Are there some who are not covered by the ransom? Open a Watchtower magazine or book and you encounter pictures of paradise with smiling people and large bountiful crops of fruit. This future paradise, the Watchtower says, is a result of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. But who really benefits from this ransom sacrifice? Jehovah's Witnesses will tell you that Jesus came to earth to buy back perfect human life on paradise earth for Adam's offspring. But not all of Adam's offspring will benefit from Jesus' ransom. According to the Watchtower, Jesus' sacrifice paid the price for the inherited sin of Adam, but Adam and Eve and all those who commit murder are not covered by the ransom sacrifice. The Insight on the Scriptures Vol. 2 pg 736 says "under the Law the deliberate murderer could not be ransomed. Adam, by his willful course, brought death on all mankind, hence was a murderer. (Ro 5:12) Thus, the sacrificial life of Jesus is not acceptable to God as a ransom for the sinner Adam." The Watchtower Feb 15, 1991 pg 13 elaborates by saying, "Neither Adam nor Eve, however, benefit from the ransom. The Mosaic Law contained this principle: 'You must take no ransom for the soul of a murderer who is deserving to die."'(Numbers 35:31) Adam was not deceived, so his sin was willful, deliberate. (1 Tim. 2:14) It amounted to the murder of his offspring, for they now inherited his imperfection, thus coming under sentence of death...It would have been contrary to Jehovah's righteous principles for him to apply the ransom in Adam's behalf." Is Jesus' sacrifice not acceptable for all? Is it really true that Jesus' sacrifice is not
acceptable to God when it comes to Adam, Eve and all
those who have committed a murder? The Watchtower holds to
Numbers 35:31 as proof that no murderer can ever be ransomed
not even with the ultimate sacrifice of God's Son. But the
Watchtower fails to quote Acts 13:38-39. "Therefore let it
be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached
to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him
everyone who believes is justified from
all things from which you could not be justified by the law
of Moses." Did you hear that? What the law of Moses
could not justify the sacrifice of Jesus
could! That means that Jesus included in his ransom
sacrifice everyone, including murderers who would
believe! Is Jesus ransom equal to an animal sacrifice? The Watchtower has downgraded the sacrifice of God's only
Son to being equal only to the animal sacrifices of the Old
Testament. The animal sacrifices could not ransom a murderer
and the Watchtower teaches that the precious blood of Jesus
cannot ransom these people either. The Watchtower is guilty
of misrepresenting the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. In the part two we would like discuss whether Jesus was
equal to the first Adam and whether his sacrifice
corresponds exactly to Adam's sin. |