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How Complete Is God’s Forgiveness?The Watchtower—1966 | November 15
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ever found such a soul in man, nor has anyone else found any evidence of such a thing. Man’s consciousness depends upon his organism; seriously harm it, as in an accident, and his consciousness suffers. The Bible teaching is in support of this scientific fact, for it tells us that, upon creation, man “came to be a living soul.” As for man as a soul being immortal, God’s Word plainly negates such a teaching, stating: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” The hope for the dead lies, not in a supposedly immortal soul, but in a resurrection, which the Bible assures us will include “both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Gen. 2:7; Ezek. 18:4, 20; Acts 24:15.
More than that, not only does the Bible have nothing to say about indulgences and an immortal soul, but it likewise has nothing to say about such a place as purgatory. It tells of God’s creating heaven and earth but never mentions a purgatory, the word not occurring in the Bible from Genesis through Revelation.
SUPPOSED OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED
Those who teach such doctrines as indulgences, immortality of the human soul and purgatory claim that these teachings are supported by Jesus’ words at Luke 12:47, 48, about those knowing his Father’s will and not doing it being beaten with many strokes. However, no illustration can properly be used or interpreted to contradict plain statements of the Bible, but must be construed in harmony with them. Jesus was here stating a principle and a prophecy to be fulfilled at his second coming while his professed disciples were still alive in the flesh on earth.
Another text used to support the indulgence structure is 1 Corinthians 3:15, which reads: “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved; yet, if so, it will be as through fire.” Clearly, here literal fire is not meant, for Christians do not build with literal “gold, silver, precious stones,” or with “wood materials, hay, stubble,” as mentioned in 1 Co 3 verse 12. More than that, it speaks of the person being saved as through fire because his works are burned. He built carelessly or unwisely in this life; in this life his works are destroyed and it is in this life, therefore, that he will be saved, as through fire of testing.
God’s Word shows Him to be reasonable, just, loving and righteous. He has made provision for the forgiveness of sins that are not willful by the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Since that sacrifice cleanses us from all sin and consciousness of guilt, it leaves nothing to be paid for by temporal punishment, and which punishment might be or is supposed to be obviated by indulgences. Especially is there nothing left to be paid after death, since in death man is wholly unconscious, without any thoughts until the resurrection, if that be his lot. Yes, God’s forgiveness is complete.
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Evening and Morning TwilightThe Watchtower—1966 | November 15
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Evening and Morning Twilight
◆ Between sunset and the actual darkness there is a short period of evening twilight when the stars begin to be seen. This time was called nesheph by the ancient Hebrews and evidently is the time meant by the expression “between the two evenings” found at Exodus 12:6. (Prov. 7:9) Similarly, at the end of the night’s darkness there is a morning twilight leading to the dawn and this was expressed by the same Hebrew word. Thus, the writer at Psalm 119:147 says: “I have been up early in the morning twilight.”
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