Is Jesus mediator only for the “anointed class” of JW’s?

[MissKate13]

If true, then WHO mediates for the rest of the Jehovah’s Witnesses?

[MissKate13]

[Replying to 2timothy316 in post #190]

Can you please answer my questions?


Does the anointed class and the great crowd include the Jews of the old covenant according to your governing body?

Who are ”those who are called” in the following Hebrews Chapter 9 passage? Do you believe they are the anointed class, or are they the great crowd?

13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

Since you don’t believe Jesus is your mediator, do you also believe He is not your high priest? I ask because according to Hebrews 8, Jesus’ role as mediator is a function of His being High Priest.

6. But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

And finally, one last question…
As a member of the great crowd, can you approach the throne of God as the author of Hebrews suggested? Or is this strictly for the anointed class?

19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

[2timothy316]

[Replying to 2timothy316 in post #190]

Can you please answer my questions?

Not until we are in agreement to my post before this one. Otherwise my answer will make no sense.


viewtopic.php?p=1120510#p1120510

[Eloi]

About the Ransom, our Biblical Encyclopedia Insight on the Scriptures explains:

Thus, Jesus was indeed “a corresponding ransom,” not for the redemption of the one sinner, Adam, but for the redemption of all mankind descended from Adam. He repurchased them so that they could become his family, doing this by presenting the full value of his ransom sacrifice to the God of absolute justice in heaven. (Heb 9:24) He thereby gains a Bride, a heavenly congregation formed of his followers. (Compare Eph 5:23-27; Re 1:5, 6; 5:9, 10; 14:3, 4.) Messianic prophecies also show he will have “offspring” as an “Eternal Father.” (Isa 53:10-12; 9:6, 7) To be such, his ransom must embrace more than those of his “Bride.” In addition to those “bought from among mankind as firstfruits” to form that heavenly congregation, therefore, others are to benefit from his ransom sacrifice and gain everlasting life through the removal of their sins and accompanying imperfection. (Re 14:4; 1Jo 2:1, 2) Since those of the heavenly congregation serve with Christ as priests and “kings over the earth,” such other recipients of the ransom benefits must be earthly subjects of Christ’s Kingdom, and as children of an “Eternal Father” they attain everlasting life. (Re 5:10; 20:6; 21:2-4, 9, 10; 22:17; compare Ps 103:2-5.) The entire arrangement manifests Jehovah’s wisdom and his righteousness in perfectly balancing the scales of justice while showing undeserved kindness and forgiving sins.​—Ro 3:21-26. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200003640

The way the ransom of Jesus acts with reference to humanity in general (those who accept that ransom and act accordingly) is different from the way that works with reference to "the firstfruits" taken from the humanity, the Bride.

[JehovahsWitness]

MEDIATOR OR SAVIOR?

A fundamental reason why the churches of Christendom and those that identify as Christians are so mistaken about this fundamental bible teaching is simply because they fail to understand the bible definition of the term "mediator". They believe it is a synonym of "savior" as in that Jesus came to save all of mankind and they think that the two terms are interchangeable ie "If Jesus died for all mankind, he must be the mediator of all mankind". Biblically this is not the case as any close examination of scripture will reveal.

MEDIATOR OF AN AGREEMENT

The term "mediator" "mediate[d]" is relatively rare in scripture and serious bible students must look to bible usage to determine its meaning in relation to Jesus' role. In secular terms a MEDIATOR is someone that oversees negotiations between two parties and the book of Job indicates the word retained this legal notion in the time of the Patriarchs

JOB 9:33 ISV

There is not yet a mediator between us, who would set his hand on [lit. judge ] the two of us

So already we see that a MEDIATOR is not someone that has a stake in the negotiations, He doesn't make a sacrifice to validate the agreement, he serves as an officiator of a legal process.

MEDIATOR OF THE COVENANT

So with what "legal process" does the bible link Jesus? In nearly all the occurances of the word "mediator" in the bible it is linked with COVENANT. Beginners are at a disadvantage as they rarely know what a covenant is, but it is basically a legally binding agreement beween one or two parties (unilateral or bilateral) to do something. The mediator in a bilateral contract or covenant acts as the gobetween for the agreement. The only two named meditors in scripture are MOSES and JESUS. Moses for the Mosaic Law and Jesus for the New Covenant.

Now here is where people get confused, Moses communicated YHWHs Jehovah's words throughout his career as a PROPHET but that was not him acting as a Mediator in the biblical sense, since every time he explained what God had said in this or that situation it was not an agreement, it was not a legal contract. In his day-to-day communications, Moses was acting as A PROPHET or a messenger. And Moses certainly did not die for the sins of the parties in the covenant.

In a similar way, Jesus as The Word "made flesh" acted as the Great Prophet, communicating God's message for mankind. But that is not to be confused with his official role as the Mediator of a specific contract. Neither is his role in prayer. We pray in Jesus' name based on the value of his sacrifice. This is not Jesus "mediating" for us, we are not negotiating with God, we are not binding ourselves or him to a contract. We are respectfully talking to God, always mindful of our only being able to do this freely because of Jesus' sacrifice. Again, this is not to be confused with Jesus role as a mediator.

Think of the Mediator as a kind of Lawyer that acts on behalf of both parties. NOTE The context of Paul's reference to the role of a mediator at GALATIANS 3

GAL 3:19, 20 NWT

Why, then, the Law? It was added to make transgressions manifest,+ until the offspring should arrive+ to whom the promise had been made; and it was transmitted through angels+ by the hand of a mediator.+ 20 Now there is no mediator when just one person is involved, but God is only one. 21 Is the Law, therefore, against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, righteousness would actually have been by means of law.

HEBREWS 8:5, 6

... just as Moses, when about to construct the tent, was given the divine command: For He says: “See that you make all things after their pattern that was shown to you in the mountain.”+ 6 But now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry* because he is also the mediator+ of a correspondingly better covenant,+ which has been legally established on better promises

HEBREWS 12:24

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

So anyone that uses the term "mediator" in line with BIBLE usage has to recognize it must not be conflated with "savior" or "messenger" or "Prophet" or "ransomer" or any of the other terms that spring to the minds of those that coast on a very superficial knowledge of scripture. Jesus' role is multifaceted, we pray through him, we have salvation thanks to him, but anyone that knows their bible knows the term MEDIATOR is used in scripture specifically in relation to Jesus role in officiating the NEW COVENANT.

This post is not to explain what that New Covenant is, but to highlight that those that are so offended that serious bible students acknowledge that Jesus is only the Mediator of those directly under the terms and conditions of the NEW COVENANT are merely revealing their ignorance of what the word means in the very bible they claim to hold so dear.


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[Eloi]

Nice explanation.

Also in Insight, but in this case under Mediator, it is said:

Blessings to Mankind in General.

While Jesus’ mediatorship operates solely toward those in the new covenant, he is also God’s High Priest and the Seed of Abraham. In fulfilling his duties in these latter two positions, he will bring blessings to others of mankind, for all the nations are to be blessed by means of Abraham’s seed. Those in the new covenant are first blessed by Christ, the primary Seed (Ga 3:16, 29), being brought in as associate members of the seed. Being made kings and priests by reason of the new covenant that he mediated, they will share in administering the blessings of Jesus’ sacrifice and of his Kingdom rule to all the nations of the earth. Christ’s mediatorship, having accomplished its purpose by bringing “the Israel of God” into this position, thus results in benefits and blessings to all mankind.—Ga 6:16; Ge 22:17, 18.

There are, thus, others not of the 144,000 “sealed” ones who also pray to Jehovah God in the name of Christ, putting faith in the merit of his ransom sacrifice. This sacrifice is not only for those for whom Jesus mediates the new covenant but also for all mankind expressing faith in Christ. (1Jo 2:2) These not in the new covenant also appreciate that “there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.” (Ac 4:12) They, too, look to Jesus Christ as their great heavenly High Priest, through whom they can approach God and through whose ministration they can get forgiveness of sin. (Heb 4:14-16) Revelation 21:22-24 points out that ‘the nations will walk in the light of New Jerusalem,’ where Jehovah God is the light and the Lamb Jesus Christ is the lamp.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002957

[MissKate13]

[Replying to 2timothy316 in post #190]

Can you please answer my questions?

Not until we are in agreement to my post before this one. Otherwise my answer will make no sense.


viewtopic.php?p=1120510#p1120510

So you’re backing out of what you said you’d do. I can only conclude those questions boxed you in, so you refuse to answer them.

Without a mediator, you cannot be reconciled to God, for that is what Jesus offered to ALL who believe and obey Him. Reconciliation can only come about through mediation.

Sadly, you and other JW’s have rejected His gift to you.

You refuse to see the that the blood of Christ, which cleanses the conscience, is connected to Jesus’ being mediator of the new covenant, that those who are called (all true followers of Christ) may receive eternal life.

14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

I rest my case.

[2timothy316]

[Replying to MissKate13 in post #196]
This was the response I was expecting. Hollow attacks. Yet you have shown you don't know what the death of Jesus actually means. This saddens me. This is why you will not understand anything me or any other JW will say. You don't agree on the fundamentals. You can rest your case but you have proven nothing if you can't accept your own Bible quote. Just another person that failed at proving their point from the Bible and don't even read the actual scriptures they quote but rather just push their personal opinions.

by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant
Not his mediatorship. Its your Bible quote and you don't read what it says. Why?