July Broadcast - Bible Teach book and Keep Yourselves In Gods Love book

by pale.emperor 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  pale.emperor

  I didn't manage to last the whole broadcast. It was so unbelievably boring that i only managed halfway before i switched it off. In this broadcast Anthony Morris III (who i affectionately call "The Don") stresses to us the importance of studying - not one - but TWO of their publications in order to understand the bible. We should be studying with our bible-studies and our children What Does The Bible Really Teach? and afterwards the Keep Yourselves In Gods Love book.

  After using weak arguments and cherrypicking a few scriptures to try and convince us that God has an organization (I'll be doing a YouTube vid on this later), he tells us that "every year some become in active" and that "in some cases, it's found that they didn't study these books". That's right folks, Jehovah God - the all powerful, all knowing, all wise - gave us the bible but 2000 years later He realized that it wasn't enough and people actually need two more books to study. Because, whoever became a Christian with just the bible? You're asking the impossible!

  When you see witnesses on your door or on their cards they're offering you a Bible Study. Not a study of their own publications. They should put that in their adverts. The bible alone, according to it's own words: "All Scripture is inspired of God+ and beneficial for teaching,+ for reproving, for setting things straight,* for disciplining in righteousness,+ 17 so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." [2 Timothy 3:16]

  So according to the bible, no other books are required.

  Now, ask yourself, what sort of person would offer to study the bible with you, then actually study another book with you in order to "explain" what God really meant when he said what he said? It's like having God write you a letter and then someone taking the letter from you and reading it to you instead of just letting you read it for yourself.

  This is exactly the same sort of thing that went on in Charles Taze Russell's day. Only with him he pushed his book "Studies In The Scriptures"... which later turned out to be, not just old light, but if you were to teach it today it'd be considered apostate Christendom.

  And lets not forget that the Bible Teach book has been updated at least twice since it's first publication. So the GB are the last people to tell us what the Bible actually Teaches.
  
  
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  doubtfull1799

  I had exactly the same thoughts pale.emperor. It takes TWO books for the indoctrination to stick!
  I love how they claim to have worked out what the problem is with "some" (a great weasel word, they never specify exactly how many) - that they didn't study two books. Really. Did they do an actual survey? Did they interview all those inactive ones that have left and establish that was a common reason? Talk about just making stuff up again, not only as to the reasons for the fading, but also what they think will work to fix it - study more books.... yeah that will work.
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  Listener

  He is also telling parents that they should study both books with their children, so that it can be etched in their mind and put deep in their hearts.
  
  Surely parents know their own children better than the GB and know what to teach them to come to a better appreciation about God. I know my father did. But these two books aren't even suitable to be teaching younger children to keep them interested, especially since family worship is the only study that can be specifically directed to the young audience at hand.
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  stuckinarut2

  Great thread PE!

  Im keenly awaiting your YouTube review of the broadcast! Please let us know when it is uploaded.
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  Half banana

  Just a note PE; when the writer said "all scripture is inspired of God and beneficial...", he was not referring to the Bible. We know this because it was written about three hundred years before the Bible was compiled.
  

  From the contemporary usage of Paul's Greek, "scripture" is understood to refer to that category of writings which were intended to be of an uplifting nature, as opposed to say legal documents, history or religious obligations. This means that Paul would have had in mind works such as the most popular Christian texts of the first two centuries which was The Shepherd of Hermas. It could not refer to The Bible!
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  ttdtt

  Remember when we used to tell people at the Door that the Bible was EASY to understand, that you didnt need Scholars to interpret it for you? That any honest hearted person who would read it could understand?

  When I pioneered (aka letting the sands of my hourglass slip by in a pointless activity) i told many many people that. Remember we would have the KM talking points about how the bible explains itself, and how god would not make it hard for people to know his will...
  
  Boy that has changed:)
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  Magnum

  "he tells us that "every year some become in active" and that "in some cases, it's found that they didn't study these books". That's right folks, Jehovah God - the all powerful, all knowing, all wise - gave us the bible but 2000 years later He realized that it wasn't enough and people actually need two more books to study."

  I feel sorry for poor individuals in lands/languages where those two books are not available; I guess they're pretty much screwed.
  
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  BluesBrother

  They have long advocated the study of two of their books , one a doctrine primer , one a conduct reinforcer. The titles have changed over the years but the idea remains the same.

  I'd wager that most of the inactive were long "in" before those two books were written .... any excuse will do to shift the blame for falling numbers from their leadership , to the individual .
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  pale.emperor

  Just a note PE; when the writer said "all scripture is inspired of God and beneficial...", he was not referring to the Bible. We know this because it was written about three hundred years before the Bible was compiled.
  

  From the contemporary usage of Paul's Greek, "scripture" is understood to refer to that category of writings which were intended to be of an uplifting nature, as opposed to say legal documents, history or religious obligations. This means that Paul would have had in mind works such as the most popular Christian texts of the first two centuries which was The Shepherd of Hermas. It could not refer to The Bible!

  Thanks Half Banana. I didnt know that. I used to study intensely both non JW bible dictionaries and miss learning new things like this.
  
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  All or nothing

  Interestingly is was their book- draw close to Jehovah that we were studying at the midweek meeting that made me sit up and realize I don't want to be there anymore...