Q for Narkisso "will pass away"??

by hamsterbait 7 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  hamsterbait

  With regard to Sodom and Gomorrah Jesus said it would be more endurable for them on judgment day.

  The WT says this is irony, as these people will not get a resurrection (under current interpretative votes of the GB)

  Jesus also said it would be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on Judgement day and others - whom the Witchtower does not say will not be resurrected (unlike the sodomites Theo G. take note!!)

  So when Jesus says this generation will by no means "pass away" - no more than his words - is he being ironic too.

  IE Jesus is saying "it is unthinkable that this generation(the "annointed ") will "pass away" completely from the earth before the end comes.

  I dont know greek, but this sounds like what they are fishing for

  HB
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  Narkissos

  Hi Hamsterbait,

  Just caught your post but I am in a hurry tonight.

  Briefly put, there is no hint of irony in the Greek text of Matthew 24:34 which has a very strong negation, ou mè+ aorist subjunctive, further reinforced by the introduction, Amèn legô humin.

  But of course what a WT writer can make of it is beyond my imagination.

  As we're on it, I have a couple of questions myself which I can't elaborate on right now, but I just throw them for others to pick up:

  Since the WT seems to maintain two fulfillments of Matthew 24//, hence two distinct generations, how and when did the first generation "pass away"? I suspect the answer will be along the line of the "great apostasy" following the death of the apostolic generation, yet by the 95/07 WT definitions, a generation is no longer terminated by the death of the people who were there at the beginning (terminus a quo). More generally, how can such a new-WT-style "generation" ever "pass away"? But of course the Gospel saying is meaningless if it can't.

  Hasn't the new key phrase for the identification of the "generation" to the "anointed," "all these things," been previously used to indicate that there was more than one fulfillment (because "all these things" did notoccur in the 33-70 period)? If so, and if a first generation (whether of "wicked" Jews or anointed Christians) did "pass away" before "all these things" occurred, doesn't that make the saying void, at least the first time?

  The only strategical interest I could figure for the WT in shifting the "generation" to the "anointed" would have been to posit one, not two, generation(s) of "anointed" running from 33 to the "end". This would have been philologically impossible of course, but maintaining two generations with only onecomplete fulfillment ("all these things") seems even "more impossible" from the perspective of inner logic.
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  drew sagan

  Since the WT seems to maintain two fulfillments of Matthew 24//, hence two distinct generations, how and when did the first generation "pass away"? I suspect the answer will be along the line of the "great apostasy" following the death of the apostolic generation, yet by the 95/07 WT definitions, a generation is no longer terminated by the death of the people who were there at the beginning (terminus a quo ). More generally, how can such a new-WT-style "generation " ever "pass away"? But of course the Gospel saying is meaningless if it can't .

  A question I asked myself over and over again when I first began to examine the Watchtower. I suppose it's a testimoney as to how the Watchtower has no need in actually discussing their theology at all levels. The membership is sold on their theology and that's all that counts. Who cares about the details?

  Officially I would be interested in getting an answer. Any active JWs feel like sending in a letter?
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  fresia

  The whole point it is not up to the GB to say if they will be judged or have been judged. I find that instead of concentrating on what Jesus taught, the WTS is bent on adding or subtracting.
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  WTWizard

  It just goes to prove that the Governing Body doesn't know what they are talking about. They cannot back up their positions with actual fact or scripture, so they use their own authority instead. The latest Generation fiasco means simply that the anointed, which can now be anyone since May of this year, will not be entirely gone when Armageddon comes. Perhaps in a few billion years...
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  hamsterbait

  This was posted ages ago - But I think Narkisso's point is interesting, as he seems to be anticipating the necessity of changing the "Generation Teaching" which happened this week.

  HB
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  R.Crusoe

  The question prompted a NOW!

  How many centuries of academia does it take to bring you back the reality you are attempting to home in on?

  And in so doing are you shedding the reality before you?

  Are you living the moment in the death of the past?

  Is there a point to your moment here and now on JWD?

  Maybe my ego is before my eyes?

  Maybe I should go search my NOWNESS?
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  Narkissos

  hb,

  Actually I think my comments here were prompted by the very article which was studied yesterday, as it had been posted on JWD in November... so I'm afraid I'm no prophet...

  Still, the questions I asked then may still be relevant, and I haven't seen them addressed so far (but I may have missed something as I didn't read all the "generation" threads since).