(I shouldn't post this when I'm half asleep)
COMMENTS YOU WILL NOT HEAR AT THIS WEEKEND'S WT STUDY (BUT I WILL BE THINKING THEM)
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2-8, 2002
THEY KEEP ON WALKING IN THE TRUTH
.3 JOHN 4Again these are my comments/thoughts as I read this article with my 47 years of experience among JWs. Some posting here still have to attend meetings. This is my way to keep myself awake at the meeting. Snippets of scriptures abound and complete quotations are few. This allows the WTS to slant and shade their comments betting on the fact that few JWs ever look up scriptures.
Introduction/Paragraphs 1, 2
"Jehovah approves only of those worshipping him with spirit and truth. (Truth defined by the WTS of course)
"They obey the truth, accepting the entire body of Christian teachings based on Gods Word." (Those with doubts pay attention to this sentence; this is the first step down the road to being labeled an apostate if you doubt any part of the body of Christian teachings.)
*** it-2 1132 Truth ***
The entire body of Christian teachings, which later became part of the written Word of God, is "the truth" or "the truth of the good news." Adherence to this truth, walking in it, is essential if an individual is to gain salvation.
"Salvation depends on having faith in the good news and walking in the truth." (The first paragraph starts out again with the focus on personal salvation as being the most important motivation for JWs.)
Section 1/Paragraphs 3-5/THE TRUTH AND CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
"To learn the truth, early Christians met as congregations, often in private homes." (I also felt more comfortable at a book study in a home; I wonder how many others prefer that too. There were wealthy Christians back then as well as middle-class, why didnt they build their own buildings as today? Was it because the so-called closeness described at Hebrews 10:24,25 (you will hear this scripture at least once every meeting nowadays) would have been difficult to achieve.)
Tertullian is quoted (although bashed many times for his teachings that the WTS feels were not Bible-based). Of course, he is only talking about "professed Christians" so I wonder why the WTS bothers to quote him. Interestingly, this quote gives more clues as to where to look it up than many WTS quotes (Apology, chapter 39).
"Singing was likely a part of early Christian meetings." (The WTS always uses "likely" when there is no real scriptural support for the statement. Usually it translates to, "even though the Bible is not definite, we the WTS say it is true, so you believe it." )
Another quote by Professor Henry Chadwick (usually the WTS says, "some Bible scholar reports") who is quoting a second-century critic (of Christians) Celsus once again give the source (The Early Church, pages 274-5). (I wonder if the Bethel lurkers are taking the comments to heart here about the lack of documentation for outside quotes?)
(Having "proven" their point with a "worldly" quote, the WTS says,) "Just as the first Christians evidently (see "likely") sang when they met together, so Jehovahs Witnesses often sing Bible-based songs"
"In the early Christian congregations, overseers taught the truth (but did they live by it?), and ministerial servants assisted fellow believers in various ways (All this proven only with Philippians 1:1; the "various ways" is left for the reader to expand on)
"Religious titles were not used (today is different where we have overseer, elder, ministerial servant, circuit and district overseers, Bethel elder, zone overseer, governing body member, special, regular, auxiliary pioneer, anointed, non-anointed, Nethinim, given ones, add your own.)
PICTURE ON PAGE 21Supposedly of an early Christian congregation. Looks like a living room. Younger men are beardless, 1 older seated man is bearded. People are not all seated, some standing in the back. Woman and boy talking not paying attention (boy probably asking to go to the restroom). Beardless man (40ish) reading from scroll. Im no archaeologist, but the chairs dont look like they are from that era. 16 people total in the (about the proper size per the WTS for a congregation book study group). Based on this picture, men should be able to wear beards and shouldnt wear pants )
Section3/Paragraphs 8-10/THE TRUTH AND RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES"Those walking in the truth avoid unscriptural observancesfor instance, they do not celebrate Christmas" (Yes, folks, this is the big issue facing congregations todaynotunless it is Easter the next point)"Easter was not an early Christian observance and it is not celebrated by Jehovahs people today."
Pictures on page 23Jesus with his disciples celebrating the Memorial of his death
Modern day picture of the Memorial at a KH showing a row of people, an older couple look familiar (did they partake?), a brother around 45 is passing it to his wife (obviously these 2 brothers arent being "used" to give the talk, pass the emblems, etc). This is the caption I envision, "I really want to partake but what will people say"
Section 4/Paragraphs 11,12/THE TRUTH DECLARED THROUGHOUT THE EARTH"Those who know the truth consider it a privilege (a privilege defined by the WTS not God) to devote their time, energy, and other resources (read "money" here) to the work of preaching the good news."
"Besides the Witnesses, grateful interested people count it a privilege to support this activity with their contributions." (Is this from door to door? A privilege! Mention money and most people hand the publications right back. Privilege!?!)
Section 5/Paragraphs 13,14/THE TRUTH AND PERSONAL CONDUCT"Maintain your conduct fine among the nationsas a result of your fine works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God in the day for his inspection." (1 Peter 2:12) Jehovahs Witnesses take those words to heart." (Especially in the case of hiding child sexual abusers in their ranks. I can hear people glorifying God now when they learn of the coverups by the WTS and their representatives, the elders.)
"Jesus true (theres that qualifier again) followers today also avoid obscene and morally degrading forms of entertainment. (But of course this doesnt explain the constant warnings against pornography on the Internet. If it were only one or two JWs in this trap, why the constant repetition. I guess not enough are "avoiding" it.)
Section 6/Paragraphs 15-19/THE TRUTH AND THE SUPERIOR AUTHORITIES"(First I should explain the from 1879 to 1929 the superior authorities were the secular governments, from 1929 to 1962 the superior authorities were Jesus and Jehovah, and from 1962 to 2002 the superior authorities are again viewed as the secular governments.)
"Early Christians were advocates of Gods Kingdom, even as the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob exercised faith in that promised city made by God. (I found it amazing that this basically says that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were advocates of Gods kingdom, when all that was yet a sacred secret. Im sure the WTS believes that "the organization" existed back then too.)
"Enlightened authorities (enlightened by JWs) know that they have nothing to fear from Witnesses of Jehovah." (Of course, JWs can vote now, which makes the political card days of Malawi such a waste of human lives.)
"One way in which the early Christians showed respect for "the superior authorities" was by paying their taxes." (The WTS continues to evade taxes by the letter of the law but not to keep the spirit of the law. The donation arrangement for the literature, the end of the food and parking arrangement at the assemblies were all ways of evading taxes)
Section 7/Paragraphs 20,21/THE TRUTHA BINDING TIE"Bound together in a peaceful brotherhoodletter..in the Moscow Times (not by a staff member) saidno bribe takers, drunkards." (obviously, they dont know how many drunks are in the congregations who are not helped, and how the cash in the envelope arrangement works with DOs and COs.)
"A chief security officer of the Pretoria Show Grounds in South Africa.said, "all live together like one happy family." (What he doesnt know is what goes on behind the scenes in the congregation, elders yelling at each other at elders meetings, gossips and rumormongers, people judging people unfit association not according to Bible principlesone dysfunctional family.)
Section 8/Paragraphs 22,23/BLESSED FOR TEACHING THE TRUTH(Once again what proves JWs are the only true religion?)
"Peopleare streaming to the mountain of Jehovahs house in ever-increasing numbers (I am still wondering if this years statistics will support that.)
Edited by - Blondie on 4 September 2002 10:21:4