Page 5: After one healing, says Luke 9:43, "they all began to be astounded at the majestic power of God." Appropriately, Jesus did not direct attention to himself as the healer.
Correction: Jesus Christ did direction attention to Myself.
Matthew 9:6 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
Page 5: Since Jesus and the apostles healed by the power of God, it is easy to see why faith on the part of the one being cured was not always needed for healing. However, strong faith on the part of the healer was necessary.
Correction: Jesus never needed faith since He is the object the Christian faith.
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
Page 5: Even though Jesus did much healing throughout his earthly ministry, he was not primarily pursuing a 'healing ministry.' His miraculous healing - for which he never charged the people or solicited any donations - was secondary to his main concern, that of "preaching the good news of the kingdom." (Matthew 9:35)
Correction: Healing was a main part of His ministry.
Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
Page 6: Should we, then, expect God to prove his power today through cures? No. With the miraculous works he performed by the power of God, Jesus had established beyond any doubt that he was the Messiah that God had promised would come. Jesus' mighty acts are recorded in the Bible for all to read. There is no need for God to prove the point by repeating such acts to every generation of people.
Contradiction: God allowed the gift of healing after Jesus left the earth.
Page 6: That is why, after discussing the various miraculous gifts - prophesying, speaking in tongues, healing, and so on - that God had given various members of the first-century Christian congregation, the apostle Paul was inspired to say: "Whether there are gifts of prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
Page 7: Rather, he made the preaching of the good news of God's Kingdom his main work. (Matthew 9:35; Luke 4:43; 8:1) That Kingdom is the means by which God will accomplish the miraculous healing of mankind and undo all the damage that sin and imperfection have wreaked upon the human family.
Correction: Water of life flowing from the throne of God will cure mankind in the future.
Revelation 22:1-2 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Page 7: All the evidence shows that since 1914 the great opposer of God, Satan, has been cast down to the vicinity of the earth, and the Kingdom is now operating as a reality!
Correction: The Kingdom will not be operating until after the tribulation and arrival of Jesus.
Matthew 24:29-30 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Page 8: IN FULFILLMENT of Bible prophecy, Jehovah's worshipers dwell in a spiritual paradise. (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) Jehovah's Witnesses belong to an international fellowship characterized by love and unity. (John 13:35)
Correction: The many disfellowshipings and shunning of family members reflect a lack of love
Note: Percy Harding was disfellowshiped at age 91 for talking about God's word to a few friends.
Percy is now dead, having died in his sleep on February 3, 1984. During the twenty-five months following his disfellowshipment, not a single person from the congregation with which he had been associated for 56 years came to see him or inquire of his needs. IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM, by Raymond Frantz, page 356.
Page 8: Jehovah is the Protector and Sustainer of his people. (Psalm 91:2-6)
Note: Don't forget Jesus!
Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Page 8: "Jehovah will not forsake his people." (Psalm 94:14)
Note: Don't forget Jesus!
John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
Page 8: None of them look to Jehovah for wisdom. This results in much human suffering. The Bible makes clear that Jehovah's people cannot always avoid the sad consequences of human imperfection and wickedness. - Acts 14:22.
Note: Don't forget Jesus!
1 Corinthians 1:22-24 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Page 9: Then Paul says: "Each one's work will become manifest, for the day will show it up, because it will be revealed by means of fire; and the fire itself will prove what sort of work each one's is. If anyone's work that he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward." ( 1 Corinthians 3:10-14) Here again, the Bible explains that all of us will inevitably face some sort of fiery test.
Correction: Paul is talking about Judgment Day.
Revelation 22:12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."
Page 11: What about Jehovah's people today? As an organization, we can count on divine protection and safe passage through the last days and the great tribulation.
Correction: Christians will be put to death during the great tribulation.
Daniel 7:21-22 "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom."
Revelation 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Page 12: Jesus promised to provide his followers with a helper. He said: "I will request the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, the spirit of truth." (John 14:16, 17) At Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostle Peter told his listeners that they could receive the free gift of the holy spirit." (Acts 2:38)
Note: For consistency, since Jesus is a person it follows that the Holy Spirit is a person also.
Correction: Peter told his listeners that they would receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 ...and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Page 13: Elders are encouraged to make good use of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, as well as other publications provided by "the faithful and discreet slave."
Correction: Paul encourages the use of Scripture not magazines.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Page 16: JEHOVAH GOD is the Grand Creator of heaven and earth, our Universal Sovereign for all eternity. He is fully worthy of our enthusiastic praise.
Note: Jehovah created the heavens and the earth all by Himself!
Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
Note: Jesus created the heavens and the earth.
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Page 16: Jesus never deviated from his purpose to praise Jehovah. And this set him apart from the world. In the synagogues and at the temple in Jerusalem, he praised God's holy name.
Note: Jesus never prayed using the name of Jehovah.
John 17:1-5 " Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
Page 16-17: Even when on trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus testified: "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth." (John 18:37) Jesus appreciated the importance of his work. Wherever he was, Jesus bore witness to Jehovah and publicly praised him.
Correction: Jesus bore witness to the Father and Himself.
John 14:6-7 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."
Page 17: At Psalm 22:22, we find this prophetic statement concerning Jehovah's Chief Praiser: "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the middle of the congregation I shall praise you." And at Hebrews 2:11, 12, the apostle Paul applies these verses to the Lord Jesus and to those whom Jehovah God has sanctified for heavenly glory.
Correction: Paul is revealing that Christians are one with Christ and thus His brothers.
Hebrews 2:11-12 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You."
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Page 19: To help them appreciate His truths that lead to eternal life, God has set up an international teaching program. He is giving direction through his faithful slave class.
Correction: God's only teaching program is the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Page 19: Jehovah's grand purpose to sanctify his holy name and to vindicate his universal sovereignty by means of the Kingdom has given meaning to our lives.
Correction: The Father's grand purpose is for everyone to be saved through the Son.
John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 6:40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Page 19: First, Jehovah has entrusted his people with the truth. The most exciting revelation is that his Kingdom began ruling in 1914. (Revelation 12:10)
Correction: His Kingdom did begin ruling in 1914.
Note: There is still green grass!
Rev. 8:7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Note: A third of mankind has not died this century due to one war.
Rev. 9:18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed; by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.