The False Teachings Of The Jehovah's Witnesses

[Overitall]

2 Timothy 2
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.


But who can say for certain the difference between the spirit and soul?
Thus to me, it becomes a futile chatter.



Like I said - whatever definition or differentiation we try to give - it wouldn't change the outcome:

The spirit returns to GOD when a Christian dies.
That's the fact that's clearly shown in the Bible.

It would change the doctrines of many if the words "spirit" and "soul" was not conflated. Instead of believing their departed loved ones were alive in heaven (or paradise -- another typical conflated term) they would have to consider that the appearance of the departed one was actually a devil spirit masquerading as the departed.

 

[tosca1]

It would change the doctrines of many if the words "spirit" and "soul" was not conflated. Instead of believing their departed loved ones were alive in heaven (or paradise -- another typical conflated term) they would have to consider that the appearance of the departed one was actually a devil spirit masquerading as the departed.

I don't know if anyone believe that dead loved ones are physically with God.
Maybe, some fringe denomination.

But, by how the Bible had said it, dead loved ones (Christians), are with GOD.
And based on the Parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the spirit have consciousness.
So, in that sense - it's not off the mark to believe dead loved ones are alive, and with God.
It doesn't make it wrong for anyone to believe that.

Many folks conflate soul and spirit.
I'm one of them, sometimes.
I don't find anything wrong with that.

 

[Overitall]

I don't know if anyone believe that dead loved ones are physically with God.

But, by how the Bible had said it, dead loved ones (Christians), are with GOD.
And based on the Parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the spirit have consciousness.

If the dead (in any form) are already in heaven then 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” makes no sense.

 

[tosca1]

If the dead (in any form) are already in heaven then 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” makes no sense.

Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul? – Q&A for July 29, 2021 - Enduring Word

Today's lead topic is, "Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul?" Pastor David will answer several questions from readers.

enduringword.com

 

[Daisy]

Many folks conflate soul and spirit.
I'm one of them, sometimes.
I don't find anything wrong with that.

God does...

 

[Overitall]

look - no one can really say what the real difference is between the two.
Thar's my point.

Sure we can see the difference. The soul is something our parents give us. The spirit is something God gives us.

 

[Daisy]

Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul? – Q&A for July 29, 2021 - Enduring Word

Today's lead topic is, "Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul?" Pastor David will answer several questions from readers.

enduringword.com

Your point is wrong...

 

[tosca1]

Sure we can see the difference. The soul is something our parents give us.

That's your personal opinion.
It's wrong, though.



@Daisy


Our soul came from GOD.


But the Bible says all human life is sacred and has dignity—and the reason is because God has implanted His image (i.e., a soul) within every one of us.
Furthermore, the Bible says He did this long before we were born—not afterward, nor at birth. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).
The psalmist declared, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

Does God give us a soul when we are born, or at some later time?

Billy Graham writes, "The Bible says all human life is sacred and has dignity—and the reason is because God has implanted His image (i.e., a soul) within every one of us. Furthermore, the Bible says He did this long before we were born—not afterward, nor at birth."

billygraham.org

See what I mean?
Lol - your assumption about what a soul is, is dead wrong!






ii. However, it is important to understand what the Bible means with the terms soul and spirit.

• The Bible tells us that people have an “inner” and an “outer” nature (Genesis 2:7, 2 Corinthians 4:16).
• The inner man is described by both the terms spirit (Acts 7:59, Matthew 26:41, John 4:23-24) and soul (1 Peter 2:11, Hebrews 6:19, Hebrews 10:39).
• These two terms are often used the same way, as a general reference to the inner man.
• But this is not always the case. Sometimes a distinction is made between soul and spirit.
• We can say that soul seems to focus more on individuality regarding the inner life (often defined as the mind, the will, and the emotions).
• The spirit seems to focus more on supernatural contact and power in the inner life.

Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul? – Q&A for July 29, 2021 - Enduring Word

Today's lead topic is, "Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul?" Pastor David will answer several questions from readers.

enduringword.com

What Does the Bible Say About the Soul?​

Our Bible says much about the soul. The Outline of Biblical Usage states the soul is portrayed in the Bible as a living being, the seat of the appetites, emotions, and passions, and the activity of the mind, will, and character.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary denotes four main uses for the word soul:

- To indicate meanings of desire (Psalms 25:1; 42:2)

- A personal or individual being (Genesis 12:5; Leviticus 2:1)

- A conscious self (Leviticus 11:44-45)

- An emotional state (Genesis 26:35; Job 21:4; Ecclesiastes 7:9)

What Does the Bible Say about the Soul? - Topical Studies

As human beings created in the image of God, our souls were given by God when He breathed life into the first man — Adam. No breath of God, no life....

www.biblestudytools.com

 

[Overitall]

That's your personal opinion.
It's wrong, though.



@Daisy


Our soul came from GOD.


But the Bible says all human life is sacred and has dignity—and the reason is because God has implanted His image (i.e., a soul) within every one of us.
Furthermore, the Bible says He did this long before we were born—not afterward, nor at birth. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).
The psalmist declared, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

Does God give us a soul when we are born, or at some later time?

Billy Graham writes, "The Bible says all human life is sacred and has dignity—and the reason is because God has implanted His image (i.e., a soul) within every one of us. Furthermore, the Bible says He did this long before we were born—not afterward, nor at birth."

billygraham.org

See what I mean?
Lol - your assumption about what a soul is, is dead wrong!






ii. However, it is important to understand what the Bible means with the terms soul and spirit.

• The Bible tells us that people have an “inner” and an “outer” nature (Genesis 2:7, 2 Corinthians 4:16).
• The inner man is described by both the terms spirit (Acts 7:59, Matthew 26:41, John 4:23-24) and soul (1 Peter 2:11, Hebrews 6:19, Hebrews 10:39).
• These two terms are often used the same way, as a general reference to the inner man.
• But this is not always the case. Sometimes a distinction is made between soul and spirit.
• We can say that soul seems to focus more on individuality regarding the inner life (often defined as the mind, the will, and the emotions).
• The spirit seems to focus more on supernatural contact and power in the inner life.

Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul? – Q&A for July 29, 2021 - Enduring Word

Today's lead topic is, "Is There a Difference Between the Spirit and the Soul?" Pastor David will answer several questions from readers.

enduringword.com

Well this is another one we'll have to agree to disagree. I see a very clear distinction between a soul and the spirit.

 

[tosca1]

Well this is another one we'll have to agree to disagree. I see a very clear distinction between a soul and the spirit.

I'm not saying you don't see a clear distinction between it.
You have your own visual (opinion) about it.

I'm saying, what you see - you say, the soul is given by parents - is wrong.


I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill about it......................after all.............is God so anal about us knowing the difference between soul and spirit?

What God wants us to believe is that, the spirit of the dead returns to Him for safekeeping.
Spirit of the dead have consciousness!

That there is indeed a place of bliss, and a place of torment!
Those are the clear things that GOD wants us to believe!

 

[Daisy]

Well this is another one we'll have to agree to disagree. I see a very clear distinction between a soul and the spirit.

Agreed...the Bible makes a clear distinction...

 

[Overitall]

I'm not saying you don't see a clear distinction between it.
You have your own visual (opinion) about it.

I'm saying, what you see - you say, the soul is given by parents - is wrong.

We inherent all of our parents DNA. Part of that DNA includes the soul. It's not spiritual. It's material. God had nothing* to do with our existence -- my mom and dad "created" me.

*Ultimately God is responsible for all life.

 

[eman623]

Sorry @tosca1but this was not a straight answer. In fact it’s a non answer. Let me rephrase it.

Has anyone that has died (outside of Jesus) been raised from the dead and have made an appearance to people that knew them? Just answer yes or no without the spin.

Lazarus?

 

[tosca1]

We inherent all of our parents DNA. Part of that DNA includes the soul.

Where does it say that?
What science book says that.............and where in the Bible does it say that?

It's not spiritual. It's material.

That's a contradiction - especially when you claim the DNA includes the soul.

*Ultimately God is responsible for all life.

That, we can agree.
It all started in Genesis 1.

 

[eman623]

For the record, JWs believe that for most people when you die, that's it. You're gone. Nothing.

The 144,000 are one exception to this. When they die they go straight to heaven. Enoch also went straight to heaven. Everyone else, including Moses and Abraham and King David are nothing now.

But it's okay if you're in the group that's dead and gone, because after the battle of Armageddon, everyone who died before the battle will be resurrected and given a thousand years to perfect themselves in mind and body. After that, there will be a second culling. That's where the wailing and gnashing of teeth comes in, and the perfected beings can point at and sneer at (in a perfect way of course) the ones going to final annihilation. Then there will be endless orthodoxy and singing Jehovah's praises for eternity. Which sounds like a hellish existence to me, but what do I know. I'm not perfect.

Oh, and if you're still an unbeliever when the Antichrist makes himself known, then it's too late. All JW evangelical work will stop then. It's no longer needed. Any non-believers killed at Armageddon will stay dead. That's the hook. Sign up now because this is a limited time offer. And the Antichrist is coming any day now. Any day. I know they've been saying that for a century, but really. Any minute now.

Or I suppose you could kill yourself now and be resurrected.

 

[eman623]

And yes, JW's believe you are a soul, which is why when you die, your soul dies.

 

[Overitall]

Lazarus?

I should've been more specific. I'm thinking of those still alive. Lazarus is dead.

 

[Overitall]

Where does it say that?
What science book says that.............and where in the Bible does it say that?

You have to conflate the soul and the spirit to get to your conclusion. Nothing in the Bible states that He personally is involved in our existence. My mom and dad did that all by themselves. I inherited everything within me from them. If the soul is not spiritual then it's material. Are you prepared to state that atheists have a soul that will return to God from where it came? If they had a soul what was the point of Jesus being crucified? They already had a connection to God.

Enough said from me.

That's a contradiction - especially when you claim the DNA includes the soul.









That, we can agree.
It all started in Genesis 1.

 

[Revelation]

I'm not saying you don't see a clear distinction between it.
You have your own visual (opinion) about it.

I'm saying, what you see - you say, the soul is given by parents - is wrong.


I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill about it......................after all.............is God so anal about us knowing the difference between soul and spirit?

What God wants us to believe is that, the spirit of the dead returns to Him for safekeeping.
Spirit of the dead have consciousness!

yep, as Paul said: absent from the body and present with the Lord

That there is indeed a place of bliss, and a place of torment!

amen Tosca. people need to avoid this place, and have one week to think about it if some are correct.

Those are the clear things that GOD wants us to believe!

to believe otherwise is to muddy the waters.


blessings, 1 week

 

[Daisy]

“no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended” John 3:13

“Enoch kept walking with the true God.” (Ge 5:18, 21-24; Heb 11:5; 12:1) As a prophet of Jehovah, he foretold God’s coming with His holy myriads to execute judgment against the ungodly. (Jude 14, 15) Likely persecution was brought against him because of his prophesying. However, God did not permit the opposers to kill Enoch. Instead, Jehovah “took him,” that is, cut short his life at the age of 365, an age far below that of most of his contemporaries. Enoch was “transferred so as not to see death,” which may mean that God put him in a prophetic trance and then terminated Enoch’s life while he was in the trance so that he did not experience the pangs of death. (Ge 5:24; Heb 11:5, 13) However, he was not taken to heaven, in view of Jesus’ clear statement at John 3:13. It appears that, as in the case of Moses’ body, Jehovah disposed of Enoch’s body, for “he was nowhere to be found.”—De 34:5, 6; Jude 9.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001371


Antichrist
Denial of Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of God of necessity embraces the denial of any or all of the Scriptural teachings concerning him: his origin, his place in God’s arrangement, his fulfillment of the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures as the promised Messiah, his ministry and teachings and prophecies, as well as any opposition to or efforts to replace him in his position as God’s appointed High Priest and King. This is evident from other texts, which, while not using the term “antichrist,” express essentially the same idea. Thus, Jesus stated: “He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters.” (Lu 11:23) Second John 7 shows that such ones might act as deceivers, and hence the “antichrist” would include those who are “false Christs” and “false prophets,” as well as those who perform powerful works in Jesus’ name and yet are classed by him as “workers of lawlessness.”—Mt 24:24; 7:15, 22, 23.

John specifically mentions apostates as among those of the antichrist by referring to those who “went out from us,” abandoning the Christian congregation. (1Jo 2:18, 19) It therefore includes “the man of lawlessness” or “son of destruction” described by Paul, as well as the “false teachers” Peter denounces for forming destructive sects and who “disown even the owner that bought them.”—2Th 2:3-5; 2Pe 2:1; see MAN OF LAWLESSNESS.

Kingdoms, nations, and organizations are similarly shown to be part of the antichrist in the symbolic description at Revelation 17:8-15; 19:19-21.—Compare Ps 2:1, 2.

In all the above cases those composing the antichrist are shown to be headed for eventual destruction as a recompense for their opposing course.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200000290

 

[Daisy]

Where does it say that?
What science book says that.............and where in the Bible does it say that?







That's a contradiction - especially when you claim the DNA includes the soul.









That, we can agree.
It all started in Genesis 1.

Ok...let's clear this up once and for all...where is the DNA? Is it not found in the blood? And what does the Bible say about the blood?

“For the soul/life of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls, because it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul in it.” Leviticus 17:11

Which is why Jesus' soul/life/blood is what is required in order to save us from sin/death...

 

[Logician Man]

Ok...let's clear this up once and for all...where is the DNA? Is it not found in the blood? And what does the Bible say about the blood?

Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court​

National Institute of Justice (.gov)
https://nij.ojp.gov › 02-biology-dna › where-dna-found



Where is DNA Found? ... Image of DNA helix, diagram of skin, and semen. National Institute of

 

[Daisy]

In the last ten years, researchers have learned that they can detect DNA in the blood. Now we knew that the cells in the blood had DNA, so that was not surprising, but what was surprising is that there is sometimes DNA from other cells in the body, often cells that have died and just released their DNA into the bloodstream. This is sometimes called cell-free DNA because it is floating in the blood and it’s not really part of a cell.
https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/what-can-dna-your-blood-reveal-about-your-health

Red blood cells, the primary component in transfusions, have no nucleus and no DNA. Transfused blood does, however, host a significant amount of DNA-containing white blood cells, or leukocytes—around a billion cells per unit (roughly one pint) of blood. Even blood components that have been filtered to remove donor white cells can have millions of leukocytes per unit.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/donor-blood-transfustion/

 

[tosca1]

Ok...let's clear this up once and for all...where is the DNA? Is it not found in the blood? And what does the Bible say about the blood?

“For the soul/life of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls, because it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul in it.” Leviticus 17:11

Which is why Jesus' soul/life/blood is what is required in order to save us from sin/death...

You're taking that out of context.


This is the claim I was responding to:

We inherent all of our parents DNA. Part of that DNA includes the soul.

The Bible doesn't talk about any DNA.
No science book mentions any soul found in the DNA.


SOUL, is immaterial. Therefore, science cannot observe and analyse it.



Shedding of blood, is an act of atonement.



In Leviticus 17:10–12, we learn that blood was God’s ordained means of atonement: “I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people.
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.
Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.’”

Blood represented the life of the animal. When the blood was spilled, the animal’s life was terminated. Sacrificing an animal’s life in place of one’s own life satisfied God’s price or payment for sin.
The spilled blood of the guiltless substitute animal offered on the altar served as payment for the people’s sins (Leviticus 16:15). Thus, the shedding of blood was an act of atonement.


Believers in Jesus Christ are cleansed, forgiven, made right with God, and freed from the power of sin through the shed blood of the spotless Lamb of God: “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.
People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:25, NLT; see also 1 John 1:7; 5:11; Ephesians 1:7).
Christ’s blood is truly “the life” for those who believe in Him and receive His life.

What does it mean that the blood is the life (Deuteronomy 12:23)? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that the blood is the life? What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 12:23?

www.gotquestions.org

 

[Rumpel]

JW really pushes its narrative against the Triune God that it even went to the extent of changing the words in the Scriptures.
All the mainstream Bibles, including the Jewish Tanakh have the same text for

Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was astonishingly empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water.





What did the JW's New World Translation do? Changed the phrase, "spirit of God," into this:

Now the earth was formless and desolate,* and there was darkness upon the surface of the watery deep,*b and God’s active force*c was moving about over the surface of the waters.

https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/genesis/1/

JW didn't want to mention “the spirit of God,” so instead they replaced it with “God's active force.”



Let's get one thing clear: When we change a word, or alter what is written in any way that it changes the message being given by God – what we preach is no longer the Word of God.


2 Peter 1:20
Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.


Galatians 1: 6-9
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.


Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.



To present it as the"Word of God," is a lie.
Thus perhaps, it is why preachers of false teachings are associated with Satan – the father of lies.


Matthew 7
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’



John 8
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

what else?