(417) – NEVERTHELESS, I SAY TO YOU

“Jehovah is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works” (Ps. 145:17). I have always believed that god has one only way, for Jesus declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6). If Jesus is the way to God, there was no way prior to the incarnate Christ. It is easy to prove it. For example: in the Old Testament Jehovah gave the law of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a tooth, a burn for a burn, a bruise for a bruise, a blow for a blow (Ex. 21:24-25). Jehovah’s text is clear: When someone plucked the eye of another, or broke the tooth of another with a punch, the judges jailed the one that plucked the eye or broke the tooth, and the complainant plucked his tooth and knocked his teeth in the open market. The other acts of violence described in the text above would be equally exacted. Jesus, when he came, changed the law, saying: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.  Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matt. 5:38-41). Now, if Christ were with Moses, he would have given this commandment, and not the one that Jehovah gave; therefore, Jesus was not in the Old Testament, and he was not Jehovah, either, as the theologians say.

Jesus also said: “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one” (Matt. 5:33-37). Now, if he were there on Mount Sinai giving the law to the people, he would not have commanded the oath, as Jehovah did, saying: “You shall fear Jehovah your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name” (Deut. 6:13). And the prophet Isaiah said: “So that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes” (Is. 65:16).

Now, if Jesus Christ were in the Old Testament, that is to say, if he were Jehovah, he would not have commanded the oath; and if the Spirit of Christ were in Jehovah, he would not have commanded the people to swear by his name (Lev. 19:12; Deut. 10:20; Is. 45:23). We conclude that Jesus Christ has never been in the Old Testament in person; therefore, he is not Jehovah.

And Jesus further said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. 5:27-28). These words, BUT I TELL YOU, reveal that Jesus thinks differently concerning what is in the Old Testament. In other words, Jesus would say: I handle things differently; in other words, my actions are at a higher level. As to adultery, Jehovah says clearly, in the law, concerning adultery: “If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman: so you shall put away the evil from Israel” (Deut. 22:22). Adultery was taken into account only when the couple was caught in the act (John 8:1-3). The law does not consider the intention leading to the act. Jesus brought up the anticipation of the desire, that is to say, the desire of the lascivious heart. However, Jehovah approved of the lust for the non-Israelite women (Deut. 21:10-14). In Jesus’ view, anyone who casts their eyes on someone with a lustful intention has already committed adultery; and he adds: “If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna” (Matt. 5:29-30). It is obvious that Jesus was not with Moses on the mount, for if he were, he would offer his idea, not the one of Jehovah. Jesus has never been Jehovah.

Lastly, Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust’” (Matt. 5:43-45).

Why did Jehovah command to love one’s neighbor and abhor one’s enemy? To abhor is also to hate! Jehovah commanded hating because he hates: “You will destroy those who speak lies. Jehovah abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man” (Ps. 5:6). “Jehovah examines the righteous, but the wicked and him who loves violence his soul hates” (Ps. 11:5). As Jehovah abhors the wicked, he commands his servants to abhor, too. Jehovah abhorred even his own people because they sinned by worshipping other gods: For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images. When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel; So that he forsook the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary’s hand. He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance. Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song” (Ps. 78:58-63). Look what Jehovah did to those who hated him. What hatred! For David, the beloved of Jehovah, learned to hate in this school. David himself confesses this, judging it was a glorious thing to hate: “Jehovah, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies” (Ps. 139:21-22). The bad example of Jehovah is not part of Jesus’ curriculum, and expressed himself in this manner: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: And he gave a new primer of love to the disciples, so that they would learn to be children of the Father God (Matt. 5:43-48).

With reference to the statutes that Jehovah gave, Jesus said: ‘You have heard that it was said.’ And then he says: But I tell you. Thereby Jesus reproved of the statutes of Jehovah and established other ones, which were perfect. This proves that whatever Jehovah commanded is not what Jesus commands; and this proves that Jehovah is not Jesus, for Jesus could never command opposing laws and statutes, for then he would be ridiculed.

Paul declares: “If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He can’t deny himself” (2 Tim. 2:13). And again: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

By Pastor Olavo Silveira Pereira

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