In the beginning God said "If you eat, you will die", The devil countered, "don't believe God, believe me, you shall not die". Mankind chose wrong and fell away.
It seems the way this plays out is who you believe(have faith in), is who you belong to. The devil is ready and willing to tell you to believe him and ignore God.
The Bible plainly states that there will be a falling away! IT WILL HAPPEN!
The devil has changed Gods word in the garden of Eden. What makes you think he has stopped changing Gods Word? Note: I did not say "the Bible", I said "Gods Word".
We now have hundreds of versions of the Bible and they don't all say the same thing.
The newer versions of the Bible have even removed Gods name from scripture.
A while ago I did a study on Bible versions. I will include some of it here.
5: Gods name removed
The KJV Bible includes the name of God (JEHOVAH) 7 times (Gen 22:14, Ex. 6:3, Ex 17:15, Judg. 6:24, Ps. 83:18, Is. 12:2, Is. 26:4). Both the ESV, NIV have completely removed his name, and I suspect the other newer versions(too many to check) have also. The JW Bible on the other hand has inserted Gods name into their Bible OVER 7000 times. There are liberties being taken. This example proves that the changes in the newer versions can not be from God. This error on the part of the censors is obvious. I really believe that the censor(s) had a personal problem with God. Here God is speaking to Moses.
KJV
Ex. 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
ESV
Ex. 6:3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name, the Lord, I did not make myself known to them.
NIV
Ex. 6:3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them.
The next verse is God speaking to Abraham 400 plus years before Moses. I only need to show the ESV and NIV verses, the KJV says pretty much the same. I point out here that this is where God declares to Abraham that he is the LORD.
ESV
Gen. 15:5-7 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
NIV
Gen. 15:5-7 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
Here God in speaking to Abraham and establishes that he is the LORD. For God to tell Moses several hundred years later in Ex. 6:3 that he did not make him self know to Abraham as the LORD, is a monumental blunder on the part of those changing Gods Word! Gods name is JEHOVAH, as the authorized version of the King James Bible as well as other early Bibles tell us.
The point is, that the most powerful way for the devil to cause the falling away is thru changing Gods Word. This is only one out of hundreds of altered verses in the newer versions.
I was raised a JW, I have been lied too, and I know how easy it is to be duped. I have therefore taken hold of the Bible with white knuckles. For 50+ years I've studied the Bible, with purpose. You really need to look into this. The devil is out there and he would love to trip us up.
I appreciate you for the many years of studying the Bible, for your unwavering stand for the Bible, and for showing these errors of others who choose to change words in the Bible. By taking this stand, you are showing that it is essential that the Bible remain accurate so as not to cause others to not believe, or at worst, to fall away from the faith, thinking that this error cannot be from a real God.
While this is a very important way in which you, and others, uphold the Scriptures, and unveil those who pervert it, that is still only one of the ways that unbelievers refuse to believe, and is also only one of the reasons why true believers can and do fall away from "The Faith."
Lord Jesus and the Apostolic Writers well recognized, and prophesied, that false teachers would teach deceptive doctrines regarding the Gospel, and "The Faith;" and they also continually warned the Church to remain sanctified unto God from sinful desires, being always vigilent, putting on the full armor of God.
We are commanded to give our
pure devotion (undivided loyalty) to Lord Jesus only as Lord. Paul admonishes the Christian Church as follows:
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NIV) 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was
deceived by the serpent’s cunning,
your minds may somehow be
led astray from your
sincere and
pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted,
you put up with it easily enough.
The Jehovah's Witnesses have been deceived into believing a different Gospel. In fact, the average JW is not even in the New Covenant, as this is only for the 144,000. Therefore, JW's are told that the Spirit cannot indwell them, and they have no right to take part of the cup within communion. That they are the "other sheep." The New Testament Scriptures are not meant for them, but the 144,000.
The JWs are taught to give their pure devotion to the Governing Body as their Spirit-anointed (Christ class) as if onto Christ himself; and so, they do not have the right to question the "Christ-class" teachings, even though false and ever-changing since the inception of the WT. The JW believes 144,000 anointed (Christ) class will judge each JW of being worthy of salvation - how well they obey their many false teachings without waver.
The Gospel of the NT is plainly rejected by the JW, replacing it with the false Gospel of the Governing Body of the WTBTS - a complete change of the Gospel message.
Galatians 1:8 "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"
No need for deeper meanings, interpretations, or traditions. God made His Word plain to understand, once for all delivered to the saints.
Colossians 2:2 My purpose is that they may have the
full riches of COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING, in order that they may
know the Mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may DECEIVE YOU BY FINE-SOUNDING ARGUMENTS. . . 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on HUMAN TRADITION and the basic principles of this world – RATHER THAN ON CHRIST
1 Corinthians 4:6 Do not go beyond what is written.
Ephesians 3:8-9 (NIV) 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the
Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to
make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for
ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
2 Corinthians 1:13 (NIV) 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot
read or
understand.
Blessings
