Where Were The Jehovah's Witnesses?

by Blueblades 6 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Blueblades

  Where, during the centuries following the new testament era, were the ancient counterparts to today's JWs? According to the Witnesses, the church fell into apostasy sometime after the apostolic era, and the truths of the Bible were restored only in the late - nineteenth and early - twentieth centuries in their religion.

  If this is so, we would expect to find some record of a religious group in the second or third century with views resembling at least somewhat of the JWs. But such is not the case.

  Blueblades
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  candidlynuts

  in the late 80s or early 90s there were some articles in the watchtower or awake of historical figures who "may" have been Jehovah's tool to keep his word alive till the faithful and discreet slave would be around to take over .

  i forget who all the historical figures were. but it was a series of articles of several different people.
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  Seeker4

  One was Isaac Newton, I believe. How ridiculous.

  S4
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  Wasanelder Once

  C'mon, we all know Jehooba dropped the apple on Brother Issac's head so we could know about gravity resulting in airplanes and modern modes of travel to distribute the magazines.

  We know, of course, that fig newtons are inspired.

  W.Once
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  SirNose586

  As I recall, Barbara Anderson was tasked with finding proof that there was an unbroken string of people who had beliefs close to ours throughout the Great Apostasy...

  ...and she couldn't find any people who could fit the bill, much less an unbroken string of them.
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  jayhawk1

  I think another historical figure they used was Justin Martyr. It seems they also tried to tie in some of Martin Luther's teachings as being a foundation of JW teachings. If that was the case, why aren't all JWs Lutherans?
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  Blueblades

  The closest parallel is the Arian movement, but it did not exist until the fourth century. The main doctrinal difference seems to be that the Arians regarded the Holy Spirit as a personal being, whereas the Witnesses teach that "holy spirit" is an impersonal energy or force emitted by God.

  Blueblades