Sea Breeze and others, I notice that the WT is still saying that people are acquitted upon death and I notice that the WT is still saying that those resurrected upon Earth will judged by their deeds performed during the 1,000 years. I see that mentioned in paragraphs 15 through 18 of the study article. There paragraph 18 of 'STUDY ARTICLE 39: Is Your Name in “the Book of Life”?' of the "The Watchtower—Study Edition | September 2022" says the following.
'Based on what “deeds” will resurrected ones be judged? Will it be the deeds they practiced before
they died? No! Remember, they were acquitted of their previous sins
when they died. Here, then, “their deeds” cannot be deeds from their
former life. Rather, these must refer to their deeds in response to
their training in the new world. Even such faithful men as Noah, Samuel,
David, and Daniel will have to learn about Jesus Christ and exercise
faith in his sacrifice. How much more so will the unrighteous!'
Paragraph 16 of the same study article says the following. "What about those who practiced vile things before they died? Although
their sins were canceled at death, they have not established a record of
faithfulness. They do not have their names written in the book of life. ... Only if these unrighteous ones
reject their former wicked course of life and dedicate themselves to
Jehovah can they have their names written in the book of life."
As a result, according to the current WT view the JW woman who killed her family and then committed suicide would still be resurrected, and the suicidal murderous JW woman would be judged by the deeds she committed during the thousand years. According to the article, upon her resurrection her name would not be in the book of life, but that if she rejects a wicked course during the 1,000 years then at the end of the 1,000 years her name could become written in the book of life.
Sea Breeze I appreciate you mentioning that though the NWT says "acquitted" in Romans 6:7 that the KJV says "freed". I notice that the NASB also says "freed" in that verse and that such wording to me seems more in harmony with verses 4-6 of the same chapter.
Folks, I notice that the Life Application Study Bible, New American Standard Bible--Updated Edition (copyright 2000 by Zondervan) says that Christians who have put their faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ are acquitted by Jesus. In the note for Romans 6:6 it says in part the following. 'The power and penalty of sin died with Christ on the cross. Our "old self," our sinful nature, died once for all, so we are freed from its power. .... And it is this power of sin at work in our body that is defeated. Paul has already stated that through faith in Christ we stand acquitted, "not guilty" before God. Here Paul emphasizes that we need no longer live under sin's power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots--we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ (see Galatians 2;20).'
Notice that the Study Bible used the word "acquitted' in reference to what Paul said in Romans prior to Romans 6:6. Maybe the WT wrote "acquitted" (instead of "freed") in the NWT translation of Romans 6:7 due to a misunderstanding of what Paul said in earlier verses in Romans of being acquitted by Jesus, as a result of Christians being baptized metaphorically into Christ's death (verses 3-5).
Notice also that the Study Bible says that 'born again' Christians sometimes will sin, but (according to scripture) they are no longer slaves to sin and/or no longer practice sin. I think that description applies also to devout JWs who have an earthly hope. For example, ever since several years prior to my baptism as a JW (I was raised as a JW from infancy) I have striven to avoid doing sin, though according to the Bible I still committed minor sins from to time. (According to parts of the Bible all humans who ever lived, other than Jesus, have sinned). Several years prior to baptism (while still teen and a minor) I accepted the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and I continued to accept that later while I was a JW and later while I was an independent Christian. That is despite me having the expectation of living on a paradise Earth instead going to heaven. [But in the final two years of me being an independent Christian I thought I might be in heaven for a period time, such as during the great tribulation and maybe also during the 1,000 years.] But how is that striving to avoid doing wrong, and that living a mostly morally good life any different from that of many people who were never Christians, and even of atheists who never were Christians? I think it is no different, except that the motivations might be different in some respects (such as not due to a commitment to Christ).
Many atheists realize that certain actions are bad and unwise and thus rationally strive to avoid doing those actions. For example many atheists have never murdered, never stole, never committed adultery, never committed fornication, are law abiding, and have striven to always tell truth and to avoid being mean, etc.
