How do Jehovah Witnesses explain the anger of Caiphas?
Upvote:1
Well, there is not much room for interpretation. The answer is given in the Bible itself.
In John 19:7, it reads:
The Jews answered him: "We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself God’s son."
What was the law the priests were referring? Leviticus 24:16 states:
So the abuser of Jehovah’s name should be put to death without fail.
Apparently the priests found it blasphemy that Jesus called himself Gods son. There is nothing specific to Jehovah's Witnesses in this regards.
However, they have a different opinion on the learning of the trinity. On that regard, note that the priests didn't accuse Jesus of saying he was God. He was accused of saying he was Gods son.
Upvote:2
Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize that Caiaphas and the entire Sanhedrin had decided Jesus’ fate well before the illegal trial began. This kangaroo court convened in the wee hours was simply looking to find a charge that would stick and that would convince a majority of Jews that Jesus was liable to death. A discussion of how the events unfolded is found here
Caiaphas knows that the Jews are sensitive about anyone claiming to be the Son of God. Earlier, when Jesus had called God his Father, the Jews wanted to kill him because they claimed that he was “making himself equal to God.” (John 5:17, 18; 10:31-39) Aware of such sentiments, Caiaphas now craftily demands of Jesus: “I put you under oath by the living God to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God!” (Matthew 26:63) Of course, Jesus has acknowledged being the Son of God. (John 3:18; 5:25; 11:4) If he does not do so now, that could be construed as denying that he is God’s Son and the Christ. So Jesus says: “I am; and you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”—Mark 14:62.
At this, Caiaphas with great drama rips his garments and exclaims: “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See! Now you have heard the blasphemy. What is your opinion?” The Sanhedrin hand down the unjust judgment: “He deserves to die.”—Matthew 26:65, 66.
Then they begin to mock Jesus and hit him with their fists. Others slap his face and spit into it. After they cover his whole face and slap him, they say sarcastically: “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” (Luke 22:64) Here is the Son of God being treated abusively at an illegal nighttime trial!
Caiaphas was being a drama queen with his great angry outburst.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not dispute that Jesus is divine. (See this question). Indeed we accept as correct translations of John 1:1 that say “the Word was divine”. The accusation Caiaphas made was that Jesus had claimed to be the son of God. That was enough to convince the mob that he had blasphemed. Caiaphas’ outburst was never about Jesus having claimed to be the almighty God Jehovah. It was however about his claim to be the son of God and that does make it accurate to say that Jesus was divine.
Upvote:3
Here are the reasons given in a 2006 Watchtower article:
”The Sanhedrin saw Jesus as a threat to the authority of the religious establishment and to public order, for which Pilate held them responsible. Any popular movement that the Romans might interpret as seditious could provoke their intervention in Jewish affairs—something that the Sanhedrin wanted to avoid at all costs.
Although unable to deny that Jesus performed powerful works, Caiaphas did not exercise faith but sought to maintain his prestige and authority. How could he acknowledge the raising of Lazarus? As a Sadducee, Caiaphas did not believe in the resurrection!—Acts 23:8.
One murder, however, was not enough to attain Caiaphas’ evil ends. “The chief priests now took counsel to kill Lazarus also, because on account of him many of the Jews were . . . putting faith in Jesus.”—John 12:10, 11.
The high priest knew the opinions of his fellow conspirators regarding any self-proclaimed Messiah. So he demanded to know whether Jesus claimed that title. Jesus responded that his accusers would see him “sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” In a show of piety, “the high priest ripped his outer garments, saying: ‘He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses?’” The Sanhedrin agreed that Jesus deserved to die.—Matthew 26:64-66.
As high priest, Caiaphas could have helped fellow Jews to accept the Messiah, but lust for power caused him to condemn Jesus."
I could find no reference in the article that Caiaphas was furious with Jesus because Jesus claimed divinity, that Jesus was equal to his Father in heaven. They say the blasphemy was claiming to be the Messiah.
This is entirely in keeping with the theology of Jehovah's Witnesses - they say Jehovah created Jesus as a spirit creature who is known in heaven as Michael the archangel. They say they believe Jesus was divine, but deny Jesus was the pre-mortal Word of God who was with God in the beginning and who is God.
More post
- 📝 I'm looking for an obscure version of John 4:32
- 📝 Why did so many early church fathers say that sex was a consequence of the Fall?
- 📝 Do Cessationists believe that the Holy Spirit still speaks specific messages or instructions to Christians today?
- 📝 What is a Consistory?
- 📝 Do Matthew and John have a discrepancy with regards to Jesus before Pilate?
- 📝 What do Southern Baptists believe about Predestination?
- 📝 Sources on Historical Reliability of the New Testament
- 📝 How should a Christian object to those who say Paradise may be a little boring?
- 📝 Are prospective Mormons allowed to be baptized during their menstruation periods?
- 📝 At what age and how do young Catholics know or be notified that they have committed a mortal sin or a venial sin?
- 📝 Have Jehovah's Witnesses indicated the upper limit for "overlapping generations"?
- 📝 What is meant by 'genuine affective' considering a h*m*sexual relationship?
- 📝 Is holding hands and forming a circle around the altar during eucharistic prayer allowed?
- 📝 Does Catholicism have a stance on horoscopes?
- 📝 Why are there inconsistencies in the New Testament?
- 📝 Are there published testimonies from Christians who independently discovered the doctrine of the Trinity on their own by just reading the Bible?
- 📝 Why did Jesus say, "Do not touch me"?
- 📝 How does "Evangelii Gaudium” pose a new perspective on capitalism?
- 📝 What is the traditional view of Divine Command Theory in accordance to the Reformed tradition?
- 📝 Why does God command us to have children?
- 📝 Why was Ezra included in the canon?
- 📝 The sacrificial perogative of the kings of Israel
- 📝 Why was Tamar more righteous than Judah?
- 📝 Dating the sacerdotal hierarchy
- 📝 Is ex-nihilo creationism irreconcilable with the concept of individual free will?
- 📝 Do Protestants believe Jesus misquoted Psalm 8:2 in Matthew 21:16?
- 📝 Was Jesus guilty or not guilty by the law?
- 📝 What is the difference between Evangelical and Protestant?
- 📝 Between the Bible and the Book of Mormon, which one has a more plausible alternate account of its invention?
- 📝 What are Christian apologetics refutations of the objections posited by the site "Why Won't God Heal Amputees?"?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How do Jehovah Witnesses explain the anger of Caiphas?
- 📝 How do Jehovah Witnesses support scripturely the idea that humans will live on earth after death?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses explain the dramatic changes in their eschatology?
- 📝 How do Jehovah Witnesses explain differences between NWT and Hebrew/Latin/Greek in Zechariah 12:10 and Acts 20:28?
- 📝 How do Jehovah’s Witnesses explain the unique wording of Colossians 1:15-17 in the NWT?
- 📝 How do Jehovah Witnesses come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is a force?
- 📝 How does the Catholic church explain Matthew 19:9, which seems to allow divorce in case of sexual misconduct?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses explain Thomas's exclamation, "My Lord and my God"?
- 📝 What is the basis that many mainstream Christian groups justify labeling groups like the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses as Non-Christians?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses respond to the charge that they are false prophets (because their end-of-the-world predictions didn't come true)?
- 📝 How do "once saved, always saved" advocates explain the Parable of the Sower?
- 📝 How do the proponents of the idea that salvation once received cannot be lost explain Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26-29?
- 📝 How do creationists explain the genetic diversity of animals after Noah's Ark?
- 📝 How many witnesses are there who physically saw and/or touched the golden plates from which the Book of Mormon was reportedly translated?
- 📝 How do young earth creationists explain the evidence for ice ages?
- 📝 How would a Catholic explain the absence of the mass in the Epistle to the Hebrews?
- 📝 How do monothelites explain Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsemane?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses explain John 8:58-59 in a way that accords with their doctrine?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the belief held by Jehovah's Witnesses that Jehovah and Jesus Christ are separate entities?
- 📝 How do opponents of Penal Substitution explain God's declaration that He "will not leave the guilty unpunished"?
- 📝 How do sola fide adherents explain The Parable of the Ten Virgins?
- 📝 The Jehovah's Witnesses deny that Jesus Christ existed eternally or everlastingly, how do they reconcile this with Micah 5:2?
- 📝 How do those who deny Jesus' pre-existence explain the large number of verses suggesting it?
- 📝 How do those who believe in salvation by grace, and in works being the fruit of salvation, explain Galatians 6:8-9?
- 📝 How comparable are the concepts of the Teaching Magisterium in the Catholic Church and the Jehovah's Witnesses view of their Watch Tower society?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses interpret verses like Isaiah 9:6 which call the messiah 'God'?
- 📝 How does the Swedenborgian Church explain passages where Jesus talks/prays to the Father?
- 📝 How do Evangelicals explain when Paul writes "I, not the Lord"?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses explain Paul's apparent equating of Yahweh and Jesus in Romans 10?
- 📝 How do Continuationists explain the fact that the vast majority of Christians have never personally experienced "overtly miraculous" spiritual gifts?