it really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
Some time ago I saw this quote somewhere on this forum (can't remember where exactly), but it describes quite well how people find their way into this religion.
It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.
This religion fools people. Once fooled, it is hard to see that you have been fooled!
it really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
A Believer:
Read this part of what you posted
He mediates the new covenant between God and those taken into the new covenant, the congregation of spiritual Israel.
Jesus mediates between God and those taken into the new covenant... again, who is in this covenant? He only mediates for them.
Do you know what spiritual Israel is?
Without having a good understanding of the explanation from Jehovah Witnesses who is in the new covenant and what spiritual Israel is, you''ll get trapped in topics like this, about Jesus as our mediator.
Jesus is indeed mediator for all of us according to the Bible.
But not according to the witnesses.
That's the whole point.
You see?
it really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
A believer: Yesu the JW teach Jesus is our mediator
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008922
It does seems like it, indeed, at first sight. But you have to read closely.
“The Mediator of a New Covenant”
11, 12. How is Jesus’ role as Mediator unique?
11 Read 1 Timothy 2:5, 6. Jesus is the “one mediator between God and men.” He is “the mediator of a new covenant.” (Heb. 9:15; 12:24) However, Moses is also spoken of as a mediator—the mediator of the Law covenant. (Gal. 3:19) How, then, is Jesus’ role as Mediator unique?
The mediator of a New covenant.
Who is in the new covenant? If you search on JW.org for the new covenant, you see it is only the 144.000.
To go further with the link you provided:
13. What is involved in Jesus’ role as Mediator?
13 What does Jesus’ role as Mediator involve? Well, Jehovah applies the value of Jesus’ blood to those being brought into the new covenant. In this way, Jehovah legally credits them with righteousness. (Rom. 3:24; Heb. 9:15) God can then take them into the new covenant with the prospect of their becoming heavenly king-priests! As their Mediator, Jesus assists them in maintaining a clean standing before God.—Heb. 2:16.
Jesus assists them. To whom does their and them refer? To the heavenly king-priests in the preceding sentence. And who is going to be a heavenly king-priest? It is the 144.000. As their mediator, can consequently be rephrased as: As the mediator of the 144.000.
What about those who are not in the new covenant, those who hope to live forever on earth, not in heaven? While not participants in the new covenant, these are beneficiaries of it.
Those who are not in the new covenant. Well, if you are outside of this new covenant, if you not have the heavenly hope, Jesus is not your mediator. You are no participant
Do you see? It is very important to examine this more thorougly than just quickly reading this text.
it really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
A Believer Jesus is the mediator. He is the one who helped man and God come to agreement. Yesu did you know he was created?
It is good to read that you believe Jesus Christ is our mediator. That's indeed what the Bible teaches. Yes I know what you are referring to, Colossians 1:15. I have studied for three years with the witnesses.
The thing is, the topic of the mediator will never be discussed with you by none of the witnesses. You know why? The official doctrine is that Jesus is not our mediator. Most witnesses are unaware of this. If you ask a random witness in your congregation: ''who is your mediator?'' they will answer: Jesus!
However, according to the watchttower, Jesus is only the mediator for the 144.000 anointed ones. Today, there are around 15.000 of them. So who can pray in the name of Jesus while knowing that Jesus is their mediator? Only these 15.000. Not you.
The Bible is very, very clear about this topic. There is only one mediator. If it is not Jesus, it can be no one else. So than we have no mediator between us and God.
Can you justify this?
it really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
A believer. Christendom has free will so it doesn't stop them from finding the truth.
Very true! We have a free will. However, as a Witness of Jehovah. Your free will will end up being the will of the Governing Body.
you know, I was just as you. You said in some earlier comment that you did not study the Bible so much.
neither did I. I was a Catholic, zero Bible knowledge. The witnesses do indeed seem to have all the answers, when you have no prior Bible knowledge! It is very important to study the Bible first. Independently from any religion or organisation.
Have you already studied the topic of our mediator?
who is your mediator?
is it Jesus?
it really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
Personally, I think it is better not to go into a discussion of believing in God against not believing in God. I am a believer too. The matter of the piramids will not lead me to lay down my faith in God.
I think it is better to show 'a believer' that the beliefs of the Jehovah's witnesses are not in line with the Bible. Instead of attacking the Bible as a whole.
'a believer': it is very good that you believe in God. Don't let people take away your faith from you. However, you should know that your belief should be based on what the Bible says.
it really is great.
i remember browsing this forum the day after i had joined it, and their was a knock on the door.
i thought it was one of my package from ups but instead it was two sisters.
Hi A believer!
I can understand you think you have found the right religion. Most of us at some stage had the same conviction as you.
I have a question for you. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your mediator between you and God?
You might look up 1 Timothy 2:5, John 14:6 and Hebrews 7:25 in the Bible in case you are not sure what the Bible says about it.
I am looking forward to your opinion
some time ago, during the mid-week meeting, the sanctification of god’s name was being discussed (chapter 4 in ‘god’s kingdom rules’).
in paragraph nine we read that in the early period the jw’s viewed jesus ransom sacrifice as the most important teaching of the bible.
then they said they gave overbalanced importance to jesus, and nowadays, they say the sanctification of god’s name is the most important thing in the bible.. .
Some time ago, during the mid-week meeting, the sanctification of God’s name was being discussed (chapter 4 in ‘God’s kingdom rules’). In paragraph nine we read that in the early period the JW’s viewed Jesus ransom sacrifice as the most important teaching of the Bible.
Then they said they gave overbalanced importance to Jesus, and nowadays, they say the sanctification of God’s name is the most important thing in the Bible.
9, 10. (a) Why did early Watch Tower articles focus on Jesus? (b) What change occurred from 1919 onward, and with what results?
9 First, Jehovah’s servants came to have the proper view of the importance of God’s name. Faithful early Bible Students viewed the ransom arrangement as the Bible’s main teaching. That explains why the Watch Tower often focused on Jesus. For example, in its first year of publication, the magazine mentioned the name Jesus ten times more than the name Jehovah. Regarding the Bible Students’ early years, The Watchtower of March 15, 1976, noted that they gave “overbalanced importance” to Jesus. In time, though, Jehovah helped them to discern the prominence that the Bible gives to God’s personal name. How did that affect the Bible Students? Especially from 1919 onward, says the same Watchtower article, “they began showing more appreciation for Messiah’s heavenly Father, Jehovah.” In fact, during the decade following 1919, The Watch Tower mentioned God’s name over 6,500 times!
10 By giving the name Jehovah proper recognition, our brothers showed their love for God’s name. Like Moses of old, they set out to “declare the name of Jehovah.” (Deut. 32:3; Ps. 34:3) In turn, as promised in the Scriptures, Jehovah took note of their love for his name and showed them favor.—Ps. 119:132; Heb. 6:10.
13. How does God’s Word reveal the most important issue to be settled?
13 Third, Jehovah’s people came to appreciate the importance of the sanctification of God’s name. During the 1920’s, they discerned that the sanctification of God’s name is the most important issue to be settled. How does God’s Word reveal that weighty truth? Consider two examples. What was the principal reason why God rescued Israel from Egypt? Jehovah stated: “To have my name declared in all the earth.” (Ex. 9:16) And why did Jehovah show mercy to Israel when they rebelled against him? Again, Jehovah said: “I acted for the sake of my name so that it would not be profaned before the nations.” (Ezek. 20:8-10)
I was trying to find arguments against this teaching. A comment that was made back then by someone in the congregation, was that Jesus is only important in the New Testament, whereas the sanctification of God’s name is important in both the Old and the New Testament. What can be said against this? Are there any Bible accounts/verses that can be used to show that this is a false teaching?
Thanks for your responses.
i am new on this forum.
i have been associating with the jw's for three years, and was about to be baptised soon (next month).
however, i discovered on time that it is not right to do.
@Cofty
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/243099/jehovahs-witnesses-view-jesus-compared-early-church
Thank you for the link! This is very useful, great commentaries.
i am new on this forum.
i have been associating with the jw's for three years, and was about to be baptised soon (next month).
however, i discovered on time that it is not right to do.
@stan livedeath
if youre not sure what disfellowshipping means--ask those elders to explain. also--ask them about shunning too.
I am familiar with the disfellowship policy. However, I thought they only do this to baptised people? I am an unbaptised publisher. Can they still decide to officially shun me?
