I was on your official website today, and read the following:
…the Bible teaches that Jesus was created by God.
and
Jesus’ early followers did not view him as being equal to Almighty God.
Admittedly, I knew you believed this before I visited your site. In fact, previous research had revealed to me that you believe Jesus to actually be one and the same as Michael the archangel.
I can’t agree with this.
Could we, in a spirit that honors Jesus, talk about Jesus?
I think we would agree that no topic is of greater importance. Jesus himself said: “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also” (John 8:19; 14:7).
With hopes for meaningful, truth-seeking exchange, I submit for your consideration my latest post, Who Was Jesus of Nazareth? If, after reading it, it seems to you to misrepresent what the Bible teaches about Jesus, would you please share why?
Thank you.
Well, I’m not a Jehovah’s Witness but I will make a point about the belief system. Anytime a jw comes to my door I tell them that I will read the Watchtower if they promise to read John our of either the ESV or NIV rather than from the book they are given, the New World Translation. In reading John inthe NWT, you can’t get past the first verse without a major error. The NIV, ESV, ASV, KJV, NKJV and many others do not err in the same way.
Another good verse to look at in John is Chapter 19:17. All honest translations render the Greek word stauros as cross but the NWT renders the word torture stake. I guess it is pretty handy to mistranslate a word when it agrees with your view that there was no cross. Another example is John 8:58 where every other translation renders the verse “before Abraham was born, I Am” and the NWT incorrectly uses “I have been.”
The NWT is actually not a translation at all, it is a commentary as it does not follow a generally accepted translation process. It is also hard to find out exactly who completed the translation work.
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
@Craig HHey Craig, Just saw your comment. Thanks for chiming in. Though the NWT actually seems to do a good job with some passages, I’m with you that it definitely takes unwarranted liberties at times. One that I stumbled upon several years ago appears in Acts 13:2. There, the NWT reads that the prophets and teachers of Antioch were ministering to “Jehovah.” Any copy of any Greek manuscript will reveal that “Jehovah” is nowhere to be found in the passage. Luke used the word “kurios,” meaning “Lord, lord, master, Sir.”
A couple additional points, from the inspired word:
2 Peter 2:1-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.