CHRISTIAN FREEDOM AND LIBERTY!
In the Scriptures below you will see the FREEDOM that TRUE CHRISTIANS have, and you can compare this to the "Freedom" that the Watchtower Witnesses have:
All Scriptures below are from the "Literal Translation of the Holy Bible" (Go here for information about this Bible Translation: http://www.kconline.com/paul/litv/litv.htm )
2nd Corinthians 3:17: And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
John 8:32: And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
John 8:36: Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.
2nd Corinthians 1:24: Not that we (The Apostles) rule over your Faith, but we are fellow-workers of your joy. For by Faith you stand.
1st Peter 5:1: I, a fellow Elder, exhort the Elders among you, I being also witness of the sufferings of Christ, and being sharer of the glory about to be revealed:
1st Peter 5:2: Shepherd the Flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; nor eagerly for base gain, but readily;
1st Peter 5:3: nor as exercising lordship over the ones allotted to you, but becoming examples of the Flock.
1st Peter 5:4: And at the appearing of the Chief Shepherd, you will receive the never fading crown of glory.
1st Peter 5:5: Likewise, younger ones be subject to older ones; and all being subject to one another. Put on humility, because God sets Himself "against proud ones, but He gives grace to humble ones." (See Proverbs 3:34)
Matthew 20:25: But having called them, Jesus said, You know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great ones exercise authority over them.
Matthew 20:26: But it will not be so among you. But whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
Matthew 20:27: And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your servant;
Matthew 20:28: Even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His Life a Ransom for many.
Mark 10:42: But having called them near, Jesus said to them, You know that those seeming to rule the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
Mark 10:43: But it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
Mark 10:44: And whoever of you desires to become first, he shall be slave of all.
Mark 10:45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His Life as a Ransom for many.
Luke 22:24: And there was also a dispute among them, who of them seems to be greater.
Luke 22:25: And He said to them, The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those exercising authority over them are called benefactors.
Luke 22:26: But you be not so, but the greater among you, let him be as the lesser; and the one governing as the one serving.
Luke 22:27: For who is greater, the one reclining, or the one serving? Is it not the one reclining? But I am in your midst as One serving.
Matthew 23:8: But do not you be called Rabbi, for One is your Leader, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
Matthew 23:9: And call no one your father on Earth, for One is your Father, the One in Heaven.
Matthew 23:10: Nor be called leaders, for One is your Leader, the Christ.
Matthew 23:11: But the greater of you shall be your servant.
Matthew 23:12: And whoever will exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever will humble himself shall be exalted.
Matthew 23:13: But woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men; for you do not enter, nor do you allow those entering to go in.
Matthew 24:48: But if that wicked slave says in his heart, My Lord delays to come,
Matthew 24:49: and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and to drink with the ones drinking,
Matthew 24:50: the Lord of that slave will come in a day in which he does not expect and in an hour which he does not know,
Matthew 24:51: and will cut him in two, and will appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.
Isaiah 61:1: The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is on Me, because Jehovah has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and complete opening to the bound ones;
Isaiah 61:2: to proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
Isaiah 61:3: to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of infirmity, so that one calls them trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, in order to beautify Himself.
Colossians 1:12: giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for a share of the inheritance of the Saints in light,
Colossians 1:13: who delivered us out of the authority of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of His Love
Galatians 5:1: Then stand firm in the freedom with which Christ made us free and do not be held again with a yoke of slavery.
1st Corinthians 7:23: You were redeemed with a price; do not become slaves of men.
Romans 7:6: But now we have been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so as for us to serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.
Romans 8:21: that also the creation will be freed from the slavery of corruption to the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Galatians 5:13: For, brothers, you were called to freedom. Only do not use the freedom for an opening to the flesh. But through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:14: For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
(See Leviticus 19:18)
1st Peter 2:16: as free, and not having freedom as a cover of evil, but as slaves of God
1st Corinthians 8:9: But be careful lest this authority of yours become a cause of stumbling to the weak ones.
1st Corinthians 8:10: For if anyone sees you, the one having knowledge, sitting in an idol-temple, will not the weak one's conscience be lifted up so as to eat things sacrificed to idols?
1st Corinthians 8:11: And on your knowledge the weak brother will fall, he for whom Christ died.
1st Corinthians 8:12: And sinning in this way against your brothers, and wounding their conscience, being weak, you sin against Christ.
1st Corinthians 8:13: On account of this, if food offends my brother, I will not at all eat flesh forever, so that I do not offend my brother.
James 1:25: But the one looking into the perfect Law of Liberty, and continuing in it, this one not having become a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in his doing.
James 1:26: If anyone thinks to be religious among you, yet not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this one's religion is vain.
James 1:27: Pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Here are the Laws that Christians are under:
Matthew 22:35: And one of them, a lawyer, questioned Him, testing Him, and saying,
Matthew 22:36: Teacher, which is the Great Commandment in the Law?
Matthew 22:37: And Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (See Deuteronomy 6:5)
Matthew 22:38: This is the First and Great Commandment.
Matthew 22:39: And the Second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (See Leviticus 19:18)
Matthew 22:40: On these Two Commandments all the Law and the Prophets hang.
Matthew 7:12: Therefore, all things, whatever you desire that men should do to you, so also you should do to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Luke 6:26: Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers did according to these things to the false prophets.
Luke 6:27: But I say to you, Those hearing: Love the ones hostile to you, do good to those hating you,
Luke 6:28: bless those cursing you and pray for those insulting you.
Luke 6:29: To those striking you on the cheek, turn the other also. And from those taking your garment, do not keep back the tunic also.
Luke 6:30: And to everyone asking you, give. And do not ask back from those taking your things.
Luke 6:31: And according as you desire that men should do to you, you also do the same to them.
Luke 6:32: And if you love those who love you, what thanks is there to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:33: And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks is there to you? For even the sinners do the same.
Luke 6:34: And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks is there to you? For the sinners lend to sinners so that they may receive the equal things.
Luke 6:35: But love the ones hostile to you, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be much; and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the unthankful and evil ones.
Luke 6:36: Therefore, be merciful, even as your Father also is merciful.
Luke 6:37: Judge not, and in no way be judged. Do not condemn, and in no way you will be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:38: Give, and good measure will be given to you, pressed down and shaken together, and running over, they will give into your bosom. For the same measure which you measure, it will be measured back to you.
Matthew 19:16: And, behold, coming near, one said to Him, Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?
Matthew 19:17: And He said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, God! But if you desire to enter into life, keep the Commandments.
Matthew 19:18: He said to Him, Which? And Jesus said, "You shall not commit murder, nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor bear false witness,
Matthew 19:19: honor your father and your mother," and, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (See Exodus 20:12-16 and Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 5:16-20)
Matthew 5:38: You have heard that it was said: "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;" (See Exodus 21:24 and Leviticus 24:20 and Deuteronomy 19:21)
Matthew 5:39: but I say to you, Do not resist the evil; but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Matthew 5:40: And to him desiring to sue you, and to take your tunic, allow him also to have the coat.
Matthew 5:41: And whoever shall compel you to go one mile, go two with him.
Matthew 5:42: He asking you to give, and he wishing to borrow from you, do not turn away.
Matthew 5:43: You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor" and hate your enemy; (See Leviticus 19:18)
Matthew 5:44: but I say to you, Love your enemies; bless those cursing you, do well to those hating you; and pray for those abusing and persecuting you,
Matthew 5:45: so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. Because He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and unjust.
Matthew 5:46: For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?
Matthew 5:47: And if you only greet your brothers, what exceptional thing do you do? Do not the tax-collectors do so?
Matthew 5:48: Therefore, you be perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.
1st John 5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His Commandments.
1st John 5:3: For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments; and His Commandments are not heavy.
Romans 13:8: Do not continue to owe no one, nothing, except to love one another. For the one loving the other has fulfilled the Law.
Romans 13:9: For, "Do not commit adultery," "do not murder," "do not steal," do not bear false witness, "do not lust," (See Exodus 20:13-15, 17) and if there is any other commandment, in this word it is summed up, in the words, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (See Leviticus 19:18)
Romans 13:10: Love does not work evil to the neighbor. Then love is the fulfillment of Law.
I would love to see everyone's comments on these Scriptures.
Edited by - UnDisfellowshipped on 7 September 2002 4:37:45