Posts by TerryWalstrom

This compilation of recent CHANGES in teaching apply to most (not all) of the questions above. I'll let you look it over for reference before giving specific answers to each numbered question above.

When did the inspection and cleansing work take place?

Old Light: 1918 / 1919

New Light: 1914 / 1919 - During that period, Jesus and his Father came to earth while they conducted the processes.

Who is the Faithful and Discreet Slave? When was its origin?

Old Light: All anointed Christians had been under the umbrella title of Faithful and Discreet Slave. The GB was the representative of the larger FDS body, beginning at 33 C.E. Jesus and the members of FDS, including who were already in heaven (known as The Kingdom of God), provided information to earth through its earthly representative, the Governing Body.

New Light: The GB limits the meaning of “Faithful and Discreet Slave” to itself. The first appointment took place in 1919. At that time the slave was appointed “over the domestics” to give them “food at the proper time.” The GB removed the other spirit-anointed from the “Slave” class.

Who were the ‘domestics’ the slave was appointed over? When did it occur?

Old Light: Previously, the term “domestics” meant only the spirit-anointed. This meant that the Governing Body was responsible for feeding just the members of the 144,000 who were living on earth beginning in 1919.

New Light: The GB has now expanded the “domestics” to include the “great crowd” class in 1919.

When are the beginning / end of the Great Tribulation?

Old Light: The Great Tribulation had three phases beginning in 1914 as the pivotal marker which identified the start of the “Great Tribulation”. This tribulation was interrupted in 1918. They had taught that (phase three) the Great Tribulation would end at Armageddon.

New Light: The Great Tribulation begins at a future time “when the United Nations … attacks Christendom … and the rest of Babylon the Great.” (Note: ‘Attack’ means a nonviolent attempt to curtail and eliminate all religious activities throughout the world.)

What is the difference between the ‘presence’ of Christ and his ‘coming’?

Old Light: the Watchtower Society has taught the two-stage: “a presence [parousia] to be followed by a “coming” [er-kho-mai] for judgment scenario. Russell taught that the secret parousia (“presence”) had taken place in 1874 which was to be followed by a 40- year period of harvest. Russell taught that when this harvest terminates in 1914 an unprecedented peace would descend on earth under the auspices of the Zionists. For about 56 years, the WTS taught that the parousia had taken place in 1874.

New Light: From about 1930, the organization has claimed that the parousia (“presence”) took place in 1914 (replacing 1874) with the (er-kho-mai) to take place in the very near future.

When and how is the parable of the Ten Virgins and Talents fulfilled?

Old Light: The GB previously taught that the parables of the Virgins and of the Talents relate to Jesus’ past “coming” in 1918.

New Light: The Watchtower magazine of July 15, 2013 states it has moved events from 1918 to a point in the future. This movement includes the positions of the Parable of the Virgins and the Parable of the Talents, which relate to Jesus’ future judgment during the future Great Tribulation, which is associated with Jesus’ future “coming-arrival”.

Is the future “coming” of Jesus at the Great Tribulation visible or invisible?

Old Light: Previously, the GB linked the “coming-arrival” to the invisible inspection in 1918 and to the appointment of the slave over all things in 1919.

New Light: Having moved the “Great Tribulation” into the future, the GB links it with the future literal visible “coming / appearing” of Jesus. The GB now says that it is at this time that the Slave (the GB) will be happy if they are found to be doing the right things. The GB affirms that it now teaches that Matthew 24:30, 42, 44, 46, 47 and 25:31 refer to the future time of judgment during the future Great Tribulation.

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When is the judgment of sheep and goats to occur?

Old Light: The GB writes that the organization had previously thought and taught that the judging by Jesus took place “during the entire period of the last days from 1914”.

New Light: The GB now places the judgment totally in the future, linking it to their future start of the “Great Tribulation.”

At Armageddon, what is the disposition of the anointed?

Old Light: The Watchtower, May 1, 1942, page 133 article unequivocally states that the anointed (remnant of his ‘little flock”) will definitely survive Armageddon and spend some time on earth following its conclusion. The Watchtower magazine of August 15, 1990 said they did not know whether some will survive the great tribulation and live on earth.

New Light: The Watchtower, July 15, 2013, page 8, the GB now says that it “appears” all anointed ones will go to heaven before Armageddon breaks out. This ‘adjusts’ all previous adjustments.

How long has Jehovah had a ‘channel of communication’ with his faithful Christian worshippers?

Old Light: "Throughout the centuries there have always been truth lovers. To mention just a few: John Wycliffe (c. 1330-1384) and William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536) furthered the work of Bible translation even at the risk of their life or freedom. Wolfgang Fabricius Capito (1478-1541), Martin Cellarius (1499-1564), Johannes Campanus (c. 1500-1575), and Thomas Emlyn (1663-c. 1741) accepted the Bible as God's Word and rejected the Trinity. Henry Grew (1781-1862) and George Storrs (1796-1879) not only accepted the Bible and rejected the Trinity but also expressed appreciation for the ransom sacrifice of Christ. Although we cannot positively identify any of such persons as "the wheat" of Jesus' illustration, certainly "Jehovah knows those who belong to him."" Jehovah's Witnesses-Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.44

New Light: The GB says there was no “organized channel” from 101 CE to at least 1914, due to apostasy.

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There are a some specific doctrinal changes spelled out in the March 15, 2015 Watchtower (the “Study Edition” available on the JW.ORG website).

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62

NAILING DOWN the fraud of John 1:1 by demonstration

by TerryWalstrom in

call me crazy, but i love to watch seminary classes when sharp teachers are in charge of the instruction.. in the following video, the teacher really nails jehovah's witnesses on john 1:1 with utter simplicity.. begin at 1 hour and 20 minutes in.. i've never seen or heard of this before.. .

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5qkj7tmbg.

TerryWalstrom

Is that online, TD?

303

The best reasonable, rational, intelligent discussion on religion I've ever seen

by TerryWalstrom in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k

TerryWalstrom

Twitch, take it easy, Bro!

Tell us who you're directing the pointy end of the stick toward.

I must say the original topic has engendered some wacky, waving, inflatable, arm-waving tubeman contortions!

http://i.imgur.com/GXsdtkw.jpg?1

11

NWT reasons, excuses, and assertions for inserting the Tetragrammaton (JEHOVAH)

by TerryWalstrom in

http://tetragrammaton.org/wtarticle.html.

a summary statement of the writers' error.

we believe the writers of the august 1, 2008 watchtower magazine article, should the name jehovah appear in the new testament?

TerryWalstrom

Phizzy says: What I am hoping is that some very early copies of the N.T books are found, much earlier than we have now, and of course they will not contain YHWH in any form, simply Kyrios.

______________________________________

It has been reported that a 1st century copy of Mark has been found and is currently being examined by experts.

On Bart Ehrman's blog he has written:

" I would be downright thrilled, in every way. This would be a great event.

It would NOT be because it would force us to rethink anything. But it would be precisely because it almost certainly would confirm with hard evidence what we already think on the basis of less hard evidence. I’ve already indicated why it’s difficult to believe that a small scrap of a manuscript from around 100 would change anything, or that it would confirm what a group of wide-eyed fundamentalists might think about the Bible, or what a group of hard-nosed atheists might think about the Bible, or what a group of anyone in between might think about the Bible.

But historians who work with texts are passionate about their texts. At least this one (yours truly) is. And any early manuscript of any early text is an absolute treasure, to be cherished above nearly all things textual. If this thing turns up, it will be another piece in the puzzle. One new piece is not going to change the appearance of the puzzle. But who, working a jigsaw puzzle that is missing most of its pieces, is not elated when a new piece is discovered that fits in with everything else? That makes it possible – and conceivable – that more pieces will turn up. And if a LOT of new pieces start turning up, then it is in fact possible that the overall picture that is emerging from the assemblage of those pieces will start to change.

You cannot have LOTS of pieces – our ultimate desire as textual historians – until you get the FIRST piece. Of course, this piece – if it shows up – will not be the first piece of our puzzle or the first newly discovered piece. We already have over 115 (fragmentary) papyrus manuscripts of the New Testament, dating, roughly from the second to the seventh centuries, almost all of them discovered over the course of the past century. But this, if living up to the hype, would be one of the two earliest, if not the earliest. So it would be a significant piece, and, arguably, the first to be dated this early (P52 is usually dated to 125 CE, plus or minus 25 years – although recent reexaminations suggest that this date may be too early, possibly by a 80-100 years!). And about that, every textual scholar on the planet, of whatever persuasion, would be thrilled."

62

NAILING DOWN the fraud of John 1:1 by demonstration

by TerryWalstrom in

call me crazy, but i love to watch seminary classes when sharp teachers are in charge of the instruction.. in the following video, the teacher really nails jehovah's witnesses on john 1:1 with utter simplicity.. begin at 1 hour and 20 minutes in.. i've never seen or heard of this before.. .

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5qkj7tmbg.

TerryWalstrom

Compare the Mounce (Bible gateway) and the online version sourced Textus Receptus

http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm

62

NAILING DOWN the fraud of John 1:1 by demonstration

by TerryWalstrom in

call me crazy, but i love to watch seminary classes when sharp teachers are in charge of the instruction.. in the following video, the teacher really nails jehovah's witnesses on john 1:1 with utter simplicity.. begin at 1 hour and 20 minutes in.. i've never seen or heard of this before.. .

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5qkj7tmbg.

TerryWalstrom

The subject "God" is in the arse end of the new translations because of the source texts of Westcott and Hort.

By using the Textus Receptus instead, God is the subject rather than the predicate nominative, which leaves Jehovah's Witnesses with nothing to hide behind in rendering "a" god.

I find that very simple and elegant.

14

BBC news--terrorist was raised a JW

by stan livedeath in

i just caught bbc news--arrested terrorist was previously a jw before converting to islam

TerryWalstrom

Both groups are comfortable with absolutist beliefs.

Both groups are okay with the destruction of everybody but themselves,

Both groups subjugate women.

Both groups see themselves as peaceful.

Inside these groups, the majority of the believers manage to cope with 'normal' life by simply ignoring the fringe elements through dismissing the evil as non-representative of the whole.

Loyalty to the governing leaders displaces individual responsibility to humanity.

Other than the above, I see no connection whatsoever.

51

EXPERTS ONLY! A Pop Quiz on (current) Watchtower teaching

by TerryWalstrom in

pop quiz on jw (current) teaching.

1. was jesus 2nd coming in 1914?.

2. is jesus 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his coming?.

TerryWalstrom

So Terry when are you going to post the answers?

I cant wait!

_______________________

I must confess it is enjoyable to survey just how disconnected we all have become from 'firm' knowledge of official Watchtower Doctrine. And, who could blame anybody for wanting to wash their hands of all the nonsense?

I think we all agree, when the Internet was born (thanks, Al Gore:) the Watchtower was jerked out of their safe waters onto the deck of the Good Ship Disclosure. For at least the last 15 years, this desperate fish has flipped and flopped like crazy, gasping for relief from the endless parade of devastating revelations about Governing Body confusion as to exactly what they are teaching and why!

I'm equally curious as to the assault Science has made on Mormon claims of 'restored Truth.' Genetic research and archeology have delivered blow after blow--often by Mormon scholars--but, the Internet has been especially cruel.

The official statement of the Mormon Apostolic leadership is that scholars should stick a cork in it because: "it is not faith-building" to tell the truth. Ha ha ha ha ha.

________________________

Anyway, I'll post the answers after a couple of more days. There have been some excellent posts herein. I continue to watch and read with fascination!

11

NWT reasons, excuses, and assertions for inserting the Tetragrammaton (JEHOVAH)

by TerryWalstrom in

http://tetragrammaton.org/wtarticle.html.

a summary statement of the writers' error.

we believe the writers of the august 1, 2008 watchtower magazine article, should the name jehovah appear in the new testament?

TerryWalstrom

I should maybe have said, "A fun and mental error."