Jw are witnesses are they not?
What I meant from my previous post where I posted this comment is. That the name Jehovah's Witnesses is based on Isaiah 43:12 and in the book Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom it tells how in the 1920's the Bible Students became 'increasingly aware of the deep significance' of this scripture and the 'responsibility to bear witness to Jehovah's name and his Kingdom' (page 79)
In the book "All Scripture Is Inspired Of God and Beneficial" it says regarding this passage in Isaiah
'With court in session, he orders the nations to produce witnesses to clear their gods'
I understand it to be, from this like a court room setting.
In the book The Oxford Companion To The Bible (Oxford University Press 1993) page 806
In the New Testament the witness theme is central in the gospel of John, Acts and Revelation. In John's gospel, God in Christ has a controversy with the world. A cosmic lawsuit is underway, and each side presents its evidence and argues its case.
So it seems to me that when in 1922 this was said
The speaker, J. F. Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, quoted to the assembled thousands Isaiah 43:8-12 (AV) and then proceeded to say:
Thus we see that those of the temple class are clearly designated as the Lord's witnesses at this time, to bring a message of consolation to the people, that the kingdom of heaven is here, and that millions now living will never die.
and this was excerpt taken from the Babylon book in 1963 mentioned in a previous post of mine under the heading of the Good News and a Judgement Message and ties I believe to the generation teaching that was changed. It was preached/ witnessed about in a courtroom setting and cannot easily be dismissed.
The apostle Paul stated in Corinthians 15
'But if Christ has not been raised up, our preaching is certainly in vain, and your faith is also in vain. 15 Moreover, we are also found to be false witnesses of God, because we have given witness against God by saying that he raised up the Christ, whom he did not raise up if the dead are really not to be raised up. (NWT 2013)'
As they quoted from 1 Corinthians 15 in regard to the generation teaching mentioned in my previous post.
Man's Salvation Out of World Distress At Hand(1975
Watchtower), I believe we studied this book after 1975 probably 1976, it says
on page 28.
So much depended upon Messiah's resurrection, and the apostle
Paul had suffered so much persecution for preaching it, that if Paul were a
liar, then, as he wrote...
So, too, with our generation in this twentieth century. After all that we have
gone through since 1914, our generation would be, of all generations, the
"most to be pitied".
Think
of it, though! Worthy ones of this generation of mankind will be saved alive
out of the rest of this world distress so as to survive the worst of it and
enter into God's Messianic new system of things and not need a resurrection
from the dead to life on earth! This is a valid hope well founded on what was
said by Jesus Christ..."
and witnessing/preaching is in a courtroom setting hence the truth, witnesses/ the 'mouthpiece and active agent of Jehovah' I find it difficult to see how
'And what I mean by convinced does not mean that wt theology is error free or understanding exactly the truth -but that God's Holy Spirit trumps. Fisherman'
and this
'My post was not intended to enlighten you. One does not become enlightened from others, one can learn from others though. But proof, evidence than can be verified, comes from God. That evidence that I refer to is God's Holy Spirit that trumps. If you do not see it, I cannot show it you because it is God that enlightens a person.'
As it I feel I would have to view what the apostle Paul said in the same light, but then we would be back to not claiming inspiration.
