One of the few places in WT literature I have found where Jesus is called an “angel” is in the old pink children’s book Listening to the Great Teacher, page 16.
Does anyone know any others?
slimboyfat
JoinedPosts by slimboyfat
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
I agree vienne, that’s essentially the reason: JWs believe Jesus is in a class of his own and therefore superior to the angels. He is an angel in the sense that he is a spirit creature, and “angel” is the term for a spirit creature, but he is far superior to all the other spirit creatures, both because he is the only-begotten, and because he was exalted to an even higher position after his resurrection. I think that’s the reason why JWs use term sparingly, because there is much more to be said about Jesus and more exalted descriptions that are appropriate than just the description “angel”.
On the other hand, the reason why opponents of JWs use the term “angel” so often to describe the JW view of Jesus is because it gives the impression that JWs in some sense belittle Jesus’ position, or view him as a “mere angel” - I’ve seen that phrase used a few times in anti-JW literature, but never in the WT. In one sense it’s fair enough, from a Trinitarian perspective, because no matter how exalted JWs view Jesus, they still think he is a creature, and for Trinitarians that just doesn’t cut it. Yet, I think it would be more honest for Trinitarians, who are describing the views of JWs, to acknowledge that JWs don’t view Jesus as a “mere angel”. They believe he is totally unique and far above the other angels. It’s fair enough for Trinitarians to dispute the fact that Jesus is a creature, but it would do them credit to also acknowledge just how unique and exalted JWs view Jesus.
-
152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
-
-
slimboyfat
I would suggest:
The short answer is yes.
The longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
The short answer is yes because Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus is Michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion. They have sometimes described Jesus an “angel” too.
The reason a longer answer might be interesting and relevant is because it is somewhat surprising (it was surprising to me at least) just how few times Watchtower literature has stated flat out that Jesus is an “angel”, as simple as that. After some searching, I can only find a handful of examples in their entire history where they have called Jesus an angel. But maybe I’ve overlooked some! So firstly, I would be really interested and appreciative if others know of examples where Jesus is called an “angel” in Watchtower literature.
Statements that Jesus is Michael the archangel are easy to find, but in many ways that is not as interesting, because even some Trinitarian churches (SDA) and leaders (Luther and others) can agree/d that Jesus is the archangel Michael. They would argue Michael is one of the names of Jesus, but they don’t think it makes him an angel, or subordinate to God.
I have my own theory as to why JWs so seldom describe Jesus as an “angel”. and why, in contrast, their opponents so often highlight their belief in Jesus as an “angel”. But I’m interested to hear what others think, and especially interested in WT references that called Jesus an “angel”.
-
25
Watchtower Used to Teach Jesus Was Not an Angel and was "the Lord from Heaven" Who Died on a Cross!
by Sea Breeze in.
.
no wonder they instructed congregation elders to throw away old literature from kingdon hall libraries.
-
-
slimboyfat
Sea Breeze you thought you had found something surprising in early Watchtower literature but you failed to note the context where they repeated their familiar stance in full: that Jesus is God’s first creation, separate from and subordinate to God, was a man while he was on earth, and that the incarnation doctrine is false. Instead of taking the correction, you go off on a tangent about “Lord” in 1 Cor 15:47 that JWs didn’t have a problem with anyway. Modern versions don’t have Lord in this verse because it’s not in the critical Greek text based on the earliest manuscripts - NIV, NLT, RSV, NWT, GNB, NASB, and on and on. The “modern” versions you provide as proof are translations earlier than the King James or based on the King James and its Greek text. What are you doing here?
-
7
I just heard.......
by BoogerMan in.........that little miss muffet sat on her tuffet eating only curds!.
no way!
!.
-
-
-
26
Will there ever be any new GB members?
by Mikejw inthe last two seem very young.. will there be any further new gb members or will they all die off?.
i still remember when tony morris and a few other joined many were disappointed thinking the current crop would be the last.
.
-
-
slimboyfat
I don’t see why there wouldn’t be.
Apart from, maybe, catastrophic world events, perhaps involving the death of most humans by war, disease, or artificial intelligence, I can’t envisage what would stop them keeping on appointing future GB members.
There’s a saying attributed to the Marxist theorist Frederic Jameson that it’s easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism. Maybe I’m caught by the Watchtower equivalent: it’s easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of the Watchtower organisation.
-
25
Watchtower Used to Teach Jesus Was Not an Angel and was "the Lord from Heaven" Who Died on a Cross!
by Sea Breeze in.
.
no wonder they instructed congregation elders to throw away old literature from kingdon hall libraries.
-
-
slimboyfat
What’s not true?
The modern versions listed here omit the word “Lord”, apart from the Amplified Bible that puts it in square brackets.
https://biblehub.com/parallel/1_corinthians/15-47.htm
Which modern English version do you say includes the word “Lord”?
The earliest MSS, including Vaticanus and Sinaiticus omit “Lord”, and modern critical editions of the Greek New Testament omit the word too: NA28, UBS5, Tyndale. That’s the reason modern versions don’t include the word in the text.
Nevertheless, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is Lord and would have no trouble saying so then or now, or quoting the King James in this verse, as they often did in that period. They believe Jesus is God’s first creation and second in the universe only to God himself. This is what they taught in The Harp of God and it is what they teach now.
-
25
Watchtower Used to Teach Jesus Was Not an Angel and was "the Lord from Heaven" Who Died on a Cross!
by Sea Breeze in.
.
no wonder they instructed congregation elders to throw away old literature from kingdon hall libraries.
-
-
slimboyfat
The quotation is taken from the King James Version which was used at the time. Modern versions of the Bible omit the word Lord in 1 Cor 15:47 because it is absent in early manuscripts. Regardless of the reading of this verse Jehovah’s Witnesses, as also the early Christians, acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
-
25
Watchtower Used to Teach Jesus Was Not an Angel and was "the Lord from Heaven" Who Died on a Cross!
by Sea Breeze in.
.
no wonder they instructed congregation elders to throw away old literature from kingdon hall libraries.
-
-
slimboyfat
In the preceding pages the book explains that Jesus was God’s first creation and a separate being from God. In paragraph 170 it explains that Jesus was not incarnated and was not a spirit creature while on earth but was a man, and that is why the idea of incarnation is false.
-
26
Worldwide Benefits ( USELESSNESS ) of Cart Witnessing
by RULES & REGULATIONS inlibrary.
meeting workbooks.
life and ministry meeting workbook | november 2018. .
-
-
slimboyfat
The effect is hard to quantify because there will be people who have been influenced to return to JWs just because of the increased visibility in the community and the reminder that JWs are still around that the carts provide for POMI people out there. Plus advertising like this has an effect on the public in general in gaining recognition and acceptance for a message over a long period that again is hard to quantify. Persistence is paramount in any advertising campaign and JWs certainly have that.