The other day I received a phone call from a “Jehovah’s Witness.” This may seem strange. Usually, “Jehovah’s Witnesses” knock on doors. Now of course the caller did not say, “Hello, I am a student of the Watchtower.” Instead, he was very deceptive and acted as if he were truly a student of the Bible. He pretended to be interested in the church that I serve. He very politely asked if I could answer a question regarding the teaching of our church as he had found it on our website. He wanted to know why we teach that the One True God has revealed Himself in three persons.
I took the bait. I was more than willing to explain why we confess the Biblical doctrine of the Holy Blessed Trinity. Immediately, he quoted from the Gospel According to John chapter 17 in which Jesus says,
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only True God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
As soon as he finished reciting this passage, he rattled off 1 Corinthians chapter 8 in which Paul says,
“For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:5–6)
Without hesitation he began to ask why the church that I serve believes that the Only True God is three persons when these passages teach us that God is one person. He acted as if he really wanted to know the answer. Thus, I started to answer his question by first explaining the term “person” in order that there would be no confusion in our conversation. I wanted him to understand the terminology that the church chooses to use to articulate the apostolic doctrine that is revealed in the sacred scriptures. I told him that the English word “person” comes from the Latin word “persona.” Next, I explained that to correctly understand the word “person,” one must realize that the Greek word that the church has historically used is “hypostasis” (ὑπόστασις) which is used in Hebrews chapter one. In this passage we are taught that Jesus is the exact reproduction of the hypostasis of the Father. Thus, the Father is one hypostasis and the Son is a second hypostasis.
Without allowing me the opportunity to continue, he abruptly cut me off and told me that I was wrong. He interjected that the Greek word for person is “anthrōpos” (ἄνθρωπος). I assured him that in the language of the church that the Greek word is “hypostasis” (ὑπόστασις). He assured me that I was wrong and I had no idea what I was talking about. He insisted that God was an “anthrōpos” (ἄνθρωπος), that is, a man or a person. Then he preceded to lecture me further on the Greek language by explaining that the word “kyrios” (κύριος), which we translate as Lord, really means mediator. He didn’t even realize that there is actually a Greek word for “mediator” it is “mesitēs” (μεσίτης). See 1 Timothy 2:3-4. He was a self-proclaimed Greek scholar.
At this point, the conversation became rather comical. Greek words mean whatever he wanted them to mean. Actually, Greek words mean whatever the Watchtower says that they mean. This corny type of argumentation sounded extremely familiar. I asked him straight up if he happened to be a “Jehovah’s Witness.” He said, “Yes.” Once the mask was removed, he became extremely rude, belligerent, and arrogant. Because I did not agree with the Watchtower, he persisted to describe how uneducated and ignorant that I was. He would lecture me for minutes on end and then ask why I was unable to answer any of his questions. As soon as I would begin to answer one of his questions, he would quickly cut me off and engage in another hot tempered monologue. He did not really want to learn why Lutherans teach, believe, and confess the Holy Blessed Trinity; he only wanted to teach me what the Watchtower taught him. As the Watchtower is deceptive, so too are the followers of the Watchtower.
Ironically, in both of the two verses that he quoted, the Greek word for God, “theos” (θεός), is lacking the definite article. Thus, according to Watchtower Greek scholarship the Greek should be translated as “god.”
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true god…” (John 17:3)
“…yet for us there is one god, the Father…” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
I was never given the chance to answer the original question or any other question. However, this caller never intended to allow me the opportunity. Students of the Watchtower do not want to become students of the Bible. They have an unteachable heart that has been seared by the deceptive “scholarship” of the Watchtower. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21)
Thanks for posting this conversation. I had a similar one with a JW a couple months back at the front door. Likewise, he did not identify himself. His opening line was, Are you saved? After I spoke about baptism and faith, that Christ died and rose me, he basically went on in an attempt to ‘prove’ that I’m really not. It took sometime for me to realize how radically wrong the Watchtower ‘translation’ actually is. At least the Mormons wear name tags and usually identify themselves without asking.
Thank you for the post. My parents were JW and some of my siblings are so I appreciate the education very much. I am a baptized Christian and am I the LCMS . Thanks be to God. I pray for those in that cult. It is awful.
This is so true. Now, looking back I have to say that so many times if a person tried to reason or was wondering why this or why that, this person was called argumentative and didn’t make it into a RV’s (return visits)book (some witnesses jokingly call it the book of life, but only some – it’s not common). I remember a sister talking to a man and he couldn’t understand why JWs didn’t want to have anything to do with military when Cornelius was a Roman centurion and he was the first gentile to convert to Christian faith. He was a nice man, very sincere but the sister said he was weird and all he wanted to do is argue, which I must have failed to notice… Anyway, great article! Thank you!
Just got the same call…same qustions…same mo…would like to discuss it with someone who received the same call…Blessings
Luther,
E-mail me at pastor@redeemerlosalamos.org
Pr. Kachelmeier
I received a similar call at the church I work for (right as I was preparing to launch a new small group, of course). I wonder if it’s the same guy finding random churches on Google or a concerted effort by JWs to branch out?
JESUS IS YHWH
YHWH IS ‘THE FIRST AND LAST’ ‘I [YHWH] AM THE FIRST AND I AM THE LAST; Besides Me there is no God’ (Isaiah 44:6 NKJV)
JESUS IS ‘THE FIRST AND LAST’ “I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:17 NKJV)
FAITH MUST BE IN YHWH “LOOK TO ME, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I AM GOD, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:17, 22 NKJV)
FAITH MUST BE IN JESUS “LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV)
JOHN SAYS YHWH IS LIGHT “GOD IS LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all.” (I John 1:5 NKJV)
JESUS CALLS HIMSELF THE LIGHT “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NKJV)
YHWH SHALL JUDGE ‘GOD [YHWH] shall judge the righteous and the wicked’ (Ecclesiastes 3:17 NKJV)
FATHER SHALL NOT JUDGE “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to THE SON” (John 5:22 NKJV)
JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST ‘For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of CHRIST. For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”’ (Romans 14:10b-11 NKJV)
EVERY KNEE BOWS TO YHWH ‘… TO ME [YHWH] every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.’ (Isaiah 45:23 NKJV)
EVERY KNEE BOWS TO JESUS ‘… that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth’ (Philippians 2:10 NKJV)
ALL THINGS MADE FOR YHWH ‘The LORD [YHWH] has made all FOR HIMSELF, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.’ (Proverbs 16:4 NKJV)
ALL THINGS MADE FOR JESUS ‘All things were created through Him AND FOR HIM [Jesus].’ (Col. 1:15-16 NKJV)
ALL THINGS CREATED BY YHWH ALL ALONE AND BY HIMSELF ‘Thus says the LORD [YHWH], your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord [YHWH], who makes ALL THINGS, Who stretches out the heavens ALL ALONE, Who spreads abroad the earth BY MYSELF’ (Isaiah 44:24 NKJV)
ALL THINGS CREATED BY JESUS ‘For by Him [JESUS] ALL THINGS were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. ALL THINGS were created through Him [JESUS] and for Him [JESUS].’ (Colossians 1:16 NKJV)
NOTHING MADE WITHOUT JESUS ‘ALL THINGS were made through Him [JESUS], and without Him [JESUS] nothing was made that was made.’ (John 1:3 NKJV)
YHWH CALLS HIMSELF ‘I AM’ ‘And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’’ (Exodus 3:14 NKJV)
JESUS CALLS HIMSELF ‘I AM’ ‘Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him’ (John 8:58-59 NKJV)
‘I AM’ CLAIM KNOCKS THEM DOWN! ‘As soon then as he had said unto them, I AM, they went backward, and fell to the ground.’ (John 18:6 NKJV)
BELIEVE IT OR DIE IN YOUR SINS “unless you believe that I AM, you’ll die in your sins.” (John 8:24 ISV)
YHWH IS CALLED LORD & GOD ‘Jesus said unto him, “It is written again, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord [KYRIOS] thy God [THEOS].'”(Matthew 4:7 NKJV)
JESUS DIDN’T CORRECT THOMAS! ‘And Thomas answered and said to Him, “MY LORD [KYRIOS] AND MY GOD [THEOS]!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have BELIEVED. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have BELIEVED.”’ (John 20:28-29 NKJV)
YHWH WANTS US TO LOVE HIM “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV)
JESUS WANTS US TO LOVE HIM “He [JESUS] said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you LOVE ME?” (John 21:17 NKJV)
YHWH DIRECTS OUR LOVE TO HIM ‘You shall love the LORD [YHWH] your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV)
JESUS DIRECTS OUR LOVE TO HIM “He who loves father or mother more than ME is not worthy of ME. And he who loves son or daughter more than ME is not worthy of ME.” (Matthew 10:37 NKJV)
KEEP YHWH COMMANDMENTS ‘Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the LORD [YHWH].’ (Leviticus 22:31 NKJV)
KEEP JESUS COMMANDMENTS “If you love Me [JESUS], keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV)
NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24 NKJV)
YHWH ANSWERS PRAYER ‘They will call on My name, And I [YHWH] WILL ANSWER THEM.’ (Zechariah 13:9 NKJV)
JESUS ANSWERS PRAYER “If you ask anything in My name, I [JESUS] WILL DO IT.” (John 14:14 NKJV)
STEPHEN CALLED ON JESUS’ NAME ‘And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on GOD and saying, “LORD JESUS, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59 NKJV)
YHWH RAISES JESUS UP ‘that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that GOD HAS RAISED HIM from the dead, you will be saved.’ (Romans 10:9 NKJV)
JESUS RAISES HIMSELF UP “Destroy this temple, and in three days I WILL RAISE IT UP” (John 2:19 NKJV)
JESUS RAISES HIMSELF UP “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I MAY TAKE IT UP AGAIN” (John 10:17 NKJV)
MANOAH & HIS WIFE SAW YHWH ‘And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God! [YHWH]”‘ (Judges 13:22 NKJV)
YHWH APPEARS TO THE FATHERS ‘And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.’ (Exodus 6:2-3 NKJV)
YHWH SPOKE FACE TO FACE ‘So the LORD [Jehovah] spoke to Moses FACE TO FACE, as a man speaks to his friend.’ (Exodus 33:11 NKJV)
NO ONE HAS SEEN THE FATHER “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.” (John 5:37 NKJV)
NO ONE HAS SEEN THE FATHER “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He [JESUS] who is from God; He has seen the Father.” (John 6:46 NKJV)
SEEING JESUS IS SEEING YHWH “He who has seen Me has seen the Father [YHWH]” (John 14:9 NKJV)
SCRIPTURES TESTIFY OF JESUS! “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39 NKJV)
YHWH IS LORD OF THE SABBATH “but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD [YHWH] your God. In it you shall do no work (Exodus 20:10 NKJV)
JESUS IS LORD OF THE SABBATH “For the SON OF MAN is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8 NKJV)
YHWH IS OUR SHEPHERD “The LORD [YHWH] is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalms 23:1 NKJV)
JESUS SAID ONLY YHWH IS GOOD “No one is good but One, that is, GOD [YHWH]” (Luke 18:19 NKJV)
JESUS SAYS HE IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD “I AM the GOOD shepherd. The GOOD shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 NKJV)
NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24 NKJV)
BIBLE SAYS YHWH WAS PIERCED ‘then they will look on ME whom they PIERCED. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his ONLY SON’ (Zechariah 12:10 NKJV)
BIBLE SAYS JESUS WAS PIERCED ‘He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who PIERCED Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.’ (Revelation 1:7 NKJV)
YHWH FORGIVES SIN ‘Bless the LORD [YHWH], O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who FORGIVES all your iniquities’ (Psalms 103:1-4 NKJV)
ONLY YHWH CAN FORGIVE SIN ‘Who is a God like You, PARDONING iniquity’ (Micah 7:18 NKJV)
JESUS FORGIVES SIN ‘Then He said to her, “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even FORGIVES SINS?” Then He said to the woman, “YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU.”’ (Luke 7:48-50 NKJV)
JESUS FORGIVES SIN AGAIN “For which is easier, to say, ‘ Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has POWER ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS” —then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Matthew 9:5-6 NKJV)
YHWH IS OUR SAVIOUR “For I am the LORD [YHWH] your God, The Holy One of Israel, your SAVIOUR” (Isaiah 43:3 NKJV)
NO SAVIOUR BUT YHWH ‘I, even I, am the LORD [YHWH], And besides Me there is NO SAVIOUR’ (Isaiah 43:11 NKJV)
JESUS IS OUR SAVIOUR ‘…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and SAVIOUR Jesus Christ.’ (II Peter 3:18 NKJV)
ONLY JESUS SAVES ‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12 NKJV)
YHWH WON’T SHARE HIS GLORY ‘I am the LORD [YHWH], that is My name; And My GLORY I will not give to another’ (Isaiah 42:8 NKJV)
YHWH WON’T SHARE HIS GLORY “I will not give My glory to another.” (Isaiah 48:11 NKJV)
JESUS SHARES FATHER’S GLORY “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5 NKJV)
TO JESUS BE THE GLORY ‘…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. TO HIM BE THE GLORY both now and forever. Amen.’ (II Peter 3:18 NKJV)
NO GOD BUT YHWH ‘I am the LORD [YHWH], and there is no other; There is NO GOD besides Me.’ (Isaiah 45:5 NKJV)
OUR GREAT GOD JESUS ‘we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our GREAT GOD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST’ (Titus 2:13 NKJV)
YHWH IS THE KING OF ISRAEL ‘Thus says the LORD [YHWH], the KING OF ISRAEL’ (Isaiah 44:6 NKJV)
JESUS IS THE KING OF ISRAEL “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the KING OF ISRAEL!” JESUS answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ DO YOU BELIEVE?” (John 1:49-50 NKJV)
NO ROCK BUT YHWH ‘For who is God, except the LORD [YHWH]? And who is a ROCK, except our GOD’ (Psalms 18:31 NKJV)
THAT ROCK WAS JESUS ‘For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.’ (I Corinthians 10:4 NKJV)
YHWH CALLED MIGHTY GOD ‘And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD [YHWH], the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the MIGHTY GOD [YHWH].’ (Isaiah 10:20-21 NKJV)
JESUS CALLED MIGHTY GOD ‘For unto us a Child is born [JESUS], Unto us a Son [JESUS] is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name [JESUS] will be called Wonderful, Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV)
YHWH CONTROLS THE WEATHER ‘He [YHWH] calms the storm, So that its waves are still.’ (Psalms 107:29 NKJV)
JESUS CONTROLS THE WEATHER ‘But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “WHO CAN THIS MAN BE, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”’ (Matthew 8:26-27 NKJV)
WHOSE BLOOD? GOD’S BLOOD! ‘Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of GOD which HE [YHWH] PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD’ (Acts 20:28 NKJV)
GOD IN THE FLESH ‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD [YHWH] WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH’ (I Timothy 3:16 NKJV)
JESUS IN THE FLESH ‘And THE WORD BECAME FLESH and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14 NKJV)
NO ONE LIKE GOD ‘No one is holy like the LORD [YHWH], For there is none besides You’ (I Samuel 2:2 NKJV)
TO SEE JESUS IS TO SEE YHWH “He who has seen Me has seen the Father [YHWH]; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9 NKJV)
THE FATHER CALLS JESUS GOD ‘But to THE SON He says: “Your throne, O GOD, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.’ (Hebrews 1:8 NKJV)
PREPARE THE WAY FOR YHWH ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD [YHWH]; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.’ (Isaiah 40:3 NKJV)
PREPARE THE WAY FOR JESUS ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. AS IT IS WRITTEN in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord [YHWH]; Make His paths straight.’” (Mark 1:1-3 NKJV)
GOD WITH US NOT MICHAEL “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name IMMANUEL,” which is translated, “GOD WITH US”. (Matthew 1:23 NKJV)
SPIRIT RETURNS TO YHWH ‘Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, AND THE SPIRIT WILL RETURN TO GOD [YHWH] who gave it.’ (Ecclesiastes 12:7 NKJV)
SPIRIT RETURNS TO JESUS ‘And they stoned Stephen as HE WAS CALLING ON GOD AND SAYING, “LORD JESUS, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”’ (Acts 7:59-60 NKJV)
WORSHIP NONE BUT YHWH ‘for you shall WORSHIP NO OTHER GOD, for the LORD [YHWH], whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God’ (Exodus 34:14 NKJV)
PEOPLE WORSHIP JESUS ‘Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and WORSHIPPED HIM.’ (Matthew 28:9 NKJV)
ANGELS WORSHIP JESUS ‘But when He again brings the FIRSTBORN into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God WORSHIP HIM.”’ (Hebrews 1:6 NKJV)
YHWH GIVES LIFE ‘The LORD [YHWH] kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.’ (I Samuel 2:6 NKJV)
JESUS GIVES LIFE “I [JESUS] give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (John 10:28 NKJV)
YHWH SAYS HE IS A FIRE ‘For the LORD [YHWH] thy God is a consuming FIRE’ (Deut. 4:24 NKJV)
GOD SAYS HE IS A FIRE ‘For our God [YHWH] is a consuming FIRE’ (Hebrews 12:29 NKJV)
FIRE = Heat, Material, Oxygen
YHWH = Father, Son, Spirit
Only YHWH can:
– GIVE ETERNAL LIFE
– FORGIVE SIN
– JUDGE THE WORLD
– SAVE US
– CREATE ALL THINGS
– CONTROL THE WEATHER
– SUSPEND NATURAL LAW
– BE HOLY & WITHOUT SIN
– BE THE LORD OF THE SABBATH
– BE THE FIRST AND THE LAST
JESUS does them all.
ONLY GOD CAN DO THESE THINGS ‘there is no one like the LORD [YHWH] our God.’ (Exodus 8:10 NKJV)
ANTICHRIST LIARS ‘Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? HE IS ANTICHRIST WHO DENIES THE FATHER AND THE SON. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also’ (I John 2:22-23 NKJV)
NO OTHER GOSPEL ‘As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches ANY OTHER GOSPEL to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ’ (Galatians 1:9-10 NKJV)
HATED FOR JESUS ‘And you will be hated by all for MY NAME’s sake’ (Matthew 10:22 NKJV)
HATED FOR JESUS “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18 NKJV)
THESE THREE ARE ONE ‘For there are THREE that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and THESE THREE ARE ONE.’ (I John 5:7 NKJV)
IT’S NOT CONFUSING ‘For God is not the author of confusion’ (I Corinthians 14:33 NKJV)
DON’T GRIEVE THE SPIRIT ‘The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. Do not grieve Him’ (Ephesians 4:30).
DON’T BLASPHEME THE SPIRIT “but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:29 NKJV)
FATHER & SON ALWAYS TOGETHER “Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing ALWAYS before Him,” (Proverbs 8:30 NKJV)
FATHER, SON & SPIRIT MADE IT ALL “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26 NKJV)
MAN CREATED IN YHWH’S IMAGE “may your whole [1] spirit, [2] soul, and [3] body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV)
Same call here. Was he belligerent to you all too? I took the bait as well, and as soon as he started I knew where we were going. He kept asking me foolish questions and not giving me an opportunity to respond. I sat in silence for about 15 minutes and then he started asking for a response to a question about if I believe that. I simply responded and said that he apparently knew what I believed better than me and would he tell me if I believe it or not.
He kept telling me I was putting God in a box. Never fully understood that since his arguement boxed God in more by confining God to the same rules we are bound to.
When he finally gave me a chance to talk I told him that if he wanted to have a godly conversation and speak to me rather than berate me I would be happy to converse since Godly conversation edifies. However, I was not going to continue a one way conversation.
He then got real snippy and said that if I was going to make things personal then the conversation was over. I told him that was fine with me. He ranted, and insulted me a few more minutes then hung up.
Love the show of the fruits of the spirit. Don’t remember reading about that tactic of delivering the Gospel of Christ when I read Acts. I do remember something from Jesus about loving those that curse you. The hardest part of it all is knowing that is a person who is so blinded by the god of this world. Heart breaks, but what can you do? Said a prayer for him and shook the dust. I’m going to bed resting in the peace that passes all understanding.
Wait a minute… did I just put God in a box again? I gotta quit that.
God bless Y’all!
Till the nets are full,
PAL