Aiming to glorify Christ, one post at a time.
True Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christians. Here are 3 reasons:
-Bill Fisher (with minor editing from Brian Holda)
In 2 Peter you have these false preachers who seem like they were endorsing a certain form of sensuality and getting others to follow them in this. These false teachers were so intricately part of the fellowship of the church that they were joining in their “love feasts” (time of eating and communion together).
While reading 2 Peter this week, I found myself waiting to hear Peter say “kick them out!!”. Maybe he did and I missed it (or Jude will–which is a sister book to 2 Peter?). And clearly other Scriptures do address confronting and disciplining false teachers (so hear me out on this).
But here, Peter appeals to the patience of God and saints of old who had to bear up with things for a while, but then God confronted them by direct judgment later.
In the same way, we sometimes want to immediately address things that may be really bad… but sometimes God might be working something out that is much greater than we could ever have imagined.
I think of Judas Iscariot. How many of us would have tolerated him for 3.5 years (let alone share the Holy Spirit with him, washed his feet, or made him the treasurer!)? Think of all the damage he could do if he wasn’t ejected? So then the worst case scenario happened: Judas killed Jesus.
But God used this to bring ALL of us unto Him.
I’m telling you–God’s ways are always better than our ways!
I was recently asked about how much Christians should focus or proclaim Jesus versus the other Persons within the Trinity: Father and Holy Spirit.
In other words, does an emphasis on Jesus properly reflect the Biblical teaching that we serve a God who is 3-in-1: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? See Jesus & God.
The following is a response worked out between Jesse Higgins and me.
This prompted me to look up how often the New Testament itself references the 3 persons of the Trinity. I found the following:
Please note that these are ballpark numbers. I did a quick estimate of how many references to remove to make sure it only is talking about THE Father/Jesus/Spirit, but would love if someone wanted to take the time to count the exact.
Look now at John 16:13-24:
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you…
Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
John 16:13-24
This passage shows that the Spirit is here to glorify the Son (and the Son, in turn, glorifies the Father).
An example of this is found in Luke 7:11-17. There Jesus resurrects a boy. The response?
There were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us…God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
Luke 7:16-17
Note that the Holy Spirit opened their eyes to perceive the Truth of this sign, yet they gave honor to the Prophet (Jesus) and glorified God who had visited his people.
Another example is John 6:28-40:
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”…
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Even if the number of times each Person of the Godhead is mentioned was not a crescendo of instances magnifying the Father, we have clear explanations from the Son that the Holy Spirit comes to glorify the Son and in fact, does nothing on His own. The Son, who Himself does nothing on His own, in turn glorifies the Father.
Furthermore, we see the example of the Holy Spirit moving in Power through the signs and wonders of Jesus and in opening their spiritual eyes to perceive the Truth and their reaction is to honor the Son, the Good Teacher, the Prophet and to magnify and glorify God the Father.
The Holy Spirit comes to
Twice the Holy Spirit’s purpose on earth is listed in connection with everyone’s relationship to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living GOD, either as unbelievers or believers, and once in connection to ruler of this world.
Even the authority we are given to ask anything in His name is as the Son. No precedent was set for telling the Holy Spirit to do anything, nor asking in His name. The Holy Spirit is not bereaved by our perceived lack of egalitarianism in the Godhead.
I’d also add an interesting point that Acts mentions baptism in Jesus’ name though Matt 28:19 mentions the Trinity for baptism.
I think it does point that for the Christian, in some way, truly referencing Jesus as Lord-God carries with it Trinitarian implications, if that makes sense.
Finally, if we consider that a goal of God is uniting us with Him through the gospel, think about the fellowship we have with the different Members of the Godhead:
In all this, each Person of the Godhead takes us into greater fellowship with the next. The Spirit unto the marriage banquet. Jesus unto the Father (since He came face-to-face with humans and they lived in a way that didn’t happen with the Father, and his sacrifice made reconciliation unto fellowship with the Father).
There is also something pointing to how rare the fellowship is.
If you think of rarity corresponding with preciousness, they are pointing toward the ultimate, precious fellowship of humans with Father (alongside Son and Spirit).
Just something I was pondering…
Brian (with sections written by Jesse Higgins).
This follows up well with Is Mark 16:9-20 in the Bible?
Another one of those passages that is disputed is John 7:53-8:11 (the woman caught in adultery). Undoubtedly it is a favorite story of many, but a wide swath of Bible scholars would say it was text that was inserted later by someone, and wasn’t in the original version of the gospel of John. At first blush, this might seem enough to dismiss it. However…
I was recently introduced to another article by John Tors that gives a very able defense of this story being in the original gospel of John, and therefore part of God’s authoritative Scripture: A CALL FOR SERIOUS EVANGELICAL APOLOGETICS: The Authenticity of John 7:53-8:11 as a Case Study.
Not only does he persuasively argue for it’s inclusion, but there is a bit of a detective-type mystery that is uncovered at the end. I’ll leave it to you to find out what it says.
But, to also introduce you to a fair argument against John 7:53-8:11, I encourage you to read Daniel Wallace’s Note 140 on John 7 (from NET Bible).
I’d love to hear these 2 debate this. But for now, I’m just reporting, and you can decide.
Brian
Note: this is for EVERYONE on EVERY facet of kingdom living. Not just marriage-divorce situations, though that’s what it is hitting on, firstly.
A friend sent me this excerpt. So this is a transcription by Shannon Maloney of an excerpt from Elisabeth Elliott on an essay entitled, “Is Divorce the Only Way?”:
Remember the martyr Stephen. It was witness that mattered, not self-preservation. Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It was witness that mattered, not self-preservation. I am not referring here to the popular use of the word witness—talking to somebody about his soul’s salvation. I am speaking of a life laid down in obedience, whatever that obedience may entail. Such a life witnesses to love for God.
One who loves him does what he says, cost what it may. Not a hair lost? No, not in terms of the Kingdom. But yes, in this world’s terms, more than a hair—the life itself—may be lost. If it is the Kingdom of Heaven you really want, then you can do only what fits the terms of that Kingdom. You will not be asking, ‘What are my rights?’ Or ‘Will this solve my problem?’ Or ‘What will I gain by this?’ You will be on your knees instead, saying ‘Thy Kingdom come,’ which means ‘My Kingdom go.’
It is very likely that the first task assigned to you will be repentance… After you have done that, you must forgive. You must forgive the other one even if he/she does not forgive you, and cares not at all to be forgiven.
As with the healing of a physical wound, there may need to be both cutting and cleansing before there can be healing. The Word cuts. Taking heed to the Word cleanses. Then God (and only God) does the healing. He creates new life and new flesh.
Does it seem impossible? Then perhaps you’re still thinking in the context of this world. Try the other context, the one in which all things become new and even the dead are raised.
Elizabeth Elliott – “Is Divorce the Only Way?”
Of course this is just an excerpt. I haven’t read the whole thing myself. There are certainly other things to consider on all this (and I’m not sure how much Elliott covers other facets in the essay).
But let’s let this sit with us thoroughly first.
If we don’t start at this place–of setting His kingdom desires over ours, of setting His glory over self-preservation–nothing else said on the topic is worth discussing.
Brian
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