Wait a sec, having formatting troubble...
The Context of Romans 6:7
by drew sagan 5 Replies latest watchtower bible
-
-
drew sagan
This verse reads:
"For he who has died has been acquitted from [his] sin" (Romans 6:7 -NWT)
The basic Watchtower understanding of this verse is as follows:
*** w95 11/15 p. 19 Stay in the “City of Refuge” and Live! ***
17 Must those resurrected during Jesus’ Thousand Year Reign enter the antitypical city of refuge and remain there until the death of the high priest? No, because by dying they paid the penalty for their sinfulness. (Romans 6:7; Hebrews 9:27) Nevertheless, the High Priest will help them to reach perfection. If they successfully pass the final test after the Millennium, God will also declare them righteous with a guarantee of eternal life on earth. Of course, failure to comply with God’s requirements will bring condemnatory judgment and destruction upon any humans who do not pass the final test as integrity keepers.
So it is very clear in WT theology that your sins are 'acquitted' (or justified) when you die. This understanding also has a big part in their theology about eternal punishment and how you can't be punished for something you have allready paid for.
But a simple reading of the context of this verse paints a very differant picture. The full context of the verse shows that Paul is not talking about everybody, but that he is specifically speaking about believers. Just look at some of the few verses before this text:
"Seeing that we died with reference to sin, how shall we keep on living any longer in it? 3 Or do YOU not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him through our baptism into his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, we also should likewise walk in a newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall certainly also be [united with him in the likeness] of his resurrection; 6 because we know that our old personality was impaled with [him], that our sinful body might be made inactive, that we should no longer go on being slaves to sin. 7 For he who has died has been acquitted from [his] sin. (Romans 6:2-7 -NWT)
It seems quite obvious that a verse has been plucked from it's context in order to support their theology. -
drew sagan
I got it up!!!
Sorry for the confusion. -
skyking
If you are alive at the time of the end you have to be a JW to survive. Also if you ever rejected the JW's after realizing they are Gods channel (make me laugh to say that) then you are toast no matter when you die.
-
Star Moore
Dear Drew,
I believe you are 100% right on your reasoning. When we die and are acquitted of our sins is at our BAPTISM. When we die, in a physical way, I believe that this scripture applies..:
John 5:28 ....Hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a ressurection of life and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgement.
So, we ARE accountable for what we do in this world.
-
heathen
It looks like they struggled with this dogma as well as with many other beliefs . According to the WTBTS the people of sodom and gommorah will not be resurrected , adam, eve and the people of the time of noah are dead for good as well . The apostle Paul was very enigmatic since alot of things seemed to contradict what jesus said in the gospels. The WTBTS only confuses things more.