Month: August 2024

In 1870, at the age of eighteen, an ex-Congregationalist by the name of Charles Taze Russell started a Bible class in Pittsburgh. In 1876, the class elected Russell as their Pastor. He founded the “Herald of the Morning” in 1879, which eventually developed into what is known today as “The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom.” Today this publication has grown to over seventeen million copies per month in over one hundred languages. In 1884, Russell incorporated the “Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society” at Pittsburgh. Today this organization has branches in over one hundred countries, and it has missionary works in over two hundred and fifty. With over one-half million volunteer workers, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have become a serious threat to Bible believers throughout the world. Russell died in 1916, and Judge J.F. Rutherford took over the Society’s leadership. It was under Rutherford’s leadership that the group took the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” and Society headquarters moved to Brooklyn. Rutherford died in 1942, and Nathan Knorr took control and boosted the membership to over two million. In 1961 the Society published its own “translation” of the scriptures, called “The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.” Knorr died in 1977, and Frederick Franz took over the leadership of the Watchtower Society. Franz is the current leader of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (1991). Rather than bore ourselves with the corrupt history of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, we shall get straight to the main issue at hand: What does the Bible say about their DOCTRINES? The true Bible-believer realizes that the primary purpose for the Lord giving us the Scriptures is DOCTRINE (2 Tim. 3:16), and we are supposed to KNOW sound doctrine from false doctrine. Many have departed from the faith and have given themselves over to “doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1), and it is our Christian duty to check these people and arm ourselves against their false teachings. The main false doctrines taught by the “JW’s” (Henceforth used to abbreviate “Jehovah’s Witnesses”) are as follows: (1) that God is not a Trinity, (2) that Jesus Christ did not physically rise from the dead, (3) that there will be no literal and physical Second Coming of Christ, and (4) that there will be no place of eternal torment for the wicked. These are the major heresies taught by the JW’s, and we shall examine each of these in light of God’s pure and preserved words. Let us begin with a look at the Trinity. Is God A Trinity? According the Bible, God is a Triune Being. As all humans are a trinity (soul, body, and spirit–1 Ths. 5:23), God is also a Trinity. In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image. . .” In Genesis 11:7, God said, “. . . .let us go down, and there confound their language. . .” The terms “us” and “our” obviously refer to the Holy Trinity. So the Trinity is found in the very early chapters of the Bible. In the New Testament, we can see all three Members of the Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus in Matthew chapter three. God the Father is speaking from Heaven. God the Son is being baptized, and God the Holy Ghost is descending like a dove. When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, He said in verse 19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” 1 John 5:7 tells us that there are THREE that bear record in Heaven: “. . . the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (The “Word” is Christ according to John 1:1-3, 14, and 1 John 1:1-3.) God is a Trinity. He isn’t three Gods, like the JW’s accuse us of believing, but He is ONE Triune God. The pagans who worshipped three gods did so because they knew from observing the creation that God must be in some way associated with the number “THREE.” They never fully understood the Holy Trinity, but you must admit that they came much closer than the JW’s. As a man is a soul, a body, and a spirit, God the Father is the Soul of the Trinity, God the Son is the Body, and God the Holy Ghost is the Spirit. According to Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20, God’s creation actually declares the Trinity doctrine. One can see PROOF of the Trinity everywhere in the universe. The universe consists of three parts: Time, Space, and Matter. Time consists of three parts: Past, Present, and Future. Space consists of three parts: Length, Width, and Height. Matter consists of three parts: Energy, Motion, and Phenomena. There are three heavens in 2 Cor. 12:2, and on earth there are three forms of life: Man, Plant, and Animal. These forms of life are found in three places: Land, Sea, and Air. God is continually showing us through His creation that He is a Trinity. A perfect example of this is the sun. The sun has three kinds of rays: chemical rays, light rays, and heat rays. Chemical rays cannot be seen or felt, but they can be very powerful. When one receives a sunburn, it is from the sun’s chemical rays. This is a type of God the Father. Light rays are sometimes visible to the human eye. This is a type of Jesus Christ, the “light of the world” (John 8:12) and the “Sun of righteousness” (Mal.4:2). Heat rays are a type of the Holy Ghost for they bring comfort to us by warming our bodies, just as the Holy Ghost, the Comforter (John 16:7), brings comfort to us. So one can clearly see that God’s word and God’s creation both testify to the fact that He is a Trinity. However, some people aren’t getting the message. The book, “Let God Be True”, (Watchtower Bible & Tract Soc., 1952) says the following on page 92: “The trinity doctrine was not conceived by Jesus or the early Christians.” Then on page 93, this book says: “…the plain truth is that this is another of Satan’s attempts to keep the God-fearing person from learning the truth of Jehovah and His Son Jesus Christ.” On page 102 of the 1946 edition of “Let God Be True,” the JW’s make a very blasphemous statement concerning the Holy Trinity: “…Sincere persons who want to know the true God and serve Him find it a bit difficult to love and worship a complicated, freakish looking, three-headed God.” Such a remark is entirely uncalled for and is a blank misrepresentation of what Christians really believe about the Trinity. The JW’s cannot UNDERSTAND the Trinity, so they CONDEMN the Trinity. They fail to realize that it is not our job to tell God WHAT HE IS or to even FULLY UNDERSTAND how He can exist. Our responsibility is to BELIEVE WHAT HE SAYS, AS HE SAYS IT, WHERE HE SAYS IT, WITHOUT CHANGING A SINGLE WORD! The Scriptures already presented in this study clearly show that God is a Trinity. Your responsibility is NOT to attempt reasoning out the eternal decrees of God in your small finite mind. Your responsibility is to BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAYS. Now either you DO, or you DON’T. The JW’s DON’T. The JW’s believe that Jehovah is God the Father, and that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are not God. They’re wrong. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are both Deity. Jesus Christ Is Deity As the Second Member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ stands co-existent in Eternity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. There are many proofs in the scriptures for the Deity of Christ. We shall now list several of them. (1) In Zechariah 12:10, Jehovah speaks of the future return of Christ and says, “. . . They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourne for him, as one mourneth for his only son . . . .” This is spoken again in Revelation 1:7, which is clearly a reference to Christ Himself, but in Zechariah 12:10 GOD said, “. . . They shall look upon me whom they have pierced . . . .” The One that they pierced was Jesus Christ! So, in Zechariah 12:10, God is saying that He is Jesus Christ. (2) In John 1:1, John 1:14, 1 John 1:1, and in 1 John 5:7, Jesus is called “the Word,” and John 1:1 says that “the Word was God.” (3) Thomas referred to Jesus as “My Lord and my God” in John 20:28, and Jesus did not see the need to correct him. (4) Isaiah 7:14 gives us the prophecy of the Virgin Birth of Christ and states that His name would be “Immanuel.” Matthew 1:23 tells us that this word means “God with us.” (5) In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The Bible certainly would not say this about anyone less than God. (6) In John 10:30, Jesus says, “I and my Father are one.” Jesus is not a lesser god; He is ONE with the Father. (7) Micah 5:2 tells us that Jesus is “from everlasting.” (8) In John 8:58, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Before Abraham was, I am.” He claimed to be the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14, which is God Almighty. (9) Jesus allowed others to worship Him (John 9:38; Matt. 14:33; and Luke 24:52), which was forbidden, unless He was God (Rev. 22:9). (10) Jesus forgave sins (Mark 2:5), which only God can do (Mark 2:7). (11) The Lord Jesus Christ is omnipresent (Matt. 18:20; 28:20; II Cor. 13:14; I John 5:7). We know He is God because He is capable of being everywhere at once. (12) Jesus is omniscient (Mark 11:2-6; Matt. 12:40). He is God because He knows all things. (13) The Lord Jesus is also omnipotent (Rev. 19:6; Matt. 28:18). He has all power. (14) According to John 1, 1 John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1, Jesus Christ is the Creator of Genesis 1! (15) Jesus never sinned! Romans 3:23 says that ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory of God, but Jesus did not sin (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). So Jesus had to be God. Now, if you’ve taken time to check these references, then the Holy Spirit has attempted to show you one great truth: The LORD JESUS CHRIST IS GOD. That much is clear to any honest Bible student. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are not honest Bible students. One only has to pick up a copy of their “New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures” to see how dishonest and unfaithful they are with God’s word. We shall list a few examples of how the New World Translation ATTACKS the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ: (1) It changes Zechariah 12:10 to read, “. . . they will certainly look to the one whom they pierced. . . .” (2) John 1:1 in the N.W.T. says that “the Word was a god,” instead of “the Word was God.” The definite article “the” is replaced with “a,” and the capital “G” is replaced with a lower case “g.” The last half of 1 John 5:7 is omitted in the N.W.T., because it says that the Father, the Word (which is Christ in John 1:14), and the Holy Ghost “are one.” (3) The Virgin Birth is attacked in Isaiah 7:14 of the N.W.T. by translating “maiden,” instead of “virgin,” even though Matthew 1:23 TOLD THEM that it should read “virgin!” The JW’s will attack anyone or anything associated with the Lord Jesus Christ. (4) They change “from everlasting” in Micah 5:2 to read, “time indefinite,” which is not the same at all. (5) John 8:58 is where Christ said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” This matches God’s statement to Moses in Exodus 3:14, meaning that Christ is God. However, the N.W.T. says, “Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.” This destroys the valuable cross reference to Exodus 3:14. The JW’s believe that Jesus was “a god” before the time of Abraham, but that He was NOT the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14. (6) In John 9:38, Matthew 14:33, and Luke 24:52, the JW’s have replaced the word “worshipped” with the words “did obeisance,” which is not the same (See Gen. 37:7, 43:28; Exodus 18:7; 2 Sam. 1:2; 2 Chr. 24:17). The matter is clear: the JW’s will attack the Lord Jesus Christ every time they have a chance. Their “bible” proves it. Their WRITINGS also prove it. Here are a few blasphemous remarks made by the JW’s over the years concerning the Lord Jesus Christ: “. . . he was the first and direct creation of Jehovah God” (The Kingdom is at Hand, p. 46, 47, 49). “If Jesus were God, then during Jesus’ death, God was dead in the grave” (Let God Be True, p. 91). “. . . the true Scriptures speak of God’s Son, the Word, as ‘a god’.” He is a “mighty god,” but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah” (The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 47). “The very fact that he was sent proves he was not equal with God, but was less than God his father” (The Word: Who is He, p. 41). This is how a cult deals with the written word of God. HUMAN REASONING is the final authority of all cults. Rather than to take God at His word BY FAITH, a cultist will always REJECT God’s word and attempt to reason things out for himself. All cults will ADD TO, SUBTRACT FROM, OR IGNORE the written revelation of God. For those of us who BELIEVE the scriptures, we are now well aware of the fact that Jesus Christ is God. Those who believe otherwise will have to CHANGE or IGNORE the Bible, because the Bible testifies of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (John 5:39). The Holy Ghost Is Deity The JW’s believe that the Holy Ghost is only “God’s active force.” They deny the scriptural teaching that the Holy Ghost is a Member of the Holy Trinity: “The Scriptures themselves unite to show that God’s holy spirit is not a person but is God’s active force by which he accomplishes his purpose and executes his will” (Aid to Bible Understanding, pg. 1543). “The Holy Spirit is the invisible active force of Almighty God that moves his servants to do his will” (Let God Be True, pg. 108). Not only do the JW’s deny the DEITY of the Holy Spirit, they even deny that He is a person. So, in this sense, Satan has been exalted ABOVE the Holy Ghost by the JW’s! The reason given by the JW’s for the personality of Satan is that: “. . . the Bible calls Satan a manslayer, a liar, a father (in a spiritual sense) and a ruler. (John 8:44, 14:30) Only an intelligent person could fit all those descriptions.” (See “Awake!”, December 8, 1973) We agree, but how can any honest person say that and then DENY the personality of the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost ALSO has attributes that only a PERSON can have. For example: (1) Only a person could SPEAK, which the Holy Spirit does (Acts 2:11; 13:2; Rev. 2:7). (2) Only a person could TEACH and COMFORT (Jhn. 16:7, 13). (3) Only a person could have a MIND (Rom. 8:27). (4) Only a person could possess the POWER that the Holy Spirit possesses (Rom. 15:19). (5) Only a person could be INSULTED and GRIEVED (Heb. 10:29; Eph. 4:30). So the Holy Ghost certainly IS a Person, but more than that, He is GOD, the Third Member of the Holy Trinity. There are several scriptural proofs for the Deity of the Holy Ghost: (1) In Acts 15:3 Peter accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Ghost, and then in verse four Peter tells him that he had lied unto GOD. The Holy Ghost is God. (2) The Holy Ghost says in Acts 13:2, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” GOD is the one who calls men to do His work (Rom. 8:28; Gal. 1:6; 1 Ths. 2:12; 4:7; 2 Ths. 2:13-14); so, the Holy Ghost is God. (3) Only God could perform all the great wonders that the Holy Ghost performs (Psa. 104:30; Jhn. 14:16, 26; 16:8-14; Job 33:4; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:13; 4:30). (4) The Holy Ghost is God because blasphemy against Him shall not be forgiven (Mat. 12:31). (5) The Holy Ghost is God because He is ETERNAL (Heb. 9:14). (6) The Holy Ghost is God because He is OMNIPRESENT (Psa. 139:7-8). (7) The Holy Ghost is God because He has the power to give life (John 3:6; 6:63). (8) The Scriptures are God’s word, and 2 Peter 1:21 says that the Holy Ghost INSPIRED the Scriptures. Therefore the Holy Ghost is God. The Bible clearly reveals to us that the Holy Ghost is a Member of the Holy Trinity. To deny this truth is to openly deny God’s word. The Trinity doctrine is a BIBLE doctrine. It is true that Satan has counterfeited the Trinity doctrine for many centuries in many pagan religions, but that doesn’t change the truth. God’s word declares that He is a Trinity, and it is our responsibility to BELIEVE it. Did Jesus Christ Rise Physically From the Dead? According to the JW’s, He did not. The Bible speaks of a literal and physical resurrection, but the Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus only rose from the grave spiritually. Their literature speaks for itself: “. . . So the King Christ Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was resurrected an invisible spirit creature.” (Let God Be True, pg. 138) “Therefore the bodies in which Jesus manifested himself to his disciples after his return to life were not the body in which he was nailed to a tree. They were merely materialized for the occasion, resembling on one or two occasions the body in which he died…” (The Kingdom Is At Hand, pg. 259) “Our Lord’s human body . . . did not decay or corrupt . . . whether it was dissolved into gasses or whether it is still preserved somewhere . . . no one knows.” (Studies In The Scriptures, Vol. 2, pg. 129) According to the words of Jesus Christ Himself, He is NOT merely a spirit being. He is a literal and physical risen Savior. In Luke chapter twenty-four, beginning at verse thirty-six, the disciples see the risen Christ and they supposed they had seen a spirit (vs. 37); but Jesus cleared the matter up for everyone when He said, “. . . Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” (Luk. 24:38-39) He then SHOWED them His hands and feet, and they believed. What did they believe? They believed that He was a literal and physical being in a literal and physical body. When Jesus appeared to Thomas He said, “. . . Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John. 20:27) The risen Christ had the crucifixion scars in His body to PROVE that He had been physically resurrected from the dead. If Jesus didn’t rise physically then He lied in John 2:18-22 when He said that His “body” would rise in three days. He didn’t say His spirit would rise. He said that His BODY would rise. When He arose His disciples actually REMEMBERED this prophecy and believed. Too bad the JW’s can’t do the same. The JW’s claim that Jesus appeared in different bodies after His so-called “spiritual resurrection.” Their “proof” for this is the fact that the Emmaus disciples didn’t recognize Him in His resurrection body, so it couldn’t have been the same body. That’s nonsense. Luke 24:16 tells us why they didn’t recognize Him. It had nothing to do with a spiritual body. The problem was their EYESIGHT: “But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” The bodily resurrection of Christ is a fundamental Bible doctrine. The salvation of a person’s soul rests upon this doctrine, because if Jesus didn’t physically rise from the dead AS HE SAID HE WOULD, then we’re all lost and going to Hell according to 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (JW’s included). Will There Be A Literal and Physical Second Coming? If the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected literally and physically from the dead, and if He appeared physically to His disciples, then His Second Coming must also be literal and physical. Acts 1:11 tells us that Jesus will return “in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Jesus ascended into Heaven literally, physically, and visibly, so He will return “in like manner.” The JW’s deny this. They insist that the Second Coming of Christ will be SPIRITUAL, rather than literal and physical: “Christ Jesus comes, not again as a human, but as a glorious spirit person.” (Let God Be True, pg. 196) “Since no earthly men have ever seen or can see the Father, they will be unable to see the glorified Son.” (Let God Be True, pg. 197) “It is a settled Scriptural truth, therefore, that human eyes will not see him at his second coming, neither will he come in a fleshy body.” (The Truth Shall Make You Free, pg. 295) The word of God says otherwise. Paul says in Titus 2:13 that we should be LOOKING for that blessed hope and the glorious APPEARING of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. If the JW’s are right in saying that we will not be able to see Christ, then why did Paul tell us to be LOOKING for His APPEARING? The New World Translation has very conveniently removed the word “appearing” from Titus 2:13 and replaced it with “manifestation.” The same has also been done in 1 Timothy 6:14, 2 Timothy 1:10, and 2 Timothy 4:8. (You can make the Bible teach ANYTHING if you just CHANGE THE WORDS!) Now we know that the Second Coming of Christ will NOT be a spiritual and invisible return. Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” In Matthew 24:30, Jesus Himself says, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Zechariah 14:4 says, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” The literal and physical feet of Luke 24:39 will literally STAND upon the literal, physical, and very visible mount of Olives. That’s perfectly clear to anyone with reading ability. There’s nothing spiritual or invisible about the Second Coming of Christ. The “clouds” will be literal (Rev. 1:7), as will the “fire” (2 Ths. 1:8), the “saints” (1 Ths. 3:13), the “mountains and rocks” (Rev. 6:16), and, of course, the thousand-year reign (Rev. 20:1-7). A “spiritual” or “invisible” Second Coming is totally foreign to the written revelation of God. Now, it is also noteworthy to point out that the JW’s have quite a record when it comes to DATING the Second Coming. Listed below are five separate instances where the JW’s have predicted the Second Coming and missed: (1) In 1897, a book titled “The Battle of Armageddon” stated on page seventy-five that Jesus’ Second Coming had ALREADY HAPPENED INVISIBLY in the year 1874, and the Watchtower publication re-stated this in the September 15th issue of 1922 and also in the January 1st issue of 1924. (2) On January 15th, 1892, the Watchtower claimed that Armageddon began in 1874 and would end in 1914. This became quite an embarrassment for the JW’s because 1914 was the beginning of World War I! (3) The book Millions Now Living Will Never Die claimed that the year 1925 would actually bring about the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old. Page eighty-nine of this book claimed that “the earthly phase of the kingdom shall be recognized.” However, when the January 1, 1925, issue of the Watchtower was published, it said, “This may be accomplished. It may not be.” (4) The December Watchtower for 1941 claimed that World War II would turn America and England into dictatorships, that the end of Nazi rule would mark the end of demon rule, and that God would rule when the Nazis were defeated. (5) In 1942, the JW’s were still talking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob returning “any day now!” (Consolation, May 27, 1942, Pg. 13) So the Watchtower Society will continue right along with it’s foolish date setting–keeping it’s members in constant fear and confusion. It is true that the Bible gives us many definite signs which indicate the Lord’s return is getting very near, but no one knows the day nor the hour (Mat. 24:36). Is Hell A Literal Fiery Place? The JW’s have traditionally believed and taught that there is no eternal punishment for the wicked: “. . . the Bible hell is mankind’s common grave…” (Let God Be True, pg. 92. Page ninety-eight of this book refers to the doctrine of Hell as a “God defaming doctrine.”) “The doctrine of a burning hell where the wicked are tortured eternally after death cannot be true . . . .” (Let God Be True, pg. 99) We call it to the reader’s attention that it was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who first used the term “hell fire” (Mat. 5:22), and it was Jesus Christ who said in Matthew 25:41, “. . . Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” When the JW’s attack the Hell doctrine they are attacking the very words of Christ. A JW believes that Hell is only the grave that everyone goes to at death. He believes that the saved ones in the graves will be given eternal life on earth after the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15, while the unsaved in the graves will be annihilated once and for all in the Lake of Fire. JW’s refuse to believe that God will punish the wicked forever in the Lake of Fire. Of course, the Scriptures say something entirely different: (1) There is no FIRE in the grave, but there certainly is fire in the “hell” of the Bible (Luk. 16:23; Deu. 32:22; Mat. 5:22; 18:9; Jas. 3:6). (2) No one PRAYS from the grave, but they certainly do in Hell (Luk. 16:24; Jon. 2:2). (3) Hell was originally made for the Devil and his angels (Mat. 25:41), but the grave was not. (4) A Christian’s SOUL does not go to the grave at death (Phi. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; 1 Ths. 5:10). Only the BODY goes to the grave. An unsaved man’s body also goes to the grave at death, but his SOUL goes to a place of TORMENT and FLAMES (Luk. 16:22-23). (5) The grave cannot possibly be Hell because Jesus said it would be better to enter into life (eternal life) without a hand, a foot, or an eye, than to go to Hell (Mat. 18:8-9). How could it be “better” if Hell is only the grave where there is no suffering at all? According to Jesus Christ, Hell is a lot WORSE than losing a hand, a foot, or an eye forever. (6) Annihilation cannot be true because the Bible uses such terms as “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2) and “torment . . . forever” (Rev. 14:11). Shame and torment are sufferings that are experienced by a LIVING BEING, not an annihilated corpse. God is an ETERNAL Being; therefore, an eternal payment is required for sin (Mar. 9:44-48; Isa. 66:22-23). You can have a FAIR TRIAL, or you can have a FREE PARDON. In a fair trial before God, you will be eternally damned to Hell because you are a sinner against a Holy God. God will have no choice but to sentence you to Hell forever. If you are wise you will receive God’s FREE PARDON. Jesus Christ has ALREADY paid for your sins, but you must RECEIVE Him as Savior. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” Friend, have you ever turned from your sins and received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John. 3:16) Many have the idea that our good works can save us and get us into Heaven, but the Bible says this isn’t so: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Rom. 3:10) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Rom. 3:23) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9) We have no really “good” works, because we’re all SINNERS by nature. We were born into this world as sinners (Psa. 51:5), and this is why Jesus said we must be “born again” (John. 3:3). This new birth is given to us freely, and was made possible when Christ died and shed His blood at Calvary for our sins. By receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior, trusting Him alone to save you, you can be born again. You can have eternal life TODAY by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Friend, why not turn from your sins right now and call upon the Lord to save your soul? Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and serve Him faithfully until He returns. If you’ve received Christ as your Savior, then we urge you to follow the Lord in baptism, and we also advise you to find a good Bible-believing church and join it. Don’t allow such false teachers as the Jehovah’s Witnesses to lead you astray! If we can assist you in any way, please contact us. If you need more information about salvation, please write. Author: James L. Melton

Of the many women in God’s word, only one is said to be a “great woman.”  Women like Sarah, Esther, Ruth, and Mary are commonly thought of as being great women in the Bible, and rightly so, but the lady who is actually called a “great woman” by the Lord is sadly overlooked.  Consequently, most Christian ladies never learn from her life’s great example. 

This woman is found in II Kings chapter four.  Take a few moments, if you will, and read II Kings 4:8-37.  Then continue with this article as we point out some spiritual truths from this lady’s example.

The basic theme of this story is that this lady was considerate of the needs of God’s man, so God was considerate of her needs.  She sowed seeds of kindness and reaped a great harvest.  Yet, in doing so, she set some fine examples for Christian women of today.  Take note of some of these examples and  ask God where they need to be applied in your own life.

She Practiced the Golden Rule

The golden rule, of course, is derived from Matthew 7:12.  In a nutshell, the rule is “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  Well, unlike many modern women, this lady in II Kings chapter four practiced the golden rule.  Without being told by anyone, as the man of God passed through her area, she thought of something she could do to help him in his ministry.  Self-centered women of the world do not think this way, but this woman was different.  She was led by God’s Spirit, not by the spirit of the world.  She was led by the Spirit of I Corinthians 13:3-5 which says that charity “seeketh not her own.”   This woman, being filled and led by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, sought to comfort others rather than herself, even when having to bear the burden of having no children.  She wasn’t bitter; she was a blessing instead. 

Are you waiting for some special blessing to come your way?  It may be that God is withholding this blessing due to some bitterness in your own heart, some bitterness that is causing you to cultivate a selfish spirit instead of a caring and considerate spirit for others.  Perhaps you have a lesson to learn from the great woman of Shunem.  Perhaps you need to follow her example and obey the golden rule.

She Was Spiritually Minded

This lady’s first comment about the prophet was “this is a holy man” (verse 9).  She didn’t say, “This is a religious fanatic” or “Here comes the preacher; let’s pull the shades and lock the door!”  No, she was a spiritually minded woman who enjoyed having a man of God around.

God is going to give this woman a son because He knows it will be a good investment.  He knows that this is the kind of woman who will always ask, “What does God think about this or that?”  Her act of kindness wasn’t just toward any man, but toward a HOLY man, and this greatly impressed God. 

Christian lady, what is your attitude toward preachers and other dedicated Christian men and women?  Are you a spiritually minded lady who enjoys the friendship and fellowship of spiritual people, or do such people make you nervous and uncomfortable?  You can never be a great woman in God’s sight if you aren’t a SPIRITUAL woman.

She Didn’t Yield To Worldly Temptations

Notice in verse thirteen that this lady had the opportunity to be spoken for to the king!  What an opportunity!  What a chance to “be somebody” and “get some respect” for a change!  What a chance to take a few steps up the social ladder!  Yet, none of this interested her.  She was a godly woman who sought to please God, not the world, so worldly temptations did not appeal to her.  She simply said, “I dwell among mine own people.”  This lady was content with her own people and had no desire to break away from her home and her roots and become a woman of the world.

Oh, how God’s women need this example today!  Satan is firing his darts from all sides in an attempt to pressure Christian ladies to turn their backs on their God and the their families and become women of the world.  Godly wives and mothers have left their homes and become “career women.”  This is supposedly being done because “it takes two incomes to live these days,” but the real reason is just plain old worldliness.  A great woman will say no to the world and dwell among her own people.

She Was A Woman of Faith

A few years after God gave this lady a son, the boy became sick and died.  Rather than give up hope and become bitter, this lady runs to the man of God for help.  In fact, when the servant asks her, “Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?” she answers “It is well.”  My, what faith she displayed.  A dead child is not well, yet she had faith to believe that God could raise this child from death, so she said, “It is well.” 

Christian lady, are you following this great example of faith, or do you find yourself often doubting God’s ability to fulfill His word in your own life?  Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Do you really believe Romans 8:28, or is it just another Bible verse with no special meaning to you personally?  To be a great woman you must be a woman of faith.

She Was Emotionally Strong

Notice the emotional strength of this lady.  She had a desperate situation on her hands, yet she held up and even kept the matter to herself.  The only person she spoke with about the child was the man of God, the only one who could help her! 

Most women today do just the opposite.  They carry their many problems to their various friends and family members, and yet they never find any real help.  Countless hours they spend chatting about their troubles with people who can’t offer any help at all!  A great woman will not chat carelessly about her troubles.  She will take such matters to God  and  maybe  to a  godly  person or two who can actually offer some help.  She doesn’t speak of her troubles for the sake of complaining or getting sympathy.  She speaks only to get help. 

What about you, dear reader?  Are you the emotionally strong woman who controls her tongue, or are you the loose-lipped woman who spends more time complaining about problems than really seeking help with them?

She Was Thankful

After Elisha had raised the woman’s son from death, she “went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.”  (verse 37)  This tells us that she was THANKFUL for what God had done for her.  She didn’t have a bitter attitude because of what had happened.  She didn’t reason that she was entitled to be bitter with God and that she deserved to have her son raised.  She was just thankful!

Christian lady, are you a thankful lady?  Do you thank God regularly for His blessings in your life, or do you feel entitled to such blessings.  A truly great woman feels entitled to nothing.  She deserves nothing.  She is simply glad to be alive, glad to be saved, thrilled to be a servant of God, and THANKFUL for God’s blessings in her life.

I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  When is the last time you thanked God for your husband, for your family, for your church, for your salvation, for Christian friends, for your health?  You could certainly have it a lot worse!  Many women do!  You ought to be thankful, and you will be, if you are a great woman. 

Author: James Melton

How many times have you heard someone whine, “Judge not, that ye be not judged?” This verse of Scripture from Matthew 7:1 is often quoted out of context by people who are terrified at the idea of someone preaching against sin or pointing out any form of error in anyone, especially in themselves.   As I stood in a voting line one day I overheard a woman justifying her foolish choice for president by saying, “Well, we aren’t supposed to judge.” Imagine that! Choosing NOT to judge a political candidate on election day! No wonder our nation is in such a mess! As for Matthew 7:1, the context (verses 1-5) allows judging after you have first judged YOURSELF. Jesus did not make a blanket statement against judgment. He simply pointed out a RULE for judging.   Now, the word “judge” in its various forms (judgeth, judging, judgment, judges, etc) is found over 700 times in God’s word. One whole book of the Bible is titled “Judges” for it was written at a time when God raised up judges to lead His people. As we are about to see, God EXPECTS His people to judge. In fact, you are sinning against God if you refuse to judge! (Read that again, please)   God Expects Us to Judge “The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.” (Psa. 37:30) A righteous person will talk of judgment. He will not REFUSE to judge. He will talk judgment.   “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.” (Amos 5:14-15) How can you hate the evil and love the good if you refuse to judge? You can’t. You are SINNING when you refuse to judge.   Our generation is well described in Isaiah 59:8: “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.” People have refused to judge, so there is no peace. Paul said in I Corinthians 1:10 to “. . . be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Why would Paul make such a statement if judging is wrong? In I Corinthians 2:15 Paul says, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” Judging is not a sin; judging is a characteristic of being a spiritual person! Satan has been lying to us, hoping that we will NOT judge, because he knows that the right kind of judgment PLEASES God and betters our lives and Christian service.   Someone says, “But should we judge PEOPLE?” Yes, we certainly should. Paul actually REBUKES the Corinthians for NOT judging: “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?” (I Cor. 6:1-5) If judging is wrong, then Paul needs to confess and repent for misleading these Christians! He clearly told them to JUDGE PEOPLE.   If judging people is wrong, how can we obey Romans 16:17-18? II Corinthians 6:17? II Timothy 3:5-6? I John 4:1? Friend, if judging is wrong, then God has contradicted Himself and His words cannot be trusted! Notice Malachi 3:18: “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” WOW! Does that sound like it is wrong to judge?   What about Revelation 2:2? ” I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:” Why would the Lord be pleased with these Christians if judging was wrong? Is it not impossible to find someone a “liar” without judging them?   If the Bible is clear about anything, it is clear about the importance of judging on a regular basis in order to properly serve and honor God. To ignore this fact is to ignore all of the Scripture just presented and also the rest of the Bible. God expects us to judge. God’s Rules for Judging   Now I do not wish to imply that we should spend all of our time judging. Sometimes people judge when they have no business doing so. In John 7:24 Jesus tells us to judge RIGHTEOUS judgment. This can only be done by following the rules that God has established in His word. Here follow seven good rules from Scripture:   Judge Scripturally Isaiah 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Our standard is God’s word, not our feelings, our traditions, or our opinions. Right and wrong should always be determined by God’s word.   Don’t Judge When God’s Word Is Silent If God’s word is silent about a subject, then you may not have to judge at all. Don’t rush to judgment on an issue when the Bible says very little or is silent about it. Don’t make more of a matter than God makes of it. A good example of this is found in Colossians 2:16: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:” That is, these are not subjects of great importance today, so let’s not make these great issues of judgment.   Pray for Good Judgement Ability When Solomon received his kingdom he asked God to “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (I Kings 3:9) James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” We should pray for good judgment ability. Don’t Respect Persons  Proverbs 24:23 says, “These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.” Treat all parties fairly without favoring anyone, such as family members or friends. A truly fair judge is blind and deaf to any outer influence. (Isa. 42:1, 19-21)   Judge in Truth Do not judge another when you do not have all the relevant facts. Jeremiah 5:1 says, “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.” A true judge is one who seeks the truth. If you must judge, be sure and get all the facts. A Japanese proverb says to “search seven times before you judge.”   Judge Mercifully Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:2: “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” You’ll reap what you sow (Gal. 6:7-8). If you are swift and harsh in judging others, then God will see to it that you receive the same from others. Has God not been very merciful to you, even though you deserved it not? Likewise, you should exercise mercy toward others.   Don’t Forget to Judge Yourself I Corinthians 11:30-31: “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” If you are a true Christian, then you belong to God. You are God’s child. If you refuse to judge and improve yourself as a child of God, then God will take it upon Himself to judge you. Many of the troubles that we face in life are nothing more than God’s way of judging us since we often neglect to judge ourselves.   Wouldn’t it be amazing if every Christian actually took time to judge themselves before judging anyone else? In Matthew 7:4-5, Jesus says, ” Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” A good judge will not fail to judge himself.

Over the past few decades, new Bible translations have been popping up all over the country. Many strong Christians have stood their ground and continued to believe, read, and study only the Authorized King James Bible. Many others, however, have forsaken the Book that God has been using for centuries. Such people have fallen for smooth advertising schemes and have actually started believing that the modern versions are superior to the King James Bible. It’s very sad that most preachers today have not taken time to study the subject thoroughly enough to see what is really happening. Christians are being told that the new versions are easier to understand, and that only words like “thee” and “thou” have been changed. If you have been led to believe this too, then I urge you to pay very close attention to the information that you are about to read, because Satan is using the new versions to attack some of the most important doctrines in the word of God.

I invite you to take any new version that you wish and compare it with the King James Bible as we look at some selected portions of scripture. You are going to find that some of the most important doctrines of the Bible are being attacked in the new versions. Whether you have a Living Bible, a New International Version, a Revised Standard Version, or any of the other perversions of scripture (including the New King James Version), you are going to see with your own eyes that Satan is alive and well on the revision committees of the new translations. Let’s compare Bibles.

Let’s Compare Isaiah 7:14

“Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Most of the new translations have attacked the Virgin Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ by substituting the word “virgin” with “young woman” or “maiden.” A young woman or a maiden is NOT necessarily a virgin. Mary, the mother of Jesus, WAS a virgin. In fact, Matthew tells us so in Matthew 1:23, when he QUOTES Isaiah 7:14 and uses the word “VIRGIN.” What does YOUR translation say in Isaiah 7:14?

Let’s Compare Luke 2:33

“And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.”

The King James credits Mary with being the mother of Jesus, but does NOT refer to Joseph as His father. However, many new versions imply that Joseph WAS the father of Jesus by changing out the word “Joseph” with the word “father.”

Let’s Compare Acts 20:28

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

Many of the new versions attack the Blood Atonement of Christ in this verse by OMITTING the word “blood.” Does your’s? The Blood Atonement is a MUST for anyone to be saved (Matthew 26:28; Revelation 1:5; Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22), yet the new versions are taking it out of the Bible!

Let’s Compare Colossians 1:14

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

It is THROUGH THE BLOOD that we have remission of sins, but most new versions completely OMIT “blood” from the text. What about YOUR version?

Let’s Compare Daniel 3:25

“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

This is one of the great Old Testament verses which magnifies the Lord Jesus Christ. As you can see, the verse says that the Son of God, which is Jesus Christ, actually appeared in the fiery furnace nearly 600 years before He was actually physically born. This shows us that Jesus Christ is ETERNAL. He is DEITY, a member of the Holy Trinity, the “Son of God.” So the King James Bible EXALTS Jesus Christ.

However, if you have a new translation you may have trouble finding the “Son of God” in the passage, for many have changed it to read “a son of the gods,” or something similar. Does your translation magnify the Lord Jesus Christ by properly referring to Him as the “Son of God,” or does it pervert the text with pagan nonsense?

Let’s Compare Micah 5:2

“But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.”

The King James gives us the superior reading by telling us that Christ is from “everlasting.” That is, He is eternal, as we’ve already seen.

Do the new versions contain this reading? No, most of them do not. Some say that He’s from “ancient times,” and others say that He’s from “days of old,” but these terms do not imply that Jesus is Deity. The term “everlasting” DOES imply Deity. The King James is SUPERIOR, for it EXALTS the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s Compare Luke 23:42

“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

In this particular case, the dying thief is being saved. Romans 10:13 tells us that we are saved by calling upon the name of the “Lord,” and this man addresses Jesus as “Lord.” The new versions, however, rob Jesus of His Lordship by stealing the word “Lord” from the text! Is your version guilty or innocent?

Let’s Compare Matthew 6:13

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The King James says that the POWER, the KINGDOM, and the GLORY belong to God, but many new translations omit these important words. Does yours?

Let’s Compare Revelation 11:17

“Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”

This verse reminds us that Jesus is COMING AGAIN, or at least it does in the King James. In many versions (or perhaps we should say “perversions”) the words “art to come” have been taken out of the text.

Let’s Compare I Timothy 3:16

“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.”

This verse tells us that Jesus Christ walked on this earth as”God” in the flesh. We know this is true, for “Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:23) means “God with us.” So it is correct to say that “God was manifest in the flesh.” Do the new versions say this? No, most do not. Most new versions have taken the word “God” out of the verse and used the word “he” in it’s place. As you can see, this is a much weaker reading.

Let’s Compare II Timothy 2:15

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

This is probably the greatest verse in the New Testament on Bible Study. Naturally, the new translation editors couldn’t resist the temptation to change it. The word “Study” has been omitted by most all new versions. Does II Timothy 2:15 in your version tell you to “study,” or has the verse been butchered to pieces by Satan’s scribes?

There you have it, friend, eleven good examples of how the new translations are NOT better. Satan has been very successful in convincing our generation that the new translations are necessary and that they are better. They are UNNECESSARY and they are SATANIC! In fact, the Greek text from which ALL new translations are produced was constructed by men who were deeply involved in the OCCULT (B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort)! BEWARE OF ALL THE NEW TRANSLATIONS!

The King James Bible is based on over FIVE THOUSAND pieces of manuscript evidence, which is NINETY-FIVE percent of all manuscript evidence available. The new perversions (all of them) are based on the remaining FIVE percent. Friend, if you’ve been led to believe that there are better translations than the King James Bible, then you’ve been deceived by the Devil. We urge you to forsake the new translations and return to the grand old Book that God has used and blessed for centuries. Use the Book that God uses: The King James Authorized Version.