AboutBrenton Hepburn Expertise I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I can answer questions on the reliability of the NWT, the so called mind control problems, so called prophecies, and general practices and history of Jehovah’s Witnesses.....
>>>>WARNING<<<<<< ....Please be aware that there are at least ... 3 .... people here who ARE NOT practicing JWs and, (at other times there have been as many as 5.) These ones will, at times, appear to have an agenda against JWs., and will often give answers that are not correct in regard to JW teachings and practices. If you are after a answer from one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, please read some of the answers that the various experts have published before choosing someone. If you want to ask them a question that is fine, but if you want a balancing view after asking one of the NON JWs, ask a JW the same question
Experience I have been a publisher since 1964. When I first went on the internet I found a lot of negative information dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses covering prophecy, mind control and what many said was a very bad translation of the Bible known as the NWT. It shook my faith. After may hours researching these topics I could see why some felt that way, but, I was also able to explain why there were these misleading views. I can now set matters straight for anyone that has negative information about Jehovah’s Witness to show them that such information is at best misleading and at worst dangerous lies.
Education/Credentials I have been a student of the Bible for many years, am trying to teach myself Biblical Greek.
Was a public tax accountant for many yrars untill SEP 2009 when I gave it up.
Question Hi Brenton. I was going to ask Brenda another question concerning the Glory Of Christ, but I noticed she is on holidays.
I wonder if you wouldn't mind answering this...
The Bible clearly says in the last days that the spirit of anti Christ would rise up.
This spirit seeks to [replace] Christ, or bring him down to our level or lessen the Glory He SO RIGHTLY deserves.
He is to be honoured [just as] the Father is honoured {John 5:23}
The WT seems to take away from His Glory. This Glory has been shared with the Father even before the world existed {John 17:5}
A JW lady that does my hair gave me a revelation book. It boasts in the fact they ditched the songs in the songbook giving praise to Jesus.
Quote from Revelation book, page 36 it boasts that there were twice as many praise songs to Jesus as there were songs to Jehovah, but now the Son receives far lesser songs extolling His name. It is strange to me because I believe to Glorify the Name of Jesus gives the Father Jehovah great pleasure, as He has exaulted the Name of Jesus above every other Name, and commanded His Son would be bowed to, and honoured JUST AS himself as stated earlier. The Bible says Satan blinds the eyes of unbelievers so they cannot see the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. [see 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, especially vs 6.] Could it be that the JW's are not giving due reverance and Glory to the Son Jesus?
Answer Hello and thank you for your question.
I gather the thrust of your question is the last sentence …. “Could it be that the JW's are not giving due reverance and Glory to the Son Jesus?,,,,,
The simple answer to that is JWs do and are expected to give “due reverence and Glory to the Son Jesus”
To answer that lets First explore the occurrence of the word antichrist in the Bible
The term antichrist appears 5 times in 4 verses in the small letters of John (AV)
1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.
1 John 2:22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Looking 1 John 2:18 we notice that at the time of writing this letter John says “now many antichrists have come” Also in 1 John 4:3 he says “and now it is in the world already” So the antichrist already excisted in the first centry. The same sort of people still excist today. Who are the antichrists? John identifies who the antichrist is in the following verses….
1 John 2:22 “but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ” and 1 John 4:3 “does not confess Jesus is not of God” and finally in 2 John 1:7 “will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh;”
So in the days of John the antichrist denies that Jesus came to earth, denied that Jesus was sent form God, and denied that Jesus was the Christ or anointed one. I do not like copying material from Watchtower books but I will put a small piece in here that shows the “official” JW understanding of the antichrist. This is form our “insight on the Scriptures Volum 1 under the heading Antichrist….. “
Start quote
“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.”
end quote
JWs do none of those things. We certainly believe Jesus came to earth in the flesh, was the anointed one of God (Christ), and was sent by God. So we definitely glorify Jesus for who he was and is, the Christ sent from God to mankind.
(NOTE: With reference to the above quote I understand that you are going to have objections to some of the things said there because people see the beliefs of JWs as contrary to Bible teachings just as JW see some of the teachings of other religions as being contray to the Bible, and people often accise JWs of fals prophecy when they never prophecied at all. see my web page http://homepages.picknowl.com.au/hepburn )
You said …. “It is strange to me because I believe to Glorify the Name of Jesus gives the Father Jehovah great pleasure, as He has exaulted the Name of Jesus above every other Name, and commanded His Son would be bowed to, and honoured JUST AS himself as stated earlier.”…. In this JWs fully agree with you. It does give Jehovah great pleasure when we honor Jesus, because as you say Jesus was exalted above all others and Jesus “would be bowed to, and honoured JUST AS himself as”
So how do JWs reconcile this important teaching with what you see as taking away from the glory of Jesys in our “song books”?
I am going to post the full quote you mentioned
start quote
Loving Praise to Jehovah and His Son
In the songbook produced by Jehovah's people in 1905, there were twice as many songs praising Jesus as there were songs praising Jehovah God. In their 1928 songbook, the number of songs extolling Jesus was about the same as the number extolling Jehovah. But in the latest songbook of 1984, Jehovah is honored by four times as many songs as is Jesus. This is in harmony with Jesus' own words: “The Father is greater than I am.” (John 14:28) Love for Jehovah must be preeminent, accompanied by deep love for Jesus and appreciation of his precious sacrifice and office as God's High Priest and King.
end quote
When Jesus was on earth he directed all honor and glory to his father and his God. Notice in the above quote ,there is the mention of John 14:28. Like Jesus we acknowledge that Jehovah is greater than Jesus, and thus must receive more of our attention than Jesus. Notice it also says that our reverence for Jehovah is “accompanied by DEEP love for Jesus and appreciation of his precious sacrifice and office as God's High Priest and King.”
You also made the point that Jesus should be honored as the Father is honored and you mention John 5:23 “23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” (RSV)
JWs do honor the Son as they honor the father. How do we show honor? By following the commands of Jesus because they come from the father. Showing honor is different from worshiping. Only the Father is to recive “religious” or “sacred” worship. In the Authorised versin there are 7 different greek words that are rendered as worhip in English. Jesus is never assigned any of theses words that mean to worhip him in a “religious” or ”sacred way”. The word used in the case of Jesus simple means to show honour . It literally means “ to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand” (Stongs Greek English Lexicon)
So JWs do rightly show the honor that is due to Jesus just as they rightly show honor to Jehovah but they do not worship him in the way they worship Jehovah
I have to slightly disagree with part of your comment in this quote “The Bible says Satan blinds the eyes of unbelievers so
they cannot see the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. [see 2
Corinthians 4:3-6, especially vs 6.]”
You seem to be saying that Satan stops us from seeing the Glory of God. To me the context does not say that. Lets look at the context form the RSV
I found 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 interesting as different Bibles rendered parts of that differently. Most say in verse 4 “the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ” while the Av and the 21 century King James say “the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” (The NWT reads similar to the King James). Both these renderings can give slightly different meanings, however I want to concentrate on the next portion where all Bible that I have read similar “Christ, who is the likeness of God.”
It is this likeness of Christ to God that is interesting and sheds light on the meaning of the verse. The word rendered “likeness” is also rendered “image” which comes form the Greek word eikon meaning “a likeness, i.e. (literally) statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance:— image.” (Strongs Greek Lexicon). So Jesus is an image or representation of God as such he does display Gods Glory which JWs earnestly believe.
We do recognise the Glory and honor that belongs to Jesus, but we also recognize that it must be kept in its rightfully place. Jesus is second only to his father Jehovah and Jehovah must be first as the one that gave us life and organized, arranged and instituted the ransom of his Son Jesus so that we can have life. Nothing Jesus did was from his own initiative. Note the words of jesus at John 5:19,20,30 as per RSV (Capitals mine words in () mine)” 19 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son CAN DO NOTHING OF HIS (Jesus) OWN ACCORD, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and SHOWS HIM (Jesus) ALL THAT HE HIMSELF IS DOING; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel.; .. 30 "I (Jesus) can DO NOTHING ON MY OWN AUTHORITY; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
We recognize that Jesus directed all glory to God and so do we, at the same time honoring Jesus for the important part he plays in our salvation.
(NJKV) (Capitals mine)
Luke 2:14 "GLORY TO GOD in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Luke 17:18 "Were there not any found who returned to give GLORY TO GOD except this foreigner?"
Acts 12:23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give GLORY TO GOD. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Romans 4:20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving GLORY TO GOD,
So to your question .... "Could it be that the JW's are not giving due reverance and Glory to the Son Jesus?" .... The simple answer is No. Jws Do give due reverence and Glory to Jesus.
