Bridge of Reason

  In last week’s Watch Tower Wednesday on the Facebook page we saw the International Bible Students of Charles Russell's day became, in 1931, Jehovah's Witnesses. This was under the leadership of Joseph Rutherford, although many groups of International Bible students stayed faithful to Russell, and have survived until today. Jehovah's Witnesses, on their website, address this question of God's name and justify the change, making several main points: Jehovah is the name God gives himself in Isaiah 42:8 and Exodus 3:15. Jesus calls us to 'sanctify' God's name In Matthew 6:9 Joel tells us our salvation is in God's name Joel 2:32 God's name reveals his character But is that name Jehovah? Did Joseph Rutherford create more questions than answers for subsequent generations of Jehovah's Witnesses in his determination to give his followers their distinct identity, as opposed to the simpler name of International Bible students? A Lively Discussion A ...

Paul, in Romans, carefully argues that Gentiles are unrighteous before God (1:18-32); Jews are, likewise, unrighteous before God (2:1-3:8); indeed, all are unrighteous before a holy God (3:9-20) In Romans 3 Paul shows, ‘ the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.’ (vv.21-22) F ather Abraham Our model of this kind of faith, Paul writes, is Abraham (Ro.4:1-15) ‘Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ (v.3) Paul carefully explains that this righteousness is not our due, as though we had earned it but, as with Abraham, it is a gift because we simply trusted God . In Romans 3 27-31 we read this gift of righteousness is for both Jews and Gentiles. Indeed, in Romans 4 we are assured that Abraham is the f ather of the faithful, both Jew and Gentile: ‘ We say that faith is counted to Abraham as righteousness. ...

Faith and works are a perennial issue in explaining the gospel. The cults insist we are saved by a combination of faith and works. The world likewise imagines a great set of weighing scale, our sins on one side, our good works on the other. The world follows the thinking of Aristotle, who argued a man must love his neighbour and then love God; out of that love for my neighbour will spring my love for God. He would argue that if we are to gain eternal life we are to first obey. Any number of Scripture verses lend themselves to this view:; Mt.7:21; Ro.2:6; 1 Cor.3:14; 2 Cor.5:10; Js.1:22; Js.2:18-20. The Bible is replete with injunctions to ‘work out your salvation,’ (Philip.2:12-13). It may come as a surprise to Jehovah’s Witnesses then, who think Christians don’t witness, to Mormons too, who believe we have an easy-believism, that Christians are ever aware of these verses, striving to obey them. I have been reading Tyndale in recent months. He is incredibly helpful with this subject...