Apr 14, 2012 -- 8:18PM, 57 wrote:

According to the JW's... what must one do to obtain eternal Life?

I'm not a JW, but I don't think they believe in eternity as a state of being completely outside of space and time. On the other hand, no JW has ever corrected me on this, so I'm not sure they even know what other people mean by "eternity." To them it means an infinite extension of time, while to someone like me it means timelessness.

What does it mean to you?

Apr 14, 2012 -- 8:18PM, 57 wrote:

According to the JW's... what must one do to obtain eternal Life?

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^a]">[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my^b]">[b] works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?^{c]">[c] 21} Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^d]">[d] And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

(John 6:40) 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him at the last day.”

(John 3:16) 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.



“He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; he that disobeys the Son will not see life.” (John 3:16, 36)

That 'exercising faith' means obedience can be established by the fact that 'disobeying the Son' is the opposite of 'exercising faith,' and obtains the opposite result.



“If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself . . . and follow me continually.”—LUKE 9:23.

(Romans 6:23) 23 For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is the gift of God, which we can qualify for, by taking in knowledge of God's requirements.'

(John 17:3) 3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.

Apr 14, 2012 -- 8:51PM, Knowsnothing wrote:

Apr 14, 2012 -- 8:18PM, 57 wrote:

According to the JW's... what must one do to obtain eternal Life?

James 2:14-26

New King James Version (NKJV)

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^a]">[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my^b]">[b] works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?^{c]">[c] 21} Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^d]">[d] And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Just how much work does one have to do? 

Apr 15, 2012 -- 8:07AM, 57 wrote:

Just how much work does one have to do? 

It seems to me that if you see eternity as an extension of ego consciousness in time, then you are in no position to do anything better than play endless games of proof-text poker with other people who see it the same way. If, on the other hand, you intuitively see eternity as timelessness and you trust your intuitions, then other people and their proof-text challenges have no bearing on the subject, and the final authority in your life is your own conscience.

So which of these have you chosen to believe, the extension-in-time idea or timelessness? Do you see how it might make a difference in the locus of authority? What we believe will happen after death may or may not come true, but it has a profound effect on our relationship with every other amateur eschatologist on the block. And in matters of eschatology, who speaks with more experience than you do? Think about it.