Posts by BelisemDeBelimakom

49

Military Service Confusion

by Sea Breeze in

can someone please call these three guys and tell them that the first gentile christian was an active duty roman military officer named cornelius.

these guys have been locked up for 25 years!.

BelisemDeBelimakom

Thank you See Breeze! Thank you truth_b_known!

Although in Luke 3:14 it is John the Baptist who is speaking, the idea remains the same: Jesus Christ nor apostles did not asked any officers (whatever their rank) to change/resign:

Nicodemus, member of Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1)
Joseph of Arimathea, a reputable member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43)

In fact, it was the same in the past, example from Elisha's days:

Naaman, the army chief of the king of Syria (2 Kings 5:17-19)

Additionaly, the famous verse which is used by WT regarding military issue, Matthew 26:52, is clearly being used out of context. Why Peter was carrying a sword? Why did Jesus allowed swords and later commanded his disciples to arm themselves? Luke 22:36.

Barnes' Notes on Matthew 26:52

"However, the most satisfactory interpretation is that which regards it as a caution to Peter. Peter was rash. Alone he had attacked the whole band. Jesus told him that his unseasonable and imprudent defense might be the occasion of his own destruction. In doing it he would endanger his life, for they who took the sword perished by it. This was probably a proverb, denoting that they who engaged in wars commonly perished there."

49

Military Service Confusion

by Sea Breeze in

can someone please call these three guys and tell them that the first gentile christian was an active duty roman military officer named cornelius.

these guys have been locked up for 25 years!.

BelisemDeBelimakom

This was the direction given to first century Christians

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (NWT)

"Nevertheless, just as (Lord) has given each one a portion, let each one so walk as God has called him. And so I give this directive in all the congregations. Was any man already circumcised when he was called? Let him not undo his circumcision. Has any man been called while uncircumcised? Let him not get circumcised. Circumcision means nothing, and uncircumcision means nothing; what means something is the observing of God’s commandments. In whatever state each one was called, let him remain in it. Were you called when a slave? Do not let it concern you; but if you can become free, then seize the opportunity. For anyone who was called in the Lord when a slave is the Lord’s freedman; likewise anyone who was called when a freeman is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; stop becoming slaves of men. In whatever state each one was called, brothers, let him remain in it before God."

Cornelius was called while he was an active centurion, and was not asked to resign or leave this position. Consequently he might well have continued working at the military.

21

2022-07-01--Additional Contribution Box!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

the watchtower wants more money!.

https://we.tl/t-jyt0susog5.

atlantis!.

BelisemDeBelimakom

8

2 Peter and Jude and 1 Enoch

by Parallax in

i'm new to the forum and i have a question about what was said in a 16-year-old thread at this forum.

a poster by the name of leolaia said.... the author of 2 peter did not recognize that jude 6 was an allustion to 1 enoch (just as he did not realize that jude 9 was an allusion to the assumption of moses and thus rephrased it incoherently in 2 peter 2:11), or he may have objected to the enochic reference (just as jude 14-15 was omitted in 2 peter 2).

in either case, the author overlooked the enochic allusion and instead recognized the passage as an allusion of hesiod and thus embellished the passage from jude with an allusion to hesiod's tartarus.. .

BelisemDeBelimakom

Early Church Fathers on Apocrypha/ Deuterocanonical Books

https://practicalapologetics.blogspot.com/2013/07/early-church-fathers-on-apocrypha.html

If they did all they can to remove/ban Apocrypha, Jasher and Enoch etc. from the Bible, then it is worth all the efforts reading those books and come to a conclusion (whether they are inspired or strengthens faith) by one's self. WT corporation also, directly and indirectly, rejects those books. This is yet another motivation to read them. The muslims are right when they say, the Bible is corrupted: seen the list of removed many books and altered/removed verses.

Other recommended books to deepen Bible knowledge that "fill the blanks":

The Book of the Bee

Edited and translated by E. A. Wallis Budge [1886]

https://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/bb/index.htm

The Book of the Cave of Treasures

translated from the Syriac by E. A. Wallis Budge [1927]

https://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/bct/index.htm

8

2 Peter and Jude and 1 Enoch

by Parallax in

i'm new to the forum and i have a question about what was said in a 16-year-old thread at this forum.

a poster by the name of leolaia said.... the author of 2 peter did not recognize that jude 6 was an allustion to 1 enoch (just as he did not realize that jude 9 was an allusion to the assumption of moses and thus rephrased it incoherently in 2 peter 2:11), or he may have objected to the enochic reference (just as jude 14-15 was omitted in 2 peter 2).

in either case, the author overlooked the enochic allusion and instead recognized the passage as an allusion of hesiod and thus embellished the passage from jude with an allusion to hesiod's tartarus.. .

BelisemDeBelimakom

From Youtube Channel of NathanH83

History of the Apocrypha in a nutshell:

The Apocryphal books were written before the time of Christ. Most of them were written in Hebrew by Jewish authors. At least 1 was written in Greek. They were included in the Hebrew Jewish Bible, and the Jewish Greek translation (used by Greek-speaking Jews).

The Jews took these books out of their Hebrew text very early on, about 90 AD or so. But the Christians still had them in their Greek copies (Christians were given the Bible before the Jews took them out).

So the Christians still had them in their Bible. But because the Jews took them out, then some Christians very early on wanted to take them out also, because they believed the Jews that they were never there to begin with (a lie). But the church required them to be left in. 3 church councils in the 300's required them to be left in the Bible. Jerome wanted to take them out, but the church wouldn't let him.

It wasn't until the 1500's when the Protestants took them out of the main body of text and placed them into their own section called "Apocrypha" (first time in history the Christian church ever did this).

Then in the 1600's Protestants in America started to print foreign language bibles without that section. But those bibles were few in the start. English Bibles had to include it by law.

In the 1700's, during the Revolutionary war, that was the first time an English Bible in America was printed without the Apocrypha (Britain forbade omitting that section in English Bibles up until then).

Then in the early 1800's Protestants convinced Bible societies to stop using money to print Bibles with that section.

By the time it was 1885, the King James Bible was no longer printed with the Apocryphal section, and the Apocrypha disappeared altogether from Protestant Bibles.

Then in the 2000's Christians like me realized we've been majorly ripped off.

39

ALL babies are "little enemies of God"...

by BoogerMan in

straight from the horse's gb's mouth - from the 2022 convention broadcast.. it's at the 38 min.

30 secs.

point of the jw broadcast: https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/2022convention/pub-co-r22_1_video.

BelisemDeBelimakom

Probably they will do some editing/cutting/censoring later as they did last year, so let us all make sure to save these videos offline.

19

Beards- just told by an elder

by dothemath in

i know this subject has been talked about lots over the years, just thought i would share a recent finding from canada.. while visiting with a group of friends, an elder (don’t recall how the subject came up) mentioned the local body had voted to allow brothers with beards be allowed to give talks from the platform.

(it was a very close vote).

the direction given was for each congregation to decide for themselves if that is now acceptable.. so some congregations will be for, and for many it will not.. it’ll probably be a long time before we see any pictures on the watchtower where they’re allowing this though..

BelisemDeBelimakom

10

My Eyes, My Ears ... arrrrrghhhh!!!!

by RolRod in

just saw this ..... https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/uzfp4q/what_in_the_hell/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share.

BelisemDeBelimakom

I can't unsee the compass and protractor symbolism on the wall, "The Inside Story".

Graduation party of Master Builders trying to please the High Priests (Octopope)...

6

2022-March 19, Announcements!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

https://www.filemail.com/d/zrgzxqdcygpyrsf.

https://we.tl/t-gykfqwzfms.

petra sends big hugs!.

BelisemDeBelimakom

Thank you Atlantis

"... about making upgrades to the Kingdom Hall to improve hygiene and reduce the potential for transmission of viruses. While we want the measures that have been approved to be implemented, do not wait to resume in-person meetings until such measures have been completed."

Can't wait, due to our "high regard for the sanctity of life".

20

7 Letters Requested--Cost Of Living Survey!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

cost of living survey worksheet--(assembly hall servants & construction servants).

cost of living survey worksheet--missionaries.

cost of living survey worksheet--special pioneers.

BelisemDeBelimakom

Thank you Atlantis!

- Cost Of Living Survey seems to indicate upcoming layoffs or on the horizon.

- "... many have chosen to get vaccinated to reduce their risk." GB pushed "no one", everyone was forced only by their own fear. Thus, GB (with their Update videos) can't be held accountable.

This sudden opening of the halls, or resuming in person meetings in full (no transition period), within such short time is very suspicious. The announcement method was a first of a kind, bypassing elders, leaving them very little time to do all these changes worldwide. Something's definitely up

- Do they want to collect mo' money by doing so? It doesn't seem to be the main concern but who knows, this is chess.

- Is it because they want to open halls before spring, let the disease spread all over and then finally "decide" to close the halls indefinitely? This will prove amhaareets that the only way to continue is by Zoom, seen the fragility of the herd; later it becomes obvious that the halls need to be sold so that more studios can be built.

- Are they preparing the way to layoff many of their "elites" (outside US most probably) or somehow force them to quit?