Defending the Faith

Some information has been posted attributed to Walter Martin about the Watchtower’s alleged scriptural distortions. We are not with the JWs, nor do we support the JW organization or its teachings, but since Charles Taze Russell is being depicted as being associated with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and is being confused with the teachings of that organization, we have decided to respond to that post. We are not defending the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor are we defending that organization, but we do defend the faith once delivered to the saints, and to the extent that Russell’s writings reflected that faith, we defend Russell’s teachings.

First, we need to clarify that the organization called “Jehovah’s Witnesses” did not exist in the days of Charles Taze Russell. Russell was a non-sectarian who did not believe in such an organization. Yes, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society was in existence, but Rutherford used that legal entity and transformed it into being a central authority amongst his followers. The Watch Tower Society served no such purpose in the days of Russell. The “Jehovah’s Witnesses” organization was formed after Russell died.

See:
http://ctr.reslight.net/category/jehovahs-witnesses

Regarding the NWT rendering of the “divine name” in the New Testament, see:

http://name.reslight.net/?p=51

Regarding 1914: Charles Taze Russell earlier thought that 1914 would see the end of the time of trouble; in 1904 — ten years before 1914 — Russell came to realize that the end of the Gentile Times would be the “beginning” — not the end — of the time of trouble.

For more information, see:
Russell’s Predictions for 1914
http://ctr.reslight.net/2009/01/25/ctrs-predictions-concerning-1914.html

“The Finished Mystery” was not written by Russell, and although it contains many quotes from Russell, the quote given was not stated by Russell.

Charles Taze Russell disclaimed many times that his expectations should be considered prophecy.

See:
http://ctr.reslight.net/2009/01/25/did-russell-claim-direct-revelation-from-god.html

Regarding the Biblical usage of forms of pas, as in Colossians 1:16, see:

http://tinyurl.com/rl-pas-all-things

Regarding Jesus as creator, the Bible does not present Jesus as “creator,” but rather as the instrument, the agent, in creation.

http://defending.reslight.net/?p=10

Regarding Jesus as a creature, Colossians 1:15 definitely presents Jesus as a creature, he being the firstborn of such.

http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=200

Regarding John 1:1, Jesus was with the only true God (John 17:3,5) in the beginning of the world spoken of (John 1:10), and he was mighty [theos]. John was not saying that Jesus “was” [past tense] the only true God whom he was with.

http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=372

Matthew 27:50

For many centuries, religious teachers have thought that they have been successful in redefining Biblicla terms to suit the Hellenististic mythologies that they wish to force into the scriptures. However, when anyone, and we do not in particularly refer to the leadership of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, shows the truth from the Bible concerning the condition of the dead, they cry foul play, and claim that their deceptions are the truth, and the truth is the deception.

Walter Martin chides the translators of the New World Translation regarding the way that translation renders Matthew 27:50, which reads: “Again Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and yielded up his breath.” In this verse, the NWT renders the Greek word (often transliterated as pneuma) as “breath.” Martin seems to think that this rendering is incorrect, and evidently he reasons that it should “spirit” as the NWT renders the word in Luke 23:46. We wonder that he does not chide the King James Version for rendering pneuma as “ghost” In Matthew 27:50, for “breath” actually fits the context and the rest of the Bible whereas the word “ghost” implies a conscious existence while one is dead, something that is not taught in the Bible.  We are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, and we do not particularly defend the New World Translation, but, since one of the meanings of pneuma is breath, and both spirit and breath can reflect that meaning, we can only assume that Martin is seeking to uphold the centuries of tradition that would claim that “spirit” here means some kind of living being that survives death, and thus, would probably uphold and sanction the KJV rendering of pneuma as “ghost.”

However, we do not believe that pneuma in either Matthew 27:50 or Luke 23:46 is referring simply to “breath” as in normal breathing. The Hebrews used the Hebrew word for spirit in the sense of “spirit/breath of life”, and we believe that is way that Jesus used the corresponding word in Greek. We do not believe that he was simply speaking of ceasing to breathe in the use of the pneuma, that rather he gave up the force, the energy of life, that he had received from his God, and was committing that life force back to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7), the reversal of what was described in the creation of Adam in Genesis 2:7.

For more on the usage of the words for spirit in the Bible, see:

http://hereafter.reslight.net/?p=12

http://hereafter.reslight.net/?p=16

Regarding Philippians 2:21-23, see:

http://defending.reslight.net/?p=271

http://hereafter.reslight.net/?p=50

We will, Yahweh willing, complete this at a later date.