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HollyW

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Everything posted by HollyW

  1. Anna, if my pastor and the elders of my church were to tell me that I'm not to harbor any thoughts that are in disagreement with what they understand the Bible teaches, what would be your advice to me?
  2. Anna, the spiritual food has already been dispensed---it's in the Bible. There's nothing to add or take away from what has already been dispensed as food in due season. The WTS has become an entity almost with a life of its own and with a will to survive, and it is dependent on its Word being taken as the Word of God (that's why it can say to listen to what it says as though you are listening to the voice of God). JW Insider has posted an important point about the WTS claim to having heavenly authority from Jehovah and Jesus bestowed on it in 1919. The extent to which JWs adhere to this concept is evident in the governing body being able to change what they had been teaching for decades about 1919 and still have JWs follow them. For decades they had presumed an appointment that they now admit was not given to them (over all the Master's belongings), they changed the identity of who the faithful slave is, they have changed their teaching about the generation a number of times, and what I posted about them being critical of JWs who want to study the Bible exclusively and not rely on WTS publications is not a new idea. Russell said the same thing about his Millennial Dawn series (Studies in the Scriptures). He even went so far as to say that reading them exclusively was all that was needed and those who put them aside to read just the Bible soon went into what he called "darkness." [ZWT 9/15/1910 p.298-299] Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the SCRIPTURE STUDIES aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years--if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the SCRIPTURE STUDIES with their references, and had not read a page of the Bible, as such, he would be in the light at the end of the two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures. So instead of needing the Bible and the Holy Spirit, JWs need the WTS and its publications, which assures the WTS of its own importance and existence. Look again at what the 1981 WT says: They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago, and some have even returned to celebrating Christendom’s festivals again, such as the Roman Saturnalia of December 25! As you mentioned, the point was not that they were reading the Bible, the point was that they were reading the Bible exclusively, apart from the WTS publications. I don't know what you think the quote marks mean nor where you get the idea that it's saying they were longing to believe in the Trinity and celebrate Christmas. It's not saying that at all, but it is saying that by reading the Bible exclusively they came to believe what Christendom has been teaching from the Bible for centuries. In other words, don't read the Bible alone or you'll start believing what Christians believe!
  3. Well, the GB says that can't happen without them and their publications. They actually say that if a JW were to rely on just the Bible alone, they would believe in the Trinity, hell-fire, the immortality of the soul, and start celebrating Christmas. Sounds crazy, doesn't it, so let me give you the quote from them and see what you think: [w81 8/15 p.28-29] From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah’s people those who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude. They do not want to serve “shoulder to shoulder” with the worldwide brotherhood. (Compare Ephesians 2:19-22.) Rather, they present a “stubborn shoulder” to Jehovah’s words. (Zech. 7:11, 12) Reviling the pattern of the “pure language” that Jehovah has so graciously taught his people over the past century, these haughty ones try to draw the “sheep” away from the one international “flock” that Jesus has gathered in the earth. (John 10:7-10, 16) They try to sow doubts and to separate unsuspecting ones from the bounteous “table” of spiritual food spread at the Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where truly there is ‘nothing lacking.’ (Ps. 23:1-6) They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago, and some have even returned to celebrating Christendom’s festivals again, such as the Roman Saturnalia of December 25! JW Insider can probably give you the history about the JWs who were being targeted in this WT.
  4. Bethel already knows it's false, you posted the proof of it from the same book, and from what JW Insider has posted it can be seen why they would state it the way they did---they want their followers to have faith in them even when they're wrong. Just as you've surmised, JWs aren't going to care much that it's a false statement, even if they ever even realize it's false. Most will accept it as being true. Others may write it off as just a human error. Still others may decide Jehovah had a good reason to let them make a statement they know is false. Will it cast doubt on whether Jehovah and Jesus were guiding them? I'm sure JWs who do recognize it as being false will give the same answer the governing body gave on page 50: "Not at all!"
  5. I read this recently in a Christian book catalog and wanted to share it here: Grace -- More than we deserve, Greater than we imagine.
  6. Will you be changing your answer then to that of the 'faithful slave's' answer from the book?
  7. Thanks Praec. So you haven't placed it yet. Anyone else who has placed it?
  8. And maybe follow up with, "Does anyone believe there's an even greater event than this.....from the Bible, not the paragraph.....an event that caused rejoicing and singing in heaven" (as Melinda pointed out) (Read Luke 2:10-14).
  9. Thanks (that was fast!!)...... will your answer be the same during the study when question 1,2 is asked? I, 2. What was the greatest event ever to occur in world history, and why is it not surprising that it went unseen by human eyes?
  10. In view of what you are studying in "God's Kingdom Rules" this week......... 2 What about the greatest event ever to occur in the history of the world? That event has touched millions of lives. Yet, it took place out of human view. We refer, of course, to the birth in heaven of God's Kingdom, the long promised Messianic government that will soon bring this whole world system to its end. ......you can see why I was pleasantly surprised by your replies. Do either of you feel you should revise your initial reply?
  11. Thank you! From the quotes in my OP, it's obvious that the men on the GB don't have to ever claim they are infallible because JWs already treat them as though they are---and that's because they've been told to (as the quoted material shows). In essence, then, the leaders of the WTS have accorded themselves the advantages of being infallible while skirting the responsibilities that come with it. Bottom line: If the men on the Governing Body were to come right out and say they are infallible, they would not lay claim to anything different than what they've already laid claim to. In short: nothing would change for JWs.
  12. Thank you for all your research, JW Insider. It becomes more and more obvious that the new book being studied, "God's Kingdom Rules", is an attempt to re-write the history of the WTS and JWs would do well to do their own research into the WTS own publications ---- or, as someone mentioned, they can remove themselves to the bathroom during the study and just tune it out.
  13. Compare that with pages 28-29 in "God's Kingdom Rules" where it says the Bible Students were being prepared for the birth of the Kingdom by Russell and his associates way before 1914. And all along they had been saying the birth of the kingdom in Revelation chapter 12 was the birth of the Antichrist, yet they herald this event as "the greatest event ever to occur in the history of the world" [p.13]. It was also printed up as such in their 1914 book, "The Finished Mystery", and they said Michael in that chapter was the Catholic Pope in Rome. The truth is Russell was preparing them only for failure and he had been tricked into going against what the Bible says about not knowing the time of Jesus' second coming.
  14. Uh-oh. The January 15, 2014 WT says: "The first group was on hand in 1914, and they readily discerned the sign of Christ’s presence in that year."
  15. Well, the article mentions this about 1914: That 1914 marked the end of the Gentile Times and the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the heavens, as well as the time for Christ’s foretold presence. They say rejecting even just one of their teachings is apostasy.......iow, no salvation. And, the teachings listed in the article aren't the only ones because it says the "entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses." Anyway, we seem to have gotten off the topic in my OP. I had wanted to ask you about the scriptures I posted, especially the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4. Does it seem to you to be talking about two different events, one that happens immediately and then one that takes place over a very large stretch of time?
  16. ....this was said: "We thank you Brother C.T. Russell for showing us the TRUTH." This brings so many questions to mind. First of all, how is this not a prayer? How is it not creature worship? Why have JWs rejected most of what Russell taught as "the truth" and yet thank him for showing them the truth? Any ideas?
  17. Moving on with the book, "God's Kingdom Rules!", on page 6 it describes the kingdom of God as "the heavenly Messianic government made up of Christ Jesus and his 144,000 corulers". How do JWs see and enter the kingdom of God in accordance with Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." And yet not be born again as in John 3:3,5?
  18. LOL, of all the things to repeat. 'Bye, Eoin.
  19. Well, you had asked who else had been telling you that statement on page 20 was wrong and that's why I named them. Is that how you understood me? I also referenced a cartoon that you posted. Well, I wish you had repeated it here because I don't ever get around to reading all the posts on here. Maybe I should be following your posts more closely. I'll see if I can find it with a search of some sort. What if I had just answered No to your question, would you have followed up to see if we were talking about the same thing? I'm sure this is something I don't have to point out, but your teaching about 1914 could change. In fact, it could be under the delete button as we speak. Perhaps we'll run into each other on some of those. Same here. My prayers have been answered then. Wish we could do it together. Do you have them readily available?
  20. Well, let's look at the first of those two quotes I posted earlier: [w93 1/15 p. 6] Upon dying in faithfulness during Christ’s presence, each one of the remnant of spiritual Israel instantaneously receives his heavenly reward. “In the twinkling of an eye,” he is resurrected as a spirit creature and “caught away” to meet Jesus and to serve as a co-ruler in the Kingdom of the heavens. It is saying just what I said, isn't it: as each spirit-anointed JW dies faithful to the teachings of the WTS....
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