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Thanks Phizzy,
Yes, I'll be 73 in November. Each time, I keep telling myself this will be the last one. Possibly will be - but I do have thoughts about the unreliability of Acts yet the WTS completely relies on it.
I will sit back for a few days.
Doug
this is the main series playlist:.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plynx0om_bmgbfmnapjr_v5fe9_pf8sqa1.
this is the accompanying video appendix:.
Scholar (on this Thread),
Since you and I live in the same time zone, talk to me on Skype in the morning (Friday) and let's verify that you are genuine.
Doug
this is the main series playlist:.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plynx0om_bmgbfmnapjr_v5fe9_pf8sqa1.
this is the accompanying video appendix:.
Except that I argue, as do others - including Jewish sources - that the period between the destruction of Jerusalem and the exodus into Egypt was far longer than 2 months; more likely 4 years. My explanation is at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Did_Jews_exit_after_two_months.pdf
So the WTS starts from their mythical 537 BCE and say the Jews went into Egypt whenever - no proof either way.
Their problem then lies in the fact that they require the land to be "empty" for the 70 years to run but they wait until long after the first Jews return from Babylon and settle into their towns and villages, then walk to Jerusalem before they end the 70 years. They have no parallel, just a solution looking for a way out.
Their real issue is proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that their ending event is correct (against 2 Chr 36:22) and that they definitely know the year that it happened. No need for neo-Babylonian chronologies.
Doug
we do well to bear in mind that among the drugs, serums, vaccines, surgical operations, etc., of the medical profession, there is nothing of value save an occasional surgical proceedure.
their so-called "science" grew out of egyptian black magic and has not lost its demonological character.... we shall be in a sad plight when we place the welfare of the race in their hands.
[1] 1. the golden age, aug. 5, 1931, p. 727.. the journal of the a. m. a. is the vilest sheet that passes the united states mail.... nothing new and useful in theraputics escapes its unqualified condemnation.
Vaccinations were forbidden because they contain blood products. I have articles "somewhere" (Watchtowers, I think) that prohibited vaccinations at the time.
The prohibition was quickly dropped because it prevented JWs travelling internationally - and that would hurt the WTS.
Doug
we do well to bear in mind that among the drugs, serums, vaccines, surgical operations, etc., of the medical profession, there is nothing of value save an occasional surgical proceedure.
their so-called "science" grew out of egyptian black magic and has not lost its demonological character.... we shall be in a sad plight when we place the welfare of the race in their hands.
[1] 1. the golden age, aug. 5, 1931, p. 727.. the journal of the a. m. a. is the vilest sheet that passes the united states mail.... nothing new and useful in theraputics escapes its unqualified condemnation.
I don't remember the details of these "medical quackieries" but broadly speaking they came from one person - not JFR - who was so inclined towards medical matters. It would pay to unearth the details of that person, but unfortunately I don't have any details that I could pass on.
Doug
this is the main series playlist:.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plynx0om_bmgbfmnapjr_v5fe9_pf8sqa1.
this is the accompanying video appendix:.
Dating of the destruction of Jerusalem is a red herring (maybe a red whale!). The WTS does not start their 70 years with that event.
Doug
this is the main series playlist:.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plynx0om_bmgbfmnapjr_v5fe9_pf8sqa1.
this is the accompanying video appendix:.
Jeffro,
Have you made any effort to verify that the person who calls himself "Scholar JW" in these exchanges with you is really Neil or an imposter? The nature of these posts by this "JW Scholar" do not match my knowledge of the genuine N Mc.
Doug
over a year ago, i engaged in a discussion on a similar topic.
it was titled, "has anyone read thucydides beside the author of daniel?".
since my annotated new jerusalem bible mentions a number of reasons why the text was probably written largely in the 2nd century bce to address events happening in that period ( the seleucid occupation and desecration of the temple), i was aware of a number of arguments for the case.
I doubt that we should be looking for literal history in any of these ancient records. They are religious histories, written for propaganda purposes at the time of its composition. In other words, study is required into the history of the writing of the history (historiography).
I have no doubt that Daniel was written in the 2nd century as a means of providing comfort and messages to the persecuted without their overlords being aware of the intent. In other words, the overlords were looking at the stories literally rather than as literature. We should not fall into the same trap.
It helps, as with any other part of Hebrew and NT writings, to search for the chiasms. These are important; they had helped the illiterate to remember stories and it facilitated the stories being told, orally. At any time until quite recently, less than 10% of a population could read and probably less than 2% could write (a very different discipline). So the poetic structure of chiasms was important to the Hebrews (and the NT) and it might be that when you work out the chiasms, that might clarify apparently strange transitions. (I am aware of: "The Literary Structure of the Old Testament" by Dorsey.)
Other issues with Daniel include the difference between the LXX and MT (see, for example, mention in "Aramaic Daniel and Greek Daniel: A Literary Comparison", by Meadowcroft) and recognising the issues raised in "The Cultic Motif in the Bok of Daniel", by Vogel.
I am sure I do not need to labour the point that we have to read any ancient (such as Late Iron Age) writing through the lives of the community as it was when a piece was written, not through our ways of thinking.
Dou
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My Study: “Did a ‘Governing Body’ govern Paul?” is available in two parts at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Did_a__Governing_Body__govern_Paul__Part_1_-_The_Study_.pdf
and at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Did_a__Governing_Body__govern_Paul__Part_2_-_Readings_.pdf
The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses [GB] says it is modelled on first century Christianity, in which a Governing Body located at Jerusalem controlled a united, structured, organised community.
Is the GB’s depiction correct? Were James and Peter part of that “Governing Body”? Was Paul part of that “Governing Body”? Did a “Governing Body” govern Paul?
Make certain that the contents of this Study are fully understood before making it available.
Since I do not have a proof reader, I will appreciate grammatical corrections also.
Doug
in his upcomming book, "how jesus became god" bart ehrman has a new view on how paul viewed jesus.
since i am a huge bart ehrman fan i am a member of his blog site, http://ehrmanblog.org link to direct blog entry: http://ehrmanblog.org/pauls-view-of-jesus-as-an-angel-for-members/.
there he made a recent blog entry where he argues that paul viewed jesus to be an angel according to galations 4:14. .
I did read your post and I provided a few reasons for my disagreement.
Paul claimed that he did not receive any of his instructions from any human. He claimed that he spoke with no one for 3 years after his conviction regarding Jesus Christ, that he spent 14 years without making any contact with Jerusalem, and when he gave them his gospel message, they added nothing. He speaks quite contemptuously of them (James, Cephas, and John). When the 4th century Church at Rome decided which writings they would canonise (currently our NT), they wrote James out of the picture, even though he was Jesus' full brother and leader of the Jerusalem community.
Paul indicated that his teachings came directly to him from the Lord, without any human involvement. Either he is deluded, telling a lie, or he is honest.
Paul could not have read the Gospels since they were written after his death and re-edited during subsequent centuries. He created the ideas and others followed, some of which I mentioned in my previous response.
Did Paul invent Christianity?
Doug