Jehovah Witnesses: how do you lie to an active force?

Question

The last time i spoke with a JW he said the Holy Spirit was like electricity. So how does one lie to electricity?

Tony C - interesting reply. But the verse does not say nor indicate a metaphore should be understood here.

Answer 1

Good question. People can only lie to another person. I cannot lie to my dog because my dog has no concept of 'promise'. But Ananias and Sapphira lied to to the Holy Spirit and were struck dead for it. (Acts ch 5:1-12) Also, Jesus warned that whoever said a word against the Son of Man (himself) would be forgiven, but whoever blasphemed against the Holy Spirit would NOT be forgiven. If that does not cause JWs to think twice about their contempt for the Holy Spirit, nothing will.

Answer 2

It is a metaphor. My knife is as sharp as an eagles eye is a metaphor, but I cannot use an eagles eye to cut can I? The holy spirit is not a person, it is God's power, so when you lie "to the holy spirit" you are lying to God. Thus, God's holy spirit (Power) can kill as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira.

Other example metaphors:
The guy is as dumb as a door knob.
The cat is as black as the night.
His words were as strong as a warrior.
His heart had so much emotion, it burned like a fireball.

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Answer 3

This question seems to allude to the account of Ananias and Sapphira. This married couple sought admiration and glory by falsely claiming to have donated the entire profit from a real estate sale. God (by means of the holy spirit) informed Peter of the truth of the matter; Peter confronted Ananias boldly.

(Acts 5:3) Peter said: “Ananias, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field?


It would seem that the greedy Ananias ignored the fact that the congregation was still benefiting directly by God's "finger" or active force. Ananias did not allow the holy spirit to improve his personality and godliness.

(Luke 11:20) It is by means of God's finger I expel the demons
(Matthew 12:28) It is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons


The Scriptures help Christians to recognize that one can prove false to inanimate things and qualities, and even 'forces'.

(Revelation 3:8) You kept my word and did not prove false to my name

(2 Timothy 3:1-5) In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves ...having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power


This questioner seems to be influenced by trinitarianism. The question may also be asked: if trinitarians are true Christians, why do they ignore Christ's command that each Christian must preach?

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded

Answer 4

God's spirit is called God's finger and are the same.

Matt12:28 “But if it is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken YOU.”

Luke 11:20 “But if it is by means of God’s finger I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken YOU.”

The spirit of God is not a separate person but part of the person of God.

When you lie to a part of God, you lie to the person who owns that. So if you lie to the spirit of God, you lied to Jehovah.

Answer 5

Jehovah's Witnesses reject traditional Christian doctrines such as the Trinity, eternal torment in hell and the immortality of the soul.

In the early 1870s, Russell organized a Bible study group of Second Adventists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An interest in Bible prophecy was sparked, in part, by Jonas Wendell. In 1876, Russell met Nelson H. Barbour and subsequently adopted Barbour's eschatology. Barbour had predicted a visible return of Christ for 1873, and when that failed to occur, he revised the prediction to 1874. Soon after the second disappointment, Barbour's group decided Christ had returned invisibly to Earth in 1874. They differed from most Second Adventists by teaching that all humankind descending from Adam would be given a chance to live in a paradise on Earth. The year 1914 was seen as the final end, marking a forty-year period from 1874.

A number of doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses differ from that of mainstream Christianity. Possibly the most controversial doctrinal differences relate to the nature of God and of Jesus, particularly the Jehovah's Witnesses' rejection of the Trinity doctrine. Other differences involve their beliefs concerning death and judgment. Many of these doctrines are considered heresy by mainstream Christian denominations and, as a result, many label Jehovah's Witnesses as a cult.

Answer 6

Probably the same way I whisper sweet nothings into electricity's ear.

Answer 7

Acts chapter 5, the Greek word can mean lie, or attemp to deceive by falsehood.

Strong's Greek Lexicon
5574. pseudomai psyoo'-dom-ahee middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood

The NWT is not wrong when it says in this verse:

Acts 5:3 But Peter said: “An·a·ni´as, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field? 4 As long as it remained with you did it not remain yours, and after it was sold did it not continue in your control? Why was it that you purposed such a deed as this in your heart? You have played false, not to men, but to God.”

Since the anointed / born again Christians are baptised with holy spirit, To go against it, is to play false to it, which in turn they go against God as well.

To better understand what spirit of God is,

Let's start at the beginning.

At Gen 1:2 which most bibles say “ the (S)spirit* of God” was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters. The NRSV says in the footnote “the wind of God” * “And . . . active force (spirit).” Heb., weru´ach. Besides being translated “spirit,” ru´ach is also translated “wind” and by other words that denote an invisible active force.”

This agrees with Psalm 33:6 that says: “By the word of Jehovah the heavens themselves were made, and by the spirit (breath, KJV) of his mouth all their army.”

So the first reference of “Holy Spirit” in the bible denotes wind and breath. So when we say the spirit of God, we are literally saying the breath of God, or the wind of God. Neither of these expressions means a person of God or a personage of God. Both expressions do denote ownership.

Ex. 15:8 “And by a breath* from your nostrils waters were heaped up; They stood still like a dam of floods; The surging waters were congealed in the heart of the sea.” *“And by a breath.” Heb., u•veru´ach; Gr., pneu´ma•tos.

Again we see that God’s spirit is ‘a breath’ that accomplishes not it’s own will, but God’s will.

We know that God created the heaven and earth, by means of His spirit. We don’t read in the bible that “The Holy Spirit created the earth”, we read God created the heavens and earth by means of his spirit.

Also please note these comparisons:

Matt12:28 “But if it is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken YOU.”

Luke 11:20 “But if it is by means of God’s finger I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken YOU.”

Here God’s spirit is described as God’s finger. Again ownership of the spirit, it belongs to God, it’s part of God, but definitely not part of a Godhead.

Let’s jump forward to Jesus’ baptism. Here we have the voice of God, the holy spirit, in the form of a dove and Jesus.

Matt 3:16 “and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him.”

Here we learn two things about God’s spirit, besides ownership, 1st the form chosen is that a dove, not a human. Angels as spirit persons, Jehovah as a Spirit, and the resurrected Jesus who was raised as a spirit, are always depicted as a humans. (1 Cor 15:45 It is even so written: “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit) 2nd it is upon this occasion that Jesus becomes baptized with spirit. This is where Jesus becomes ‘The Christ’, the ‘Messiah’.

Just as Jesus was baptized with water, Jesus is baptized not with a person, but with an object, a breath, a wind, a force from God.

Let’s now briefly discuss some of the texts used to “prove” that the holy spirit is a person.

Jesus also referred to the holy spirit as a “helper” (Greek, pa•ra´kle•tos), and he said that this helper would “teach,” “bear witness,” “speak,” and ‘hear.’ (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:13)

It is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personified. For example, wisdom is said to have “children.” (Luke 7:35) Sin and death are spoken of as being kings. (Rom. 5:14, 21)

While some texts say that the spirit “spoke,” other passages make clear that this was done through angels or humans. (Acts 4:24, 25; 28:25; Matt. 10:19, 20; compare Acts 20:23 with 21:10, 11.)

At 1 John 5:6-8, not only the spirit but also “the water and the blood” are said to ‘bear witness.’ So, none of the expressions found in these texts in themselves prove that the holy spirit is a person.

The Bible is said to bring comfort, said to be alive and exerts power (Rom 15:4; Heb 4:12) But we would never say the Bible is a person.

These are just a few scriptures that show that God’ holy spirit is not part of a Godhead, but it’s Jehovah’s active force.

Lastly, in the 87 times the Greek Scriptures (NT) uses the phrase holy spirit the pronouns the original writers used are neutered. This means that the pronouns in English should be “it, which, or that” if the bible translation you are using use “he, who, or whom” they have mistranslated the original verse. Even if you use “he” this doesn’t prove HS is a person because a boat that is called she, is in reality is an “it”.

These are just a few of the scriptures that show that the holy spirit is Jehovah’s force that He uses to accomplish His Will.

In closing please read Rom 15:4-6 and ask yourself do I have the same mental attitude of Christ Jesus?

5 Now may the God who supplies endurance and comfort grant YOU to have among yourselves the same mental attitude that Christ Jesus had, 6 that with one accord YOU may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.