rom.
14:1 says: "welcome the man having weaknesses in his faith, but do not pass judgment on differing opinions.
" (italics added.).
blondie, thanks for bringing these references to our attention.
Really, that's not many Watchtower references of Rom. 14.1 considering the importance of the unifying message of the verse to the Christian congregation. Compare that to Mt. 24.45, or Mt. 24.14 where the Watchtower pushes these verses repeatedly at every publisher in existence.
rom.
14:1 says: "welcome the man having weaknesses in his faith, but do not pass judgment on differing opinions.
" (italics added.).
Rom. 14:1 says: "Welcome the man having weaknesses in his faith, but do not pass judgment on differing opinions." (Italics added.)
The WTS does not offer a comment on this scripture. We can't be totally surprised, since the organization avoids focusing on Scriptures that do not serve their interests.
Notwithstanding, the Society has the following comment on verse four of the same chapter:
Who are you to judge the servant of another?: In this passage (Ro 14:1-12),
Paul makes it clear that Christians are not to judge one another in
matters of conscience. Christians in the Rome congregation came from a
variety of cultural backgrounds, and some were judging their fellow
believers for decisions and actions that did not violate Bible
principles. The preceding verse (Ro 14:3) states that “God has welcomed” both “the one eating” and “the one not eating.” Paul’s question here in verse 4
reminded his fellow believers to recognize that Jehovah was supporting
the person they were judging. Paul uses an illustration of a household
servant and his master. The master had the exclusive right to establish
rules for and restrictions on his servant, to assign him duties, to
retain or discharge him. Anyone else assuming this responsibility on his
own would be considered presumptuous, and the master could rightfully
say to him: ‘Who do you think you are?’ In a similar way, each Christian
is responsible before God, his Master, in matters of conscience. No
Christian has the right to judge his brother because that brother
belongs exclusively to God. [End of quote]
Now, observe these statements from the quote:
"Paul makes it clear that Christians are not to judge one another in
matters of conscience... Paul’s question here in verse 4 reminded his fellow believers to recognize that Jehovah was supporting the person they were judging. [...] In a similar way, each Christian is responsible before God, his Master,
in matters of conscience. No Christian has the right to judge his
brother because that brother belongs exclusively to God. [End of quotes]
These declarations make us wonder how the Society can reconcile their controlling and judgmental attitude and policies toward the brotherhood with those expressed statements above. What do you say?
in the past 48 hours i have no test, ie no 'captcha' comes up so i cant get in.. cheers.
zeb.
I just signed in using Firefox. No problem.
wt study october 2018. maintain inner peace despite changing circumstances.
lloyd and alexandra learn that they have been reassigned to the field, they at first felt sad.
after all, they had been serving at bethel for over 25 years.
Wasn't it Spain where the WT Corporation lost a case a couple of years ago where they had to supply retirement benefits for people who worked at their Headquarters for decades?
Wait, didn't Spain close their Branch Office because of this?
not sure it's ok to post here about that.
im sorry if i'm wrong but i'm just trying to find my way and meet people that could help me become a good witness.
i recently discovered my faith as a witness.
This website is not the place to shoe-in a new Witness. Nonetheless, hopefully you can find kindness here.
I remember when I got baptized. I thought for sure this was the true religion. However, as I aged, and experienced this religion every which way I could, I ended up leaving. I saw the good and the ugly.
If you are young, I urge you to keep your mind open. And don't let anyone take away your independent thinking. The WT condemns independent thinking. And they are experts in controlling people. I have a large family which are still active in the religion. Because I left voluntarily (by way of disassociation), the WT people and my family has disowned me. They have no idea the amount of suffering I have been through.
Now, almost three decades later, I don't regret leaving the Watchtower. The spirit of WT congregations seems friendly and loving at first. With time, you will find that this is contingent of you staying active in the organization. They make members feel like they are not doing enough. They can always do more. More preaching, more participation in congregation activities, etc. Plus, they are always asking for money, probably more so than other churches, although they don't pass "the plate" around.
Just as quickly as they receive you in, they can pull their "love" from you, like turning the light switch off. You will find this out in time.
The Watchtower operates as a business just as other churches do. They will never admit it. And finally, the Watchtower Society believes in this principle: "Unity at all costs." This guiding principle permeates every facet of the organization. For it, they are willing to deceive governments, and their brotherhood.
Witnesses have some good points in their favor, but their controlling principle gets tiring after time, even if you want to stay put.
In all, I wish you the best! I think it is still possible to serve God within the congregation, but make sure not to let the pharisaical attitude within the congregations affect your mode of thinking.
the jewish telegraphic agency comments on alter's translation:.
https://www.jta.org/2018/11/21/culture/robert-alter-completes-monumental-translation-hebrew-bible.
translation is not an easy task.
careful: "I hope this clears things up. It really is a false dichotomy to pit "send" against "let go" in Exodus 8:1...."
Thanks for the clarification, because after reading your post I realize my short statement could lead to one to believe that I was setting up a dichotomy between the two expressions, although that was not what I had in mind.
A Concordance will show that shālach is translated in most cases with the nuance of "to send." However, the meanings of "send away" (J. Wash Watts, Young, etc); "send free" (Fox); "send forth" (Brenton); "let go" (KJV; ASV; Darby); "release" (NET Bible); dismiss" (Jerome; Concordant); as you pointed out, are acceptable in certain contexts, like in Ex. 8.1.
the jewish telegraphic agency comments on alter's translation:.
https://www.jta.org/2018/11/21/culture/robert-alter-completes-monumental-translation-hebrew-bible.
translation is not an easy task.
sbf: "And he supports the NWT in some renderings too, such as Exodus 8:1 “send”, if I remember correctly."
So does LXX, Young, Everett Fox, and some others. The primary meaning of the Hebrew verb shālach is "to send", "to put out," and is thus rendered accordingly in most versions. However, at Exodus 8.1, translators usually use, "Let my people go."
the jewish telegraphic agency comments on alter's translation:.
https://www.jta.org/2018/11/21/culture/robert-alter-completes-monumental-translation-hebrew-bible.
translation is not an easy task.
I just ordered it.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/catholic-church-used-bankruptcy-for-sexual-assault-cases-now-others-are-following-suit-11545906600.
in the link above, the article on wall street journal deals with the catholic church using bankruptcy for sexual-assault cases.
is the watchtower next?.
In the link above, the article on Wall Street Journal deals with the Catholic Church using Bankruptcy for Sexual-Assault cases. Is the Watchtower next?
for all those who know who greg stafford is/was.
the former "apostate/apologist and author of three dissertations and other books, is on page 2 of the march 2016 meeting work book.
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/jw-meeting-workbook/march-2016-mwb/meeting-schedule-mar7-13/welcome-memorial-guests/.
My point is that most of us here are convinced in varying degrees that the WT org is basically flawed, and dishonest in many ways. But to suggest they don't even have a 10% chance of being right in some belief seems an exaggeration. Are you using a hyperbole?
