Many of the contradictions that have been quoted, haven't been put into consideration with the rest of the text from the verses they have been quoted from.
for example:
ON THE PERMANENCY OF THE EARTH
"... the earth abideth for ever." -- Ecclesiastes 1:4
"... the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." -- 2Peter 3:10
The second scripture isn't talking about the earth not literally being burned up, but wicked people destroyed. "a New heavens and a new earth" meaning new heavenly organisation and a new earthly organisation.
ON SEEING GOD
"... I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." -- Genesis 32:30
"No man hath seen God at any time..."-- John 1:18
This is not to be taken literally, for example it is possible for a blind person to speak "face to face" with someone without seeing their face. The phrase "face to face" in the Hebrew mindset means "personally," "directly," or "intimately." Moses had this kind of unmediated relationship with God. But he, like all other mortals, never saw an actual "face" of God. We must not forget the Bible's emphatic statement that "God is a spirit" (John. 4:24). And "a spirit does not have flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39). So, again, God does not have a physical face. Being "face to face" with God simply refers to being in God's direct presence in an intimate way.
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Some other points about serving God out of fear: Here’s an example: When we fear God it doesn’t mean that we are terrified of his power, that he may hurt us or send us to hell (what is hell? Information can be found here: (watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm). You fear you parents correct? Yet you love them and they love you, the fear you feel is of disappointing them by doing something wrong, this is the same with God.
Many people feel that God is cold and calculated, but this is not true. James 1:13 “When under trial let know one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.
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Actually here is some shortened info on Hell (watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm):
"The wages sin pays is death." (Romans 6:23) Since the punishment for sin is death, the fundamental question in determining the true nature of hell is: What happens to us when we die?
What happens to the spirit when a person dies? Psalm 146:4 says: "His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." When a person dies, his impersonal spirit does not go on existing in another realm as a spirit creature. It "returns to the true God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7) This means that any hope of future life for that person now rests entirely with God.
That spirit can be compared to the electric current that activates a machine or an appliance and enables it to perform its function. Just as the current never takes on the features of the equipment it activates, the life-force does not take on any of the characteristics of the creatures it animates. It has no personality and no thinking ability.
Adam "came to be a living soul," says Genesis 2:7. He did not receive a soul; he was a soul—a whole person. The Scriptures speak of a soul's doing work, craving food, being kidnapped, experiencing sleeplessness, and so forth. (Leviticus 23:30; Deuteronomy 12:20; 24:7; Psalm 119:28) Yes, man himself is a soul. When a person dies, that soul dies.—Ezekiel 18:4.
he condition of the dead is made clear at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10, where we read: "The dead know nothing . . . In the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." (New International Version) Scripturally, death is a state of nonexistence. The dead have no awareness, no feelings, no thoughts.
Gehenna, the lake of fire symbolizes eternal destruction.
Consider also the case of the righteous man Job, who suffered much. Wishing to escape his plight, he pleaded: "Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell [Sheol], and hide me till thy wrath pass?"# (Job 14:13, Douay Version) How unreasonable to think that Job desired to go to a fiery-hot place for protection! To Job, "hell" was simply the grave, where his suffering would end. The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good people as well as bad ones go.
(Information appeared in The Watchtower July 15, 2002)
for example:
ON THE PERMANENCY OF THE EARTH
"... the earth abideth for ever." -- Ecclesiastes 1:4
"... the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." -- 2Peter 3:10
The second scripture isn't talking about the earth not literally being burned up, but wicked people destroyed. "a New heavens and a new earth" meaning new heavenly organisation and a new earthly organisation.
ON SEEING GOD
"... I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." -- Genesis 32:30
"No man hath seen God at any time..."-- John 1:18
This is not to be taken literally, for example it is possible for a blind person to speak "face to face" with someone without seeing their face. The phrase "face to face" in the Hebrew mindset means "personally," "directly," or "intimately." Moses had this kind of unmediated relationship with God. But he, like all other mortals, never saw an actual "face" of God. We must not forget the Bible's emphatic statement that "God is a spirit" (John. 4:24). And "a spirit does not have flesh and bones" (Luke 24:39). So, again, God does not have a physical face. Being "face to face" with God simply refers to being in God's direct presence in an intimate way.
-
Some other points about serving God out of fear: Here’s an example: When we fear God it doesn’t mean that we are terrified of his power, that he may hurt us or send us to hell (what is hell? Information can be found here: (watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm). You fear you parents correct? Yet you love them and they love you, the fear you feel is of disappointing them by doing something wrong, this is the same with God.
Many people feel that God is cold and calculated, but this is not true. James 1:13 “When under trial let know one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.
-
Actually here is some shortened info on Hell (watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm):
"The wages sin pays is death." (Romans 6:23) Since the punishment for sin is death, the fundamental question in determining the true nature of hell is: What happens to us when we die?
What happens to the spirit when a person dies? Psalm 146:4 says: "His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." When a person dies, his impersonal spirit does not go on existing in another realm as a spirit creature. It "returns to the true God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7) This means that any hope of future life for that person now rests entirely with God.
That spirit can be compared to the electric current that activates a machine or an appliance and enables it to perform its function. Just as the current never takes on the features of the equipment it activates, the life-force does not take on any of the characteristics of the creatures it animates. It has no personality and no thinking ability.
Adam "came to be a living soul," says Genesis 2:7. He did not receive a soul; he was a soul—a whole person. The Scriptures speak of a soul's doing work, craving food, being kidnapped, experiencing sleeplessness, and so forth. (Leviticus 23:30; Deuteronomy 12:20; 24:7; Psalm 119:28) Yes, man himself is a soul. When a person dies, that soul dies.—Ezekiel 18:4.
he condition of the dead is made clear at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10, where we read: "The dead know nothing . . . In the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." (New International Version) Scripturally, death is a state of nonexistence. The dead have no awareness, no feelings, no thoughts.
Gehenna, the lake of fire symbolizes eternal destruction.
Consider also the case of the righteous man Job, who suffered much. Wishing to escape his plight, he pleaded: "Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell [Sheol], and hide me till thy wrath pass?"# (Job 14:13, Douay Version) How unreasonable to think that Job desired to go to a fiery-hot place for protection! To Job, "hell" was simply the grave, where his suffering would end. The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good people as well as bad ones go.
(Information appeared in The Watchtower July 15, 2002)
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