Bridge of Reason

  The Watch Tower Society has tried to remove all references to Christ’s deity in their New World Translation of the Bible. They relegate Jesus to a place that is inferior, insisting he shouldn’t be worshipped because, they insist, he is not God. Who Were the Jews Looking For? The Jews were looking for a Messiah who is described in the Jewish Scripture as Mighty God, Isaiah 9:6. The Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that here Jesus is called ‘Mighty’ but only Jehovah is called ‘Almighty,’ concluding Jehovah alone is God. However, many Bible texts call Jehovah simply ‘Mighty.’ All the following call Jehovah Mighty: Deuteronomy 10:17; Nehemiah 9:32; Psalm 50:1; Isaiah 10:21; Jeremiah 32:18. Jeremiah 23: 5,6 sees Jesus given the name Jehovah-tsidkenu , meaning, ‘The God of my righteousness.’ The Lord the Jews were seeking was none other than God himself, Jehovah our righteousness. At his birth Jesus was proclaimed, ‘Christ the Lord’ Luke 2:11 and named I mmanuel , meaning, ‘God with us.’

  It is often asked, how can anyone fall for this or that cult? Behind the question is an assumption; these people are gullible. But they are neither gullible, nor are they dumb. In fact, most people who join cults are intelligent and capable. That much is clear from the fact they so often come along asking important questio ns about life. From our vantage point we might compare a cult’s teaching with our own experience and understanding, but that is not where the cult member is standing. Imagine a scale of 1-10: 1------2------3------4------5------6------7------8------9------10 Number ten represents the complete cult experience.  Number one represents what most regard as the received orthodoxy of the faith, where we stand when we agree on the fundamentals.  It is from this viewpoint that you survey the cult scene and judge others ‘dumb for falling for this stuff.’ The ‘others’ you are looking at stand, shall we say, at point seven on this scale. I t is well to remember the person whose

  The Watch Tower Society teaches that before his incarnation, and after his resurrection to glory, Jesus is Michael the archangel. ‘ Michael, referred to by some religions as “Saint Michael,” is evidently a name given to Jesus before and after his life on eart h . Michael disputed with Satan after the death of Moses and helped an angel deliver God’s message to the prophet Daniel. (Daniel 10:13, 21; Jude 9) Michael lives up to the meaning of his name,—“Who Is Like God?”—by defending God’s rulership and fighting God’s enemies.—Daniel 12:1; Revelation 12:7.’ - jw.org website However, this was not always the teaching. Indeed they have believed and taught the complete opposite: ‘ ...it is said (of Jesus), ‘Let all the angels of God worship him;’ (that must include Michael, the chief angel, hence Michael is not the Son of God) and the reason is, because he has ‘by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they.’’ - The Watchtower, Nov.1879, p.4 Watch Tower v Bible Teaching 1 The

  We looked last week at the JW teaching that when Jesus died he went out of existence and that it required Jehovah God to raise him because he only existed in God’s memory - like every other creature that dies. It’s important to remember they consider Jesus a creature, albeit the first created. To say their teaching on Christ’s resurrection appearances is convoluted is an understatement. This week we look at the proof texts and begin to answer Watch Tower claims from the Bible. The central biblical teaching is that of Christ’s resurrection. Paul described it as ‘of first importance.’ ‘ I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…’ 1 Cor.15:3,4 Peter, at Pentecost, preached a resurrected Christ: ‘ Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs...God raised him up, l