mark jones writes:.
if they were spied upon and it was reported to the elders they’d be “invited” to a judicial committee whereupon they’d be cross examined in a locked backroom by three men acting as judge and jury to decide if they are guilty.. .
if the elders decide that they are guilty, they’ll then decide if the person is sorry.
I, for one, wouldn't listen to Mark Jones because he only attacks JWs but he can't take it when they prove him wrong and he blocks them.
"Shouldn't Christians be encouraged to celebrate Christ's birth every day"
Heck no. His birth was simply a necessity of the time. The Shepherds did the deed at the time. Why would we need to?
1. the continuity and visibility of the church.
the true church must be continuous from the apostolic age.
there is no room in christianity for a "gap" or interruption of thousands of years during which true christianity ceased to exist and then was revived in the form of another movement.
"The true Church must be continuous from the apostolic age. There is no room in Christianity for a "gap" or interruption of thousands of years during which true Christianity ceased to exist and then was revived in the form of another movement"
That is definitely not true.
Jesus said in Matt 13 that there would be wheat Christians and when the sower (Jesus and the apostles) died off then weeds would overrun them. After that the differences would not be recognizable. Then in the time of the harvest, the last days the weeds would be discernable from the wheat.
That is what happened. When Russell and the later ones moved toward the truth, the wheat became discernable from the false Christian weeds.
proverbs 4:18 says, "but the path of the righteous....grows brighter and brighter until full daylight.".
the bible "light" doesn't get brighter - it never changes - it's a person's direction & course of life which gets brighter.. w11 9/15 p. 14 par.
15 - "when spiritual light on some matter gets brighter, do you try to understand the underlying scriptural reasons for the adjustment?
Blondie, the Watchtower has not made predictions.
Pre - before. Diction - speaking. Prediction means speaking before. Speaking before what? Things happening, but nothing happened so it can't be a prediction.
And who exactly is wanting the kingdom to come?
Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light That grows brighter and brighter until full daylight."
vs 14 " Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil men"
The context is about listening to the discipline from a father and gaining wisdom.
Then it contrasts of the path of the wicked to the path of the righteous.
But what does it mean 'like the bright morning light'? There must be more to it from the righteous perspective.
'That grows brighter and brighter until full daylight.'? It shows of change of something that gave them sight to something that makes their sight clearer.
Then vs 19 says the wicked are dark "The way of the wicked is like the darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble"
You all just focus on vs 18 but miss vs 19. The darkness of the way of the wicked is because they don't have spiritual light that gets brighter. They are just stumbling in the darkness.
proverbs 4:18 says, "but the path of the righteous....grows brighter and brighter until full daylight.".
the bible "light" doesn't get brighter - it never changes - it's a person's direction & course of life which gets brighter.. w11 9/15 p. 14 par.
15 - "when spiritual light on some matter gets brighter, do you try to understand the underlying scriptural reasons for the adjustment?
Why does this matter to you all?
the watchtower conflates two different groups into one fictional church-age group that according to the watchtower, are saved by works and faith/membership in the jehovah witness organization.
according to watchtower, only the now mostly dead 144k receive the promises of god regarding justification .
everbody else missed the boat and must work for their justification for a thousand years.
Spiritual Israelites are the Israel of God. Same thing.
"Yes, and there is no such thing as a Christian who is not born of and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Jn.3:3; Ro.8:9 Neither is there any Christian who cannot call God his Father or who is not justified by the blood of Christ. I Jn.5:1; Acts 13:39"
There are millions of Christians who have not been anointed with holy spirit. Anointed, not born of and indwelt by the holy spirit.
As for Romans 8:9 "you are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if God’s spirit truly dwells in you."
the watchtower conflates two different groups into one fictional church-age group that according to the watchtower, are saved by works and faith/membership in the jehovah witness organization.
according to watchtower, only the now mostly dead 144k receive the promises of god regarding justification .
everbody else missed the boat and must work for their justification for a thousand years.
"There is no 2nd class according to scripture. Ephesians 4:4 mentions only 1 hope."
There are 144,000 spiritual Israelites that fulfill Jehovah's promise to Israel about Israel becoming kings and priests. Revelation is clear on that they serve in heaven with Jesus.
There were billions that died before Jesus died and could not be anointed with holy spirit. Their hope is to be resurrect to life on earth
Then there are the many billions who died after Jesus but were never anointed with holy spirit. They are no different than the ones who died before he did. They are dead and in the grave waiting for the resurrection to life on earth.
Then there are the ones who don't die at all. They are the ones that John sees in Rev 7:14 as a great crowd of people who come out of the great tribulation.
i would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
Jeffro said "The story in Genesis doesn’t say anything at all about the snake being Satan, and doesn’t mention Jesus at all."
Genesis does not mention a snake. It was a serpent.
Rev 12:9 "So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devill and Satan"
Revelation ties them all together.
Also, it is well known and accepted that Jesus is that seed.
i would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
Vanderhove7:
"Yet eight million Jehovah’s Witnesses still tend to address God somewhat remotely as "Jehovah God". My take is that because Jehovah’s Witnesses do not know or relate to Jesus they do not understand or appreciate God as their Father."
Well, that is his name. But how do you know what 8 million JWs address God? Jesus addressed Jehovah as his Father because he was. Jehovah is not our father until the end of the 1000 years when everyone alive will be adopted as sons of God.
"Eight million JWs do not personally know Jesus Christ. The extent of their "relationship" with Jesus is tacking on his name at the end of their prayers. He is not their Saviour or even their Mediator."
What is there to personally know about Jesus? Jesus is our savior and he is the mediator of the new covenant with the 144,000.
i would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
"In the Lord's Prayer though, Jesus does not end with 'through Jesus Christ Amen', he doesn't even mention himself once in that prayer."
Well, it would be lame if he did.
But he later teaches that you approach his Father through him.
i would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
KerryKing,
The reason that Jesus died was to fulfill the prophesies.
