TEXTO DIÁRIO, Hoje quinta-feira, 2 de fevereiro, Aquele que é de Deus ouve as palavras de Deus (João 8:47).

DAILY TEXT, Today's Thursday February 2, He who is of God listens to the words of God (John 8:47).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2023

Thursday February 2

He who is of God listens to the words of God (John 8:47).

Many people stumble because what we teach from the Bible exposes false religious ideas. Religious leaders teach people that God punishes the wicked in hell, and thus they have them under their control. Those of us who serve Jehovah, a God of love, denounce this false teaching. Religions also teach that the soul is immortal. If this were true, the resurrection would not be necessary. But we teach that this is not a biblical belief. On the other hand, unlike many religions that believe in predestination, we teach that we all have freedom of choice and can decide if we will serve God. How do religious leaders react? They often get angry. If you love the truth, you must accept what God says (John 8:45, 46). Unlike Satan, stay true to the truth and never betray your beliefs (John 8:44). God expects his servants to follow the example of Jesus, and that is why he tells them: “Hate what is bad; hold fast to what is good” (Rom. 12:9; Heb. 1:9). w21.05 10 pars. 10, 11.

Why did the way Jesus died cause many Jews to stumble?

What was another reason the Jews of Jesus' day stumbled? Paul said: "We preach Christ executed on the tree, something that to the Jews is an obstacle" (1 Cor. 1:23; note). Why was it a stumbling block for them? Because they thought that the fact that Jesus died on a tree was more like a criminal and a sinner than the Messiah (Deut. 21:22, 23).

What did those who rejected Jesus refuse to acknowledge?

The Jews who rejected Jesus did not want to acknowledge that he was innocent, that he was the victim of false accusations and that he was treated unfairly. The trial of Jesus was a farce. The Jewish supreme court was hastily assembled and disregarded legal procedures (Luke 22:54; John 18:24). Instead of impartially hearing the charges and evidence, the judges themselves sought “some false testimony against Jesus so that they would put him to death.” Since that didn't work, the high priest tried to get Jesus to say something that would make him guilty. This was totally illegal (Matt. 26:59; Mark 14:55-64). And, after Jesus was resurrected, these corrupt judges paid “a good amount of silver coins” to the Roman soldiers guarding his tomb to tell a lie to justify why it was empty (Matt. 28:11-15). .

What was prophesied regarding the death of the Messiah?

What does the Bible say? Although many Jews in Jesus' day did not expect the Messiah to die, let's look at what was already prophesied: “He poured out his life to death and was numbered among sinners; He bore the sins of many people, and interceded for sinners” (Is. 53:12). So the execution of Jesus as a sinner gave the Jews no reason to stumble.

What accusations made against Jehovah's Witnesses have caused some to stumble?

15 Does the same happen today? Undoubtedly. Like Jesus, Jehovah's Witnesses have been wrongfully accused and convicted. Let's see some examples. In America, during the 1930s and 1940s, we had to go to court over and over again to defend our right to worship God in freedom. Some judges openly demonstrated that they were biased against us. In Quebec, Canada, Church and State joined forces to oppose our work. Many publishers were imprisoned just for telling others about the Kingdom of God. In Germany, many young faithful were killed by the Nazi regime. And, in recent years, many brothers in Russia have been convicted and imprisoned for speaking about the Bible, something the authorities consider to be extremist activity. Even the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in Russian has been declared extremist and banned because it contains the name Jehovah.

All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania JW.ORG.