MY GOSPEL

by pistolpete 13 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  pistolpete

  EdenOne

  Also, consider the fact that Mark doesn't seem to know anything about a resurrection story ... in fact, this was so shocking and embarrassing that some scribes took it up upon themselves to add a spurious "short conclusion" and a "long conclusion" to Mark, in order to at least make it seem that Mark knew something about it.

  Exactly EdenOne. In fact this brings us to where the idea of the resurrection of Jesus and how it was introduced in the other Gospels.

  Hint; it had to do with the missing body of Jesus. It was gone from the grave, so where did it go?
  

  I will post this idea later in another post regarding; "What happen to the body of Jesus?"
  
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  Jeffro

  It is indeed quite interesting to consider the NT books in chronological order. Paul knows almost nothing about Jesus as a person - only referring to him as a messiah character from the line of David who instituted the ‘memorial’, was killed as a sacrifice and then purportedly resurrected.

  It wasn’t until decades later that stories of Jesus’ life and ‘ministry’ were made up, first with ‘Mark’*, around the time of Jerusalem’s destruction, which repeats that Jesus is meant to be from the line of David but still with no genealogy. More than a decade later, ‘Matthew’ and ‘Luke’ (the anonymous author of ‘Luke’ also writing Acts, with its version of Paul’s conversion that contradicts Galatians) - both largely plagiarising from ‘Mark’ - add some more stories including spurious genealogies (conveniently after Jerusalem and its temple was destroyed making verification harder) that are inconsistent with each other and cannot be reconciled with 1 Chronicles beyond 3:19. At least another decade later still, ‘John’ provides additional stories (but hardly anything about ‘the kingdom’) and a quite different characterisation of Jesus.

  *All 4 of the ‘gospels’ are anonymous, and the names given to them are later traditions only.

  The gradual development of the stories about Jesus, several decades after the supposed events, is consistent with a made up character. It is possible that Paul alluded to a disciple of John the Baptist who was later executed, and an eclipse around the time of his death probably spurred on superstitions that he was in some way remarkable, and the later ‘gospels’ may have built upon that kernel. But there is no evidence for any of the later stories about Jesus, including the statements attributed to Jesus.
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  Sea Breeze

  As you continue to read critically, you start noticing that Paul was not preaching the same Gospel that Jesus preached. He always refers to the message he preaches as; MY GOSPEL. In fact Paul’s Gospel does not reflect the Gospel that the 12 apostles preached after the death of their Teacher-Jesus.

  That isn't true. Paul uses the term "good news of" (gospel of) in a variety of ways just as the other writers did.
  
  

  Gospel of Jesus Christ (or Christ ) – 12 times

  Gospel of God – 7 times

  Gospel of the kingdom – 4 times

  Gospel of peace – 2 times

  Gospel of the grace of God – 1 time

  Gospel of your salvation – 1 time

  Gospel of the uncircumcision – 1 time

  Gospel of the circumcision – 1 time

  Gospel of his Son – 1 time

  ​

  The Watchtower focuses their entire message on the “good news of the kingdom”. Of course the “kingdom”, as explained by the Watchtower is really just another name for themselves (the visible part therof) in their way of thinking. It is repeated so often in Jehovah’s Witness circles that many will go to the extent and say that the bible is a book of government….. which they are quick to point out refers to their own ecclesiastical authority in modern times.
  
  However, an examination of the term “good news of ____” (or gospel of ____) reveals that by far it is the good news of Jesus that is most frequently referred to in the New Testament. In fact, out of the thirty times it occurs, only four of the occurrences are “gospel of the kingdom”.
  
  Jesus was sent to the Jews only and he presented himself as their King. He was the good news of the kingdom. Of course the Jews rejected this good news and so the Gentiles were offered it as well shortly after Jesus was resurrected. Because the Gentiles had no legal contract with God like the nation of Israel did, the "good news" took on an expanded scope which included salvation for the gentiles.
  
  Peter, James and John, the three most influential apostles were in agreement with Paul's message ...as Galatians 2 verifies:
  
  Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. 3But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 4And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 6But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 7But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 10Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
  
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  pistolpete

  Jeffro

  All 4 of the ‘gospels’ are anonymous, and the names given to them are later traditions only.

  The gradual development of the stories about Jesus, several decades after the supposed events

  This is an important Truth with Massive implications that your average Christian doesn’t understand, but bible scholars whose career is to take apart Historical Data understand very well.

  For the average Christian, it makes perfect sense to read the New Testament in its current order of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This introduces the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and then the very next book of Acts gives us the early history of Christianity and ends with Paul. It all makes perfect sense-UNLESS THE ONE READING IT IS A CERTIFIED HISTORIAN IN BIBLE STUDIES.

  Historians read the New Testament in chronological order by date written. In the last 150 years of studying the New Testament in the order they were written, a different picture emerges, one with far reaching implications. Historians usually follow a set of rules that focuses on a precise set of questions.

  Which is the oldest bible book?

  How was the information passed along?

  Was it an eyewitness who wrote the Gospels, was he actually there to witness Jesus walking on water, did he witness the conversation Jesus had with Satan on top of the mountain, did he actually witness the three resurrections, or was it just “HEARSAY?”

  In other words were some of the stories in the Gospels just rumors by None-eyewitnesses, that were passed along year after year, decade after decade?

  How were these stories found in the 4 Gospels we have today, passed along, edited?

  Were the stories “Embellished?

  What Theological motivations were operating when these stories were written down?

  The story about the resurrection of Jesus it tied up with “The empty tomb.” What happened to the body of Jesus?

  I will consider this in later posts.

  Much of this information is the result of reading many books by different bible scholars. The more you read what historians say about the matter, the more pieces of information you have available which allows you to put together a better picture of what really happened.