Friday, August 22, 2014

BIBLE QUESTIONS ANSWERED---- DO ALL RELIGIONS HONOR GOD?

THE WATCHTOWER AUGUST 2014

Jehovah’s Witnesses from diverse ethnic groups associate together at a Kingdom Hall

 Listening to the world news, you have probably noticed that bad things are sometimes done in the name of religion. Not all religion originates with the true God. (Matthew 7:15) Indeed, much of mankind has been misled.—Read 1 John 5:19.
Nevertheless, God takes note of sincere people who love what is good and true. (John 4:23) God is inviting such people to learn the truth from his Word, the Bible.—Read 1 Timothy 2:3-5.
How can you recognize true religion?
Jehovah God is uniting people from many religious backgrounds by teaching them the truth and by teaching them to love one another. (Micah 4:2, 3) Thus, you can recognize practicers of true religion by the way they care for one another.—Read John 13:35.
Jehovah God is uniting all sorts of people by means of true worship.—Psalm 133:1
True worshippers base their faith and their way of life on the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) They also honor God’s name. (Psalm 83:18) And they advocate God’s Kingdom as the only hope for mankind. (Daniel 2:44) They imitate Jesus by letting their “light shine,” doing good to their neighbors. (Matthew 5:16) True Christians can, therefore, be recognized by their neighborly visits to people’s homes for the purpose of sharing the good news of God’s Kingdom.—Read Matthew 24:14; Acts 5:42; 20:20.
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IS JESUS ALMIGHTY GOD?

THE WATCHTOWER NOVEMBER 2008

Is Jesus Almighty God?

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Jesus’ opposers accused him of making himself equal to God. (John 5:18; 10:30-33) However, Jesus never claimed to be on the same level as Almighty God. He said: “The Father is greater than I am.”—John 14:28.

Jesus’ early followers did not view him as being equal to Almighty God. For example, the apostle Paul wrote that after Jesus was resurrected, God “exalted him [Jesus] to a superior position.” Obviously, Paul did not believe that Jesus was Almighty God. 

Was the Word “God” or “a god”?

 THAT question has to be considered when Bible translators handle the first verse of the Gospel of John. In the New World Translation, the verse is rendered: “In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” (John 1:1) Some other translations render the last part of the verse to convey the thought that the Word was “divine,” or something similar. (A New Translation of the Bible, by James Moffatt; The New English Bible) Many translations, however, render the last part of John 1:1: “And the Word was God.”—The Holy Bible—New International Version; The Jerusalem Bible.
Greek grammar and the context strongly indicate that the New World Translation rendering is correct and that “the Word” should not be identified as the “God” referred to earlier in the verse. Nevertheless, the fact that the Greek language of the first century did not have an indefinite article (“a” or “an”) leaves the matter open to question in some minds. It is for this reason that a Bible translation in a language that was spoken in the earliest centuries of our Common Era is very interesting.
 The language is the Sahidic dialect of Coptic. The Coptic language was spoken in Egypt in the centuries immediately following Jesus’ earthly ministry, and the Sahidic dialect was an early literary form of the language. Regarding the earliest Coptic translations of the Bible, The Anchor Bible Dictionary says: “Since the [Septuagint] and the [Christian Greek Scriptures] were being translated into Coptic during the 3d century C.E., the Coptic version is based on [Greek manuscripts] which are significantly older than the vast majority of extant witnesses.”
The Sahidic Coptic text is especially interesting for two reasons. First, as indicated above, it reflects an understanding of Scripture dating from before the fourth century, which was when the Trinity became official doctrine. Second, Coptic grammar is relatively close to English grammar in one important aspect. The earliest translations of the Christian Greek Scriptures were into Syriac, Latin, and Coptic. Syriac and Latin, like the Greek of those days, do not have an indefinite article. Coptic, however, does. Moreover, scholar Thomas O. Lambdin, in his work Introduction to Sahidic Coptic, says: “The use of the Coptic articles, both definite and indefinite, corresponds closely to the use of the articles in English.”
Hence, the Coptic translation supplies interesting evidence as to how John 1:1 would have been understood back then. What do we find? The Sahidic Coptic translation uses an indefinite article with the word “god” in the final part of John 1:1. Thus, when rendered into modern English, the translation reads: “And the Word was a god.” Evidently, those ancient translators realized that John’s words recorded at John 1:1 did not mean that Jesus was to be identified as Almighty God. The Word was a god, not Almighty God.


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WAS JESUS MARRIED? DID JESUS HAVE SIBLINGS?

 The Bible’s answer

The Bible makes clear that Jesus was not married, even though it does not specifically comment on his marital status. * Consider the following.
1.   The Bible frequently refers to Jesus’ family as well as to women who accompanied him during his ministry and who stood by when he was executed, yet it never mentions his having a wife. (Matthew 12:46, 47; Mark 3:31, 32; 15:40; Luke 8:2, 3, 19, 20; John 19:25) The most plausible reason why the Bible is silent on this matter is that he was never married.
2.   Concerning those who remain unmarried so that they can do more in God’s service, Jesus told his disciples: “Let the one who can make room for it [singleness] make room for it.” (Matthew 19:10-12) He set the pattern for those who choose not to marry in order to devote themselves more fully to God.—John 13:15; 1 Corinthians 7:32-38.
3.   Just before he died, Jesus arranged for the care of his mother. (John 19:25-27) If Jesus had been married or had fathered children, he would have made sure that such close family members were provided for as well.
4.   The Bible uses Jesus as an example for husbands, but it does not refer to the way he treated a human wife. Instead, it says: “Husbands, continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and gave himself up for it.” (Ephesians 5:25) If Jesus had actually been married while on earth, would not his perfect example as a literal husband have been used in that verse?
Did Jesus have siblings?
Yes, Jesus had at least six siblings. These included his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas as well as at least two sisters. (Matthew 13:54-56; Mark 6:3) Those siblings were natural children of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and her husband, Joseph. (Matthew 1:25) The Bible calls Jesus “the firstborn” of Mary, which implies that she had other children.—Luke 2:7.
Misconceptions about Jesus’ brothers
In order to support the idea that Mary remained a virgin all her life, some have applied different meanings to the term “brothers.” For example, some feel that Jesus’ brothers were actually sons of Joseph by an earlier marriage. However, the Bible shows that Jesus inherited the legal right to the kingship promised to David. (2 Samuel 7:12, 13; Luke 1:32) If Joseph had been father to sons older than Jesus, the eldest of these would have been Joseph’s legal heir.
Could the expression refer to Jesus’ disciples, or spiritual brothers? This idea conflicts with the Scriptures, since the Bible says that at one point “his brothers were, in fact, not exercising faith in him.” (John 7:5) The Bible distinguishes Jesus’ brothers from his disciples.—John 2:12.

According to another theory, Jesus’ brothers were actually his cousins. Yet, the Greek Scriptures use distinct words for “brother,” “relative,” and “cousin.” (Luke 21:16; Colossians 4:10) Many Bible scholars acknowledge that Jesus’ brothers and sisters were his actual siblings. For example, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary states: “The most natural way to understand ‘brothers’ . . . is that the term refers to sons of Mary and Joseph and thus to brothers of Jesus on his mother’s side.” 

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Friday, August 8, 2014

HOW CAN PEOPLE MAKE PEACE?

Two men turned away from each other

AWAKE! AUGUST 2014


Most want to live in peace and harmony with their neighbors, but negative attitudes and hurt feelings can interfere. How can we settle our differences amicably?

A man complains to his neighbor about noise coming from his late-night partyFrank and Jerry were good neighbors—that is, until Jerry held a late-night party. * When Frank complained about the noise, Jerry took offense at his manner. They argued. After that, they avoided each other.
FRANK and Jerry faced a common problem. When two people have a difference, both often go away angry, perhaps blaming each other. If they maintain this stance, estrangement may develop.
Perhaps you have experienced a similar situation. If so, you likely took no pleasure in it! Indeed, most of us want to live in peace and harmony with our friends and neighbors. How, though, can we do so despite occasional upsets? Can we rise above negative attitudes and hurt feelings? Can we settle our differences amicably?
Consider Frank and Jerry’s predicament. Basically, their friendship began to unravel when they took several wrong steps: (1) Jerry was inconsiderate, (2) Frank expressed his annoyance in a way that upset Jerry, (3) both lost their temper, and (4) both refused to yield.
In time, however, reason prevailed. The two men put their differences behind them and made peace. What helped them to succeed? They applied some practical principles that have helped many friendships not only to survive rocky times but also to grow even stronger afterward.
The principles involved can be found in the world’s most widely distributed book—the Bible. It encourages us to cultivate qualities that promote peace and heal emotional wounds—qualities such as discernment, insight, kindness, love, and patience.—Proverbs 14:29; 1 Corinthians 13:4, 5.
Frank and Jerry are just two examples of the Bible’s power to change lives for  the better. There are many other examples, including people who overcame deeply entrenched negative traits. For instance, Robert, who lives in Australia, overcame deep-seated anger. Nelson, in Timor-Leste, cast aside long-standing animosity and made a close friend of a former enemy. How did the Bible help Robert and Nelson? Awake! interviewed them to find out.
INTERVIEW 1
ROBERT, tell us a little about your background.
I grew up in an unhappy home. My father, for example, had a violent temper and often beat me. At times, he even left me bloodied and unconscious. As a result, I became increasingly angry and violent. During my teens, I spent two years in a reform school. Later, I committed a brutal assault that landed me in a maximum-security prison. When I was finally released, I moved to Australia, hoping for a fresh start.
Robert
Robert grew up angry and violent and even spent time in prison
Did the move help you to change your ways?
It was not so much the move that changed me but the Bible, which I studied with Jehovah’s Witnesses. That said, I still struggled to control my temper and often felt frustrated and worthless. Then one day I reflected on Proverbs 19:11, which says: “The insight of a man certainly slows down his anger, and it is beauty on his part to overlook an offense.” Eager to develop that insight, I began to think about what lies behind our feelings, words, and deeds. As a result, I gradually became more understanding, patient, and forgiving.
Would you give us an example?
I once upset a friend unintentionally, and he angrily rebuked me in front of others. I was humiliated, to say the least! However, I recalled the Bible’s advice to “return evil for evil to no one,” and I quickly apologized. (Romans 12:17) When my friend cooled down, I approached him privately and learned that he was struggling with family problems. We made peace, and later he gave me a beautiful coat as a gift. I shudder to think what might have happened had I been my old self when I was humiliated.
How do you deal with family problems?
My wife and I have a 20-year-old son, and like other families, we have our disagreements. But I’ve learned a lot from the Bible, including the importance of saying, “I’m sorry.” It’s amazing how those words, when sincerely expressed, can prevent or defuse a conflict.
 INTERVIEW 2
NELSON, you have a warm smile and a friendly manner. At one time, though, you burned with hatred. Correct?
Yes! As a young man, I joined a political group in opposition to the government. I also hated a rival political party that was vying for control of my district. To become a better fighter, I learned martial arts, and then I beat up anyone who upset me.
Nelson
As a young man, Nelson joined an opposition political group
What motivated you to change?
I began to study the Bible and to apply its teachings, two of which especially touched my heart. The first states: “All things . . . that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them.” (Matthew 7:12) The second reads: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) I observed that the Witnesses, who taught me the Bible, displayed that kind of love, regardless of their racial or ethnic background. I wanted to be like them. Evidently, I succeeded, for my old acquaintances were amazed and soon no longer feared me.
Did you ever have a relapse?
Not in public. But sometimes I struggled to control my temper at home. In fact, I once got angry and hit my wife, which I deeply regret. She kindly forgave me, though, and this made me even more determined to master my emotions.
You said that people stopped fearing you. Can you give us an example?
Yes. One day I encountered a prominent member of the rival political group that I mentioned earlier, a man named Augusto. At first, he was very cautious. But I greeted him warmly, suggested that we forget our differences, and invited him to my home. He accepted my offer and was amazed at the changes I had made—so much so that he too began to study the Bible. Now Augusto and I are not just close friends but also spiritual brothers.
 “Be Peaceable With All Men”
The causes of conflict are complex and varied, and not everyone is eager to respond to overtures of peace. Hence, the Bible offers this realistic advice: “If possible, as far as it depends on you, be peaceable with all men.”—Romans 12:18.
The people mentioned in this article are living proof that the wisdom found in the Bible really works—that it has the power to overturn even “strongly entrenched” negative attitudes when we let it. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Concerning that wisdom, Proverbs 3:17, 18 says: “Its ways are pleasant, and all its paths are peaceful. It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it, and those who keep firm hold of it will be called happy.”Nelson and Augusto eating a meal together
Nelson and Augusto are now good friends
Do you want to become more happy and peaceable? Do you long for friendships that will not unravel when put to the test? If so, you will not be disappointed if you allow the Bible to show you the way.
Footnotes
^ par. 3 Names have been changed.
Bible Principles That Promote Peace
·         Think before you speak or act.—James 1:19.
·         When provoked, do not retaliate.—Proverbs 26:20.
·         If anger wells up, “take your leave.”—Proverbs 17:14.
·         Be willing to apologize.—Matthew 5:23, 24.
·         Forgive freely.—Ephesians 4:32.
LOVE—A Key to Peace
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. . . . It bears all things, . . . endures all things. Love never fails.”—1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

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Sunday, August 3, 2014

GOD REACHES OUT TO YOU

THE WATCHTOWER AUGUST 2014

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 “No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him.”—JOHN 6:44.
WHY SOME HAVE DOUBTS: Many who believe in God feel distant from him. “I just viewed him as the God who created everything,” admits Christina, a woman from Ireland who attended church every week. “But I didn’t know him. Not once did I feel close to him.”
WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES: When we feel lost, Jehovah does not give up on us. Jesus illustrated God’s care for us this way: “If a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays, will he not leave the 99 on the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is straying?” The lesson? “Likewise, it is not a desirable thing to my Father who is in heaven for even one of these little ones to perish.”—Matthew 18:12-14.
Every “one of these little ones” is precious to God. How does God “search for the one that is straying”? According to the scripture quoted at the outset, Jehovah draws people to him.
Who today call on people in their homes and in public areas to share the Bible’s message about God?
Jehovah’s Witnesses in a metropolitan area share Bible information with a manConsider how God took the initiative to draw sincere individuals. In the first century C.E., God sent the Christian disciple Philip to intercept an Ethiopian official’s chariot and discuss the meaning of a Bible prophecy that the official was reading. (Acts 8:26-39) Later, God directed the apostle Peter to visit the home of a Roman officer named Cornelius, who had been praying and striving to worship God. (Acts 10:1-48) God also guided the apostle Paul and his companions to a river outside the city of Philippi. There, they met “a worshipper of God” named Lydia, and “Jehovah opened her heart wide to pay attention.”—Acts 16:9-15.
In each case, Jehovah made sure that those who were seeking him had an opportunity to know him. Who today call on people in their homes and in public areas to share the Bible’s message about God? Many would answer, “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Ask yourself, ‘Could it be that God is using them to reach out to me?’ We urge you to pray to God to help you respond to his efforts to draw you to him. 

For more information, watch the video Why Study the Bible? at www.jw.org.

GOD UNDERSTANDS YOU

THE WATCHTOWER AUGUST 2014

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“O Jehovah, you have searched through me, and you know me.”—PSALM 139:1.
“Your eyes even saw me as an embryo.”—PSALM 139:16
A strand of DNA and an embryoWHY SOME HAVE DOUBTS: Many people feel that God sees humans only as sinners—unclean and unworthy of his attention. Kendra, who suffered from depression, felt guilt-ridden because she could not measure up perfectly to God’s requirements. As a result, she said, “I stopped praying.”
WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES: Jehovah looks beneath your imperfections and understands who you really are. “He well knows how we are formed,” says the Bible, “remembering that we are dust.” What is more, he does not deal with us “according to our sins,” but he mercifully forgives us when we repent.—Psalm 103:10, 14.
Consider David, the Israelite king mentioned in the first article of this series. In prayer to God, David said: “Your eyes even saw me as an embryo; all its parts were written in your book . . . Search through me, O God, and know my heart.” (Psalm 139:16, 23) Yes, David was convinced that even though he sinned—gravely at times—Jehovah could discern his repentant heart.
Jehovah understands you better than any human does. “Mere man sees what appears to the eyes,” the Bible says, “but Jehovah sees into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) God knows what makes you tick—how heredity, the way you grew up, your environment, and your personality all shape the person you are. He sees and values the person you strive to be, even though you make mistakes.
How, though, does God use his profound understanding of ‘the real you’ to comfort you?
Please go to the article titled:   God Reaches Out to You
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GOD WATCHES OVER YOU

THE WATCHTOWER AUGUST 2014

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“God’s eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps.”—JOB 34:21.
The younger the child, the more he needs his parent’s attention
A father plays with his young sonA father plays with his young sonWHY SOME HAVE DOUBTS: According to a recent study, our galaxy alone may contain at least 100 billion planets. Given the immense scale of the universe, many people ask, ‘Why should the almighty Creator watch what lowly humans do on a tiny planet?’
WHAT GOD’S WORD TEACHES: God did not simply give us the Bible and then lose interest in us. Rather, Jehovah assures us: “I will give you advice with my eye upon you.”—Psalm 32:8.
Consider Hagar, an Egyptian woman of the 20th century B.C.E. Hagar was disrespectful to her employer, Sarai, so Sarai humiliated her, and Hagar ran away to the wilderness. Now that Hagar had made a mistake, did God lose interest in her? The Bible reports: “Jehovah’s angel found her.” That angel reassured Hagar, stating: “Jehovah has heard your affliction.” Hagar then said to Jehovah: “You are a God of sight.”—Genesis 16:4-13.
The “God of sight” watches you too. To illustrate: A loving mother is especially watchful of her little children, since the younger the child, the more he needs his parent’s attention. Similarly, God especially watches over us when we are lowly and vulnerable. “I reside in the high and holy place,” Jehovah says, “but also with those crushed and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of those being crushed.”—Isaiah 57:15.
Nevertheless, you may wonder: ‘How does God watch me? Does he judge me by my appearance, or does he look beneath the surface and really understand who I am?’

Please continue to the article titled: God Understands You

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DOES GOD PAY ATTENTION TO YOU?

THE WATCHTOWER AUGUST 2014

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 “I am helpless and poor; may Jehovah pay attention to me.” *DAVID OF ISRAEL, 11TH CENTURY B.C.E.

A drop of water falls from a bucket“The nations are like a drop from a bucket.”—ISAIAH 40:15
Was it reasonable for David to expect God to pay attention to him? Does God pay attention to you? Many people struggle to believe that an almighty God is interested in them. Why?
One reason is that God is a much higher life-form than mere humans. As seen from his lofty position, entire nations “are like a drop from a bucket, and as the film of dust on the scales they are regarded.” (Isaiah 40:15) One skeptical modern-day writer went so far as to conclude that it is “the height of conceit to believe that there is a divine being who takes a personal and immediate interest in your doings.”
On the other hand, some people feel that their conduct makes them unworthy of God’s attention. For example, a middle-aged man named Jim relates: “I constantly prayed for peace and self-control, but sooner or later, my anger always returned. Finally, I concluded that I was wicked to the core and that God was unable to help me.”
Is God so distant from humans that he fails to notice us? How does he really feel about his imperfect creatures? Without divine revelation, no human can rightly speak for God and answer those questions. However, God’s inspired message to humankind—the Bible—assures us that he is not a distant entity devoid of concern for individuals. “In fact,” the Bible states, “he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) In the following four articles, we will consider what God tells us about his interest in individuals and how he has shown such interest in real people just like you.
Please go to the article titled: God Watches Over You
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WHERE CAN WE FIND ANSWERS TO LIFES' BIG QUESTIONS?

A person using a mobile device to look for answers on jw.org

Are the answers in . . .
·         science?
·         philosophy?
·         the Bible?
 A BIBLE WRITER SAID TO GOD
“Give me understanding . . . Your word is truth.”Psalm 119:144, 160, New World Translation.

A woman reads her Bible and checks online references
A variety of pages from the jw.org website, where people find answers and informationThe Bible is providing answers for millions of people.
Would you like to be one of them?
The jw.org Web site can help you.
READ online content
·         Answers to Bible questions
·         Help for families

WATCH Bible-based videos
·         Lessons and songs for children
·         Advice for teenagers
·         Faith in action
DOWNLOAD publications
·         The brochure Good News From God!
·         The book What Does the Bible Really Teach?

 WHICH OF THESE BIG QUESTIONS CONCERNS YOU MOST? 

·         What is the meaning of life?
·         What happens when you die?
A young couple reading the Bible and researching online

Find the Bible’s answers to these questions at jw.org.
(Go to BIBLE TEACHINGS › BIBLE QUESTIONS ANSWERED)

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GLOBAL NEWS AUGUST 1, 2014

 
Witnesses Campaign to Advertise World’s Most Translated Website, JW.ORG
NEW YORK—On August 1, 2014, Jehovah’s Witnesses will begin a month-long global distribution of a new tract entitled Where Can We Find Answers to Life’s Big Questions? to raise awareness of their official website, jw.org. Accessible in about 500 languages, with publications available for download in almost 700 languages, jw.org is the world’s most translated website.
Over one million unique visitors go to jw.org each day. The site features articles and videos offering practical advice to people of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. One of these videos, entitled Why Study the Bible?, will be linked to a QR code found on the new tract. This video merges live-action elements and animation to illustrate the practical benefits of studying the Bible. It is currently available in over 450 languages and has been downloaded nearly 4 million times since it was released on November 18, 2013.
J. R. Brown, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses at their world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, explains: “We are excited about this campaign. There are some eight million of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world, and all of us will be speaking to our neighbors about this website. This may be the most extensive campaign that we have ever organized.”
Geoffrey Jackson, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, states: “Since its launch two years ago, people all over the world have found jw.org to be an invaluable resource. On this site, you can watch videos that can help your children, consult articles that can help your family, and even read the Bible online. We want as many as possible to benefit from jw.org, and that’s why we initiated this special campaign.”
Media Contact(s):

International: J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000