Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ was only a perfect man co-equal with the first man, Adam. if jesus was created to be equal to adam then why dont we see adam doing any miracle making or supernatural things that jesus had done?
2007-09-03 14:58:50 · 13 answers · asked by ~testube Jebus~ 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
unsilenced lamb. you are so cute! thank you for your comment :)
2007-09-03 15:26:19 · update #1
The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is hardly the only religion which understands the bible to teach that Christ was a propitiatory ("atoning") sacrifice corresponding to Adam. The bible even calls Jesus "the last Adam".
(1 Timothy 2:5-6) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom
(1 Corinthians 15:45) The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Did the human Jesus actually perform miracles wholly differently from other prophets? No, in most respect! Aside from reading thoughts/hearts, Jesus simply performed a larger quantity of miracles than anyone before or since.
Sadly, Adam did not live very long before he sinned. It seems quite likely that Adam would have been given the holy spirit needed to perform miracles when it served God's purposes to do so. The bible relates that many prophets, apostles, and others were able to use the action of the holy spirit to perform miracles for godly purposes.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_06.htm
2007-09-05 07:33:05 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 5⤊ 2⤋
Annsan, your answer presented a good argument aside from one thing- You simply stated that "Christ's death accomplished FAR more than mere equivalence for what Adam lost because it opened up the way to heaven!" Then, based on this statement, you proceeded to "dismantle" JW logic. Before doing so, you MUST address what the bible says about "the way to heaven" and if "the way to heaven" is an option to just anyone and everyone. The bible doesn't say that Jesus' SOLE purpose for coming to earth was to provide the ransom. He also came to establish a new covenant, to train disciples, preach the good news, and to perform faith- building miracles to the glory of his Father's name. It's the new covenant that addresses the issue of "the way to heaven". If you study the bible and accept what it's telling you, you will find that God's purpose for the earth is still the same as it was when he placed Adam & Eve on it, that Jesus' death was necessary to pay the ransom, and that heaven was not made for mankind, although through the new covenant that Jesus established there will be some "bought from among mankind" who will go to heaven (Revelation 14:4). Therefore, the idea that Adam would still be on earth if he had not sinned is, in fact, not wrong (unless he had been chosen later as on of the ones "bought from among mankind")! Oh, and your comment about Jesus as high priest- read Hebrews 6:20. It kind of refers to Jesus as high priest there. If he is only a high priest to the anointed, as you say, then why does the bible say that the anointed are also "kings and priests" alongside Jesus (Rev 20:6)? If they are, then who are they "kings and priests" over? Study, study, study!!!
One more thing- Silenced, you didn't change your name to "unsilenced" just because of lil' ole me, did you? ;)
2007-09-06 08:50:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anomaly 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes, we believe that Jesus Christ was only a perfect man co-equal with the first man.
You have several good and excellent "right" answers, which I have thumbs up. "BUT"
When you ask a ??? pertaining to Jehovah's Witnesses, unless a Witness answers your ???, all you receive is a bunch of utter nonsense, lies, they know very little about JW's.
Who are most of these people? Some just hate the teaching of JW's, but many are disfellowshipped, apostates, a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion. Why did they leave or were disfellowshipped, here are some reasons:
Some of the offenses that could merit disfellowshipping from the Christian congregation are fornication, adultery, homosexuality, greed, extortion, thievery, lying, drunkenness, reviling, spiritism, murder, idolatry, apostasy, and the causing of divisions in the congregation.
Why don't you people wise up and start acting like a
Christian, isn't that what most of you claim to be?
I'm going to lose sleep tonight, because know will not get 10 points for best answer, oh well, will catch up tomorrow.
2007-09-04 00:20:21 · answer #3 · answered by BJ 7 · 7⤊ 2⤋
Jesus was NOT created to be equal to Adam. As God's only-begotten Son, Jesus was created long before any other creation. Col. 1:15 calls Jesus the "firstborn of every creature." (KJB)
Because a perfect life (Adam) lost perfection for mankind, a perfect life (Jesus) had to buy it back. That's what the ransom is about.
In the Hebrew language, the word “ransom” signifies the sum paid to redeem a captive and also denotes equivalency. Only a man with perfect human life could offer up the equivalent of what Adam lost. After Adam, the only perfect man born on earth was Jesus Christ. Hence, the Bible calls Jesus “the last Adam” and assures us that Christ “gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.” (1 Corinthians 15:45; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6) Whereas Adam passed death on to his children, Jesus’ legacy is life eternal. First Corinthians 15:22 explains: “Just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.” Appropriately, then, Jesus is called “Eternal Father.” Isaiah 9:6, 7.
If you and Unsilenced Lamb think that God had to come to earth to die for mankind, how do you explain 1 Tim. 2:5, 6: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all"? If Jesus is the mediator BETWEEN God and man, who could he also be God?
I already know that what I have said will fall on your deaf ears. I just hope that what my brothers and sisters say about our Bible-based beliefs, will convince some that not all that is said about us is true.
The only thing Christian Soldiers does is hang around anti-witness websites so he can copy-and-paste the erroneous thoughts of others since he has no thoughts of his own.
2007-09-03 22:57:05 · answer #4 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 10⤊ 3⤋
If Jesus was created to be equal to Adam then why don’t we see Adam doing any miracle making or supernatural things that Jesus had done?
Simple, Adam was not given God's Holy Spirit to perform miracles. Mark 1:10-12
If the Trinitarians are correct, that is Jesus is God on Earth, then I am sure they can counter this by showing scriptures prior to Jesus baptism that he was God and could perform supernatural occurrences.
2007-09-04 10:22:49 · answer #5 · answered by keiichi 6 · 3⤊ 3⤋
No wonder you left the truth, From your many misquotes and questions, you never understood it to begin with.
Jehovah's Witnesses nor the bible teaches that Jesus was only a man.
He is the only begotten Son of Jehovah, The Firstborn of all creation.
He helped form Adam out of the dust.
He helped bring about the creation of the entire creation including the other sons of God.
The signs and portents Jesus preformed were not to prove he was God, but to prove he was the Messiah, the promised Prophet.
John 9:17Â Hence they said to the blind man again: “What do you say about him, seeing that he opened your eyes?” The [man] said: “He is a prophet.”
22Â His parents said these things because they were in fear of the Jews, for the Jews had already come to an agreement that, if anyone confessed him as Christ, he should get expelled from the synagogue.
30Â In answer the man said to them: “This certainly is a marvel, that YOU do not know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31Â We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to this one. 32Â From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. 33Â If this [man] were not from God, he could do nothing at all.”
==
As to the ransom, it is Paul that says Jesus was equal to Adam, Was Paul also wrong?
1 Cor 15:45Â It is even so written: “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46Â Nevertheless, the first is, not that which is spiritual, but that which is physical, afterward that which is spiritual. 47Â The first man is out of the earth and made of dust; the second man is out of heaven.
Here Paul says that Jesus is the last Adam.
Jesus was created not to be equal to Adam, but as Jehovah's Firstborn Col 1:15,
Jesus came to the earth to redeem mankind from the sin of Adam.
Heb 1:9Â You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness. That is why God, your God, anointed you with [the] oil of exultation more than your partners.” 10Â And: “You at [the] beginning, O Lord, laid the foundations of the earth itself, and the heavens are [the] works of your hands.
Heb 2:4Â while God joined in bearing witness with signs as well as portents and various powerful works and with distributions of holy spirit according to his will?
(Actually Jesus didn't perform the Miracles - Jehovah did through Jesus.)
Heb 3:1 Consequently, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest whom we confess—Jesus.
Jesus is the apostle of Jehovah, and our high priest.
.
2007-09-03 23:56:30 · answer #6 · answered by TeeM 7 · 8⤊ 2⤋
Jesus was the son of God almighty Jehovah, when he baptized he received holy spirit that is why he could perform miracles, he was sinless as adam, but the need of miracles was to give some samples of his future actions when he rules the earth in the 1000 years kingdom, The apostle Paul was a man but received holy spirit and he could resurrected people also, really don´t understand your question, but hope this satisfy your need.
2007-09-04 23:14:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
Adam was equal to Jesus, in that he was a perfect sinless man, Jesus proved faithful to his Father when tested by the Devil where as Adam did not. Jesus preformed miracles because he had the power of God's spirit, Adam did not.
2007-09-03 22:17:05 · answer #8 · answered by Daysee 3 · 9⤊ 3⤋
I have a question for you. Because based off your question and the many others you have asked on the subject of Jehovah's Witnesses, it's obvious your not looking for a factual and logical answer. Because I've seen your posted questions and it seems that you only choose people who share in your philosophizing and hatered of JW's for "Best Answer". My question is why,really why do you and others who obviously have it out for the organization feel it necessary to spread such HATE! Whatever might of happened to you and how you feel about the society aside. Why do you feel the need to blatantly keep slapping Jehovah in the face. Sincerely I'm curious in that. I'm not trying to upset you or ruffle your feathers. I just want your honest opinion on why do you knowingly do that to Jehovah. And you do know what I'm talking about. But as usual I'll probably get an excuse on what the JW's have done personally or no answer at all. Your honest hearted answer PLEASE!!
2007-09-03 23:09:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 2⤋
The core of the matter is the need for the ransom. In order to understand the payment made, one must understand the debt incurred. What was the point of the ransom sacrifice? Why did God simply not forgive Adam and Eve? Why did he simply not tell them, "never mind, kids, just don't do it again"? That was not sufficient was it? Why? Because Jehovah is a lover of righteousness and justice. So we read at Psalm 33:5; Deuteronomy 32:4 and Jeremiah 9:24. The way he dealt with the situation upheld his righteousness, met the demands of absolute justice and at the same time, magnified his love and mercy.
Now what about this debt of sin? Look in the Mosaic law. How do you read? Hand for hand, foot for foot, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Does this mean if I cut off your hand you are to cut off mine? No. It means God's justice must be met. It means the punishment must be proportionate to the crime. What does that mean? It means God would not put to death one who stole a loaf of bread. It means God would not give a slap on the wrist to a deliberate murderer. Look at the animal sacrifices. Leviticus 17:11 "Unless blood is poured out, no forgiveness takes place." Jehovah says that is why he put the blood on the altar for the Israelites. To make atonement. But animals are inferior to man, are they not? Thus they could never make sufficient atonement, they could never provide a true ransom. Who could? Another perfect human. Why a perfect human? Because that is what Adam was when he sold us out. A perfect human with the opportunity to live forever on earth. So, as Paul says at Galatians 3:24, the law was a tutor leading to Christ.
Did Jesus understand it this way? Yes. So we read at Hebrews 9:22-28 that Christ entered into the Holy Place in heaven to appear before God, presenting the value of his perfect sacrifice. To bear the sins of who? Just one person? No. His ransom does not cover Adam or Eve. His ransom is to cover those who were born into sin with no choice. And according to verse 28, his ransom was to bear the sins of MANY. Is the ransom of a perfect human sufficient? Some people say, no. Others say God needed to die himself. What does God say? According to Romans 5:18-19, through the obedience of the one person (Jesus) many will be constituted righteous. I ask therefore, was the sacrifice of the perfect human Jesus insufficient? Never may that happen! For according to God's inspired word, we read that Jesus perfectly balanced the scales of justice.
Moreover, it is impossible for God to die – in any way, shape or form whatsoever. Therefore, the Sovereign Lord God Yahweh could NEVER die – much less sacrifice himself for humans.
As for the question of why Adam does not do any miracles, I am really not understanding that part at all. Adam is dead – forever. The ransom sacrifice does not cover Adam or Eve. Neither does it cover Satan or any of the other disobedient angels. As for Jesus, he existed in the heavens as a mighty spirit person and – yes – a god or divine being – long before he was born on earth as a human. And after his resurrection, he returned to the heavens. But that he was a perfect human being (no more and no less) during his earthly life is well-attested to in the Bible.
Hannah J Paul
2007-09-04 07:36:05 · answer #10 · answered by Hannah J Paul 7 · 9⤊ 2⤋