It is quite telling that this 32-page booklet has been released at the 2013 Convention "God's Word is Truth", with the talk being entitled: "What is Truth?".
There is no "truth" in the way that Watchtower misuses Geza Vermes.
Doug
Doug Mason
JoinedPosts by Doug Mason
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Exactly what did Geza Vermes write?
by Doug Mason in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>en-au</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>x-none</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:enableopentypekerning /> <w:dontflipmirrorindents /> <w:overridetablestylehps /> <w:usefelayout /> </w:compatibility> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser /> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val="--" /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><![endif].
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the following is from how can you have a happy life, watchtower bible and tract society, 2013:.
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Doug Mason
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Exactly what did Geza Vermes write?
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the following is from how can you have a happy life, watchtower bible and tract society, 2013:.
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Doug Mason
The following is from “How Can You Have A Happy Life”, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 2013:
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From ancient times, such devoted men as Ezra, “a skilled copyist in the law of Moses,” exercised extreme care in order to preserve the text of the Scriptures. (Ezra 7:6) The Dead Sea Scrolls are an outstanding example of the success of their efforts. These scrolls were discovered in caves near Qumran, beginning in 1947. They include fragments of nearly all the books of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Although the scrolls were written more than 2,000 years ago, they differ very little from one another and from the traditional Hebrew text in use today. “None of these variations affects the scriptural message itself,” notes Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Geza Vermes. Such accurate transmission provides evidence that our copies of the Scriptures faithfully represent the inspired originals.
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Exactly what did Geza Vermes write in the context cited by the Watchtower Society?
The following is from pages 38-40 of his book “The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls”
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The Qumran finds have also substantially altered our views concerning the text and canon of the Bible. The many medieval Hebrew scriptural manuscripts, representing the traditional or Masoretic text, are remarkable for their almost general uniformity. Compared to the often meaningful divergences between the traditional Hebrew text and its ancient Greek, Latin or Syriac translations, the few variant readings of the Masoretic Bible manuscripts, ignoring obvious scribal errors, mainly concern spelling.
By contrast, the Qumran scriptural scrolls, and especially the fragments, are characterized by extreme fluidity: they often differ not just from the customary wording but also, when the same book is attested by several manuscripts, among themselves. In fact, some of the fragments echo what later became the Masoretic text; others resemble the Hebrew underlying the Greek Septuagint; yet others recall the Samaritan Torah or Pentateuch, the only part of the Bible which the Jews of Samaria accepted as Scripture. Some Qumran fragments represent a mixture of these, or something altogether different. It should be noted, however, that none of these variations affects the scriptural message itself. In short, while largely echoing the contents of biblical books, Qumran has opened an entirely new era in the textual history of the Hebrew Scriptures.
The Community’s attitude to the biblical canon, i.e. the list of books considered as Holy Writ, is less easy to define, as no such list of titles has survived. Canonical status may be presumed indirectly either from authoritative quotations or from theological commentary. As regards the latter, the caves have yielded various interpretative works on the Pentateuch (the Temple Scroll, reworked Pentateuch manuscripts, the Genesis Apocryphon and other commentaries on Genesis) and the Prophets (e.g. Isaiah, Habakkuk, Nahum, etc.), but only on the Psalms among the Writings, the third traditional division of the Jewish Bible. From the texts available in 1988, I collected over fifty examples of Bible citations which were used as proof in doctrinal expositions, thus indicating that they were thought to possess special religious or doctrinal importance.
On the other hand, the Psalms Scroll from Cave 11 contains seven apocryphal poems, including chapter L1 of the Wisdom of Jesus ben Sira, not annexed to, but interspersed among, the canonical hymns. This may be explained as a liturgical phenomenon, a collection of songs chanted during worship; but it may, and in my view probably does, mean that at Qumran the concept ‘Bible’ was still hazy, and the ‘canon’ open-ended, which would account for the remarkable freedom in the treatment of the text of Scripture by a community whose life was nevertheless wholly centred on the Bible.
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A SERIOUS investigation of the identifying date of CHRIST'S RETURN
by Terry instep one.
the foot of the ladder can be moved closer or farther from the wall.. the closer to the wall the higher the ladder reaches.. but, the length of the ladder never changes.. .
height is a function of the angle created when you scoot the base closer or farther from the wall.. .
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Doug Mason
You are wrong about 537 being agreed on. Search the www and you will find dates ranging from 538 to 535. It is possible that a statistical analysis would make 536 as a more popular alternative.
The WTS has a horizontal ladder that stretches from 537 as its starting point.
The reason is that no one knows and the Bible writers did not think it important enough other than to indicate the "70 years" ended when Babylon fell in 539 BCE. Not that that date has anything to do with anything either. The ladder is sitting on ice and there is no wall for it to rest against.
Doug
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The most important day of the year. Sometimes. Sort of.
by Jeffro infor jehovah's witnesses, the "most important day of the year" is supposed to be the 'memorial'.
this 'sacred' event is to be held after sunset on nisan 14. except most of the time, it isn't.. as 'explained' in the watchtower, 1 february 1976, page 73, the "governing body" (not capitalised at the time) takes it upon itself to 'determine' the 'actual' date of nisan 14. they claimed in the article that the 'modern' date for the start of nisan in the hebrew calendar is calculated differently to the ancient calculation.
however, that's not actually the case.. the actual calendation for determining the start of nisan was (since at least the neo-babylonian period) and is based on the metonic cycle - a sequence that repeats every 19 years.. in the metonic cycle, the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years have an extra (thirteenth) month (adar ii, or veadar).
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Doug Mason
Paul (of the NT) was the earliest recorded writer. He said that he received his ideas directly from the resurrected Lord; he did not receive his ideas from any human.
He is the first person who dreamt up this "Last Supper" and this was copied (virtually word-for-word) by the writers of the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, later by Matthew and many decades later by Luke) - none of whom was in attendance at this Meal. The writers of John's Gospel place this event at a different location.
The idea of Jesus' death being taking place at Passover time was Paul's idea; it most likely did not happen at that time. The writers were not present at many of the events described as taking place at the trial or at the pillow talk by Pontius Pilate's wife. There was no arrangement for the release of a prisoner, such as Barabbas (meaning "son of the father).
Do not build a chronology from such a feeble foundation.
Doug
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Danish book now in English: Judgment Day Must Wait: JWs-A Sect Between Idealism and Deceit, Poul Bregninge
by AndersonsInfo injudgment day must wait: jehovah's witnesses- a sect between idealism and deceit [paperback]poul bregninge (author)publication date: july 16, 2013fear of the apocalypse that never comes!
it is what holds a jehovah's witness power-bound by the watch tower society in brooklyn.
armageddon is always just a little way around the corner.. .
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Doug Mason
Publicity, including contents listing, is at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Publicity_-_Judgment_day_must_wait.pdf
Doug
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Updated chapter shows how and when the WTS's GB was created
by Doug Mason inupdate:.
i have reviewed and rewritten one chapter of my study.. .
the updated version 2 is available at:.
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Doug Mason
St G,
I see the actions in 1971 as one step that started in 1944. I hope I have shown the context, as reported in the 1944 articles: the Society had been instituted as a democracy (Rutherford was almost voted out and while in prison in 1919 said he would never allow that to happen again). In 1938, Rutherford brought out his change from a democracy to a "theocracy".
He died in 1942 and it was left to his business manager Knorr to institute organisational change. When he brought in his top-down control system, he included a Board of Directors ("Governing Body"). Franz created a religious rationale. The changes required a change in the original Charter, and the changed WT Charter had to be registered as being accepted with the secular authorities.
The roles and responsibilities continued to be thrashed out, and these were addressed in subsequent years, of which 1971 was a key date.
The "Faithful and Wise Servant" was in the WT vocabulary from Russell's time, and Rutherford wrote a major article in the 1927 Watchtower magazine.
The GB was made to be the "representative" of the FDS, who were all the 144,000 still on planet earth. Gradually, the term FDS became colloquially synonymous with the GB. The two threads (FDS and GB) thus gradually grew closer until the inevitable happened and the two merged in 2012 when the GB staged its takeover.
At least, that is how I see it.
Doug
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Updated chapter shows how and when the WTS's GB was created
by Doug Mason inupdate:.
i have reviewed and rewritten one chapter of my study.. .
the updated version 2 is available at:.
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Doug Mason
UPDATE:
I have reviewed and rewritten one Chapter of my Study.
The updated Version 2 is available at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Did_a__Governing_Body__govern_Paul__Part_1_-_The_Study_.pdf
The updated Chapter is available at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Updated_chapter_Did_a_Governing_Body_govern_Paul.pdf
It shows how and when the Watchtower Society's Governing Body was created.
Doug -
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My Study: "Did a 'Governing Body' govern Paul?"
by Doug Mason in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng /> </o:officedocumentsettings> </xml><![endif].
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[endif][if gte mso 10]> <style> /* style definitions */ table.msonormaltable {mso-style-name:"table normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:6.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; text-align:justify; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"times new roman","serif"; mso-fareast-language:en-us;} </style> <![endif].
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Doug Mason
UPDATE:
I have reviewed and rewritten one Chapter of my Study.
The updated Version 2 is available at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Did_a__Governing_Body__govern_Paul__Part_1_-_The_Study_.pdf
The updated Chapter is available at:
http://www.jwstudies.com/Updated_chapter_Did_a_Governing_Body_govern_Paul.pdf
It shows how and when the Watchtower Society's Governing Body was created.
I will repeat this at a new Thread to ensure all have the opportunity to see this.
DougPS. Thanks, Vanderhoven7
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A Video Series about 607 BC vs 587 BC
by Londo111 inthis is the main series playlist:.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plynx0om_bmgbfmnapjr_v5fe9_pf8sqa1.
this is the accompanying video appendix:.
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Doug Mason
Jeffro,
My points are made in the references I provided.
Doug
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My Study: "Did a 'Governing Body' govern Paul?"
by Doug Mason in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng /> </o:officedocumentsettings> </xml><![endif].
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Doug Mason
In 1927, Rutherford said that the "Coming" (erchetai) in the parables of the "Talents" and of the "Faithful and wise servant" related to Jesus coming to the temple in 1918. That was the time the "Servant" class was created - comprising Jesus as its head and all spirit-anointed as the body/feet, although it could also refer to Christ alone or to the body/feet alone. It was in this way that Rutherford related the relationship between the "Faithful slave" and 1918. (He also said that the "Evil slave" were those people who had fellowshiped with him but now stood in opposition.)
Whereas Rutherford saw the Coming as a past event, the current WTS leadership says it refers to a future event that is associated with the Great Time of Trouble and Armagedon. Obviously then, they cannot relate the "Coming" to the setting up of the FDS. Rutherford's coming was an invisible action taking place in the heavenly temple, the current WTS teaching is completely visible, even violent.
The date of 1919 appears to first arise in the very early 1970s. At that time, and until 2013, the evolving Governing Body was a representative of the FDS class - the "spirit-anointed", little flock of 144,000. As I have said, Rutherford also saw it as a class.
However, from October 2012, and as announced in the July 15, 2013 Watchtower, the GB has expressly stated that it now limits the expression to itself.
Until 1930 at least, Rutherford's Presence (parousia) was confidently fixed at 1874.
Doug