Posts by robB

34

Bart Ehrman...Jesus Existed

by XJW4EVR in

when the uber-liberal, agnostic bart ehrman says it...it must be true.. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bart-d-ehrman/did-jesus-exist_b_1349544.html.

The John Rylands papyrus is the start of evidence. It is dated by scholars to the first quarter of the second century, 125 AD. It is an incredible find. You have to understand the weight this gives to first century authorship of the NT. Consider Ceasar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, the oldest copy of this work is from the 10th century.

The Rylands papyrus not only gives unparralled weight to 1st century authorship, it also clearly shows how unmolested our copies are today. When the Rylands papyrus was found did anyone say, Oh we have to go back and change the book of John? No because this is what was found:

Gospel of John 18:31-33

ΟΙ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΟΙ ΗΜΙΝ ΟΥΚ ΕΞΕΣΤΙΝ ΑΠΟΚΤΕΙΝΑΙ
OYΔΕΝΑ ΙΝΑ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΠΛΗΡΩΘΗ ΟΝ ΕΙ-
ΠΕΝ ΣHΜΑΙΝΩΝ ΠΟΙΩ ΘΑΝΑΤΩ ΗΜΕΛΛΕΝ ΑΠΟ-
ΘΝHΣΚΕΙΝ ΕΙΣΗΛΘΕΝ ΟΥΝ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΠΡΑΙΤΩ-
ΡΙΟΝ Ο ΠIΛΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΦΩΝΗΣΕΝ ΤΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ
ΚΑΙ ΕΙΠΕΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΣΥ ΕΙ O ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥ-
ΔAΙΩN the Jews, "For us it is not permitted to kill
anyone," so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he sp-
oke signifying what kind of death he was going to
die. Entered therefore again into the Praeto-
rium Pilate and summoned Jesus
and said to him, "Thou art king of the
Jews?"

Gospel of John 18:37-38

ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΕΙΜΙ ΕΓΩ ΕΙΣ TOΥΤΟ ΓΕΓΕΝΝΗΜΑΙ
ΚΑΙ (ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΤΟ) ΕΛΗΛΥΘΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟΝ ΙΝΑ ΜΑΡΤY-ΡΗΣΩ ΤΗ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΠΑΣ Ο ΩΝ EΚ ΤΗΣ ΑΛΗΘΕI-
ΑΣ ΑΚΟΥΕΙ ΜΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΦΩΝΗΣ ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΩ
Ο ΠΙΛΑΤΟΣ ΤΙ ΕΣΤΙΝ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΚAΙ ΤΟΥΤO
ΕΙΠΩΝ ΠΑΛΙΝ ΕΞΗΛΘΕΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΙΟΥ-
ΔΑΙΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΕΓΕΙ ΑΥΤΟΙΣ ΕΓΩ ΟΥΔEΜΙΑΝ
ΕΥΡΙΣΚΩ ΕΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΑΙΤΙΑΝ

a King I am. For this I have been born
and (for this) I have come into the world so that I would
testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth
hears of me my voice." Said to him
Pilate, "What is truth?" and this
having said, again he went out unto the Jews
and said to them, "I find not one
fault in him."

You can listen to morons endlessly try to discredit the Bible, but for a moment, consider the text on this fragment and look at the words in a modern copy of the Bible. Marvel at the transmission of these words for 2000 years. It makes people shut up.

If you would suggest the Bible has been altered, on what grounds should I consider the Nag Hammurabi or Dead Sea scrolls?

34

Bart Ehrman...Jesus Existed

by XJW4EVR in

when the uber-liberal, agnostic bart ehrman says it...it must be true.. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bart-d-ehrman/did-jesus-exist_b_1349544.html.

robB

Nuts!!!

The NT manuscript evidence undebatedly supports 1st century authorship. Start with the John Rylands papyrus and compare that to anything from antiquity, then consider the additional thousands of pieces of MS evidence coming from commentaries quoting the NT from the 2nd - 5th centuries. Arguing against it is as narrowminded as a JW denying the prophecies of CTR. Reread the Gospels. It's in your face. Everywhere you can find the names, places and events supporting the messiahship of Jesus. You can't heal people that do not exist. That Paul's point in Acts in his trial with Agrippa (26:26).

You can decide not to be grateful to God but you cannot deny that God has left enough physical evidence to reasonably put your faith in his Son.

You people's problem is that you are so used to someone lying to you, you cannot tell when someone is telling the truth. And the False Prophet wins.

32

How to Help Someone Leave - New Article

by jwfacts in

there have been a few threads asking how to help someone leave, and i get asked that regularly by email.

i have posted a new article at http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/helping-someone-leave.php.

please feel free to offer any suggestions or point out any errors.

robB

Well done!

9

Is it really "THERE"? Why Armageddon never comes

by Terry in

i think the witness mind looks at armageddon the same way everybody else looks out into the distance at the horizon line.. .

it appears to be solidly, irrevocably there.

but, as you sail forward faster and faster approaching that horizon you never gain even.

robB

My theological position accepts a fulfillment for the Armageddon prophecy. I start with literal expectations first (just a method, not a doctrine). You know like, the Israel literally went into Egypt and then literally left. Moses said one like him was coming. The king of the Israelites would come from Judah. Etc. And since the people of Israel are back in the land of Israel, things are still looking pretty good for me.

I'm also betting that the 144K are actually unmarried Jewish men who will preach to the Jewish people so that the prophecy concerning Zechariah 12:10 is fulfilled which also ties up some lose ends Paul talks about in Romans. Don't forget the Jews. God doesn't. And when he makes unconditional promises, he keeps them.

Some folks will wonder how it could happen that the whole world could be gathered against Israel. Think about what will happen in Israel attacks Iran and gasoline gets rationed? I'm not saying this is how it will happen but it makes you think.

If the GB paid real close attention, they'd see that the person talking in Zech 12 is Jehovah Jesus.

16

reading Crisis of Conscience

by d in

i have started to read crisis of consicence.

it is mindblowing and upsetting because of the lies i believed..

robB

Is CoC really that good? I have a die hard friend in the org. How can I get him to read it?

12

the future of the WTBTS

by robB in

robB

Install IE 9 and lose your ability to submit data at jehovahs-witness.net. Proof that Gates is in cohoots with the GB to control your mind. Ha ha. Well I have that fixed now.

I suspect the WT will quietly dump all of the 1914 stuff, the blood stuff and all of the other exteme views. It seems to me that the strategy from the beginning has been to build on antagonism. Like Hitler using the Jews. Now that they are big enough, they can dump the looney stuff and still keep many of their millions of believers.

140

Blame the designer and not the product: God and the lame Free Will argument

by Terry in

this is the one thing nobody is ever able to explain to me!.

if a genius designs something to operate in a specific way in order to obtain a precise outcome and it doesn't work---tell me again why we don't blame the genius designer/manufacturer??.

oh--that free will maguffin!.

robB

Please can you explain what this means? - They are, after all, our fellow moral agents

Angels (Good or Bad) are moral agents like us. We are not God. We are self aware. We are capable of good and bad.

140

Blame the designer and not the product: God and the lame Free Will argument

by Terry in

this is the one thing nobody is ever able to explain to me!.

if a genius designs something to operate in a specific way in order to obtain a precise outcome and it doesn't work---tell me again why we don't blame the genius designer/manufacturer??.

oh--that free will maguffin!.

robB

Fixed!!!!

I think about determinism and free will all of the time. I can't make complete sense of it yet. Here are some things I really think deeply about:

I was chosen by God before time began. (Eph)

God will complete the work he has started in me. Election, Justification, Sanctification, Glorification (Rom)

God overrides people's freedom all over the OT and NT. (Think about the hardening of Pharaoh, think about Jews who had to reject Christ according to prophecy from Isaiah).

People are always begging God to override other people's free will when it comes to getting a job or getting a house or some other deal. (Please God, make them pick me! (but your will be done)(but oh please make them pick me!).

Do Satan and the Demons have free will? Does a demon ever do a good deed? They are, after all, our fellow moral agents

140

Blame the designer and not the product: God and the lame Free Will argument

by Terry in

this is the one thing nobody is ever able to explain to me!.

if a genius designs something to operate in a specific way in order to obtain a precise outcome and it doesn't work---tell me again why we don't blame the genius designer/manufacturer??.

oh--that free will maguffin!.