Posts by bennyk

31

Has the number of 144,000 changed?

by TooBad TooSad in

jw
friends

through out my witness life i have always believed that when the partakers at memorial went up that means.

that some of the anoited were unfaithful and had to be replaced.

i have beleived this for 40 years.

bennyk

The following is a plausible explanation. Disclaimer: I do not believe the number of anointed is 144 000.

The replacement of an "unfaithful, formerly anointed" individual need not be immediate, but rather, is said to take place after the death of the individual. Thus, the number of recognized anointed members of the "Remnant" will fall both because of deaths of faithful Anointed AND the defection of unfaithful Anointed from the Watch Tower Society. Accordingly, it could be (but need not appear as) a one-for-one replacement because the cumulative defection of not-yet-replaced Evil Slaves would take place over several years, and could be followed by a total replacement in a SINGLE year. If the number of recognized replacements exceeds the number of those who have died faithful since the previous Memorial, the total number of "anointed" will appear to increase. (Of course, such an explanation is necessary only if the number 144 000 be literal.)

11

Caught in the headlights

by Honesty in

i recently asked a jw to explain the discrepancies in the following scriptures between 1 corinthians 10:3-4 and 1 corinthians 10:9 in their new world translation:.

first i presented the scripture as it is rendered in another modern day translation, as it is rendered in the original greek and as it is rendered in the latin vulgate:.

1 corinthians 10:3-4 they all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink.

bennyk

This discrepancy is the result of the differences in the Greek texts. The Nestle-Aland text reads Criston with P46 D F G Y M latt sy co; the NWT translator(s) used the Westcott-Hort text, which here reads kurion with (Aleph) B C P 33. 104. 326. 365. 1175. 2464 pc sy(hmg). Then, of course, Freddy translated "Lord" as "Jehovah".

144

The New World Translation is a Mess

by Amazing in

jw
friends

the new world translation (nwt) contains thousands of serious errors.

the following regarding john 1:1, one of the most noteworthy verses to jehovah's witness and ex-jehovah's witnesses alike, provides a case example of how and why the nwt cannot be trusted.

there some few scholars that translate the word was "a god" or "a god" or "divine" but they are in the very low percentages.. in greek john 1:1 says: "en arche en ho logos, kai ho logos en pros ton theon, kai theos en ho logos.

bennyk

Vaughan and Gideon's Greek Grammar states (p.79): "An example of the qualitative or characterizing significance of the anarthrous noun is theos in John 1:1." (p.84) [re:John 1:1] "Had the article been used with theos, the suggestion would have been that the Word is identical with the entire essence of the Deity. As it actually stands, theos (without the article) is the predicate, and it is the nature and attributes of Deity that are ascribed to the Word. That is to say, it is the nature of the Word, not the identity of his Person, to which attention is called by the absence of the article."

(To those who would argue that Colwell's "rule" precludes a definite article in the predicate nominative preceding the subject, please see John 15:1b and consider that Greek MS Codex L has a definite article in the predicate nominative at John 1:1c.)

The Zuercher Bibel and Hermann Menge's translation (both German language) have a footnote at John 1:1 noting that the statement signifies that the Word was "goettlichen Wesens" (of the divine essence or nature).

I would be inclined to translate John 1:1bc "and the Word was with God, and the Word was god" because "God" (the definite theos) is construed in English as a proper noun, whereas "god" (the anarthrous theos) is not. (Of course, this is not distinctive when read orally.)

David Bercot (I believe it was he) gave an illustrative parallel using the Hebrew word adam as a proper name (Adam) and qualitatively (adam = human) to illustrate this:

"In the Beginning was Eve, and Eve was with Adam, and Eve was adam (i.e. human)"

86

Talk on Apostates

by IslandBrother in

have you ever walked on the beach and tried following another persons footprints; matching your own steps with them as exactly as possible?

by calling ourselves christians, we have indicated our desire to do just that, to follow closely in the footsteps of christ.

have you ever noticed though that on a crowded beach, , there were several sets of footprints, many of them may look alike.

bennyk

Korah attempted to usurp the position of the Mediator of the Law Covenant. The Governing Body is attempting to usurp the position of the Mediator of the New Covenant. The Governing Body is the modern-day (anti-typical ) Korah...

28

2008 Changes to the Watchtowers

by Inquisitor in

i don't know if someone else has already posted about this.

i tried looking a page or two back in this section, but didn't find any thread on this news.

if someone has, pls add the link in this thread.. no, the watchtowers aren't gonna be monthly like the awake, but apparently the w mags will be designed in this way:.

bennyk

Not sure how they can pull this off since they still need material for 53 Watchtower studies on sundays. If the only CrapTowers with studies are now monthly,
and from what I recall their are a maximum of 3 "study" articles per magazine, they come up short. Theres no way they will cut an hour from Sundays.

Actually, this is how the "monthly" editions of the Watchtower have operated for years: They contain all the study articles from both semi-monthly issues and only a minimum of other articles...

77

Why Can You See Through the Watchtower While Others Cannot?

by The wanderer in

jw
friends

why can you see through the watchtower while others cannot?

compared with the six million jehovahs witnesses worldwide the .

so-called apostates are comparatively much smaller.

bennyk

1) It is a very human response for one to "throw good money after bad."

2) Mind control is more detrimental than brainwashing. A brain-washed individual may eventually become capable of independant thought after exiting the intensive indoctrination because the controller is no longer present; mind-control precludes independent thought because the victim BECOMES the censor of his own thoughts.

6

Purchasing Zions Watchtower

by concerbedbf in

is it possible to purchase/obtain (zion's watch tower) reprints or bound volumes, from a source that a jw could not object to.

the reason i ask is, i showd gf the article on freeminds "blacks and the watchtower".

she was appaled and of course argued that these were not really written by russel or any jw (in good standing).

bennyk

The Reprints can be purchased as bound volumes (July 1879 - December 1916 only, twelve volumes) from the Chicago Bible Students for $100 + Shipping/Handling. However, because the Bible Students are viewed as the "Evil Slave Class" this may not be such a viable option. Nevertheless: http://www.chicagobible.org/LDSOrderForm-Brethren.PDF

17

Never did they say, "These are the words of Jehovah"

by xjwms in

jw
friends

remember that awake march 22, 1993 on page 4.......in the left side of the page.

they mentioned that in the eagerness...suggesting dates....they did'nt presume to originate predictions 'in the name of jehovah.. notice: they did'nt say " these are the words of jehovah".

its that they decided all by themselves.. .

bennyk

Never did they say, "These are the words of Jehovah"

Actually, they did:

"Jehovah's prophetic word through Jesus Christ is: 'This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.' (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah, who is the source of inspired an unfailing prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment."
--The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, pgs. 6-7 (Brackets in original)

63

Barf Alert! - Governing Body 'believes we are in the time of the end'

by drew sagan in

jw
friends

well looks like the governing body is getting 2007 off to a great start.

here is a little audio clip that somebody pointed out to me: .

click here to watch 'jw-governing-body---time-of-the-end'.

bennyk

For an antidote to the Governing Body fear-mongering:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/118225/1.ashx

32

How often should the Lord's Supper be celebrated per year

by avidbiblereader in

i have always had a problem with this from the scriptures, i understand the old law and replacing the passover but those laws did not apply to the new covenant and my question centers around pauls words to the 1 cor 11.

1 cor 11:17-20 .

17but, while giving these instructions, i do not commend you because it is, not for the better, but for the worse that you meet together.18for first of all, when you come together in a congregation, i hear divisions exist among you; and in some measure i believe it.19for there must also be sects among you, that the persons approved may also become manifest among you.

bennyk

In fact, it's said that the churches of the east (asia minor) did this and Polycarp is known to have followed in this tradition which he said he received from the Apostles or those who knew the apostles. He even went to Rome to talk to the "bishop" of rome because they didn't follow such tradition.
Just bcz Paul says "as often" doens't mean or imply it should be done every day or every week. bcz for that matter, then it'd be better to do it back to back, many times a day. I go with every year based on the Jewish calendar like Polycarp did.

According to the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, the Pascha was celebrated once a year: by the quartodecimans on 14. Nisan, by the other Churches on Good Friday (q.v. under "Easter"). However, the same Encyclopedia states that the Eucharist (i.e. Communion) was celebrated weekly (on Sunday) by the early Church.

The fact that the Church in Corinth ceased treating the Lord's Supper with respect so very quickly (1 Cor. chapter 11) militates against the likelihood of the Lord's Supper being an annual event; it became profaned because of its frequency.