by kneehighmiah 4 Replies latest jw friends
Nearly every letter written in the new testament concludes with a variation of that phrase. Since the GB is supposed to imitate the apostles why don't they conclude their letters by wishing the grace of Jesus be upon us? I think nearly every of the books written by Peter paul and john concludes in this manner. Check it out.
I bet if I wished the undeserved kindness of our lord Jesus upon the congregation during a prayer I would be disfellowshipped before I could even walk off the stage.
No! I used similar terminology (when I was a trueblue believer) and nothing was said.
But I agree, it's rare!
Basically because the WTS under Charlie Russell accepted the viewpoint of the Jerusalem Judeao/Jesus church. Which meant a clash with the religious outlook of the Christian church that eventually developed. That church seems to have disappeared after Jewish Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, razed to the ground and without inhabitatant (?)'. It was rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian as a Roman colony named Aelia Capitolina, and populated with retired Roman soldierss.
Here's a 6th century representation of the Roman city. There was a main temple in the Roman city, but it was for the worship of the Roman god, Jupiter (Zeus), and the secondary Roman gods also had temples in the Roman Jerusalem
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Madaba_map.jpg
BTW, Geza Vermes, a respected Bible scholar believes that, from the NT examples available to us,
"Paul directed his prayers, thanksgivings and benedictions to God alone, and never to Christ. He continues, " ... Jesus Christ appears as the mediator through whom God is approached and not the addressee of the prayers."
Vermes,G. Christian Beginnings-From Nazareth to Nicaea, Ad 30-325. p.112,113.
Not that it matters! The Jesus/Yahweh combo God is as imaginery as the Roman Jupiter God that was worshipped in the Jerusalem temple after 135 CE.
The JW organization is Christophobic.
They are afraid of honoring christ in the same way that the NT records Paul honoring him with titles like the one you mention. I think it's because they have allowed their loathing of the Trinity doctrine to cause them to go to the opposite extreme of being fearful of giving christ appropriate honor lest they are guilty of worshiping him - or worst: that they should resemble christendom. LOL.
You will never hear a JW, in speaking about the doings of the organization, use terminology like "Jesus' Organization", "Jesus' direction", "servants of Jesus", etc, even though these terms have valid basis in scripture, by JWs' own standards of interpretation of scripture. You would always only hear terms like "Jehovah's Organization", "Jehovah's direction", "servants of Jehovah", etc. They are Jehovah-centric and Christ-phobic. The NT writings of Paul and others reveal that first century christians were christ-centric, quite unlike modern-day JWs.
Look at last week's service meeting part in the Kingdom Ministry about the memorial campaign. The terms "Jesus" and "Christ" weren't mentioned a single time in that entire KM part even though the memorial is supposed to be a memorial of his death!
It's a crying shame that they call themselves Christian while they treat christ as if he is just another bible character and elevate the organization and the faithful and discreet slave as the real force in their spiritual lives.
It's true.I didn't really notice this until I went to a few church services, where it's much more geared towards Jesus.the hymns, prayers and when the service is over, the priest sends the congregation away with a blessing "may the peace of Jesus Christ be with you now and always", or something similar.
I find it quite shocking about the KM not even mentioning Jesus regarding the memorial time.bunch of idiots.they are not Christians at all when you think about it.
Quellycatface, You may be thinking of 'the grace' . some Anglicans say it ' May the love of God the grace of our lord jesus christ and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with you all and forever more amen.
