BIBLE BITS -- Psalm 49

In the past, I had run into quite a few Jehovah's Witnesses.  They are rather slow to get to a confession which puts them outside the Christian Chruch.  They say that Jesus is NOT "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God" (Nicene Creed).  To deny that Jesus is God is to deny the Christian faith, as the Athanasian Creed also confesses very pointedly: "Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man..."  Note: "It is necessary for everlasting salvation" to believe that Jesus is God.  

I don't expect Jehovah's Witnesses to acknowledge that these creeds are a correct confession of the Bible, especially when the Jehovah's Witnesses have their own unique translation of the Bible which conveniently (and falsely) "translates" verses to validate their false teachings.

I have found Psalm 49 to be especially helpful in this matter (though, to be honest, I don't know how the Jehovah's Witness translation handles this Psalm).  Psalm 49 states, "Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit" (Psalm 49:7-9)

Jehovah's Witnesses will confess that Jesus is a man, and even a perfect man.  They confess that Jesus is a creation of God, the first creation, but a creation nonetheless.  As a creation, they claim that Jesus is not eternal and, therefore, not true God.  If that were true, what does Psalm 49 teach?  It teaches that Jesus cannot be the Savior; for, no man can redeem the life of another.  If Jesus is merely a perfect man, he has earned his place in the kingdom of God.  Good for him.  But he does nothing for anyone else.  How could he if no man can ransom another?

But Psalm 49 goes on: "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol" (Psalm 49:15).  If Jesus is the Savior who delivers us from the grave and from hell (both valid translations for "Sheol"), then he has to be God.  As true man, Jesus is the legitimate substitute for man.  As true God, Jesus' payment counts for everyone.  It is necessary for salvation for this to be true, and it is necessary for salvation to believe this.