Why There Are So Many Dumb Snakes in India

by onacruse 6 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  onacruse

  From The First Book of Adam and Eve (also known as The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan) (chapter 18):

  When the accursed serpent saw Adam and Eve, it swelled its head, stood on its tail, and with eyes blood-red, did as if it would kill them.

  It made straight for Eve, and ran after her; while Adam standing by, wept because he had no stick in his hand wherewith to smite the serpent, and knew not how to put it to death.

  But with a heart burning for Eve, Adam approached the serpent, and held it by the tail; when it turned towards him and said unto him--

  "O Adam, because of thee and of Eve, I am slippery, and go upon my belly." Then by reason of its great strength, it threw down Adam and Eve and pressed upon them, as if it would kill them.

  But God sent an angel who threw the serpent away from them, and raised them up.

  Then the Word of God came to the serpent, and said unto it, "In the first instance I made thee glib, and made thee go upon thy belly; but I did not deprive thee of speech.

  "Now, however, be thou dumb; and speak no more, thou and thy race; because in the first place, has the ruin of my creatures happened through thee, and now thou wishest to kill them."

  Then the serpent was struck dumb, and spake no more.

  And a wind came to blow from heaven by command of God that carried away the serpent from Adam and Eve, threw it upon the sea shore, and it landed in India.

  (The Forgotten Books of Eden, World Bible Publishers, 1926) [A collection of apocryphal writings]

  Edited by - onacruse on 1 January 2003 22:25:9
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  onacruse

  Aw c'mon now...don't tell me that there is no one out there interested in the lost books of the Bible? Am I going to have to rate my own thread?

  LOLOL

  Craig
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  artful

  Craig: OK, I'll offer you some support!
  I guess this provides us with an explanation of why snakes can't talk! Is that why it was preserved for us?!!

  Cheers
  Artful
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  freeman

  The book is not lost for you obviously found it.

  Remember i t is just as valid as the other books of the Bible are except for the fact that the Catholic Church did not approve it. In jw terms think of it as not being on the approved list of Bible fractions.

  What I find most interesting is that the Bible cannon, that is to say the accepted books of the Bible were more or less given their legitimacy by the Catholic Church. Yes the same Catholic Church that the JWs brand as a whore. Since the church will not approve it, I Pope Freeman will... The First Book of Adam and Eve is now part of the Bible, let it be said, so let it be done.

  Does not God work in mysterious ways? J

  Freeman
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  truthseeker1

  Why does the JWs accept the Cannon of the Catholics yet refute their teachings? Actually, there are some books in the Catholic Bible that are not int he NWT, like Bel the Dragon and some others...can't remember them off hand.
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  jgnat

  Were them there Catholics shooting in the dark when they set off that cannon?

  ooooh. You meant Canon.
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  onacruse

  Thanks, I feel better now...thought maybe I'd done all that typing just for the exercise!

  Lately there have been a couple threads about "The Bible God's Word?" and "How I Know the Bible is True" that got me to thinking again about the entire process of selecting and approving the Bible canon.

  Williston Walker (A History of the Christian Church, p. 60) says (bold added):

  The first clear instance of apostolic writings being elevated to the status of "Scripture" beside the Septuagint is in the second century sermon we call II Clement. By the time of Justin (153), the Gospels were read in the services in Rome...The question was an open one, however, as to which were the canonical writings. Works like Hermas and Barnabus were read in churches. An authoritative list was desirable. Marcion had prepared such a canon for his followers. A similar enumeration was gradually formed, probably in Rome, by the Catholic party...By about 200, according to the witness of the Muratorian fragment, Western Christendom had a [NT] canon embracing [Mt, Mk, Lk, Jo, Ac, Rm, 1&2 Cor, Eph, Php, Col, Gal, 1&2 Th, 1&2 Tim, Tit, Phl, 1&2 Jo, Ju, Rev] and the so-called Apocalyse of Peter.In the Orient the development of a canon was not quite so rapid. Certain books, like Hebrews and Revelation, were disputed. The whole process of canonical development into its precise present form was not completed in the West till 400, and in the East till even later.

  This process took centuries, continued to include writings (eg, Apocalypse of Peter) that are not now "recognized."

  freeman, your unilateral declaration is as good as any (presuming, of course, that you can provide appropriate credentials)

  truthseeker, the Catholics include Tobit, Judith, 1&2 Maccabees, The Book of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch in the OT. Their NT is the same as Protestant versions.

  I've seen mud that was clearer than this process.

  Craig