Posts by Doug Mason

1

I reworked my Study on "The Temptations of Jesus"

by Doug Mason in

the scope of my writings now extends beyond the myopic borders of the wts's focus.

at the same time, however, i know that most here have a broader interest, so i am making my latest study available.. i have rewritten my study on matthew 4:1-11, which is often called: "the wilderness temptations of jesus".

the study led me to similar conclusions, and along the way i located further resources and i restructured the document.. https://jwstudies.com/matthew_s_messages_through_jesus__inaugural_tests.pdf .

Doug Mason

Hi,

The scope of my writings now extends beyond the myopic borders of the WTS's focus. At the same time, however, I know that most here have a broader interest, so I am making my latest Study available.

I have rewritten my Study on Matthew 4:1-11, which is often called: "The Wilderness Temptations of Jesus". The Study led me to similar conclusions, and along the way I located further resources and I restructured the document.

https://jwstudies.com/Matthew_s_messages_through_Jesus__inaugural_tests.pdf

My next wish is to be able to complete a Study into Second Temple Judaism, mostly from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE, of which the Jesus-followers formed a part.

All the best,

Doug

3

Who the devil tested Jesus?

by Doug Mason in

some time ago i created a study that i named: "the devil who tested jesus".. i have rewritten it into a form that might possibly make it attractive for a publication (please do not read wts into that).

i have thus reformatted it and reduced the word count by two-thirds.. i am looking to your collective skills and knowledge for any criticism, including: spelling; grammar; structure; argument; whatever.. https://jwstudies.com/who_the_devil_tested_jesus.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

Thank you Atlantis.

There were few voices and few resources when I started on my "expose the Watchtower Society" crusade in 1964. That situation continued for some decades, although the voices gradually grew louder and information started to proliferate. Today there is such a wide exposure of the Organization, that I felt the need to move on.

Using the skills I had developed, I decided that I would apply the same principles to a far broader sphere. By 1990, I had moved from being a over-exuberant Christian to a Skeptic, and then to a Doubter. Finally, I decided that no longer could I accept any form of supernatural superstition.

This freedom enabled me to examine the Jewish writings (yes the NT is Jewish) with fresh eyes. Without any need to defend any creed, I was and am able to objectively look at their writings in the context of the times each document was written and edited (redacted). I have the advantage that my heritage is Jewish (family members, including grandparents, being victims of the Shoah), so I cannot rightly be accused with anti-Semitism.

With my reset mind, I wanted to document the evolution of Jewish/Christian soteriology from the time of the Hebrews through to the 21st century. Each of the 4 Parts that I have created comprises at least 200 pages.

The gap in my series on Soteriology is with the Second Temple Period. This is the time that laid the foundations of primitive Christianity. I believe this Study will take me at least 12 months to complete. I have mapped out a scaffolding and I can send that to you if you were interested.

Then all things came to a screeching halt at the end of October 2018. Faced with a minor health issue, I thought that it was my duty to our 4 children and 12 grandchildren (and theirs) that I document my 78 (so far) years. That is now almost complete, with a 64 minute video of hundreds of photos plus a 100-page photobook.

With that out of the way, it is back with the nose-to-the-keyboard to complete my Study into the Second Temple Period. Unfortunately one effect of the medical treatment, which will end in a few weeks, is that it shreds short-term memory, commonly known as "chemo brain".

So if I appear to have been quiet, I hope I have explained my situation.

No, I do not want any wishes in regards to my health. This cancer is not going to kill me.

Regards,

Doug

3

Who the devil tested Jesus?

by Doug Mason in

some time ago i created a study that i named: "the devil who tested jesus".. i have rewritten it into a form that might possibly make it attractive for a publication (please do not read wts into that).

i have thus reformatted it and reduced the word count by two-thirds.. i am looking to your collective skills and knowledge for any criticism, including: spelling; grammar; structure; argument; whatever.. https://jwstudies.com/who_the_devil_tested_jesus.pdf.

doug.

Doug Mason

Hi,

Some time ago I created a Study that I named: "The Devil Who Tested Jesus".

I have rewritten it into a form that might possibly make it attractive for a publication (please do not read WTS into that). I have thus reformatted it and reduced the word count by two-thirds.

I am looking to your collective skills and knowledge for any criticism, including: spelling; grammar; structure; argument; whatever.

https://jwstudies.com/Who_The_Devil_Tested_Jesus.pdf

Thanks,

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

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.