by DATA-DOG 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
when i was a witness i never liked Paul. I think i saw him like the elders. i much preferred Peter, he seemed more like me. (Denying Christ and sinking) At the time i left i read a lot more of what Paul wrote and i liked him.
i'm about to read The Theology of Paul the Apostle by James D.G. Dunn. I've read some of it before but never finished it. Slow reader. Really looking forward to it.
Makes sense, right. No wonder the GB are so bat-shit crazy. They say," We are the Channel of God. If you were REALLY anointed, you would give witness to the FACT that we are the channel, thereby proving that you are a "true Christian." Since you don't acknowledge our position that we claim to have, you can't be a "true Christian" because all "true Christians" recognize that we say comes from Jeehoober. Why? Because we say so."
DD
*
This is what drives us nuts ...the catch 22.
Round and round we go!
*
No matter how easy it is to explain all the wt failures,
and the shunning & blood policies ....the watchtower has
set-up and prepped the deluded dubs with 'get out of jail'
clauses AND if you don't believe in them, you will be made
redunant & silenced with 9 little words.
*
"Joe Blow is no longer one of jehoobers witlesses."
clarity
I read Crossan's book on Paul and the Roman Empire. It changed my mind concerning Paul. The Witnesses would quote Paul in isolation and always chose some funny duddy hokey scripture. Certain scriptures are so beautiful and I still get nausea reading or hearing it. I liked Paul a lot more when I found out that Paul never wrote most of my least favorite sayings. After college, I no longer hated him. I wanted to make it past Armageddon so I could spit on his face. Paul has been significantly reassessed in recent years. Wikipedia has an article about the reinterpretations. It was titled something like "New Interpretations of Paul."
I called Union Theological Seminary and asked a prof for commentaries of Paul. When I read Paul in context and finishing a book in one reading session, I found out that the WT lies about Paul. I still have problems with the status of women. Crossan argued that Paul was a feminist given the culture. He has a point. I would not go so far as to call him a feminist.
Paul is about grace. We were never exposed to grace as Witnesses. So many times people here have posted that they never felt good enough, more was always demanded. The WT is a works view. My life would be easier for me if I could accept grace.
This is what drives us nuts ...the catch 22.
Round and round we go!
*
No matter how easy it is to explain all the wt failures,
and the shunning & blood policies ....the watchtower has
set-up and prepped the deluded dubs with 'get out of jail'
clauses - clarity
Clarity this drives me nuts too, that they have an answer for everthing and all their beliefs are tied up so tightly that it's a wonder anyone gets out.
If you say the 1914 prophecy has not come true and it's now been 100 years, they are primed to say they are not serving Jehovah to any particular date and to make you feel guilty for pointing it out because you are so selfish and don't love Him.
If you say what is wrong with a university education they say young people are bringing themselves into the danger of sexual immorality at college. Never mind the fact that the WBTS want to keep people uneducated and stupid so they can't see the contradictions in the teachings. Why do you want an education, do you want to be 'puffed up with pride' and be 'devoted to the reading of many books which is wearisome to the soul?'
I know, makes me want to spit too!
LOL!! You cant reason with unreasonable people. The GB and the WTBTS have too much riding on their interpretations. No one would kill themselves in Jeehoober's service were it not for the " channel of God " stays that they claim. They must be right, even when they are wrong or the whole charade falls apart. Then they lose it ALL. MONEY, Power, position, free labor, it's ALL gone.
DD
There's no mystery to what Paul was saying.
Put more plainly:
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.
He's saying that if one is imbued with the Holy Spirit, one will know he is an apostle of God and one with authority. Along the same lines, we read:
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. John 7:16-18
There is no scandal in Paul's words. They are consistent with Christian dogma. It may help if you throw away your RNWT and get a reputable translation. The WTBTS couches everything the Bible says in its own stilted way of speaking and writing. That's the real scandal.
.