is incorrect, then how can you claim to "RESTORE" God's name to the Bible when it is not the original name?
If the Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force, why does he directly speak and refer to himself as "I" and "me" in Acts 13:2?
If Jesus was executed on a torture stake, with both hands together over his head, why does Jn 20:25 say "...Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails ...", indicating that there was more than one nail used for his hands?
The WTS teaches that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will not reside with Christ in his heavenly kingdom. If this is so, then how do you explain Mt 8:11 in which Jesus says, “But I tell you that many from eastern parts and western parts will come and recline at the table WITH Abraham and Isaac and Jacob IN the kingdom of the heavens"?
Jehovah says in Isaiah 44:24, “I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth all alone.” How do you reconcile this with the Watchtower teaching that Jehovah first created Christ and then Christ created everything else?
How do you reconcile Jehovah’s statement in Deuteronomy 32:39 that “there is no god with” Him, as well as the statement in Isaiah 45:5 that “there is no God beside” Him, with the Watchtower teaching that Jehovah is God and Jesus is a god beside Him? (See John 1:1 in the NWT.)
Since Michael the archangel could not rebuke the devil by his own authority (Jude 9) and Jesus could and did (Matt. 4:10), doesn’t this prove that Jesus cannot be Michael the archangel?
If in Isaiah 40:3 a way is prepared for “Jehovah,” why does Mark 1:1-3 apply this to Jesus Christ? Was not John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus Christ? How then can we escape the conclusion that Jesus is Jehovah?

Apognophos

Interesting questions! I don't recall seeing Gen. 19:24 before, what *does* that mean?

Christ Alone

It implies that when the name "Jehovah" is used, it is speaking about more than one person. It continues with the "Jehovah said, let US make man in OUR image." It shows that there is a plurality there. JWs believe that Jehovah ONLY refers to the Father. This can categorically be proven to not be so. That is why it sounds so absured to JWs when someone will say "Jesus is Jehovah" because they think that someone is saying "Jesus is the Father". That's not what is being said at all.

sacolton

Why does Stephen pray to JESUS (instead of JEHOVAH) to receive his spirit before being put to death?

Ecclesiastes 12:7 " and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

Returns to WHO? Stephen was asking WHO to receive his spirit?

Acts 7:59 "While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Mr. Falcon

I'll bite.

1. Irrelevant. True Christians have always worshipped Jehovah, not Jesus. Any "history" that says otherwise if written by enemies of the Watchtower.

2. Not neccesarily. You see the Bible has both figurative and symbolic applications. Depending on what doctrine the WTBS is trying to push.

3. I'm sure there's some reason we don't understand yet. Wait on Jehovah.

4. "His ways are higher" or something like that. Wait on Jehovah.

5. Different word usage, different times. But in no way detracts from WTBS doctrine.

6. Figurative usage here.

7. That's easy. Jehovah had a boatload of extra sulphur that he couldn't move. Maud'dib, the angel from accounting suggested they hide the losses by adding sulphur to the rain. they would rain it on a pair of cities with a high homosexual population.

8. Dude walked through the locked door after returning from the dead. Thomas was scared.

9. see answer #1.

10. Jesus was the guy who died for man's sins, so technically he's the middle man. you GOTS to go through him. Also, YHWH is only invoked when you want to burn a bush or turn Aaron's rod into flowers. Get it? No? Nevermind.

11. didn't you see Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade? How else would Indy get across that floor if Jehovah (Iehovah, latin) was not the correct name?

12. Wait on Jehovah for explanation. He'll tell you while you're petting a tiger.

13. Nails back then were hand-forged and not dipped or galvanized. Therefore they would double them up.

14. Abraham, Issac and that other guy all represent some sort of class of faithful annointed JWs, I'm sure.

15. Good luck asking this to people who still believe in the water canopy theory.

16. the WT views "God" and "god(s)" as two distinct things. there is lots of gods, but only one God. Like the difference between Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots.

17. Wait on them new scrolls, I'm sure this will be covered.

18. I'll have to do some further research. Maybe I could stop by next week. Is this a good time?

NeverKnew

Apog: If you think Gen 19:24 is interesting, you'll probably want to see Amos 4:11!!!

FingersCrossed

Good thread. Marking for read later

designs

3 Rabbis just fainted

notsurewheretogo

Point 5 is cracking and I have never considered that before, an excellent question to ask the dubs.

I can answer 12 and 13.

12. Inanimate things can be given a "personality" too...Jesus said the "stones would cry out" but of course we understand what he meant and that the stones were not persons, it just makes things easier to understand...supposedly!

13. I love this wacky explanation by the WTS. Whilst referring to the hands the WTS actually says the writer of the bible was a bit sloppy in their writing and referred to hands AND feet thus nails is more appropriate.

Point 17 is very interesting too...Jesus rebuked Satan whilst on earth but as Michael, a more powerful creature, he could not ergo is he Michael? Interesting...

notsurewheretogo

I'll also add point 7 with Gen 19:24 and Amos 4:10, 11...

1 Kings 8:1 - "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion."

Why not say that Solomon assembled all of them in Jerusalem? Why say that Solomon assembled them unto Solomon? This has to do with the difference in language and culture. There are many instances in the Bible where one would scratch his head and say "Why didn't they just say it like this?".

Christian questions to ask current JWs

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