Any questions about the Jehovah's witness faith?

[URAVIP2ME]

How important is the WatchTower magazine in relation to the bible?..............)

The Watch Tower magazine does honor and respect Jehovah God (YHWH) as Creator and Ruler of the Universe.
It's purpose is to comfort people with the good news that God's heavenly kingdom government through Christ will end all wickedness on Earth.
Earth will then be transformed into a beautiful paradisical Earth as described in the 35th chapter of Isaiah.
The WT teaches that it is Jesus who died for us so that we might gain 'everlasting life' through the one who is ruling over God's Kingdom, namely Christ Jesus.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Why did Jesus say this:
But he answered and said,
I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15:22-24‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Joy

At the ^ above ^ time Christianity was still at its start or beginning.
First, John the Baptizer
Second, Jesus, then the apostles - Luke 4:43; Luke 8:1
Next, we find only some accepted Jesus as Messiah - Romans 9:27; Romans 11:7
In other words, the Jews ' were to be the first ' to hear about the good news of Matthew 24:14; Daniel 2:44
This is why Jesus gave the instructions found at Matthew 10:5-6 to go to the house of Israel.
Because of God's promise to father Abraham the Jews would hear first - Romans 15:8.
After the house of Israel then next the good news would be taken to the: Samaritans.
After that, then the good news about God's kingdom preached to the gentile people of the nations starting with Cornelius - Acts of the Apostles 10:1-35

 

[danieldemol]

Great question sir for sure. We teach that it was a flood of Roman Legionnaires and not a literal flood of water. Although confusing right after that part it shows that war will continue to it's end. As you stated it was completely devastated by the Roman armies, and not flooded by water. So the Bible is either in error, or it stood for something else.

Doesn't arbitrarily interpreting parts of the prophecy as symbolic make it more like the prophecies of nostradamus where people rationalise it post hoc to make the prophecy fit reality?

 

[capumetu]

Over the Bible or equal to?

No maam, the Bible is the only book on earth inspired by Jehovah through the holy spirit. It is the book we base our faith on.

 

[WalterTrull]

Could you explain briefly was a JW is?

 

[Love God]

At the ^ above ^ time Christianity was still at its start or beginning.
First, John the Baptizer
Second, Jesus, then the apostles - Luke 4:43; Luke 8:1
Next, we find only some accepted Jesus as Messiah - Romans 9:27; Romans 11:7
In other words, the Jews ' were to be the first ' to hear about the good news of Matthew 24:14; Daniel 2:44
This is why Jesus gave the instructions found at Matthew 10:5-6 to go to the house of Israel.
Because of God's promise to father Abraham the Jews would hear first - Romans 15:8.
After the house of Israel then next the good news would be taken to the: Samaritans.
After that, then the good news about God's kingdom preached to the gentile people of the nations starting with Cornelius - Acts of the Apostles 10:1-35

So. Where are all those Christians in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John?
Seems to me Jesus was a Jew walking among his fellow Jewish brethren. Living the Jewish law, perfectly.
Not a ‘Christian’ to be found anywhere...just Jews.
No self-respecting Jew would call himself Christian. And if a self-respecting Jew did call himself Christian, that poor redeemed fellow is usually deemed dead, or worthy of death, to his brethren.

In God’s word, the word Christian(s) appears three times.
Christian, twice.
Acts 26:28. 1Peter 4:16
Christians, once.
Acts 11:26

What is the definition of Christian for a JW?

Joy



“Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

By which also ye are saved,

if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:1-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

 

[Love God]

I have responded on a thread entitled "PureX Answers Some Questions".

I don't want to derail this thread.

Okay.
Thanks.
Not sure how to find it. But I can search it out..
And get ‘around tuit’ in the near future.

Joy


“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

 

[Unveiled Artist]

No maam, the Bible is the only book on earth inspired by Jehovah through the holy spirit. It is the book we base our faith on.

It would make sense to only use the bible to determine everything. WT just as Catholic Catechism, and other books that explain the bible isn't the bible itself from a sola scriptural perspective. Assuming that JW would be sola scripturans? @URAVIP2ME

 

[PureX]

Okay.
Thanks.
Not sure how to find it. But I can search it out..
And get ‘around tuit’ in the near future.‬‬

Link is here

 

[Deeje]

Could you explain briefly was a JW is?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are a global brotherhood of Christians who have departed from false religion in all its forms. We come from all nations and educational backgrounds and those of us raised in various religions have left the faith we were born into to take up the torture stake of Christ and to uphold his teachings in the most direct way...by obeying all that he taught, not just the easy parts.

This, Jesus said, would result in disapproval from the world in the same way that he and his disciples experienced disapproval from the Jewish sector in his day. (John 15:18-21) We are ostracised by Christendom for daring to expose their pagan adoptions and to shun their long held beliefs and practices.

We have gone back to the very beginning of the Christian Faith and rooted out all that Christ never taught.

The prophet Daniel foretold that at this “time of the end” God would “cleanse, whiten and refine” a people (Daniel 12: 9-10) because the world is under the control of the devil (1 John 5:19) and we need to differentiate between something that satan introduced, and what Christ actually taught.
Daniel said that the wicked would not understand a thing and would therefore not change their ways, but would remain in their spiritually “unclean” state. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Christ’s disciples were sent out into the world to preach “the good news of God’s kingdom” in every nation on earth. JW’s see that as their commission stated by Jesus in Matthew 24:14. We are renown for this work when Christendom makes excuses for why they can’t carry it out. Jesus said he would back it, and we believe that he has. (Matthew 28:19-20)

 

[Deeje]

Seems to me Jesus was a Jew walking among his fellow Jewish brethren. Living the Jewish law, perfectly.

Yes he was....he was sent only to the Jews and he was Jewish for his whole earthly life, under law and preaching his message to an incorrigible, apostate nation....but not to the Pharisees....only to the “lost sheep” whom they had neglected. He found his disciples among those whom the shepherds drove out by their condemnation and rigid adherence to their interpretation of the Law. (Talmud)

Not a ‘Christian’ to be found anywhere...just Jews.
No self-respecting Jew would call himself Christian. And if a self-respecting Jew did call himself Christian, that poor redeemed fellow is usually deemed dead, or worthy of death, to his brethren.

Yes, that is why it took courage to follow Jesus who was viewed as an apostate to Judaism. It required God to open spiritual eyes to see the truth that was right in front of their noses. We today are in a similar position, as we see first century Judaism and Christendom to be mirror images of one another. We too have to separate from another apostate religious system. (Revelation 18:4-5)

In God’s word, the word Christian(s) appears three times.
Christian, twice.
Acts 26:28. 1Peter 4:16
Christians, once.
Acts 11:26

What is the definition of Christian for a JW?

Christianity had to separate from Judaism because Christ’s teachings would not allow them to remain in a spiritually unclean condition, and the Jewish hatred of them soon forced the issue. Jesus’ denunciation of the Jewish leaders in Matthew 23 left his disciples in no doubt about how he and his Father felt about those leaders, and what his disciples needed to do.

Initially they were simply called “The Way” because it was a different path and a way out of that apostate religious system. (Hebrews 8:7-13)

We see Christianity as becoming footstep followers of Christ in every way possible. We adhere to his teachings and shun the beliefs and practices of Christendom because we have been called out of that travesty. She is part of “Babylon the great” which we believe is the devil’s world empire of false religion. We are commanded to “get out” of there before God destroys it. (Revelation 18:4-5)

 

[URAVIP2ME]

So. Where are all those Christians in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John?
Seems to me Jesus was a Jew walking among his fellow Jewish brethren. Living the Jewish law, perfectly.
Not a ‘Christian’ to be found anywhere...just Jews.
No self-respecting Jew would call himself Christian. And if a self-respecting Jew did call himself Christian, that poor redeemed fellow is usually deemed dead, or worthy of death, to his brethren.
In God’s word, the word Christian(s) appears three times.
Christian, twice.
Acts 26:28. 1Peter 4:16
Christians, once.
Acts 11:26
What is the definition of Christian for a JW?
Joy
“Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved,
if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:1-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Except for converts, Jesus and his followers were Jewish.
The Jews were given the first choice to join with Jesus.
Then, the way was opened up for the Samaritan people.
Thirdly, the was was opened up for the gentile people of the Nations starting with Cornelius as per Acts of the Apostles 10th chapter.
Christianity started at: Pentecost , as per Acts of the Apostles 2nd chapter.

Cute definition = J.O.Y.
J.ehovah, O.thers, Y.ourself, <-exactly as Jesus taught -> John 4:23-24; John 13:34-35

Yes, Jesus was Not resurrected on the day he died, but his God resurrected Jesus on the third day - Acts of the Apostles 13:30,37; 2:24,32; 3:15

 

[URAVIP2ME]

It would make sense to only use the bible to determine everything. WT just as Catholic Catechism, and other books that explain the bible isn't the bible itself from a sola scriptural perspective. Assuming that JW would be sola scripturans? @URAVIP2ME

Make sense just as Jesus used already existing Scripture ( the old Hebrew Scriptures ) on which to base his teachings.
Often Jesus prefaced his statements with the words, " it is written...." thus referring back to the OT.
So, Jesus was using logical reasoning on the OT explaining and expounding them to us - Mark 4:34

Because of the Bible's harmonious cross-reference or parallel verses and passages between the OT and the NT we can research or study the Bible by topic or subject arrangement. A comprehensive concordance can help put the Bible in alphabetical order for us by subject or topic.

 

[Oeste]

Just before the last war in Iraq, the world's best psychics got together on the internet with dire predictions of these end times (that we now live with). Their warnings not to attack Iraq went unheeded. Fear and deception (generated by Satan) drowned out the divinely inspired words of God.

Does your religion predict the same?

The JW's don't participate in politics and believe their Governing Board is earth's sole "channel of communication" with God. At times this may involve communication with the dead:

And another angel.—Not the ”voice of the Lord,” mentioned in the preceding chapter, but the corporate body—the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, which Pastor Russel formed to finish his work. This verse shows that, though Pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every feature of the Harvest work. “The WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY is the greatest corporation in the world, because from the time of its organization until now the Lord has used it as His channel through which to make known the Glad Tidings.” (Studies in the Scriptures Vol 7. The Finished Mystery page 144)
____________________________________________

It is fitting, then, that one of the 24 elders, representing anointed ones already in heaven, should stir John’s thinking by raising a pertinent question… Yes, that elder could locate the answer and give it to John. This suggests that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communication of divine truth today. For their part, those of the John class on earth got to learn the identity of the great crowd by closely observing what Jehovah was performing in their midst. They were quick to appreciate the dazzling flash of divine light that emblazoned the theocratic firmament in1935, at Jehovah’s due time. (Revelation Its Grand Climax at Hand! Revision, Page 125
____________________________________________

The identity of that great crowd is revealed to John by one of the 24 elders, and these elders represent the 144,000 joint heirs with Christ in their heavenly glory. * (Luke 22:28-30; Revelation 4:4) John himself had a heavenly hope; but since he was still a man on earth when the elder spoke to him, in the vision John must represent anointed ones on earth who have not yet received their heavenly reward.

What, then, can we deduce from the fact that one of the 24 elders identifies the great crowd to John? It seems that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today. Why is that important? Because the correct identity of the great crowd was revealed to God’s anointed servants on earth in 1935. If one of the 24 elders was used to convey that important truth, he would have had to be resurrected to heaven by 1935 at the latest. That would indicate that the first resurrection began sometime between 1914 and 1935. (The Watchtower 1/1/07 pg.28)

​

I don't recall them predicting the Iraq war in particular but they do declare we are in the "end times"... a time that the bible state will be racked by lots of wars in general. Also, you won't find the WT labeling the Governing Board as psychics, but the GB meets regularly to "channel" divine truths which will appear in Watchtower publications at the "proper time".

In the past anyone of Revelation's 144,000 "anointed ones" had the ability to receive divine truths, but recently the Governing Board issued a proclamation that only they could receive and communicate these truths as they were solely responsible for feeding the Christian congregation "nourishing food at the proper time." The Governing Board currently consists of eight male members.

Lastly, any message this earthly "channel of communication" receives can sometimes appear as a "dazzling light" or be vague and/or unclear, so that "truths" published in the WT today or in the past may need further refinements or clarification later (Watchtower publications do not differentiate between dazzling or vaguely received "truths" at the time of publication). Nor do they consider this channeling "necromancy" as they believe their channel is the only channel authorized and sanctioned by Jehovah. As such, this leaves out psychics and anyone else from participating.

I am not a JW but I studied and conversed with them, have relatives and friends who are JW's, and have, in the past, attended their meetings. The ability of the GB to possibly communicate with the dead was, is and remains a "current truth" at JW.org (see paragraph 11).

 

[Neuropteron]

Something that bothers me about JW, though, is witnessing or (as I read) pioneering. For you personally, how do you draw the line (or do you) telling one stranger about Jehovah and not other?

Many JW said they don't push their beliefs on others, but it's more so the intentions of convert not whether the other says yes or no. I read about the practice but not quite sure if JW see the immorality of it outside their own intentions overriding others.

Hi,
JW talk to others about their belief because Christ commanded all of his followers to preach the Gospel.

Although many feel that it is innapropriate to talk about religion to strangers it cannot be denied that it is a primordial requisite of a Christian to follow Christ' instruction on this matter regardless of its popularity.

Perhaps more to the point, we could ask, can we really claim to be Christian if we don't follow this command?

Nonetheless their belief, as you say, should never be pushed on those that do not want to hear it.

 

[Neuropteron]

The JW's don't participate in politics and believe their Governing Board is earth's sole "channel of communication" with God. At times this may involve communication with the dead:

What, then, can we deduce from the fact that one of the 24 elders identifies the great crowd to John? It seems that resurrected ones of the 24-elders group may be involved in the communicating of divine truths today. Why is that important? Because the correct identity of the great crowd was revealed to God’s anointed servants on earth in 1935. If one of the 24 elders was used to convey that important truth, he would have had to be resurrected to heaven by 1935 at the latest. That would indicate that the first resurrection began sometime between 1914 and 1935. (The Watchtower 1/1/07 pg.28)

I am not a JW but I studied and conversed with them, have relatives and friends who are JW's, and have, in the past, attended their meetings. The ability of the GB to possibly communicate with the dead was, is and remains a "current truth" at JW.org (see paragraph 11).

Hi,
I could not find any statement claiming that the GB was communicating with the dead (or anyone else in heaven) in the W magazine w20070101/The-First-Resurrection-Now-Under-Way.
Maybe you can kindly extrapolate the sentence you are referring to.

Nonetheless, claims to be communicating witht the ressurected "anointed ones" could not be defined as "communicated with the dead" since these ones are said to be "alive" in heavens, not dead at all.

Furthermore the article clearly states that the “... the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.”—Ecclesiastes 9:5. Thus no communication is possible with an unconscious or non-existing one.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hi,
JW talk to others about their belief because Christ commanded all of his followers to preach the Gospel.

Although many feel that it is innapropriate to talk about religion to strangers it cannot be denied that it is a primordial requisite of a Christian to follow Christ' instruction on this matter regardless of its popularity.

Perhaps more to the point, we could ask, can we really claim to be Christian if we don't follow this command?

Nonetheless their belief, as you say, should never be pushed on those that do not want to hear it.

It always unnerved me because christian colonization (the deaths of many pagans and so forth) had the same line of thinking. Maybe they too thought they weren't doing any harm. It's more of a moral harm justified by religion. A few other denominations do it but not as a group, far as I know. One lady I thought we'd become somewhat friends but the first thing she said was "I invite you to my church."

 

[Twilight Hue]

I am one of Jehovah's witnesses, just recently started posting here, am still learning how this site works, so I apologize if I am not quick on the response. I will answer all questions about my faith to the best of my ability, and I monitor this site every morning. Feel free to be honest, I do not get offended.

Jehovah Witnesses believe they are the only true religion.

What exactly is it, or what quality is it that makes it more true than other comparable religions?

 

[capumetu]

Doesn't arbitrarily interpreting parts of the prophecy as symbolic make it more like the prophecies of nostradamus where people rationalise it post hoc to make the prophecy fit reality?

Like you said sir, the flood did not happen, so either the Bible was wrong, or your interpretation of what was recorded was. I gave you our understanding. You have to choose for yourself what actually is correct.

 

[capumetu]

Could you explain briefly was a JW is?

Thanks for asking Walter, simply put it is this: A Witness is someone who reads the Bible but above all who applies it in all circumstances of his life.

Our basic beliefs are:
Jehovah is God, we worship and serve Him exclusively. Mat 4:10
We do not war: 2 Cor 10:3,4; 2 Tim 2:24
We preach the good news of the Kingdom of God Lk 4:43
We believe the dead are unconscious in the grave Ecc 9:5,6,10
We believe in a resurrection of the dead Jn 5:28,29
We believe that most of us will live on earth eternally Ps 37:29

For more of our beliefs, feel free to ask any of us, or contact JW.org our website sir. Many videos and books for free download.