by shotgun 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Does the WT comment on this occasion?
The gifts could be considered birthday presents couldn't they?
If they were gifts to a future King why would his parents who knew his origins and his future accept gifts from Pagan's for their son who's Kingdom was to be no part of this world?
Not so much interested to see if it agrees with my thinking but more so to see how they explain it......I'll check my WT Cd later.
Shotgun,
I always wondered WHY the society always slammed the magi for wanting to do good towards Jesus.
There is NOTHING in the scriptures that indicated they had bad motives......they simply wanted to honor jesus. They even listened to god who gave them a dream not to report to herod......and they didn't. If tax collectores and prostitutes were good enough to turn to jesus.....then why could not the three wise men?
Gumby
Shotgun,
I do not know how the JW's interpret the gifts, but I can tell you how Mainstream Christians do.
Gold was a gift given to Kings
Frankincense was for Priests
Mhyyr was a gift given to prophets.
The meaning suggests Jesus was to be King, Priest, and Prophet
It is interesting to note that the dubs claim nobody celebrated Jesus birth also....I guess they missed the Nativity Story!
Thanks littlewitch I did not know that
Gold was a gift given to KingsFrankincense was for Priests
Mhyyr was a gift given to prophets
So what did that poor family do with those valuable objects, use them to put Jesus through carpentry school or finance the worldwide preaching work.
LOL @ Shotgun
I have no idea! But I guess they were valuable gifts. Gold of course still has value, and the smell goods came from India, via the trade route, so I am sure it was costly.
And the best part of the whole story is, nobody got their heads chopped off! LOL
There was a really good program on the History Channel the other night about the Magi, and the star of bethlehem, the gifts, etc. Interesting stuff.
There is no mention of the magi arriving on the night of jesus birth . The account mentions them going to a house not a manger . It was common for pagans to celebrate birthdays but in this instance they felt they were honoring a king of Israel. The angels mentioned going to the shepards in the feild did not mention bringing gifts to jesus .
But of course Christendom can not have it both ways either --- gifts do not represent Christmas giving or should I say the other way around. Christians are SUPPOSED to celebrate the coming of the wise men at the feast of the Epiphany -- unless of course one is an Orthodox (Russian or Greek) Christian wherein they celebrate Christmas on January 6th anyway.
Weren't they following the light that Satan created so that the ceaser could find jesus to kill him. And they didn't arrive till several years after Jesus was born right?
Why would three Chaldean Magi travel and give gifts to a future King of the Jews who were under Roman rule and tell the Roman ruler what they were upto?
Sounds contrived to me and a deathwish by them also.
If find anything in the WT crapper I'll post it so you see what they said. I'm sure they must have said some interesting things on it while they still celebrated christmas.
Yeah, the dubs used to celebrate christmas, in fact it was incouraged. I believe the split came with Rutherford. (???)
I am interested to see...
Stilla, The Feast of the Epiphany is mainly a Catholic Holiday, so I cannot comment on that. I think the Orthodox celebrate it too?
I readilly admit (as most christians do) that the celebration of christmas was based on pagan rituals.
I personally am not offended by this...
It is all a festival of lights ( referring to the winter equinox). A celebration of the turning of seasons, when food can be planted, and animals bred...A feel good season looking forward to better times in the darkness of winter....
