Jesus became man and the Lord/voice of God. So where's the father, God, LORD, -- he's Jesus now and God? It gets confusing.
How do JWs view the Ransom?
by Vanderhoven7 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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LV101
Ooops - I flunked the topic already! I keep thinking Jesus was in heaven long before coming to earth as a man. So you're inferring it was God himself who became man?
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JoenB75
Yes I believe God himself became man. I think Athanasius though trinitarian worded it so well in "On the Incarnation"; "His body was for Him not a limitation, but an instrument, so that He was both in it and in all things, and outside all things, resting in the Father alone. At one and the same time—this is the wonder—as Man He was living a human life, and as Word He was sustaining the life of the universe, and as Son He was in constant union with the Father". It explains to me how that creating Word became man
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LV101
JoenB75 - thx for the explanation/appreciate.
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Vanderhoven7
Just found this on JW.org
How Is Jesus’ Sacrifice “a Ransom for Many”?
Jesus’ sacrifice is the means by which God delivers, or saves, humankind from sin and death. The Bible refers to the shed blood of Jesus as a ransom price. (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18, 19) Thus, Jesus said that he came “to give his life a ransom for many.”—Matthew 20:28, King James Version.
Why was “a ransom for many” needed?
The first man, Adam, was created perfect, or without sin. He had the prospect of living forever but lost it by choosing to disobey God. (Genesis 3:17-19) When he had children, he passed on to them the defect of sin. (Romans 5:12) For this reason, the Bible indicates that Adam “sold” himself and his children into slavery to sin and death. (Romans 7:14) Being imperfect, none of them could buy back what Adam lost.—Psalm 49:7, 8.
God felt compassion for Adam’s descendants in their hopeless situation. (John 3:16) However, God’s standard of justice required that he not simply overlook or excuse their sins without a valid basis. (Psalm 89:14; Romans 3:23-26) God loves mankind, so he provided the necessary legal means for their sins to be not only forgiven but also eliminated. (Romans 5:6-8) The ransom is that legal basis.
How does the ransom work?
In the Bible, the term “ransom” involves the following three elements:
It is a payment.—Numbers 3:46, 47.
It brings about a release, or redemption.—Exodus 21:30.
It corresponds to the value of what is paid for, or covers it. *
Consider how these elements apply to the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Payment. The Bible says that Christians were “bought with a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23) That price is the blood of Jesus, with which he “bought people for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”—Revelation 5:8, 9.
Release. Jesus’ sacrifice provides a “release by ransom” from sin.—1 Corinthians 1:30; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:15.
Correspondence. Jesus’ sacrifice corresponds exactly to what Adam lost—one perfect human life. (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22, 45, 46) The Bible says: “Just as through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one person [Jesus Christ] many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19) This explains how the death of one man can pay the ransom for many sinners. In fact, Jesus’ sacrifice is “a corresponding ransom for all” those who take the steps necessary to benefit from it.—1 Timothy 2:5, 6.