Recently I received a letter from a concerned Jehovah’s Witness telling me we were living in the last days. She enclosed a gospel tract and asked me to read it. I felt compelled to write her back. She will be referred to in this copy as JW.
Dear JW,
Thank you for taking the time to write your letter. I was so blessed to hear from you. I’ve been praying to talk to a Jehovah’s Witness for a while. Thank you also for the tract. I’m glad to know that you want to see me in the ressurection of the kingdom of God. I want to see you there too.
First, I’m glad that you recognize that we are living in the last days. The apostle John says, “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” (1 John 2:18-19, NIV). Speaking of the spirit of antichrist John says, “but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 John 4:3, NIV). John was saying that Jesus was fully God and fully man. John took great pains to prove Jesus is God from the very first verse in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2, ESV). You might be tempted to say like other Jehovah’s Witnesses, that your Bible says, “a god”. Here it is in Greek, “Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses say that since there is no definite article before God, Θεόν, that it is referring to “a god”. But Greek grammar does not allow such an interpretation. In Greek grammar, when there is a linking verb, was (ἦν), the subject, Word (Λόγος), takes on the definite article, ὁ (the), and the predicate nominative, God (Θεὸς), drops the definite article. So, in Greek, there is no better way to say that the Word is/was God than in this construction. I know this because I have been studying Greek for ten years, and I got my bachelors of arts degree in Bible and preaching ministry. I’m also studying Biblical languages for my masters degree and I just finished two years of Hebrew. John also accredited the name of God to Jesus seven times, it is translated as “I AM” (6:35; 8:12; 10:7,9; 11:25; 14:6; 15:15). John also wrote his gospel around eight signs that prove Jesus is God (2:1-11; 4:46-54; 5:1-18; 6:1-15; 6:16-21; 9:1-41; 11-1-57; 21:6-11). He also has the record of Thomas testifying of the risen Lord Jesus “My Lord and my God.” I could say more but room will not let me keep on going on about this subject. I would love to talk to you about it another time.
Second, I am overjoyed that your tract says that we can trust the Bible. That is 100% true. That is what my life is all about. I love to study the Bible and teach others. I have dedicated my life to knowing and understanding the Bible. For thirteen years I have studied the art and science of interpreting literature. This discipline is called hermeneutics. The goal is interpreting the passage the way the author intended. The reason this is possible is because the Bible was written to be understood. As the Apostle Paul says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”. (Romans 15:4, ESV). We do not need organizations to help us interpret the Bible like Watch Tower Magazine. A disciple of Christ only needs the Holy Spirit, who dwells inside believers, to accept the Word of God and understand it: “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:12-16, ESV).
Third, Since the Bible is 100% true, we can believe what it says about Hell. Yes, the Bible teaches there is a Hell awaiting unbelievers and that it is an eternal conscious torment. Jesus said, “And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'” (Mark 9:45,48). Jesus repeats that phrase three times for emphasis. To see more on Hell look up Daniel 12:2, Matthew 25:41, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, and Revelation 14:10-11 & 20:10. The fire is there forever because the punishment is forever. The reason that people go to hell is for sinning against God. All liars, fornicators, homosexuals, greedy, drunkards, idolaters, and sorcerers will have their part in the Lake of Fire. In fact, we all deserve to go there because Romans 3:10 says, “No one is righteous, no not one.” (ESV). But God in His mercy sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life, die on the cross, and rise from the dead. Jesus died on the cross, paying the penalty for your sin, so God can legally dismiss your case if you turn from your sin and trust in Jesus and His work on the cross. Please take a look at this free booklet [I gave her a free copy of What Does It Mean to Me]
Lord bless you,
Josiah Nichols
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Biblical Interpretation Through Demonstration 