Posts by The Searcher

11

What is THE lie?

by The Searcher in

2 thessalonians 2:11; "so that is why god lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie....".

this scripture has intrigued me for quite a while.

exactly what is "the lie"?

The Searcher

2 Thessalonians 2:11; "So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie...."

This scripture has intrigued me for quite a while.

Exactly what is "the lie"? It's singular - it's not speaking about various lies or deceptions, only one!

So what lie (amongst His own people) could possibly be so reprehensible and odious in Jehovah's eyes?

My guess is this; "that the Christian Greek scriptures were written solely for and about, those who would rule with Christ." (but by extension, the principles apply to the so-called "other sheep")

This teaching invalidates and conceals so many Bible's truths.

Anyone have any other ideas for "the lie"?

2

Fake Blood Transfusions Due to Fake Doctrine

by The Searcher in

this apparently is not a new story, but it is one about which i have just received an email.. thanks to the unscriptural and odious teaching that blood fractions are "a matter of conscience", our brothers and sisters can be advised by the hlc that even blood fractions from cows are ok!!!

so it's ok to accept the lovely steering wheel from a stolen ferrari, but not the car itself?

"the heart is more treacherous"........etc.

The Searcher

This apparently is not a new story, but it is one about which I have just received an email.

Thanks to the unscriptural and odious teaching that blood fractions are "a matter of conscience", our brothers and sisters can be advised by the HLC that even blood fractions from COWS are ok!!!

So it's OK to accept the lovely steering wheel from a stolen Ferrari, but not the car itself? "The heart is more treacherous"........etc. etc.

Didn't Jehovah direct that blood had to be poured out on the ground? I don't remember reading anything about saving bits of it that might be useful for something.

I really fear for brothers & sisters who can't reason from the Scriptures for themselves, but are happy to have their ears tickled by others.

I suppose that's one of the reasons that we've been warned that the GB does not sanction any meetings of Witnesses outwith their oversight.

http://utopianist.com/2011/05/synthetic-blood-saves-australian-womans-life/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18545113

17

Who get baptized in holy spirit, and when?

by The Searcher in

my wife asked me a very simple, but profound question; "when does someone who claims to be anointed, get baptized in holy spirit?"..

i'd never thought of it before, but it quickly dawned on me that in general, anyone who claims to have the heavenly hope, never had it at their baptism.

they almost always received their 'calling' after several years as a christian.

The Searcher

@ Listener

Lovely & reasonable comment.

The sad thing is, that some maintain that when it comes to Jehovah's holy spirit, there are 2 classes of recipients; those who are baptized in it and go to heaven, and those who are only given it, and stay on the earth.

The God that I know and serve, does not discriminate who gets His holy spirit - as long as they are serving Him.

He never indicated in His Word that only the heavenly-hopers would be baptized in His spirit - it applied to everyone exercising faith in the ransom.

Paul stated that there is only one baptism - the same one for everyone!!!!

17

Who get baptized in holy spirit, and when?

by The Searcher in

my wife asked me a very simple, but profound question; "when does someone who claims to be anointed, get baptized in holy spirit?"..

i'd never thought of it before, but it quickly dawned on me that in general, anyone who claims to have the heavenly hope, never had it at their baptism.

they almost always received their 'calling' after several years as a christian.

The Searcher

@ bluesbrother & bobcat;

Thanks for the reference and your explanations which make it so easy to understand! All these years wondering, and now it becomes crystal clear!!

When you insert a man-made interpretation into the Bible, you then have to invent another man-made interpretation to try to justify the first one.

A quote in a recent study Watchtower from Brother Storrs said, "Let us compare Scripture with Scripture". Some people today don't seem to want to do that - they'd rather have their "ears tickled" and be told what the Scriptures mean.

A sincere question to any doubting brothers & sisters reading this; do you do deep personal Bible study or deep personal literature study?

There is a deep chasm between the two when it comes to certain "teachings of men".

17

Who get baptized in holy spirit, and when?

by The Searcher in

my wife asked me a very simple, but profound question; "when does someone who claims to be anointed, get baptized in holy spirit?"..

i'd never thought of it before, but it quickly dawned on me that in general, anyone who claims to have the heavenly hope, never had it at their baptism.

they almost always received their 'calling' after several years as a christian.

The Searcher

@wolfman - thanks for adding the Galatians Scriptures to help add force to the reasoning.

@ bobcat - thanks for your in depth detail, which once again highlights the fact that not all 1st century Christians had the heavenly hope.

Can you imagine a Jew approaching Jesus and asking, "Teacher, what good must I do in order to get IMMORTALITY?"

Jesus never promised anyone immortality, but always "everlasting life".

I despise the reasoning that the "anointed" are "baptized in holy spirit" but the "other sheep" are only "given it".

17

Who get baptized in holy spirit, and when?

by The Searcher in

my wife asked me a very simple, but profound question; "when does someone who claims to be anointed, get baptized in holy spirit?"..

i'd never thought of it before, but it quickly dawned on me that in general, anyone who claims to have the heavenly hope, never had it at their baptism.

they almost always received their 'calling' after several years as a christian.

The Searcher

My wife asked me a very simple, but profound question; "When does someone who claims to be anointed, get baptized in holy spirit?".

I'd never thought of it before, but it quickly dawned on me that in general, anyone who claims to have the heavenly hope, never had it at their baptism. They almost always received their 'calling' after several years as a Christian.

So when were they "baptized in holy spirit", thereby being subject to two baptisms? Hence my reasons for the following submission;

Baptized in the Holy Spirit

(Acts 2:38) Peter [said] to them: "Repent, and let each one of YOU be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of YOUR sins, and YOU will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.

(When would people receive holy spirit?)

(Acts 5:32) And we are witnesses of these matters, and so is the holy spirit, which God has given to those obeying him as ruler."

(Who qualified to receive holy spirit?)

(Acts 10:45-46) And the faithful ones that had come with Peter who were of those circumcised were amazed, because the free gift of the holy spirit was being poured out also upon people of the nations. For they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God.

(Was the holy spirit restricted to certain people?)

(Acts 11:16-17) At this I called to mind the saying of the Lord, how he used to say, ‘John, for his part, baptized with water, but YOU will be baptized in holy spirit.’ If, therefore, God gave the same free gift to them as he also did to us who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I should be able to hinder God?"

(John 1:33) Even I did not know him, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘Whoever it is upon whom you see the spirit coming down and remaining, this is the one that baptizes in holy spirit.’

(Paul said that there was "one Lord, one faith, one baptism"; (Do the two verses above apply to his words?)

(Acts 15:7-8) Now when much disputing had taken place, Peter rose and said to them: "Men, brothers, YOU well know that from early days God made the choice among YOU that through my mouth people of the nations should hear the word of the good news and believe; and God, who knows the heart, bore witness by giving them the holy spirit, just as he did to us also.

(To whom did Jehovah give holy spirit, and why?)

(Acts 19:2) and he said to them: "Did you receive holy spirit when YOU became believers?"

(What did Paul expect to happen to anyone who became a believer in Christ's ransom?

(Ephesians 1:13-14) But YOU also hoped in him after YOU heard the word of truth, the good news about YOUR salvation. By means of him also, after YOU believed, YOU were sealed with the promised holy spirit, which is a token in advance of our inheritance, for the purpose of releasing by a ransom [God’s] own possession, to his glorious praise.

(Ephesians 4:30) Also, do not be grieving God’s holy spirit, with which YOU have been sealed for a day of releasing by ransom.

(What sequence of events led to someone receiving holy spirit?)

(Titus 3:5) but according to his mercy he saved us through the bath that brought us to life and through the making of us new by holy spirit.

(Was Paul addressing his words to only those with the heavenly hope?)

6

Attention all brothers in the Ministry School

by The Searcher in

the ministry school beginning the week july 23rd, has for the 3rd talk, "what is the meaning of matthew 21:43?"..

.

The Searcher

Thanks for your elaboration Bobcat!!

I just wish that brothers would pause, think, cross-reference the Scriptures, & reason on what they are studying.

Also, having watched the new DVD release from the convention, "Walk By Faith, Not By Sight", the implications are clear to all who reason on the Bible.

6

Attention all brothers in the Ministry School

by The Searcher in

the ministry school beginning the week july 23rd, has for the 3rd talk, "what is the meaning of matthew 21:43?"..

.

The Searcher

Israel Judges Israel????

w87 3/15 pp. 11-12 - " The Bible directs our attention first to those who make up spiritual Israel. These are the 144,000 who have been chosen by God to share heavenly life with Jesus Christ".

" John’s vision of those standing on the heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb (whom natural Israel had rejected) revealed the number of this spiritual Israel of God to be 144,000 "bought from among mankind." (it-1 p. 1234)

it-2 pp. 1125-1126 Tribe - "Judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel." Jesus told the apostles that in "the re-creation" they would "sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Mt 19:28) And he expressed a similar thought when he made a covenant with his faithful apostles for a Kingdom. (Lu 22:28-30) It is not reasonable that Jesus meant that they would judge the 12 tribes of spiritual Israel later mentioned in Revelation, for the apostles were to be part of that group. (Eph 2:19-22; Re 3:21) Those "called to be holy ones" are said to judge, not themselves, but "the world." (1Co 1:1, 2; 6:2) Those reigning with Christ form a kingdom of priests. (1Pe 2:9; Re 5:10) Consequently, "the twelve tribes of Israel" mentioned at Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30 evidently represent "the world" of mankind who are outside that royal priestly class and whom those sitting on heavenly thrones will judge".—Re 20:4.

So, the Israel of God is the 144,000 - but Jesus got confused by saying that the Israel of God would be judged by the Israel of God?????

Revelation 7:4 shows that the heavenly priesthood would be taken out of the nation of Israel, and up to heaven to rule over the rest of the nation who were not taken to heaven.

6

Attention all brothers in the Ministry School

by The Searcher in

the ministry school beginning the week july 23rd, has for the 3rd talk, "what is the meaning of matthew 21:43?"..

.

The Searcher

The Ministry School beginning the week July 23rd, has for the 3rd talk, "What Is the Meaning of Matthew 21:43?".

24

CONVENTION FALSE INFORMATION - STOP IT BROTHERS!

by The Searcher in

we are always urged to "make sure of all things", namely, that anything we preach or teach is verifiable and true.

especially when we are referring to the bible.. at our convention, two things which came from the platform made me cringe, especially as one of the statements came from a regular and experienced convention speaker.

first; "over a quarter of a million new brothers and sisters were baptized last year - doesn't this show love on jehovah's part that he is allowing time for such ones to get to know him".

The Searcher

Interesting little point in the August 1st 2012 Watchtower, in the article dealing with the Gilead graduation;

"Brother Jackson urged the students to be sensitive to the direction Jehovah gives through his holy spirit, the Bible, and his organization."

Nice to see at least 2/3 of the credit given to the correct source!!