JW usage of Jehovah

by Kymegg 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Kymegg

  I have been talking with two JW ladies and we got on the subject of the name of Jehovah. I was trying to make the point that they cannot claim to be the only "true" religion. At first they wanted to start pointing out why they felt they were. First by saying that they give honor to God's name and that they were the only organization to do so. When I pointed out that I didn't have a problem with using Jehovah as God's name, but that he had many others; they kind of dropped the subject. Well I thought that for my next discussion with them I would present a list of God's names. In researching for that list I came across a site that said that they didn't always use the name Jehovah. I would love to have some information preferably from their own organization were it first starts using the name. If anyone could give me a year or publication it would be very appreciated. I think this will be for my own information for now since we have "moved" on to other topics.

  I know that I probably won't be able to convince them to leave the JW's, but my primary goal is to plant as many seeds of doubt as possible. My main problem now is that they won't admit that you have to be a member of the JW's to be serving God. I have had half a mind just to let them have it with all of the beliefs they have that they won't admit to and see what happens I keep waiting for them to not be able to come back. As long as they'll listen I'll talk.
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  Mysterious

  61 Five and a half years of such witnessing for the divine Name followed. Then came the time for the Christian "slaves" to identify themselves, to differentiate themselves from all the professed Christians of religious Christendom. To this end, action was taken by the "slaves" of Jesus Christ on Sunday afternoon, July 26, 1931, at the international convention held in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. At 4:00 p.m., there was presented and read to the thousands of conventioners a resolution, the fourth, fifth and sixth paragraphs of which we are here pleased to quote:

  NOW, THEREFORE, in order that our true position may be made known, and believing that this is in harmony with the will of God, as expressed in his Word, BE IT RESOLVED, as follows, to wit:

  THAT we have great love for Brother Charles T. Russell, for his work?s sake, and that we gladly acknowledge that the Lord used him and greatly blessed his work, yet we cannot consistently with the Word of God consent to be called by the name "Russellites"; that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and the International Bible Students Association and the Peoples Pulpit Association are merely names of corporations which as a company of Christian people we hold, control and use to carry on our work in obedience to God?s commandments, yet none of these names properly attach to or apply to us as a body of Christians who follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Master, Christ Jesus; that we are students of the Bible, but, as a body of Christians forming an association, we decline to assume or be called by the name "Bible Students" or similar names as a means of identification of our proper position before the Lord; we refuse to bear or to be called by the name of any man;

  THAT, having been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer, justified and begotten by Jehovah God and called to his kingdom, we unhesitatingly declare our entire allegiance and devotion to Jehovah God and his kingdom; that we are servants of Jehovah God commissioned to do a work in his name, and, in obedience to his commandment, to deliver the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to make known to the people that Jehovah is the true and Almighty God; therefore we joyfully embrace and take the name which the mouth of the Lord God has named, and we desire to be known as and called by the name, to wit, Jehovah?s witnesses.?Isa. 43:10-12; 62:2; Rev. 12:17.

  62 The eighth and last paragraph of the Resolution said:

  We humbly invite all persons who are wholly devoted to Jehovah and his kingdom to join in proclaiming this good news to others, that the righteous standard of the Lord may be lifted up, that the peoples of the world may know where to find the truth and hope for relief; and, above all, that the great and holy name of Jehovah God may be vindicated and exalted.

  63 This resolution was enthusiastically adopted, not only by those in convention assembled at Columbus, Ohio, but also, later on, by the congregations of the "slaves" of Jesus Christ all around the globe. Thus they voluntarily embraced the name "Jehovah?s witnesses." This Resolution on the name was also published in the booklet released at the convention entitled "The Kingdom, the Hope of the World." That title was also the subject of the public address by the Society?s president J. F. Rutherford to both the visible convention audience and the invisible audience listening in by means of a vast radio network, from twelve o?clock noon onward. Thereafter this booklet containing both the public address and the Resolution was placed directly by personal bearers into the hands of the religious clergymen, Catholic and Protestant, and afterward into the hands of prominent political and professional men. There was also a wider circulation among the people in general. In this way notice was served on all the world that these justified and spirit-begotten worshipers of the Most High God would walk in the name of their God and acknowledge only the name Jehovah?s witnesses.?Micah 4:5.64 Inasmuch as there were also witnesses of the one living and true God before the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, they recognize themselves to be Jehovah?s Christian witnesses.?Isaiah 43:10-12; 44:8; Hebrews 11:1 to 12:1. See also The Watch Tower as of September 15, 1931, pages 278, 279.

  God's Kingdom Has Approached, Chapter 12

  44 So from 1919 C.E. forward, the remnant of spiritual Israel began calling the "nation" that they at first did not know about by preaching "this good news of the kingdom" to more and more nations. (Matthew 24:14) They did not fear that they would be shunned because of having God?s name called upon them, but, after years of witnessing to Him world wide, they embraced the fitting name for themselves, Jehovah?s witnesses, his Christian witnesses. This began on Sunday, July 26, 1931, at the international convention that they held in Columbus, Ohio. Despite the prejudice against the divine name, even in Christendom, many searchers for God began running to the remnant of spiritual Israel. They saw in the remnant of spiritual Israelites a spiritual beauty that Christendom and pagandom did not discern or recognize. They came running by the hundreds from the spring of 1935 onward. They desired to enjoy the spiritual paradise that the members of the remnant were enjoying since their restoration to the favor of Jehovah. Without fear of reproach, they too accepted the designation Jehovah?s Christian witnesses.

  Man's Salvation, Chapter 6

  During the years that followed, the work of Kingdom proclamation was given tremendous impetus, as by an irresistible force. The events in 1914 and thereafter had made it evident that the great prophecy in which the Lord Jesus Christ described the conclusion of the old system was undergoing fulfillment. In the light of this, in 1920, The Watch Tower pointed out that as foretold at Matthew 24:14, this was the time to proclaim the good news concerning "the end of the old order of things and the establishment of Messiah?s kingdom." (Matt. 24:3-14) After attending the Bible Students convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, in 1922, the delegates left with the slogan ringing in their ears: "Advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his kingdom." The role of true Christians came even more prominently into focus in 1931 when the name Jehovah?s Witnesses was adopted.

  Proclaimer's Book, Chapter 15

  Yet another historic convention was held in Columbus, Ohio, in 1931. On Sunday, July 26, after hearing Scriptural argument, the Bible Students adopted a new name?Jehovah?s Witnesses. How appropriate! Here is a name that directs primary attention to the Creator himself and that clearly identifies the responsibility of those who worship him. (Isa. 43:10-12) The adoption of that name infused the brothers with greater zeal than ever before as proclaimers of God?s name and Kingdom. As a letter written that year by a Danish Witness expressed it: "Oh, what a magnificent name, Jehovah?s Witnesses, yes, may all of us indeed be such."

  Proclaimer's Book, Chapter 17
• 

  ellderwho

  A little advice,

  If in fact you want to show the errors in the doctrine DO NOT take the role of trying to be the "teacher" or you will loose them for sure, remember they have the "truth" you are of satans world.

  Get them to commit to a study theres a wealth of topics.

  Dont unload your all your "stumpers" at once just to win an argument. Because so what you've won and argument with a Jw but there still in.

  The key is helping a Jw think on their own.

  Happy studying
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  Kymegg

  Thanks! That was more than I had hoped for. I figured that the information would be very, very old and therefore rather unimpressive. I didn't know that it's only about 70 years old! I'm printing that out for future reference. I don't know that I will use it with these ladies, but I plan on more oppertunities in the future. Thanks again! You made my day.
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  Kymegg

  Actually I had a perfect oppertunity to "give it to them", but I passed it up. I understand that these ladies are not the enemy and I'm not out to win arguments. I'm not even out to get into an argument. I thought that I would talk a little with them and that as soon as they knew that I was no dummy when it came to JW doctrine and beliefs they'd move on. Most have before, but these women keep coming back. I almost wish they wouldn't, but I keep telling myself that I can make a difference for them if I can only plant a seed.

  I'm actually practicing. My in-laws are JW and I've been studying their beliefs so I can try and get them out. If I screw up on approaching them I might not get a second chance. And I don't want to be the cause of a major family crisis. We've already had one brewing for a few years. My sister-in-law married a man who was JW, but decided he didn't want to be. In his deciding he didn't want to be; she decided that she didn't want to be either. They haven't offically left the JW's so her parents and other brother are still able to talk to her, but I'm afraid it might only be a matter of time. Someone says the wrong thing or someone outside the family that is JW finds out exactly what's going on; well it's a powder keg waiting to blow. And my mother-in-law has already tried to commit suicide several times. All but once was before becoming a JW, but the last attempt was only a few years ago. Like I said "powder keg". Thanks for the advice and keep it coming I can use all the help I can get.
• 

  Yerusalyim

  You could also remind them of the Commandment..."You shall not use the name of Yahweh, thy God for vain purposes."

  So often when a JW is praying they keep saying "Jehovah this and Jehovah that for others to hear...there by profaining the divine name. Honoring the sacred name means not using it in common speech. The Jews spoke it once a year...in a whisper...at Yom Kippur...the Day of Awe.

  Besides...Jehovah is a corruption of what most scholars think is closer to Yahweh...if it's important to honor God's name by USING it...shouldn't we use the PROPER name? Finally...Yahweh is as much a title as a name...it describes an attribute. I AM THAT I AM...tell them I AM has sent you.
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  Kymegg

  I'm not sure I want to go that route. That seems just too logical to me. I know that sounds weird, but if they have that mind set of "this is how things should be" my telling them something that they have to think about probably wouldn't work. I'm going to try and stick with proving their arguments illogical to get them out of that mindset before I go throwing things that actually make sense at them.

  I also want to stick to black and white ,in print, either from the Bible or their own publications. I'm trying to keep it simple both for me and the one lady who seems to have a little trouble keeping up. I'm bringing up questions that ,to me, are all about the same subject and she keeps asking me to stick to one topic and discuss it completely. It might be easier for her to keep up if she can look at it all in print when she goes home.
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  hooberus

  You could ask why the tetragrammaton YHWH (Jehovah) has not been found in any of the 6,000 New Testamnt greek manuscripts. The WT Society has admitted this in their Encyclopedias (Aid to Bible Understanding; and Insight on the Scriptures). Since it is not in the NT, how can they say that the New Testament Christians were "Jehovah's Witnesses"?

  The WT believes that the Bible has been preserved by God, so they should not then turn around and say that the divine name was "removed" from the copying process.

  The Society has also stated that Jesus disciples already knew the divine name from reading the Old Testament and that Jesus' making his Fathers name known was in his revealing the character and person of the Father.

  Also many religious organizations use the name Jehovah does this prove that they are also from God? Does the mere fact that an organization uses Jehovah's name and claims to be his organization make it so? Many others besides the WT do this.
• 

  kj

  Welcome to the board kymegg! You will get a lot of great advice here. Check out www.freeminds.org, there's lots of great stuff there too. Keep us posted on your progress.

  kj
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  Kymegg

  Thanks for the idea. I'm not exactly sure where this conversation is going to go. Sometimes I think that I'm just going to tell them not to come back, but then I think that #1. I might be able to plant a seed of doubt about the organization that might lead to their getting out. and #2 That the time they spend talking to me; they aren't out talking to someone else. Call it a public service.