Sola Scriptura (page 4)

Deputy Dog

deiselman

I know full well what sola scriptura is and have made no attempt to pirate it.

Sorry! If you think that the WT uses it, you don't understand the term, regardless of what Yknot, myself or anyone else believes.

snowbird

Dieselman:

Titus, in other words, a person is not obliged to be Jehovah's Witness.

True.

Everyone is free to choose their own course.

True to a point - after baptism as a JW, leaving becomes very complicated.

A person is or becomes Jehovah's Witness after a careful study of THE BIBLE ...,

Not true, it's after a careful study of WT publications that are cleverly designed to trick a person into thinking the Bible is being studied.

and if anyone has a different opinion to that then it is my opinion that person has not made a careful study of the bible.

I made a careful study of the Bible and came to the conclusion that the WT is a false prophet and a deceiver.

Syl

dieselman

Perry, I think you should expand your research a little.

teel

Dieselman, I'm sorry if I didn't make my point clear (I have that problem often). Let me try again:

You say the ethiopian needed help to understand the Bible. If someone tries to understand it without having someone else explain it to him, then he thinks he's better than the ethiopian (your words). So does the GB receive some help from someone else, or do they interpret the Bible alone? Version 1: they interpret the Bible alone = they are better than the ethiopian.

Version 2: they get help from someone. Who is that they are getting help? Is there some other group of men who teaches them? That would just lead to a circular logic (as in who teaches those people? etc.) I assumed your answer would be they get help from the Holy Spirit. Good, that's a good answer - true Christians should get help from the HS. Now, you said the HS is not the propriety of the GB - that's great news (I think the GB disagrees with you, but I don't want to open that can right now).

So if I read the Bible alone, if my motives are pure the HS will help me, and I arrive at the correct understanding of the Bible, without ever reading any so-called Bible-based literature, or having someone (else than the HS) explain it to me.

This is 'sola scriptura' - scriptures alone. Is the WTS promoting this course of action, as outlined above?

Perry

Dieselman,

How about this research:

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

If you call yourself Christian, you are solemnly charged in the scripture above with providing a "reason" for your hope of being forgiven by God without Jesus as your Mediator.

I used to be a regular pioneer until I found out that Jesus wasn't my Mediator according to the WT.

What say you?

Mythbuster

Titus, in other words, a person is not obliged to be Jehovah's Witness. Everyone is free to choose their own course. A person is or becomes Jehovah's Witness after a careful study of THE BIBLE, and if anyone has a different opinion to that then it is my opinion that person has not made a careful study of the bible.

Hold on there buckaroo, I went to three different KHs to test out the "we are united in our belief bit" in three different states while travelling. First thing I was offered, What does the Bible Really Teach. You know, A JW book. Then I was asked if I had a bible. So if it's sola scriptura, they fail.

dieselman

Snowbird, thank you for your opinion. It is of course your opinion and you have every right to it, even in God's eyes. Why should leaving be complicated. If its not the truth in a persons opinion then they are at liberty to leave. Why stay, theyre just fooling themselves. It only becomes complicated when there is doubt, and where there is doubt then clearly a person has not arrived at a conclusion and therefore cannot make a final choice.

PSacramento

PSacramento, your comment confirms that Philip "Helped" to understand the prophesy. Teaching is an assisting process where you assist a student in understanding a subject. To assist is to help. Thank you for confirming that Philip explained the scripture to the Ethiopian.

He explained the PROPHECY and explained it with the help of the HS, he didn't explain anything other that what the Ethipian had issues with.

What happend after that? The Ethiopian accepted this, accepted Jesuand was baptized at that moment, all through the workings of the HS, with Philip as his Guide.

snowbird

Why should leaving be complicated

It's complicated due to sanctions such as being grilled by the elders as to whether you believe the WT is God's organization.

Yes, I've been asked that question.

I know you are aware of "marking" and shunning?

Syl

dieselman

Let me help you Perry. The context of your point was that I stated everyone qualifies to receive God's Holy Spirit, and I base that on advise by the GB. Lets see what para 18 of the July 11 WT study says. "In their prayers, husbands can ask that by means of holy spirit, Jehovah will help them in their dealings with others, including their wives" This is just one example of many many cases where the GB encourages people to prayer for God's Holy Spirit to help them, and that includes bible understanding. I am not going to itemize every occurence but this year alone this point has been stressed over and over again.

Sola Scriptura

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