truthseeker,
This makes hones-hearted people want to vomit! Thanks for this coverage! I'm glad I'm out, however! I don't believe I could take much more from these demons!
cyberguy
JoinedPosts by cyberguy
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6
Watchower defends "Preaching first policy" in WT "Who Will Help The Poor?"
by truthseeker inthe may 1, 2006 watchtower has the feature article "who will help the poor?".
on the front cover is a picture of a child holding his face in his hands looking miserable.. .
firstly, you would think a religious corporation with billions of dollars in the bank might actually be doing something for the poor, but no.
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12
Inspiration or perspiration?
by cyberguy inmany chiasmic movements like the jws, quote 2 timothy 3:16, all scripture is inspired of god, to promote the concept that everything written in our modern bible is gods direct thoughts, that the bible contains secret messages that only by revelation by a superior being, can anyone know without divine revelation.
one cited expression is the bibles phrase circle of the earth.
(they have some ridiculous explanation on the hebrew, which is completely idiotic, from my recollection.
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cyberguy
Many chiasmic movements like the JW’s, quote 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired of God,” to promote the concept that everything written in our modern Bible is God’s direct thoughts, that the Bible contains secret messages that only by revelation by a superior being, can anyone know without divine revelation.
One cited expression is the Bible’s phrase “circle of the earth.” According to WT, this really means “sphere,” not simply “circle!” (They have some ridiculous explanation on the Hebrew, which is completely idiotic, from my recollection.) They have some wacky explanation that somehow this simple statement, a “circle,” really means sphere! Their explanation is that only those to whom God spoke to would know this super-secret knowledge, that the earth is a sphere, not a flat surface, a “circle!” (Take note of their “Revelation Climax…” book illustration of John in heaven, looking down upon a “sphere” earth, with the 4 angles! – Simply ridiculous!) On closer examination, there is no “is” in the Greek text of 2 Timothy 3:16. A friend of mine suggested that a better translation could be, “All Scripture, inspired of God…” (no “is”) In other words, it is a clarifying addendum, but not a statement of some divine revelation! Also, the “circle of the earth” was a common understanding of people for thousands of years. They believed the earth was a flat circle, with a dome-like “heavens!” There is no indication that God or any superior intelligence gave out super-secret information, that the earth is really a “sphere.”
This leads me to another concept that I’m sure I’ll get some controversy with! That most of the Bible doesn’t claim to be “inspired,” and the Bible was written by those who made no such claim, and in fact denied it! Is there anything that says that somebody got some revelation about Genesis? That is, “God said…” something about the beginnings of the earth? NO! Men wrote down what was the then “history” of their world at that time! They made NO claim to a revelation by a superior being! I get a little perturbed when folks criticize the Genesis account, based on modern science, in that the writers never claimed to have divine inspiration! Interestingly, in the New Testament, Luke’s account has the opening words “many have undertaken to complete a statement of the facts… I traced all things from the start.” Did he have a revelation? He doesn’t say he did. He wrote down what “facts” he had gotten from eyewitnesses (Luke 1:2). The Apostle Paul, in several places, said something like “not the Lord’s by my thoughts!” So, are those “words” inspired? NO! And I’m sure that much of what is considered the Bible today can be attributed to man’s search for God, no “inspiration” implied or expressed! From my perspective, the Bible is Man’s search for God, NOT God’s search for man! My 2-cents! Cyber! -
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The "Memorial" Is A Perversion Of Christ's Intent
by metatron init is remarkable how 6 million witnesses ( or is it 'witlesses'?
) can go thru the yearly ritual of the "memorial" without any of their.
brain cells moving them towards understanding what a sad, unchristian perversion it is.. what part of "do this in remembrance of me" is so hard to understand?
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cyberguy
Metatron,
You really hit the nail on the head! The JW celebration truly is an empty ritual, and a perversion of Christ’s intent! The way I see it, in the JW-system, Jesus has been replaced by the Organization. It becomes “the Way, the Truth, and the Life!” Nobody gets to the Father unless you go through it! Furthermore, for nearly all its present members who claim to be part of the lower caste-system of “other sheep,” the Bible was not written for them! I’m sure you’ve heard expressed in public talks over the years! They only have a relationship with God by “holding on to the skirt of a Jew” –whatever that is suppose to mean!
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Wacky WT article to 'scare you'
by Smiles inits a wt article on their official website called the "the danger zone".
"the danger zone"... isn't that an old kenny loggins song for the top gun movie soundtrack?.
here is the wt "danger zone"... .
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cyberguy
The only "danger zone" is being associated with the WT!
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"Reasonable Service!"
by Atlantis inare the righteous requirements the lord expects "reasonable?
not according to the watchtower!
this is just another example of how the watchtower deceives members into believing that what "they" expect of jws is actually what the lord expects.
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cyberguy
Leolaia, Well, you really made me gag today, after reading your WT quotes! In fact, little commenary is ncessary aginst the backdrop of such discusting material, to have a diarrhea attack! Thanks again for your posts! I only wish that when I was in my early teens we had the Internet, and posters like you!
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Watchtower Promotes Creationism and Contradicts Itself!!!
by SickofLies inhttp://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2004/6/22/article_01.htm
charles darwin's theory of evolution has been prevalent for a century and a half.
some educated people may have expected that by now, belief in god would be banished to the realm of the ignorant, the gullible, and the naive.
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cyberguy
Narkissos,
They dropped the creative-day = 7,000 years, when a friend of mine, an editor for the “Aid,” then “Insight” volumes, made know to WT-officials that this understanding was based on the same Jewish “scholars” that were responsible for the Kabbalah. My friend said that this put the fear of God in them, and they became frightened! Thereafter, they only refer to the creative days in terms of “thousands of years,” and have opted not to explain why they’ve dropped the theory that the creative-day = 7,000 years!
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Is Jesus Mediator for the Great Crowd's prayers?
by jwfacts inthe watchtower makes the claim that jesus is only mediator for the 144,000 because only they are in the new covenant.
however i was looking on wikipedia.org and there is a statement that the watchtower does teach that jesus is mediator for the prayers of the great crowd.
does anyone know if this is correct?
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cyberguy
*** w89 8/15 pp. 30-31 Questions From Readers ***Questions From Readers
• Is Jesus the Mediator only for spirit-anointed Christians or for all mankind, since 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 speaks of him as the “mediator” who “gave himself a corresponding ransom for all”?
The Bible contains both basic teachings and deep truths, which are solid food for study. One such study involves Jesus Christ’s role as Mediator. The apostle Paul wrote: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all—this is what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times.”—1 Timothy 2:5, 6.
To grasp what Paul is saying, we must first appreciate that the Bible sets out two destinies for faithful humans: (1) perfect life on a restored earthly paradise and (2) life in heaven for Christ’s “little flock,” numbering 144,000. (Luke 12:32; Revelation 5:10; 14:1-3) Christendom teaches that all good people go to heaven, which unscriptural position has colored the general view, so that Jesus is considered a go-between for all such people. What, though, does the Bible indicate? The Greek word me•si´tes, used for “mediator,” means ‘one who finds himself between two bodies or parties.’ It was a ‘many-sided technical term of Hellenistic legal language.’ Professor Albrecht Oepke (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) says that me•si´tes was “one of the most varied technical terms in the vocabulary of Hellen[istic] law.”
But why does the Bible use a legal term for Jesus’ mediatory role? As background, consider what Paul wrote about God’s Law given to Israel assembled before Mount Sinai: “It was transmitted through angels by the hand of a mediator.” (Galatians 3:19, 20) That mediator was Moses. He was the intermediary agent between Jehovah and the fleshly nation of Israel. An agent for what? For establishing a covenant, or legal contract, between God and the nation.
Does this mean that there is a specific legal sense involved in Jesus’ role as Mediator? Yes. Note Paul’s comment at Hebrews 8:6. After speaking about the tabernacle and other typical representations under the Law covenant, he wrote: “Jesus has obtained a more excellent public service, so that he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established upon better promises.” The “better covenant” was the new covenant, which replaced the covenant mediated by Moses. (Hebrews 8:7-13) The new covenant was “legally established.” It laid the basis for some of Christ’s followers, beginning with the apostles, to gain “entry into the holy place,” heaven itself.—Hebrews 9:24; 10:16-19.
There are other indications too of the legal nature of Jesus’ role as Mediator of the “new covenant.” Commenting on God’s promise at Psalm 110:4, Paul wrote: “To that extent also Jesus has become the one given in pledge [en´gy•os] of a better covenant.” (Hebrews 7:22) This is the only Biblical use of the word en´gy•os. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology says: “The engyos guaranteed that a legal obligation would be carried out.” So Jesus as Mediator of the new covenant serves as a legal pledge that “a better hope” would be realized.—Hebrews 7:19.
Elsewhere Paul uses yet another word having a legal sense, ar•ra•bon´, translated “token.” The same dictionary says: “The Gk. word arrabon . . . is a legal concept from the language of business and trade.” Note how Paul used this legal term: “He who has anointed us is God. He has also put his seal upon us and has given us the token of what is to come, that is, the spirit, in our hearts.” (2 Corinthians 1:21, 22) Both other occurrences of ar•ra•bon´ also deal with God’s anointing of Christians with spirit, bringing them an ‘everlasting reward or inheritance in the heavens’ as spirit sons of God.—2 Corinthians 5:1, 5; Ephesians 1:13, 14; see Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures.
Clearly, then, the new covenant is not a loose arrangement open to all mankind. It is a carefully arranged legal provision involving God and anointed Christians.
This should help us to understand 1 Timothy 2:5, 6. Here the reference to “mediator” was made after the five other occurrences of the word in letters written earlier. Hence, Timothy would have understood Jesus’ mediatorship to be His legal role connected with the new covenant. The Pastoral Epistles, by Dibelius and Conzelmann, acknowledges that at 1 Timothy 2:5 ‘the term “mediator” has a legal significance,’ and “although in this passage, in contrast to Heb 8:6, the [covenant] is not mentioned, one must nevertheless presuppose the meaning ‘mediator of the covenant,’ as the context shows.” Professor Oepke observes that 1 Timothy 2:5 presents Jesus as “the attorney and negotiator.”
A modern-day illustration may help to clarify this, especially if you are not a spirit-anointed Christian. Think of a legal case in which an attorney is involved. His role may be not so much that of a lawyer arguing for justice as that of one who is mediating or bringing about a legal contract acceptable to and beneficial to two parties. Of course, you are not in that legal case, so in that sense he is not serving as your attorney. Yet he may be your very close friend who in other ways gives you valuable help.
Sometimes an attorney’s work produces results that benefit many others. So it is with Jesus’ legal accomplishments as Mediator of the new covenant. It produces what the Law covenant did not, a heavenly “kingdom of priests.” (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9) Thereafter anointed Christians in the Kingdom will work with Jesus from heaven to bring a blessing to “all nations of the earth.”—Genesis 22:18.
The people of all nations who have the hope of everlasting life on earth benefit even now from Jesus’ services. Though he is not their legal Mediator, for they are not in the new covenant, he is their means of approaching Jehovah. Christ said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) All who will gain life on earth must direct their prayers to Jehovah through Jesus. (John 14:13, 23, 24) Jesus also serves as a compassionate High Priest who is able to apply in their behalf the benefits of his sacrifice, allowing them to gain forgiveness and eventual salvation.—Acts 4:12; Hebrews 4:15.
Consequently, 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 is not using “mediator” in the broad sense common in many languages. It is not saying that Jesus is a mediator between God and all mankind. Rather, it refers to Christ as legal Mediator (or, “attorney”) of the new covenant, this being the restricted way in which the Bible uses the term. Jesus is also a corresponding ransom for all in that covenant, both Jews and Gentiles, who will receive immortal life in heaven. The apostle John referred to these at 1 John 2:2. But he indicated that others too will receive the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice: “He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.”
Those of ‘the whole world’ are all who will gain eternal life in a restored earthly paradise. Millions of such approved servants of God now have that earthly hope. They view Jesus as their High Priest and King through whom they can daily gain approach to Jehovah. They rely on Jesus’ ransom, which is available to them, just as it will be to men such as Abraham, David, and John the Baptizer when these are resurrected. (Matthew 20:28) Thus, Christ’s sacrifice will lead to everlasting life for all obedient mankind.
[Footnotes]
A discussion of covenants appears in The Watchtower of February 1, 1989, pages 10-20.
[Picture on page 31]
Here at Mount Sinai, Moses served as mediator of the Law covenant
[Credit Line]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.From the QFR it seems that WT is applying 1 Timothy 2:5,6 only to the so called “anointed.” The only problem is that the Bible teaches there is only one kind or class of Christian:
(Ephesians 4:1-6) 4 I, therefore, the prisoner in [the] Lord, entreat YOU to walk worthily of the calling with which YOU were called, 2 with complete lowliness of mind and mildness, with long-suffering, putting up with one another in love, 3 earnestly endeavoring to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace. 4 One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all [persons], who is over all and through all and in all.
Notice there is only one hope! And one means one! -
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Where i stand
by KW13 inok so its late and i wanted to share with you (my friends here if i have got any yet) what happened.
the evening starts off peaceful, but it ended with the old debates with me and mum.
evidence i found on sites was apostate, on page it was wrong so in the end i had to show her the original source of information.
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cyberguy
Hello KW13!
Welcome!
You might want to get a copy of the book The Gentile Times Reconsidered, by Carl Jonsson. It is the most extensive reference on the subject.
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Oh my... I found a copy of the WTS 2005 Financial Report on the internet!
by Elsewhere in.
re: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/110135/1.ashx.
my my my... i was bumping around the internet and i stumbled onto the 2005 financial statements and reports for the watchtower society of australia.
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cyberguy
Take a look at note 5 on page 13! They operate a nonprofit Travel Agency?
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Elder's KM School notes and apostates
by beavis inthis is a message to sir82 or anyone with information on the recent kingdom ministry school, .
i have had several discussions with a friend of mine whose brother went to km school and he said there was information given about those who no longer attend meetings and are baptized "are sort of viewed as apostates".
i was speaking with a family member of mine concerning this issue and two questions arose: 1. are the notes from the recent km school acurate?
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cyberguy
When I was still in the JW-club about 6 years ago, we had an elders school where we were instructed to ask 1 of 3 questions to those who no longer attended meetings. One of the questions was “do you still consider yourself one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” Depending on how the person answered, we were instructed to make an announcement that so-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses if they said “no”.