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I was approached by a
Jehovah's Witness and through our conversation we got
into a discussion on what happens to the spirit of a
person after one dies?
I was given a book called
Reasoning from the Scriptures (a Jehovah's Witness
publication which supposedly explains many different
doctrines) and was told to read it.
I did not agree with
it's complex explanations concerning the body, the soul,
the spirit, death, hell, and the grave.
I believe in the simplicity of the Word of God. I
believe that everything in God's Word fits together
perfectly. There are no contradictions. If there are,
it's because we are the one's that "see through a glass,
darkly;.... now I know in part; but then shall I know
even as also I am known" (I Cor. 13:12 KJV). One day
when all is revealed and our understanding is opened,
we
shall see just how perfect God's Word really is.
God in His infinite, awesome wisdom has fixed it so that
His Word can be divided to explain TRUTH, apart from any
human logic and reasoning, by comparing spiritual things
with spiritual (I Cor. 2:13 KJV & NWT).
I love the King James Version of the Bible, it is my
choice when searching the Scriptures. Through the
King James Version of the Bible, you can see clearly what happens
to the body, soul, and spirit when an individual dies.
Many Jehovah's Witnesses have a problem with the King
James Version of the Bible.
Therefore, for the sake of
this brief study, we will push it and all other books
aside and use ONLY the New World Translation of the Holy
Scriptures to see what happens to the spirit after
death.
When interpreting Scripture, we are told to, "Do your
utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman
with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the Word of the
Truth aright" (2 Tim. 2:15 NWT).
???
Is There Life After Death ???
??? Is Death the END
???
Does this Old Testament Scripture prove that when a
person dies,they sleep in death knowing nothing????
"For the living are conscious that they will die; but
for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all,
neither do they any more have wages, because the
remembrance of them has been forgotten. Also, their love
and their hate and their jealousy have already perished,
and they have no portion any more to time indefinite in
anything that has to be done under the sun."
Ecc. 9:5,6
NWT
Let's compare spiritual things with spiritual and see if
this verse
lines up with other portions of Scripture from the New
World Translation concerning
the state of consciousness after death!!
Our Questions??? The Bible answers!!!
♦
How was man created???
"And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust
from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath
of life, and the man come to be a living soul."
Gen. 2:7
NWT
The dust of the ground formed man's body, and the breath
of life from Jehovah caused man to live.
♦
Is man a three-part being???
"May the very God of peace sanctify you completely. And
sound in every respect may the spirit and soul and body
of you [brothers] be preserved in a blameless manner at
the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I Thess. 5:23
NWT
♦
At death is there a separation of this three-part
being???
Old Testament - "Then the dust returns to the earth just
as it happened to be and the spirit itself returns to
the [true] God who gave it."
Ecc. 12:7 NWT
New Testament - "Indeed, as the body without spirit is
dead, so also faith without works is dead."
James 2:26
NWT
At death, the grave gets the body, but the human spirit
separates from that body.
♦
Is there a Bible example of this actually happening???
Jairus's daughter was dead - "But He (Jesus) took her by
the hand and called, saying:
"Girl, get up!" And her spirit returned, and she rose
instantly,
and He ordered something to be given her to eat."
Luke 8:54,55 NWT
♦
Did this also happen to Jesus when He died on the
cross???
Jesus knew that His body would be placed in a tomb for
three days and three nights, but He spoke of His spirit
not being there with it.
Conversation between the thief on the cross and Jesus -
"And he went on to say: "Jesus, remember me when You get
into Your kingdom," And He said to him: "Truly I tell
you today, You will be with Me in Paradise."
Luke 42:43
NWT
Their bodies were about to die, but not their spirits.
"Again Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and
yielded up
[His] breath." Matt. 27:50 NWT
"When, now, He had received the sour wine, Jesus said:
"It has been accomplished!" and, bowing His head, He
delivered up [His] spirit."
John 19:30 NWT
"And Jesus called with a loud voice and said: "Father,
into Your hands I entrust My spirit."
Luke 23:46 NWT
♦
Is there any record of what may have
happened to the departed spirit of Jesus
during those three days and three nights of death???
"For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish
three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be
in the heart of the earth three days and three nights."
Matt. 12:40 NWT
Jesus never wasted words. There is a big difference
between lying in a tomb and the heart of the earth.
Peter tells us more - "Why, even Christ died once for
all time concerning sins, a righteous [person] for
unrighteous ones, that He might lead you to God, He
being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in
the spirit. In this [state] also He went His way and
preached to the spirits in prison."
I Peter 3:18,19 NWT
♦
Does
Ecclesiastes 9:5,6
-
agree with other portions of Scripture???
Yes it does!! The body is the the temporary house of the
eternal spirit!
The body which is dust, goes back to dust and is
unconscious. It knows nothing at all.
"For dust you are and to dust you will return."
Gen.
3:19b NWT
♦
But what about the rest of me???
Well, that place is determined by your relationship with
Jesus Christ! Through the offering up of Himself, JESUS
has provided a way of full pardon from all sins, and
eternal life to all who will receive Him as Savior and
Lord!
"However, as many as did receive Him, to them He gave
authority to become God's children, because they were
exercising faith in His name."
John 1:12 NWT
"For if you publicly declare that 'word in your own
mouth,' that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your
heart that God raised Him up from the dead, you will be
saved. For with the heart one exercises faith for
righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public
declaration for salvation."
Romans 10:9,10 NWT
Don't take chances with your eternal spirit - RECEIVE
JESUS CHRIST TODAY!
This
was to be an ongoing discussion with the Jehovah's
Witness, but after I sent this letter, she didn't want
to have any more discussions. How sad for so many to be
so sincere and yet be so sincerely wrong concerning
basic Bible doctrines. I pray for them
all.
Upon careful examination of Scripture (using only the
New World Translation), and not a host of other confusing
books, still all the great doctrines of the Christian
faith can clearly be shown.
It's my prayer that you may use these words to show many
Jehovah's Witnesses how wrong they are by interpreting the
Word of God to say that when one dies they cease to be.
Even the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
disagrees with that interpretation!
How awesome is the Word of God, not to leave us in the
dark concerning life after death.
Physical death is not the end, but only a comma in the
story of life.
"But we are of good courage and are well pleased rather
to become absent from the body and to make our home with
the Lord." 2 Cor. 5:8 NWT |
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