But Whom Say Ye That I Am?

 

    “… Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? [14] And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. [15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? [16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:13-16  

 

 

Diverse Opinions of Men, Mt 16:13-15

 

Peter’s Opinion, Mt 16:16

 

The Multitudes Opinion, Matthew 21:10-11, And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? [11] And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

 

The Pharisees’ Opinion, Matthew 22:41-46, While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, [42] Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. [43] He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, [44] The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? [45] If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? [46] And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Organization, Jude 1:9, “…Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

 

Rev. 12:7, And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

 

What?

 

Yes, Michael…

 

… The Watchtower Organization claims that Michael the Archangel is the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

 

“Jesus Christ further deserves honor because he is Jehovah’s chief angel, or archangel. On what basis do we reach that conclusion? Well, the prefix “arch,” meaning “chief” or “principal,” implies that there is only one archangel. God’s Word speaks of him in reference to the resurrected Lord Jesus

Christ. We read: “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, … (1 Thessalonians 4:16) This archangel has a name, as we read at Jude 9: “When Michael the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, ….” (Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1991, p. 17)

 

 “In 1914, Jesus—the heavenly warrior Michael—became King of God’s heavenly Kingdom. (Revelation 11:15; 12:7-9)” (Watchtower, November 1, 1993, p. 23)

 

 “ The book of Revelation explains: “War broke out in heaven: Michael [the resurrected Jesus Christ] and his angels battled with the dragon [Satan]…” (Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1994, p. 6)

 

 “The Bible also describes what happened shortly after Jesus’ enthronement. It says: “War broke out in heaven: Michael [Jesus Christ] and his angels battled with the dragon [Satan the Devil]….” (Watchtower, July 15, 1995, p. 5)

 

 “The foremost angel, both in power and authority, is the archangel, Jesus Christ, also called Michael.” (Watchtower, November 1, 1995, p. 8)

 

But did they always believe that Jesus was Michael?

 

NO….

“’Let all the angels of God worship him’; (that must include Michael, the chief angel, hence Michael is not the Son of God)” (Watchtower Reprints, November 11, 1879, p. 48)

 

The Scriptures Clearly Prove That Jesus Was Never Michael or Never Will Be

 

Hebrews Chapter 1

[4] Being made so much better than the angels

[5] unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son [no angel was ever called Son]

[6] let all the angels of God worship him [even Michael]

[8] unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever [called Jesus God]

[13] to which of the angels said he at any times, Sit on my right hand  [none]

 

 

Who is the Almighty in Rev. 1:8?

 

Jehovah’s Witnesses Claim That Jesus Christ Is Not Almighty God but a Lesser God…

 

J.W. doctrine has two true Gods, Almighty God Jehovah, and beside Him a lesser “mighty god”, Jesus Christ. John 1:1 has been altered from the original Greek in their bible to read “the word was a god” to accommodate this polytheistic doctrine. (see pages 150, 416 – 417, Reasoning From The Scriptures, 1985 edition published by the Watchtower Society).

 

However, earlier Watchtower publications taught that Jesus is indeed the Almighty…

The Watchtower Reprints, April 15, 1893, p. 1515,  Refers to Jesus, “…It is since his resurrection that the message has gone forth – ‘All power in heaven and in earth is given unto me.’ (Matt. 28:18) Consequently it is only since then that he could be called the Almighty (as in Rev. 1:8)”

 

Note: The New World Testament, Rev. 1:8, Replaced “Lord” to read, “Jehovah” as the Almighty.

 

True Bible Believing Christians all agree that … JESUS CHRIST IS ALMIGHTY GOD

 

Christians are monotheists, believers in ONE GOD. Isaiah 43:10-11, “… understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. [11] I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.”

  

 See also Isa. 44:6, 8; 45:22, 23 and 46:9. There is only ONE God — all others are man-made (Galatians 3:20 and 4:8, See also James 2:19).

 

  • Since there is only ONE God allowed in Scripture, if Jesus is called GOD, He is that one GOD.
  • Jesus is called “Almighty God”– Revelation 1:8, and referred to in Rev.22:20
  • Jesus is called “the true God” in 1 John 5:20.
  • Jesus is called “the only wise God” in 1 Timothy 1:16, 17.

 

 

  • OLD TESTAMENT

Isaiah 43:10-11, “… understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. [11] I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.”

 

  • NEW TESTAMENT:

” God is one” [Galatians 3:20].

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” [James 2:19].

We cannot absolutely comprehend the infinite God with our finite minds. The early church recognized this and had a common confession in 1 Tim. 3:16,

 

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

 

 

Concerning the Trinity

 

JW’s claim the Trinity is “Not a Bible teaching” (page 405, ” Reasoning” book.)

 

Bible believing Christians all agree that the Trinity is a true Bible teaching…

 

The word “TRINITY” basically means “Tri-Unity”. While not used in the scripture as a Bible term, it conveys what the Bible teaches concerning God. The ONE GOD of the Bible is revealed to us in three ways, as the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT. There is only ONE GOD.

 

    For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1 John 5:7

 

(Consequently, this verse is omitted from the New World Testament and replaced with, “There are three witness bearers”.)

 

    The one God of scripture is revealed 3 ways, and we must accept God’s revelation of Himself to us. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all called GOD – Therefore they must be the ONE GOD.

 

There is One Lord God—                   

One Lord God- Mark 12:29                 

Father is Lord- Matt. 11:25                

Jesus is Lord of all- Acts 10:36    

Holy Spirit is Lord- 2 Cor. 3:17      

 

 

Who raised Jesus?

God raised Jesus- Rom. 10:9

Jesus raised Himself- Jn. 2:19

Holy Spirit raised Jesus- Rom. 8:11

Again, the Father raised Jesus- Gal.1:1

 

 

Who dwells in our hearts? 

Jehovah- (I Jn.4:15, Ez.36:27, I Cor.3:16, I Jn.2:14)

Jesus- (Gal.2:20, Eph.3:17, Col.1:27)

Jesus and Jehovah- (Rom.8:9)

Holy Spirit- (I Jn.2:27), (I Jn.3:24)

 

Jesus, Jehovah, and the Holy Spirit all dwell in us therefore all three must be the same Spirit. (The J.W.’s had to drastically alter this portion of scripture as it destroys their doctrine denying the Deity of Christ).

 

 

Who is the Great “I AM”?

 

JW’s Claim …

JESUS IS NOT THE “I AM”

 

The J.W. Bible has altered John 8:58 to read “I have been,” instead of the correct text, “I AM”, robbing Jesus of His Divine title.

 

Bible Believing Christians all believe and agree that…

JESUS IS THE “I AM”

 

John 8:58 is a direct quote from Exodus 3:14. The Greek reads “ego eimi”, “I AM” Jehovah’s Witnesses even invented a new Greek tense to do away with this verse, called the “perfect indefinite tense”. When informed of the nonexistence of this tense in ANY language, they stated the tense was really “the perfect tense indicative.” This is also impossible for the verb “to be” from which “I AM” is taken. Any Greek student can tell a Jehovah’s Witness that “ego eimi” is in the present tense, and Jesus meant what He said– He is the “I AM”. Just as Jehovah is the “I AM”. (see Greek side K.I.T.pg.451, 1985 ed.)

It is a serious matter to deny Jesus is the “I AM”, for Jesus Himself said in John 8:24,  ” if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

 

JW’s Claim …

JESUS IS NOT “HO THEOS”

 

“HO THEOS” means in Greek, “The God”, and the Watchtower teaches that this term applies only to Jehovah God. (Kingdom Interlinear pages 1158 & 1159, 1969 ed., or page 1139 in the 1985 ed.).

 

 

Bible Believing Christians all believe and agree that… 

JESUS IS “HO THEOS”

 

  • Prophecy says so… Matthew 1:23
  • The disciples said so… John 20:25-28
  • The Father Jehovah said so… Hebrews 1:8

 

Note: a Greek-English Interlinear Bible is needed to prove the above points.

 

JW’s Claim …

[They] HAVE RESTORED THE NAME “JEHOVAH” IN THE GREEK TEXT EVERYWHERE THE HEBREW TEXT IS QUOTED.  (New Testament)

 

On pages 11 and 12 of the Kingdom Interlinear (p 18–1969 ed.) the Watchtower Society promised that they would insert the name Jehovah where the New Testament (Greek) writers were quoting the Old Testament (Hebrew) writers.

 

Aid to Bible Understanding, 1969 ed., p. 887

“Why, then, is the name absent from the extant manuscripts of the Christian Greek Scriptures or so called “New Testament”? Evidently because by the time those extant copies were made (from the third century CE onward) the original text of the writings of the apostles and disciples had been altered. The divine name in Tetragrammaton form was undoubtedly replaced with Ky’ri-os and ho Theos’ by later copyists, which is precisely what the facts show was done in later copies of the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.”

 

For example:

  • 1:8 KJV, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, [kurios] which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
  • Rev 1:8, NWT, “I am Alpha and Omega” says Jehovah God, “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty”.

(This mistake is very damaging to them because every one knows that the Alpha and Omega is the Lord Jesus Christ)

 

 

 

They deliberately missed a few places! WHY?

 

 

Bible Believing Christians all believe and agree that…

 JESUS IS JEHOVAH

 

Using the Watchtower rule above, we SHOULD find in their translation…

 

  • Philippians 2:10,11 quoting Isaiah 45:23 “Jesus Christ is Jehovah to the glory….”

 

  • 1 Peter 3:15 based on Isaiah 8:13 SHOULD be “But sanctify the Christ as Jehovah in your hearts.”

 

The fact is that the New World Translation has distorted or removed all scriptures proving the Deity of Jesus Christ. The men who comprised the Translation Committee had no adequate schooling or background to function as Bible translators, having no formal training in Biblical Hebrew or Greek. Their purpose was not to “translate” accurately, but to distort the word of God to support their doctrines.

 

Even the use of the name Jehovah is in error since this name, according to Watchtower sources, was first used in 1270 A.D. by a Catholic monk! (See “Aid to Bible Understanding”, pages 884 & 885.)

 

This embarrassing reference has been removed from the Society’s newer concordance “Insight on the Scriptures”. Despite speculations in this newer publication, the name Jehovah was never used by God, the Israelites, Jesus Christ, the apostles, or the early church.

 

 

 

 

FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

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