Reasoning From the Scriptures With the Jehovah's Witnesses by Ron Rhodes

Author:Ron Rhodes [Rhodes, Ron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-Fiction, Reference
ISBN: 0736924515
Google: DsFAmAEACAAJ
Amazon: B005WWN5Q2
Barnesnoble: B005WWN5Q2
Goodreads: 16340468
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Published: 1993-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Ask…

* * *

• How do you explain that the early Jewish Christians—who were clearly committed to the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4—had no scruple about applying to Jesus many Old Testament texts that were originally written in reference to Yahweh?

• How do you explain that the early Jewish Christians called Jesus “Lord” and “God” in the same sense that Jehovah is called “Lord” and “God”?

* * *

While speaking to the Jehovah’s Witness about Deuteronomy 6:4, it is important to emphasize that in the course of God’s self-disclosure to humankind, He revealed His nature to man in progressive stages. First, God revealed His essential unity and uniqueness—that is, He revealed that He is one and that He is the only true God. This was a necessary starting point, for throughout history Israel was surrounded by nations deeply engulfed in polytheism (the belief in many gods). Through the prophets, God communicated and affirmed to Israel the truth of monotheism (the belief that there is only one true God).

While God’s unity and oneness—as affirmed in the Shema—is the clear emphasis in Old Testament revelation, this is not to say that there are no hints or shadows of the doctrine of the Trinity there, for indeed there are (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Proverbs 30:4; Isaiah 6:8; 48:16). But God did not reveal the fullness of this doctrine until New Testament times (see Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). It is by reading the Old Testament under the illumination of the New Testament that we find supporting evidences for the Trinity there. Indeed, as theologian Benjamin Warfield notes,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.