I was studying with Jehovah's Witnesses during my college years. I found that they somehow was able to make me understand many of the meanings from the bible that I had never understood before. I had a clearer sight of what it was to walk as a Christian. I became very zealous for doing things that the bible instructed me to do and preaching this good news of God's Kingdom to everyone I came into contact with. How joyful I was to tell others about the wonderful things that were in store for them after all of the wickedness was taken away. I met many people who listened and wanted to learn more and some who were a bit skeptical, while some were very belligerent and did not want anything to do with God.
Fast forward several years and I was working my life into something that I would be able to say that I had a clean conscience before my God. I married a wonderful girl who was exactly what I had prayed for. Someone who came from the same background as I did and was not "raised in the truth" as the saying goes for those children who were raised as JW's. Because my father traveled frequently during my childhood years, I was sent to any church that would come and pick us up, or to my parents, take us away for a few hours every Sunday. I went to some very interesting churches and learned some about people and a little bit about God. It was usually the same principles taught just about everywhere I went.
Well times goes by and we have two beautiful children. I am blessed by my God and continue to do the things that I was taught.
The internet is a funny thing. It can open your eyes to some intriguing thoughts or mislead you into some wayward path. Discretion and testing must be used for everything that comes off of the net. Well, it appears that many people have done some digging into the past and not so distant past of that organization’s leadership which I claim to be a part of. Some of the findings showed that the leadership acted in a way that betrayed their teachings. Like when someone says, “Do as I say, not as I do.” This was a bit disheartening. I was taught to accept all things taught as the Truth, without questions, for fear of being disfellowshipped. And yet the bible teaches us to test out everything to see whether or not it comes from God.
A quandary is now present everywhere I turn. Being at the meetings, I know and believe in my heart that I go to learn about God and worship Him and Praise Him with songs and prayers. But I also know that those who are in a leadership position have done things that they have not acknowledged, nor even apologized for. Instead, they have dismissed it as being insignificant. I am having trouble coming to terms with that. Somehow I know that things like this have happened to God’s chosen people of the past and I reason, why should today be any different. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to have the “Truth” and I believe that they are the closest to it than others that I have studied. But yet, I know that these are just sinful men who do make mistakes and God will deal with them on his timescale. Why should today’s governing body be any different from the high priests of the ancient Israelites who sinned against God and were punished in due time. I keep telling myself that and that I should be patient but continue my worship.
I have made mistakes and I was taught that I should go before the elders and lay my sins so that the older men who were spiritually wise would pray for me on my behalf as they would have a better standing before Jehovah. I also thought that if anyone should sin, they too should do the same thing. However, it appears that some think or feel that they are above the Law.
Reading through the bible I learned that just because a King was evil did not mean that all of the inhabitants of that kingdom were evil, many still clung to what was good and kept doing good in God’s Eyes. And the opposite was true, if there was a good King, not everyone was practicing ‘good’. So as today when people in the leadership positions of the Jehovah’s Witnesses do sin against God, it does not mean that the entire believers are also doing what is bad. It means that some were drawn out and tempted, but not beyond what they could endure, and failed the test. Jehovah is a loving God who wants people to forget their sinful ways and do what is ‘good’. It’s just that now, I am very carefully testing everything I read and am taught to ensure that it does follow God’s word and does not go against it. I keep in close contact with Jehovah through prayer through Jesus for help in understanding what I hear, read and see. I also pray for patience regarding these bad things and for protection from them for me and my family.
posted by TruthSeeker at 2:45 PM
2 Comments:
TruthSeeker:
I posted this reply to your comments on my weblog:
Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
Regarding Hebrews Chapter 1, verse 3 reads, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of his nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power…” An interpretation is as the brilliance of the sun is inseparable from the sun itself, so the Son’s radiance is inseparable from the deity, for He Himself is God, the second person of the Trinity (John 1:14 and 18). As an exact representation of His nature, Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. Because the Son Himself is God, He is the absolutely authentic representation of God’s being (compare with John 14:9, Colossians 1:15).
Proverbs 8:22-31 is a hymn describing wisdom’s role in creation. Wisdom is here personified an in other verse throughout Proverbs. Therefore, these verses should not be interpreted as a direct description of Christ. However, they provide part of the background for the New Testament portrayal of Christ as the divine Word (John 1:1-3) and as the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24 and 30; Colossians 2:3). Here, wisdom is an attribute of God involved with Him in creation.
In his book, “Knowing God”, J.I. Packer says, “It is the nature of the second person of the Trinity to acknowledge the authority and submit to the good pleasure of the first. That is why he declares himself to be the Son and the first person to be his Father. Though coequal with the Father in eternity, power, and glory, it is natural to him to play the Son’s part and to find all his joy in doing his Father’s will, just as it is natural to the first person of the Trinity to plan and initiate the works of the Godhead and natural to the third person (Holy Spirit) to proceed from the Father and the Son to do their joint bidding.”
Hell John,
I have been reading the things which you raised and it is very interesting. I have copied your text and added my questions and comments. I appreciate your time and good nature in my quest for the truth.
John M. Martin said...
TruthSeeker:
I posted this reply to your comments on my weblog:
Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
Regarding Hebrews Chapter 1, verse 3 reads, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of his nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power…” An interpretation is as the brilliance of the sun is inseparable from the sun itself, so the Son’s radiance is inseparable from the deity, for He Himself is God, the second person of the Trinity (John 1:14 (After reading this verse in several translations, I use a software product from www.e-sword.net which has many different bible translations and versions, I am not fully understanding what begotten means: Everything I’ve read so far only points to Jesus as being begotten and no one else) and 18). As an exact representation of His nature, Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. Because the Son Himself is God, He is the absolutely authentic representation of God’s being (compare with John 14:9 (What I am reading here is that Jesus is in the Father and the father is in Jesus, and all throughout these verses as showing how Jesus is uniquely different from God, or whom I am comfortable with using his name, Jehovah, (I learned that the true name is YHWH, when translated and that Yahweh may be more accurate in a literal translation but that Jehovah is the closest translation in our language) and going all the way down to verse 28, Jesus says that the father is greater than he is. He being Jesus the man, or when he returns to heaven? I’m not too sure. Colossians 1:15 (Reading Barnes commentary on this scripture says, “It properly denotes that which is a copy or delineation of a thing; which accurately and fully represents it, in contradistinction from a rough sketch, or outline; compare Rom_8:29; 1Co_11:7; 1Co_15:49.”) I get that Jesus here is being described as having the full splendor of Johovah in representing him so that what is invisible is now visible. (To us I think)).
Proverbs 8:22-31 is a hymn describing wisdom’s role in creation. Wisdom is here personified an in other verse throughout Proverbs. Therefore, these verses should not be interpreted as a direct description of Christ. However, they provide part of the background for the New Testament portrayal of Christ as the divine Word (John 1:1-3) and as the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24 (Proverbs describe many wise sayings that are meant to protect us and yet when I read certain areas that details what we should or should not do, they are quite specific and literal, But yet am I to know the difference when something should be literal and not especially when is seems simple to understand. Which I am not quite there yet as some think and more prayers are in my journey.) and 30 (and this verse really mixes me up in reading that we are in Christ and he is in us, and then I reason that this is similar language in the previous verses you brought out above, that we are one with Christ and in so are one with Jehovah and we are all one with Him. Then I ask what does this “One with Him” really mean or was meant to mean? ); Colossians 2:3). Here, wisdom is an attribute of God involved with Him in creation.
In his book, “Knowing God”, J.I. Packer says, “It is the nature of the second person of the Trinity to acknowledge the authority and submit to the good pleasure of the first. That is why he declares himself to be the Son and the first person to be his Father. Though coequal with the Father in eternity, power, and glory, it is natural to him to play the Son’s part and to find all his joy in doing his Father’s will, just as it is natural to the first person of the Trinity to plan and initiate the works of the Godhead and natural to the third person (Holy Spirit) to proceed from the Father and the Son to do their joint bidding.”
What I have read about the Holy Spirit, is that it is refered to as something and not someone. It is refered to as Jehovah’s Holy Spirit that will send “something or provide something” to his followers. It is like the Holy Spirit is.
Wen reading through Hebrews 2:1-18, in verse 11 I found an interesting thought that describes Jesus and his followers were ‘One’, which uses similar language that is used for describing Jesus and Jehovah. My understanding so far is that there is harmony in the bible and it cant contradict itself when telling us about one thing and then telling us about it differently in another verse.
My questions are now : Why would Hebrews 1:10-12, which is applicable to the Son, quote from Psalms 102:25-27, which is referring to the Father? Is it because they are one and the same or is it because the works described were done so through the Son? I find a reference in Colossians 1:15-16 which describes the Son as being the image of God and that all things were created through him. This correlates with what it stated in Proverbs 8:22 on down. As it describes that the Son is the mechanism through which everything was created. Does it sound like God made a clone of himself in order to bring all things into existence? He did not require this as he is capable of doing anything without needing anyone. Looking into Hebrews 1:1-14, I read verse 5 and 6 which shows how the Father elevated the status of the Son. Reading further in Hebrews 2:11 I find that the Son is the one sanctifying and his followers are the ones being sanctified and yet they are being referred to as One. Does this mean that Jesus and his followers are one and the same or are they of the same mind since the followers do the will of Jesus? I also note that in Hebrews 1:5 is of the same language as 2 Samuel 7:14 is I follow the method of Hebrews 1:10 to Psalms 102:25. Where Hebrews is talking about the Son, 2 Samuel is referring to Solomon. Can it be reasoned that Jesus and Solomon are the same or have I totally missed the point? I understand that we are dealing with two distinct characteristics of Jesus, the Man and the Spirit. He existed with God before man and for a short while as a man, and lastly a spirit who was exalted above the other spirits in Heaven. In everything I read, the Son is always referred to as a unique, distinct being with certain characteristics and varying levels of authority depending upon the timeline. And blessings were bestowed upon him for his obedience.
So now my father and I are studying and praying hard to find understanding in all of this so that we can accurately understand what it is we should be doing in order to please God Jehovah.
4:57 PM
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