₦airaland Forum

Janosky:
[/color][color=] *@ 2Peter 1:1,2
Greetings from Peter
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of
Jesus Christ, To those who through the
righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus
Christ have received a faith as precious as
ours: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you
through the knowledge of God and of Jesus
our Lord.…

NOTE: 2Peter2:2 "the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND OF JESUS OUR LORD"
PROOF, that God ,YHWH the Father is NOT Jesus Christ. verse 2 shows they are separate Persons.

Jesus Christ Is God, this truth so hurts you bad,




@ FURTHER PROOFS:

@1).
American King James Version
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of
Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like
precious faith with us through the
righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus
Christ:

. @2).
American Standard Version
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus
Christ, to them that have obtained a like
precious faith with us in the righteousness
of our God and the 'saviour Jesus Christ:



@3).
Weymouth New Testament
Simon Peter, a bondservant and Apostle of
Jesus Christ: To those to whom there has
been allotted the same precious faith as that
which is ours through the righteousness of
our God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ."

Various Trinitarian Bibles (@1 to @3) render 2Peter1:1 to show that YHWH and Jesus are separate beings, in agreement with 2Pet2:2.



Also Titus 2:14, (everyone go check it out) is further PROOF that YHWH & Jesus are DIFFERENT BEINGS.(compare 1st John 4:14).

@ Exodus 3:14,YHWH ( means " I will be what/who I will be" is the God of Abraham.
Acts 3:13, Jesus serves the God of Abraham on earth and in heaven, Rev 3:12.
Gbagbo lying Pharisee twisting the Scriptures to hoodwink gullible individuals led astray by Pastorpreneurs.

Believe him at your own peril.

Jesus Christ is God Almighty, this truth so hurts you

But I don't care, at the mention of the name Jesus, every knee including that of your god Satan (Jehovah)

Jesus Christ is YHWH

God bless you for speaking this truth, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.

by
Burk Parsons

Pastor, Sanford, Florida

Some have said that the devil’s greatest trick is convincing the world that he doesn’t exist. Satan is the supreme deceiver, striving to rid our minds of his existence and to make us believe that all the Bible’s teaching about him is the stuff of myth, legend, and ancient folklore — antiquated stories that have no place in our enlightened and comfortably brave new world.

The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44) and the deceiver of nations (Revelation 20:3, . He “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), and he will do whatever is in his power to get us to forget him altogether and to live as if he doesn’t exist. As believers, we know Satan exists, but many of us still fall into his subtle trap of ignoring him and hoping he’ll leave us alone.

The Attitude I Fear Most

But just as we cannot read a page of Scripture without running into the sovereignty of God, neither can we read very long without coming face-to-face with the harsh reality of the power of the evil one. And so, we recognize that we cannot completely ignore his existence.
“We know Satan exists, but many of us still fall into his subtle trap of hoping he’ll leave us alone.”


Because we too often walk by sight and not by faith — thinking we can live our Christian lives by some sort of spiritual inertia — we fall into Satan’s trap of thinking he’s not really there, or at least as if he’s not very active. It does seem, after all, to be a much more pleasant thought to believe that he’s not around or, at least, that we’re really not a significant enough target for him to spend his time on.

While all true believers know Satan exists, many have succumbed to the notion that spiritual warfare is not that big of a deal. I fear that there are even some Christians reading this now, saying to themselves, “Yeah, okay, sure, I know Satan exists, and yeah, I know spiritual warfare is real, but I don’t believe that Satan or his demons are lurking behind every bush, and I don’t believe that I can really do anything about spiritual warfare anyway.” That is the attitude I most fear for myself, for my family, and for the congregation I serve


If We Were Not God’s

We do wrestle against cosmic powers — “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). These forces of evil have set their sights on all true believers, and they are unrelenting.

Paul teaches us that the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they might not see the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). The implication is that in having blinded their minds, the devil then focuses his primary work on the followers of his enemy. It would seem to be the case that before we trusted Christ, the devil was certainly our enemy, but not to the degree that he became our enemy after we trusted Christ.

If we were blessed to grow up in a Christian home, he was unquestionably the enemy of our family. But after trusting Christ, we gained Christ and his righteousness by being united to him once and for all, and, as a result, Christ’s enemy became our enemy in a more significant way, and he began to take greater aim at us with his flaming arrows in order to try to bring us down. As Thomas Brooks wrote, “If God were not my friend, Satan would not be so much my enemy.”
Ordinary but Deadly Weapons

Although we know that Satan and his eager servants can neither indwell believers nor read nor control our minds, we also know that under the sovereignty of God, they can wreak havoc on us. However, rather than living with a minimalist view of what Satan won’t do, and rather than living as practical deists as if the Holy Spirit is not living and active, and rather than living as

Reformed determinists as if secondary causality and secondary means are irrelevant, we must remember that God is sovereign not only over the ends of all things but over the means of all ends.
“The forces of evil have set their sights on all true believers, and they are unrelenting.”


Therefore, we must make every effort to make use of the means our Lord has given us to fight. He has given us ordinary means of grace, and these are also the ordinary means for our daily warfare; namely, the word of God, prayer, and baptism and the Lord’s Supper. He has given us the Lord’s Day, and he has given us weekly, gathered worship with our family where we sing and proclaim our battle songs of final victory and affirm the faith once delivered to the saints.

We must not underestimate the mischievous work of Satan designed to keep us from regularly attending to these ordinary means of grace. Above all, our Lord has given us himself in Christ, and he has given us the Holy Spirit. And although Satan is not afraid of us, he is terrified of the one within us. And our protector never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:3–4), and in him we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) because greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

We Cannot Be Unprepared

We must be prepared. We must acknowledge the war is real and raging all around us, and we must be ready to fight, for it is a battle for our hearts, our marriages, our churches, and our children, our time, our talents, our words, our wallets, our motives, our hope, our joy. We cannot pretend these things are off-limits to our accuser.
We cannot coast through the Christian life. We cannot live as if we are defenseless. We cannot allow ourselves to be unaware of Satan’s schemes. We cannot allow fear and anxiety to get the best of us, and we must pray to be strong and courageous, because the Lord is with us, for us, and in us. We cannot allow ourselves to be caught off our guard, but we too often are, because we too often forget about the harsh reality of spiritual warfare.

And while we cannot know the mind of God, and while we are not infallible interpreters of the providence of God or the work of the evil one, we know that God is sovereign, we know that Satan is at work, and we know that for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose, all things work together for our good, according to the good pleasure of God’s will and for God’s glory (Romans 8:28).

His Rage We Can Endure

And though this world with devils filled
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure,
For, lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him. —Martin Luther
Since we have been justified by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–10), our Father is conforming us to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29), and just as Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15), so God will allow us to be tempted by the deceiver in manifold ways (1 Corinthians 10:13). For that reason, Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in heaven, “deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13).
“We must acknowledge the war is real and raging all around us, and we must be ready to fight.”


And as the Spirit conforms us, we must become more keenly aware of our enemy’s deceitful schemes so that we would neither be outwitted by Satan nor ignorant of his designs (2 Corinthians 2:11), but instead be more watchful as he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:, that we might always escape the snare of the devil (2 Timothy 2:26), resting assured that in Christ we will endure to the end by his sustaining grace, because Christ has crushed the head of Satan and his seed, and the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20).

Amen

Jw cultist spotted

Great is the mystery of Godliness, God was manifested in the Flesh

1 Timothy 3:16

I am not a TRinitarian, Jesus Christ is God Almighty
God in flesh

There is no Jehovah in the Bible

There is YHWH, who revealed himself to man as Christ, because apart from YHWH there is no saviour. Halleluyah

2 Peter 2 New King James Version (NKJV)

Destructive Doctrines

1 But there were also false prophets among the people[i], even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them,[/i]

and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

Doom of False Teachers
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Depravity of False Teachers

12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to [d]carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, [e]carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

15[b] They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; [/b]16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of [b]the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, [/b]they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

Flee False Teachers. Flee the new world translation bible which was translated by a liar, who lied under oath in a Scottish Court , and could not even translate Genesis 1:4 into Hebrew

Flee Every 'church' that denies the deity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Jesus Loves you.

Jesus Christ is God Almighty

Maximus69:
That's exactly what's recorded in the Bible book of John 8:24.
Of course everyone can read and start applying it base on whatever their religion teaches them!

Quoting the Bible could be likened to a THEORIES needing enlightenment regarding the PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS so that everyone could see and start enjoying the BENEFITS

So if you're not able to expatiate on the practical applications and benefits, then it's obvious you don't understand what you're saying yourself. You're just like a toddler mimicking whatever he/she hears others say!

.John8:58 is one of a string of texts where John uses the Greek phrase ego eimi, the emphatic form of “I am,” or, “I myself am.” When we isolate John8:58 from the rest of John’s gospel, we greatly diminish the force of his argument, and in fact, give to our opponents their greatest weapon: they can always come up with some means around a single passage. In most instances, however, truth doesn’t come in single verses or passages alone. It is rather like an avalanche on a mountainside: theoretically, you can always dodge a single rock, but avalanches don’t send single rocks; they send thousands at a time, and you cannot dodge them all at once. In this instance, John did not simply give us one instance of ego eimi in a single isolated passage. A strained but slightly plausible explanation that avoids the truth in one text becomes more strained when you have to try to get around the truth in two texts, and then three texts, until what was once plausible becomes implausible and the truth is clear.
Jesus uses ego eimi in a number of ways in John. He uses it as simply self-identification in 4:26 and 6:20. It is used in such phrases as “I am the bread of life” (6:35) and “I am the light of the world” (8:12). In John chapters 8, 13, and 18, however, a series of uses appears that, when taken together (as surely they are meant to be seen by the author of the gospel), add yet another thread to the tapestry of witness John is giving to the person of Christ. Beginning in John8:24 we read, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”6 This is part of the argumentation leading up to Jesus’ words in verse58, “Before Abraham was, I am.” However one understands Jesus’ identity, it is clear that unless one accepts Him for who He has revealed Himself to be, one will not have eternal life. When Jesus uses the same phrase in 8:58, immediately the Jews respond by picking up stones to stone Him.
In John13:19 Jesus says to His disciples, “‘From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.” How does providing a prophetic word prove who Jesus is? We will find an answer to this when we look to the Old Testament background of these passages, but let’s first look at another significant passage.
When Judas comes to betray the Lord in Gethsemane, we read, “They answered Him, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said to them, ‘I am He.’ And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (John18:5–6). This would be a very odd incident if, in fact, we did not connect it to what has gone before. Twice John notes that Jesus used the phrase ego eimi, emphasizing that when Jesus uttered this phrase, those seeking to arrest Him “drew back and fell to the ground.” Amazing efforts have been expended to avoid the plain meaning of this text, but to no avail. When Jesus speaks these words, something miraculous takes place.
Why would the Jews attempt to stone Jesus for saying, “Before Abraham was, I am”? Is the mere proclamation of preexistence sufficient grounds for stoning, or did the Jews see something more in Jesus’ claim? How would Jesus’ knowledge of the future help the disciples believe? What caused the officials and soldiers to fall to the ground when Jesus said ego eimi? Many believe that this alludes to the phrase “I am that I am” in God’s self-disclosure to Moses in Exodus3:14, which it surely does in part, but the strongest connection is in the books of the prophets, particularly Isaiah. In fact, we find the phrase ego eimi being used as a name of the one true God numerous times in Isaiah (e.g., 41:4;43:10,25;45:8,18,19,22;46:4,9;48:12,17) in the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures used in Jesus’ day) and, most significantly, in the very verse from which Jehovah’s Witnesses derive their name.
In the NWT this verse, Isaiah43:10, reads, “‘YOU are my witnesses,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may understand that I am the same One. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none.’” Jesus uses the very same phrase of Himself in John13:19, which explains how His revelation of the future would aid the disciples to have true faith in Him; for only God can know the future. It likewise explains why the Jews reacted as they did when Jesus used this phrase in 8:58; for only God has always existed. It also explains why the soldiers who would have no knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures would fall back on the ground when Christ identified Himself as the very I Am; for only God’s own presence could cause this involuntary reaction. In each instance those who heard Jesus recognized that He was God, or that He was claiming to be so.
When we review the entire record of John’s use of this phrase, the NWT’s inconsistency is strikingly evident, as is the utter futility of its attempt to hide this truth. The NWT does not mistranslate ego eimi in these other instances. In John8:24 the NWT has “I am [he].” In John13:19 and 18:5–6 the same translation appears. By attempting to hide this truth in just one instance, the translation testifies to its own inconsistency and its true purpose. When we approach the disputed text by first examining verses in which the NWT accurately renders the phrase so as to view the text in a wider context, we can avoid much of the argumentation and defense that Witnesses offer and can present the truth clearly to them.
JESUS “OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR”
Another excellent example of how one can actually use the errant or strained translations of the NWT to the advantage of the truth is found in the Bible’s description of Jesus as our “God and Savior” in Titus2:13 and 2Peter1:1. In both instances we have an example of a syntactical7 formula in the Greek language known as Granville Sharp’s Rule, and once again, as soon as grammar enters most conversations, those involved will be looking to move elsewhere very quickly. In addition, Witnesses who are better read can always find a translation here or a scholar there to provide support for the NWT rendering. As with the previous example, however, when we take a wider approach we not only can demonstrate the bias and error of the NWT, but we can give a memorable testimony to the truth as well.
Compare the NASB and the NWT on these passages:
Titus2:13: “…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (NASB).
“…while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of [the] Savior of us, Christ Jesus” (NWT).
2 Peter1:1: “…by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (NASB).
“…by the righteousness of our God and [the] Savior Jesus Christ” (NWT).
The NWT clearly seeks to put as much distance as possible between the terms “God” and “Savior,” while the NASB equates the two, describing one person, Jesus Christ, as both “God and Savior.” The Watchtower Society, which denies the deity of Christ, obviously cannot describe Him as “God and Savior,” so a wide variety of arguments have been developed to substantiate their translation; again, however, context allows the believer to establish the truth without first obtaining a degree in Greek syntax.
The context of the passage in Titus2 indicates that only one person is in view: Christians are looking for the appearing, the coming, of Jesus Christ. The sentence continues into verse14 with only one person, Christ, in view. He “gave Himself” to “purify for Himself” a people. This language is reminiscent of the redemptive work of Jehovah with reference to Israel (e.g., Ps.130:7–8; Ezek.37:23; Exod.19:5), but here it is speaking of the work of Jesus Christ in particular. There is simply no reason to insert a gratuitous and unnatural reference to the Father into the middle of this passage unless your real reasons have nothing to do with the context or language but everything to do with your theology, as is the case with the NWT.
Being only part of the opening lines of an epistle (or “letter”), 2Peter1:1 does not have the kind of contextual support we find surrounding Titus2:13. The epistle of 2Peter as a whole, however, provides a powerful example of the inconsistency of the NWT and its blatant theological bias. Compare a transliteration of the Greek text of the last phrase in verse1 (“…our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”) with the text only 10 verses later:
tou theou hemon kai soteros Iesou Christou (v.1)
tou kuriou hemon kai soteros Iesou Christou (v.11)
These phrases are grammatically and syntactically identical, with only one variation: the Greek term theou (the genitive singular form of the word “God”) in verse1 over against the term kuriou (the genitive singular form of the word “Lord”) in verse11.
The NWT gives itself away by translating the phrase in verse11 correctly: “…our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In fact, we likewise find identical grammatical constructions in 2Peter2:20 and3:18 that the NWT translates correctly. The only reason for the NWT’s rendering in 2Peter1:1 is clear: their theology demands it and precludes the correct rendering. By starting with 2Peter1:11, then examining 2:20 and 3:18, and moving back to 1:1, we can demonstrate the theological bias of the translation, hopefully laying the foundation for further discussion of the specifics of the passage.
CHRIST THE “CREATOR OF ALL THINGS”
To this point, we have demonstrated the translational errors and inconsistencies of the NWT by references to their surrounding contexts. Many of the questionable renderings presented by the NWT can be addressed in this way, including its famous translation, “the Word was a god” in John1:1. Some, however, require another level of knowledge concerning the context, requiring the apologist to be a student not only of the text of Scripture, but of the historical background as well. Specifically, when a translation turns an author’s argument on its head given the historical context in which he was writing, then it is presumably incorrect. An illustration of this can be found in the NWT’s most infamous attempt to hide a reference to the deity of Christ, in Colossians1:15–17:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist.
When the NWT first appeared, the word other was inserted without brackets, implying that it was in the original Greek text. An outcry once again was raised and translators added the brackets. The Watchtower Society defends its insertion of other based first on its errant understanding of firstborn as meaning “first created.”8 Then, in light of that meaning, they insist that creation should be taken in such a fashion as to be the larger set of which the firstborn is a part.9 Therefore, the firstborn could only create all other things, since the firstborn is itself a part of creation.
The orthodox translation of this passage can be defended quite successfully based on syntactical arguments, but few are prepared to argue at this level. Is this text then rendered unusable to us in evangelism because of the Watchtower Society’s complex defense of its erroneous translation? It is not—if we approach it from the background of the error against which Paul is writing.
One of the earliest heresies the Christian faith faced was Gnosticism, which basically held the view that spirit is good, while matter (i.e., the physical world) is evil. This was fundamentally inconsistent with the Christian view that God created matter. One expression of this movement was known as Docetism (from the Greek, dokein: “to seem”), which taught that since Jesus was good, He did not have an evil, fleshly body, but only appeared to have a physical body. The apostle John specifically argued against this teaching and identified it as the teaching of “anti-Christ” (2John1:7). In the same fashion, Paul, knowing that an early form of Gnosticism that joined elements of Judaism and Christianity was moving into Asia Minor and specifically into Colossae, warned the Colossian believers against it using the very terminology the Gnostics themselves used. In Colossians1, Paul speaks of the “fullness” (Gk. pleroma), a term used by the Gnostics to describe the group of beings emanating from the one true God, known as “aeons.” It seems these early Gnostics, on encountering the proclamation of the risen Lord Jesus, tried to fit Him into their scheme, making Him one of the aeons, a divine being, but a derivative of deity—less than God Himself.
Paul denies this kind of teaching by asserting that Christ is not just one of the aeons, but is instead the preeminent being, the one through whom all created things were made, and in whom the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form (Col.2:9). No Gnostic could possibly accept such teaching. If, however, you render the text as does the NWT, you are forcing Paul to abandon his primary argument and agree with his opponents, the Gnostics! By making Jesus a created being, something less than the true God, the NWT does indeed turn Paul’s argument on its head. His point, in fact, is that Christ’s creative activity exhausts all of creation: there is nothing outside of His creative power. By seeking to conform the biblical text to its own theology, the Watchtower Society ends up making the apostle agree with his opponents, clearly indicating the error of their translation.
APPLICATION IN GENERAL
In-depth textual, grammatical, and syntactical discussions have their proper place in the realm of Christian scholarship and apologetics (even outside the domain of evangelizing Jehovah’s Witnesses). In most apologetic encounters, however, a more effective means is found in demonstrating translational and theological errors through the presentation of a sound, compelling, and understandable explanation of the context of a passage or author. Purposeful mistranslations, or highly questionable renderings, will distort the meaning of the author, and hence can be detected and exposed by those who grasp the overall teaching of the writer. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses have a concentrated knowledge of issues that separate them from historic Christianity, but they lack an overall, contextually sound biblical understanding. When faced with a testimony based on contextual understanding, many are deeply troubled, for they rarely encounter believers who seriously study the Scriptures so as to be able to witness so effectively.
You may view the NWT as an almost insuperable barrier, or you can instead recognize it as a tool that every Jehovah’s Witness will offer to you willingly for your use. Few Jehovah’s Witnesses will take Christian literature, but I have never seen one leave his or her NWT behind! When a faithful Christian accurately and confidently demonstrates the truth of Christ’s deity to them from the pages of their own Scriptures, that testimony will go with them and will have a lasting impact on their thinking. That is the kind of witness that the Holy Spirit can use to open blind eyes to the glory of the Word made flesh, the Creator of all things: our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
notes
1. For a representation of the Watchtower defense, see Rolf Furuli, The Role of Theology in Bible Translation (Murrieta, CA: Elihu Books, 1999). Until the late 1990s the Watchtower discouraged apologetic defense of their work by individuals not under the direct control of its Governing Body, but it now realizes that with the advent of the Internet there is no way to keep the members of the Society insulated from the writings and information of “active opposers,” let alone control the activities of individual Witnesses who wish to defend the Society in the same forums.
2. For a representation of the evangelical response, see Robert H. Countess, The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New Testament (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1982).
3. I consistently noted when the translation of the NWT materially influenced the interpretation of specific passages relevant to the doctrine of the Trinity in James White, The Forgotten Trinity (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1998).
4. The NWT is not without positive aspects. When translating plural pronouns it employs this all-caps form to help the reader differentiate between plural (e.g., YOU) and singular (e.g., you) pronouns that are spelled the same in English, a useful mechanism.
5. While some Jehovah’s Witnesses will fight tooth and nail for the Germanicized pronunciation “Jehovah,” the vast majority of scholarship recognizes that “Yahweh” is the best pronunciation, and most Witnesses will actually be surprised at any use of the divine name, whether Yahweh or Jehovah, on the part of a non-Witness.
6. Most printed English translations use italics or brackets to indicate that a word was not in the original language text, but was inserted by the translators for clarification. In this instance, the pronoun He was not part of the original Greek phrase ego eimi.
7. Syntax refers to the relationship of words to one another. In the study of context, examining syntax is the next step up from examining the grammatical form of words in isolation.
8. The Greek term prototokos has a rich background in the Old Testament, used of Israel as Yahweh’s “firstborn” (obviously not “first-created”) in Exodus4:22 and Jeremiah31:9. The firstborn is the one having preeminence.
9. That is, as a partitive genitive, indicating that the firstborn is a part of the wider group creation.

.

Janosky:
Gbagbo LYING Pharisee hypocrite, is "Jesus" (same letter 'J', ) a biblical word?
Colossians 1:16, is Jesus Christ his Father ?
Did Jesus Christ create his Father ?
"All other things " is for emphasis and very accurate except :
1) Gbagbo brings proof that Jesus create his Father..
2) Gbagbo brings proof that colossians1:15 is False.

Corrupt Gbagbo Pharisee, in Colossians1:16, John 1:3,whats the meaning of Greek "Dia antou"?

Colossians1:15, who is the Son? Son of whom?
After Gbagbo reads these questions, as usual Gbagbo will dust Usain Bolt......

The Demonic Jehovah Witnesses'
New World Translation
By David J. Stewart

The Jehovah Witnesses [JW] are a demonic cult, founded by the false prophet Charles Taze Russell in 1874. Russell was a 33rd degree Freemason, a Satanic organization within an organization that founded many of today's mainstream false religions that masquerade as being Christian.
Freemasons are the workhorse of the New World Order, having infiltrated America's churches, even the Southern Baptist Convention. Freemasons were instrumental in the creation of Communism, putting the lies of evolution into public schools, promoting the feminist and homosexual agendas, and producing a series of corrupt Bibles. Freemasonry seems to be involved in everything that is unholy, corrupt and destructive to America. Their goal is globalization.
To no surprise, the introduction to The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures (upon which the corrupt JW New World Translation is based), states:
“Presenting a literal word-for-word translation into English under the Greek text as set out in ' The New Testament in the Original Greek—The Text Revised by Brooke Foss Westcott D.D. and Fenton John Anthony Hort D.D.' (1948 Reprint)
together with the
New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, Revised Edition, a modern-language translation of the Westcott and Hort Greek Text, first published by them in the year 1881 C.E.”
The New World Translation is a Satanic Bible. Charles Russell butchered the Bible as bad as Westcott and Hort, referring to Jesus as “a god” in John 1:1. Yet the King James Bible refers to Jesus as “God.” Isn't it interesting that every “new” Bible on the market is alleged to be a word-for-word translation? What a bunch of liars!
Even the name of Russell's corrupt translation, the “New World Translation” is a blatant tool of the New World Order. Freemasons are deceivers and liars. It is tragic and sad that most lower level Freemasons are woefully ignorant of the true agenda of their organization. Beware of the Southern Baptist Convention, whose men compose 37% of the Freemasonry membership in the U.S. It clearly shows their woeful ignorance of THE TRUTH.
Mormonism exists in the exact same occult manner, i.e., an organization within an organization. Less than 10% of all Mormons ever enter into the Mormon temples where the unspeakable takes place. The other ignorant 90% of Mormons tell how wonderful the organization is, ignoring historical evidence proving the nature of the demonic cult.
Charles Taze Russell was an unsaved Modernist, a heretic. The Jehovah Witnesses [JW] religion which Russell founded in 1874, though relatively small (6,000,000 members worldwide) by comparison to Catholicism (1,000,000,000 members worldwide), is a dangerous cult. Even in the remotest parts of the world, you'll find JW's knocking on doors, spreading their religious lies. This wayward demonic cult needs to be exposed, and Russell's New World Translation.
Even more dangerous is the New International Version [NIV] of the Bible, which is the most popular Bible in the United States [1] (having sold over 215,000,000 copies worldwide). The NIV comes from the same corrupt source as the NWT!!! Many people ignorantly obtain the NWT at a thrift store, Salvation Army, or from the cult itself. Copies of the NWT should be torn apart and destroyed. Tear them apart and throw them in the garbage!

Amen

DONT LET THE DEVIL OUTSMART YOU-By Marty O'Rourke

As I developed a program for training Christian leaders in specific ways they can avoid sexual misconduct, I went to the Scriptures and asked, “How does God prevent us from sinning?” What I learned was that one very important source of prevention is that God calls us to consider the consequences of sin.

Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV) tells us:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
The deception is that we can “get away with it,” that we can sow without reaping, and that there will be no consequences. However, we must be aware of this insidious deception that the world, the flesh and the enemy uses to seduce us. (See 2 Cor. 2:11.)

The deception is accomplished by inflaming and magnifying our immediate desires, while minimizing and hiding the reality of the horrendous costs of our actions. Again, the deception is that we can get away with it and that we will be not be caught – but God is not mocked.

A Christian leader who was deceived in this manner and yielded to sexual temptation was later asked, “What could have been done to prevent this?” He answered the question by saying, with haunting pain and precision, "If only I had really known, really thought through, what it would cost me and my family and my Lord, I honestly believe I never would have done it.’”
He had been swept along in a river of selfish passion, never stopping to think of the terrible consequences his actions would cause for those he loved the most.

Also, I urge you to heed this passionate plea that a pastor who had fallen shared with a Christian counselor: “Please tell other pastors that adultery is in no way worth the excruciating pain they will face when it all comes down around them. Scream at them and tell them, ‘Get yourself out of that situation before it’s too late.’”
This pastor, who was seduced by his self-centered “needs” and deceived into ignoring the reality of the agonizing results of sin, now desperately wants a fervent warning to go out to save others from this excruciating pain.
Another way we are deceived is when we presume on God’s mercy and forgiveness. We yield to temptation, presuming that God will forgive us. To be deceived in such a way is very dangerous. There are two significant dangers to keep in mind concerning what I call presumptive forgiveness.

The first danger is that you will not be forgiven because you will not have truly repented. God’s forgiveness is based on true repentance (Acts 26:20). God is not mocked. To truly repent means that you sincerely admit you were wrong in yielding to sin and if you were faced with the same temptation again you would, by the grace of God, choose to turn away.

While counseling a woman who had committed adultery, I was trying to help her work through the steps of repentance. When I explained what true repentance was, she told me frankly that if she had to do it over again, she would make the same choices. She was not truly repentant. This lack of true repentance kept the door open to temptation, and she soon fell back into that adulterous relationship.

Also, remember that even with true repentance and God’s forgiveness, this will not remove the incredible pain many will have suffered, nor such potential consequences as a sexually transmitted disease.

The second danger is that we underestimate what sinning does to harden our spiritual hearts. There are many who willfully do something wrong, such as committing adultery, anticipating that God will forgive them. Again, the deception is that there will be no consequences. The dreadful consequence here is that this attitude will often harden a person’s heart toward God.
There is an old and true saying: “Sin always takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you are willing to pay.”

Some people’s hearts become so hardened in the course of willful disobedience, based on a false understanding of repentance and forgiveness, that their relationship with the Lord is never redeemed. Carefully consider these strong words from Paul’s letter to a church in the midst of a culture filled with lust:

Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10, NIV).
Through Paul, God is warning us not to be deceived into thinking that sin does not have disastrous consequences.
Please take a few moments right now, and invite the Holy Spirit to show you how sexual sin would seriously damage your life.

First, consider how it would affect your relationship with the Lord. Would you want to jeopardize your relationship with Jesus, who loves you more than anyone and gave His life to set you free from sin and death?
Then assume you will be “caught” and ask the Holy Spirit to help you truly understand the damage your sin would do to the cause of Christ. Jesus clearly detested hypocrisy. He called it the “yeast of the Pharisees” and warned His followers not to walk in hypocrisy. Why? Jesus understands that hypocrisy is a barrier that prevents many unbelievers from entering the Kingdom. Would you want to hinder anyone from coming to Jesus?

Again, assume you will be “caught,” and invite the Spirit of God to reveal how yielding to sexual temptation would cause pain and suffering for those you love the most – your wife or husband, your children, your parents, and your friends. If your sin involved another person, consider the tremendous hurt your actions would cause to that person and his or her loved ones.

God’s will for us is to overcome temptation and walk in purity,but we must humble ourselves by submitting to the wisdom that God gives to us. One significant way we can overcome temptation is by pushing aside our selfish feelings and giving serious consideration to how our behavior would hinder our walk with the Lord, damage the cause of Christ, and destroy our families and the lives of others.

...so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (2 Cor. 2:11 NLT)
I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. (Acts 26:20 NLT)

Psalm 62:11 “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.”

Many people don’t understand how we can say ALL power belongs to God yet the devil is displaying all kinds of power to weaken the nations and commit sin and havoc.

Power Belongs GOD

When something belongeth or belongs to you, it is yours. You are the owner until you hand down ownership. Basically, the title bearer of “power” is God. Power, by definition is the force, the strength or ability to do or say something, to change something from its original state of rest.

Stein said “an object remains at rest, until a higher force comes to change it. Both the power that keeps it at rest and the power that changes it all belong to God. There are three kinds of power as we see in the power and just like all fingers are not equal, all “powers” are not equal:

Three Kinds of Powers

1. (Ischuos) : It is the power of strength, might, and forcefulness. Strength could either be a mental power, muscular power,

2. Dynamos (Power of Ability) or capacity: It is the ability or act of being able to do something physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially (G1411). Howbeit, Dynamos is rooted in Strength, miracle, and it is Infinity or of uncertain affinity. Dynamos is power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. This kind of power consist or rests upon armies, forces, hoes. It is power of influence.

3. Exousia – Power of Authority – Luke 10:19 (G1849)JEREMIAH 1:10 “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10 reveals the “power” (force, strength, right or ability) that God has given to us over nations to cause CHANGE. If you must be effective, you must have a right to exercise power over nations.POWER OF ABILITY

-Colossians 1:11 “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power [ABILITY], unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;…”
-2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power [ABILITY] and of love and of a sound mind.”

-Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power [ABILITY] and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”
1 Corinthians 6:14 “And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. [ABILITY]”
1 Cor. 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. [ABILITY]”
Acts 1:8 – (Dynamos) “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Power of Right [Authority]

Colossians 1:16-17 – “ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers [EXOUSIA – AUTHORITY]: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

We never hear the bible say “left hand of power”. Not that God does not have power in His left hand, but this calls for study and attention. There is a reason why it is mentioned and for emphasis, it is important to understand why this is and how we can benefit from His right hand of power.

REDEMPTION & TRANSFER

After Jesus arose from the grave, having conquered the devil, principalities and powers and made an open show of them. He obtained the key to hell and death and declared Matthew 28:18 which says “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.“

This meant that the power that was lost to the devil in Genesis, and as openly declared by the devil in Luke 4:6 was taken back from the devil and given unto man in Christ (From Matt 28:18, to Luke 10:17)

“And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.”

“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Rev. 1:18

The literal translation of Rev 1:18 does not have “he”. It is I AM that liveth and was dead. Jesus declaring Himself as God.

Jesus gave us power of authority or authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all power of the enemy. ALL.

Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

It is further confirmed in Luke 9:1-2 that Jesus has given us power and authority over ALL devils.

Luke 9:1-2 “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.”

POWER OF THE ENEMY?

But the bible also says in Luke 10:19 that the enemy has power, what power is this?

Luke 10:19 describes power of ability to do or power that is by virtue of the nature of the thing. We know from 1 Samuel 2:9 “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”. …no matter how strong a man is, he cannot prevail fighting over evil forces and fallen angels. It is not by power, not by might but by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6).

The above verses confirm that by virtue of the nature of angels (whether in fallen state or in glorified state), man cannot match his strength to theirs. Hence, we need the Spirit of God to have power over evil forces. The power of the enemy spoken of in the bible is power given to the devil, either by God or by the Believer.

For example: After Satan said to God “it is because you have protected him on all sides that he fears you”. God responded in a boast of Job saying “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.” (Job 1:12)

So how exactly does Satan have power, if all power has been given to Jesus Christ?

Gifts and Calling (Romans 11:29, Ezekiel 28:16,18, Ezekiel 28:14, 1 Samuel 4:21,
Power Given to him by God, The power that Satan had to do anything to Job was given to him by God (Job 1:12).
Power ‘stolen’ or used against you via deception. So this is literary you giving him the power that has been given to you to do as he wishes against you – as handed over to him by Adam (Hosea 4:6, Genesis 3:7) – In connection with “My people perish for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6, Genesis 3:7,). What you do not know is where you lose the most power, even via deception.
NO. 1

You might ask, but how come Satan has power to do merchandise, influence in music industry, influence the business world, etc. Well, the bible also says that the gift of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). It is irrevocable.

“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.” Ezekiel 28:14 (Read all of Ezekiel 28).

Hence, we know that “… the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” The gifts and callings that God initially gave cannot be revoked, which means the persons can still operate under that gift and calling but that does not mean that it is God working through them. They may have been anointed at first but the annointing can depart (1 Samuel 4:21) or they may no longer be anointed to do what they were called to do the first time. I believe this is the same case with Satan. The initial gifts and of course experience to make music, how it is done, to conduct merchandising, business skills, etc may still be there but God is not in it anymore. However, God has given us power over ALL power of the enemy. Hence, regardless of what the devil has that falls in the category of 1 is still subject to the authority and power that God has given believers in CHRIST.

This same word is translated “TRAFFIC” in verse 18. It comes from a verb meaning “to go about from one to another for trade or for gossip.” From the same Hebrew verb we get the word “tale-bearer, a trafficker in slander” (Proverbs 11:13 ; 20:19). These verses in Ezekiel imply that the devil used deceitful, slanderous talk against God in order to win an army of sympathizers from among the angels.

NO. 2

Power given to Satan to boast of us. This often is what we call “power by permission”. So the Lord would permit certain things to either strengthen, prove us, make boast of us, bring us to a higher place, help us understand certain things, etc. He must pass through Jesus to get to you – if he must exercise this power.

NO. 3: POWER OBTAINED VIA WILES & DECEPTION

This power that the devil has or uses can be found within the third category because he steals power from the believer or deceives them to work against God and then turns around to use the power against them, keeping them in a place of bondage. For this reason, the bible says. The original owner of this power is the believer, it is power given to the believer that he uses against the believer if you let him or give him permission to do so.

Examples: speaking lies to your mind. You can either accept the lies and do what is being suggested to you, e.g fornication, be depressed, masturbation, etc or you can rebuke him and command him to flee

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. That is, do what God is asking you to do, cast down those vain imaginations, rebuke him and he will flee.
Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
However, this does not apply especially if the believer is working and walking in Christ and know that the devil has no power of him/her. Category 3 can still apply if the believer does not know who they are or chooses to do what the devil tells them to do like in the case of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7)

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

In all of these, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose. To them that love God. Everything will work together for good to them that love God, not to every one.

Romans 8:28 “ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

We must understand then that whatever happens, if we love God, then it is for our good. Hence, we should never be afraid when we experience certain trials or tests of our faith. We should stand, knowing that God has everything in control for our good. Anytime you experience a trial or test or difficult situation, ask yourself, is there a cause for this? In other words…ask God and understand the mind of God as to whether it is a trial, a plan to use the power God has given you against you or it is part of the devils tricks and trickery..

AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE BELIEVER

However the devil comes, you can defeat him by simply doing what the word says.

EXERCISE YOUR AUTHORITY

Examine a case you have experienced, been experiencing, or that you know someone has experienced, is experiencing or has experienced and let God give you understanding.

Was there a cause? Where you supposed to even fight or remain still?
Were you supposed to command to bring the attack to a hault or simply understand what was been revealed?

Where does it fit into and how could you have handled it better or handle it better in the future?

Cribbed

Emusan:
Firstly, I didn't know where to start replying you because of too much heresies in your post.

Secondly, you use the tactics of spamming my mention by bringing up disjointed post which make it impossible to reply unless I begin to copy and paste.



Like I said, you running to Hebrew won't save you...

Show us how your own translation rendered that verse let's see if it directly called man MIGHTY GOD.....if your term of El Giboa is true....

What is the essence of Christ being called MIGHTY GOD if Human on earth are already known to be MIGHTY GOD...

Stop wasting ur breath on these Jw cultists bro, their consciences are seered with a hot rod

Can't u see they Anti-Christs?
They have corrupted the Bible to suit their demonic doctrine. Relax bro.

GNOSTICISM EXPOSED

No one is certain of the origins of Gnosticism. Some believe it was rooted in a heretical group within Judaism. Supporters of this theory cite The Apocalypse of Adam and The Paraphrase of Shem as early Gnostic documents revealing Jewish origins. Others give it a Christian context. An incipient form may have infiltrated the church in Colosse. Or it may have had a totally pagan root. During the second through the fourth centuries, it was addressed as a major threat by such church fathers as Augustine, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen.



Early Sources for Gnostics

Irenaeus’s book Against Heresies provides extensive treatment of what Gnostics believed. Three Coptic Gnostic codices were published. Two were discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. Codex Askewianus contains Pistis Sophia and Codex Brucianus contains The Book of Jeu. Best known as the Nag Hammadi documents is the Gospel of Thomas. The third work from this period, Codex Berolinensis, was found elsewhere and published in 1955. It contains a Gospel of Mary [Magdalene], a Sophia of Jesus, Acts of Peter, and an Apocryphon of John. The first translation of a tractate, The Gospel of Truth, appeared in 1956, and a translation of fifty-one treatises, including Gospel of Thomas, appeared in 1977.


Leaders

The early fathers of the church held that Gnosticism had first-century roots and that Simon the Sorcerer of Samaria (Acts was the first Gnostic. According to church fathers, Simon practiced magic, claimed to be divine, and taught that his companion, a former prostitute, was reincarnated Helen of Troy. Hippolytus (d. 236) attributed the Apophasis Megale to Simon. Simon’s disciple, a former Samaritan named Menander, who taught in Syrian Antioch near the end of the first century, taught that those who believed in him would not die. That claim was nullified when he died.




At the beginning of the second century, Saturninus (Satornilos) asserted that the incorporeal Christ was the redeemer denying that Christ was really incarnated in human flesh. This belief is shared with docetism. In this period Cerinthus of Asia Minor was teaching adoptionism, the heresy that Jesus was merely a man upon whom Christ descended at his baptism. Since Christ could not die, he departed from Jesus before his crucifixion. Basilides of Egypt was called both a dualist by Irenaeus and a Monist by Hippolytus.


Gnostic Inversion of The Truth


Gnostic Gospels Inversion of The TruthOne of the more controversial, though atypical, Gnostics was Marcion of Pontus. He believed that the God of the Old Testament was different from the God of the New Testament and that the canon of Scripture included only a truncated version of Luke and ten of Paul’s Epistles (all but the pastoral Epistles). His views were severely attacked by Tertullian (ca. 160s—ca. 215). Marcion became a stimulus for the early church to officially define the limits of the canon.


Valentinus of Alexandria was another prominent Gnostic. He came to Rome in 140 and taught that there were a series of divine emanations. He divided humanity into three classes: (1) Hylics or unbelievers, who were immersed in material and fleshly nature; (2) psychics or common Christians, who lived by faith and pneumatics; and (3) spiritual Gnostics. His followers included Ptolemaeus, Heracleon, Theodotus, and Marcus. Heracleon’s interpretation of John is the first known New Testament commentary.


Gnostic-like beliefs persisted into the fourth century. Among the late manifestations was Manichaeism, a dualistic cult that trapped Augustine in his pre-Christian life. Against it he wrote many treatises, which are collected in The Anti-Manichaean Writings in the Ante-Nicene Fathers.


Gnostic Teachings

Since Gnosticism lacked a common authority, it encompassed a variety of beliefs. Central to many, if not most, were:

1. a cosmic dualism between spirit and matter, good and evil;

2. a distinction between a finite Old Testament God, Yahweh, who was equated with Plato’s Demiurge or Craftsman, and the transcendent God of the New Testament;

3. view of creation as resulting from the fall of Sophia (Wisdom);

4. identification of matter as evil;

5. belief that most people are ignorant of their origins and condition;

6. identification of sparks of divinity that are encapsulated in certain spiritual individuals;

7. faith in a docetic Redeemer, who was not truly human and did not die on the cross. This Redeemer brought salvation in the form of a secret gnosis or knowledge that was communicated by Christ after his resurrection.



8. a goal of escaping the prison of the body, traversing the planetary spheres of hostile demons, and being reunited with God;

9. a salvation based not on faith or works, but upon special knowledge or gnosis of one’s true condition;

10. a mixed view of morality Carpocrates urged his followers to engage in deliberate promiscuity. Epiphanes, his son, taught that licentiousness was God’s law. Most Gnostics, however, took a strongly ascetic view of sexual intercourse and marriage, contending that the creation of woman was the source of evil and procreation of children simply multiplied the number of persons in bondage to the evil material world. Salvation of women depended on their one day becoming men and returning to the conditions of Eden before Eve was created. Oddly enough, women were prominent in many Gnostic sects.

11. interpretation of baptism and the Lord’s supper as spiritual symbols of the gnosis;

12. view of the resurrection as spiritual, not physical. In the Nag Hammadi codices, De Resurrectione affirms that:

Gnostic View on Death and Resurrection

The Saviour swallowed up death…. For he laid aside the world that perishes. He changed himself into an incorruptible aeon and raised himself up, after he had swallowed up the visible by the invisible, and he gave us the way to immortality…. But if we are made manifest in this world wearing him, we are his beams and we are encompassed by him until our setting, which is our death in this life. We are drawn upward by him like beams by the sun, without being held back by anything. This is the spiritual resurrection which swallows up the psychic together with the fleshly.1

Gnosticism as an organized movement acknowledging its source all but died. The sole surviving remnant is in southwestern Iran. However many Gnostic teachings live on among new agers, existentialists, and Bible critics. The revival of interest in the Gospel of Thomas by the Jesus Seminar is a case in point. There is also a tendency, even among some evangelical scholars, to deny the physical nature of the resurrection. However, Gnosticism lives today in the New Age Movement in an extensive way.

Evaluation

Gnosticism was thoroughly critiqued by the early church fathers, especially Irenaeus, Tertullian, Augustine, and Origen, though Origen bought into some of their views.

Notes

1 M. Malinine, ed and trans., De Resurrection epistula ad Rheginum (Zurich: Rascher, 1963), p. 45

See What are the Gnostic gospels?

The Gnostic gospels are writings by early “Christian” Gnostics. After the first century of Christianity, two primary divisions developed – the orthodox and the Gnostics. The orthodox Christians held to books we now have in the Bible and to what is today considered orthodox theology. The Gnostic Christians, if they can truly be described as Christians, held a distinctly different view of the Bible, of Jesus Christ, of salvation, and of virtually every other major Christian doctrine. However, they did not have any writings by the Apostles to give legitimacy to their beliefs.

That is why and how the Gnostic gospels were created. The Gnostics fraudulently attached the names of famous Christians to their writings, such as the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Philip, the gospel of Mary, etc. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library in northern Egypt in 1945 represented a major discovery of Gnostic gospels. These Gnostic gospels are often pointed to as supposed “lost books of the Bible.”

So, what are we to make of the Gnostic gospels? Should some or all of them be in the Bible? No, they should not. First, as pointed out above, the Gnostic gospels are forgeries, fraudulently written in the names of the Apostles in order to give them a legitimacy in the early church. Thankfully, the early church fathers were nearly unanimous in recognizing the Gnostic gospels as promoting false teachings about virtually every key Christian doctrine. There are countless contradictions between the Gnostic gospels and the true Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Gnostic gospels can be a good source for the study of early Christian heresies, but they should be rejected outright as not belonging in the Bible and not representing the genuine Christian faith.


Cribbed

Fools say in their heart...

The watchtower the Jehovah’s Witness organization would claim that their New World Translation is the best Bible version out there. And it’s the most complete and accurate version of the Bible you can get. Is that really true? Well the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is a creed being that he’s Michael the archangel and not the Almighty God Creator.

Now if you’ve read the Bible. Alarm bells should be going off. Of course to read, for example in John 1:3 “that all things were made through Jesus and without Jesus was not anything made that was made.”Also Colossians 1:16-17, we read, “that for by Jesus, all things are created whether in heaven or on earth.” So why did the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this?

Well part of the reason is that the New World translation has been corrupted by the Watchtower. Just take a look at their 2013 version. We look at Colossians 1:16-17. We see that it reads, “because by means of Him (Jesus) All other things were created in the heavens and on the earth the things visible and the things invisible whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities all other things have been created through Him and for him also he is before all other things and by means of him all other things are made to exist.”


Obviously this is concerning because the word “other” used to be in brackets, in their previous version of 1984. Brackets indicated that the word “other” is not in the original Greek language, of course, which is what we translate the Bible from into the English. The 1984 version has the “other” in brackets indicating that they’re not supposed to be there, but added by the translators.


Now let’s look to the Greek. The Greek states that Jesus created all things. The word “other” is nowhere to be found before after the word “all” in verses 16 through 17. This is an obvious insertion by the Watchtower. In fact, on the JW.org Web site they have three other Bibles this besides New World translation including the King James, ASV, and the Bible in living English. All of these versions state, “that for by Jesus all things are created” not “all other things.” These versions which obviously must be credible since the Jehovah’s Witness organization has it on their website, do not add the word “other” in. It’s important we use a translation of the Bible respected by seminaries, Bible colleges, universities, and and one in which we know who the translators are which is of course the Watchtower were not reveal who translated the New World Translation.


We’d recommend using the ESV, NASB, New King James, King James, or NIV Bible. If you’re part of a Jehovah’s Witness organization I invite you to investigate these claims for yourself. We know that the Watchtower teaches that Jesus is a created being. But the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the Creator of All Things. The Almighty God. So the Watchtower had to insert the word “other” in their 2013 version of the new translation, in order to not contradict themselves. Because of course Jesus can’t be the creator of all things and create himself?


So I invite you to investigate these claims because the Watchtower does not have your best interest in mind or love you like God does. But we can know God through Jesus Christ because God has come down to us the Almighty God through Jesus Christ to save us. So please investigate these claims so you can receive true Biblical salvation. Also make sure to pick up a copy of “Cult Shock” the book Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons don’t want you to read. This will help you evangelize to Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons so they can know who the true God is and receive salvation.

SATAN AND SEX

Resource by John Piper, Retitled without the author's permission for emphasis.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1–7 [center]

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote. It is well for a man not to touch a woman. But because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does. Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control. I say this by way of concession, not of command. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.[/center]

Today we expose another work of Satan, namely, that he uses sexual desire.

The text teaches at least four things.

1. Celibacy Is a Gift to Be Celebrated.
You might even call 1 Corinthians 7 Paul's manifesto for the unmarried life. When he says in verse 1, "It is well for a man not to touch a woman," he means the same thing he does in verse 8: "To the unmarried and the widow I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do." "It is good not to touch a woman," means, "It is good to be single."

Paul was so completely committed to a life of celibacy that he longed for everyone to have it. But the reason he loved the single life is exactly the opposite of why many people today love singleness and will even break up marriages in order to be single again. Today singleness is cherished by many because it brings maximum freedom for self-realization. You pull your own strings. No one cramps your style.
But Paul cherished his singleness because it put him utterly at the disposal of the Lord Jesus. No wife and children had to be taken into account when the mission for Christ was dangerous. No money had to be spent on clothing and educating little Paul junior. No time had to be taken preserving and cultivating his relation to his wife.
Singleness for the Purpose of Slavery to Christ
According to verses 32–35 Paul promoted celibacy because he enjoyed serving Christ with as few distractions as possible, and he wanted that for others as well. The contemporary mood promotes singleness (but not chastity) because it frees from slavery. Paul promotes singleness (and chastity) because it frees for slavery—namely, slavery to Christ.


2. Celibacy Is Not for Everybody
Not everyone is called to celibacy with Paul. Verse 7: "I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another." As much as Paul would like to commend celibacy to everybody, he defers to the wisdom of God who calls some to marriage. Celibacy is not for everybody.


3. Marriage Is a Dam Against the Flood of Fornication and Adultery

Marriage is a dam against the flood of fornication—sexual relations outside marriage. After saying in verse 1 that it's a good calling not to be sexually involved at all (that is, celibacy is good), Paul says in verse 2: "But because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband."
The Clear Prohibition of Premarital Sexual Intercourse

This is a clear prohibition of premarital sexual intercourse. There are evangelicals today who argue that the New Testament word for "immorality" (porneia) refers only to promiscuity but not to premarital sexual intercourse for engaged couples. But this is an example of defining a word with very little sensitivity to the moral and theological context in which it is used.
Paul most definitely had in mind premarital sex between engaged couples when he prohibited immorality in this chapter. Look, for example, at 1 Corinthians 7:36–37. "If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed (the word is literally "virgin", if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed (i.e., to keep her a virgin), he will do well." Which takes us back to the point of verse 1, "It is well not to touch a woman."

Now, let's be honest. Is it not clear what Paul teaches about premarital sex for engaged couples? He teaches that singleness is to be preferred (as we saw earlier), but that if sexual desire is strong . . . what? Go ahead and sleep together since you are committed to each other and have enjoyed every other form of intimacy? No! He says, if the desire is that strong, get married. Premarital sexual intercourse for engaged couples is not a Christian option.

And I recommend an article by a Christian counselor in the Standard for an excellent statement of some of the reasons behind this divine standard of chastity ("The Eroding Effect of Premarital Sex" by P. Roger Hillerstrom).
The same thing is clear from our text here in verse 2. "Because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband." He does not say that getting engaged is the solution to sexual temptation. He does not say that a verbal commitment prior to marriage justifies the act of sexual intercourse. He says, "If your desire for sexual relations with your fiancé is that strong, go ahead, get married." Marriage is God's appointed dam against the flood of fornication in the world. You can't commit fornication after you are married.


A Dam Against Adultery

But you can commit adultery. Which is why Paul goes on to show that marriage is also meant to be a dam against adultery. Verses 3–5: "The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does. Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control."

It is clear from this text that good sexual relations in marriage are intended as a dam against the flood of adultery. Husbands and wives have a duty to offer sexual relations to each other in such a way that the temptation of adultery is significantly weakened.

Three Elements of Sexual Satisfaction in Marriage

Notice carefully how I said that. Husbands and wives have a duty to offer sexual relations to each other in such a way that the temptation to adultery is significantly weakened. The implication of this text is that husbands and wives should satisfy each other sexually, so that their eyes and hearts do not roam after satisfaction elsewhere. There are many elements that make up this satisfaction. Let me mention three.

1. The Frequency of Sexual Intercourse
One Paul mentions in verse 5, namely, the frequency of sexual intercourse. He says that married couples should not abstain very long from sexual relations lest they fall prey to the temptation of adultery. Frequency is one element that makes up the satisfaction of sexual relations.

2. Physical Attraction
Another would be whether a husband and wife are physically attractive to each other. I admit that this is a very sensitive and very complex area. It is sensitive because there are many things about ourselves that we can't change and others that are hard to change. It is complex because the inner union of two people can cause them to see beauty in each other that others can't see.

Nevertheless, if it is true that being physically attractive to each other is part of what makes sexual relations satisfying, then I think this text implies that husbands and wives have a spiritual duty to try to be attractive to each other. None of us can compete with the sex symbols of our day. And we shouldn't try. There are some of us, in fact, who put far too much emphasis on exterior appearances. But surely the biblical way is a balance between a nervous self-consciousness about every wrinkle and pound and gray hair on the one side, and on the other side a thoughtless negligence that gives no attention to the way our partner would like us to dress or eat or bathe or act in public. The exhortation of this Scripture is that we should be sexually satisfying to our spouses, in order to head off the temptation to seek satisfaction elsewhere.

(Let me insert a warning. Don't infer from this that, if your partner does not satisfy you, you have the right to go seek satisfaction elsewhere. Marriage is infinitely more than sex. And a disappointment in that area is not an honorable discharge from the relationship.)

3. The Overall Quality of the Relationship
Besides frequency of sexual relations and attractiveness to each other, satisfaction also depends, in the third place, on the overall quality of the relationship. If there is anger or bitterness or resentment or hurt feelings, we don't usually touch each other, let alone embrace. So this text is also an exhortation to humble ourselves and repent and seek forgiveness and renewal in our marriages.

We do not live in a culture that provides the kind of encouragement and support for life-long marriage commitment that it used to. In fact, the forces around us are constantly suggesting that we are fools to stay in a troubled relationship. The church must therefore double its efforts to create a community where another message and another power is the air we breathe.)

So far then:
Celibacy is a gift to be celebrated.
Celibacy is not for everybody.
Marriage is a dam against the flood of fornication and adultery, because it offers God's way to satisfy sexual desire.


4. Satan Uses Sexual Desire
I do not say Satan creates sexual desire. God created sexual desire. It is not sinful or satanic to feel sexual desire. Satan does not create sexual desire; he uses it—or more accurately, he abuses it.

Strong Desire and Vulnerability to Satan
Verse 5 says, "Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control." When sexual desire rises, Satan shifts his missile carriers into high gear. The rise of sexual desire does not mean victory for Satan, but does mean vulnerability to Satan.

There is a very simple truth at work here: the more strongly we feel sexual desire, the more susceptible we are to being deceived that it is not wrong to satisfy it through fornication or adultery or masturbation. This same truth holds in all the areas of our lives: the stronger our desire for some satisfaction, the more vulnerable we are to being deceived about what is right and wrong in the way we try to satisfy that desire.
That is why, for example, if you and your fiancé wait until you are alone in a car to decide what is right and wrong about fornication, you will almost surely decide in favor. Satan takes the desire and uses its power to make his proposal seem plausible. We had best do our moral reflection when desire is at low ebb, so that when the waves of satanic rationalizations break over our brain at the moment of temptation, we will have an anchor of truth and won't be swept away by the life that seems to feel so good.


Satan's Efforts to Destroy the Pearl of Sexual Desire
Let me say it again. Satan does not create sexual desire. It is good and he never produced anything good. His whole aim is to ruin what God created to be good. There are two ways you can ruin a pearl. You can cut it out of the oyster before it matures or you can feed it to the swine. Satan does his best to cut off sexual desire from the oyster of God's grace and truth. If he can get people to isolate sex from the reality of God, he has virtually destroyed its true meaning and beauty. He also does his best to take the pearl of sexual desire and, instead of putting it in the pendant of marriage, feed it to the swine of fornication and adultery and pornography and incest and child abuse and homosexuality.
But the pearl of sexual desire is meant to grow and come to its full beauty in the grace and truth of God, its maker, and then be taken and placed in the golden pendant of marriage. Or, for those who are called to go the way of celibacy, the pearl of sexual desire is meant to be a kind of atomic ball-bearing in the wheels of human creativity.
Pitirim Sorokin, a professor of sociology at Harvard, and J.D. Udwin did a study in social history which concluded that "the periods of sexual liberty were the poorest from a cultural point of view, whereas those periods when morality and social convention imposed restrictions on sexual activity were the richest in creative output" (Christianity Today, Nov. 23, 1984, p. 29).


But Satan will use anything he can to ruin this pearl of sexual desire by cutting it off from God's grace and truth, or feeding it to the swine of adultery and pornography, or keeping single people from putting its energy to use in a life of creative endeavor for the cause of Christ.


Satan Is Real and Powerful

Please take this very seriously. Satan is not a pushover. He is real and he is powerful. He holds millions firmly in his bondage. And he is seeking more all the time. I heard from one of our people yesterday of a person who turned down a meal on an airline flight, and when asked why, he said that he was fasting and praying to Satan. When asked what he was praying for, he said, the breakdown of ministers' marriages.

If you were a Satan worshiper, and you wanted to know what the goals of your master were so that you would know how to pray, where would you go to learn? You would go to the Bible because the Bible gives a true picture of what Satan is about in the world. And you would learn that, among other things, he is about the destruction of marriages. He is totally committed to adultery, and all the personal problems that lead to it.
Learn from the Scripture this morning. When you battle with sexual temptation, you battle against Satan. Not because he creates the desire, but because he so powerfully and deceptively uses the desire.

Resisting Satan's Lies by Knowing God
But never forget, "The Son of God came into the world to destroy the works of the devil." The meaning of advent is victory for those who know the Son of God. There is a way to resist Satan's attempt to use your sexual desire.
Let me close by directing your attention to a passage in 1 Thessalonians 4, namely, verses 3–5. Here Paul shows the crucial difference between those governed by their passions and those who are governed by a sense of holiness and honor. "This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from immorality; that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God."
The key phrase is "who do not know God." If you ask Paul, What can I do so that I am protected from Satan's power to deceive me into sexual sin? his answer would be, Get to know God. Devote yourself to the knowledge of God. Pursue an ever-expanding vision of God.
He said in Romans 1:28, "Since they did not approve to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct." But if you treasure the knowledge of God and pursue it, the bondage to baseness will be broken.
In Galatians 4:8 Paul said, "Formerly when you did not know God you were in bondage to beings that by nature are no gods." Deliverance from the bondage of Satan and his forces comes through knowing God.
Or as Peter put it in his second letter (1:3, 4): "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence." The better you know the glory and excellency of God, the less power Satan will have over you. You cannot be easily deceived that Satan's way is better when you really know the way of Christ.

The only way to fight the lie of sinful pleasure is with the truth of righteous pleasure. When you come to know God fully—that "in his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures forevermore"—then you will have conquered Satan once for all. He is a liar and has no power over those who know God in truth.

John Piper

The Jehovah Witnesses love to knock on your door and promote their New World Translation (NWT) as the best Bible available to read and study. A few months back I responded to a question concerning the NWT and decided to post my answer.

Dear Steve,
The New World Translation used by Jehovah Witnesses comes from the actual “Dead Sea Scrolls” that were written in Hebrew. It contains exact scriptures (in English) and puts God’s name back in the Bible over 7,000 times where it is supposed to be. That is the only difference in their Bible. Why do the newer versions of the King James Bible leave out God’s name? Psalm 83:18 clearly says his name is Jehovah. Other scriptures are Exodus 6:3, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 26:4, Genesis 22:14, Exodus 17:15, and Judges 6:24. In the newer King James versions, his name is taken completely out. In my opinion to truly know someone it starts with knowing their name. How can you truly know someone if you don’t even know what their name is? Therefore, would you want to use a Bible that leaves God’s name out, or would you want to use one that sanctifies it? The choice is yours.
Angela


Dear Angela,
Thanks for writing and giving your view. I will begin by correcting obvious errors in your comments[b]. First, your translation does not come directly from the “Dead Sea Scrolls.” The primary source material for the Old Testament in the NWT was Kittel’s Biblia Hebracia.[/b] This edition first appeared in 1906.

The New Testament for the NWT was taken from the Westcott and Hort manuscript[b]s. I have a Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures published by your organization and it admits Westcott and Hort were the primary New Testament text utilized. Th[/b]. The problem is not the original New Testament texts; the problem is how the Greek in the NWT was translated into English and how words were added that were never in the original text.
Second, Jehovah is not a Biblical word. It was created by combining the original Hebrew name for God YHWH and adonai (word used by Jews who didn’t want to say God’s name because it was too holy to be pronounced). The resulting combined word, “Jehovah” has been used for the name God by some groups but it is not found in the Bible.

Nowhere do you find the word Jehovah in the original languages, Hebrew or Greek.


Third, forcing the word Jehovah into the New Testament is simply wrong. When your translators did this they went against thousands of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament; some of which date back to the second century. Instead the New Testament uses the words “Lord” [Greek: Kurios] and “God” [Greek: theos] when talking about God.

The writers never used Jehovah, even when quoting the Old Testament. The Greek New Testament source for the New World Translation, Westcott and Hort, never used Jehovah. They used kurios for Lord and theos for God. The Kingdom Interlinear confirms Jehovah was never in the original text.

This interlinear published by the Watchtower Organization shows how kurios (Lord) and theos (God) were changed to Jehovah in the English translation. Stating God’s name was left out of the King James or any other version of the Bible is false. Angela, I suggest finding a Kingdom Interlinear at your hall so you can see for yourself.

When your organization says they removed the name, they are lying to you.


Finally, let me address additional problems with the New World Translation. When it comes to this translation we find it universally rejected by noted scholars in the field of Biblical translations. Dr. Ron Rhodes, who wrote “Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah Witnesses,” stated:
“The New World translation is an incredibly biased translation. Dr. Robert Countess, who wrote a doctoral dissertation on the Greek text of the New World translation, concluded the translation ‘has been sharply unsuccessful in keeping doctrinal considerations from influencing the actual translation…It must be viewed as a radically biased piece of work. At some points it is actually dishonest. At others it is neither modern nor scholarly.’ British scholar H.H. Rowley asserted, ‘from the beginning to end this volume is a shining example of how the Bible should not be translated.’ Indeed, Rowley said, this translation is ‘an insult to the Word of God.’”
Dr. Julius Manti, author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, calls the New World translation “a shocking mistranslation.” Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, professor of New Testament at Princeton University, calls the New World translation “a frightful mistranslation,” “erroneous,” “pernicious,” and “reprehensible.” Dr. William Barclay concluded that “the deliberate distortion of truth by this sect is seen in their New Testament translation. It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest.”


It is highly revealing that the Watchtower Society has always resisted efforts to identify members of the New World Translation committee. The claim was they preferred to remain anonymous and humble, giving God the credit and glory for this translation. However, as former Jehovah witness David Reed notes, “an unbiased observer will quickly note that such anonymity also shields the translators from any blame for errors or distortions in their renderings. And it prevents scholars from checking their credentials.”


The Watchtower Society must have been utterly embarrassed when the names of the translators of the New World translation were made known to the public. The reason for concern was the translation committee was completely unqualified for the task.

Four of the five men in the committee had no Hebrew or Greek training whatsoever (they had only a high school education)[1].

The Fifth, Fred W. Franz, claimed to know Hebrew and Greek, but upon examination under oath in a court of law in Edinburg Scotland he failed a simple Hebrew test.
In court Franz was asked if he knew Hebrew and he said yes. He said he had a command of various languages including Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Spanish, German, and French. When asked if he speaks Hebrew, he said no. He was then asked if he could translate the fourth verse of Genesis into Hebrew. His answer was NO! The fact was Franz, like the others on the committee, did not have the knowledge to translate Hebrew or Greek. The truth is Franz dropped out of the University of Cincinnati after his sophomore year and even while there, he had not studied anything related to theological issues[2].


More could be said about the errors of the New World Translation but I will stop here for now. Angela[b] the New World Translation should be avoided at all costs.
[/b]


[1] Rhodes, Ron, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah Witnesses, Harvest House Publ. , 1993, p. 97
[2] Ibid, p. 97

he New World Translation Translators
The trustworthiness of any Bible translation depends upon the individual translators who worked on the translation. The contributors to the New American Standard Bible[1], the New International Version[2] and the New King James Version [3] are well known and publicized. However, one must search to discover the translators of the NWT. For example, the translators of the New American Standard Bible (NASB) are immediately identified at the front of the Bible, but the translators of the NWT are not listed. All that one discovers from the WTBTS literature is that the NWT was a translation made “by a committee of anointed witnesses of Jehovah.”[4] Why did the WTBTS not publish the names?
Eventually, the list of six translators became known.[5] Frederick W. Franz was the main translator. Raymond Franz, who eventually left the Jehovah’s Witnesses, wrote the following in his book the Crisis of Conscience (1983) about his uncle Fredrick,
Fred Franz, however, was the only one with sufficient knowledge of the Bible languages to attempt translation of this kind. He had studied Greek for two years in the University of Cincinnati but was only self-taught in Hebrew.[6]
It should be noted that Frederick Franz was Raymond Franz’s uncle and one of the WTBTS’ presidents. It is reported that Frederick Franz, the primary translator of the NWT, had only twenty-one hours of formal classical Greek training at the University of Cincinnati[7] and only two hours of Biblical Greek or Koine Greek.[8] This information was provided in Frederick Franz’s 1911 autobiography in which he published his own college transcript.[9] It is important to note that Koine Greek is the language taught in theological seminaries for Biblical studies. The normal study course lasts for two years or four semesters. This means that the primary translator of the NWT was inadequately trained to perform the task of Bible translation.
The other five translators had an elementary acquaintance with the Greek at the most.[10] Together this information makes the translation of the NWT highly suspect. It is a surprise that these men embarked on a translation task as significant as translating the Bible when they had little or no training in the Greek language. So it is not a surprise that Dr. Metzger, the highly regarded New Testament Greek scholar wrote the following,
. . . the Jehovah’s Witnesses have incorporated in their translation of the New Testament several quite erroneous renderings of the Greek.[11]
His comments simply reflect what one should expect when unqualified men attempt a task that they are not equipped to perform. Dr. J R. Mantey, co-author of the highly acclaimed Manual Greek Grammar of the Greek New Testament along with H. E. Dana, has made this comment in response to a question,
I would advise him to get a translation other than the NWT, because ninety-nine percent of the scholars of the world who know Greek and who have helped translate the Bible are in disagreement with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. People who are looking for the truth ought to know what the majority of the scholars really believe. They should not allow themselves to be misled by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.[12]
It should be noted that Dana and Mantey’s Manual Greek Grammar of the Greek New Testament is a standard text used in theological seminaries today. In summary, the translators were not equipped to perform the task and the end product is evidence to that effect. Next, we will look at the Bible that they produced.

The translators of the New World Translation believe that in the original New Testament Greek manuscripts the Hebrew name of God was written in Hebrew letters. They say that the original authors would have read their Hebrew Bibles that used the Hebrew name of God and would have copied that name in Hebrew as they were writing the Greek New Testament. However, then they must explain why none of the 5,000 ancient Greek manuscripts that exist today contain the Hebrew name of God. They explain this by saying that there was false teaching between 70 and 170 years after Jesus lived. They say that this false teaching opposed the use of God's Hebrew name and caused it to be changed to Lord in all of the existing Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. They say that careless and deceitful scribes changed the Bible. There are two great problems with this explanation.


1.There is no manuscript evidence of any kind that indicates that the Hebrew name of God was used in the New Testament. In over 5,000 ancient manuscripts, there is not one indication that the Hebrew letters of God's name were used. There is not even indication that the Hebrew letters were changed to Greek letters. The only word that appears is Lord. By 170 years after Jesus had lived, the Church had spread from Judea to Asia, Europe and Africa. If this change had been made, it would have meant that all of the thousands of manuscripts on three continents had been altered. That is difficult to imagine since we have Greek manuscripts of the New Testament that were written sometime between 70 and 170 years after Jesus lived which do not contain the Hebrew name of God.

In all the writings of the early Christians, there is not a single reference to a false teaching that would have caused this change in the New Testament. This change would have caused great debate among early Christians. After all, many had already suffered much for the Gospel. Why would they say nothing when mere scribes decided to change the Bible after they had suffered for it. Both secular history and the writings of the early Christians would have mentioned the conflict that would have come from such a change.

Hebrew versions
If there are no ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament that contain the Hebrew name of God, how did the translators of the New World Translation justify using the name Jehovah in the New Testament? The translators gathered a large number of Hebrew versions that used the Hebrew name of God as their evidence. In most cases, in verses where these Hebrew versions used the Hebrew name of God, the New World Translation used Jehovah.

A Hebrew version is a New Testament translated from the original Greek for Hebrew-speaking Christians. It is not a New Testament originally written in Hebrew. Hebrew versions were translated from the same Greek texts used for all other New Testament translations. None of these Greek texts contain the Hebrew name of God. Hebrew versions cannot give more information about the original Greek manuscripts than the Greek texts from which they were translated. Nor are Hebrew versions ancient texts. The Hebrew versions cited by the translators of the New World Translation were themselves translated between the years 1385 and 1979. Hebrew versions are not ancient manuscripts that came from the time of the first Church. They are certainly not older than the ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.

The translators of the New World Translation used the Hebrew versions as though they separated the identity of Lord and YHWH as they call Jehovah. Mind you, the Psalmist who gave a hint of how this YHWH was pronounced wrote YAH, so where from jehovah? However, that is not true. When one reads certain of these Hebrew versions, it is apparent that the Hebrew translators did just the opposite and used the Hebrew name of God to show that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. For example, seven of these Hebrew versions used the Hebrew name of God in 1 Peter 3:15.

Had the New World Translation used Jehovah in this verse it would have read, "But sanctify the Christ as Jehovah in your hearts." In another interesting example from a Hebrew version, when the grammatical rules used by the translators are applied, Acts 26:15 reads, "And Jehovah God said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." These Hebrew versions really show that Jesus is Messiah and fully identified with God rather than showing that Jesus and YHWH (Jehovah) are distinctly different.

There is another question that would need to be answered if the original writers of the New Testament had used the Hebrew name of God. We would need to ask how many times (and in what verses) the Hebrew name of God was used. The translators of the New World Translation say that the Hebrew name of God was used 237 times in the New Testament. But when we read the New World Translation, it is obvious that the selection of these 237 verses has more to do with what the verses were saying than with what was written in ancient manuscripts. The verses that were most frequently changed from Lord to Jehovah were those verses that identify a quality that could only be true of God.

Why do Jehovah's Witnesses want Jehovah in the New Testament?
There is a simple reason why Jehovah's Witnesses want a Bible that uses Jehovah rather than Lord in many New Testament verses. Because they believe that Jesus is merely God's first created son, they do not want their Bible to identify Jesus as being equal to the God of the Old Testament. They want a Bible with a New Testament that makes a distinction between Lord and Jehovah. If the New Testament identifies the One on the throne as the "Lord God Almighty" (Revelation 11:17), this would tell us that the Lord Jesus is "God Almighty." Similarly, the Old Testament often makes statements that can only be said of God. If the New Testament quotes an Old Testament verse that uses the Hebrew name of God but applies it to Jesus as Lord, this would tell us that the New Testament writer was identifying Jesus with the God of the Old Testament. This is what Paul did when he quoted Isaiah 45:23, yet applied it to Jesus. Therefore, Jehovah's Witnesses want to change these verses so that Jesus is not identified with God. They want their Bible to read "Jehovah God Almighty" in Revelation 11:17 and many similar verses. They also do not want to apply an Old Testament quotation that uses the Hebrew name of God to Jesus in the New Testament.

Evaluating the New World Translation
We said that a good translation tells us the exact thoughts of the original Bible writers.

The translators of the New World Translation have used the name Jehovah 237 times in the New Testament. There is no New Testament Greek manuscript evidence that shows that the Hebrew name of God was ever used. However, if the Hebrew name of God had been used, then there would need to have been an explanation for its removal. There is no historic record of any debate among the early Christians regarding the removal of the Hebrew name of God from their Scriptures. The translators of the New World Translation mislead their readers. With no Greek manuscript or historical evidence, they changed the word Lord that was written by the inspired New Testament writers to Jehovah in 237 verses.
We also find serious inconsistency in the translators' use of Jehovah in the New Testament.

They say that they will insert Jehovah when an Old Testament verse using the Hebrew name of God is quoted. In almost all cases they follow their rule. However, when 1 Peter 3:15 quotes an Old Testament verse using the Hebrew name of God, it is omitted in the New World Translation because it would identify Jesus as God. When Philippians 2:10-11 gives qualities to Jesus that can only be true of God, they do not acknowledge that the verse is an Old Testament quotation.
The translators are also inconsistent in their use of Hebrew versions. In most instances, when a Hebrew version uses the Hebrew name of God, they insert Jehovah into the New Testament verse. On the other hand, even though seven Hebrew versions use the Hebrew name of God in 1 Peter 3:15, they still do not insert Jehovah as noted above. If the translators had inserted Jehovah in this verse, it would have identified Jesus with Jehovah. Many Hebrew versions have used the Hebrew name of God to identify Jesus with Jehovah. However, the translators of the New World Translation have avoided making that identification in their own translation.
In certain passages, words have actually been inserted to change the meaning of the Bible. When talking about Jesus, Colossians 1:16 says, "For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth." However, the New World Translation says, "By means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth." Because Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was created as the first son of the Father, they have added the word "other" to this verse.

The word "other" has been inserted four times in this chapter so that they can teach that Jesus was created. In verses 16 and 17 the New World Translation says, "All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist."

Sometimes the translators of the New World Translation give the same word from the original Greek language two different meanings so that they do not identify Jesus with Jehovah. Their own Greek New Testament uses a single word to mean "obeisance." When the New World Translation uses this word about the Lord Jesus, they translate it as "obeisance. However, when they translate the same word about Jehovah, they translate it as "worship."

When reading the Jehovah's Witnesses' New World Translation it is obvious that they have published a Bible for the purpose of teaching their own doctrine. They have done this by changing the meaning of the most authentic ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.

The New World Translation has failed the test that says that the best Bible translation will tell us the exact thoughts of the original writers of the Hebrew and Greek portions of the Bible in a way that is easily understood in our own language. The New World Translation does not accurately translate what the New Testament writers said about Jesus.

The Good News
Jesus died for our sins so that we can be completely forgiven. He came back from the dead to give us new life. If you do not know God, Jesus will become your Savior if you believe that His death and resurrection is all that you need to satisfy God. (Read Romans 5:1-21 in your Bible.)

Does it matter who Jesus is? It certainly does. If Jesus is God, then He has the power to give us His perfection and we will someday live with God. Of course, we must learn to be obedient to Him in the lessons He wants to teach us. But we do not need to work to earn Salvation. Salvation is God's free gift to us when we have faith in Jesus' death and resurrection. The Bible says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Because their Bible has been changed, Jehovah's Witnesses do not know that Salvation is God's free gift. Since they do not believe that Jesus can give them His perfection as God, they think that they must do good works in order to earn Salvation. They hope that if they do enough, they will live forever in God's Kingdom.
Yes, it does matter whether Jesus was just a perfect man, or if He is really God. Read your Bible to learn what it says about Jesus and why your Salvation depends only on Him.

The New World Translation (NWT) is defined by the Jehovah's Witnesses’ parent organization (the Watchtower Society) as "a translation of the Holy Scriptures made directly from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into modern-day English by a committee of anointed witnesses of Jehovah." The NWT is the anonymous work of the “New World Bible Translation Committee.” Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that the anonymity is in place so that the credit for the work will go to God. Of course, this has the added benefit of keeping the translators from any accountability for their errors and prevents real scholars from checking their academic credentials.


The New World Translation is unique in one thing – it is the first intentional, systematic effort at producing a complete version of the Bible that is edited and revised for the specific purpose of agreeing with a group's doctrine. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Society realized that their beliefs contradicted Scripture. So, rather than conforming their beliefs to Scripture, they altered Scripture to agree with their beliefs. The “New World Bible Translation Committee” went through the Bible and changed any Scripture that did not agree with Jehovah’s Witness theology. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that, as new editions of the New World Translation were published, additional changes were made to the biblical text. As biblical Christians continued to point out Scriptures that clearly argue for the deity of Christ (for example), the Watchtower Society would publish new editions of the New World Translation with those Scriptures changed. Here are some of the more prominent examples of intentional revisions:

The New World Translation renders the Greek term word staurós ("cross" as "torture stake" because Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that Jesus was crucified on a cross. The New World Translation does not translate the words sheol, hades, gehenna, and tartarus as "hell” because Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in hell. The NWT gives the translation "presence" instead of “coming” for the Greek word parousia because Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Christ has already returned in the early 1900s. In Colossians 1:16, the NWT inserts the word “other” despite its being completely absent from the original Greek text. It does this to give the view that “all other things” were created by Christ, instead of what the text says, “all things were created by Christ.” This is to go along with their belief that Christ is a created being.

The most well-known of all the New World Translation perversions is John 1:1. The original Greek text reads, “the Word was God.” The NWT renders it as “the word was a god.” This is not a matter of correct translation, but of reading one's preconceived theology into the text, rather than allowing the text to speak for itself. There is no indefinite article in Greek (in English, "a" or "an", so any use of an indefinite article in English must be added by the translator. This is grammatically acceptable, so long as it does not change the meaning of the text.

There is a good reason why theos has no definite article in John 1:1 and why the New World Translation rendering is in error. There are three general rules we need to understand to see why.

1. In Greek, word order does not determine word usage like it does in English. In English, a sentence is structured according to word order: Subject - Verb - Object. Thus, "Harry called the dog" is not equivalent to "the dog called Harry." But in Greek, a word's function is determined by the case ending found attached to the word's root. There are two case endings for the root theo: one is -s (theos), the other is -n (theon). The -s ending normally identifies a noun as being the subject of a sentence, while the -n ending normally identifies a noun as the direct object.

2. When a noun functions as a predicate nominative (in English, a noun that follows a being verb such as "is", its case ending must match the noun's case that it renames, so that the reader will know which noun it is defining. Therefore, theo must take the -s ending because it is renaming logos. Therefore, John 1:1 transliterates to "kai theos en ho logos." Is theos the subject, or is logos? Both have the -s ending. The answer is found in the next rule.

3. In cases where two nouns appear, and both take the same case ending, the author will often add the definite article to the word that is the subject in order to avoid confusion. John put the definite article on logos (“the Word”) instead of on theos. So, logos is the subject, and theos is the predicate nominative. In English, this results in John 1:1 being read as "and the Word was God" (instead of "and God was the word".

The most revealing evidence of the Watchtower's bias is their inconsistent translation technique. Throughout the Gospel of John, the Greek word theon occurs without a definite article. The New World Translation renders none of these as “a god.” Even more inconsistent, in John 1:18, the NWT translates the same term as both "God" and "god" in the very same sentence.

The Watchtower, therefore, has no hard textual grounds for their translation—only their own theological bias. While New World Translation defenders might succeed in showing that John 1:1 can be translated as they have done, they cannot show that it is the proper translation. Nor can they explain the fact that that the NWT does not translate the same Greek phrases elsewhere in the Gospel of John the same way. It is only the pre-conceived heretical rejection of the deity of Christ that forces the Watchtower Society to inconsistently translate the Greek text, thus allowing their error to gain some semblance of legitimacy in the minds of those ignorant of the facts.

It is only the Watchtower's pre-conceived heretical beliefs that are behind the dishonest and inconsistent translation that is the New World Translation. The New World Translation is most definitely not a valid version of God’s Word. The NWT intentionally changes the rendering of the text to conform to Jehovah’s Witness theology. The New World Translation is a perversion, not a version, of the Bible.

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Great piece! God bless you.

OnPointMan:
Someone has provided a chapter from the book of revelation Rev 3:12 which shows Jesus still has a God even in heaven.

My brother, there's difference between a mighty God and the Almighty God.

◄ Isaiah 45:5 ►


I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. [/b]I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,

Lol, the Jw cultists will still say God was lying here

To JWs they have two Gods, a mighty God (Angel Michael) and Almighty God (Jehovah)

Contrary to scriptures, even demons believe there is one God. Always learning but never coming to terms with the truth because their conscience have been seered with a hot rod
[b]
Jesus Christ is God Almighty (The devils are pained in the heart by this truth)

Janosky:
Psalm 18 American Standard Version (ASV)
Jehovah praised for giving victory and dominion.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah, [a]who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: and he said,
18 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised:
So shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The cords of death compassed me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5 The cords of Sheol were round about me;
The snares of death came upon me.
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah,
And cried unto my God:
He heard my voice out of his temple,
And my cry before him came into his ears."
31.
For who is God, save Jehovah?
[b]And who is a rock, besides our God"

@Gbagbo LIAR, Psalms 18 and 1Cor10:4 are saying different things,no connection.
Except you're LYING that David was among the Israelites in Numbers 20:11.....

In Numbers chapter 20, YHWH is NOT a mere piece of Rock., rather that YHWH presence was with His people...
In 1Cor10:4, Jesus was proof of Jehovah's presence to save mankind (1John 4:14).
Crooked Gbagbo Pharisee.....

1 Corinthians 10:4
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

◄ Colossians 2:17 ►
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

OnPointMan:
Lol. And, who is disputting the lordship of Jesus?

Oh so you believe Jesus is Lord?.

Psalm 18:31

For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?



1 Corinthians 10:4
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

By the way, kindly answer precious girls 20 questions above, thank you.

Maximus69:
The two bolded are the problems you ought to solve before you can fully understand what Jesus meant by that statement @ John 8:24

¤First of all what is SIN?

This is the intentional or unintended blunders committed by humans, though humans won't realise it until it starts to manifest in the society bearing grave consequences! Therefore SIN can't be easily directed without the intervention of the Supreme intelligent being God! No wonder Jesus himself said "i do nothing out of my own initiative but just as the father taught me i speak" {John 8:28} because if he is not following divine guidance 24/7 it's surely possible for him as well to fall into a sinful act! Matthew 6:13
So if you're a SINNER, it takes a humble spirit and great calmness on your part to realize and admit it, otherwise you'll continue to argue insisting on what you first heard/taught even when all evidences are obvious indications that you've been misinformed! John 7:40-52

¤Jesus is the promised Messiah that God promised to send into the world, but there were lots and lots of misconceptions going on amongst the Jews regarding what manner of person this divinely ordained celestial being will prove to be when he finally arrive in their midst!
Moreover self ambitious Jewish zealots have come before Jesus claiming they're the Messiah {Act 5: 36-37 Compared to John 10:7-8} Jesus is the only person who had all the criteria to prove that he is the Messiah, if only these people are very observant of all the signs and activities surrounding him! Matthew 16: 13-17
So Jesus simply means he needed not to tell them that he is the Messiah if these people are truthfully examining the scriptures as forewarned in the Bible before his arrival! Psalm 1:1-3

The problem those claiming Christians today are having is exactly the same that the first century Jew who rejected Jesus had back then! Most people thought they understand what the Bible teaches but from all indications the Churches have been misleading all of them!
How?
If truthfully all those claiming Christians are believers in Christ, Jesus himself foretold what should be the result of his teachings amongst those who truly believe in him:
¤They will have love amongst themselves! John 13:34-35
¤They will be noticed by all people as having unique faith that's totally different from all other religions! Matthew 5:14-16
¤They will not carry weapons for any reason whatsoever! Matthew 10:16, 26:52 compared to Isaiah 2:3-4
¤They will be like one body spiritually speaking so that distance, racism or politics can't divide them! John 17:20-23
¤They will be known as PEACEFUL/EASYGOING evangelizers in all the nations they may be found! Matthew 10:3-15, 28:19-20
¤Then there will be no nation under the heavens that people in general won't mock, vilify or even dispises the true Christians as a Group! Matthew 10:22, John 17:14-16

So if the Church i'm associating with aren't having all of these as their logo, then i've been misinformed to think that i'm a Christian, when there is no evidence to back up my claim! Matthew 7:21-23 compared to Romans 10:2-3

God bless you!

You will die in your sins if you don't believe I AM HE

OnPointMan:
Lol. And, who is disputting the lordship of Jesus?

Jw cultist spotted

Your jehovah isnt even in the scriptures

OnPointMan:
Many people say today that God begotten son(Jesus) is God Almighty, they argue that the Father and Son are one.

But the Bible made us know that David was God begotten son too. Does this also make David God Almighty?

If not, why not?

Cc jesusjnr, badaatum, enthronedbygod, bingbagbo, mrpresident1, vybzkartel, buytruth

1 Corinthians 12:3

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Thanks

You hit the nail right on the Head bro

Stay blessed

Because the KJV translation endorses and affirms the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jw is anti-Jesus Christ

Collosians 3:17 charges all believers to do all things in the name of Jesus, yet they say NO, they will do all things in the name of Jehovah.

Believers must expose cults such as the jw

Jesus Christ is Lord of all

Yet, the cults keep deceiving you that Satan is not the devil and Lucifer

Don't be sursurprised, for even the devil appears as an angel of light

*IS MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD HEALTHY?*

Here’s a letter we received.

“Hello, Pastor John. My name is Mara, and I am only a kid, but I know my faith matters even at my age. I know that I have a relationship with God and that I can talk to him or rely on him, but sometimes it's hard to tell. What I’m really asking is thi[b]s: is there some way for me to know how good of a relationship I have with God?[/b] I haven’t had any really hard times that made me question my faith. I know my time will come when that will happen, but is there a way for me to know if I’m on the right track? Thank you.”



Mara, you have a very, very good question. And it isn’t any different for an adult, by the way. Your question for a child is the same question lots of adults have, including me from time to time. Is there some way for me and you to know how good our relationship with God is?

The reason it is a good question is that the Bible itself asks the question. [b]“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). [/b]So, you are absolutely right to raise the question: Are there tests? Is there a way that I can think that would help me know if my relationship with God is a good one? So here are the things that I want to point you to.

The Grace of God Saves Us

1) You are saved, Mara, that is, you are forgiven for all the bad things you have done and will ever do and you are accepted by God as his child, you are given eternal life by faith in Jesus, not by doing good things or being a good girl. That is so crucial. Being good is like fruit on a tree, but the tree is faith in Jesus. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is trusting Jesus and believing in Jesus and receiving and embracing Jesus alone that gets us into a right relationship with God. Or Ephesians 2:8 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

“Jesus died for sinners. God declares the ungodly to be righteous. So, don’t think you can become good first.”





So, Mara, don’t ever start counting your good deeds to see if you have enough of them to make God accept you. That is not the way he accepts you. That is what the devil wants you to do is relate to God like that. Jesus died for sinners. God declares the ungodly to be righteous. So, don’t think you can become good first. No. We are saved from sin through faith, not by being good. Then the Holy Spirit helps us love what is good and hate sin so that we can start to change. That is the first and most important thing I wanted to stay.

The Fight Against Our Sin

2) We still sin after we are saved. Paul said that in Romans 7. Jesus taught us to ask for forgiveness daily (Matthew 6:12). John said we are liars if we say we have no sin (1 John 1:10). So, we are saved and the Holy Spirit is inside of us and he overcomes our old habits gradually to keep us humble. If you were to ask me: Pastor John, why does God take so long to make me good? And I am 68 years old and still asking that question. Why does he take so long to make me good? And my answer is: I think he keeps us humble and he keeps us broken and he keeps us desperate for himself and desperate for grace so that we don’t get our pride up.

In fact, here is something amazing from 1 John 1:6–7. It says, if we say we have no sin we are not walking in the light. But if we are walking in the light, we confess our sins. Now that is amazing, because it says: Therefore, walking in the light — that means having a good relationship with God — includes confessing sin, which can’t mean that walking in the light means sinlessness. It doesn’t. So, one way to know you are in a good relationship with God is not that you don’t ever sin, but that you recognize your sin, because light is shining in your heart and you confess it and you say you are sorry to God for it and you ask Jesus to cover it with his blood. That is the second thing. We Christians must learn to deal with the fact that we continue to sin.

The Confidence We Can Have

“God wants you to be confident that you belong to him.”





3) God wants you to be confident that you belong to him. He doesn’t want you, Mara, to worry about your relationship with him. First John 5:13says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” He wants you to enjoy confidence, joy, and assurance, he wants you to be sure that you are okay with God so that, when you go to bed at night, you don’t have to be afraid of anything. You can have a real peaceful night of sleep and, even if you die in the middle of the night, you would be okay. You would be safe with Jesus.

The Ways We Can Know We’re Saved

4) This is the big one that you asked about, I think. The Bible does help us test ourselves to see if our relationship is good. And here are just a couple of those tests. “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). So, if your heart says, “Jesus, you are my Lord. You are my master. You are my God. I want to know your will,” that is the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Here is another one: “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15–16). Which means, when your heart rises up from deep down and says, “God, you are my Father. I am your child. I need a Father. I am a little child, utterly dependent on you,” when your heart is talking like that, that is the witness of the Holy Spirit in you.

Here is another one: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers” (1 John 3:14). One of the effects of being loved by Jesus when he died for us and gave himself for us is that we start loving people like that, especially other Christians. So, if you find yourself loving other Christians, being glad that people are saved, and wanting to know them and be around them, that is a sign that you have been made into the family of God as well.

“One of the effects of being loved by Jesus when he died for us and gave himself for us is that we start loving people.”





Here is another one: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning” (1 John 3:9). Now, we already read in 1 John:10 that you are a liar if you say you have no sin. So, that verse doesn’t mean you never sin. What it means is there is not a pattern of behavior where you say, “I love my sin. I am going to keep my sin. I don’t care what God says. I am going to keep on doing this. It doesn’t matter to me what effect it has.” If you settle in with sin, if you make friends with sin, and if you keep on pursuing sin like that, you won’t ever have a right relationship with God and you might not ever be sure you are saved.

And here is a last one, just another test: “Whoever knows God listens to us” (1 John 4:6). “Us” there is the writers of the Bible, the apostles. And Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27). So, one of the signs that you have a good relationship with God is that you love your Bible. You love to learn things about God. You love to know more about God.

The Path to Greater Growth

So, those are five tests, Mara, that show how you can be more sure that you have a good relationship with God. But there is one strong piece of advice that I have. Don’t spend most of your time testing yourself. Don’t do that. That will turn out to be a problem, because you know what will happen? You will be thinking way too much about yourself. Instead, just use the tests, every now and then, but spend most of your time thinking about Jesus and thinking about his Word and all that he has done and all his promises. In other words, the best thing to do to have assurance and confidence that your relationship is good is to forget about yourself. That is just wonderful when you can know Jesus so well and spend so much time getting to know him and delight in the things that he shows you about himself from the Bible that you don’t even think about yourself.

“The best thing to do to have assurance and confidence that your relationship is good is to forget about yourself.”





And just a couple of more thoughts. God keeps you from unbelief, Mara. God holds you in his hand. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). So, be confident. God will keep you. God will make your relationship good.

And the last thing I would say is: Don’t worry today if you will have a good enough relationship tomorrow. Each day has its own tests and each day has its own mercies for those tests. That is what Lamenta-tions 3:22 says: God’s mercies are new every morning and his faithfulness is very great. God will give you all you need tomorrow. So thank you, Mara, for this question. I pray God will make you a strong and fruitful young woman.

*Cribbed*