Col 2:16-19 in CO's talk

by lookingnow25 14 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  hamsterbait

  In colossians, Paul says about New MOON celebrations. The WT has gone to great efforts to prove that the Jews religion had not descended from moon worship in Ur. (See the Aid book, I have not bothered looking at the Inshite book) In fact the Mosaic code did not celebrate any new moon festivals, although in certain OT passages, it is clear that the post exodus Jews still held the New Moon to be special - for consuting seers, for instance.

  Having proved that this reference cannot refer to worshippers of Yahweh, it can only mean that Paul was telling the former PAGANS, that they could still celebrate their holidays, only now their festival, as the NWT put it is "celebrated to Jehovah."

  Thus the whole self-righteous crap against Christmas birthdays new year, you name it is shot down in flames.

  Maybe I should start marking my diary. I have a lot of celebrating to make up for...

  HB
• 

  uninformed

  (Romans 14:22) 22 The faith that you have, have it in accord with yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man that does not put himself on judgment by what he approves. . .
• 

  lookingnow25

  T, As far as the CO's application, I wasn't paying real close attention but he was focusing on the last part of verse 19 about being harmoniously joined together. It was the last hoo-rah! talk on Sunday so... Looking
• 

  MMae

  Both the Colossians and Romans passages have this in common: Paul directed Christians to "receive" (accept) one another, even though one differed from another in matters of worship and faith. He left that up to their individual consciences and preferenes. He emphasized that having Christ in common was the thing that really mattered. This kind of respect and tolerance of one anothers differences is what brought about Christian "like-mindedness" and caused Christians to speak as with "one mouth." (Read Romans 15: 1-7 in context with Romans chapter 14.)

  Think about that for one moment.... What Paul was teaching is the opposite of the application that JWs make to the verses that say to be of the same mind and mouth. WTS uses those scriptures to support their teaching that true Christians must all abide by the same cookie-cutter beliefs (as determined by the WTS.)

  Makes one's head spin a little to try to grasp that! Instead of Christians answering questions about faith and worship with dogma, in unity they could say, "All that matters is that you accept and follow Jesus Christ, Love God with all your being, and your fellow human being as yourself. Pretty much everything else is a matter of personal choice." [IMAGINE you hear a Beattles song rising in the background!]

  Had Christians listened to Paul....Christians would be - Christians. There would be no need for sects and divisions. And disfellowshipping .... well, umm, it would be such a rare occurance, that most of us would not know what the word meant.
• 

  civicsi00

  Wow, look at the way the New International Version words verse 16:

  16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

  I agree with you, MMae. Paul was clearly talking about that it doesn't matter what you celebrate, and that you shouldn't judge others if they celebrated a New Moon festival. We should all come together as one Body with Christ as our Head. Very interesting, indeed..