What do JWs make of John 5:24?

by jaffacake 2 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  jaffacake

  How do they reconcile this with Watchtower doctrine? Any thoughts?
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  Narkissos

  Watchtower 1978 9/1 p. 16-20

  PASSING

  FROM DEATH TO LIFE NOW

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  On earth Jesus Christ acted as God?s mouthpiece to man. So any hearer?s believing what Jesus the Son of God said was the same as believing what God the Father said. The benefit that this would bring to the Jews who heard Jesus, he indicated when he said the following words to the Jews: "Most truly I say to you, He that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life." How does this come about? Jesus explains by next saying: "Most truly I say to you, The hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who have given heed will live." (John 5:24, 25) Of course, back there those who were literally dead in the graves could not hear Jesus? spoken word and heed it, at the "hour" about which he was speaking. So, of what "dead" ones was Jesus then speaking?

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  Since Jesus said that the "hour" for this to happen "is now," he could only mean those humans who were walking about on earth but who were under the condemnation of death due to imperfection and sinfulness inherited from Adam. From God?s standpoint all mankind in general are "dead"; they have no right to life and the "wages" that sin pays to them is death. (Rom. 6:23) But by hearing and heeding Jesus? "word" they would come out from under God?s condemnation of them to death and would thus, figuratively, ?pass over from death to life.?

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  Because of such a divine provision, the apostle Paul could write to the "holy" believers at Ephesus who were "in union with Christ Jesus" the following words: "Furthermore, it is you God made alive though you were dead in your trespasses and sins . . . God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with the Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses?by undeserved kindness you have been saved?and he raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus, that in the coming systems of things there might be demonstrated the surpassing riches of his [then past] undeserved kindness in his graciousness toward us in union with Christ Jesus."?Eph. 1:1; 2:1, 4-7.

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  Those who were relieved of the condemnation of death and made spiritually alive to sit with Christ Jesus "in the heavenly places" were made members of the congregational body of Christ. They were also formed into a "temple" class in which God could dwell by his holy spirit as in a "holy temple." (Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:20-22) Because of being Christ?s "body," they are specially "in union with Christ Jesus." They need to remain in union with him.?John 15:4.
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  mad max

  This is what I think the wt are saying about the above that if the HEAVENLY CLASS believe in God and Jesus they will be spiritually alive there and then, notice only the HEAVENLY CLASS which they try to prove by quoting ..."seated together in the heavenly places.... Ep 2: 4-7, trying to prove that John 5: 24 is talking not about WHOEVER hears my word and believes but about the heavenly class.Then the same wt says that Eph 2: 20 - 22 means they the heavenly class formed into a "temple class" in which God would dwell his holy spirit as in a "holy temple" and only the heavenly class were Christ Body these ones would pass from death to life spiritually speaking. But now thats not all these ones must remain "in union" with Christ.

  What I gather from John 5: 24, Jesus said that WHOEVER, that anyone who believes will have ETERNAL life and to me that means today to be spiritually alive. Now jw believe that they are the only ones who have the"sayings of life" but Jesus here is saying that if you blieve you will be made alive spiritually, you dont have to be a jw to be S/alive. Eph 2: 11 says these ones wee Gentiles sep. from Christ, now by accepting Christ, Christ spirit IN you (that you and the Spirit) they become ONE. ONE because verse 15 says, his purpose was to create in Himself ONE NEW MAN OUT OF THE TWO.

  IN Christ the whole building is joined together and rises (quickened in the Spirit, being Spiritually alive in Christ) to become a holy temple IN the Lord, (because Christ dwells in us) and in him (Christ) you too are being built together to become a dwelling wn which God lives by his Spirit.

  Then they quote John 15: 4 there bible says "in union with Christ Jesus", wrong it says "remain IN ME and I will remain IN YOU. So just from that one scripture which can be so simple, that today WHOEVER believes will have ETERNAL life and be made SPIRITUALLY alive, but no the wt cannot say that, because as one knows, they do not believe that all have a heavenly hope and it is not whoever, because it is as they believe on JW and thru there org. you are saved. Whee sorry to carry on.

  What is your idea jaffacake on this?