How to Bewilder a Witness!

by The Searcher 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Island Man
    Island Man

    The best way to disprove the JWs false interpretation of Romans 6:7 is to get them to read and explain for you, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10:

    We are therefore always of good courage and know that, while we have our home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, 7 for we are walking by faith, not by sight. 8 But we are of good courage and are well pleased rather to become absent from the body and to make our home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we are also making it our aim that, whether having our home with him or being absent from him, we may be acceptable to him. 10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ, that each one may get his award for the things done through the body, according to the things he has practiced, whether it is good or vile.

    From the context above, it is very clear that 2 Corinthians 5:10 is suggesting that unfaithful resurrected anointed ones will be judged for "vile things" committed "through the body", i.e. before they died!

    We also have Jesus' words at Matthew 11:20-24:

    Then he started to reproach the cities in which most of his powerful works had taken place, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Cho·ra′zin! Woe to you, Beth·sa′i·da! because if the powerful works had taken place in Tyre and Si′don that took place in YOU, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Consequently I say to YOU, It will be more endurable for Tyre and Si′don on Judgment Day than for YOU. 23 And you, Ca·per′na·um, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to Ha′des you will come; because if the powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sod′om, it would have remained until this very day. 24 Consequently I say to YOU people, It will be more endurable for the land of Sod′om on Judgment Day than for you.”

    Jesus reproached the people's lack of faith in him and indicated that they will be adversely judged for it on Judgment Day. Isn't Judgement Day that future time when the dead are raised up and judged? It surely is, for Jesus also mentions the people of Sodom having a better judgement and we all know that the people of Sodom were long dead in Jesus' day, so logically Jesus was here referring to the future judgment day when the dead will be raised up and judged. So Jesus was clearly suggesting that his first century audience who failed to put faith in him despite seeing his powerful works, will be judged for their lack of faith after they're resurrected at Judgement Day. They will be judged for showing lack of faith in Jesus, before they died!

    So I think these two bible passages can be used to reason with JWs to show them that their interpretation of Romans 6:7 is a false interpretation. In fact, a careful reading of the surrounding context of Romans 6:7 and using other translations, makes it clear that the scripture is not referring to acquittal from blame for ones sins, but rather, the body's acquittal from being enslaved to commit sins. The text is simply saying that a dead person is free from the compulsion to sin due to his body being inactive in/paralyzed by death.

  • Rattigan350
    Rattigan350

    ": "Nine verses in the Bible tell us that Jesus is going to judge the living and the dead. "

    Those who have died will be made alive to be with those living.

    It's not that difficult. But you are right, if they were acquitted of their sins at death, then of what will the be judged?

    Bible makes no sense.

  • Rufus T. Firefly
    Rufus T. Firefly

    <<The Witnesses' elephant in the room is the Org's teaching of Romans 6:7, that a person's own death wipes out/acquits them of all their sins.>>

    <<Doesn't this really nullify the need for Jesus' ransom sacrifice in the first place?>>

    Read the context of Romans 6:1-11. Is verse 7 referring to a person's own death, or rather their death with reference to sin? Moreover, does it nullify the need for Jesus' ransom sacrifice, or rather does it explain how that ransom acquits one from one's sin.

  • Mary
  • EdenOne
    EdenOne

    The context of Romans 6:7 is that Paul is likening Christiam baptism to a symbolic "death" [the baptismal water where the baptized is submerged is symbolic of the grave burial]. So, when someone is baptized, he 'dies' and his sins are therefore acquited. In Paul's theology, it's BAPTISM that erases sins, not someone's own physical death. Of course, that's at odds with what the apostle Peter taught about baptism and sin ... but of course the JW's won't admit there's a contradiction.

    Eden

  • Chris Tann
    Chris Tann

    They may believe that refers to the spiritualy dead,which is incorrect. Or they may say they will be resurrected and judged based on what they do during the millennium,which is also incorrect. I did a thorough research on the verses Witnesses use to try to prove that when one dies they are "aquited" of their sins and wont be judged by them. I found everyone of them was either taken out of context or irresponsibly interpreted. If anyone is interested in this let me know and I'll post a new thread regarding it. Thanx (free of charge,lol).

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    You'd end up with a "Bewilderness"!

  • insearchoftruth
    insearchoftruth

    When dealing with my wife and her witness friends I keep thinking 'you can tell a JW but you can't tell them much'.

  • sowhatnow
    sowhatnow

    I ve read a logical explanation a while ago that said the 'living' were those of the house of israel,

    or Gods chosen people, and the dead are everyone else.

    perhaps 'dead' in works or the deeds.

    good question, but hey jw arent allowed to question, because not too many have an answer to give, they have trouble defending thier beliefs.

    I ask why the apostle paul never spoke about a future faithfull slave that christ was going to choose to be his mediator. or the 144,000.

    the bible has many many contadictions because its wasnt a first hand account of anything, there were no litteral witnesses who wrote things down as they happened. it was stories handed down then written down. matthew mark luke and john all have contradictions, and yet some scriptures are exactly the same scritpure, showing that someone was copying word for word another account.

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