Posts by Doug Mason

15

Whom shall we follow for Bible-based truths?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

watchtower february 15, 1981, pages 16-19 .

do we need help to understand the bible?.

true, the brothers preparing these publications are not infallible.

Doug Mason

Actually, the dominant Christians were in Egypt, at Alexandria as well as in Carthage, North Africa, not in Rome.

While deliberations were going in the early centuries regarding matters such as the Biblical Canon, the Church of Rome was a minor bystander. Other major players came from the Eastern Mediterranean.

When the vicious internal Christian wars of the 4th and 5th centuries decimated the North African Christianity, it moved northwards, becoming a European religion. One should compare the nature of the African religion as is still practised in Ethiopia - along with its Canon.

Doctrinal decisions, such as on the nature of God, the Trinity, and so on, were not made by the Church of Rome. These determinations were forced upon the communities by the edicts of Roman Emperors, with Theodosius in particular.

The European style of Christianity, in which the Pope and his henchmen ruled with an iron fist, shed its Jewish origins, to the point where images of Jesus are of a pale skinned European. A clear example of its anti Semitic position.

Religions speak of "Jesus coming back" to create tension, expectation and to hold the sheep within its grasp.

Doug

15

Whom shall we follow for Bible-based truths?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

watchtower february 15, 1981, pages 16-19 .

do we need help to understand the bible?.

true, the brothers preparing these publications are not infallible.

Doug Mason

Hi,

There is a range of Bible Canons and variant texts (Roman Catholic, Ethiopian, Orthodox, Protestant, Old Greek, Theodisius, Masoretic, Siniaticus, various LXX, etc.) emanating from arguments dating from the 2nd century within Judaism and with Marcion and it has continued ever since (especially 4th to 7th centuries CE; Trent, Luther, etc.).

The material has experienced constant change, and the WTS simply follows that well-trodden path when it adjusts the texts to suit its doctrinal positions. This has been happening ever since the first pen was applied to the earliest scrolls.

The WTS adapts the 19th century material by the Trinitarians Westcott and Hort.

No Bible or Canon existed when any of the above cited texts (2 Tim 3:16, etc.) was written, and they are simply propaganda opinions. To assume the (anonymous) writer of 2 Tim was telling the Truth, one would have to assume he had information that came directly from God. In other words, is 2 Tim 3:16 inspired? A circular argument indeed.

To be technically correct, the Greek word at 2 Tim 3:16 rendered as "inspired", simply means "god-breathed". Unfortunately for those wishing to impress their presumptions, it is a unique word with little to help determine exactly what the writer intended -- which at the time would have referred to any of the earlier Jewish and Hebrew writings -- including 1 Enoch, which is so heavily referenced in the "NT" documents.

At that time, there was any number of documents accepted by the followers of Jesus, including several Gospels which were later excluded on dubious grounds. Codex Siniaticus includes Barnabas and references the Shepherd of Hermas.

Doug

7

The origins of personified spirits and demons

by Doug Mason in

for the jews, personified spirit beings, good and evil, along with demons, originated during the 3rd and 2nd centuries bce.. https://jwstudies.com/crucible__powers_above.pdf .

this file will be available very temporarily.. doug.

Doug Mason

Hi Smiddy3,

The Gospels attributed to Mark, Matthew, and Luke are known as "synoptic", meaning "same view", or similar. But they are not. Each was created by anonymous writers for its own local community, for its own local purpose.

The earliest, being Mark, was written about 68-70 CE. "Matthew" followed some 15 years later, written for a different purpose (it is artificially structured into 5 parts, now known by the term "Discourses"). "Luke" followed and its current construct was completed about 120 CE, when Marcion was at his dominant height.

While some Gospels suggest Jesus' ministry lasted 6 months, other Gospels, and here I include John's, suggest it could have been longer, maybe a year, maybe three.

Not one Gospel is a literal historical documentary in the sense that we might consider objective journalism.

Not that there would be two Jerusalems, rather there were several different versions of the Jesus (actually Joshua). Not one of the New Testament writers either saw or heard Jesus.

And as a completely unrelated comment, I would like to add that the Watchtower's description of the "New Testament" as "Christian Greek Scriptures" is completely wrong. The documents were Jewish. They were written by Jews for Jews about Jews.

Doug

7

The origins of personified spirits and demons

by Doug Mason in

for the jews, personified spirit beings, good and evil, along with demons, originated during the 3rd and 2nd centuries bce.. https://jwstudies.com/crucible__powers_above.pdf .

this file will be available very temporarily.. doug.

Doug Mason

Amelia,

I am not aware of the Watchtower's explanation you are referring to. However, from Galatians (which was genuinely written/dictated by Paul) he gives accounts of his experiences that are completely at odds with accounts in the Book of Acts (written some 30 to 60 years after Paul's death).

For instance, Paul says his visits to the leaders in Jerusalem were very private affairs and that the people only knew him by reputation, not personally. Acts 15, however, creates a general conference in which Paul addresses the whole assembly. Also, Paul was returning to Damascus, not going there.

The Book of Acts is a contrived religious fiction created for a local purpose at the end of the first century. It is evenly balanced between accounts of Peter (first half) and accounts of Paul (second half). One theory is that this was done to counter the positions held by Marcion.

Doug

7

The origins of personified spirits and demons

by Doug Mason in

for the jews, personified spirit beings, good and evil, along with demons, originated during the 3rd and 2nd centuries bce.. https://jwstudies.com/crucible__powers_above.pdf .

this file will be available very temporarily.. doug.

Doug Mason

For the Jews, personified spirit beings, good and evil, along with demons, originated during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE.

https://jwstudies.com/Crucible__Powers_above.pdf

This file will be available very temporarily.

Doug

The source of angels and demons

by Doug Mason in

the creation of angels and demons:.

https://jwstudies.com/crucible__powers_above.pdf .

this file will be available very temporarily.. doug.

Doug Mason

Hi,

The creation of Angels and Demons:

https://jwstudies.com/Crucible__Powers_above.pdf

This file will be available very temporarily.

Doug

1

Second Temple Period: The Book of Daniel

by Doug Mason in

i scanned this chapter as part of my investigation into the second temple period.

https://jwstudies.com/crucible__daniel.pdf .

i will make this file available very temporarily.. doug.

Doug Mason

I scanned this Chapter as part of my investigation into the Second Temple Period

https://jwstudies.com/Crucible__Daniel.pdf

I will make this file available very temporarily.

Doug

4

Philo and Paul

by Doug Mason in

in my research into the second temple period, i have collected material on philo from two books.

i am making these scans temporarily available at:.

https://jwstudies.com/this_world__chap_10__philo.pdf.

Doug Mason

Hi Crazyguy,

It is common knowledge that several NT documents attributed to Paul were indeed written by others. It is therefore possible to identify trends and alternate doctrinal positions held within Judaism.

Whether Paul existed or is a composite figure does not concern me. Regardless of that question, the genuine writings do represent a particular position, and that is what does interest me.

I doubt that Philo wrote or contributed to any NT writings. However, I would say that Philo's influence on the NT came in the form of rebuttals of Philo in some of Paul's statements.

Doug

4

Philo and Paul

by Doug Mason in

in my research into the second temple period, i have collected material on philo from two books.

i am making these scans temporarily available at:.

https://jwstudies.com/this_world__chap_10__philo.pdf.

Doug Mason

In my research into the Second Temple Period, I have collected material on Philo from two books. I am making these scans temporarily available at:

https://jwstudies.com/This_world__chap_10__Philo.pdf

https://jwstudies.com/Reading_Romans_in_Context__Philo_.pdf

These pages illuminate Paul's environment and they provide the contemporary context for some of his reasoning.

I was particularly taken with Pages 125-126 of the book, "Reading Romans in Context" (PDF file pages 20-21), which show how Paul misused Scripture in order to arrive at his predetermined conclusion.

I have not marked up these files. The material is not difficult to follow.

Doug

4

Enoch the Prophet

by Doug Mason in

in my ongoing research into second temple judaism, i scanned and marked up a chapter dealing with the book of enoch.. i have made this marked up chapter very temporarily available at:.

https://jwstudies.com/crucible__chapter_4__enoch_marked_up.pdf .

doug.

Doug Mason

Hi Terry,

Much of the religious beliefs (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) owe their origins to the revolutions of this period commencing with the 3rd century BCE. Most of the OT's ideas were formed some 300 years earlier, by the 6th century BCE.

These new ideas, such as apocalyptic, eschatology, messianism, personified evil spirits (Satan,Mastema, Beliar, demons, etc.), war in heaven, final judgement, and so on, find their origins in this latter ("intertestamental") period, not in the OT. The period created sects such as the Pharisees, Essenes, etc., etc.

One of the canonised books that was influenced by this environment is the Book of Daniel. It was written in the 2nd century BCE, often drawing on imagery from books such as Enoch, Jubilees.

Doug