JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES AND THE RANSOM FOR ALL

You know, one of the biggest misconceptions that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have is this idea that Jesus only gave Himself as a ransom for “believing mankind,” and that this group only includes their own members. It’s kind of similar to what the Calvinistic denominations say, claiming that only the chosen ones will be saved. They often rephrase it to mean “for obedient men” or “obedient believing ones on earth,” but they don’t really acknowledge that it’s a ransom for EVERYONE, like the Bible mentions in 1 Tim. 2:5, 6; 4:10 and Heb. 2:9. Just check out what the Apostle says: “we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe” (1 Tim. 4:10). A ransom here means a CORRESPONDING PRICE, as the Greek term lutron anti suggests. So, these verses actually include Adam and all his descendants in that “ALL.”

In their study article of July 2018, they try to twist the scriptures by adding three words to 1 Tim. 2:3, 4, saying “Jehovah desires that “all sorts of people” be saved. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) But even those who aren’t Greek experts can spot that there’s no equivalent for “sorts of people” in the Greek. If you look at an Interlinear Text like the EMPHATIC DIAGLOTT or BERRY’S INTERLINEAR GREEK-ENGLISH NEW TESTAMENT, it’s pretty clear. Those added words only show up as a footnote in the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own NEW WORLD TRANSLATION.

You know, the Jehovah’s Witnesses really miss the mark when it comes to understanding this whole idea of salvation. They seem to mix up the concept of universal salvation from Adam’s condemnation—which applies to Adam and everyone he represents, for whom Christ died—and the idea of universal salvation leading to eternal life, which honestly isn’t found anywhere in the Scriptures. The truth is, there’s a promise of salvation and freedom from the Adamic curse, even for folks from Sodom and Gomorrah. They’ll be brought back from death in the resurrection, both the good and the bad, because Jesus died for them too, since they were part of Adam’s lineage when he sinned.

But the Jehovah’s Witnesses go against what the Bible says, especially in Matthew 10:14-15, where Jesus mentions that it’ll actually be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for those who’ve sinned against greater knowledge. They argue that it’s “utterly impossible” for there to be a ransom for unbelievers or those who are willfully wicked, claiming Sodom and Gomorrah were beyond any hope of recovery. Sure, if someone keeps on sinning after being saved from Adam’s condemnation and knowing the Truth, the Scriptures don’t offer any hope for eternal life for them. But everyone will get a fair shot at everlasting life. The ransom is really just “from the power of the grave,” and you won’t find any teaching about a “ransom to everlasting life” in the Scriptures, despite what the Watch Tower says.

Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses say that Christ didn’t die for Adam and all of humanity? It’s not because they have any solid Scriptural backing for that claim; in fact, the Scriptures actually support the idea that Christ’s ransom applies to Adam and everyone else. They reject this Bible teaching because their GOVERNING BODY,” says so. This denial has come about due to a mix of errors—like the belief that all clergy and key members of the congregation, along with everyone who dies during Armageddon, face the Second Death. They also think that their “OTHER SHEEP” will create the restitution class in the Millennium, first through resurrection and then by procreation, which would mean there’s no need for all of Adam’s descendants to rise from the grave. This “NEW LIGHT” really clashes with the concept of the Ransom and goes against the three core doctrines of salvation: (1) God’s love and provision for everyone’s salvation; (2) Jesus’ death for everyone’s salvation; and (3) the Spirit’s work for everyone’s salvation. There are plenty of Scriptures that back up these three points. Let’s take a quick look at the key ones for each of these ideas:

1. GOD PROVIDES SALVATION FOR ALL

You know, John 3:16, 17 tells us, that God really loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son to save us, right? Rom. 5:6-8 says, He shows His love for humanity by sending Christ to die for those who don’t deserve it. Because of His love, 1 Tim. 2:4 tells us, He wants to save everyone from the consequences of Adam’s sin and help us understand the Truth. So, 1 Tim. 4:10 tells us, He’s the Savior for all of us facing that consequence. Titus 2:11 reminds us that, His love is like this amazing grace that “has appeared, bringing salvation for all men”. His love for everyone shines through in giving Christ to die for us, just like it says in Titus 3:4: “The kindness and love of God, our Savior, toward man appeared.” It’s clear from these verses and many others that God loves everyone and wants to save us all.

2. JESUS DIED FOR EVERYONE

You know, the death of our Lord really paints a vivid picture of what He did for all of us sinners, and you can see that in Isaiah 53: 4-12. He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—yeah, that includes Adam’s sin, which we all share in. Since we all die because of that sin, it makes sense that it’s His sin that gets taken away (John 1: 29). Jesus mentioned in John 12: 32, 33, that if He was lifted up from the earth, He would draw everyone to Himself. Just like Adam’s sin and disobedience brought sin and death to everyone, Christ’s obedience and righteousness will wipe that slate clean, giving everyone a shot at life (Rom. 5: 18, 19). His ransom was for all of us, which is why He’s the go-between for all humanity (1 Tim. 2: 5, 6). Out of God’s love and grace, He faced death for every single person, and that’s why He had to be the price that corresponds to Adam (Heb. 2: 8, 9). He’s the one who satisfies God’s justice, not just for the Church, but for the sins of the whole world too (1 John 2: 2). Justice condemned Adam, but it’s going to be satisfied later on.

3. THE SPIRIT’S WORK FOR SALVATION

You know, because of God’s love, He gave us Christ as a ransom for everyone, and through Christ’s death, the Spirit’s work for salvation is going to reach all of Adam’s descendants during the Millennium, no exceptions. There are actually a lot of Scriptures that back this up, and I’ll mention just a few. Christ, as Abraham’s Seed, will be doing the Spirit’s work in the Millennium and will bless all the families, kindreds, and nations on earth for salvation (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18). When Christ asks God during the Millennium, He’ll be given the nations and the ends of the earth as His inheritance (Psa. 2:8). Everyone, from the ends of the earth to all the kindreds of nations, even those who have passed away, will turn to the Lord, worship, and bow down (Psa. 22:27-29). God created all nations, and they will worship and glorify Him during the Millennium (Psa. 86:9). He’ll reveal His plan to everyone, and the whole world will see it (Psa. 98:2, 3). All nations will be part of God’s Kingdom (Isa. 2:2). Jesus, as the true Light, will teach the Truth to everyone who comes into the world (John 1:9). So, these three points really challenge the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ claim that the ransom price doesn’t apply to Adam and his entire race.

I’ve heard from Witnesses who argue “Adam was perfect”, “he wasn’t tricked”; “he chose to sin on purpose”, so why should he be ransomed? The Bible says that Jesus was a perfect match for Adam. Yes, Adam sinned intentionally, and because of that, everyone died with him, as we see in 1 Timothy 2:14 and Romans 5:12-14. Jesus died to fix all the consequences of Adam’s deliberate sin, and because of that sin, Adam and everyone he represented were considered legally dead in the eyes of Divine Justice. So, the whole human race got tangled up in Adam’s choice, and that’s how God sees it. Jesus stepped in for this intentional sin of Adam and all of us. Adam owed Divine Justice a perfect human body, a life, the right to live, and those life-rights; and that’s exactly what Jesus gave up when he paid the ransom. Since only Adam had those four perfect things, it makes sense that those were the things Jesus gave up specifically for Adam.

Divine Justice requires an exact equivalent for a debt; and the only person, apart from Jesus, who had a perfect human body, life, right to life, and life-rights was Adam. So, when it comes to the ransom, Adam was the only one for whom Jesus could directly provide the equivalent price. Think about it: if Adam wasn’t going to be redeemed, God couldn’t have asked for a perfect human to be the price. Jesus isn’t just a stand-in for the imperfect human race if you take Adam out of the picture. That means there wouldn’t have been a price for the fallen race unless we see them as part of Adam, especially through his ability to procreate. One perfect human doesn’t equal billions of imperfect ones if you look at them separately. If we leave Adam out, then every single person would need their own Savior to be redeemed. It’s only when we view these billions of imperfect humans as having come from the perfect Adam that God could ask for a perfect human as the price, since that perfect human had the potential to create a perfect race. So, this really shows that Adam was the main focus of the ransom. The rest of humanity was only indirectly involved because they were part of Adam’s ability to procreate, and for them, Jesus offered a perfect race that was yet to be born, all through His potential to create as a perfect man.

In Hebrews 2:7, 9, we see Adam and Jesus as the only two guys who are crowned with glory and honor, both perfectly reflecting God’s image. This shows us that Jesus is basically the same as Adam, and because of that, He chose to “taste death for every man.” Adam was part of humanity, so he was included in what Jesus did for us. 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 tells us that Jesus died for “ALL,” meaning everyone in the human race. Now, looking at Hebrews 2:7, 9, Adam is the only one who got that crown of glory and honor, and Jesus, being another one crowned with human glory, could die directly for him. If you check out verse 8, it points out that the rest of humanity isn’t crowned with that glory and honor, which means Jesus was like Adam and ransomed him and everyone else through Adam’s line. So, these two passages really focus on the ransom tied to Adam. And it’s based on Jesus providing that ransom for Adam that Paul contrasts the impact of Adam on humanity with the impact of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22, and Romans 5:15-19.

You know, Jesus has this incredible ability to reverse the impact of Adam’s sin on the world. These two passages really highlight that. It all comes down to the fact that He steps in to make things right for Adam’s deliberate sin and for everyone who’s been affected by it, all because of Adam’s role in bringing us into existence. So, it’s clear that Adam has to be part of the ransom. Without him in the picture, we wouldn’t be able to get rid of the consequences of his sin, since those consequences touch all of us. It’s worth mentioning again that Jesus’ sacrifice not only covers Adam’s intentional sin but also the part that all of humanity played in it. Plus, it addresses all the fallout from that sin, like the weaknesses and ignorance that came along with it.

So, it’s really misleading to say that our Lord’s death is just about wiping out our sins of weakness and ignorance. Sure, it does take care of those sins, but it also deals with the guilt from Adam’s deliberate sin, which affects both him and us. That means Jesus’ sacrifice is meant to fix what Adam did and how we’re all tied to that sin. If Jesus’ death doesn’t cover Adam’s intentional sin because it was willful, then it can’t cover our part in that sin either, since we’re all part of Adam. This would mean we wouldn’t be freed from the consequences of that willful sin, even if Jesus’ death atones for our weaker sins. So, if we don’t recognize that Jesus ransoms Adam, we’re really missing the core of what this ransom is all about—IT’S THE EXACT PRICE FOR ADAM.

IN CONCLUSION

I really don’t have any hard feelings toward our Jehovah’s Witness friends; I genuinely wish them all the best blessings they can get right now. However, I want to be clear that, despite what they say, I don’t believe the Bible teaches universal salvation for everyone, just like I don’t think Adam is lost. Bible Students are not “SECOND CHANCERS” except when it comes to Adam; that’s something Jehovah Himself will handle through His grace.

The Witnesses have other beliefs that are quite off, and some are pretty serious. The few points I’ve mentioned should be enough to show anyone who’s open-minded that they teach ideas that clash with Scripture, reason, and facts, and they’ve created a system of errors and a flawed theology that they’re caught up in. They also try to draw others in using fear and a sectarian approach. Sure, they’ve got some solid, biblically backed truths from the true teachers of the past, but they’ve mixed in a lot of errors that go against the strong foundations laid out in God’s Holy Word, which means they sometimes end up throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

We really advise everyone to steer clear of their sectarian mistakes. We’re not denying that we’re currently facing a tough time in society (Dan. 12: 1, 4; Matt. 24: 21), that Satan is being restrained and his empire is crumbling, and that “a new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet. 3: 13; Rev. 21) with Christ’s peaceful reign is on the way. Some people will make it through this tough time into the New World without having to die first, because “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (Matt. 24: 22). We strongly believe in God’s Kingdom on earth, which we’ve been praying and hoping for, and it will come in God’s perfect timing, where His will is done on earth just like it is in heaven! Praise God for that amazing prospect!