THE FACTS
Regarding the use of the word ‘worship’ in
the New Testament, here are the facts:
The word ‘worship’ plus the noun
formed by it occurs 61 times. Of these 22 instances are clearly
divine worship, five more of worship used intransitively.
A further 17 condemn idol worship, 15 cases refer to worship
of Jesus and only 2 refer to salutation to men. These are
Matthew 18: 26 and Revelation 3: 9.
The former scripture depicts the king as a
type or picture of God (verse 29 uses a different word when
used between fellow servants. ‘besought’ ‘entreat’ NWT)
Revelation 3: 9 refers to the enemies of the church being
forced to acknowledge Jesus’ love for the church. Compare
this with Isaiah 60: 14,15.
Sadly, the Watchtower Society cannot make up
its mind whether or not Jesus should be worshipped. For example,
the Watchtower March 1880 page 83 says -
"to worship Christ in
any form cannot be wrong." |
Even as late as the Watchtower
15 October 1945, page 313, Jehovah’s Witnesses were told
you must worship and bow down to Jehovah’s chief one, namely
Jesus Christ.
However, by 1964 this was the instruction :
-
"...it is unscriptural
for worshipers of the living and true God to render worship
to the Son of God, Jesus Christ." Watchtower 1/1 V64 page 671.
The idea that men only did obeisance to Jesus
as to a human being, does not explain why we are to bow the
knee before one we cannot literally see before us. It does
not explain why Jesus is worshipped by every creature - Revelation
5:13, instead of being with them as a worshipper.
Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to worship
Jesus and to pray to him. They will say they pray through
Jesus. But please consider, what does that mean? Do we believe
Jesus can hear these prayers and intercede for us? Hebrews
7:25.
Why do JWs believe it is wrong to pray through
Mary or the saints?
If all the saints in every place call upon
the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 1: 2), how, if he is not God,
can he hear us?
Clearly then the scriptures do teach the Divinity,
yes, the Deity of the Lord Jesus. |
