Spirtism....BLONDIE, or Scully.. or anybody.

by earthtone 23 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  peacefulpete

  Good point MsMcducket. Parts of the OT create the illusion of being opposed to supernatural 'divination' and 'spiritism' while simultaneously endorsing soothsaying, visions and divining through casting lots. This clear contradiction results from multiple traditions having been compiled into a single work as well as the result of selective bias, (my prophet is true but your is false, when I inquire of the spirit world its good when you do its evil).
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  blondie

  Casting lots--possibly an interesting point is that the Matthias, the replacement apostle for Judas, was chosen by lots not by holy spirit...I always wondered why?

  Blondie
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  peacefulpete

  Blondie the simple answer is that it was understood that randomness was in reality a spiritworld's way of speaking to humans. All throughout the OT and noncanonical works find lots being used to solicite the will of God. Note the explicit statement at Prov 16:33:

  33 The ( AG ) lot is cast into the lap,
  But its every ( AH ) decision is from the LORD.

  IOW it needed to be insisted that despite the appearance of randomness it was not.

  As for the specific story in Acts 1, its suggested by some that the story is the author's Gentile rewrite of the Jewish Christian story of the choosing of James as the replacement for Jesus. But ultimately the story explains its source as Ot midrash:

  20 "For it is written in the book of Psalms,
  ' ( AO ) LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE,
  AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT';
  and,
  ' ( AP ) LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.'

  Note that the first Psalm "quoted" is badly stretched to fit. : Ps 69:25 May their (A) camp be desolate;
  May none dwell in their tents.

  The latter one is simply a out of context extraction from Ps 109 made to appear by the author of Acts as prophetic.
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  blondie

  I guess I should have asked why the WTS feels that choosing lots was all right in selecting the replacement apostle for Judas but then condemns it from then on for Christians including their own organization.