Re: `Acts 3:1 says Jehovah is a distinct person from Jesus'

AN

Thanks for your message. As is my stated policy, when I receive a

[Above (click to enlarge): "Moses and the Burning Bush," Arnold Friberg, 1999. The pre-incarnate Jesus was (and is) the "I AM" (Yahweh or Jehovah) who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-15 (see below).]

private message on a topic relevant to one of my blogs, in this case my Jesus is Jehovah! blog, I am responding publicly via this blog, minus your personal identifying information. Your words are bold to distinguish them from mine.

----- Original Message -----
From: AN
To: Stephen E. Jones
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 6:58 PM
Subject: jesusisyhwh.blogspot.com

Dear Mr Jones
Regarding your blog on http://jesusisyhwh.blogspot.com:

Please compare Exodus 3:15 on the American Standard Version "And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."

I assume you are a Jehovah's Witness, and that you are (because the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society has trained you to) playing their game of `Bible ping-pong,' that is, playing Bible verses off against each other.

The New Testament has many verses which teach that Jesus of the New Testament is Jehovah of the Old Testament, come in the flesh. Here is a long series of quotes from a leading evangelical "Handbook of Christian Belief" which shows from the Bible, "seven main points" of "JESUS' IDENTITY WITH YAHWEH/JEHOVAH" (emphasis original and my numbering in square brackets):

"JESUS' IDENTITY WITH YAHWEH/JEHOVAH The NT attributes to Jesus many of the perfections of Yahweh (or, Jehovah), the creator/redeemer God of the OT. There are seven main points of identity.

[1] God's name When the OT was translated into Greek in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC (the Septuagint), the sacred name of God, YHWH, usually rendered Yahweh or Jehovah, was translated by the Greek word Kyrios (Lord); there are approaching 7,000 instances of this. This sacred and exalted title was attributed directly to Jesus (Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:11; etc., cf. also Lord of lords, 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). Indeed the confession Jesus is Lord is probably the earliest confession of faith (Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; 2 Cor. 4:5). On several occasions NT writers apply OT passages concerning Yahweh directly to Jesus (Acts 2:34f.; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 10:12f.; 1 Pet. 3:22 apply Ps. 110:1. Rom. 10:13 applies Joel 2:32. Phil. 2:9-11 applies Is. 45:23. Jn. 12:41 applies Is. 6:10. Eph. 4:8 applies Ps. 68:18). These passages clearly identify Jesus with Yahweh. Another link is provided by self-designations of God appropriated by Jesus or referred to him. Supremely significant is the I AM (Ex. 3:14; cf. Jn. 8:58; 6:35; 8:12,24; 11:25; 14:6; 18:5f.; Mk. 14:62). Others are bridegroom (Is. 62:5; Je. 2:2; Ezk. 16:8; cf. Mk. 2:19f.; Jn. 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7); shepherd (Pss. 23:1; 80:1; Is. 40:11; Ezk. 34:15; cf. Jn. 10:11-16; Heb. 13:10; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4); the first and the last (Is. 44:6; 48:12; cf. Rev. 2:8; 22:13). (Milne, B., "Know the Truth: A Handbook of Christian Belief," [1982], Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester UK, Fifth printing, 1988, pp.129-130).

"[2] God's glory God's glory is the visible manifestation of his majesty (Ex. 24:15-18; 40:34f.; Lv. 9:6,23f.; 2 Ch. 7:1-3; Is. 6:1-4; Ezk. 1:28). In Judaism it served as a reverential substitute for the sacred name itself. God's glory is incommunicable (Is. 42:8; 48:11), yet the NT speaks of Isaiah 6:1f. as the manifestation of Jesus' glory (Jn. 12:41), and of Jesus as the manifestation of the glory of God (1 Cor. 2:8; 2 Cor. 4:4; Heb. 1:3; Jas. 2:1; cf. Jn. 17:5)." (Milne, 1982, p.130).

"[3] God's worship To offer worship to any other being than the LORD God (Yahweh) was for the Jew unthinkably offensive, the most fundamental of all sins (Ex. 20:3-6; Dt. 6:4f.,13-15). Yet the earliest disciples, Jews to a man, directed worship to Jesus. It is this fact which, despite their comparative infrequency, makes the NT ascriptions of deity to Christ so overwhelmingly impressive. Doxologies are ascribed to Christ (Rom. 9:5; 2 Tim. 4:18; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rev. 1:5f.); two are addressed to both Father and Son (Rev. 5:13; 7:10). Prayers are addressed to Christ (Acts 7:59f.; 9:13f.; 1 Cor. 16:22; Rev. 22:20). OT worship passages are transferred from Yahweh to Christ (Is. 8:13f. in Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:7f.; 3:15; the Septuagint version of Dt. 32:43 in Heb. 1:6). Worship is used in connection with Christ: in the Septuagint the common translation of shalah (worship, bow down) is proskyneia. In Jesus' teaching it describes the attitude we should adopt to God alone (Mt. 4:10). The evangelists, however, use the word to describe people's attitude to Jesus (Mt. 2:2,8,11; 14:33; Mk. 5:6; Jn. 9:38). Hence the reaction of the disciples to the risen Christ is typical: `they worshipped him' (Mt. 28:17; Lk. 24:52), a response echoed by the angelic company of heaven: `Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive ... honour and glory and praise!' (Rev. 5:12), an unambiguous assertion of deity." (Milne, 1982, p.130).

"[4] "God's creation That Yahweh created all things and is therefore Lord of all was axiomatic for OT faith (Gn. 1:1f.; Pss. 33:6-9; 148:5f.; Is. 42:5; 48:13; 51:9-16). Yet the NT freely applies this divine function to Jesus. God's creative work had four aspects: (i) God brought the world into being at the first; (ii) he preserves and sustains all things; (iii) he is leading the created universe to its end or goal; (iv) he will bring about the new creation. All four aspects are referred to Jesus. Through him all things came to be (Jn. 1:1,3; Heb. 1:3; cf. Col. 1:16; 1 Jn. 1:1); he is the sustainer and upholder of all things (Mt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3); he is the one in whom the universe is destined to be brought to its goal (Rom. 11:36; Eph. 1:9f.; Col. 1:16); and the `new creation' is nothing other than the realization of the purpose of God in Jesus Christ (Is. 65:17; 66:22 `Behold, I [Yahweh] will create new heavens and a new earth', cf. Jn. 3:5; 20:22; 2 Cor. 5:17; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:10; 2 Pet. 3; Rev. 21-22)." (Milne, 1982, pp.130-131).

"[5] God's salvation Yahweh is a saviour God, another bedrock of OT conviction. In contrast with other gods, he alone has power to save: `I, even I am the LORD, and apart from me there is no saviour' (Is. 43:11; cf. 45:21; Je. 3:23; 11:12). His deliverance came frequently by way of human `saviours' (Jos. 10:6; Jdg. 2:16,18; 6:14f.), but the forgiving of sins and the raising from death to eternal life are prerogatives of God alone. Yet the NT attributes these to Jesus. At birth he was hailed as the one who `will save his people from their sins' (Mt. 1:21). He claimed the power to grant forgiveness (Mk. 2:7-10; Lk. 7:48) and is seen as the saviour of sinners (Jn. 3:17; Acts 4:12; 5:31; 15:11; Gal. 1:4; Eph. 5:23; Heb. 7:25; Rev. 1:5). He raised the dead (Mk. 5:35- 43; Lk. 7:11-17,22; Jn. 11) and through him eternal life is given now to all who believe in him (Mk. 10:21; Jn. 3:16; 5:24; 1 Jn. 5:11f.) and will be fully experienced by them in the future (Mk. 10:30; 1 Cor. 15:22f.,54; 1 Thes. 1:10; 2 Tim. 1:10)." (Milne, 1982, p.131).

"[6] God's judgment For the OT Yahweh alone is judge. His holiness and majesty are essentially expressed in his righteous judgments (Dt. 32:4; Ps. 99; Is. 5:16). Certain forms of divine judgment were realized through human agents (Dt. 1:16f.; Is. 10:5; 45:1), but final judgment was God's prerogative (Dn. 7:9f.; Ec. 12:14; Joel 2:31). Once again these uniquely divine functions are both claimed by Jesus and freely attributed to him (Mt. 25:31-46; Mk. 8:38; Jn. 5:22-30; Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thes. 1:7-10; Rev. 14:14-20). At the Last Day Jesus will submit `the secrets of men' (Rom. 2:16) to definitive, divine judgment." (Milne, 1982, p.131).

"[7] God's witness One final link between Jesus and Yahweh may be noted. In the OT God commissions his people ` "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD' (Is. 43:10); yet in Acts 1:8 Jesus sends out his apostles with identical words `You will be my witnesses'." (Milne, 1982, p.132).

While we have clearly seen that the NT writers on occasion state straightforwardly that Jesus is God, their mainly Jewish cast of mind expresses the conviction most naturally in terms of Jesus doing what only God could properly do. Their attribution of deity to Jesus Christ is therefore stated less frequently in metaphysical equations (`Jesus is God') than in assertions that he participates in the strictly incommunicable attributes and functions of God. Thus the staggering truth is unfolded: Jesus, the man who walked the streets of Nazareth, sweated in Gethsemane and died on the cross at Calvary, is to be identified with Yahweh, the creator-redeemer God." (Milne, 1982, p.132).

The right approach is to try to see how those many verses which teach that Jesus is Jehovah can be harmonised with those few verses which appear to teach that Jesus is not Jehovah.

There are actually no verses that teach that Jesus is not Jehovah, when it is understood that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, are "Jehovah: the one Triune God" :

"That the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in the New Testament as being Jehovah (Heb. Yahweh) of the Old Testament come in the flesh, does not preclude the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity (Mt 28:19; 2Cor 13:14; 1Pet 1:2): the Father (Dt 32:6; Isa 63:16; 64:8; Mal 1:6) and the Holy Spirit (Lk 4:18 = Isa 61:1; Acts 5:3-4,9; 2Cor 3:17), also being, as revealed in the New Testament, Jehovah: the one Triune God." (Jones, S.E., "Jesus is Jehovah in the New Testament: Index," January 11, 2009).

That is, "YHWH is a compound unity ... the Father ... the Son ... and ... the Holy Spirit ..." as Messianic Jews acknowledge:

"YHWH [the LORD] is our Elohim. He is echad [One]. He alone is YHWH. Deuteronomy 6:4. .... The nature of YHWH is a compound unity expressed in the aspects of Abba [God, the Father], Yeshua [Salvation, Jesus, the Son, Messiah] and the Ruach HaKodesh [the Holy Spirit/Breath] in this age. Matthew 28:19." ("Torah Observant Followers of Yeshua - Statement of Beliefs," December 28, 2006)

Acts 3:13 "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him." By reading this we can conclude : 1) The name of the God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob is Jehovah.

It doesn't say "Jehovah" in Acts 3:13. In fact nowhere in the New Testament is the word "Jehovah" for the simple reason that it is all Greek and "Jehovah" is an English translation of the Hebrew YHWH.

2) That God ( Jehovah ) had glorified Jesus as said on Acts 3:13, and also calls Jesus his Servant, so therefore Jehovah is a distinct person from Jesus

Again, it does not say "Jehovah" in Acts 3:13. You are reading into the New Testament what the Watchtower tells you is there, even when it is not.

On Matthew 22:31-32 Jesus repeated the same sentenced said in Exodus ( God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob ) and he was clearly speaking about another person, not about himself.

First, it is the Christian doctrine of the Trinity that God the Father is "another person" from God the Son. Even the Watchtower admits this, that "the trinity doctrine means that there are three persons in one God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost":

"Be sure each understands just what the other means by his use of a term or expression. For example, someone may say, `You don't believe in the doctrine of the trinity.' Now, the trinity doctrine means that there are three persons in one God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, all coequal and coeternal." (WB&TS, "Qualified to be Ministers," [1955], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society: Brooklyn NY, Revised, 1967, p.198).

"How Is the Trinity Explained? ... in the words of the Athanasian Creed: `the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God.' In this Trinity ... the Persons are co- eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent.' ... Thus, the Trinity is considered to be `one God in three Persons.' Each is said to be without beginning, having existed for eternity." (WB&TS, "Should You Believe in the Trinity?," Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, 1989, Reprinted, 2006, pp.3-4. Emphasis original).

"According to the teaching of the Trinity, there are three persons in one God, that is, there is `one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.'" (WB&TS, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," [1982], Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York: Brooklyn NY, Second edition, 1989, p.39).

Second, since no one has seen, or even can see, God the Father, "every visible manifestation of God in bodily form in Old Testament times was a preincarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity-Jesus Christ":

"Paul tells us that God the Father is invisible (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17) and `lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see ...' (1 Tim. 6:16). John's Gospel tells us that `no one has ever seen God [the Father], but God the One and Only [Jesus Christ], who is at the Father's side, has made him known' (John 1:18, inserts mine). John 5:37 tells us that no one has ever seen God the Father's form. These passages indicate that it was the Son's unique function to make the Father, who has never been seen, known to man. We know that `the One and Only' is Jesus Christ, for John tells us: `The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth' (1:14, italics added). This One and Only, Jesus Christ, was sent to reveal and manifest the invisible God to the world. .... In view of the above factors, it is safe to assume that every visible manifestation of God in bodily form in Old Testament times was a preincarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity-Jesus Christ." (Rhodes, R., 1992, "Christ Before the Manger: The Life and Times of the Preincarnate Christ," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, pp.85-86. Emphasis original).

Which includes when Yahweh (or Jehovah) spoke to Moses out of the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-15, and therefore includes Exodus 3:6, the verse quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22:31-32.

Third, therefore in Matthew 22:31-32:

"But about the resurrection of the dead-have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'[Ex 3:6]? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

where Jesus is quoting Exodus 3:6:

"Then he [God, YHWH] said, `I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God."

Jesus was not "clearly speaking about another person, not about himself." It was in fact the preincarnate Jesus, who stated He was the "I AM," who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush:

"The Septuagint provides us with additional insights on Christ's identity as Yahweh. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament that dates prior to the birth of Christ. It renders the Hebrew phrase for `I AM' (God's name) in Exodus 3:14 as ego eimi. On a number of occasions in the Greek New Testament, Jesus used this term as a way of identifying Himself as God. For example, in John 8:24 (NASB) Jesus declared, `Unless you believe that I am [I AM or ego eimi] He, you shall die in your sins.' The original Greek text for this verse does not have the word he. The verse is literally, `If you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins.' Then, according to verse 28, Jesus told the Jews, `When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [I AM, or ego eimi] He.' Again, the original Greek text reads, `When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM' (there is no he). Jesus purposely used the phrase as a means of pointing to His identity as Yahweh." (Rhodes, R., 1993, "Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses," Harvest House: Eugene OR, Reprinted, 2006, pp.62-64).

"Jesus Claimed to Be Yahweh. ... Perhaps the strongest claim Jesus made to be Yahweh is in John 8:58, where he says, `Before Abraham was, I am.' This statement claims not only existence before Abraham, but equality with the `I AM' of Exodus 3:14. The Jews around him clearly understood his meaning and picked up stones to kill him for blaspheming (cf. John 8:58 and 10:31-33). The same claim is made in Mark 14:62 and John 18:5-6." (Geisler, N.L., 1999, "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics," Baker Books: Grand Rapids MI, p.129. Emphasis original).

"John 8:58, `Jesus said unto them ... Before Abraham was [born], I am' (KJV). In comparing this with the Septuagint translation of Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 43:10-13, we find that the translation is identical. In Exodus 3:14, Jehovah, speaking to Moses, said, `I AM,' which is synonymous with God. Jesus literally said to them, `I AM Jehovah' (I AM), and it is clear that they understood Him to mean just that; for they attempted, as the next verse reveals, to stone Him. ... Now, the only legal ground the Jews had for stoning Christ (and actually they had none at all) was ... blasphemy [Leviticus 24:10-23]." (Martin, W.R. & Klann, N., "Jehovah of the Watchtower," 1953, Bethany House Publishers: Bloomington MN, Reprinted, 1981, p.52).

"Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, `I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, `Say this to the people of Israel, `I AM has sent me to you:' ` (RSV) Christians universally recognize that Jesus Christ was claiming to be the Deity when he referred to himself as. the I AM: `The Jews then said to him, `You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?' Jesus said to them, `Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am' (John 8:57-58, RSV). Even Jesus' enemies recognized what he was saying. The next verse tells us that, when they heard this, `they took up stones to throw at - him...' (v. 59). The unbelieving Jews viewed Jesus' claim to be the I AM as blasphemy, a crime for which they wanted to stone him to death." (Reed, D.A., 1986, "Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Thirty-first printing, 2006, pp.26-27. Emphasis original).

"THE `I AM' Jehovah, the incorrect but well established rendering of the Hebrew consonants YHWH, was regarded by the Jews as too sacred to be pronounced and was replaced by a variety of substitutes, such as `Lord' (Adonai), or `The Name'. We can no longer say with certainty how it was pronounced, but from Exodus 3:14 we know that it was derived from the verb `to be': `God said to Moses "I am who I am"; and He said: Say to the people of Israel "I am" has sent you.' Now on more than one occasion our Lord refers to Himself by using `I am' in a way that points unmistakably to this Old Testament title of Jehovah. In a controversy with the Jews He declared: `Before Abraham was, I am' (John 8:58). Had He been merely a pre-existent Being, then He would have had to say `Before Abraham was, I was'. That the amazing implication of His claim did not escape the Jews is clearly shown by the extreme violence of their reaction in attempting to stone Him to death for alleged blasphemy." (Bruce, F.F. & Martin, W.J., 1964, "The Deity of Christ," North of England Evangelical Trust: Manchester UK, pp.7-8. Emphasis original).

You say that you are Evangelical Christian , but almost all ( 98% ) of the Evangelical Christians that I know in my country and also overseas say that the name of the Father is Jehovah,

I agree with that "98%". I also "say the name of the Father is Jehovah." But see above that "name of the Father is Jehovah" does not preclude the name of the Son and Holy Spirit also being Jehovah, the one triune God.

except a Evangelical Christian's denomination called "Only Jesus" or the "Oneness Pentecostals" that say that there is only Jesus ( not Jehovah and not holy ghost) and Oneness theology denies the Trinity. as said on http://www.carm.org/oneness-pentecostal-theology.

Any "theology" that "denies the Trinity" is not Christian, let alone Evangelical.

As you can see, the Jehovah's Witnesses are not the only religion that believes that Jehovah is the father, Evangelical Christians also do, and many other religious groups too believe that.

Both "Jehovah's Witnesses" and "Evangelical Christians" (like me), and in fact all Christians, believe that Jehovah is the Father. But "Jehovah's Witnesses," unlike "Evangelical Christians" and all Christians, deny that the Son and the Holy Spirit are also Jehovah, the one triune God.

But I see on your posts that you only focus on the JW's , you might say that your intentions are good and you want to save those "fake Jehovah's Witnesses" and "open their eyes"

Yes, my intentions are good and I do want to help save those "fake" `Jehovah's Witnesses' (because they worship a fake `Jehovah' of the Watchtower's creation, not the true Jehovah of the Bible) by helping to open their eyes.

but I see also kind of "hate" towards JW's and when love is replaced by hate nothing comes out good no matter the "good intentions" that might have.

No. The Watchtower has `brainwashed' you, and Jehovah's Witnesses generally, into perceiving Christian love for Jehovah's Witnesses as "hate." As ex-JW elder David Reed points out from his own experience, "one of the first lessons taught by the Witnesses usually includes a warning against relatives [and anyone] who may try to stop the study" as being "an instrument of Satan the devil":

"So, the main point to remember when a loved one first starts getting involved with Jehovah's Witnesses is to avoid delay. .... The need for speed is highlighted by the fact that one of the first lessons taught by the Witnesses usually includes a warning against relatives who may try to stop the study:

How might Satan even use friends and relatives to discourage us? You can be sure that Satan the Devil does not want you to have this knowledge, and that he will do all in his power to stop you from getting it. How will he do this? One way is by seeing to it that you receive opposition, perhaps in the form of ridicule... . It may be that even close friends or relatives will tell you that they do not like your examining the Scriptures. Jesus Christ himself even warned: "Indeed, a man's enemies will be persons of his own household... ." ... But if you give up a study of God's Word when opposition comes, how will God view you? (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, Watchtower Society, 1982, p. 23)

If the new student accepts this argument, chances of stopping the study dim immediately. If you come along at this point with objections, you already have two strikes against you: (1) you appear to be an instrument of Satan the devil, so the arguments you present are viewed with suspicion and skepticism; and (2) by fulfilling the Witnesses' prophecy that a close friend or relative would oppose the study, you have made them appear to be true prophets." (Reed, D.A., 1989, "How to Rescue Your Loved One from the Watchtower," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Second printing, 1990, p.23).

The JW convert does not realise it, but once he internalises the Watchtower's viewpoint that anyone who opposes its teaching is "an instrument of Satan the devil," then he is under the Watchtower's mind-control, with no alternative but to increasingly believe whatever the Society tells him.

But if I and other Christians who take the time, trouble and expense to minister to Jehovah's Witnesses, really hated Jehovah's Witnesses , we would leave them alone, because we believe that they are being blindly led by their Watchtower "blind guides" (Mt 15:14) into "a pit" which is a conscious, eternal punishment in Hell (e.g. Mt 25:46; Jude 1:7).

And what's more, that punishment in Hell will be worse for Jehovah's Witnesses, than for non-Christians generally, because Jehovah's Witnesses read the Bible, and are aware through their training of Christian doctrines, and are told Bible truths by Christians, e.g. that Jesus is God the Son (Mt 1:23; Jn 1:1; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom 9:5; Php 2:5-6; Col 2:9; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:8; 2Pet 1:1; 1Jn 5:20), not Michael the archangel, but they chose to reject those Christian Bible truths, and to believe the Watchtower's untruths. Jesus stated the basic principle that the severity of punishment in Hell in the next life is directly proportionate to the amount of truth available to a person in this life:

Mt 11:21-24. 21"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.[Hades] If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Lk 12:48. "But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Regards AN

It is because I love you AN (along with all JWs), I will pray for you, that you will read for yourself what the Bible says about Jesus being Jehovah in the above linked verses in this post, and also in my "Jesus is Jehovah!" post on my CED blog (before I started this JiJ! blog), and in my series "Jesus is Jehovah in the New Testament."

If you ever do become a Christian, i.e. you accept that Jesus is Jehovah come in the flesh, let me know. But if you die a Jehovah's Witness, or leave the JWs but remain a non-Christian (or are alive as one or the other at Jesus' coming, when it will be too late), then I assume that much of your punishment in eternity will be the self-torment of endlessly regretting that you rejected what Christians (like me) told you, including who Jesus is - Jehovah come in the flesh, and what the Watchtower Society is - a "false prophet" who comes in "sheep's clothing, but inwardly" is a "ferocious" wolf - Mt 7:15).

Stephen E. Jones.
My other blogs: CreationEvolutionDesign & The Shroud of Turin