In my previous post "True Apostates" :
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/287513/1/True-Apostates
The definition of Apostate was given by Phizzy - "A True Apostate is someone who stands away/apart from a formerly held belief or religion or other group he was associated with, political say."
A Synonym of Apostasy is separation - Anyone who seperates himself from a group that he is associated with, can properly be called an Apostate.
The Bible has Many Life stories of Apostates.. All of the True Sages in the Scriptures were apostates. They cared for Truth & Justice above all else, and it was Impossible for them to compromise on matters of True Justice.
How did these men discern Truth? Did they follow the "Hebrew Scriptures" and Ancient writings or did they Follow a Higher Truth?
2 Timothy 3:16 states "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. " - Many assert that the Entire bible is Infallible, and the Direct Word of God. Based on this understanding, anyone who does not adhere to its "rules" is an Apostate.
When observing Mother Nature, we See a True Infallibility.. "The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again." (Eccl 1:5) Never in history has this Truth been altered.
To compare the Infallibility of the Rising and setting of the sun with the Hebrew Scriptures..
See "The 10 Commandments" :
Exodus 34:1 "The LORD said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke."
Here are the 10 Commandments which were written on the First tablet :
1 - "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:1)
2 - "You shall not make for yourself a carved image" (20:4)
3 - "You must not bow down to them or worship them" (20:5)
4 - "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (20:7)
5 - "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." (20:8)
6 - "Honor your father and your mother" (20:12)
7 - "You shall not murder" (20:13)
8 - "You shall not commit adultery" (20:14)
9 - "You shall not steal"
10 - "You must not testify falsely against your neighbor." (20:16)
After Moses breaks this Tablet It is said that God wrote the same commandments in a second Tablet. Examine the 10 Commandments found on the second tablet at Exodus 34. The new set of 10 commandments, are completely different, in different order, and missing several of the first commandments.. Interestingly the First 10 focus on Morality,Justice Peace lacking Violence, where as the Sexond Set largely focus on Ritual & Sacrifice, completely neglecting Murder,Adultery and Caring for Parents..
Numbers 23:19 says "God is not human...that he should change his mind."
Here we have a conundrum, where something must give. There are 3 possible explanations -
1. God Does Change, & Does Change his Mind. (Thus contradicting Numbers 23:19)
2. Exodus 34 is a falsification, and not "Inspired" (Thus contradicting 2 Tim 3:16)
3. I have interpreted these writings Improperly. (If this is the case please assist me with my understanding)
Considering the Unchanging Laws of Nature, it is reasonable to conclude the second possibility.. Namely The scriptures are Fallible.
Deut 18:15 says "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet...You must listen to him."
John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that "whoever listens to him" should not perish, but have eternal life."
(My translation see http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/287318/1/Who-Was-Jesus-and-what-it-means-to-Believe)
So on one hand we have The Entire Canonical Bible, which we are told to Trust Completely by most Christian and Judaic creeds. On the Other hand, we have The True Apostate - Jesus.
Perhaps a contradiction lies within the statement.. "Listen to Jesus, above the Bible" seeing that it is the Bible where we learn about Jesus. To quote Jesus "you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God."
To understand this statement.. See 2 Examples :
"Satan" quoting Psalm 91:11 said 'He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone." (Matthew 4:6)
In response Jesus quoted another Deut 6:16 "You must not test the LORD your God.'(Matthew 4:7) Both quotes were from Scripture, however One over ruled the other.
Another Example :
A story is told of a Man gathering Sticks on Sabbath Day (Num 5:32).. Verse 5:35 Claims to be God's Judgement "Then the LORD said to Moses..."The man must be put to death! The whole community must stone him..." Most likely this man was Gathering wood, with the intention of cooking a Meal.
A similar story is mentioned at Mark 2:23 "One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat." - Is gathering Grain Signifigantly different from Gathering Sticks?
Once the "Governing Body" of Jesus Religion accused him and his disciples of Breaking the Sabbath.. Jesus responded "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27) Common Sense over Ritual and Doctrine.
Paul was accused of "Apostasy" in Acts 21:21 "thou teachest all the Jews among the nations apostasy from Moses."
Jesus was an Apostate from "the customs of Moses" (The Religious Doctrine & Creed of his time) - This Creed stated "If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die." (Deut 22:22) When Jesus was given an Oppurtunity to Observe this Man Made creed he refused and he said "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (He himself was without Sin, but he Did not Cast a Stone Thus Rebelling against the Customs of Moses, and Choosing Justice)
The Bible Like All Religion contains, Certain Infallible Truths. However there is A Higher Exceeding Truth that Supercedes all Doctrines & Wriings.. The Law of Truth & Justice "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." (Isaiah 1:17)
We as Apostates, have chosen to Seperate from a religion, which Emphasizes Doctrine over Justice, we have Stood Away because we refuse to Stand amongst Hypocrites & Liars.. We may or may not still be Christians, however if we continue to Stand for Justice & Truth, we are Followers Of Christ. (Apostates) - TBC
"I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy." Thomas Paine