John 4:24 and John 1:18 (Explanation)

[daraku]

John 4:24 - “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

This is one of the verses that Jehovah’s Witnesses is saying that Jesus is not “God” because this verse states that God is Spirit…

How to explain this verse?​

John 1:18 - “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

And this one, they are using this verse to claim that “No one has seen God at any time”… JW claims that this verse explains that Jesus is not God…

 

[pyropam]

Well, I am definately not a bible scholar. I’m just a common person but lets back up for a moment to John 4:23…

23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.

24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes he will tell us everything.”

26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking with you.

By my simple opinion, God is Spirit! And at that moment the woman was speaking to Gods spirit in the Flesh!!

 

[patrick457]

John 1:18 - “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

And this one, they are using this verse to claim that “No one has seen God at any time”… JW claims that this verse explains that Jesus is not God…

Look at John 1: 1-18.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John beareth witness of him, and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me, is preferred before me: because he was before me.

And of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Of course JWs would say that Jn. 1: 1 is ‘The Word was A god’ (Based on the NWT) but this translation of theirs is incorrect.

 

[juliamajor]

Never fall that old trick of fundies &JW’s -quoting scripture out of context.You can twist any verse into anything you want if you leave it out of context.JW’s count on you to be ignorant of the scripture and you’re supposed to feel uncomfortable when they rattle off “select” scripture. Remember the old saying-“if you can’t convince them with logic dazzle the with your overblown rhetoric(that’s the sanitized version)”. Don’t fall for it

 

[daraku]

Look at John 1: 1-18.
Of course JWs would say that Jn. 1: 1 is ‘The Word was A god’ (Based on the NWT) but this translation of theirs is incorrect.

Yeah, I’ve noticed it and I said… It should be “was God” and not “a god”… because it will make Jesus a false God if he uses SMALL “god” instead of “God”

I even pointed out John 8:58- “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am”… you know what he said? Thats because the jews is talking about his age hahaha Probably he is referring to the verse, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”… And it has nothing to do in Exodus 3:14…Ridiculous!!!

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

John expands on John 1:18 in John 6:46, in that no man has seen God the Father at anytime. The OT is full of Theophanies, where people saw the Son of God “face to face”.

John 6:46
No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.

Some Theophanies,

Genesis 32:30
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

Exodus 33:11
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Numbers 12:8
With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"

Numbers 14:14
And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, O LORD, are with these people and that you, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Deuteronomy 5:4
The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.

Deuteronomy 34:10
Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

Judges 6:22
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, “Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”

google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Old+Testament+Theophanies&spell=1



The reason the Father can not be approached by natural man is that he lives in unapproachable light.

1 Timothy 6:16
who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

It is simply God the Father, whom natural man can not approach or see directly. The Second person of the trinity made himself known via theophanies in the old testament.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

forananswer.org/John/Jn1_1.htm

 

[ryanoneil]

In the first place I would preempt any Jehovah’s Witness who came to my door to see if they were raised that way, and speak to their original beliefs. But seeing as how the conversation got as far as it did, I would ask them to go further in the book and point out (John 6:51) “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

“The Jews who were listening to our Lord asked themselves, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’
Tell them how the listeners thought Jesus was speaking literally, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60) and how he didn’t correct them “There are some of you that do not believe” (John 6:64).

Then read, verse 66, the kicker: “After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.”
I’d tell them this is the only place in Scripture in which any of Jesus followers left him for a doctrinal reason, and ask them if they know who was among the unbelievers?” The answer is Judas.

You decide if you tell them they need to get right with God and need to study Scripture more diligently.

Good Luck!

 

[thistle]

John 4:24 - “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

This is one of the verses that Jehovah’s Witnesses is saying that Jesus is not “God” because this verse states that God is Spirit…

How to explain this verse?​

John 1:18 - “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

And this one, they are using this verse to claim that “No one has seen God at any time”… JW claims that this verse explains that Jesus is not God…

D-R Bible, Haydock Commentary:

John 1:18. No man hath seen God. No mortal in this life by a perfect union and enjoyment of him. Nor can any creature perfectly comprehend his infinite greatness: none but his only begotten divine Son, who is in the bosom of his Father, not only by an union of grace, but by an union and unity of substance and nature; of which Christ said, (John xiv. 11.) I am in the Father, and the Father in me. (Witham)