Expert: John Bergman - 7/1/2006

Question
Hi John

I will try to give you some more information.  Maybe you would like to email me and we could correspond that way?  

As far as I understand the JW's teaching, they say that Jesus should not be worshipped, because only God should be worshipped.  But it seems very clear in the Bible, and in particular in the passage from Revelation Chapter 5, that Jesus the Son is worshipped in heaven, exactly the same as God the Father .  

If that is true, then all kinds of vitally important things follow from that; it must therefore be true that Jesus was truly able to forgive sins, that his death was enough to pay for our sin, and if we put our faith in him we can know for sure that we have been made right with God, that we have been saved and have eternal life.  

It also means that Jesus had the authority to send his own spirit as he promised, and as happened, which of course was the very spirit of God.  And, if the spirit of God is with us and lives in us, then the prophecy has come true that says God will write his law on our hearts, and we are free from trying to keep rules and regulations, and each one of us can see the fruit of the spirit in our lives (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and so on) and the gifts of the spirit (wisdom, healing, prophecy, knowledge and so on).  And we then want to respond with love to God and desire to worship Him, and to do whatever He asks, and to tell the world the good news that we have a Saviour.

Of course, if Jesus was not truly the only begotten Son of God, but just a creature, an angel, then he couldn't do any of that.

We would just be working in our own strength, without any assurance that we are saved, no peace, still subject to law, no real desire to worship God and have communion with Him.

So, you see why it is so important to know who Jesus really is.  And I would have thought that there would be an explanation by the JW's of Revelation 5 to interpret it in some way to prove that Jesus is not worshipped in heaven, is not truly of the same nature as God, is not really honoured and glorified in the same way as his Father; because if he is - then it seems to me that the whole of JW teaching is based on a mistake.  And if that is true, then all JW's who refuse to worship Jesus but demean him calling him a creature, and refuse to acknowledge who He is, and dispute that all they need to do is accept the free gift of God and put their trust in Him for their total salvation right now - then they are risking their eternal souls.  The book of Revelation also refers to the Book of Life.  Quite simply, your name needs to found in the Book of Life, and if you are trusting in your own works and your own righteousness, then it's not going to be there.    

Please let me know what you think about this, and email me direct if you like.

Al Baird




In the Book of Revelation in Chapter 5 it says:

7  He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

8  And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9  And they sang a new song:
  "You are worthy to take the scroll
   and to open its seals,
  because you were slain,
   and with your blood you purchased men for God
  from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

11  Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

12  In a loud voice they sang:
  "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
  to receive power and wealth
    and wisdom and strength
  and honour and glory and praise!"

13  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
  "To Him who sits on the throne
    and to the Lamb
  be praise and honor and glory and power,
    for ever and ever!"

14  The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

My question is - if every creature in the whole of heaven and earth is worshipping Jesus, the Lamb, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, in the same breath as they are worshipping God (verse 13)and giving Jesus and God all honour, then surely it is right for us to worship Him now?  

Dear Sir:


Can you give me any more info upon your reasoning.


JOHN

Answer
Dear sir:


I do understand your reasoning, but I need to ask you a question?  Jesus does need to be worship, but not in the same way as God, so do you believe in the doctrine of the Trinity which states that God, Jesus, and the Holy SPirit are one and the same?

Thanks
JOHN