I wanted to get a list of arguments that illustrate how the Watchtower Society is or isn't following 1st century christianity today. Thanks again everyone!
Does the Watchtower really parallel 1st Century Christianity?
by Emery 56 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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DATA-DOG
Where do you start?!?! I will throw one out that some may not have considered. The early Christians believed that absolutely nothing could separate them from God's love, not even a gruesome death in the Roman arena. They believed and taught that no other human could spiritually break you. You could die, but you were still victorious if you kept your integrity. Today, that is no longer believed by JW's, even though they claim it to be true. Their very leaders the GB don't believe it. Just ask anyone that was left by thier marraige mate on the trumped up grounds of " absolute spiritually endangerment ", that loop-hole is an apostate teaching used to separate families. The GB allows this because they fear one mate may eventually reason from the scriptures with the other, and getting them to stop serving the GB. This " spiritual endangerment " is a outright lie and an apostate teaching of men. There is no such thing as " spiritual endangerment ", it's a cop-out, and a falsehood conveniently used to persecute those who do not belive the GB. It is totally unscriptural, and would not have been believed by 1st century " Christians ". Also, there was no 1st century GB.
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mP
There were no early xians. There is absolute no proof of any in the 1st century. NO scholar or otherwise has every shown any evidence to back such a statement. The simple fact that it took 40 years for Marks record to be written shows just how few actually xians there were. If there were the large numbers claimed then its completely rediculous to think that they all skipped writing anything down for 40+ years.
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00DAD
More like 1st Century Pharisees
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VM44
No.
But The Watchtower MAKES "1st Century Christianity" parallel what it has the Jehovah's Witnesses do today
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raymond frantz
1st century Christians :
- Didn't have a GB (=JW have one)
- Didn't believe that GB was their Mediator
- Didn't pettle the word of God from House to house
- All partook from the emblems
- Were baptised in the name of Father,Son and Hly Spirit (=jw baptise in the name of GB)
The list is endless
Jehovah's Witnesses in 2012 resemble something between Scientology and Mormons thanks to those "Pharisees" of New York ,sorry Satan's seed in New York
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XBEHERE
That precahing the good news is an absolute requirement for all christians and your activity must be recorded on a publishers record card for the elders too look at and judge your spirituality. Show me in the bible where either of those things are necessary to gain salvation.
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Recovery
I can write something more extensice when I am at a computer, but here are just a few of your parallels.
1st century Christians hated/spoken against as a sect/cult= same with JWs
1st century Christians had the hope of becoming kings and priests in heaven =same with anointed JWs
First century Christians preached to everyone and anyone, anywhere = JWs preach to everyone, anywhere, no lergy/claity distinction
First century Christians did not believe in pagan concepts such as purgatory, hellfire, immortality of the soul, the Trinity= same with JWs
First century Christian congregations were organized with elders and ministerial servants taking the lead, not just one or
two pastors = same with JWs
First century Christians acknowledged the importance of the Divine Name as did Jezus = same with JWs
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Recovery
First century Christians removed unrepentant sinners from the congregation = so do JWs
1st century Christians submitted to the instructions of the governing body = so do JWs
1st century Christians did not get involved in politics/worldly affairs= neither do JWs
1st century Christians proclaimed the urgency of the times = so do JWs
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Phizzy
I don't quite understand mP's claim above that "there were no 1st century Xians".
I would say Paul thought of himself as a Christian, his authorship of say the Letter to the Galatians is undisputed,(some other books are definately deutero-pauline), the date is not as certain, but certainly it was long before the destruction of the Temple in 70C.E and he writes to fellow believers.
So, we ONLY have what Paul writes to base our thinking on as to what his readers believed, but of course we do not have their reaction to his letters, perhaps their Theology and Christology was different to his, he is trying to persuade them of his views.
The Gospels ,being very late, though some of Mark may possibly be pre temple destruction, but the rest of them are late and written with an agenda, as is Acts, so we may as well discount them as any real proof of 1st century belief or practice.
However, the WT/JW's believe the Gospels to be early, and Acts and so we can if we like compare how they teach and act with what is contained in the Gospels etc, and as said above , they still fail ! Miserably !
The 21st Century teachings, organisation, and practices, including rites and rituals of the Jehovah's Witnesses bears no relation to those of early followers of "Jesus".
