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You are here: Experts > Religion/Spirituality > Christianity - Restorationism > Jehovah`s Witness > Do you honor Jehovah?
Expert: Elbert Spears - 10/22/2009
Question
QUESTION: Hello Elbert. I hope you are doing very well.
I have a quick question I would like to ask below.
DO YOU HONOR JEHOVAH?
“Any who use Jesus’ name in their worship but fail to give the greater honor to Jehovah do not manifest a genuine love of the light.” —The Watchtower, August 1, 1991, p. 9
“But in the latest songbook of 1984, Jehovah is honored by four times as many songs as is Jesus.”—Revelation Its Grand Climax At Hand, p. 36
How can you honor Jehovah, if you are not giving Jesus the same honor as the Father?
“in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”—John 5:23, NWT
Thanks in advance,
Ben
ANSWER: Hello Ben , Hope you are doing well also .
My thought on the question , Do you Honor Jehovah ? ---------- Yes , The following scriptures explain why .
PHILIPPIANS 2 : 9,10,11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; 11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1st John 4:10 The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.
Look close at the above scripture . What does it say ? Basically it says every knee should bow and every tongue should confess ( or acknowledge ) that --- JESUS CHRIST IS LORD --- to the GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER .
John 5 : 19 thru 23 Therefore, in answer, Jesus went on to say to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, in order that YOU may marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes those alive whom he wants to. 22 For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, 23 in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Notice verse 5 above . What does it tell you ? It says that The Son cannot do a single thing on his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing.
So we give Jehovah the highest degree of Honor because he created all things . Jesus is honored because he has been appointed by Jehovah himself to ( rule as King ---or----- Lord over Jehovahs Kingdom )
Example : Who in todays society deserves more honor -- The President or the Vice President ?
Thanks for an excellent question !
Regards , Elbert
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello Sir,
Thank you for the response. I do appreciate it.
I don't see how you can completely go against scripture that tells you that if you do not honor the Son JUST AS you honor the Father, then you are not even honoring the Father. From your answer, all I saw was that you tried to find a reason to jump around this fact. I mean, it is so clear. You can not take what He said any other way.
There are other things you said that I could comment on but I would like to stay on this verse.
Elbert, I am not trying to be rude or have any negative, horrible motives. I just want to understand how a Jw can really not apply this verse in there worship. I can show you several quotes from your own literature that prove this to be the case. Let me know if you wish to see them.
Again, I thank you for your time and for "contending for your faith".
Ben
ANSWER: We do apply this scripture--- very much so . The words( JUST AS )do not indicate a specific degree of honor that is to be given to Jesus. we do honor both Jehovah and Jesus as the scripture indicates .
John 5:23, For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, 23 in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him
I must add verse 22 because it shows a distinction between Father and Son it also shows the power Jehovah has given to Jesus,the power of judging. Jesus should be given the same amount of Honor that Jehovah gives him at 2nd Peter 1: 16 thru 18 No, it was not by following artfully contrived false stories that we acquainted YOU with the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it was by having become eyewitnesses of his magnificence. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when words such as these were borne to him by the magnificent glory: “This is my son, my beloved, whom I myself have approved.” 18 Yes, these words we heard borne from heaven while we were with him in the holy mountain.
Like i said earlier What Jesus did for us we can never repay. When we pray we do so in Jesus name because he said , "No one comes to the Father except through me" Jesus is mediator between us and Jehovah.
We give him all the honor a human is capable of giving.But as Jehovah requires that our worship be directed to him alone. we are told this at Deuteronomy 4: 24 , where he says For Jehovah your God is a consuming fire, a God exacting exclusive devotion.
Regards Elbert
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello Elbert,
If the words (JUST AS) don not indicate a specific degree of honor that is to be given to Jesus, then what do the words (JUST AS) indicate? I'm confused.
You said "I must add verse 22 because it shows a distinction between Father and Son". The only point I think you could be trying to make here is that the Father and Son are separate persons. If so, do you realize that Trinitarians believe this also?
Regarding your comment about who to worship.. I agree with Deuteronomy 4:24 full heartedly. That is because I believe that Jesus is Jehovah. I believe the name we give God, Jehovah, is just that. The name of God. Nowhere that I am familiar with, does scripture indicate that only the Father is the Jehovah of the OT.
So, that being said. Jesus receives worship on numerous occasions. Also, look what Paul says in Phil.2:10...10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.
That sounds like worship to me. Hebrews 1 is clear that even the angels worship Jesus.
So, because of the worship of Jesus, along with the fact that Jn. 5:23 is clearly saying that if you don't give the same honor to the Son as the Father, I can not seem to understand exactly how you believe what you believe. Please clarify or explain. Maybe I am misunderstanding you or something.
Once again Elbert, it has been a pleasure writing to you.
Ben
Answer
Hi ,Ben sorry for the delay,
The Bible does teach that the Father and Son are two separate individuals.
Trinitarians say that the father ,the , Son , And The Holy Spirit are three separate Persons all equal in power and all one and the same . Make sense to you ? Sure makes no sense at all to me , not logical reasoning at all. Throughout the Greek Scripture Jesus reminds us that the "father is greater" than he is.Jesus also says that he can not do anything on his own.
This is why I give greater honor to the father. Jehovah created all things through Jesus , Jesus was his Master Worker. The following scripture is a beautiful description of the relationship between the father and son -- You can find the scripture beginning at at Proverbs 8:22 “Jehovah himself produced me as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago. 23 From time indefinite I was installed, from the start, from times earlier than the earth. 24 When there were no watery deeps I was brought forth as with labor pains, when there were no springs heavily charged with water. 25 Before the mountains themselves had been settled down, ahead of the hills, I was brought forth as with labor pains, 26 when as yet he had not made the earth and the open spaces and the first part of the dust masses of the productive land. 27 When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he decreed a circle upon the face of the watery deep, 28 when he made firm the cloud masses above, when he caused the fountains of the watery deep to be strong, 29 when he set for the sea his decree that the waters themselves should not pass beyond his order, when he decreed the foundations of the earth, 30 then I came to be beside him as a master worker, and I came to be the one he was specially fond of day by day, I being glad before him all the time, 31 being glad at the productive land of his earth, and the things I was fond of were with the sons of men.
Another scripture that proves Jehovah and Jesus are separate Persons is found at 1st Corinthians 8:4 thru 6. Now concerning the eating of foods offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even though there are those who are called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many “lords,” 6 there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and we through him.
Just one more scripture for now , this one is found at John 14 and verse 28 and says :
YOU heard that I said to YOU, I am going away and I am coming [back] to YOU. If YOU loved me, YOU would rejoice that I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.
regards , Elbert
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