Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4 ESV)
There is a vast difference between knowing someone and knowing about
someone. For example, upon meeting for the first time a footballer from my
favourite team, I may be able to dazzle him with my knowledge of how many clubs
he has played for and how many goals he has scored. I could further impress him
by naming his wife and children and perhaps freak him out a little, as I can tell
him what kind of car he drives and recite his registration plate.
Though this may impress him, and worry him in equal measure, he would probably
say: ‘Excuse me. Who are you?’ You see as much as I know about him, I do not
know him – and he does not know me!
I mention this because it is applicable to the subject under consideration
namely the Jesus of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, everlasting life is contingent upon
a person knowing the truth about Jesus.
‘…if you know the truth about Jehovah and Jesus, you can live forever on a paradise earth. (John 14:6) Also, knowing about Jesus will help because he is the best example of how to live and treat others. (John 13:34, 35).’[1]
My testimony is that as a Jehovah’s Witness, I knew about Jesus, but I
did not know him. I could tell you about his life, where he was born, who his
parents were, and who baptised him. I could talk endlessly about his miracles,
his death, and his resurrection. I could quote chapter and verse yes, I knew a
lot about him, but I did not know him.
This changed the moment I was born again by the Spirit of God. It was
then that head knowledge became heart knowledge. I no longer just knew about
him – I knew him!
I now know Jesus. I know he is alive; I know he has forgiven my sin; I know
that he has saved me and, importantly, I know that Jesus knows me.
One of the favourite verses used by Jehovah’s Witnesses is John 17 verse
3.
“This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3 - New World Translation 2013)
The
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that salvation is not attained through a relationship
with Jesus Christ, but rather by having ‘accurate knowledge’ of him and, of
course, they alone have that accurate knowledge.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
It
may have been because many like me have discussed and challenged their
understanding of John 17:3, that brought about the change in the 2013 revision
of the New World Translation. Before the ‘silver sword’[2] appeared, the 1984 edition translated
John 17:3 like this:
This means everlasting life, their
taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent
forth, Jesus Christ. (John 17:3 - New World Translation 1984 Edition)
Did you spot the difference?
They have changed: ‘their taking in knowledge of you’ (1984) to ‘their coming to know you’ (2013), thus bringing the NWT in line with
mainstream translations. But let us not be fooled by this cover up. They have
by no means conceded their error and changed their teaching; they still believe
that ‘accurate knowledge’ is needed to have any chance of being saved. Note the
footnote attached to John 17:3 in the 2013 revision:
I would certainly agree with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, that a
person needs to have the ‘right’ Jesus. Who we believe Jesus to be will determine
our eternal destiny. A false Jesus cannot save.
Let us therefore imagine Jesus asking a Jehovah’s Witness the
question: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ What would they say?
THE WATCHTOWER JESUS
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus began life as a spirit
creature, created by Jehovah; so, to them Jesus is not eternal. Jesus was
Jehovah’s first creation, so, to them Jesus is not God. Before coming to earth
Jesus was Michael the Archangel; so, to them Jesus is an angel.
Jesus somehow left his angelic status behind when he entered
Mary’s womb as a human.
Jesus was a perfect sinless man, but he was only a man; so,
to them Jesus is neither divine, nor the second person of the Trinity. They
reject that Jesus was God in the flesh.
They teach that Jesus was just a man who did not become the Christ
until his baptism. After fulfilling his ministry Jesus was put to death, not on
a cross, but rather an upright pole they call a torture stake.
After being laid in a tomb, Jehovah dissolved Jesus’ body[3]
and he became non-existent. Three days later Jehovah ‘recreated’ (for there was
nothing left to resurrect) the Archangel Michael who then, over the next forty
days, appeared in different bodies to various people; so, to them Jesus was
raised spiritually not physically.
Jesus (or should we say Michael) then returned to Jehovah and
since 1914 he has ruled from heaven. He will never again be seen visibly on the
earth.
A DIFFERENT JESUS
It is clear to see that the Jesus of the Jehovah’s Witnesses,
is hugely different to the Jesus of historical, biblical Christianity. In
contending that they have the right Jesus, the Witnesses seek to condemn those
who have a bible but who do not possess accurate knowledge.
From their article: Accurate Knowledge to Please Jehovah
they say this of Christendom:
While they do possess the Bible, God’s written revelation of his will
for our day, they lack accurate knowledge. The inspired apostle aptly expresses
the situation when he says: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify him
as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings
and their unintelligent heart became darkened. Although asserting they were
wise, they became foolish and turned the glory of the incorruptible God into
something like the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed
creatures and creeping things. And just as they did not approve of holding God
in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do
the things not fitting.” (Rom. 1:21-23, 28, NWT)[4]
Sadly, unbeknown to them, these verses speak of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is they who are lacking accurate knowledge.
The Jesus of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is a false Jesus who
cannot save them.
[1] Who Is Jesus Christ? Is Jesus God or
God’s Son? (jw.org)
[2] The Silver Sword is what the Jehovah’s
Witnesses affectionately call their 2013 revised New World Translation
[3] The Watchtower, Sept. 1, 1953, page 518. “JESUS’ FLESHLY BODY DISSOLVED. What happened to the perfect fleshly body of Jesus after his
death? Was it preserved so that in time men will look upon it in worship? or
does Jesus still have this fleshly body in the heavens, ‘spiritualized’ so that
it can be seen and worshiped? Neither. The Scriptures answer: It was disposed
of by Jehovah God, dissolved into its constituent elements or atoms.”
[4] Accurate
Knowledge to Please Jehovah — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY (jw.org)
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