Is Early Christianity the Basis For JW Practices?

by OldSoul 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  M.J.

  Great thoughts. Yes, I think the diversity of the early church is pretty apparent. But I think the fronline article makes a good point at the early christians trying to make sense of their experience and express it in their teachings. If you believe in fact that the basis of their experience had anything to do with God's supernatural intervention through his son, then you would naturally suspect he'd assure that the purpose of his intervention would not get lost in the shuffle.

  Another interesting part of the frontline article is its description of gnostic christianity and its total emphasis on knowledge as the basis of Godliness and salvation. Now there's a similarity to early Christianity that the JWs have accomplished. Probably not the association they were shooting for though.
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  Pole

  Terry,
  
  Just follow the link. Interesting stuff on understanding metaphors.
  
  Pole
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  SirNose586

  Sorry to resurrect the thread, but this is the sort of thing I've been looking for.

  I wanted to find something that documents the fact that there was no "governing body" back then to control all these different churches. Something about the itinerant preachers and how their influence prompted the scriptures on "not saying a greeting" to people who didn't bring Christ. Something about how UN-organized it all was, and how there wasn't a dominant thinking of Christianity until the 4th century.

  I've got at least a few titles I can look at so far:

  Paul's Idea of Community: The Early House Churches in Their Cultural Setting, Revised Edition

  The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul

  The Origins of Christian Morality: The First Two Centuries

  Eusebius, Christianity, and Judaism

  Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew

  Trajectories Through Early Christianity

  History and Literature of Early Christianity (Introduction to the New Testament)

  Any suggestions in adding to that list? Or removing something from that list?
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  oompa

  i gotta read this later...................oompa
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  SirNose586

  i gotta read this later...................oompa

  So do I. There's so much to digest. I think it's important to shatter some JW-created myths:

  • The 1st century Christians met in the same manner as JW's do now
  • The Council of Jerusalem was an authoritative "Governing Body"
  • One brand of Christianity was dominant right from Paul, and could thus discredit all other movements
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  OUTLAW

  ..Jehovah`s Witness`s don`t need Jesus!..Jesus is out of a Job!..The WBT$ speaks for GOD!!................OUTLAW
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  proplog2

  Did the early Christians drive four door cars or two door sporty models? Did the early Christians spread the word using DVDs and Cassette recordings. Did the early Christians use condoms? Did the early Christians listen to rap music? Did the early Christians smoke cigars? I hope nobody asks me to explain myself.