Bridge of Reason

  The immutability of God is defined as God’s not changing in any way in his nature, in his moral character; God is ‘without variableness or shadow of turning.’ James 1:17 A corollary of this is God’s impassibility, meaning God is emotionally unchangeable; he doesn’t suffer, he is not subject to fits of passion in response to circumstances. James writes: ‘ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shadow due to change.’ 1:17 In the Old Testament we read: ‘ God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it? Numbers 23:19 Yet we also read: ‘ Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people...And [Moses] said, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here...And the L...

  I came across this post from Carlos Rigdon on a facebook group that discusses the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses.  With his permission I am reposting it here as I believe he has something interesting to say on the matter.  I have made a few minor amendments to the original because, as a charity, Reachout Trust has to be slightly more circumspect in our postings! "Jehovah’s Witnesses love to claim that those who criticize the governing body are like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, rebels who spoke against Moses and were destroyed by God. They love to compare their leaders with Moses. But that comparison collapses the moment you actually open your Bible. Moses had undeniable evidence of divine appointment, when God sent Moses, He didn’t expect people to blindly trust a human committee. He gave clear, supernatural proof of His backing. Exodus 4:1–9 - God gave Moses visible signs: a staff that became a serpent, a hand that turned leprous and healed, water that turned to blood. E...

  On their website the Watch Tower write: ‘As we read Jesus’ prayer in John chapter 17, we can see Jesus’ deep love not only for his apostles but also for us. (John 17:20) The most important thing to Jesus, though, is not our salvation. During the whole time he was on earth, the most important thing to him was to glorify his Father’s name. For example, when Jesus first explained why he had come to earth, he read from the scroll of Isaiah: “Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news to the poor.” We can be sure that when Jesus read this, he pronounced God’s name clearly. —Luke 4:16-21. ‘Long before Jesus came to earth, Jewish religious leaders taught people not to use God’s name. Imagine how much Jesus must have hated that tradition. He said to those religious leaders: “I have come in the name of my Father, but you do not receive me; if someone else arrived in his own name, you would receive that one.” (John 5:43) Then, a few days before his death, ...

There is an argument I see coming up time and again, from Mormons and others, even from within the body of Christ, that the law that doesn’t save is the Law of Moses. Paul in Romans writes: ‘ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin’ (Ro.3:20, NIV) ‘ For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.’ (Ro.3:20, ESV) The fallacy arises when people fail to understand the role of the law in salvation. The argument is made that we are not saved by Moses, by the ceremonies of the cult of the temple, by the civil law peculiar to the nation of Israel. Nevertheless adherence to the eternal statutes of God contained in the Ten Commandments do have a role to play in the saving of men and women. The fallacy arises when people fail to understand the role of the law in salvation. The text makes t he same distinction but to reach a ver...