by metatron 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I'll try and find the exact reference .. but it shouldn't surprize you!
Consider that most Witnesses , as other sheep, don't partake at the Memorial.
The communion of using the bread and wine is only for the anointed.
Actually, the misuse of these emblems - to identify an elite group RATHER THAN
to emphasize the community of believers partaking together could be considered
pretty antichristian all by itself.
metatron
w89 8/15 pp. 30-31 Questions From Readers
Is Jesus the Mediator only for spirit-anointed Christians or for all mankind, since 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 speaks of him as the "mediator" who "gave himself a corresponding ransom for all"?
The Bible contains both basic teachings and deep truths, which are solid food for study. One such study involves Jesus Christ?s role as Mediator. The apostle Paul wrote: "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all?this is what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times."?1 Timothy 2:5, 6.
To grasp what Paul is saying, we must first appreciate that the Bible sets out two destinies for faithful humans: (1) perfect life on a restored earthly paradise and (2) life in heaven for Christ?s "little flock," numbering 144,000. (Luke 12:32; Revelation 5:10; 14:1-3) Christendom teaches that all good people go to heaven, which unscriptural position has colored the general view, so that Jesus is considered a go-between for all such people. What, though, does the Bible indicate?
The Greek word me·si´tes, used for "mediator," means ?one who finds himself between two bodies or parties.? It was a ?many-sided technical term of Hellenistic legal language.? Professor Albrecht Oepke (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) says that me·si´tes was "one of the most varied technical terms in the vocabulary of Hellen[istic] law."
But why does the Bible use a legal term for Jesus? mediatory role? As background, consider what Paul wrote about God?s Law given to Israel assembled before Mount Sinai: "It was transmitted through angels by the hand of a mediator." (Galatians 3:19, 20) That mediator was Moses. He was the intermediary agent between Jehovah and the fleshly nation of Israel. An agent for what? For establishing a covenant, or legal contract, between God and the nation.
Does this mean that there is a specific legal sense involved in Jesus? role as Mediator? Yes. Note Paul?s comment at Hebrews 8:6. After speaking about the tabernacle and other typical representations under the Law covenant, he wrote: "Jesus has obtained a more excellent public service, so that he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established upon better promises." The "better covenant" was the new covenant, which replaced the covenant mediated by Moses. (Hebrews 8:7-13) The new covenant was "legally established." It laid the basis for some of Christ?s followers, beginning with the apostles, to gain "entry into the holy place," heaven itself.?Hebrews 9:24; 10:16-19.
There are other indications too of the legal nature of Jesus? role as Mediator of the "new covenant." Commenting on God?s promise at Psalm 110:4, Paul wrote: "To that extent also Jesus has become the one given in pledge [en´gy·os] of a better covenant." (Hebrews 7:22) This is the only Biblical use of the word en´gy·os. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology says: "The engyos guaranteed that a legal obligation would be carried out." So Jesus as Mediator of the new covenant serves as a legal pledge that "a better hope" would be realized.?Hebrews 7:19.
Elsewhere Paul uses yet another word having a legal sense, ar·ra·bon´, translated "token." The same dictionary says: "The Gk. word arrabōn . . . is a legal concept from the language of business and trade." Note how Paul used this legal term: "He who has anointed us is God. He has also put his seal upon us and has given us the token of what is to come, that is, the spirit, in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1:21, 22) Both other occurrences of ar·ra·bon´ also deal with God?s anointing of Christians with spirit, bringing them an ?everlasting reward or inheritance in the heavens? as spirit sons of God.?2 Corinthians 5:1, 5; Ephesians 1:13, 14; see Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures.
Clearly, then, the new covenant is not a loose arrangement open to all mankind. It is a carefully arranged legal provision involving God and anointed Christians.
This should help us to understand 1 Timothy 2:5, 6. Here the reference to "mediator" was made after the five other occurrences of the word in letters written earlier. Hence, Timothy would have understood Jesus? mediatorship to be His legal role connected with the new covenant. The Pastoral Epistles, by Dibelius and Conzelmann, acknowledges that at 1 Timothy 2:5 ?the term "mediator" has a legal significance,? and "although in this passage, in contrast to Heb 8:6, the [covenant] is not mentioned, one must nevertheless presuppose the meaning ?mediator of the covenant,? as the context shows." Professor Oepke observes that 1 Timothy 2:5 presents Jesus as "the attorney and negotiator."
A modern-day illustration may help to clarify this, especially if you are not a spirit-anointed Christian. Think of a legal case in which an attorney is involved. His role may be not so much that of a lawyer arguing for justice as that of one who is mediating or bringing about a legal contract acceptable to and beneficial to two parties. Of course, you are not in that legal case, so in that sense he is not serving as your attorney. Yet he may be your very close friend who in other ways gives you valuable help.
Sometimes an attorney?s work produces results that benefit many others. So it is with Jesus? legal accomplishments as Mediator of the new covenant. It produces what the Law covenant did not, a heavenly "kingdom of priests." (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9) Thereafter anointed Christians in the Kingdom will work with Jesus from heaven to bring a blessing to "all nations of the earth."?Genesis 22:18.
The people of all nations who have the hope of everlasting life on earth benefit even now from Jesus? services. Though he is not their legal Mediator, for they are not in the new covenant, he is their means of approaching Jehovah. Christ said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) All who will gain life on earth must direct their prayers to Jehovah through Jesus. (John 14:13, 23, 24) Jesus also serves as a compassionate High Priest who is able to apply in their behalf the benefits of his sacrifice, allowing them to gain forgiveness and eventual salvation.?Acts 4:12; Hebrews 4:15.
Consequently, 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 is not using "mediator" in the broad sense common in many languages. It is not saying that Jesus is a mediator between God and all mankind. Rather, it refers to Christ as legal Mediator (or, "attorney") of the new covenant, this being the restricted way in which the Bible uses the term. Jesus is also a corresponding ransom for all in that covenant, both Jews and Gentiles, who will receive immortal life in heaven. The apostle John referred to these at 1 John 2:2. But he indicated that others too will receive the benefit of Christ?s sacrifice: "He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world?s."
Those of ?the whole world? are all who will gain eternal life in a restored earthly paradise. Millions of such approved servants of God now have that earthly hope. They view Jesus as their High Priest and King through whom they can daily gain approach to Jehovah. They rely on Jesus? ransom, which is available to them, just as it will be to men such as Abraham, David, and John the Baptizer when these are resurrected. (Matthew 20:28) Thus, Christ?s sacrifice will lead to everlasting life for all obedient mankind.
Not that this was the first time they said it :
w86 2/15 pp. 14-15 Unitedly Pursuing the Goal of Life ***
Just as Moses was "mediator" of the Law covenant with fleshly Israel, so Jesus becomes "mediator of [this] correspondingly better covenant" that God makes with the spiritual "Israel of God." This is in order to ransom those who are called to become Kingdom heirs with Christ. Thus they "receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance." (Galatians 3:19, 20; 6:16; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24) It is particularly in this Biblical sense that Christ Jesus serves as the "one mediator between God and men."?1 Timothy 2:5, 6.
Worldwide Security book chap. 1 pp. 10-11 The Desire for Peace and Security Worldwide ***Just as the ancient nation of Israel was in a covenant relationship with Jehovah God through the mediator Moses, so the nation of spiritual Israel, "the Israel of God," has a covenant relationship through a mediator. (Galatians 6:16) It is as the apostle Paul wrote to his Christian fellow worker: "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5) Was Moses the mediator between Jehovah God and mankind in general? No, he was the mediator between the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the nation of their fleshly descendants. Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members. This spiritual nation is like a little flock of Jehovah?s sheeplike ones.?Romans 9:6; Revelation 7:4.
This abominable teahjing of Jehovah's Witnesses place hundreds of thousands of professed ``other sheep" in the position of having to deny Christ as their mediator or face ostracism. It's clear from the context of 1Timonth 2:5,6, that the writer is focusing on the universality of the ransom and CVhrist's intervention on bhealf of all humanity. The shallowness of WT exegesis here is shocking. As anyone beyond the first grade knows, many words have several differnt meanings, and ``mediator" is but one example. Take for example, the legal meaning of ``party" as in ``party of the first part" in contrast to the generic meaning of ``party" as a good-times social event.
It's clear to any reader that what Paul refers to here is the broad, generic meaning of ``mediator" as one who intercedes, or ``goes between" two disparate parties, rather than the more esoteric meaning of validator of a covenant.
To this very moment JWs who speak the romance languages such as Spanish or Italian, etc., often close their public prayers by saying they offer it ``mediante" or ``through" Jesus Christ.
Metatron this is a very interesting topic. I am really enjoying all the responses you are getting...
I have to agree with you. I was raised a JW and lived it for 30 years. The life of Jesus was put to the side unless you count the Memorial talk and the 3 times we studied the Greatest Man that Ever Lived....We occasionally got a talk about things we should or should not be doing. In that talk we were asked: "What would Jesus do?" ... hmmmmmmm... Would Jesus build an organization that was is worth billions??? ...... the answer is "NO"
...in all those years there was only 1 circuit overseer that paid any attention to Jesus. In fact, during his visits we were encouraged all the time to talk about Jesus. I often wonder if this circuit overseer is still an active JW or fading....
Codeblue
Yet the WTS then back tracks when it says the following regarding Jesus, prayer, and mediation:
g74 1/8 p. 10 What Do You Know About Prayer? ***
Thus, our prayers should acknowledge that the value of the sacrifice of Jesus? own human life makes it possible for us to approach God in prayer, and that there is just "one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus."?1 Tim. 2:5.
w66 8/1 p. 465 Baptism Shows Faith ***
When one makes his dedication he prays to Jehovah in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son, the Mediator between God and man.
w57 12/15 p. 747 "Confess Your Sins" ***
The overseer does not presume to take the role of God, nor to be the mediator between God and men. Rather, as a loving Christian brother, he approaches God in prayer along with the spiritually sick one, doing so through the one Mediator Christ Jesus, and faithfully pointing out Jehovah?s loving provision for forgiveness. It is Jehovah who restores the truly repentant one.
The people of all nations who have the hope of everlasting life on earth benefit even now from Jesus? services. Though he is not their legal Mediator, for they are not in the new covenant, he is their means of approaching Jehovah.
Huh? Isn't this "hair-splitting" also a direct contradiction? Jesus is not "their legal mediator" .... but he is "their means of approaching jehovah." Po-tay-to <-> po-tah-to if you ask me. Isn't someone who affords (among other things) a means to approach someone or something, by their very definition, a mediator? This article was a lot of words but saying nothing.
I really don't think Jesus acted as a legal entity. C'mon, he was a hippie for the most part (not that that is a bad thing. )
Robert
Were the bible clear on the prominence of Jesus in relation to his father, there would be no topic such as this. The crooked N.T. bible writers who humanised jesus from a spiritual jesus ( which the gnostics believed in BEFORE the christians humanised him) made him into diety and confused the jewish tradition of monotheism.
Why could not the author of the bible have clarified his son's status? Are non-trinitarians idiots? No....they are not, rather they are examples as well as trinitarians, that the bible is a vauge, obscure book in which even the author cannot be identified enough that all can agree on as to who he is.
Gumby
Hi its brother devoted
I read that whole reference and still don't see how you are accusing the society of saying that "Jesus is not the mediator of all mankind"
in contemplating that reference I still see Jesus as my mediator through which I approuch Jehovah
My understanding is that in that reference Jesus work as a mediator in the context of that scripture is for the covenent. but the blanket accusation you are making...I just don't see it.
Peace,
brother devoted
Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members. This spiritual nation is like a little flock of Jehovah?s sheeplike ones.?Romans 9:6; Revelation 7:4.
Did you miss this?
I don't have the other references handy, but the Watchtower has very quietly put forth the 144,000 as the mediator between Christ and the other sheep. That is, it is thru the administration of the 144,000 that the other sheep share in the blessing of the work of Christ--this is the current Watchtower position.
So... if you need a mediator, and you are not in the 144,000, you need to depend on the 144,000 as your mediator.
bebu
(I'll find the references unless someone comes forward with them first; but rest assured, the above is true. I was quite astonished about this myself.)
