After Jesus fasted for 40 days, he was tempted by a man (not a fallen angel).

by quincemyles 88 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • quincemyles
    quincemyles

    After Jesus fasted for 40 days, he was tempted by a man (not an evil angel) to turn stones into bread, jump from the temple and bow. The tester was a pharisee of the ruling class. Jehovah's witnesses believe the tester to have been an evil spirit or leader of fallen angels named Satan the devil. Their erroneous inference is dependent largely on oral tradition than what the bible actually teaches.

  • sir82
    sir82

    I like turtles.

  • cofty
    cofty
    Jehovah's witnesses believe the tester to have been an evil spirit or leader of fallen angels named Satan the devil.

    All christians believe that. It might be because the bible says so.

  • quincemyles
    quincemyles
    cofty, would you be kind as to provide scriptures that say the tester was a spirit rather than a man?
  • cofty
    cofty

    The Greek word is diabolos which literally means accuser.

    In most if not all occurrences of the word in the NT it refers to imaginary god's imaginary nemesis.

    I am struggling to find the word Pharisee in Matthew 4.

  • neat blue dog
    neat blue dog

    So tell me, who was this 'man' who controls all the kingdoms of the world?

  • freemindfade
    freemindfade

    wait... Jesus was real????


  • Simon
    Simon

    Even the fictional story wouldn't make any sense if it was just a guy - how would he offer him all the kingdoms of the world for instance?

    It would be like me offering the entire US to someone if they gave me a donut. They know I can't deliver.

    Mmnnn, donut.

  • quincemyles
    quincemyles

    Neat blue dog and Simon, "all kingdoms of the world" refers to the kingdoms of Israel, the world of the Jews. High priests were appointed by Herodian kings to rule over Israel. In Luke 4:6, the pharisaic ruler alluded to that acquisition of authority over Israel from a Herodian king. Cofty, That Satan the Devil who tested Jesus Christ with scripture quotes was a human being who wanted to see if Jesus really had what it takes to be a promised Messiah. When Jesus was getting baptized, there were pharisees watching. Matthew 3:7,13. They heard John declare him to be the "lamb that takes away the sin of the world" and a voice from heaven declared him "God's son." John 1:29-34.Then he went fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. Word went around among the Pharisees. Consequently, a Hebrew scholar and ruler went to vet Christ to really see whether what John and the voice from heaven declared was true. If you are the son of God, do so and so the testing went. The tester was not sure if Jesus was really the son of God, so he wanted to see him use the messianic power to prove his son-ship. The tester was someone who respected the bible which is why he respected Jesus' responses with scripture quotes. For suggesting to test God, Jesus called the Hebrew scholar Satan in the same way that he called Peter Satan for suggesting that Christ avoids suffering in Jerusalem at the hands of the elders. Mark 8:31-33, Matt 4:7, Deut. 6:16, 1 Cor. 10:9,

  • cofty
    cofty

    That which can be asserted without evidence.....

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