Hi, Thankyou 12, and welcome to the board.
Just remember that you are among friends here and our aim will always be to help you find the "Truth" you seek. In this forum you will find a rich tapestry of ideas woven from many cloths, nutured in freedom and proclaimed in candour. Here debate is encouraged, because it is not a sign of discord, but of free minds coming together to uncover the very things you are pursuing. Unlike the WTS, we do not make the fundamental mistake of confusing "unity" with "conformity" Our unity serves a greater good, it is in fact formed by the expressed will of the many - not one imposed by an elitist, secretive group, whose only purpose is the maintanence of its own authority.
OK - Let's see. You asked three questions: 1Where do we go for truth 2Where do we go to church 3Does'nt the Bible say that God has an org of his on earth
Your third question is easiest to answer , so here goes: NO! In fact the word "organisation" is not found in the Bible. At Matt 24:45, which the WTS tirelessly tries to impose on its followers, we have a parable that Jesus specifically relates to the "Last days" and having given it He asks a question: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant?" Which is a frequent teaching aid used by the Master Teacher. It is used so as to get you thinking. When Jesus gave His parable of the Good Samaritan, He asked a question: "Who then was that man's neighbour?" The question was not to invoke the existence of a sort of "Good Samaritan Class" - but to motivate the hearer to come to a conclusion which illustrated the point of the parable. Similarly, at Matt 24:45, think for yourself: Would YOU make a faithful and wise servant for the master?? To make this parable mean that Jesus died and left an arrogant and self serving group of men in charge is to place an arbitrary and unwarranted explanation on it.
Lets take a look at your first question: Where is truth? I suspect that a problem one can have with a question like that is to conclude that "Truth" is a "What" when essentially it is'nt. Only one man in the Bible asked the question: "What is truth?" and he was a pagan, Pontius Pilate. The question was asked of Jesus, [Jo 18:38] and He did'nt answer because He knew that the question was incorrectly framed. Its like asking someone to give you his weight in inches. Let's see what Pilate should have asked.
At Jo 14:6, Jesus made one of the most profound statements in all literature.
He said: I am 1The Way 2The Truth 3The life Now lets remove the bits we dont need and concentrate on the bits we do It comes out like this
I am.......... 2The Truth
According to the WTS "Truth" is a body of doctrine, a flexible locus of belief altered at a whim to suit any current tide of teaching.
However according to the Gospel of John, "Truth" is'nt a "What" its a "WHO" and Pilate should have said :"Who is Truth" The quest for truth is as old as the human species, and each one of us must pursue the goal in his or her own way. Each must find his or her own essential truth. But for the past two millenia, those who have heard the echo of Jo 14:6 have sought it in a Person. The Truth is not the exclusive property of a capricious body of men who conveniently alter its meaning to suit their current purpose and who arrogantly claim to repesent Him. No. Truth is the embodiment of the Person who, according to the Scriptures, died for us.
So - How do you reach this "Truth"? Which church to go to? Dunno.
Why not ask Him?
Cheers
