Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 4/14/2004

Question
I have a friend who is a J.W. she tells me that I am way off
base and I feel the same way about her...she is always
giving me scripture to back her faith and I try to reciprocate
but I never feel as though I make any headway with her
could you give mean some irrefutable scriptures to help me
explain my side. I too am like you I just want the God-
breathed truth....heaven?...hell?....eternity?....and most
importantly the trinity? these topics are the debate of our
every conversation.  thank you so much, God bless ,   dave

Answer
Hi Dave,

Let me first tell you that you must use the WOrd everychance that you get.  Do not even accept verses from thier perverted "New World Translation"  Always go back to the King James Bible for your authority.  Secondly always challenge the context of the verses that she offers you to back up a certain point.  Rather than going in circles...you give scripture, she gives scripture on and on...rather....she gives scripture, you demonstrate that it is out of context, then you offer your counter point with scripture within context.

Let me give some verses for the things that you spoke of.

Heaven:
John 14:1-3


Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2 Corinthians 5:1

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Hebrews 11:10
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Hebrews 11:14-16
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2 Corinthians 5:8
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Philippians 1:21-25
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Hell:

The following is not a parable.  Do not allow your friend to allege that somehow Jesus was not speaking the truth.  Jesus was not making up a fictional fairy tale and He was telling us exactly what Hell is like.

Luke 16:18-30
18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
19  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Trinity.

Obviously we need to prove the Diety of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and we need to show that they are all one.

Jesus is God

John 1:1-3,14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

1 Timothy 3:16
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.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Note the Name of God....Jehovah, which means I AM.  This is how God introduced Himself to Moses.

Exodus 3:13-14
13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Now see how Jesus refered to Himself.

John 8:52-59
52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say,  I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

He is the I AM!!  

The Holy Spirit is God

Acts 5:3-4
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?  4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

In this passage to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God.

Now let us see that these three are one.

Genesis refers to God in a plural sense and shows God speaking among the Godhead.

Genesis 1:26,27
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Genesis 11:6-7
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Look at the term Paul uses...Godhead

Romans 1:20
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

MOST POWERFUL VERSE OF THE TRINITY!

1 John 5:7
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that these verses help you.  God bless!

In Christ,
Pastor Don