Posts by Vanderhoven7

It is quite easy to love a person who sacrifices much for us such as a devoted family member; someone who would rescue us at great cost to themselves; who would choose to experience our pain and sorrow to identify with our need and struggles.

Si yes, it makes sense.

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I think I may be becoming an X-X-JW

by joe134cd in

i think i may be moving on shortly.

i officially joined this web-site 12 years ago as pimo about to exit the organisation.

i had spent about a year before that, as just a none commenting member.

Vanderhoven7

Happy trails Joel! Wish you all the best as you continue on your life journey❣️

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Examples of Watchtower flawed interpretation of Bible passages?

by Vanderhoven7 in

asking jehovah’s witnesses to interpret specific passages is a great way to demonstrate their interpretive abuse.

got any clear examples?.

Vanderhoven7

Here is one by P. Kelly

The wtbts cherry picked scripture to support the ban on beards for brothers who had congregational duties.

Decades later, cherry picked scripture to support there's wasn't any reason why brothers shouldn't have beards.

The same brothers that preached anti-beard, now are all wearing beards. All because of the new mandate handed down by their leadership.

Hilarious!

Ultimately, there never was any precedent set in the bible to wear or not to wear.

21

Examples of Watchtower flawed interpretation of Bible passages?

by Vanderhoven7 in

asking jehovah’s witnesses to interpret specific passages is a great way to demonstrate their interpretive abuse.

got any clear examples?.

Vanderhoven7

TTWSYF brought this up as well AM. I wonder how they interpret the fact that we can grieve the Holy Spirit?

And what scriptures do they use to determine Jesus is a created angel?

21

Examples of Watchtower flawed interpretation of Bible passages?

by Vanderhoven7 in

asking jehovah’s witnesses to interpret specific passages is a great way to demonstrate their interpretive abuse.

got any clear examples?.

Vanderhoven7

Matthew 24:45–47 provides with another flagrant example of Watchtower self-authenticating eisegesis.

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food [i]in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

Here is their”scholarly”interpretation of this passage which was only discovered in 2012 by the then current Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“Who Really is The Faithful and Discreet Slave?”

Jesus was referring, not to an individual, but to a composite “slave”—a group working together as one body. Jesus said that the slave (1) is appointed to a supervisory role “over [the master’s] domestics” and (2) gives the domestics spiritual “food at the proper time.”

From 1919 on, there has always been a small group of anointed Christians at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have supervised our worldwide preaching work and have been directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food. In recent years, that group has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The evidence points to the following conclusion: “The faithful and discreet slave” was appointed over Jesus’ domestics in 1919. That slave is the small, composite group of anointed brothers serving at world headquarters during Christ’s presence who are directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food. When this group work together as the Governing Body, they act as “the faithful and discreet slave.”http://www.jw.org/en/news/events-activities/annual-meeting-report-2012/

Here is some of the fine spiritual food the Watchtower was dispensing in 1919

Jesus presence began in 1874
Jesus was made king in 1878
The archangel Michael is the Pope
‘Sleeping saints’ were resurrected to heaven in 1878
Russell was the ‘faithful and wise servant’
The Great Pyramid of Giza confirms biblical chronology
Christmas should be celebrated
The ‘time of the end’ began in 1799
That Armageddon would happen in 1925 and the gradual general resurrection would be well underway in 1926
The ‘Jews to be restored to their homeland’ is literal
The ‘great company’ (great crowd) has a heavenly hope
Jesus died on a cross
Jerusalem was destroyed in 606 BCE
Congregation discipline should be determined by the whole congregation
The prohibition on eating blood is only a “suggestion” to gentile Christians
Birthdays could and should be celebrated

Gillies Gray writes:

The only valid reason to believe something is true is when there is sufficient evidence to support the claim.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

The burden of proof to back up the assertion that a group of religious leaders were appointed by a supernatural being, second only to the Almighty Himself, would be astronomical. The evidence required would need to be of the highest order.

As things stand, Jehovah’s Witnesses lack valid arguments for the assertion that the Governing Body was ever appointed by Jesus. The best they have is extremely weak abductive reasoning which fails to demonstrate the claim.

Contrast the Governing Body with the examples of God’s appointed representatives found in the Bible, all of whom had some kind

The claim that the Governing Body were appointed by Jesus is a baseless assertion motivated by mere wishful thinking.

21

Examples of Watchtower flawed interpretation of Bible passages?

by Vanderhoven7 in

asking jehovah’s witnesses to interpret specific passages is a great way to demonstrate their interpretive abuse.

got any clear examples?.

Vanderhoven7

WATCHTOWER OTHER SHEEP

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

The words “other sheep” on the lips of Jesus in John 10:16 are not defined for us...so admittedly there is a certain amount of ambiguity which both Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons capitalize on. Now there is a reason for the ambiguity, which I won't go into now. But, letting scripture interpret scripture, we remember Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel....not to the Gentiles. It was actually some time after Pentecost that the disciples came to realize that Jesus also laid down His life for the Gentile nations and that the gospel was intended for them as well as the Jews; that they both would be one body in Christ as Paul brings out in Eph 2:16 and they would share one hope Eph 4:4 of their calling.

That's the Bible interpreting the Bible. But the WTS feels it has the authority over the Bible to add to or impregnate this passage with all kinds of extra-biblical teaching: According to the WTS Jesus was intending in Jn 10:16 to communicate much more information. To Jehovah's Witnesses Jesus was actually saying here:

And other sheep have I, which are not of this fold: no, because:

1. They will only begin being called early on in the 20th century...not before.

2. They will not be saints of God,

3. They will not have the indwelling Holy Spirit.

4. My righteousness will not be imputed to them.

5. They will not be justified to life,

6. They will not merit being raised in the first resurrection

7. I will not be their personal mediator;

8. They will not be part of my New Covenant arrangement.

9. They will not be entitled to partake of the emblems of my death.

10. They will not have a heavenly hope

11. They will be not Spirit Begotten Son's of God.

12. They will need to be affiliated with the Watchtower Society to be saved from ultimate destruction at Armageddon.

That's what this verse means to Jehovah's Witnesses.... But none of this is in the Bible. So where do the JWs get these ideas about the other sheep? You guessed it...from men. Their trust is in men, not the Bible.

21

Examples of Watchtower flawed interpretation of Bible passages?

by Vanderhoven7 in

asking jehovah’s witnesses to interpret specific passages is a great way to demonstrate their interpretive abuse.

got any clear examples?.

Vanderhoven7

Asking Jehovah’s Witnesses to interpret specific passages is a great way to demonstrate their interpretive abuse

Got any clear examples?