Posts Tagged ‘God’

Who Is Jesus Christ

July 9, 2025

AS A FORMER MEMBER of the Watchtower organization the identity of Jesus Christ is a central tenet. Their doctrine teaches: (1) Jesus Christ is not God), (2) Jesus Christ was God’s first creation, (3) Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel. Are these beliefs Scriptural? The purpose of this article is to entertain these questions. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to accept God’s inspired word as their absolute authoritative source. This is what they assert and this is what they claim to believe. These questions will be examined through the lens of Scripture.

Who is Jesus Christ? Watchtower doctrine: (1) Christ is the first creation of God, (2) Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel, (3) Jesus Christ is not God. In other words God the Father created Jesus Christ named him Michael the Archangel and called him “a god.” These are Watchtower tenets. God’s word teaches: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).  Scripture will become our exclusive authoritative unimpeachable source void of Watchtower materials to test, affirm or refute the Organization identity doctrine of Jesus Christ.

God Identifies Jesus Christ

THE Person to ask about the identity of Jesus Christ is His Father. He inspired men to write Scripture. What is Scripture? God’s instructive message to humans. In other words God’s word is our roadmap to life. Our English version of the Bible is a translation from the Greek. To understand what the Greek language is literally communicating buy yourself a Greek English Interlinear and Greek-English Lexicon. There are many to choose from but be careful because of bias. Not all scholars are “honest scholars.” I would highly recommend your home library have a couple sources for comparison purposes. These tools are essential in helping the Bible student glean the true meanings of Greek words used. I will share an example of a Greek-English Lexicon as this article develops.

Hebrews 1:5 tells us: “For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU?” Hebrews 1:5b: “And again, I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”?  God continues at Hebrews 1:6, “And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” Jesus Christ is the Person being spoken of. God explains why His Son is to be worshiped, “BUT of the Son He says, THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM” (Hebrews 1:8).

Verse 9: “THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS.

Greek Word Worship προσκυνέω – proskuneo used at Hebrews 1:6

Greek English Lexicon: Hebrews 1:6 … “worship: “(to prostrate oneself); to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence … b. of homage rendered to God and the ascended Christ, to heavenly beings, and to demons … absol. (our to worship)” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament, by Joseph H. Thayer, pg. 548).

Example Number 2:  “To worship, do obeisance, show respect, fall or prostrate before. Literally, to kiss toward someone, to throw a kiss in token of respect or homage … In the New Testament, generally, to do reverence or homage to someone, usually by kneeling or prostrating oneself before him. In the Septuagint it means to bow down, to prostrate oneself in reverence, homage (Gen. 19:1; 48:12). (II) Spoken of those who pay reverence and homage to deity, render divine honors, worship, adore, with the basic idea of prostration, which, however, is often dropped (cf. Sept.: Gen. 47:31; 1 Kings 1:47). (B) Of the Messiah with the dat. (Hebrews 1:6).” (The Completed WordStudy Dictionary New Testament pg. 1233 -34 by Spiros Zodhiates Th.D.)

The two examples above (1) Greek-English Lexicon by Dr. Thayer (2) Completed WordStudy Dictionary New Testament by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates; both are Greek scholars providing their scholarship definition assessment of the Greek word “worship” used at Hebrews 1:6.

Side Note: Hebrews 1:8,9 is a direct quote from Psalm 45:6,7 which reads: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy fellows.” 

Hebrew text of Psalm 45:6 

כִּסְאֲךָ֣ (kis’aka): “Your throne”

אֱ֭לֹהִים (elohim): “God”

עֹולָ֣ם (olam): “forever”

וָעֶ֑ד (va’ed): “and ever”

שֵׁ֥בֶט (shevet): “a scepter”

מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר (mishor): “of uprightness”

שֵׁ֣בֶט (shevet): “a scepter”

מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ (malkuteka): “of your kingdom”

Hebrew text of Psalm 45:7  

אָהַבְתָּ (ahavta): You have loved.

צֶּדֶק (tzedek): Righteousness.

וַתִּשְׂנָא (vatisna): And you have hated.

רֶשַׁע (resha): Wickedness.

עַל־כֵּן (al-ken): Therefore.

מְשָׁחֲךָ (meshakha): Has anointed you.

אֱלֹהִים (Elohim): God.

אֱלֹהֶיךָ (elohecha): Your God.

שֶׁמֶן (shemen): Oil.

שָׂשׂוֹן (sason): Joy.

מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ (mechavrecha): Above your fellows.

Translation: You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your fellows. 

Context Context Context. It is imperative to read the entire context to glean the meaning of any individual text. What does the context reveal? YHWH aka Yahweh aka “I AM” aka Jehovah aka God the Father talking to His Son calling Him, God, “THY THRONE, O GOD.” He instructs His angels to worship God the Son.

Observation: Understanding Greek and Hebrew words (through Scholarly works) brings clarity to our English translations turning them into lucid translations (clear and easy to understand). For example, Hebrews 1:8,9 quoting Psalm 45:6,7. The Watchtower’s Bible “New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures” translates Hebrews 1:8, “God is your throne …,” and Psalm 45:6, “God is your throne …” The literal translation of both texts are, “Your throne God …”  Here we see God calling His Son, God. To avoid this identity of Christ the Watchtower added the word “is” to the text (not part of the inspired text), and rearranged God’s word sequence (replacing Your throne God with God is your throne) which changes the entire meaning of the passage. This is a deliberate attempt to hide the true identity of Jesus Christ. Their reason is purposeful … to mislead their members and push their Jesus Christ identity doctrine: Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel aka “a god” aka God’s first creation.

Greek text of Hebrews 1:9: “ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν · διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέν σε ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου, ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου”. 

Translation: “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions.” 

To reiterate, Hebrews 1:8,9 is a quote from Psalm 45:6,7 both revealing God the Father addressing His Son, “THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS.”  God the Father addressing His Son calling Him, God.  The angels were told to worship God the Son by the Father. 

Another Example of Word Manipulation:

The Apostle Paul identifies Christ at Colossions 1:16: “for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him.” Verse 17: “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  Here we see two categories (1) Creator, (2) created things. The Apostle Paul places Jesus Christ into category #1, Creator.

The modus operandi (mode of operating) of the Watchtower regarding Jesus Christ is to remove all Scriptural references of His Deity.  Colossians 1:16, 17 is just another example. The Watchtower Bible (NWT) in Colossians purposefully removes Jesus Christ as Creator / Deity through word manipulation.   Notice the brackets at verse 16 and 17: “because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist.”  The word (other) does not appear in this Greek text indicated by brackets.  Brackets alert the reader that the word is not part of the original text.  By adding this word to the text removes Jesus Christ as Creator to one of the things God created.   

The Watchtower Bible attempts to promulgate their Jesus Christ doctrine (a god, Michael the archangel, God’s first creation) by adding words to the text or through word manipulation.  According to  untampered Scripture Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth.  

Greek English Translation Colossians 1:16

16 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα,εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα δι’ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸνἔκτισται,

English: For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

Greek English Translation Colossians 1:17 

17 καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν.

English: He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

Summary: 

Jesus Christ is God.  His Father called Him God and instructed His angels to worship Him.  The Watchtower has attempted to obscure the true identity of Christ through word manipulation and adding words to the original text.   Through the use of a Greek English Interlinear along with Greek and Hebrew scholarly works the Watchtower deception has been exposed.  Use a variety of Greek and Hebrew scholarly sources for comparison purposes.  Never rely on one source.

Jesus Christ Before The Beginning 

My articles are written for Watchtower members in hopes of opening up their minds and hearts to Scripture.  Unfortunately the Organization “brainwashing” techniques have convinced WT members that their Bible (NWT) is Scripture.  Members truly believe that they are reading the most reliable and accurate Bible in the world.  Therefore, their Scripture (NWT Bible) is absolute truth while all others (Bibles not written by the Watchtower) contradicting their NWT is from the devil. This is what they teach and this is what they believe. This is a major stumbling block for all Jehovah’s Witnesses and the power the Watchtower holds over them.  Only God can open their minds and hearts to see the truth.  I can do nothing.  I can only share God’s word and He does the rest.

Getting Back To Our Theme “Who Is Jesus Christ” 

John 1:1: 

Ἐν ἀρχῇ (en archē): “In the beginning” 

ἦν ὁ λόγος (ēn ho logos): “was the Word” 

καὶ (kai): “and” 

ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν (ēn pros ton theon): “was with God” 

καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (kai theos ēn ho logos): “and God was the Word” or “and the Word was God”

“The first important word to consider is the verb ‘was.’ This is in the imperfect tense. It is unfortunate that we do not have a true imperfect tense in English, and therefore it is difficult to translate the Greek imperfect. The Greek verb een, ‘was,’ holds the key to the understanding of John’s statement. This is what we call the durative imperfect of the verb eimi, ‘to be.’ And what does that tense convey to us here? It speaks of a time before the beginning of things. In other words, John tells us that this Logos, this Word, was in existence before the created world. Therefore we would be fully justified in translating this first clause, ‘Before there was a beginning, the Word had been.’

…

The Apostle John, then, is not interested primarily here in who created the world or who existed before the beginning, but since when has this Logos or Word existed? His subject is the eternity of the Word. The emphasis is not on the Word but on the time element, ‘in the beginning,’ and that is why it is placed at the beginning of the verse and of the whole Gospel. If this Logos, Jesus Christ, of whom he is about to speak, did not exist before there was a finite beginning, then the whole foundation falls. Whatever he says will be sheer nonsense. The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness. But we as limited human beings can only think within the limited concepts of time and space. It is hard for us to imagine anything or anybody not bound by them. Yet God, who is free of these boundaries, has to use human language to make us understand His thoughts, as far as that is possible. But the very humanity of the language blurs the divinity of the thought behind it. With God there is neither past, nor present, nor future. God is timeless, yet whatever He says to us has to be put within the periphery of time. He has to give us a starting point, and that starting point He calls, ‘the beginning.’ But we must remember that God Himself is not limited by the beginning of which He makes mention. What John actually implies here is that, when there was no time, the Word was; when no human mind existed, the Word was.

‘Mother, who made God?’ ‘That’s a hard question, Jimmy. Why don’t you go out and play for awhile?’ answered the puzzled mother. But when Jimmy insisted on an answer, the mother was inspired to take off her ring and hand it to her little boy, saying to him, ‘Here, Jimmy, show me the beginning of it and the end of it.’ After careful examination Jimmy turned to his mother and said, ‘But mother, this has no beginning and no end.’ That actually is the meaning of the durative imperfect verb een, ‘was,’ in this first clause of John 1:1.

When John later speaks of John the Baptist and of the coming of the Word to the world in human form (verse 6), he uses an entirely different verb, egeneto, meaning ‘became’ or ‘came,’ which definitely refers to a particular time in an historic setting, for it is the second aorist of the verb ginomai. In other words, there was a time when neither John the Baptist nor Jesus the man were in existence. But there was never a time when Christ, as the Word, the Logos, was not. The verb een, then, found in verses 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence; while the verb egeneto, found in verses 3, 6, 10, and 14, refers to a limited existence. There is a wealth of knowledge in just understanding the distinction between these two verbs in this important passage of John 1:1-18.’” (WAS CHRIST GOD, by Spiro Zodhiates, Chapter 9, pgs. 39-42

FINAL THOUGHTS:

THE SUBJECT under discussion at John Chapter One was not about who created the world but rather when did the Logos/Word come into existence. The Logos/Word was already here before the beginning said John, but that was not what he was underscoring. The emphasis was placed on the time element (in the beginning). “In the Beginning was the Word.”

To help us understand the meaning behind this Greek word used by John (was) Greek Scholar, Spiros Zodhiates, enlightens us: “The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness.” When did the Logos begin to exist? Verses 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence. In other words the Logos/Word had no beginning. The Logos/Word is Eternal.

The Watchtower dances around Scripture. They generally ignore the true meaning of Scripture when it contradicts their tenets and doctrine. John 1:1 is a prime example. To reiterate, the Logos/Word had no beginning. Jesus Christ the man had a beginning yes, but the Logos/Word had no beginning and therefore, is Eternal. The Word is God.  

 God the Son is not to be confused with God the Father or God the Holy Spirit. That topic will be for another time.

We have Scripturally proven (1) Jesus Christ the man had a beginning, (2) The Word / Logos had no beginning, (3) The Word / Logos is Eternal / God.

CLICK ON LINK BELOW:

WHO Is Michael The Archangel


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BEFORE THE BEGINNING

April 28, 2025

JOHN 1:1 TELLS US, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Verse 14 further explains the events after the beginning, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

My articles are primarily directed toward Jehovah’s Witnesses because AS A FORMER MEMBER, I know what they have been taught therefore know what they haven’t. John 1:1 is a perfect example. All Jehovah’s Witnesses fail to understand the subject matter of this Scripture. Let me explain.

WHAT EXISTED BEFORE the beginning?

“The first important word to consider is the verb ‘was.’ This is in the imperfect tense. It is unfortunate that we do not have a true imperfect tense in English, and therefore it is difficult to translate the Greek imperfect. The Greek verb een, ‘was,’ holds the key to the understanding of John’s statement. This is what we call the durative imperfect of the verb eimi, ‘to be.’ And what does that tense convey to us here? It speaks of a time before the beginning of things. In other words, John tells us that this Logos, this Word, was in existence before the created world. Therefore we would be fully justified in translating this first clause, ‘Before there was a beginning, the Word had been.’

…

The Apostle John, then, is not interested primarily here in who created the world or who existed before the beginning, but since when has this Logos or Word existed? His subject is the eternity of the Word. The emphasis is not on the Word but on the time element, ‘in the beginning,’ and that is why it is placed at the beginning of the verse and of the whole Gospel. If this Logos, Jesus Christ, of whom he is about to speak, did not exist before there was a finite beginning, then the whole foundation falls. Whatever he says will be sheer nonsense. The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness. But we as limited human beings can only think within the limited concepts of time and space. It is hard for us to imagine anything or anybody not bound by them. Yet God, who is free of these boundaries, has to use human language to make us understand His thoughts, as far as that is possible. But the very humanity of the language blurs the divinity of the thought behind it. With God there is neither past, nor present, nor future. God is timeless, yet whatever He says to us has to be put within the periphery of time. He has to give us a starting point, and that starting point He calls, ‘the beginning.’ But we must remember that God Himself is not limited by the beginning of which He makes mention. What John actually implies here is that, when there was no time, the Word was; when no human mind existed, the Word was.

…

‘Mother, who made God?’ ‘That’s a hard question, Jimmy. Why don’t you go out and play for awhile?’ answered the puzzled mother. But when Jimmy insisted on an answer, the mother was inspired to take off her ring and hand it to her little boy, saying to him, ‘Here, Jimmy, show me the beginning of it and the end of it.’ After careful examination Jimmy turned to his mother and said, ‘But mother, this has no beginning and no end.’ That actually is the meaning of the durative imperfect verb een, ‘was,’ in this first clause of John 1:1.

When John later speaks of John the Baptist and of the coming of the Word to the world in human form (verse 6), he uses an entirely different verb, egeneto, meaning ‘became’ or ‘came,’ which definitely refers to a particular time in an historic setting, for it is the second aorist of the verb ginomai. In other words, there was a time when neither John the Baptist nor Jesus the man were in existence. But there was never a time when Christ, as the Word, the Logos, was not. The verb een, then, found in verses 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence; while the verb egeneto, found in verses 3, 6, 10, and 14, refers to a limited existence. There is a wealth of knowledge in just understanding the distinction between these two verbs in this important passage of John 1:1-18.'” (WAS CHRIST GOD, by Spiro Zodhiates, Chapter 9, pgs. 39-42)

FINAL THOUGHTS:

THE SUBJECT under discussion at John Chapter One was not about who created the world but rather when did the Logos/Word come into existence. The Logos/Word was already here before the beginning said John, but that was not what he was underscoring. The emphasis was placed on the time element (in the beginning). “In the Beginning was the Word.”

To help us understand the meaning behind this Greek word used by John (was) Greek Scholar, Spiros Zodhiates, enlightens us: “The verb een, in the durative imperfect, takes the Word far back of the created world, farther than can be imagined by our finite minds. In it there is the concept of eternity. Eternity is timelessness.” When did the Logos begin to exist? Verses 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10, indicates continuous existence. In other words the Logos/Word had no beginning. The Logos/Word is Eternal.

The Watchtower dances around Scripture. They are generally not interested in the true meaning of Scripture especially when it contradicts their kind of ideology. John 1:1 is a prime example. To reiterate, the Logos/Word had no beginning regardless of what the Watchtower teaches. When the Watchtower attempts to prove their ideology through textual manipulation (using another Scripture), never ever forget and always remember, God will never contract Himself. Jesus Christ the man had a beginning but the Logos/Word had none!

After examining the meaning of the Greek word “was” in the context of John Chapter One we find that the Logos/Word had no beginning. In other words, not created (unlike Watchtower teachings). The Logos/Word is Eternal. This is something Jehovah’s Witnesses have not been taught.

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HERMENEUTICS: THE Art & Science of Biblical Interpretation

April 17, 2025

THREE Most Important Rules of Biblical Interpretation: Context, Context, Context!!!

There are many ways to interpret Scripture and because Scripture is literature, it often includes figures of speech.

Literal (understanding and interpreting things in their most basic, factual, and direct sense, without considering any figurative or metaphorical meaning).

Metaphorical (using it to symbolize or stand for another thing).

Allegorical (containing a moral or hidden meaning).

Figurative (any figure of speech statement or phrase not intended to be taken literally).

Symbolism (the idea that things can represent other things).

Hermeneutics; THE Art & Science of Biblical Interpretation. Five principles to follow:

(1) Historical

(2) Cultural

(3) Authors intent / purpose of the message.

(4) Application   

(5) Context, Context, Context!!!

We read Scripture because we want to learn and grow closer to our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Men wrote the Bible books but God was the Author. God’s communication skills are stellar. He knows what to say and how to say it. There is always a purpose for His messages. We take His word at face value. The literal interpretation is always applied first. The others (metaphorical, allegorical, figurative, symbolism) would be applied if the literal application was not tenable.

Example of Correct and Incorrect Hermeneutics

AS A FORMER MEMBER of the Watchtower Organization I draw from many examples of incorrect hermeneutical interpretations and applications. One very serious one is found at Matthew 25:45, “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?” The Watchtower hermeneutical interpretation asserts that God appointed them to represent this “faithful slave” as His sole communication tool. They also purport to know the exact number of “faithful slaves,” 144,000. There is a small group of these “slaves” which govern all the rest. Is their interpretation and application of Matthew 24:45 correct?

Gleaning the true meaning of Scripture requires an accurate assessment of what the context is communicating. Let me repeat that in another way, context, context, context. The “key” to understanding any isolated text is contingent upon knowing what the surrounding context is communicating. It is surrounded by a context for a reason.

There are three problems with the Watchtower’s application: (1)The text and context fails to communicate a named organization, (2) The text and context reveals no specific number, (3) The Watchtower hides the true meaning of the text.

APPLYING THE RULES OF HERMENEUTICS TO MATTHEW 24:45

(1) Historical: First century.

(2) Cultural: Jews.

(3) Author’s Intent / Purpose of the message: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

(4) Application: To All Servants of Jesus Christ.

The Context Reveals The Purpose Of The Discourse, “The Sign of His Coming” Matthew 24:29-31 reads: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (vs.30) And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. (vs.31) And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

No one knows the day or hour of His return but the context does reveal signs to observe (Matthew 24:32-25:46), “The fig tree” (Matthew 24:32-35), “The days of Noah” (Matthew 24:36-39), “The two” (Matthew 24:40-41), “The faithful head of the house” (Matthew 24-42-44), “The wise slave” (Matthew 24:45-51).

The Faithful and Unfaithful Servants (Matthew 24:45-51)

[45]“This parable follows naturally from the previous teaching. Christ’s Second Coming will be like God’s coming in judgment in the days of Noah. A catastrophic separation will occur between the righteous and the wicked. It will come suddenly; no one knows the day or the hour, and therefore the appropriate response is to watch constantly. The ‘evil servant’ who expects his lord to delay his return (v. 48) and does not watch for him is cut off when the master returns, just as unbelievers will be cut off when Christ returns as a thief in the night to gather His own. The ‘faithful and wise servant,’ on the other hand, waits for his master with eager anticipation (vv/ 45, 46).” Exegetical Commentary on Matthew by Spiro Zodhiates, pgs 420, 421

To understand the Greek meanings of words I use the authority of Greek Scholar Dr. Spiro Zodhiates. The numbers listed after the Greek words are identifying references found in any Greek-English Lexicon.

“Jesus contrasted the ‘faithful’ (pistos [4103] and ‘prudent’ (phronimos [5429]slave here with the ‘bad‘ (kakos [2556] one in verse 48. The faithful (pistos) servant has the faith (pistos [4102] to believe that Jesus told the truth about God and about His own Person and work.

We are told that the master delegated rule to this servant. He is … given charge [from kathistemi {2525} from kata [2596], according to; and histemi {2476}, to stand, establish] over [epi {1909}, upon] his household to the care [therapeias, the genitive of therapeia {2322}, compassionate care] of them by giving [from didomi {1325}, to give] them food at the right time [from kairos {2540}, proper season]. (v. 45; a.t.)

Instead of ‘care’ (from therapeia), the the United Bible Society’s and Nestle’s texts read ‘domestic affairs’ (from oiketeia [3610] — a type of care appropriately qualified by the context). The faithful and prudent servant carefully attends to the domestic affairs of his household and thus is ready for the coming of his lord at any time. He not only meets schedules but, according to Luke 12:42, he gives proper portions of food (sitometrion [4620] for sitos [4621], wheat; and metron [3358], measure). This is not restricted to food alone but no doubt extends to all physical and spiritual needs of the household.

[46] A further simile of the faithful and prudent servant of Jesus Christ is given in the term makarios (3107), blessed — the beatitude word that means to be indwelt by God and thereby fully satisfied. … ‘Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh [elthon, the aorist participle of erchomai {2064}; cf. Luke 12:43] shall find so doing.’ The aorist tense here underscores Christ’s appearance at any time.

We believers who are truly blessed should serve the Lord with faith and prudence every waking moment of our lives so that when Christ does appear suddenly, we will be “caught” doing (from poieo [4160], ‘continually doing’) the right thing.

[47] The master rewards the faithful and prudent servant with extensive sovereignty over his kingdom: Verily [amen {281}, truly] I say unto you, that over [epi {1909}, upon] all things of his possessions [huparchousin, the neuter plural dative present active participle of huparcho {5225}, to be, belong to], he will establish [from kathistemi {2521}] him. (a.t.)

[48, 49] The adversative ‘but’ (de [1161]) introduces another servant who contrasts vividly with the ‘faithful and prudent one’ … The evil of the servant is twofold. The first is internal — a belief with a bad attitude: My lord is taking his time — procrastinating! This, of course, is false, and it brings to light this servant’s faithlessness against the faithfulness of the other servant. The second is external — two actions that issue from this bad attitude and belief: He beats his fellow servants and gets drunk with other drunkards, his new associates. The evil servant’s ‘unwise’ mind contrasts with the ‘prudent’ (phronimos) mind of the other servant.

True believers in Christ do not have these beliefs, attitudes, or actions. They believe their Lord’s coming is imminent because that is what He taught, and He always spoke the truth. Interestingly, Jesus connected a denial of the imminence of His Second Coming with bad attitudes and actions. The evil servant’s use of chronizei (My lord delays [chronizei, the present tense of chronizo {5549} associated with the noun chronos {5550}, a space of time] his coming) carries a sarcastic tone. Its not a neutral but an attitudinal statement that implies his lord’s procrastination and an excuse to behave irresponsibly.

[50] The master of the evil servant returns suddenly without warning: The lord of that servant shall come [from heko {2240}, to appear, arrive, become present] in a day when he does not look [from prosdokao {4328}, to expect] for him, and in an hour that he does not know [from ginosko {1097}, to experientially know]. (a.t.)

It is evident that the hypocrite, described here as an example of those who confess Christ with their mouths but accuse Him of delay in their hearts, are unbelievers and behave accordingly. They do not really expect (prosdokao) Christ’s Second Coming at any time. The text does not say that such evil servants do not look at all for the master’s return; in fact, the wording, ‘in a day when [they] look not for him,’ implies that they were looking on other days. It was a good start with slow deterioration. At first they look every day; but then as time passes, they look intermittently, then finally not at all. The day they give up is the day they begin to beat their fellow servants.

(51) The master will punish the evil servant at this unexpected return.” (Exegetical Commentary on Matthew by Spiro Zodhiates, pgs 420 – 425)

Summary:

(1) How To understand an isolated Scripture? Context, context, context! The context of Matthew 24:45 is revealed at Matthew 24:3, “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'”

(2) Parables: The parables illustrate the peoples attitudes toward His coming and what will happen when He comes.

(3) Blessings: Verse 45 is the parable of the servant. The careless servant will be severely judged as an unbeliever, in contrast to the good servant who will be rewarded by his Lord.

(4) The Parable of Matthew 24:45 speaks and applies to all servants of Jesus Christ.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As demonstrated, the Watchtower’s hermeneutical interpretation of Matthew 24:45 referring to their Organization, exclusively, is an excellent example of incorrect hermeneutics. The only identifying marks God provides: “faithful and unfaithful.” The 144,000 number application also lacks context authority. There is absolutely no number given of faithful or unfaithful slaves. In other words, the Watchtower’s dogma (misleading false teachings) did not pass the hermeneutical test. The word nefarious comes to mind.

The big takeaway for me is the contrast of attitudes between these two “slaves.” The “evil servant” expects his lord to delay his return as reflected by his attitude. The “faithful and wise servant,” on the other hand, waits for his master with eager anticipation. This is a sobering reminder to all Christians. We must look for His return with great eagerness and anticipation every single day! In so doing means eternal blessings from God the Son, Jesus Christ.

I believe one of the most important things Christians should learn is hermeneutics. This will safeguard them from false teachers and cults.  

   

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The Evolution Position Falls To Utter Absurdity

April 12, 2017

Hello, Cochise here …

Christians often struggle with evolutionists.  The 45 minute video, below, will end that struggle!

 

God Bless All of Us!!

Your brother in The Lord,

Cochise Pendleton

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBPpmNobdt8

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Blood Transfusions

December 20, 2014

Does The Bible Prohibit Blood Transfusions?

The purpose of addressing this particular subject is to allow the Bible to answer the question: “Does The Bible Prohibit Blood Transfusions?” The Watchtower declares that Jehovah forbids blood transfusions. While the Watchtower policy changes from time to time, one fact remains — their membership fears the Organization’s wrath if they accept a blood transfusion. Therefore, I wish to bring biblical clarity to this topic.

First and foremost, we never want to oppose God’s Inspired Word. His Word is absolute and non-negotiable. With that in mind, we look at whether the Bible forbids life-saving blood transfusions, as the Watchtower suggests.

The Organization insists that God’s Word condemns human to human blood transfusions. They base this upon the supposed authority of Acts 15:29. But does this Scripture actually affirm their position, or is the Organization improperly isolating one Scripture from its surrounding context and creating a man-made doctrine?

Acts 15:29 states as follows:

“that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

When interpreting an isolated Scripture (those pulled out of their original context), its primary source must be examined. Understanding the surrounding context is the key to unlocking the meaning of the text. Therefore, a variety of questions must be asked:

(1)    What is the historical event?
(2)    Who is the passage speaking to?
(3)    Why was the content necessary?
(4)    How does it apply to me?

By asking these types of questions, we discover the true purpose of the message being delivered. This, in turn, reveals the actual meaning of the isolated scripture being quoted. So let us apply these questions to Acts 15:29:

1.     What is the historical event?

The Gentiles were accepting Christ, and certain Jews were demanding that the Gentiles become circumcised and be directed to observe the Law of Moses, as seen below at Acts 15:1, 3, 5:

verse 1: “And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’”

verse 3: “Therefore, being sent on their way by the Church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.”

verse 5: “But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who have believed, stood up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.’”

As we see from these beginning verses of Acts 15, a wonderful thing was happening — Gentiles were being saved by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We also see how certain Christian Jews (a sect of the Pharisees) became annoyed. The Christian Jews were telling these new Gentile believers that their salvation was contingent upon being circumcised. They also said that these Gentiles needed to observe the Law of Moses.

2.    Who is the passage speaking to?

The apostle Peter answers this by refuting the words of this certain sect of the Pharisees:

“And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the words of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.’” (Acts 15:7-11)

Peter’s words help us to appreciate that “through the grace of the Lord Jesus” we are saved. He also points out that these Christian Jews were “placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.” There was no need to circumcise these new Gentile believers in order for them to receive salvation — simply accepting Christ was enough. [As a side note, this reminds me of the yoke of the Watchtower. Their yoke of rules improperly make salvation contingent upon behavior, as if accepting Christ alone is not sufficient.]

3.    Why was the content necessary?

The content was necessary because of the spiritual weakness of some Jewish believers. So James recommended this at Acts 15:19:

“Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.”

Acts 15:22-29 is what the Holy Spirit decided upon, with the final resolution set forth in verses 28 and 29:

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: “that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

The context of Acts 15 and the final resolution of the council are very specific and abundantly clear. This sect of Christian Jews wanted the new Gentile believers to follow certain aspects of the Law of Moses; however, since we are no longer under the Law (which was replaced with Grace), the Jerusalem Council only imposed certain restraints. One of those was the blood issue.

Now in order to fully understand the application of Acts 15:29, we must look to the original blood restriction under the Law of Moses. In other words, what kind of blood was the Mosaic Law referring to:

Leviticus 17:13-16:

“So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ And when any person eats an animal which dies, or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien, he shall wash his cloths and bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening; then he will become clean.” [Emphasis added.]

Even prior to the Law of Moses, Jehovah similarly instructed Noah:

Genesis 9:2-4

“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the terror of you shall be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.’”

Now that we have examined the entire context of Act 15, thereby shining God’s light of truth over our subject, the interpretation of Acts 15:29 becomes evident. The Law of Moses prohibited the eating of animal blood. The Bible is totally silent on accepting human blood. Even Orthodox Jews have no problem with human-to-human blood transfusions.

To add to this, Greek scholar Dr. Spiros Zodhiates comments on Genesis 9:8-17 (Hebrew Greek Study Bible, pg. 14):

“Throughout history God has dealt with man through covenants or agreements. Later the Jews regarded this covenant between God and Noah as the basis of the relationship between God and all mankind, but the covenants with Abraham and with Moses at Mount Sinai were seen as forming the basis of God’s special relationship with Israel. Some believe that the stipulations laid on the Gentiles in Acts 15:20,29 find some of their source here in the covenant between God and Noah. In spite of the fact that the distinction between clean and unclean animals existed (Gen. 7:2), God allowed the eating of any plant or animal. The only restriction was the eating of animal blood, for that is where the life of the animal resided (Gen. 9:4). Later Israel was forbidden to eat not only blood but also the flesh of certain animals. The Lord removed the clean-unclean distinction from food altogether (Mk. 7:15; Acts 10:15). [Emphasis added.]

As you can see, Dr. Zodhiates affirms the animal blood restriction. Human blood was not the topic under the Law … His conclusion is in complete harmony with Scripture, unlike the Watchtower’s position.

Jehovah’s Word fails to lend any support to the Watchtower’s human blood doctrine, so we are left to wonder. Since God’s word is absolute and non-negotiable, who gave the Watchtower permission to add human blood to the text? The Author of Scripture certainly did not. If Jehovah meant to include human blood in the restriction, He would have said so. Since His restriction was limited only to animal blood, why does the Watchtower continue to masquerade this doctrine in the name of Christianity? Whatever the answer, it is abundantly clear that the Watchtower’s man-made blood doctrine is nothing more than that … man-made. The Inspired writings of Scripture reveal that the Watchtower dogma on this topic goes beyond God’s Inspired Word.

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Who Are The Toes in Daniel 2 …

July 11, 2013

Hello EVERYONE!!  I have been so busy with so many things, like making a living, teaching on Christianity 101, Bible studies, family, and the like, and which, has taken so much of my time that my articles have suffered.  I am so sorry!!  Now that I am also involved with taking seminary classes every Thursday evenings, more is added to my plate … BUT not to worry.  I have always wanted to take seminary instruction and have found just the person. My learning will be passed on to ALL-of-YOU!!

My next article will focus on the toes of Daniel chapter 2.  I thought it would be a GREAT topic in lieu of our global situation (Israel).  The article is coming soon.

 

God Bless EVERYONE!!

YOUR BROTHER, COCHISE

 

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Cochise Reveals How To Turn Rags To Riches In This Economy!

July 6, 2013

How To Turn Rags To Riches

THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE 

The power of the people is the secret ingredient for turning rags into riches.  Once this simple formula is set in motion, the power generated becomes an unstoppable force.  As a 50-ton locomotive speeds down the railroad track, the energy it produces will push all obstacles from its path.  In like manner, “THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE” is able to create an unmovable reckoning force (try and stop a million people running down the street toward you).  

This Article Will Reveal … HOW …

“The POWER of The PEOPLE” Will Put YOU On The Path To Financial Freedom! 

Let me start by asking a question: If someone handed you a hundred dollar bill and said, “Here, take it, it’s yours.”  How would you respond?  Would you automatically assume the money was counterfeit and reject the offer, or accept the generous gift because you could use the money?

Ironically, people who are offered a sure thing will generally reject it.  Why … why would anyone say no to a sure thing?  The answer is simple: disbelief. Although the human psyche wants more of what life has to offer, disbelief stands in our way.  Conditioning (too good to be true) and lack of self-confidence are other common reasons. People walk through life doubting themselves and opportunities they encounter because of disbelief (like the man giving you a hundred dollar bill).

Rid Yourself of Doubt and Cynicism … and Start To Believe! 

The movie “The Matrix” is a perfect example.  Morpheus could only show Neo the door … Neo had to open it himself, remember?  Once Neo started to believe in himself, he evolved into “the ONE.”  Once he believed, not even gravity could keep him on the ground.  The impossible became possible … His reality changed forever!

Each one of us has the power to make a difference.  Together, “THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE” creates a force so powerful (like the locomotive), that it unleashes a creative synergy that cannot be stopped.  Anyone tapping into this power source will be able to overcome any obstacle in their path, and when used properly, it can transform your life for good, and turn Rags to Riches!

Are you ready to believe (like Neo)?  Are you ready to accept the proverbial 100-dollar bill?  Are you ready to become part of this secret formula?  Are you ready to become an important link in this chain, “THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE?”  If you are, here’s how …

The power of the people IS the magic ingredient that we ALL need in this economy.  How so?  Leverage!  Everyone on the same proverbial train track is GUARANTEED Success if they use the “POWER-of-The-PEOPLE.”  So STOP doubting and START believing!!

 

How To Turn Rags To Riches With Pure Leverage 

Now, we have arrived at what we have all been waiting for.  How to make lots of guaranteed money and have fun along the way.

The Pure Leverage opportunity costs about $45.00 a month ($24.95 a month for the tools, and another $19.97 a month for all selling rights).

Any person you directly sponsor must pay the $24.95 a month ($19.97 reselling rights are optional).  Your initial commission is 100%.  What does that mean?  Simply this: Your commission for bringing in someone is what they paid to come in ($24.95) plus ½ of that amount every month thereafter.  So how many people do you want to directly sponsor?

Second, you will receive (for doing nothing by the way) 50% of the income generated by those you directly sponsor. What does that mean?  Let’s say, for illustration purposes, that you sponsored me into Pure Leverage.  Then I create a HUGE organization (using the POWER-of-The-PEOPLE) and sponsor in hundreds of people, personally making $20,000 dollars a month.  Because you sponsored me in, you receive 50% of whatever I earn … in this scenario, you just earned $10,000 dollars this month off of me.  NOW how many people do you want to directly sponsor?

The POWER of The PEOPLE is when everyone works together to accomplish the same goal.  In this case, financial freedom!  It is a duplication of efforts through the people you sponsor, and the people they sponsor, etc.  When everyone works synergistically for a common cause, SUCCESS is GUARANTEED!!

The POWER of The PEOPLE can and WILL turn anyone’s Rags to Riches!!

Learn More AND How To Start Today: www.InternetToolSuite.com

 

 

 

 

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The Bible Verses Watchtower Doctrines

March 16, 2013

Hello everyone.  Here are some of the soon-to-be-posted articles that will appear on my site and which, will all be biblically analyzed.    The topics will include but are not limited to:

Who are the 144,000?

Heaven and Hell

How To Receive Eternal Salvation … How The Gift is Given

The Purpose of The Great Tribulation

Armageddon

What is a Christian (According to Jesus Christ)

The 1,000 year reign of Christ

The Faithful and Discreet Slave

The Trinity Doctrine (Who is Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and  Holy Spirit)

These are but a few more subjects that will be biblically addressed in article form, and posted here on The Bible Vs The Watchtower …

 

Your brother in Christ,

Cochise

 

 

 

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GOD’S SALVATION PLAN

July 22, 2012

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian Church at 2 Corinthians 11:4, warns of another gospel and another Jesus.  How important then is Christ’s true identity to my salvation?  Very important, since those who reject Christ’s true identity remain in their sins.  Below are key scriptures that inform us of Jesus Christ’s true identity:

First, in the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ tells the world who He is, and why we must believe Him.  It reads:

 “I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.” John 8:24

(According to Greek Scholar, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, most authorities associate this with Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM.”)

Second, in John 8:58, we learn:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

There is no misunderstanding here.  Those who deny Christ’s true identity (according to the words of Jesus Christ) shall die in their sins.  That being said, salvation (forgiveness of our sins) comes only to those who accept His true identity, that is, that Jesus was God in the flesh.

According to Dr. Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, in his book Systematic Theology (p. 543):

“Although the word theos, “God,” is usually reserved in the New Testament for God the Father, nonetheless, there are several passages where it is also used to refer to Jesus Christ.  In all of these passages the word “God” is used in the strong sense to refer to the one who is the Creator of heaven and earth, the ruler over all.”

The passages referenced by Dr. Grudem include the following:

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:1

 “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God , who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
John 1:18

“Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”
John 20:28

“Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”
Titus 2:13

“But of the Son He says, ‘THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.”
Hebrews 1:8 (quoting from Psalm 45:6)

“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:1

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”
Col. 2:9

Why Was Jesus’ Deity Necessary For Salvation?

 “Here it is appropriate to recognize that it is crucially important to insist on the full deity of Christ … not only because it is clearly taught in Scripture, but also because (1) only someone who is infinite God could bear the full penalty for all the sins of all those who would believe in him – any finite creature would have been incapable of bearing that penalty; (2) salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2:9 NASB), and the whole message of Scripture is designed to show that no human being, no creature, could ever save man – only God himself could; and (3) only someone who was truly and fully God could be the one mediator between God and man (Tim. 2:5), both to bring us back to God and also to reveal God most fully to us (John 14:9).”  (Systematic Theology, p. 553.)

In conclusion, God’s salvation plan was becoming a Man.  The biblical teaching of God becoming man (the Incarnation, although this word is not in scripture), is a major tenet of Christianity.  To deny this fact of scripture is, to state it bluntly, nothing less than heresy.  Our salvation is contingent upon God becoming a man.  Therefore, tantamount to our salvation is recognizing the true identity of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is, God in the flesh.

 

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