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Christians is Jesus your mediator? According to the Bible can Jesus be your saviour if he is not your mediator?
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men" (1 Timothy 2:5-6). God said he would make a new covenant with his people and Christ is the mediator of this new covenant. Hebrews 9:15 says he mediates for all those who are "called" and Romans 8:28-30 says that those whom God has called he has justified and those who have been justified, God also glorifies. God's people are identified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - they have been born-again. They are spirit-filled Christians and Jesus is their mediator - he is their Lord and he is their Saviour.
Jesus, as the mediator of this new covenant, mediates for God's people, in order to save them from their sins. God's people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If any person rejects Jesus, then Jesus will not mediate for them, and so they will not be saved from their sins.
But some people claim you don't need to be born-again or indwelt by the Holy Spirit to be saved. They say you don't need to have Jesus as your mediator in order to be saved. Can this be right? How can you say Jesus is your saviour if he isn't your mediator?
Watchtower 15 August 1989, page 31: “Consequently, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 is not using mediator’ in the broad sense common in many languages. It is not saying that Jesus is a mediator between God and all mankind. Rather, it refers to Christ as legal Mediator of the new covenant, this being the restricted way in which the Bible uses the term. Jesus is also a corresponding ransom for all in that covenant, both Jews and Gentiles, who will receive immortal life in heaven. The apostle John referred to these at 1 John 2:2. But he indicated that others too will receive the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice: ‘He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole worlds.’... Clearly, then, the new covenant is not a loose arrangement open to all mankind. It is a carefully arranged legal provision involving God and anointed Christians... A modern-day illustration may help to clarify this, especially if you are not a spirit-anointed Christian. Think of a legal case in which an attorney is involved. His role may be not so much that of a lawyer arguing for justice as that of one who is mediating or bringing about a legal contract acceptable to and beneficial to two parties. Of course, you are not in that legal case, so in that sense he is not serving as your attorney. Yet he may be...”
Are they suggesting that only 144,000 persons are "in the dock" charged with sin and Jesus represents only that number of people?
What about all those persons who are not spirit-anointed Christians? How is it possible to be a Christian without being spirit-anointed? Are they not also charged with sin? How can they plead before the Judge without having Jesus as their mediator?
I like the analogy of a court of law, with God as the Judge, and all sinners standing before him, but only those who have Jesus as their advocate, to mediate between them and God, will be acquitted. But how can any person who is not born-again, who is not spirit-anointed, hope to be saved from the charge of sin? If Jesus isn't their mediator, how can he be their saviour?
@ Julius - I have got that article in front of me and I've been going through it with a fine tooth-comb, hence this question. Any your answer is.....?
@ galet - I am not a Jehovah's Witness nor am I promoting their views. I disagree with them.
@ Quiet Sparks - The Bible says that Jesus can not be your mediator unless you are anointed by the Holy Spirit. Jehovah's Witnesses say there are only about 11,000 anointed Christians throught the entire world alive right now. That article I quoted says Jesus is mediator only for that select few. Unless you are one of the anointed, then you have been excluded from the new covenant and Jesus is not your mediator. That's what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. That's what that Watchtower article is all about. That is why I have asked this question - to challenge that belief. The only admisable evidence in God's court is the Bible. What does the Bible say about Jesus as mediator? Can Jesus be your saviour if he is not your mediator?
@ Julius - Thank you for explaining the J.W. position - those who are not born-again, anointed with the Holy Spirit are not in the new covenant and Jesus is not their mediator. My point exactly. So, who is in the dock and charged with the crime of sin? Only 144,000 persons since the time of Jesus? Are the "great crowd" or "other sheep" simply spectators in this heavenly court, observing the proceedings? Have they not also been served with papers charging them of the crime of sin? How will they plead, before the Judge, without Jesus as their mediator?
@ Final Trump - What does your Bible say in 1 Timothy 2:5-6? If Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, he is also your mediator and your advocate. I believe you are a Bible Student? Do they also believe that only 144,000 persons since the time of Jesus can be anointed, born-again Christians with a heavenly hope? Just curious.
@ Julius - Have a thumb up for not saying I am dumb or ignorant. By the way, the formulae for the One Being who is God is 1 x1 x 1 = 1 Trinitarians agree with Jehovah's Witnesses that Jehovah and Jesus are not the same person, that they are separate. Within the One Being who is God subsist the three separate persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thanks for bringing that up. But my question is asking if Jesus is not your mediator, then how can he also be your saviour?
19 Answers
- Anonymous10 years agoFavorite Answer
Jesus mediates between God and men in order to save men from God's just charge of sin. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" the Bible states in the book of Romans, therefore all need a mediator. No sinner can approach God's holy throne! That's what all the laws given to the nation of Israel were about. They had to have their sins atoned for first, before God would accept their offerings and not strike them dead for their unholiness.
That is why Jesus had to be the perfect sacrifice for sin, because nothing we can do will make us acceptable before God. Only if Christ's righteousness is imputed to us will God accept us. So Jesus is the advocate for Christians. He pleads on their behalf, showing how their faith in what he (the advocate) accomplished on their behalf makes them right before God.
This is what the JWs need to think about. Then they might spot the fatal flaw in that Watchtower quote you gave. That article said, "...if you are not a spirit-anointed Christian..." but that is a contradiction in terms, given what Jesus said about being anointed by the Holy Spirit in John chapter 3! The only Christians that ever have been, and ever will be, are Holy Spirit anointed people, born again by the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as it states in Romans chapter 8!
This teaching of the Watchtower Society - that only 144,000 people will ever be anointed, and that 99.9% of all other JWs don't have to worry about that because they don't need to be Spirit-anointed - is the pernicious lie that keeps millions of JWs bound to the authority of their leaders, who claim to be Spirit-anointed. As they are not, they must accept everything the Spirit-anointed leaders tell them! That's the logic. It is from the pit. Every time millions of JWs refuse to eat of the bread and drink of the cup for the new covenant, they testify publicly that they disbelieve what Jesus said in John chapter 3. Thus Jesus is not the mediator, nor the saviour, of 99.9% of all JWs.
- danmanLv 610 years ago
I was just reading the four chapters of Colossians and upon reflection it really became clear to me, why Jehovah's Witnesses have such difficulty reading and discussing the bible in context.
Simply stated the entire greek scriptures point to Jesus Christ as the prime subject, the one to be sought after, the one to seek after. Jw's are taught that Jehovah is more important, greater, and the only one to seek out in prayer. So a true conflict arises in the minds of jw, who try and read any of the books of the new testament. They hear the words, but they minimize or small 'g' Jesus as "a god", then capitalize Jehovah where the original writers had used Lord, God.
I can honestly say now, that jw could never have endured reading the Greek scriptures without the name Jehovah inserted. That name appearing along with Jesus comforts them, nullifies the impact of Paul's and other 1century christians who tried to make Jesus name prominent.
The end result is that jw find it hard to read in context, but find skipping around from verse here to verse there a much more comfortable way to deny what the actual text of the greek scripture writers were really saying about Jesus.
Jehovah is their focus, Jehovah is who they pray to, Jesus is just a second class "a god" who really has little if any impact on the majority of Jw's.
- FinalTrumpLv 610 years ago
A Mediator is someone who is impartial and stands between two opposing parties. A go-between.
Jesus is not my mediator, because I am not at variance with God. Jesus is my advocate
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
An advocate is like a lawyer, he is on your side, he goes to bat for you, something a mediator does not.
In the Kingdom, Jesus will take the role as mediator. The Christ will mediate between God and the world of mankind. As Kings and Priest, their job will be to bring mankind up the highway of holiness and back into a relationship with God, as the Second Adam. Jesus restores all that Adam lost. "The Times of Restitution, spoken of by all the holy prophets since the world began."
That is the "due time", the kingdom.
- .Lv 610 years ago
It is clearly out of love for others that this valid question is presented.
Jesus is the only mediator for humans.
We are told that there would be false Christs. And here prophesy is fulfilled. An organization claiming to be the only way to God. Jesus is the way, the truth and the light.
Those who read only the Bible know that the claims of the Jw organization are blatant lies, pure deception and far from truth. Something of this nature only stems from darkness, a spirit appearing as an angel of light.
For 30 years i wanted to thank Jesus for all He went through for me and I was told by the Jw's that it is wrong to approach our Lord and Savior in prayer, that we are not to worship Him ad that we did not belong to HIM, we belonged to another name. And that we couldn't thank Him.
Jesus is alive and The Holy Spirit is powerful. People can go to HIM in prayer, they should worship our God and everyone belongs to Jesus, he purchased us with HIS blood.
Until one is born again by Gods Holy Spirit, they can not perceive what is given by The Holy Spirit of God.
No man on earth can teach lies to those in whom Christ Spirit dwells. There is no confusion and no darkness.
Humans are not Jesus.Holy Spirit is given to those who ask. It alone will teach.
Do not rely on men and believe fables and tall tales from their imagination. They are not Gods mediator nor the channel to HIM. Direct communication is only through Jesus.
Matthew 11:27
"No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Jesus can open their eyes. Until that time they will remain in darkness.
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- Julius OLv 710 years ago
The first 12 paragraphs of the article you quoted goes into this quite well. You should read that, and then ask questions if you have them.
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I think i see your problem. It comes down to not knowing what the new covenant is. And who are the ones that are spirit anointed, and what their purpose is.
Here in the paragraph right before your quoted ones it explains what you are asking well, as far as who else benefits, and whatnot=
*** w89 8/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***
The people of all nations who have the hope of everlasting life on earth benefit even now from Jesus’ services. Though he is not their legal Mediator, for they are not in the new covenant, he is their means of approaching Jehovah. Christ said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) All who will gain life on earth must direct their prayers to Jehovah through Jesus. (John 14:13, 23, 24) Jesus also serves as a compassionate High Priest who is able to apply in their behalf the benefits of his sacrifice, allowing them to gain forgiveness and eventual salvation.—Acts 4:12; Hebrews 4:15.
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What part of the new covenant are you having trouble with? Because the more questions you ask the more i realize that you seemingly have a fundamental misunderstanding of the new covenant. I am not being facetious here, i am curious. To use an metaphor, or analogy (i can never remember the difference), to understand how to do 3x3 you first need to understand how to do 3+3. Not saying you are dumb or ignorant or anything like that.
- Anonymous10 years ago
For 40 years I wanted to pray to Jesus, and have a relationship with Him.
But Jehovah's Witnesses killed the Jesus in my heart.
We left the lie, and found our King, Jesus Christ.
I am now talking to God through my mediator Jesus Christ, and I am in a saved condition for the first time in my life. Jesus saved me, and He is my mediator.
- freedomfrom2002Lv 510 years ago
Why do people complicate the simple Truth and throw in man made rules and regulations.
Jesus said, "I am the Truth, the Way and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by me.". What does this say to you? Do not get so confused with a lot of wording!
- 10 years ago
Your referring first of all not to christians moreover as jehovas witnesses. Christains (protistants) etc do not believe in only 144,000 gaining entry to heaven. I do believe we need to have his spirit but I believe it is gained through accepting him as your savior and pursuing a life to glorify his name. His death made it possible for every man to enter heaven and the 144,000 mentioned in revelation is not the only people aloud. Thered be 100a billionfrom all the past generations not gaining entry and that's just not true (number is just guess).
so yes you need him as your mediator. But that reference doesn't mean he is sitting watching and interveing at a moments notice more as he has provieed us the car to get to the destination. We have to be willing to drive it.
- Quiet SparksLv 410 years ago
Yes he is our mediator. We pray to the God that he prayed to too. I did not know this, but after having a bible study, everything became clear to me. Jesus died, Not the God that he prayed to. He was resurrected after 3 days, by the God that he prayed to. It is amazing how Jehovah's word is easy and clear. No more tricks and I mean catholic church has made so much damage already.
- 10 years ago
Yes Jesus is my Saviour but there are times where I do not meditate on Jesus as I should and it often gets me into trouble. Phillipians 4:8 says to think on thse things.
8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.