WT online library; "How to know whom to obey". This will leave no doubt who to
obey, the GB. Sorry, obey Jehovah I think not sure.
Obey the Superior Authorities God says / God says Satan is controlling the Superior Authorities.?
by smiddy 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Beth Sarim
''To many contradictions in the Bible to be able to answer the question with any clarity.''
That's where JWs get in to trouble with explaining doctrine sometimes.
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sparrowdown
Excellent point smiddy!
Yes, why would they tell us to be obedient to the superior authorities supposedly controlled by Satan but put in place by God. Classic WT double -speak. I always thought WT has more in common with Satan than with Jesus anyway, by WT's own descriptions of Satan.
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Beth Sarim
Just shows that they speak from both sides of their mouth. -
James Mixon
Not only from both sides of their mouth but also from the lower part of their extremities. -
Beth Sarim
''Not only from both sides of their mouth but also from the lower part of their extremities''
LOL
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kaik
I had discussion on Satan with my Jewish in-laws and with rabbi, and they both told over the time, they do not believe in Christian interpretation of Devil who torment souls of sinners for eternity in hell. This concept is foreign to Jews. They consider Satan as someone who collect evidence on someone misbehaving and as David Jay said is to argue in the heavenly court on personal failing of humans. It is like court appointed prosecutor. Prosecutor does not sentence you to jail, the judge does. Prosecutor only argues the laws and presents evidence when someone violates it. -
prologos
kalk, so the devil is the devil's advocate? who ever presents himself in court has a fool for a client? -
David_Jay
Kaik is not saying that Satan the Devil is his own opposer.
The Catholic New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) explains in a footnote to Job 1:6 where this new translation has the rendition "the satan also came with them...The Lord said to the satan...then the satan answered...."
"Lit., 'adversary' (as in 1 Kgs 11:14). Here [merely] a member of the heavenly court, 'the accuser' (Zec 3:1). In later biblical traditions this character will be developed as the devil."
The Hebrew terminology regarding an adversarial solicitor in the heavenly court was later applied by Jesus as another name for Beelzebul, the prince of demons accepted by some Jews in the era of the Second Temple. Though a leader among evil forces was developed before the birth of Christ in some Jewish thought, Jesus of Nazareth used the terms "adversary" and "accuser" for this same demonic prince instead of other popular names of the time. Jesus introduced new characteristics to this entity as one that attempts to work against providence and humankind, an enemy of both God and man and not merely a chief ruler among fallen spirits.
The Jewish and Catholic understanding is admittedly different from many who see the Devil as an archenemy of God or someone who is God's equal but evil. Many see all references to these spiritual solicitors as the same "Satan the Devil" proclaimed by Jesus, but that would belie a central teaching of Christianity, namely that part of Jesus' ministry was to unveil this chief demon and make him powerless by throwing light on his machinations which, up till then had been largely unknown to humans.
Catholicism (and some Protestant churches) agree with Judaism that these references in the Old Testament are not the same same "Devil" that Jesus reveals. There is also a growing number of Jews who are part of a movement to reclaim the New Testament as a Jewish work, mainly for cultural reasons. The production of "The Jewish Annotated New Testament: NRSV" is part of this, with Jewish commentators agreeing that Jesus of Nazareth introduced the Devil in his ministry, and thus such an introduction is central to the gospel itself. The words may be the same as used in the Old Testament they note, but the Devil as taught by Jesus was not a member of the angelic court with access to God as in Job. This evil spirit had, according to Jesus, been an adversary of God since the beginning of creation.
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Satan
Because Jehovah is the wicked one, this guy can't give me a break. Jesus is being an asshole and sending angels to mock me while I am vacationing, he's not even working or preparing for the new system.