Topics Started by peacefulpete

15
Dip Anyone?
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. bible
a quick comment regarding how subsequent gospel writers often felt an irresistible need to clarify or expand upon their sources.

in the last supper story, the gospel that came to be named after mark 14 has jesus declare that one of the twelve who eats with him from the same bowl will betray him.

17 and evening having come, he cometh with the twelve,18 and as they are reclining, and eating, jesus said, `verily i say to you -- one of you, who is eating with me -- shall deliver me up.
6
Apostles
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. bible
hear the word "apostles" and immediately the mind thinks of the contradictory lists of 12 men in the gospels.

however, the word (apóstolos) had a much broader usage in the greek speaking world, pagan, jewish and christian.

for simplicity i'd copy a few definitions.. the word apóstolos occurs only in the lxx in 1 kings 14:6, where it is used in a non-technical sense to represent the heb.
19
The World Today
by peacefulpete in
1. jw
2. friends
i've been meaning to share some recent experiences that defy the usual tropes about the 'world gone to hell' or 'people now days".. as some of you may remember i was seriously ill for a while and had to close my business and shop.

now, as it seems i have beaten it, i put up a sign again advertising that in a limited way i'm back.. what amazes me is how many times over the past 2 years customers and even competition have written and called to express their concern and best wishes.

just last week i had a personal visit of someone who i thought of as a rival, come in and shake my hand sincerely happy to see me up and around.
4
Help I'm Being Repressed
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
today's news included a small story about a libertarian post on x that endorsed the murder of vice president harris.

when there was outrage:.

demands for investigation after nh libertarian party shares threatening harris (msn.com).
7
Who is the Audience
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. bible
stumbled upon another small observation today and for some reason i've been in a sharing mood.

lol.

compare the synoptic variations of this pericope.
3
Farmer Noah
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. bible
it has been occasionally mentioned on this forum how the flood stories (j,p) interrupt the flow of the narrative of j (conventional name for primary narrative source for the primeval history) and create plot holes.

note how the removal of the flood stories leaves an unbroken narrative:.

28 when lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son.
4
Janus Faced Josiah
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. bible
the story of king josiah has defied simple explanation.

many readers have asked the obvious question, why does god not save the life of the best king and worshiper, 'since david'?

why does the prophetess hulda promise a peaceful death but the story rather has him die in battle?
10
Study in the Work of Late Redactors
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. bible
presently there are a number of hypotheses attempting to disentangle the sources and composition of the ot.

the 19th century approaches (wellhausen et al.

) opened the world's eyes to the reality that the torah and histories are the work of a number of contributors with particular agendas and vocabulary.
18
Out of the Mouths of Vampires
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. bible
one of the most quoted and loved passages of the bible has an unexpected textual history.

at matt 21:16 jesus is made to say:.

have you never read, ‘from the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself’?”.
20
So Let's Say Bigger Change Happens
by peacefulpete in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
if a change in the blood policy happens, who will be more upset, jws or former jws?

i suspect the latter.

when the beard thing went down, jw's seem to immediately embrace it, whereas many former jw's have been brooding about it.. did it take away a pet gripe we had?.