Why did God give the Ministry of Reconciliation (Justification) to the apostles instead of the Kingdom message?

by Sea Breeze 10 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Sea Breeze

  Why did God give the ministry of reconciliation (Justification) to the apostles when starting churches rather that the Kingdom message in Matt. 24: 14 that Jesus spoke about?

  2 Cor. 18-20

  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
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  KerryKing

  I think it is because Jesus brought the reconciliation meal (himself ) to God's people, and invited them to sit at the table with God.

  The apostles didn't bring the meal, it was already there, they had to keep extending the invitation, outwards to Gentiles as well as Jews living abroad.

  John Dominic Crossan explains it really well, and very different from all Christian churches, in his book The First Paul.
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  Vidqun

  I have a different theory, one that the Witnesses will hate. Perhaps Matt. 24:14 and Mark 13:10 are not fulfilled as yet. These point to a future fulfillment:

  Matthew (24:3) speaks of “end” as συντέλεια (τοῦ) αἰῶνος the end of the (present; αἰών) age = a combined end, a point of time marking completion of a duration, orig. ‘community contribution’ [the basic semantic component relates to something complementing something already present] in our literature only in a temporal sense and in v. 14 τέλος = the last part of a process: “This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.” The proclamation of the kingdom is therefore to start on the eve of the Tribulation. The preaching campaign is one of a kind, not to be repeated (cf. Matt. 24:14, 21 CSB). See BDAG.

  Mark (13:10) is even more specific: “Also, in all the nations the good news has to be preached first.” πρῶτος = pertaining to being first in a sequence as to time, set (number) or space (BDAG), in the sense of a precondition in the Synoptic eschatological discourse (EDNT). The preaching of the gospel is a precondition and should therefore commence before the Tribulation takes hold. It is not to be repeated (cf. Mark 13:10, 19). See also unique use of πρῶτον in connection with “judgment” in 1 Pet. 4:17.

  In my view Acts 2:16-21 was only partially fulfilled during the first century. This also points to a future fulfillment.
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  KerryKing

  The witnesses would dislike that 😁

  Personally I think Jesus end times prophecies refer to the end of the world as the Jews knew it, their world, their capital city, their temple and way of life, and it was preached in all the Roman world, which was the only world they knew and understood. Jesus only preached to the Jews in his ministry, so his words about their future was for them mainly.

  Of course I could be totally wrong, that's just how I read it at the moment.
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  KerryKing

  I meant to add, it was fulfilled in the 1st century.
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  Sea Breeze

  @KerryKing,

  John Dominic Crossan is widely regarded by the most prominent Pastors of our time as a "scholarly" arch-heretic. He is the darling of athesists and secularists. He doubts most of the biblical eye-witness accounts and thinks Jesus' body was eaten by dogs instead of being resurrected. This post is about what believers think, not skeptics.

  The fact of the matter is that starting with Jesus and looking forward, the New Testament clearly shows that there are TWO messages than must be proclaimed on the earth. The only question is whether or not they should be proclaimed at the same time or in some sort of sequence. If in a sequence, when should one stop and the other begin?

  @Vidquun

  You have astutely noted that the Kingdom message that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24 is soundly in the context of end-times.

  v. 3 - what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

  The first thing that Jesus says in response to this question is to watch out that no one deceives you. In other words, Jesus is saying that there is going to be a lot of deception around this topic, so stick with what my apostles say that I have personally trained.
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  Sea Breeze

  I find it hard to believe that all the JW apologists on this board are just going to let this thread die. Isn't anyone going to try to defend the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom as Jesus commanded?

  After all, this it the source of JW's greatest pride. They rightly point out (every possible chance they get) that they are THE ONLY ONES PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM.

  Why is the fact that God gave the apostles a different message not shocking to everyone here?
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  KerryKing

  Mmm I'm only just after reading a couple of Crossans books but have not read anything where he says Jesus was not crucified and resurrected. Not sure where the eaten by dogs comes from, I've also been told by Baptists that he doesn't believe Christ was resurrected. Again, he doesn't say that in the books I've read so far. Quite the opposite. His other books could be terrible I suppose, these days, I go by what I read, not rumours. 😁

  JWs don't preach the good news of the kingdom, or any good news at all. They preach mass destruction and death, a small group of old white American men go to heaven, and the group they've successfully brain washed inherit the earth. I should know, I was guilty of it myself for far too long.
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  Vanderhoven7

  Jehovah's Witnesses preach a counterfeit gospel, the content of which is intricately complex, involving personal names, unbiblical dates and imagined 20th century events. Consequently, Witnesses find it difficult to summarize their gospel without including these extra-biblical additions. The best way to be prepared to discuss the good news with Witnesses is to know:

  A. the genuine/biblical gospel.

  B. how to share the genuine gospel with anyone including Witnesses

  C. how to answer the Watchtower's objections to justification by faith.

  .

  .

  A. The genuine/biblical gospel?

  1. The genuine gospel: labeled

  In the King James version, the word gospel appears 98 times. The scriptures identify the gospel in a number of ways. An exemplary scriptural reference follows every identification.

  the gospel Mt.11:5

  this gospel Mt. 26:13

  the gospel of the kingdom Mt.9:35, Acts 20:24-25

  this gospel of the kingdom Mt. 24:14

  Christ's gospel II Cor. 2:12

  the gospel of Christ Ro.15:29

  the gospel of Jesus Christ Mk 1:1

  the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ II Thes. 1:89

  the gospel of God Ro. 15:16

  the gospel of the grace of God Acts 20:24

  my gospel II Tim. 2:8

  our gospel I Thes 1:5

  the gospel of peace Eph. 6:15

  the everlasting gospel Rev. 14:6

  the gospel of your salvation Eph. 1:13
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  Vanderhoven7

  The genuine gospel: Content

  The risen Christ clarified the true gospel that was to be preached to all nations

  Luke 24:44-47 And he [Jesus] said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

  Peter preached the true gospel to Cornelius and company in Acts 10 this way:

  Acts 10:39-4339 And we are witnesses of all things which Jesus did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (See also Acts 2:22-37)

  Paul summarizes the content of the true gospel in I Corinthians 15 this way: I Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have. received, and wherein ye stand; 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

  Paul and Philip preached the gospel of the kingdom by preaching Christ:

  Acts 28:23: " So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening."

  Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

  Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him (Eunuch) Jesus.