It seems the WT publications and study articles, as the one used for today's meeting, literally and directly try and apply bible accounts to us today. As if the bible is directly talking about JWs and only JWs, and how they are to live and serve GOD. It seems to me the WBATS tweak words, scriptures (always wondered why we would read only the b part of a scripture?), parts of passages and now even tweak the bible to fit them and then turn around and say, see are we not the only ones following these very scriptural standards today??? It's like the ultimate charade of doctrines!!! It has worked for awhile, but I think the gig is up...
WBATS APPLICATION OF THE BIBLE AND SCRIPTURES...
by ADJUSTMENTS 3 Replies latest watchtower bible
-
-
Doug Mason
Each Bible writer was addressing their own immediate community, using their concepts, their idioms, their culture, their political ambitions. They were not writing to or for a future generation, let alone one that would exist 2000 years later - and more. Therefore to comprehend what they were writing, it is critically important to fully understand the times, the culture, the politics of the times when each piece was written.
Since they wrote on perishable material, their writings had to be continually copied. When this happened, the copyist edited the material to make it suit his understanding, making it relevant to the time when he was living. Thus changes were deliberately made as well as accidentally introduced. This process continued from generation to generation.
The Bible writings are the records of humans; it is not the "word of God". So the WTS is simply repeating the unacceptable practices of their predecessors. But why does the WTS accept the Bible when it denigrates the people who decided which books would be used to make the Bible? It's like saying that I reject Islam but I fully accept the Qu'ran.
No Bible writer, including the writer of Revelation, was writing to a future generation. What would be the point of Jesus going around Galilee preaching to the people about the "kingdom" when he was actually talking to people who would be living 2000 years later. Why tell those people repeatedly about the kingdom when it was not relevant to their times? That would be totally meaningless to them. If Jesus wanted to talk to people today, he would do so.
Doug
-
Phizzy
Everybody thinking of reading the Bible should read, and put in to practice Doug's post above.
It will save you a lot of mis-understanding.
I should know, I had decades of not knowing the truth of what Doug says, and hence all that time spent in Bible "study" was wasted.
-
designs
Remember the Bible told us about the great Assembly in Cleveland Ohio....