Bebu,
I think you are right, that even if you loose her temporarily, she is having lots of internal strife and will eventually return to continue the conversation.
You asked me if I had told "my" study (I laugh at that descriptive now!) about the effect her questions and love and prayers had on me. Yes, I have. She rejoiced that I left the JWs. I told her that I believed she had prayed me out (along with two others in particular) and I thanked her for always displaying loving, Christ-like concern. In fact, when my son decided to become a Catholic, we asked her and her husband to be his godparents. We are not in close contact -- she would be disappointed, I think, that I now am pretty much an agnostic -- but it is a comfort to me that she is out there, and available to me and our son.
I hope that gary is wrong on this one, but I do agree with his assessment that the conditioned responses have been kicking in. That is why I told you to tread very lightly this next little while.
BTW -- Here is what "Insight on the Scriptures", Vol. 2, Page 362 has to say about:
Those for Whom Christ Is Mediator. The apostle Paul declares that there is "one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all" -- for both Jews and Gentiles. (1 Ti 2:5,6) He mediates the new covenant between God and those taken into the new covenant, the congregation of spiritual Israel. (Heb. 8:10-13; 12:24; Eph 5:25-27) Christ became Meidator in order that the ones called "might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance" (Heb. 9:15); he assists, not the angels, but "Abraham's seed." (Heb. 2:16) He assists those who are to be brought into the new covenant to be 'adopted' into Jehovah's household of spiritual sons; these eventually will be in heaven as Christ's brothers, becoming a part with him of the seed of Abraham. (Ro 8:15-17; 23-25; Ga 3:29) He has transmitted to them the promised holy spirit, with which spirit they are sealed and are given a token of what is to come, their heavenly inheritance. (2Co 5:5, Eph 1:13,14) The total number of those who are finally and permanently seals is revealed in Revelation 7:4-8 as 144,000.
The way Christ's Mediatorship works is further explained as follows, under the subheading:
Blessings to Mankind in General. While Jesus' mediatorship operates solely toward those in the new covenant, he is also God's High Priest and the Seed of Abraham. In fulfilling his duties in these latter two positions, he will bring blessings to others of manking, for all the nations are to be blessed by means of Abraham's seed. Those in the new covenant are first blessed by Christ, the primary Seed (Ga 3:16, 29), being brought in as associate members of the seed. Being made kings and priests by reason of the enw covenant that he mediated, they will share in administering the blessings of Jesus' sacrifice and of his Kingdom rule to all the nations of the earth. Christ's mediatorship, having accomplished its purpose by bringing "the Israel of God" into this position, thus results in benefits and blessings to all mankind.--Ga 6:16; Gen 22:17, 18.
There are, thus, others not of the 144,000 "sealed" ones who also pray to Jehovah God in the name of Christ, putting faith in the merit of his ransom sacrifice. This sacrifice is not only for those for whom Jesus mediates the new convenant but also for all mankind expressing faith in Christ. (1Jo 2:2) These not in the new covenant also appreciate that "there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved. (Ac 4:12) Funny, then, how the WTS has appropriated the "faithful and discreet slave class" 'name' which must be obeyed for salvation. They, too, look to Jesus Christ as their great heavenly High Priest, through whom they can approach God and through whose ministration they can get forgiveness of sin. (Heb 4:14-16) How much you wanna bet they look at Jesus Christ as their Mediator? Revelation 21:22-24 points out that 'the nations will walk in the light of New Jerusalem,' where Jehovah God is the light and the Lamb Jesus Christ is the lamp.
I'm aware that you are aware of this, bebu, but there may be others who can benefit from at least knowing how the Watchtower explains this piece of unique Christian theology.
Regards,
outnfree
