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Nana Fofana

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  1. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to TrueTomHarley in Jehovah's Witnesses Child Abuse / Pedophilia and the Governing body.   
    That being the case,
    This is by far the most significant fact to emerge from the ARC data. It is the one you should focus on.
  2. Like
    Nana Fofana reacted to TrueTomHarley in Jehovah's Witnesses Child Abuse / Pedophilia and the Governing body.   
    Okay
    Okay
    Now you've got it!
    Once again, you have nailed it. I am way way up there in the ranks and I neglect all my crucial responsibilities to spend oodles of time posting to malcontents on the net, some of whom are nincompoops. I am a veritable theocratic tweeting Trump - 
     
    But @AllenSmith is even more lofty than me. I would not be shocked if he were the alter-online-ego of Bro Jackson, himself, working out his frustrations on a backwater internet channel that the most clean organization in the world is portrayed by the  ARC as among the foulest. To say nothing of the mysterious @Space Merchant.Where does he come from?
    Come, come. This is the internet, the land of the liars. If you want people you can know and trust, go to a place where you can physically interact with them.
    I think you are not being forthright either. You appear to have accepted the case 54 data that JW's have a better prevention record than anyone else. At any rate, you offer no pushback to it, though you do on other things. And ...
    you acknowledge that the organization with the best record, though not perfect, is improving. So NOW is the time you decide that it is too foul a place in which to sully your  feet? There is more to you than meets the eye.
    When God finds out about the few denarious' debt you will not forgive your fellow slave, what will he say about the 10,000 fold amount that you owe him?
  3. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Space Merchant in Jehovah's Witnesses Child Abuse / Pedophilia and the Governing body.   
    What people need to realize is religious child abuse can't be stopped, in some cases it can be prevented a bit, especially in an imperfect world where child abuse and other vile acts run rampant and at times it is deemed "normal" by the general society, something people will find it hard to realize sadly. I, as a Unitarian, know that our denomination isn't immune to the likes of child abuse as well, with some being caught off guard of when it happens or the aftermath of it.
    But Child Abuse in general is far worse in the UK, regardless of institution, and a majority of the abuse is done by a male, mostly a family man and or relative who does such things. I believe there was a bust on a pedophilia ring right under the noses of UK officials (obviously the corrupt among law enforcement and officials take part in the child abuse): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/11/1000-children-may-have-victims-britains-biggest-ever-child-abuse/
    There were some grime things going on with that with children purposely being killed and or sacrificed, as they say.
    https://www.nspcc.org.uk/services-and-resources/research-and-resources/statistics/
    I got more information, even videos of investigation in regards to child abuse (mental also with what the victim had to say), but it may seem a bit disturbing for some here -  for the victims spoke of not just child abuse, but the killing of other children and human and or animal sacrifices. This also includes some things in the US, which has not really be talked about.
  4. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to TrueTomHarley in Plastic particles found in bottled water   
    There was a study in the Sun not long ago that found nearly all teens were found to have the BHP chemicals of plastic in their systems, which mimic estrogen.
    Should we be surprised at the explosion of transgender cases in the last 2 or 3 years? It has been found that transitioning such does not spare them from a 40% higher suicide rate than the general population.
    And maybe even the explosion of homosexuality over the last few decades.
  5. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Dennis Gilman in The special talk is now BEFORE the Memorial   
    Nothing wrong to expect others to agree with me; I just don't expect everybody to.  Insisting that everybody agree with me would be wrong.  Your error is that you expect (insist?) that everyone agree with you.
  6. Like
    Nana Fofana reacted to Dennis Gilman in Lesbianism and Jehovah's Witnesses   
    David scooped me.  I speak Spanish and studied German, so I know that both languages have words for lesbianism.
  7. Like
    Nana Fofana reacted to David Normand in Lesbianism and Jehovah's Witnesses   
    According to google translate German is Lesbische Liebe
    According to google translate Spanish is lesbianismo
    I don't know where he got his information. I just checked both the German study edition and Spanish study edition and he is incorrect. In Spanish they used " relación lesbiana cuando. In German they used einer lesbischen Beziehung 
    Easy thing to check. Takes just a few minutes. Not sure if this is the real issue that Jay was trying to highlight. 
  8. Like
    Nana Fofana reacted to Melinda Mills in Lesbianism and Jehovah's Witnesses   
    No word in German and Spanish for Lesbianism?
     
  9. Like
    Nana Fofana reacted to David Normand in Lesbianism and Jehovah's Witnesses   
    What is your point about this? Wong desires are wrong desires. Realizing what Jehovah requires may change that over time, but until then a person will have to decide what they want most: to serve Jehovah or be a slave to things that he hates. 
  10. Haha
    Nana Fofana reacted to James Thomas Rook Jr. in Memorial T-Shirts?   
    Huh?
    Naw ... I was thinking about very old microwaved a dozen times, cheese.
    If you have ever stepped in a Lego in the darkness, in bare feet, that other stuff might come to mind ....
    Ever come home from work and in trying to determine why your VCR is not working, discover the cassette opening is the same size as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
  11. Like
  12. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Dennis Gilman in The special talk is now BEFORE the Memorial   
    Since I have already said that you can keep your opinion, tat already shows that I don't expect you to agree with nor adopt my opinion.
    As for why:  It begs the question; Where is the limit?  Or are you saying that it is O.K. to just post a facsimile of any letter to the elders?  I guess that your opinion is yes, because you state that you " believe EVERYTHING that we do, down to the last jot and tittle of minutiae, should be public, open, transparent, and that we should be PROUD of it!".  I will forever disagree with that!
  13. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to TrueTomHarley in Memorial T-Shirts?   
    In fact, it was. It is contained in that article forbidding the use of copyrighted materials including artwork and logos, and the suggestion that Bethel may go after even friends who do this.
    As I recall, nobody screamed louder about this than you.
    As to the shirts themselves, I'm with @Steve Wilkinson. You will not see one at the Kingdom Hall. ideally none of our people will wear them in any setting. But any gift shop for any attraction features tons of such tacky fare, so time only will tell.
  14. Like
    Nana Fofana reacted to James Thomas Rook Jr. in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    When they make trees of "E Pluribus Unum", I will then go out and endeavor to  prune 'em.
     
     
  15. Confused
    Nana Fofana reacted to Witness in Why does the bible say the great crowd is in heaven?   
    The Great Crowd is a segment of the “144,000” -  the anointed remnant to come out of the Great Tribulation, victorious.  Rev 7:14,15  They are the last of the sealed priests to be added to God’s Temple.   Why should God change his ancient decrees about who it is, that stands before the throne of God?  It’s quite a stretch for Wt. to say a “great crowd” does this from earth. They know only priests are allowed to render sacred service in God’s temple; so they fabricated another story and quite a doozy, to mislead millions with untruth. 2 Pet 2:3; Heb.10:11; 8:1,2; 1 Pet 2:5; Rev 7:15
    “No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the Lord’s command not to enter.” 2 Chron 23:6
    “The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God. 
    They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening”  1 Chron 23:28-30
    “But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”  Num 18:7
    “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”  Heb 8:5
    The coming Kingdom of God results from the sealing of the last number of “living stones” into the Temple. 1 Pet 5:9,10; Zech 4:7-9  THEN, “New Jerusalem” is complete and comes “down out of heaven” to both rule and serve mankind.  Rev 3:12; 21:2  Revelation is primarily about this remnant conquering Satan and his last evil ploy. 2 Thess 2:9-12 They join the “144,000” who stand for Truth – blameless, with no lie found in their mouths. Rev 14:5 
    Rev 20:4-6 mentions the “144,000” reign with Christ during the thousand years, which started when Jesus ascended into heaven.  (Rev 5:9,10) These were never overpowered by the Beasts, to receive the “mark”. Rev 20:4 (Rev 13:15-17)  After the thousand years, the Great Tribulation begins when Satan is released.  Rev 20:2,3,7; 12:12,17  This is the time period when the last of the “144,000” (the number itself represents Truth), the remnant, are under attack by the two beasts of Rev 13.  Those that are victorious, are the “great” crowd – no one knows how many, with “great” having a further meaning than just a number.  Rev 11:1-11
    And since the Watchtower has admitted that Gog and Magog, and the Beasts of Revelation are most likely the same identities, this also signifies that the thousand years are ended.
    From Wt 13/11/15 pp. 16-20
    “The prophecy about seven shepherds and eight dukes has its major fulfillment in our day. The citizens of ancient Jerusalem were attacked by the Assyrians. IN THE NEAR FUTURE, Jehovah’s apparently vulnerable people will come under attack from the modern-day “Assyrian,” WHOSE INTENT WILL BE TO WIPE THEM OUT. (caps are mine) The Scriptures refer to that attack as well as the attack of ‘Gog of Magog,’ the attack of “the king of the north,” and the attack of “the kings of the earth.” (Ezek. 38:2, 10-13; Dan. 11:40, 44, 45; Rev. 17:14; 19:19) Do these represent separate attacks? Not necessarily. The Bible could be referring to the same attack under different names.” 
    By saying this, they are admitting there is no battle to face, no deception by Satan, a thousand years after Armageddon.  They can’t have it both ways, but they do try…
    “We are told that AT THE END OF THE 1,000 YEARS, Satan will be released from the abyss, and “he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war.” w15 5/15 p. 29-p. 30 par. 5
    The first Wt. quote above, states this attack would happen in the “near future”, and is also the Beast of Rev 19:19, which is the same Beast of Rev 13:1, who parleys with the Beast from the Earth/false prophet – but only for a little while longer. Rev 13:11; 17:15-17 
     Please, don’t let the Watchtower fool you!  Surely, it is obvious who fits the identities of the two Beasts - one a false prophet and the other a spirit-breathed/directed "image" - that come against the anointed remnant who are gathered together in the Watchtower. Rev 20:7-10; 13:5-7, 11,14,15
  16. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Melinda Mills in Why does the bible say the great crowd is in heaven?   
    *** Bible Citations ***
    Rev 7:9-10  After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. 10 And they keep shouting with a loud voice, saying: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 
     
    *** re chap. 20 pp. 123-124 A Multitudinous Great Crowd ***
    In Heaven or on Earth?
    12 How do we know that “standing before the throne” does not mean that the great crowd is in heaven? There is much clear evidence on this point. For example, the Greek word here translated “before” (e·noʹpi·on) literally means “in [the] sight [of]” and is used several times of humans on earth who are “before” or “in the sight of” Jehovah. (1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:14; Romans 14:22; Galatians 1:20) On one occasion when the Israelites were in the wilderness, Moses said to Aaron: “Say to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before Jehovah, because he has heard your murmurings.’” (Exodus 16:9) The Israelites did not have to be transported to heaven in order to stand before Jehovah on that occasion. (Compare Leviticus 24:8.) Rather, right there in the wilderness they stood in Jehovah’s view, and his attention was on them.
    13 Additionally, we read: “When the Son of man arrives in his glory . . . all the nations will be gathered before him.” The whole human race will not be in heaven when this prophecy is fulfilled. Certainly, those who “depart into everlasting cutting-off” will not be in heaven. (Matthew 25:31-33, 41, 46) Instead, mankind stands on earth in Jesus’ view, and he turns his attention to judging them. Similarly, the great crowd is “before the throne and before the Lamb” in that it stands in the view of Jehovah and his King, Christ Jesus, from whom it receives a favorable judgment.
     
  17. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Space Merchant in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    Yes, but what you need to pay attention to is what Jesus said prior to his words, of what he is quoting from "It is Written" For the very law itself of which Jesus quoted is in the Hebrew Old Testament, the Tanakh, but specifically in the Torah, of which a majority of the laws of which every born Jew followed from their youth into adulthood, and into their elderly life.
    Majority of Christians, even a few newbie Jehovah's Witnesses, tend to not be aware of such things, and when one becomes aware of this, they recognize that Jesus, was a born Jew under the law, and I have said this before, and I will quote what the Law met to Jesus.
    For if the people knew God and they knew the Christ, they know of whom they are to religiously worship with total and exclusive devotion, for God not only said this, for it is, again embedded in the Torah.
    The law was ridiculously important to Jesus and when he quotes, speaks of the law, he means it.
    Galatians 4:4 reads: But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law (see Matthew 5:17)
    In addition to that, in the Greek New Testament, Jesus conversed with scribes, and he spoke of the law, in regards to the commandants in the gospel of Mark, which what Jesus speaks of what is written is straight out of the Torah.
    Again proskuneos, for even in other translations, to bow down, to worship, to honor, pay homage, show reverence, adorn, etc. as I said before on this word.
    The man did not bow down to show an act of religious worship, he showed an act of reverence to the Son of Man, for if he religiously worshiped Jesus then it would destroyed what was written entirely of the very laws of which the Jews had followed since the days of Moses - if the Son is standing before them, surely they wouldn't do such, turning away from religiously worshiping him over the God of Israel, the Father of the very man who has been sent.
    If you had Jesus on your left side, and Yahweh/Jehovah on your right side, to whom you show worship in terms of ,adoration, reverence, homage, honor to and to whom you show religiously exclusive worship, great praise, servitude to?
    The answer would be quite obvious, but anyways, John 9 will not do you much, for majority of Christians agree that proskuneos has several meanings, and that it should not be abused to support the doctrine of religious Jesus worship instead of God the Father.
    For Yahweh/Jehovah is the Father of our Lord and Savior and a number of times Jesus even said it clearly that Yahweh is indeed his God and his Father.
    John 20:17 - Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
    You can't be serious... That is one of the oldest tricks some Christians will pull to justify something - in this case, devoted religious worship to Jesus instead of the Father, Yahweh.I wouldn't say if they stopped him or not, for if you understood how translators did this, they fit proskuneo with worship, and those who do not see scripture or put themselves in the mindset of those who lived in those days, they will easily confuse themselves, identifying the word worship in regards to religious worship. This was the same case in Luke chapter 24 (more detailed in Acts 1), with Pentecost taking place in Acts 2.
    And no, the NWT isn't the only one who uses other words that reflect proskuneos, let's not be hypocritical here. I have listed about several bibles in another thread in regards to proskuneos, and I will gladly re-post them here.
    John 9:38
    Twentieth Century New Testament (TCNT)-1898-1901
    Then, Sir, I do believe," said the man, bowing to the ground before him;
    Good News Translation (GNT)- [1966-1976]
    "I believe, Lord!" the man said, and knelt down before Jesus.
    Aramaic Bible in Plain English (ABP)- 1905-1997
    But he said, “I believe, my Lord”, and falling down, he worshiped him.
    God's Word Translation (GWT)- [1995]
    The man bowed in front of Jesus and said, "I believe, Lord."
    Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)-[1582] 
    And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down, he adored him.
    Darby Bible Translation (DBT)- [1867, with revised editions in 1872 and 1884]
    And he said, I believe, Lord: and he did him homage.
    Weymouth New Testament (WNT)- [1903]
    "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
    Young's Literal Translation (YLT)- [1862]
    and he said, 'I believe, sir,' and bowed before him.
    For the sake of the verse, I will post what it says in the NWT
    New World Translation (NWT)- [1984, revised 2013]
    He said: “I do put faith in him, Lord.” And he did obeisance to him.
    The list goes on, literally, in addition to those who put proskuneos in its place and or reverence, etc within said translations.
    For there are a lot of bible translations that will put worship and a lot more that will use a word that is related to proskuneos, but the question is where to use it, the right place to use it, etc, for a word placed in the wrong spot can easily shift false belief, examples like 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 5:7-8, etc.
    No verse, no matter the translation ever states that the man religiously gave devoted worship to Jesus, for the man simply did an act of proskuneos, be it honor, worship, obeisance, bowing down/to, homage, reverence, etc. That being said, I will not waste time putting information from both Hebraic and Greek Theologians and scholars on that word, for it is easily understood if one puts him or herself in the mindset of those in ancient days.
    Facts: in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication 
    ????????? (proskyne?/proskuneó) Greek Strong's #4352 - Short Definition: I worship Definition: I go down on my knees to, do obeisance to, worship.
    bow down (1), bow down before (1), bowed down (1), bowed down before (2), bowing before (1), bowing down (1), prostrated himself before (1), worship (32), worshiped (17), worshipers (1), worshiping (1), worships (1) from pros and kuneó (to kiss).
    Not really, I do not adhere to the KJV nor do I adhere to the NKJV (or any bible  that considers it's falsehood biblical canon, in addition to those that preach that uninspired verses are true), you'd be wise by now to know how I view such bibles, for I rely on bibles that stick to the oldest and most reliable sources possible, for the KJV and the NKJV stems far from this. For if anyone had noticed, I post more from the ESV bible in majority of my comments, sometimes from other translations, but most of the time, ESV.
    For you even seen my post towards Allen about Textual Criticism in regards to Mark 16, for 1-8 being inspired while verses 9-20 not being inspired, for such verses originated from the KJV translators, and such verses are nowhere to be found in the oldest source, reasons why some bibles today omitted such verses, and or restore some verses to its true meaning.
    You claim just now, assuming that I said the following: you felt the NKJV was the more accurate choice of translation of the Bible
    KJV/NKJV? Accurate??? Never...
    I welcome you to find where I said that and post it here, for everyone here knows my view of bible translations, what I use, and my strong opinions against the KJV/NKJV hence biblical hermeneutics and Textual Criticism scriptural facts, verse connection, and how important it is to stick to the oldest and most reliable source possible.
     
    As for religious worship and total servitude to God the Father:
    Exodus 20:3 - “You shall have no other gods before me.
    Exodus 34:14 - (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
    Deuteronomy 4:24 - For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
    Isaiah 42:8 - I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
    Matthew 4:10 - Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
    Luke 4:8 - And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
    Mark 12:28-33 (speak of the Law found in the Torah/OT; Shema Ysirael in addition to the commandments)
    Laws found in the Torah (it is written)
    The Shema - Deuteronomy 6:4-13
    Deuteronomy 6:13 (included in the Shema Yisrael) - It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.
    Deuteronomy 10:20 - You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.
    Jesus' exaltation, God making him Lord, giving him the name above every other name, putting Jesus at his right hand (as said in psalms 110:1), etc.
    I mean, the very title of this chapter by this writer in the NT even states the following - The Supremacy of God's Son
    Proskuneos is proskuneos, for none of the angels were ever told to religiously worship Jesus with total devotion.
    I refuted Cos on this weeks ago: 
     
    Negative, friend, Jesus isn't hidden from me because half the things I even said isn't being read by you, and every word and every post I make is 100% fact and true, especially in regards to scripture - and you assuming I said something which I have not said is a big error is , for a guy like me who has been against the errors in the KJV/NKJV since childhood, I would never turn my back and say such uninspired verses used in that bible is accurate, nor would I preach it as some do, or in this case, I would never state that such a bible is 100% for its practice of mixing inspired with uninspired to blind the masses, but here, no such words of me saying it is accurate is ever typed by me, for my view of the KJV/NKJV borderline Nazareth Vow levels, so to speak, if you know what that is.
    Anyways, I can easily correct how those last couple of verses you just posted without even taking into consideration of what they connect to, but I will spare you this time - unless you misuse verses and or mixing verses that do not connect with each other, or connecting things from scripture be it OT or NT when in reality they do not connect, which is some, for this goes for anyone. And knowing myself and experiences, I know what is true and what is false, and those who practice close to what is true vs those who adhere to what is false.
    For if Christ is hidden from me, I would not have been able to correct your wrongs, your errors, and the like, but if Christ is truly with you and you said I claim the NKJV is accurate, and I quote: You mentioned somewhere here, that you felt the NKJV was the more accurate choice of translation of the Bible.  Now, it appears you are leaning on the NWT when it suits you.  I find that rather interesting. - Witness
    I want you to be truthful about your words, to yourself, to everyone here, to Jesus, and to God the Father, who all are witnesses here and I want you to give direct proof of me saying that such things - if you cannot, then it is evident of whom Christ is truly hidden from.
    Do not expect to take parts of what I said and make it seem as I said such things, for I can easily pull up my comments from my history. I can tell you right now straight up, I do have a few typos elsewhere, but never would I acknowledge the KJV or the NKJV to be accurate, as you claim.
  18. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Space Merchant in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    Very well, but it still doesn't help you here, for you have said the following: It is the name of Jesus Christ that should be placed in Rom 10:13
    For it is true and clear as to what is really means prior to translators changing it: everyone who calls on the name of the YHWH will be saved. Therefore, the JWs are not in error in regards to Romans 10:13, nor is anyone who restores YHWH to that verse, or those who know which "Lord" the verse is informing us about.
    As for your other response: And if He wants our attention to be focused on His Son as our Savior, then, we should call on him.
    Remember of what is said already: no one can come to Jehovah/Yahweh but through Jesus (John 14:6), and no other means has been given by Jehovah/Yahweh for salvation than the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:12). For believing in the Christ enables one to receive the gift of God's grace by means of his Son - the free and full forgiveness of sin(s) through Christ.
    Also every knows why Jesus is called "Lord" already, so what the early Christians said in 1 Corinthians 1:2 is correct - for they too know that God has made the Christ Lord the very day he resurrected the Christ - hence why they thank God for the Christ, in addition to the words of Isaiah, for this verse connects to.
    On the contrary they have, if you even took into account of what I just explained previously. proskuneo also means worship (http://biblehub.com/greek/4352.htm), as well as obeisance, honor, reverence, homage, bow to/down to, etc. The very word that Cos, an Anti-JW around here, didn't get through his head, hence the heavy refuting to each of  his response drove him away from this section of the forums, in addition to hims caught lying, for him using John 8:44 backfired on him.
    1 Corinthians 15 verses 27 and 28 does not imply of which you said in regards to the following: worship to Jesus is perfectly acceptable to God.
    You must remember as to why God subjected all things to him, and also strongly remember of what God had said in regards to religiously worship and servitude him, don't add to God's word, friend for the very account those verses are under is in regards to The Resurrection of the Dead (Risen Christ).
    Yes, we are to honor the Son, in turn honoring the Father, but as I told Cos before, taking away religious worship of the Father and doing such to the Son and he alone will only spell a not so pleasant response from God, for Jesus himself, he even taught it is God the Father we must worship, remember when you quoted the account of the Samaritan woman, same thing.
    You really need to be careful.
    In addition to that, verses 27 and 28 have several other verses that they connect to, which further disproves your claim.
    For Jesus' response to Satan was clear as the blue sky and the sea: ‘You shall worship the Lord [YHWH] your God and him only shall you serve. - Matthew 4:10 (see Deuteronomy 5:9, 6:13, 10:20 and Luke 4:8).
    That being said, when one considers "religious worship" be sure to know to whom you are showing this "religious worship" to. For the idea or practice of "religious worship" to God's Son, Jesus calls in the category of Arianism, which is still a belief that is practiced today.
    You really have to be careful and not take the word proskuneo with a grain of salt, for better understanding of what that word means will make you very well aware of the word and how it is used in scripture and where it is used, for many translations tend to just throw the word "worship" everywhere proskuneo is even found. For such a word have several meanings, one of which includes the word worship.
     
    Negative. I only focused on Romans 10:13 as well as other verses within chapter 10 - for you have stated the NWT was in error in regards to this verse, which is a false claim on your part. I have not ignored a book in the bible, nor have I ever done so in the decades of biblical study.
    "Kyrios" does refer to Jesus, however, it also does refer to God the Father as well, as do others - scriptural facts prove this also.
    Kyrios means Lord, which also relates to Sir, Master, Owner, etc.
    David was the Lord (Kyrios) of Israel. So we see, for example, that Yahweh was the Lord of Israel and David was the Lord of Israel (1 Kings 1:36). The authority structure with God and Jesus is exactly the same. God made David the Lord of Israel and now God has made David's son Jesus the Lord of all the world. We would not assume that David is Yahweh because God had made him Lord.
    Abraham is Sarah's Lord, so Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my Lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" (Genesis 18:12; see 1 Peter 3:9). Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him "Lord" (1 Peter 3:6).
    The two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he arose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth, and said, "My Lords, turn aside, I pray you, to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise up early and go on your way."
    "Lords [Paul and Silas], what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:31). There are numerous people in scripture who are called "Lord (Kyrios)." As we can see the word Kyrios isn't exclusive to Jesus or YHWH - but anyone can identity which "Lord" is which between the two.
    For in regards to Romans 10:13, "Lord" is a directly referring to God the Father, not Jesus - for Jesus had already been mention as Lord a couple verses prior to verse 13 and the one who saves is indeed the Father, for his grace by means of his Son allows forgiveness of Sin.
    Take a good look here: http://biblehub.com/greek/2962.htm
    Again - The Message of Salvation to All. Believing and saying that Jesus, the Risen Christ is Lord and believing in the One [YHWH] who has raised him from out of death.
    All of Romans 10 is based on the message of salvation that is for all, friend. Since you use bible gateway, you can see that for yourself clearly.
    As for the other verses, I am well aware of what Paul has said, as also him affirming something that Jesus followed to the core while he was in his youth.
    That being said, there is a big number of verses of which each verses has a connection to, with some pointing back to what I stated previously, thus such verses when read are harmoniously connected, as stated before.
    I suggest you re-check your verses. I am very well adept in scripture and what is and must be taught and the like, and know what is true and what is false. You are making a claims you will surely not cash, friend.
    For falsehood can clearly be seen by sheer discernment and or what one prompting what is false is saying, assumption or taking the word of an Anti-Christian isn't the best route to go, for it clouds judgement and brings forth falsehood.
    "The picking of bad fruits will reap the consequence of bad indigestion."
    For the same can be said for taking in something and automatically clinging to it without understanding and or taking what is true, thus consequence follows suit in regards to one's blindness.
    I do not know quite a bit, I am very well aware of who they are, what they teach, what is their belief, etc. I have spent a 5+ years understanding their faith, as with others such as other denominations as well as the likes of Islam and Judaism, as well as mainstream Christianity, the real Babylon to true faith in scripture. Unlike taking into account of YouTube videos made by obvious opponents of the JWs, I actually speak to them for quite some time to understand their view of scripture., and with enough study and the like, I understand of where they are coming from, for they are among those who are doing whatever it takes not only to imitate Jess' example but strive to do what the scriptures say no matter what.
    You can bring up whatever claim you wish, for what has been posted before is usually one sided, but I can assure you, there is more than enough proof, that puts most Christians on their side in seeking truth than against them.
    You'd be amazed of how some of their opponents will even want to end Christianity in the US just to get rid of JWs, it is a brutal threat, and it has been said before prior to their ban in Russia, with some who retaliate saying if such was done to them in the US, it will spell disaster to Christianity as a whole in America.
    It is also another reason why most of us remain totally, 100% neutral with JWs - because we know by scripture of how God views our actions, and inciting, prompting, taking part, being part of, Christian infighting, persecution, conspiracy against such faith will spell disaster for us in the End Times.
    This is why even at the CSE Christian community, attacking their doctrine, speaking bad about them, and the like will only cause the JW opponent to be warned and or kicked out - for such attitude is Un-Christian, and it is unacceptable.
    That being said, one understanding the bible and or the scriptures, history too, over time, does not reflect a change in doctrine, an example would be that JWs, in the Bible Student Era once celebrated Christmas, until later on they gain knowledge through study and knew off the bat that Christmas isn't to be celebrated, thus how JWs are today with such holiday and or any Holiday for that matter, for the only thing they celebrate is the Memorial of the Christ. Over time, other Christians have followed suit, and I have posted this already to that Swihii guy on this forum, which you yourself have known this since you made comment on that same thread.
    Friend, you really need to study Greek, do not make the mistake as most mainstream Christians make. "me" or "my" in Greek is μοῦ (mou) Greek Strong's #3450. It also relates to "I", "me", "mine" "own", "my" (The simpler form of emou [of me]). μοῦ used in that verse (John 14:13 and also 14), so them revising it isn't all that of a major issue, unless you do not understand Greek or Strong's or if the JWs took out the Strong's entirely for a different word. Another thing to take into account is "me" also equals to another word in Greek, μέ (me) Greek Strong's #3165 which relates to  "I", "me ", "my" (A shorter (and probably originally) from of eme [me]). For both μοῦ and μέ are basically identical and both have been used many, many times in scripture.
    http://biblehub.com/greek/3450.htm
    http://biblehub.com/greek/3165.htm
    Other Strong's I will add here so you can better understand:
    Emou (ἐμοῦ) Greek Strong's #1700 - http://biblehub.com/greek/1700.htm
    Eme (ἐμέ) Greek Strong's #1691 - http://biblehub.com/greek/1691.htm
    egó (ἐγώ) Greek Strong's #1473 - http://biblehub.com/greek/1473.htm
    There are several others that are identical also.
    14:13  καὶ ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου τοῦτο ποιήσω ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁπατὴρ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ
    14:14  ἐάν τι αἰτήσητέ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐγὼ ποιήσω
    14:15  Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς τηρήσατε
    Jehovah's Witnesses Interlinear Bible Translation in Quote:
    Other Interlinear versions:
    http://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/14.htm
    http://www.qbible.com/greek-new-testament/john/14.html
    http://www.gospel-john.com/greek/chapter-14.html
    Note: Some Interlinear versions will remove the word, delete, completely instead of using anything from the Strong's or the manuscript. Reason: Stephens 1550 Textus Receptus (among others)
    The Link below has several versions of this verse (it shows you literally everything, even the vulgate), I will quote for both verses 13 and 14
    http://www.greeknewtestament.com/B43C014.htm
    John 14:13 - http://www.greeknewtestament.com/B43C014.htm#V13
    John 14:14 - http://www.greeknewtestament.com/B43C014.htm#V14
    John 15:15 - http://www.greeknewtestament.com/B43C014.htm#V15
    several more, but I will limit it to these two, you get the idea (the section like you can click on John 14 verses 13, 14 and or 15 and it will direct you to the verse instead of scrolling down entirely.)
    So if the JWs were wrong with their Interlinear, they those who wrote the Septuagint are in fault, the very high regarded source of which the Bible and the scriptures within the Bible originates from.
    But anyways, anyone who translates and or revives will take into account for what the Strong's say, and will place what they see fit in the translations, as long as it equals exactly to what the Strong's word means.
    Your claim of them being in error, is false - especially if the Strong's is accessible to the public who is even aware of such information - Ancient Greek.
    All in all, technically, it isn't a deletion of the word, unless you remove it 100% and or replace it with something other than what the Strong's or the manuscripts says.
    So therefore, the The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures from the Watchtower/Jehovah's Witnesses isn't in error.
    For you have a clear look at ALL the translations who base the scripture and or verse on the Septuagint and you can see who has it right quite easily.
    I already made comment to that of which you did not mention. Stewards among the Christian faith are those with duties of a stewardship, those who take seriousness and high consideration in the spreading of the gospel, as well as teaching it -  Shepherds to Flock, Disciple to Student, Teacher to Pupil etc. Jesus speaks  of prophecy concerning the end days and tribulations, he speaks of those who are to help in this work, those taking lead in spreading the gospel, who serves as stewards for him, a manager over the household of faith.
  19. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Space Merchant in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    Clearly a typo, as I expected you would go for that exact mistake I was unable to edit that day for I didn't spare much time to re-read my comments in regards to trying to reason with John. Plus this is exactly the very reason I said the following:  I can tell you right now straight up, I do have a few typos elsewhere, for everything prior to debating with Swihili and Cos had several typos. In addition to that, well over a majority of my comments was to not rely on the errors of the KJV/NKJV, even debunking the King James as I did against Cos here, you even saw my response to Allen in regards to Textual Criticism (pretty much meaning anti-KJ Bible), as to which I will also link below. For if anyone checks my history, they will see my view on the KJV/NKJV as to not be 100% inspired due to its errors, but to use a typo compared to the hundreds of comments I made, half of them against the KJV/NKJV, you have no ground here, therefore, my numerous comments pretty much shows the KJV/NKJV isn't accurate, it is not 100% inspired, it has errors, etc.
    For Textual Criticism comment to Allen: 
     
    For if I truly felt that is was the best translation, I would not have said what I said to Allen.Nor would my comments debating with shiwili and Cos would bear any ground. In addition to that, my comments on your thread would something else other than the ESV.
    For if anyone who adheres to Textual Criticism, does not 100% adhere to the KJV/NKJV, to anyone who takes into account of Textual Criticism, will know that such is a direct focus to the KJV/NKJV being in error and not accurate, for the addition of uninspired verses with what is inspired, thus blinding people and the falsehood that is taught from false verses.
    Another thing to add, clearly in that very thread I had several of my typos in, I quotes directly from the English Translation Version of the Bible for every single one of my responses to your response, which consist of Watchtower publications and KJV scriptures from bible-gateway, some of which that contained the uninspired verses that you linked to fit the response you were pushing then, hence John's response - to which I said the following in my response to you before I spoke to John:
    The fun factor here is I am the only one on this forum (minus all content) here who ever stated such and if you look up Textual Criticism, all of those comments are made by me, so you assuming I think the KJV/NKJV is somehow more accurate when 100% of the time I quote ESV and I speak against the King James, you are mistaken - nor are you even aware of my "other" comments to John.
    That being said, using my older comments that consist of typos (ignoring my response to you in that same thread) will not cover too much ground for you, especially when anyone can click my profile and simply look up "KJV", "NKJV" "Errors" "Textual Criticism".
    Another one against you, for you even knew my view on the KJV bible:
    My earliest comment to you on Posted February 11 prior to my comment to John (clearly all of this thread and another one, I had several typos here, and elsewhere - as I stated before you even posted a typo in order to accuse me of something of which I fight against every single day):
     
    That being said it is already clear as day that the KJV/NKJV in my eyes is not 100% inspired and I wouldn't trust such a bible in the hands of one who will use it to preach a falsehood - let alone even tough it on bible gateway unless I have to prove something to the KJV-onlyist.
    There is no such  2 versions prosskuneos, there is only one (if anything "part" of proskuneo is latreuo/latreuó -evidently means the same thing), let alone, there is only a single Strong's number for such word. John 9:38 has an occurrence of proskuneo and it is exactly of what I said previously.
    proskuneo=proskuneó=proskyne?=pros-koo-neh'-o=?????????
    I wouldn't really have to include them, for regardless of how it is pronounced, it means that same thing, one Strong, one Greek. The Strong's says it all, for if you clicked on the link it will be there.
    For 2 different cannot can't have the same Strong's. It is somehow ridiculous to think as such.
    Not really, for proskuneos is render to either of the words it is related to, for no one is foolish enough to trade religious worship of God to the Son because someone decided between adorn or worship, but ending up sticking with "worship", and there is only one denomination who will do such a thing.
    Jesus in the NWT? There is only one Jesus, and there is only one Septuagint. As I said before, there is only one proskuneo, one Strong's, there is not another version of it, nor is there another Jesus, nor is there another God.
    Revelations 5:12-14 - Proskuneo. Plus we see who is saying that word, and it was not God the Father. What is said in Revelations was that:
    verse 12 is the angels and myriads saying what is said, for they have said the following: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!
    The next verse: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!, continues with the four creatures saying “Amen! and onward, the elders fell down and worshiped (proskuneo).
    Why is this so? The verse points to Matthew 28:18, for Jesus has been given authority and power, next, we know he has become Lord and has risen because God has resurrected him, next, we know God had exalted him, made him above the angels in Heaven, therefore God's only command is seen in Hebrews, and the Angels bowed down to him or in this case, proskuneo.
    Now after the Messianic reign, it is a totally different situation, thus making God's true objective become known, for his original plan will be set in motion.
    There is a reason as to why such verses point back to the Four Gospels quite often and occasionally Hebrews.
    God didn't say a word here in regards to John's vision, well in this specific chapter of course.
    Facts:
    In the Septuagint – the Greek Old Testament – ?????????? is used to express the concept of bowing to show respect to a person in a position of authority; but it is also used to convey the concept of showing reverence and submission, either to the true God of Israel or to the false gods of paganism. About seventy-five percent of the occurrences of ?????????? in the Septuagint express the concept of worship, whether it be of the God of Israel or of the gods of paganism. The following are examples of this word being used to express the concept of worship to the God of Israel: the servant of Abraham bowed down in worship (??????????) of the Lord after he found a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:26); the Israelites in Egypt bowed in worship of God when they heard that God was going to deliver them (Exodus 4:31); during the dedication of Solomon's Temple—when the people saw the temple filled with the glory (remember what I said before about temple dwelling) of the Lord—they fell face down upon the ground and worshipped (??????????) the Lord (2 Chronicles 7:3).
    The Septuagint, the very manuscript that enables us to even have bibles today, it isn't hypocrisy for that is what we have for the originals have been destroyed. What is hypocrisy is those who tampered with the scriptures over time, something I stated here time and time again, Textual Criticism and the use of the oldest source possible.
    I believe, as do many others, Satan did have involvement with having his agents tamper with scripture, this is why today translations that try to restore bible verses to its original form, well from the copy, omit verses that you would normally find in the KJV/NKJV, for the verses found, there is quite a few, are not biblical canon - and such persons add to the word uninspired things not of God, examples like the poison and snakes, that Jesus saved an adulterous woman, things like that, to which believe believe to be true when in reality it is false.
    But Hebrew and Greek professor even acknowledge that in some translations, worship is throw into places it should be - the reason for this is some translations are attempting to pain Jesus as Yahweh/Jehovah, in doing so.
    Already obvious from my older posts. By honoring the Son, you honor the Father, vice versa. this reflects what is seen in Luke 10:16, John 15:23 and 1 John 2:23.
    But for John 5:23, Greek Strong's #5091 is being used here, 3 times it has been used. ???????, not ???????????.
  20. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Space Merchant in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    Stewards are also those who are taking the lead, examples being the apostles and other Christian teachers and bishops and overseers, etc. and or a freeman or a trusted slave/servant. An example of this would be Abraham to Eliezer of Damascus, for Eliezer is the steward of Abraham, and or his servant/slave, .
    (Titus 1:7 and 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2, as well as connected verses)
    Abraham and Eliezer - see (Genesis 13:2, 14:14,15:2, 23:17-20, Acts 7:4, 5)
    In Peter's case (1 Peter 4:10), he points out that Christians, Overseers and others are all stewards of God's undeserved kindness, which is expressed in a variety of ways - being in God's arrangement in which faithful servitude and or stewardship is carried out.
    Peter points out to all Christians, overseers and others, that they are stewards of God’s undeserved kindness expressed in various ways, and he shows that each has a sphere, or a place, in God’s arrangement in which he can carry out a faithful stewardship.
    Then again to accuse a group of being part of Babylon, yet buy into conspiracy is rather telling. There is a reason as to why some Christians do not encourage infighting and or enticing such.
    Incorrect.
    The Jehovah's Witnesses merely restored the name from the Tetragrammaton in that verse (as did others) - the only error made was removing/replacing it from the scripture, putting LORD/Lord in its place instead of Yahweh/Jehovah/YHWH, this is why basic Hermeneutical interpretation is very, very important. In addition to that, despite the name not being there, one can easily differentiate who is who in Romans 10 (or throughout the bible who is God and his actions and who is Jesus and his actions, etc). For this was the case with other translations who inserted and or restored the name of God back into scripture, some like the Aramaic Bible in Plain English for example, so the NWT is in the clear for that and not in error - as you claim.
    Facts: 
    Some try to prove that Jesus is Jehovah (Yahweh) by pointing to Romans 10:13 and Joel 2:32. The argument is made that Paul is here calling Jesus “Lord”. Since this is a reference to Joel 2:32, where it tells us that whoever calls on the name of Jehovah (Yahweh) will be delivered, Trinitarians as well as oneness believers claim that this means that Jesus is the same (sentient?) being (or person, in the case of our “oneness” neighbors) as Jehovah (Yahweh). Some translations render Romans 10:13 as calling upon Jehovah or Yahweh, in other translation, the name is replaced with LORD/Lord. Jesus (or Yeshua) is the means that Jehovah/Yahweh has provided for salvation (John 3:16,17), no one can come to Jehovah/Yahweh but through Jesus (John 14:6), and no other means has been given by Jehovah/Yahweh for salvation than the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:12).  
    Now, basic Hermeneutics again, Romans 10:13 points directly back to these verses:
    Joel 2:32 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah/Yahweh [LORD] shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah/Yahweh [LORD] hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.
    Acts 2:21 - And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [Jehovah/Yahweh] shall be saved.
    And yes, the early Christian did now who God the Father is, they acknowledged him openly on the opening of Romans chapter 10, soon they go into speaking about The Message of Salvation to All.
    Now as for Romans 10:9-13 it clearly states that not only they believe Jesus Christ is Lord(for God has made Jesus Lord upon resurrecting Jesus), and openly stated that they also believe in the One who resurrected Jesus Christ. For you to say the following "It is the name of Jesus Christ that should be placed in Rom 10:13" is wrong, for you clearly see that the Christians knew Jesus was risen because of God having a part in bringing back the Christ out of the dead (Firstborn out of the dead), and the book of Acts it is mentioned dozens of times and elsewhere in the Greek New Testament.
    Romans 10:9-13
    (9) because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [A] and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead [X], you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (11) For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. [C]” (12) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. (13) For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [D].”
    [A]
    Acts 16:31 - And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
     
    1 Corinthians 9:6 - Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?
    2 Corinthians 4:13 - Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,
    Hebrews 13:15 - Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
    [C]
    Isaiah 28:16 - therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
    Romans 9:33 - as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
    [D] Was already mentioned, Joel 2:32 and Acts 2:21
    [X]
    In scripture, mainly the Greek New Testament, speaks of the Risen Christ and or the Resurrection of Christ - Firstborn out of the Dead, the First-fruits , for such is important when knowing who the Risen Christ what is resurrection even means. It also speaks about God the Father being the one responsible for raising the Christ out of Hades/Grave, out of the pangs of death.
    Examples like
    Acts 2:23  and 24 - (23) this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. (24) God raised him [Jesus] up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him [Jesus] to be held by it.
    Acts 10:40-43 - (40) but God raised him [Jesus] on the third day and made him [Jesus] to appear, (41) not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him [Jesus] after he [Jesus] rose from the dead. (42) And he [Jesus] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he [Jesus] is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. (43) To him [Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through His [God] name.”
    For "through His name" is compared to to 3 verses, Isaiah 53:11, Jeremiah 31:34 and Daniel 9:24. For believing in the Christ enables one to receive the gift of God's grace by means of his Son - the free and full forgiveness of sin(s) through Christ.
    There are as many other verses in regards to God raising Jesus out of Hades. And these verses, and the understanding and context should not and will not be ignored.
    As for God making Jesus Lord
    Keep in mind also, that what Jesus Christ says or does (Shal'iah Principle) is not of his own, but originates from his Father and his God.
     
    Also Lord is common, for Abraham was Sarah's Lord, The Philippian Jailer calls Paul and Silas Lords, God is LORD/Lord and Jesus is Lord, etc.
  21. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to John Houston in What slaves of which religion is the "great crowd" of Revelation 7: 9?   
    You know you are almost right. Almost like Paul was before getting seen my Jesus. We believe just what you said. There will be survivors at Armageddon, a great crowd, just as John stated. Will they be all JW's? No, that is up to Jehovah God, not us. And to,become free of death that comes at the end of the 1000 years after Satan is released one last time. Again we agree with you. That is in scripture. You have issues with this religion, but Jesus taught from village to village, Paul went from house to house. So we take this message of the Kingdom as they did; exactly as they did! You have picked out bad points you dislike about us, that's ok. But make the truth right about us always, ok? You may have been one of us, sorry, but if not try not to askew what you think is fact about this religion. Know what is truly going on, not what you feel. Ok? Organized gatherings of liked beliefs was what Paul stressed at Hebrews 10:24,25. That is what we do. And Paul stressed that they be done in an orderly fashioned, also.
    Why did Jesus leave Nazareth? Did Jesus leave the Jewish religious establishment while alive, even after his baptism? As a youngster, in the household he followed his parents and went to Jerusalem for the yearly festivities; and even after his baptism he continue to celebrate them even though he called the religious leaders 'hypocrites'. Your assumption is false, would your full premise also be false? It only takes one! Paul was leaning in the wrong direction and had to be corrected, right? I do not know what drives you, but the basis for this rant is incorrect. You have the right, but it is incorrect. Have a great day.
  22. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to James Thomas Rook Jr. in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    The key to understanding anything ... is CONTEXT!
    In context, what is being said is "If you are invited in as a guest, and shown hospitality ... do NOT go shopping around for better food and accommodations".
    It is as simple as that.
    CONTEXT.... IS everything!
    Your mind is clouded by your agenda.
    "Quote Mining", however should not be a capital offense.
    ....for the first one.
  23. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to James Thomas Rook Jr. in The Holy Spirit   
    You know, or might know, that Battleships in the USA are referred to as "she", as are many large ships, and boats, and that the Battleship Missouri, that fought in WWII, and upon which the surrender of Japan was signed, is referred to as "Mighty Mo" and other nicknames.
    Notice that I just referred to the Battleship Missouri as having fought in WWII.
    Ships do not actually fight ... men on those ships fight.
    It is similar to the expression " ... the White House said today ..." when the President makes some comment or opinion.
    The White House is not actually a talking building .... but that is the expression.
    "A synecdoche (/sɪˈnɛkdəkiː/, sih-NEK-də-kee;[1] from Greek συνεκδοχή, synekdoche, lit. "simultaneous understanding")[2] is a figure of speech in which a term for a part of something refers to the whole of something or vice versa.[3] A synecdoche is a class of metonymy, often by means of either mentioning a part for the whole or conversely the whole for one of its parts. Examples from common English expressions include "bread and butter" (for "livelihood"), "suits" (for "businessmen"), "boots" (for "soldiers") (pars pro toto), and "vacuum" (for "vacuum cleaner") or conversely "America" (for "the United States of America") (totum pro parte).[4]
    The use of government buildings to refer to their occupant(s) is on the border between synecdoche and metonymy. "The Pentagon" for the United States Department of Defense can be considered synecdoche, as the building can be considered part of the department. "No. 10" for the British Prime Minister can be counted as metonymy, since the building is not part of the person, but using "No. 10" to mean "the Office of the Prime Minister" is synecdoche"  - Wikipedia.
    Hebrew uses extensively a parallelism of ideas in its structure.
    "Mighty Mo" is not a sentient transvestite war combatant, and ...
    ... the Holy Spirit is not a person.
     
     
  24. Haha
    Nana Fofana reacted to James Thomas Rook Jr. in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    That is quite a thesis you have there ... and what I read seems well considered, but .......

  25. Upvote
    Nana Fofana reacted to Space Merchant in Does the Governing Body live on-campus or off-campus?   
    Quoting the Watchtower does really take away from what you were trying to say earlier regarding Man’s visual and idolatry, as you said. Idolatry isn’t that hard to identity and people who adorn something or someone other than God and ignore the teachings of Jesus are obviously the odd ones out when it comes to idolatry. Surely you could have done better than that. In addition to that, some of us tend to be very, very careful of whom we paint as an opponent because a small mishap can truly change something without notice.
    And again, there is a difference between just posting/quoting verses of which you are trying to show people are you are getting at vs. quoting and explaining a verse so people can better understand something without being confused or mislead, there are comparison errors of verses in your comment too. Again, you need to be careful for that; a simple mistake can be a very dangerous thing.
    1 Chronicles 17:1-15
    1 Chronicles 17 in its entirety informs us that:
    Keep in mind that
    David not to build temple (1-6)
    Covenant with David for a kingdom (7-15)
    David’s prayer of thanksgiving (16-27)
    Now on to what we can find out in what we can learn from King David not being permitted from building the temple, but that his successor, being Solomon, who was to build the temple and why.
    David wanted to turn to building a temple for the Yahweh. The king spoke to Nathan and said- Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord [YHWH] is under a tent. This bothered David greatly. Why should the king’s house be a palace, while the house of God was just a tent? At first, Nathan encouraged David to follow through on his desire to build a temple for the Yahweh (1 Chronicles 17:2).
    Yet that night the word of God came to Nathan, changing their plans: Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord [YHWH] says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in (verse 4). God then points out that, in all the long history of the tabernacle, He never once rebuked Israel’s leaders for not building a permanent temple (verses 5–6). In addition to that, Yes, God can’t dwell inside of a temple as a normal man would, however, he was present, we can look at those 2 verses right now:
    The Lord's Covenant with David
    (5) For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling (6) In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
    Note: These verses connect to Exodus 40:2, Numbers 4:24, 25, 2 Samuel 6:17 and Psalms 78:60. Dwelling also tabernacle in some translations.
    Rather than David himself to build a temple, God decided to allow David’s son to oversee this work (verses 11–12). In response, David offered a prayer of praise: You, Lord [YHWH], are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord [YHWH], have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever (1 Chronicles 17:26–27).
    David considered God’s word as a tremendous blessing that affirmed his son would also serve as king, for God will already establish David’s son’s Kingship. 1 Chronicles 22:8 sheds some light on God’s decision not to allow David to build the temple: You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. David’s background of shedding blood in times of war was God’s reason for choosing David’s son instead (see 1 Chronicles 28:3). God wanted a man of peace to construct the temple, not a man of war. His house was to be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7).
    Since David was forbidden from building the temple himself, he helped to gather materials and prepare the plans for the temple’s construction. He said to Solomon, I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you (1 Chronicles 22:14–16). In other words, Solomon, who became King of Israel, later on built the Temple (2 Samuel 24:18-25, 1 Chronicles 21:18-30, 2 Chronicles 3:1).
    Solomon faithfully fulfilled this command during his reign, leading Israel to the height of world power. David’s desire to build a house for the Lord was noble, but God had other plans. David’s reaction to God’s intervening with his plan is an example for us. When things do not go as we planned, when God closes a door, we should continue to praise God and then move on in a new direction. Rather than complain about what we can’t do, we should do what we can, giving God the glory. Despite having the desire to build the Temple, he was not permitted to do so, but he was able to do other things such as gather the materials that are very expensive by the way, which in our day is well over the what we earn for a living, for the cost of such also took from David’s personal fortune too (1 Chronicles 22:2-16).
    What did God do at the Temple and hearing the prayer of Solomon? Fire came down from the sky and burned up the offering that Solomon had prepared and God approved of the temple. The Israelites who were present also rejoiced after witnessing this, mind you, this is after when Solomon said that the temple cannot contain God and or it isn’t big enough for him. For we know clearly that God cannot literally enter the temple, dwell in it even, but he was obviously present hence how he took up the offering from the alter by means of great fire and approved of the temple built by King Solomon of Israel (read 2 Chronicles chapter 6 and 7).
    Acts 7:47-51
    Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin (1-53)                Era of the patriarchs (2-16)
    Moses’ leadership; Israel’s idolatry (17-43)                      God does not live in man-made temples (44-50)
    Stoning of Stephen (54-60)
    Pertaining to the situation with God regarding David and Solomon, the temple was actually built. Even though there is a temple built for God whereas people offer sacrifice, worship and service to God, obviously a place such as a temple, a house and or a tent cannot contain God, especially with what was said about him. But God sees and watches those who religiously worship him, hence what he said regarding going to one dwelling place to another. For he cannot enter the temple itself, however, his glory and presence can be witnessed by his people, other times he is present, overlooking, for this is not the first time
    Anyways, 47-51 speaks of the house, being the temple, which was built by Solomon, who had the resources, material, thanks to dad also, and people that contributed to building a temple of which God has approved. We know that God cannot literally dwell inside of a temple, just like what King Solomon had said, but God obviously took up the offering and his glory filled up the temple, mind you, fire came down from the sky on to the alter to take up the offering, a result of that was the people present near the temple were witnesses of God’s glory (his power that was shown) and they, the people present near the temple, rejoiced. We also know from the following verses that the Heaven is God’s throne, for verse 49 is connected to Psalms 11:4, which explains a bit more in detail. As for the footstool, we can turn to Matthew 5:34, 35 of what that footstool actually is. Verse 50, speaks for itself, we see Solomon as an example, as well as David. As for verse 51, it speaks of those who resist and or rebel the Holy Spirit, which you will find in more detail in Isaiah 63:10, for those who became rebellious became enemies and such enemies are fought against, for the verse speaks of Yahweh’s vengeance on the nations (Isaiah 63:1-6) and his loyal love in the times that has past, The Lord's Mercy Remembered (Isaiah 63:7-14), with the remainder of the chapter being about prayer for mercy for the people sought repentance.
    Note: Paul and Stephen saying that God doesn’t dwell in a temple house; that is putting God into a box, not appropriate for God Almighty. They probably formulated a general opinion of their time among Jews and non-Jews. Stephen could use this argument successfully before his Jewish listeners and Paul to his Greek listeners. Careful consideration of the relevant Bible texts makes a supposed Bible Contradiction absolutely unacceptable. (KJV has a mistranslation which has been restored in nearly all modern versions.)
    Matthew 16:18 is only understandable if you know what the Great Commission is of the church, the people, etc, which you didn’t acknowledge here or before, or even understand of what it is about, but it is common to those who do not really see the take to account what this verse, and its connected/compared verses even mean.
    This is already known of what Peter (Greek masculine gender of the word) means, a piece of rock and obviously not literally for every name under the sun has a meaning to something or someone. Yeshua/Jesus/Joshua = Yah/Jah Saves or Yah/Jah is Salvation, Elijah meaning My God is Yahweh/Jehovah (My God is YHWH), Yahweh/Jehovah = To exist, to become, cause to exist (He causes to become), etc, in addition, Peter’s first name, Symeon (Simon), means to hear or to listen, but what is unique about him is that he is named 5 different ways.
    As for Peter, you would have to know what this verse means. [A] What is the church, how is it that death will not prevail against it, and [C] what is the role of the Apostles regarding the church.
    Peter literally did not see himself as the rock on which Jesus would build his church, for we see what he wrote at 1 Peter 2:4-8 (also verse 9, which I will speak of later) that Jesus was the long-foretold foundation cornerstone, chosen by God himself. Apostle Paul referred to Jesus as the foundation and the spiritual rock. (1 Corinthians 3:11; 10:4), which we will find out later on since you did quote the verse after all. As for the believers, we are the precious living stones.
    Death itself, be it Hades, Hell, Sheol, the Grave, whatever floats your boat and drives your car, it will not prevail against the church, of which its very foundation is Jesus who is the spiritual rock of which that church sits upon.
    For Jesus had said that his church will be built, that his church will not die out, promising that Hades itself will not prevail against it, he assured his disciples that he would guide his church, preserve his church until he is to return, promising them that he will be with them always until the conclusion of the tribulation and end times. The Christ has ascended into heaven after being resurrected by God, the disciples of Jesus began preaching the gospel, to all people, everywhere, for the Lord is working with them and confirming the Word as well as accompanying the word through signs, for the church most defiantly had an obvious and yet powerful beginning. Because of their actions, people of all kinds, of all nations began to profess Christianity, thus claiming to be members of the church Jesus founded for He is the foundation, for He is the Spiritual Rock, as for taking in knowledge of the Christ and of his Father makes those of the faith be united as one, having the Father dwell in them for they are true Christians. The Apostles were given the command from the chosen Christ to take the lead and to establish it the church. For the church, was built on the foundation due to the Apostles with the aid of the helper and the comforter that is the Holy Spirit which they were filled with, the church kept and handles the teachings, and such teachings is taught to those who seek it, sanctified, lead by Jesus Christ through and or by means of the Apostles. These men who followed the Christ were men having great honor for carrying out the teachings, and in turn, successors carry out the teachings of the Apostles, for they were to and have gone out to make disciples of the people, and those who become teachers follow that same calling of the Great Commission.
    Mark 13:1, 2 informs us about the temples that were present in Jesus’ day. Verse 2 gives us detail of Jesus’ prophecy regarding what he had said in this verse, for he was referring to the Romans demolishing Jerusalem and, apart from a few sections of the wall, they completely leveled it; for what he had said was a prophecy fulfilled, I’m sure you and everyone here are familiar with what the Romans role was regarding Jerusalem. As for verse 1, look at also Matthew 24:1 and Luke 21:5. For we can see what Jesus was getting at; for what we know, historical and biblically, that Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple -The Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE).
    I’ll save John 2:19 for last because this one deserves better explanation - who else to do it better than a brother who researched and interpreted this very well... Plus my fingers are tired.
    For Revelations 21:22 (Pure, Beneficial Rule), What can be said about this verse is 100% true, however, you can’t ignore, but must take into account of the actions of the Apostles who went out to continue, following in Jesus’ example and footsteps in terms of teachings and spreading of the gospel, again, Great Commission, for the church is the Christ and the Christ is the Head of the Church as well as its foundation, but Church also means the people who dwell in the body of Christ also (One in Christ), in turn, these persons are in the presence of God, and God dwells in these people who sought the truth., hence the saying, True Christian(s).
    For it is evident that they did not just called it quits after Jesus ascended, for Jesus informed them of a promise from the Father that is to come to them, something that is to help them out, which is the Holy Spirit (the comforter as I said already). We can look into Luke 24 (On the Road to Emmaus) and Acts 1 (The Promise of the Holy Spirit) regarding this, which includes a newcomer to the group, Matthias (Judas Iscariot’s replacement), and of the promise from the Father of which Jesus informed them about, which can be read in Acts 2 (The Coming of the Holy Spirit).
    All in all, all the work and progress of Apostles, and the main thing about Revelations 21, specifically verses 22-27, is about New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb. Yahweh’s glory shines upon the temple for there is no need from any light coming from the sun or moon, and the very lamp of the New Holy City is the Lamb, The Messianic King, Lord Jesus Christ and those in the body of Christ, the church, as well as Kings, will walk by means of the light that is He – bringing glory into the New Holy City. The verses also goes on to speak of New Jerusalem’s magnificence, and that anyone who is not sacred and or is a lair will not be able to enter it, for only those written in the Lamb’s scroll of life will (see Daniel 12:1, Philippians 4:3, and Revelations. 13:8). A holy and sacred city she is, yet there was no visible temple of worship for Yahweh, God the Almighty is its temple, also the Lamb is also - Its ruler ship over the nations will be beneficial to them, the people, the nations, who will walk by means of its light.
    In the end, this is what the teachings will lead one to, for Jesus being the beginning of the New Creation, heavily expressed in Revelations – should one understand of what it implies, for New Jerusalem, the very thing that will be a place of dwelling for those who adhere to what is true, as well as the teachings that are true, in turn, it also makes God’s main objective accomplished by means of his chosen Messianic King, which is Son, Jesus Christ as well as the inhabitants, the church, the people, being part of this New Creation regarding the New Heavens and Earth -  for these people are the righteous and the meek.
    Do not confuse Psalms 95:1 (or the Old Testament) with Revelations 21:22 (New Testament), doing so you take the verses out of context and can easily confuse someone or mislead someone if you do not understand these verses, well in this case, just Psalms 95:1. For anyone who is familiar with the Old Testament to its entirety will tell you the same thing, and or state it as a Hebraic Violation as some would say when someone’s trying to connect verses together do not make sense, putting puzzle pieces into a wrong puzzle board, so to speak.
    What is to be kept in mind is that Psalms 95:1 is speaks of Yahweh, the God of Israel as being the Rock of Salvation and or the Rock of one’s Salvation. Such a term is exclusively used in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, which has occurred several times (Deuteronomy 32:15, 2 Samuel 22:47, Psalms 89:26 and 95:1, etc). Each time such a term is expressed it evokes vivid imagery and a sense of great security, for God is a trustworthy rock-solid savior. In addition to that regarding the Old Testament, the Messiah was not yet realized, so the saying God [YHWH] is the Rock of Salvation was not an overt reference to the salvation through Christ’s blood, however, Isaiah 8:14 alludes to Jesus as “a rock” over which both the houses of Israel will stumbled over, take a look at Matthew 21:42-44 also, but any man or woman can see the big difference as to that and what God the Father is called.
    Now, continuing with God the Father, the people in those times considered Yahweh as this Rock, for as crags, high cliffs and rocky mountains of the land, places of which the Israelites often find themselves hiding in its caves and crevices, away from their enemies, an example would be 1 Samuel 13:6 (Saul Fights the Philistines; as well as David’s refuge while running from Saul, 1 Samuel 24:3, David Spares Saul's Life), for in those days, many, many battles were fought in Israel, with majority of the area being rocky places, in addition to that, rocky areas were deemed ideal locations for strong and highly protective fortresses, so therefore, the phrase Rock of my Salvation resonates greatly with God’s people, for God is their protection, God is their fortress. In David’s case when running from Saul, he does not place his hope on the caves, the mountains, a protective city, etc, he placed his hope on God (David’s Rock of Salvation), the creator of the Heaven and the Earth being that Rock (Psalms 121:1-3 My Help Comes from the Lord) as well as in Psalms 62:6-7 - My Soul Waits for God Alone. David knew without a doubt that it is Yahweh, his God and his Father, that is capable of concealing him from great danger by any means necessary; for if one understands the story of David, they can read and see for themselves of how God protected David.
    Another example is the faithful Hannah, the mother of Prophet Samuel, for she prayed in triumph and she said the following in 1 Samuel 2:1-2:
    Hannah's Prayer
    (1) And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord [YHWH]; my horn is exalted in the Lord [YHWH]. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. (2) “There is none holy like the Lord [YHWH]: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
    Hannah rejoices over God’s deliverance from her barrenness as well as His granting that her husband’s name continue on into many generations.
    Therefore in the Old Hebrew Testament the emphasis on Salvation speaks of liberation within the physical realm, while the New Greek Testament on Salvation was predominantly spiritual, there isn’t a need to explain it because most here, including you understand what Salvation is regarding the New Greek Testament.
    That being said, let this be an example for NOT mixing scripture to make it seem as though it is something else, for it can change the meaning of something, easily causing someone to stumble, to be mislead. Not cool.
    1 Corinthians 3:11 speaks for itself unless one doesn’t understand what it means, for no one can alter, change or remove the foundation of the church, that is Jesus Christ. No one can prevent it from stopping until the Christ makes his return to earth when the Father gives him the OK to do so, and death itself cannot stop the foundation or the church, or its people who are in Christ, for the people live as Christians and they die as Christians, they do not break away from what is true because they know that the future promise that the Bible says is far greater than anything on under the heavens, on the earth. There are false prophets and teachers, yes, but they are not capable of changing what Jesus has set in motion regarding true Christian worship, or as some say, a raw form of Christianity. For such men chooses to go their own way, but not follow the way of God, for False Prophets and Teachers do not care about God, nor do they care about the Christ.
    1 Corinthians 12:27-28 as stated before, the church is not just regarding the teachings and the practices. It is also the people who are in the body of Christ -  for such persons adhere to the teachings that originated from the Father, and with these teachings they take to the call and mission of what Jesus had told his Apostles, and being part of the church, a Christian is obligates to take this call of the Great Commission as well, no ifs, buts, or delaying it, for this is what Jesus has said, and this is what you as a Christian must do, in the end, it will benefit you, for God sees what you are doing, and most likely Jesus and the heavenly spirit beings who are in the spiritual realm that is Heaven. The adversary of God also watches for he roams the earth an seeks to devour people by misleading them.
    1 Peter 2:5 is regarding A Living Stone and a Holy People. For we should not have a longing for the world or the things of this world because, we, the living stones, are built into a spiritual house, therefore making us in union, being one with Him (The Christ) who is the whole building, joined together harmoniously for we are, as stated before, united as one (just like the disciples are one with Christ and that Christ is one with the Father), and as a holy people, we expand and grow into a Holy Temple for Yahweh, God the Father. That is the only reason why 1 Peter 2:5 points directly to Ephesians 2:21 (verse 22 explaining, briefly, God dwelling in True Christians) regarding the Spiritual House (One in Christ):
    [1] One in Christ
    (21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord [YHWH] (22) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
    Note: What you also missed is the living stones are not just the 144,000 that will be chosen for priesthood, the living stones that is built into the Spiritual House is ALL BELIEVERS of the truth also. In addition, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 pretty much connects here also so the explanation speaks for itself.
    As for Spiritual sacrifices, it points to Hebrews 13:15, which says:
    [2] Sacrifices Pleasing to God
    Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name
    Acceptable to God through Jesus Christ pointing to Romans 12:1 (also verse 2, as well as 5, which I will explain later), which reads:
    [3] A Living Sacrifice
    (1)  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
    In understanding these things and taking into account what it means, any person who reads the bible will see exactly of what alludes to:
    The foundation of God’s building is His Son, Jesus Christ, the living Stone. The living stones are believers who come to Jesus and place their lives upon this foundation. The living Stone is precious to those who believe (1 Peter 2:7), but some men reject the living Stone in order to build their lives their own way, not God’s way (Luke 6:46-49 (compared to Psalms 118:22). Unbelievers cast this living Stone aside, not caring that Jesus is the only true foundation upon which they can build securely. (1 cor. 3:11 mentioned this already).
    I can go into greater detail all day because there is more to it for the better the understanding and explain something than just quoting it, the better that one who reads it for themselves who want bible verses explained and or something from said verse explained in detail, but that is for another time. These believers, True Christians who adhere to the teachings that is true, take to the call of the Great Commission, are indeed the living stones of the church (the spiritual house) that Jesus, who is the head of the church promised to build (Matthew 16:18). As living stones, we have new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). As being the parts of the building of God, we have security in Christ (John 6:37). As the Master Builder, God places His living stones just where He wants us to be (1 Corinthians 12:18). As living stones, we are connected to one (for we all in union with each other) another in the body of Christ (Romans 12:5). Our Lord, the foundation Stone, is alive forevermore (Firstborn out of the death) and will never crumble. He will support us eternally.
    Now about that explanation, Peter goes on to describe the function of the living stones: to declare the praises of Him who called us out of the darkness of sin into the light of life and glory (1 Peter 2:9). This is the job of a living stone: a speaker of praise, a declarer of truth and love and light. The spiritual house God is building is designed for His glory, and we, the living stones, glorify the Lord in all we do (1 Corinthians 10:31).
    You may want to read up on what the New Holy City is, for Hebrews 12:22 is regarding a Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken. This is why some referred to the New Jerusalem as a New Holy City (Heavenly Jerusalem). That verse alone points directly to 2 verses in Revelations. For Mount Zion (don’t confuse it with the Old Testament) in that verse points to 14:1, which is in context, and the Holy City itself directly pointing to 21:2.
    The Messianic King will have 144,000 persons, those chosen from among the people to be co-rulers, being in a position of priesthood to work alongside of God’s Chosen King, for these persons will bear the name of Jesus as well as God’s name, Yahweh, written on their forehead (Revelations 14:1), having the authority to judge for these persons are the ones who are seated on thrones, ruling as kings with the Christ  (Revelations 20:4) – and if you understand the New Creation and how Jesus is the first fruits, you would know about the First Resurrection. For these chosen ones are the very people who slaved for God, sacrificing time and every to do what Jesus had done, those who preached and teach and were persecuted for it, beaten up for it, even tortured murdered brutally for by those who relentlessly attack them and or against them, be it haters of the truth or those who teach what is false and do everything and anything in their power, “unchristian acts”, to defame such people who take the call of the Great Commission even going as far as to conspiring and contributing to infighting/attacking within the Christian faith (Which is a thing nowadays with propaganda and conspiracy). In the end, in trial and error, persecution and brutality; violence and abuses of all kinds, it will not stop such people who are chosen - for those who are chosen, who made the truth known to all persons who can be one with the church, one with in the body of Christ, will be among the 144,000. What happens to those chosen is no different as to what happened to Jesus, who was hated, lied about, insulted, disgraced, defamed, those who call to murder him, conspired to kill him, and those who turn their backs on him, eventually being contributors and accomplices to his crucifixion and death, without batting an eye for their actions. For such burden is places on those who also know of the truth, for they too are victim of such vile actions, reasons why most Christians tend to keep to themselves and not join others in on the infighting, hence my stance as a Christian, for we are defenders of what is true, no contributors to infighting and conspiracy, and like me there are many, many others.
    You may want to re-check those verses, to put it briefly, there is no mention of the bride is compared to a radiance precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal, coming down in God’s glory, her light. But yes, as said before, the people who are of the truth make up the living stones, the parts to the foundation that is the Spiritual House. Anyways in the verses you listed:
    This just makes us aware of Headship and head covering (1 Cor. 11:2). Interestingly enough, the First Epistle of Corinthians pretty much informs us that there are and has been multiple churches of God (several temples and the like with people with the same worship and faith), however it also lets us know that all these church were indeed a places of worship, and all of them are in union with each other, same faith, same teachings, and because of that, these churches with the believers, who are living stones as the scriptures says, are indeed one in Christ.
    Husbands and Wives, nuff said here, however verse 23 shows us that The Christ is the head of the Church, as the Church (also the people) is in subjected to the Christ, so to wives to their husbands in everything (Eph. 5:23, 25). The Head of the Christ is also God, but people who believe Jesus is God will ignore this and try to make it into something it is not.
    The bride coming from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev 21:2)
    Knowing that the bride is the Lamb’s Wife, one being carried off, John, to see the holy city coming out of heaven, the city explained in detail (Rev. 21:9, 10, I believe you met 12)
    You may want to read your bible for this one; it was not talking about New Jerusalem, Big difference compared to Jerusalem (Zec. 8:3). There is a reason, remember this carefully: Jesus, the Christ/Messiah, had been rejected by earthly Jerusalem. It is unwise to add that to consider earthly Jerusalem as New Jerusalem, vice versa when using the Old Testament regarding this verse.
    For 1 Cor. 6:2 - The verse speaks of the holy ones, the chosen ones who will be co-ruling alongside the Christ, points to Rev 2:26, 27 and 20:4, no mention of the bride in those verses.
    For 1:27, this verse doesn't points to the bride being mentioned as a living stone, to a very, very famous bible verse, Matthew 11:25. Verse 8 (still in 1 Cor.) informs us that we are to remain firm until the Lord comes back, we are not to judge anything until he comes back, for we are to be watchful of Satan, in addition, what our intention that resides in our hearts, as well as being received up in praise to God (compared 1 Cor. 4:5, 5:5, Rev. 1:10). 1 Cor. 1 still, Verse 28 speaks for itself if you understand 1 Cor. 2:6.
    John 4:19-24 Yep. Jesus talking to a Samaritan Woman, but did you know that the Samaritans have temples of which they built, by their hands and the sweat of their brow, a temple to worship God, in the mountains, specifically, Mount Gerizim? That is why I mentioned the Samaritans previously.
    Keep in mind that in those verses that:
    The Samaritan woman told Jesus Christ: “Our forefathers worshipped on this mountain, but you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.” To show her that true worship was not to be dependent on a physical location, Jesus responded by saying: “The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” (John 4:20, 21). Jesus explains that the place of worship is not important, he goes on to say, verses 23, 24, telling her: “The hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.” But when we really understand the chapter, What the Father looks for in true worshippers is not where they worship but how they worship, for true worshippers can also be found in temples of which they built, remember that. The woman was impressed with what Jesus had to say, the reason why she says the following (verse 25):“I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ,” she says “Whenever that one comes, he will declare all things to us openly.” And of course, in the next verse, Jesus’ response “I who speak to you am he.” The reason of the chapter, again, speaks for itself and it is a good example for Christians to follow, well, if you understand it.
    Anyways, regarding the history of the Samaritans, they did have temples, specifically this one particularly of which I will speak of, a place of which they worshipped God, of which they had built, with their hands -  to this day I think people still have Passovers and communions in the area, modern day Nablus.
    Mount Gerizim, where the famous well of Jacob is located near here, the very place of where Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman. This mountain is mentioned several times in the Hebrew Scriptures. (De 11:29; 27:12; Jos 8:33; Jg 9:7) A Samaritan Temple, rivaling the one in Jerusalem, was constructed on the mountain. It destroyed by the Jews in 128 B.C.E, however this temple was built around the 4th-5th century B.C.E. The Samaritans accepted only the first five books of the Bible, and probably the book of Joshua (revised), which is known as the Samaritan Pentateuch. It was written in their own characters, derived from ancient Hebrew. The text differs from the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible. Some versions have are minor detailed changes, in some cases, major. Because of their acceptance of the Pentateuch, this reveals that the Samaritans basis for believing that a prophet greater than Moses would come, for instance, the basis of belief that can be seen here regarding a prophet from among the people, Deutoronmy18:18, 19. The 1st century Samaritans were looking for the coming of Christ, the Messiah, for some of them, they recognize him, others have rejected him, some probably clueless, but believed.(Luke 9:52-56, 17:16-19, John 4:9-43). Because of the disciples, the living stones also, for they too are believers, their actions, the preaching of the gospel, making disciples, the gathering of people on to the church, etc was the result of the Samaritans later embracing later the teachings, there for embracing Christianity. (Acts 8:1-17,25,  9:31; 15:3).
    Once again, being ignorant of such information only backfires, but learning of these things, should the person accept, will better understand scripture. God is too great to dwell in a temple compared to a normal man or woman who dwells openly inside of a temple, in every corner of the building, praying, teaching, worshipping, etc. However God is present in some way or another, for we see examples of this, and yes, temples, tabernacles, tents, etc were places of which God is present in, despite not being able to literally dwell in them, as we see this in the Old Testament.
    We, as Christians, are the living stones of the spiritual house that is in all subjection to the Christ, the house that God the Father sees and considers His temple. We are indeed the church for the very word means “a calling forth” and or “the gathering of people” for the very word describes the people, not the building itself – another reason why it is said the church is universal by early Church Fathers.
    So, I take into account of what the bible says and not the words of people who do not really understand something. Knowledge is power for a reason, and in learning these things you will not be mislead so easily. But it seems that many people are astray because of errors in the bible such as the KJV and or of prophets who use errors to push a claim and or teaching.
     As for John 2:19, I will just post here what a Christian Brother from community has said due to his research and study on this verse:
     
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