Q: Thank you for answering! The greatest question and of most CONCERN to me was WHOSE NAME they were to be CALLED BY----I didn`t know if it was Jehovah or Jesus. The answer comes at the end of your 1st paragraph: `in CHRIST, God created a people for HIS NAME` from among the Jews and Gentiles. Your information verifies the information I found in the NASB Interlinier Bible: The Greek word for LORD is Kurios (koo`-ree-as). Under Kurios it states: this title is given to: God, the Messiah . I take that as Christ (also a reference to the Trinity) and thereby Christians (believers in Christ).This is where the Jehovah Witness Organization is misunderstanding the Scripture: Acts 15:14 & 17. They take HIS NAME to be God`s name (JEHOVAH) not the NAME of CHRIST and that is why they are so NAMED (AFTER GOD`S NAME). I was told if I did not join their Organization, I would not be saved. Please pray as I try to convey this correct information to some Jehovah Witnesses. If I`m incorrect in any of my remarks to you, please correct me.
A: Hello, and thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I don't see anything incorrect in your understanding of what I tried to convey to you or in what you found on your own. Whenever somebody says that you have to be a part of their organization in order to be saved red flags should go up in your mind. That is the first sign that what they proclaim is not of God. The Apostle Paul talked about Christians having the "full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ (Colossians 2:2)." He said this because, as he continues, "so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments (Colossians 2:4)." As we mature in Christ we are better able to discern good and evil as the Holy Spirit illuminates truth to us. Satan is able to deceive many by what appears to be logical and biblical arguments. However, we all know that the Body of Christ is an organism, not an organization. It is made up of individuals all over the world who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The error of the Jehovah's Witnesses becomes clear when we are certain of the truth of Scripture.
Jehovah's Witnesses deny foundational truths about God, the Bible and Jesus Christ. They deny the trinity, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, Christ's visible return, the Person of God the Holy Spirit, the promise of Heaven to all believers, the need to be born again, the eternal security of the believer and eternal punishment for unbelievers. However, the Bible affirms the exact opposite of what Jehovah's Witnesses teach.
The Trinity:
Father: "To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:7
Son: "Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" John 20:28
Holy Spirit: "Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." Acts 5:3-4
The Deity of Christ:
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form..." Colossians 2:9
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ:
"The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body." John 2:20-21
Christ's visible return:
"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen." Revelation 1:7
God, the Holy Spirit:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." Matthew 28:19
The Promise of Heaven to all believers:
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9
The need to be born again:
"In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again... You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" John 3:3, 7
The eternal security of the believer:
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13
Eternal punishment for unbelievers:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left...Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:31-33, 41
The best way to convey the correct information to Jehovah's Witnesses, to any unbeliever for that matter, is to know the truth yourself. When Jesus Christ was led out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, He responded every time with "it is written," referring to the Word of God, in order to rebuke Satan. It is no different with us when we are tempted by the error of those trapped inside a false religion. This is not to say that you shouldn't at least have some knowledge of what others believe. I only want to encourage you to continue know the truth about God, Jesus and the Bible. When it is all said and done, the only thing that matters is what a person does with Jesus Christ. The Jehovah's Witnesses, to their destruction, do not believe Jesus Christ is God. But, the Bible affirms that Jesus Christ is 100 percent God and 100 percent man. It is Christ, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, who indwells you and will be with you whenever you encounter a Jehovah's Witness. When Christ was telling His disciples about the end of the age, He told them, "Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit (Mark 13:11)." Trust and believe that God will give you what to say at the appointed time and that some of the Jehovah's Witnesses you speak to will respond accordingly. God Bless.
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