Posts by Doug Mason

20

John 1:1-18

by Doug Mason in

i spent a couple of hours trying to work out the poetic structure of john 1:1-18. i have made my first rough draft available as a word document so that others can amend it for themselves.

the text i used is from the niv.

it will be interesting to see the poetic structures produced by analyses of other translations.. http://www.jwstudies.com/chiasms_of_john_1_vv_1_to_18.docx.

Doug Mason

villagegirl,

Even though this is a paraphrase rather than a direct translation from the available Greek, I find it interesting. Can you show me the text through to and including 18?

Have you tried to identify any chiasms in this paraphrase?

Doug

8

What does this sentence mean?

by Doug Mason in

the very first sentence of the topic "inspiration" at "insight on the scriptures" volume 1, page 1202 reads:.

"the quality or state of being moved by or produced under the direction of a spirit from a superhuman source.".

is it defining "inspiration" as a "quality or state"?.

Doug Mason

talesin,

I do not know where I got them, but I have the volumes on my Hard Drive. Each volume is about 45 meg. Email me.

Doug

8

What does this sentence mean?

by Doug Mason in

the very first sentence of the topic "inspiration" at "insight on the scriptures" volume 1, page 1202 reads:.

"the quality or state of being moved by or produced under the direction of a spirit from a superhuman source.".

is it defining "inspiration" as a "quality or state"?.

Doug Mason

Hi,

The very first sentence of the topic "Inspiration" at "Insight on The Scriptures" Volume 1, page 1202 reads:

"The quality or state of being moved by or produced under the direction of a spirit from a superhuman source."

Is it defining "inspiration" as a "quality or state"?

I have tried many ways, but I have difficulty working out preciely what it is saying. Please help me!

Thanks,

Doug

20

John 1:1-18

by Doug Mason in

i spent a couple of hours trying to work out the poetic structure of john 1:1-18. i have made my first rough draft available as a word document so that others can amend it for themselves.

the text i used is from the niv.

it will be interesting to see the poetic structures produced by analyses of other translations.. http://www.jwstudies.com/chiasms_of_john_1_vv_1_to_18.docx.

I spent a couple of hours trying to work out the poetic structure of John 1:1-18. I have made my First rough draft available as a Word document so that others can amend it for themselves. The text I used is from the NIV. It will be interesting to see the poetic structures produced by analyses of other translations.

http://www.jwstudies.com/Chiasms_of_John_1_vv_1_to_18.docx

Doug

42

What did Jesus really mean, when he said he had made his Father's name known?

by Faithful Witness in

i am preparing for my meeting this friday with miss k. we are reviewing the bible teach book, and she is looking forward to "showing me some things about the divine name.

" i don't know what she might pull out of her hat this time... but that section of the teach book is so completely assanine, i don't even know what to say.

) what did jesus mean when he said that to his father?.

Doug Mason

I always find it interesting that the WT's HQ is named after the god EL: "Bethel" literally means the house of El.

Doug

42

What did Jesus really mean, when he said he had made his Father's name known?

by Faithful Witness in

i am preparing for my meeting this friday with miss k. we are reviewing the bible teach book, and she is looking forward to "showing me some things about the divine name.

" i don't know what she might pull out of her hat this time... but that section of the teach book is so completely assanine, i don't even know what to say.

) what did jesus mean when he said that to his father?.

Doug Mason

Yes, to Jews "name" meant the person, it was not a handle. Hence the need to change a person's name (examples: Israel, Peter, and Paul).

The name "Jesus" is a Latinisation for Yeshua which in English is "Joshua". Remember that the letter "J" was likely the last letter to make it into the English alphabet. Hebrew writing reads from right to left, so that looking at the tetragram it phyically appears as: HWHY.

Have a look at Acts to see whose "name" they preached in: "the 'name' of (Jesus) Christ".

The WTS uses the "name" as a means to keep their sheep from wandering. Does anyone really think that a god would destroy people because they don't use the correct word (whether Yahweh or whatever)? Is God so petulant and childish? Will he burn people because they think his/her name is Allah or Zeus?

Doug

7

Was Jehovah 40 years early

by Socrateswannabe in

here's a question for all you bible students out there, both critics and apologists: in 1513 bce the israelites were said to be in the wilderness, without food, so jeh gave them miraculous manna to eat.

exodus 16:35 says they ate it for 40 years.

the funny thing is that a year after they began eating manna, the bible book of leviticus, which wts says was written in 1512, records a mind-numbing litany of rules and regulations regarding sacrifices that were to be made at the tabernacle, which had just recently been put into use.

Doug Mason

Your question touches several key issues.

The Bible is not literal history. Its primary intention is religious; each account was a religious story designed to influence the communities that belonged to the writers and to the editors (redactors). Most of the writing took place during the 8th to 5th centuries BCE, and the religious politics of the respective groups influenced their own accounts. For example, the writings of the priests who had an allegiance to Moses wrote accounts that had a different slant to those whose allegiance was towards Aaron. And as the copying process continued, each generation modified the texts according to their own beliefs.

During the Persian Period (5th to 4th centuries), action was taken to amalgamate the varying writings, resulting in the amalgum that has been passed down. As an example, the Creation myths at Genesis 2 (the account that was written earlier) and at Genesis 1 were written and handed on by different groups. Skilful weaving during the Persian period has almost hidden that there are two different Flood myths.

When you get to Joshua, you are in another territory, and I suggest you immerse yourself into the Documentary Hypothesis as well as into the Deuteronomic History. (Joshua is part of that history which owes its existence from the actions taken by the priests during 6th century neo-Babylonian Captivity. That history includes Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and so on.)

The general Late Iron Age populace would not be in a position to compare the varying accounts. Firstly, they could not read; secondly, they would only be told the stories produced by their immediate religious leadership.

Given the diversity of the material being passed on (and reinterpreted in the process), it is amazing that the people of the 5th to 4th centuries BCE (Ezra and his ilk) were able to produce documents that are so skilfully woven.

A couple of books (read widely, of course): "Who Wrote The Bible?", Richard Elliott Friedman; and "How the Bible Became a Book", William Schneidewind. Then read books by people who disagree in certain respects with these authors. Also research the Canonisation process.

Doug

2

"The Bible - A Remarkable Story of Survival"

by Doug Mason in

the watchtower magazine of november 1, 2009 includes the article: the bible - a remarkable story of survival.

for support, the article quotes three sources.. does the watchtower provide its readers with balanced information?

does the watchtower provide a full and frank account of each source that it holds up as evidence?.

Doug Mason

The Watchtower magazine of November 1, 2009 includes the article: “The Bible - A Remarkable Story of Survival”. For support, the article quotes three sources.

Does the Watchtower provide its readers with balanced information? Does the Watchtower provide a full and frank account of each source that it holds up as evidence?

http://www.jwstudies.com/Survival_of_the_Bible.pdf

Doug

33

Looking to speak to current & ex-JWs in Australia

by nomoreklondikes in

jw
friends

hope you don't mind me posting.

i'm a freelance writer, and am currently writing a story on the jehovah's witnesses church for a melbourne magazine.

i've spoken with an elder/spokesperson of a melbourne jw church, who explained the official positions of the church at length, but i'm really interested in getting more of a sense of the day to day experiences of jws, both current and former.

Doug Mason

Hi,

I have not yet read your article so excuse me if I misrepresent you.

While I have never been a JW, I was a member of a related eschatological Church. Although it took me 10 years to extricate my mind, I am still able to communicate with members of that Church - something that ex-JWs wish they were able to do, especially within their families.

I believe that the responses you received at this discussion tell you that your question should not have been "HOW do they behave?" Rather, it should have been "WHY do they behave in the way that they do?"

The "active" JW lives with the knowledge that any expressed doubt, regardless of the confidentiality when that statement is made, will result in them being publicly humiliated and being denied access to family and friends who are still JWs. Can you imagine what that means to a JW?

On top of that, they are continually bombarded with one message: Armageddon is imminent and to survive it you must be fully and totally obedient to the organisation's leaders, regardless of what they are currently teaching. When that teaching changes, as it regularly does, the minds of millions are compelled to march in lockstep unity. Truth is irrelevant, since that is subject to change: obedience to the US leadership is paramount.

Your follow-up article should then document the studies into the effects this has on the mental state of JWs.

The Watchtower Society runs an operation that makes the Exclusive Brethren and the Scientologists look like amateurs. And while the general community treats Jehovah's Witnesses as the butt of jokes, the leaders ply their pressure, telling the members that all JWs are happy.

I too live near Melbourne.

Doug

37

Daniel chapter 9

by Doug Mason in

i have scanned daniel chapter 9 as it is rendered in english by the hebrew tanakh (masoretic text - mt) and by the greek septuagint (lxx).. http://www.jwstudies.com/daniel_9_in_mt_and_in_lxx.pdf.

read verses 24 to 27 carefully.. doug.

Doug Mason

Oubliette,

And it is no different today, regardless of the religion or creed. For many, religion provides them with the crutch they have to have in order to cope with life, to give them an explanation for the chaos that reigns.

Humans always seek patterns, they always want answers for every question. When these cannot be resolved, rather than accept chaos and randomness, they provide explanations through referencing external supernatural entities. And I am not limiting this to Judaism/Christianity.

Doug