JW's mistaken claim...

[Srecko Sostar]

3 hours ago, DeeDee said:

They are a continuation of the first disciples. They were the ones who did not follow the false teachings that were being promoted by some of the early followers. In earlier times, they were simply referred to as the Bible Students. In 1931 they adopted the name "Jehovah's Witnesses."

Hi!

Last explanation in WT magazine say how GB and FDS are the same. FDS task is to spread "spiritual food". GB spreading food, so GB is FDS. FDS have its beginning in 1 century in form of apostle who are, as WT said prototype of modern GB. If you are be careful in reading WT magazines (i am speaking about magazines in my language, croatian, to confirm the same i would need to go to original english version)   you will notice how first century governing body is with small first letter "g" and "b". But when they are talking about 20th century main church body they using big letter B and G - Governing Body. WHY? 

With the end of first congregations, i think that we have no  reports to confirm CONTINUATION you mentioned. And WT magazines also not writing about any continuation, just mentions about these or that small groups that was in some sort of opposition to beliefs of Catholic church. No gb or GB. No FDS or fds. Nothing. Then suddenly at the end of 19 century in period of many turbulent events, social movements and religious movements, one man after wandering, changing few religious belongings and searching for the "truth", founded the company  in 1881 as Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society for the purpose of distributing religious tracts. 

Do you want to believe that Jesus inspired him to give such corporative start of/to His Church, His Body?? For me it is very strange such idea - because Jesus start His Church in very different way. :))

[DeeDee]

5 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

they using big letter B and G - Governing Body. WHY? 

My thought is that it just makes it clearer to read as a single entity.

This is because when you see the words Governing Body in a sentence (like here) it is read as ONE thing not TWO.

[Srecko Sostar]

2 hours ago, Shiwiii said:

by the way, I proved to you in a earlier response that your "they are the ones who did not follow the false teachings........" cannot be true based on your ideas of what is false......Worshiping Jesus and Christmas. 

yes Shiwiii you are right.

This two "past and old truths and lights" you mentioned about WT are possible to understand with also "new and getting bright light". And this "new" is in explanation how, according to 2015 WT study edition, FDS aka GB are not EVEN/ AT ALL  appointed in 1919. So, all wrong and error doctrines in the past time and in this present time and of course in particular future time, are not prove hor JW are in any wrongs. Because all things will be in place when Jesus in fact WILL APPOINT THEM IN SOME FUTURE TIME. 

SO IT is OK to have all this and that ERRORS in INSTRUCTIONS and DOCTRINES. IT is quite NORMAL :))))))  

[DeeDee]

4 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

Do you want to believe that Jesus inspired him to give such corporative start of/to His Church, His Body??

Perhaps... or maybe God's holy spirit caused him to move into action to form the organization.

Note that God is now using this organization to accomplish his will on earth.

The organization's official website can be accessed in hundreds of languages: https://www.jw.org

Matt. 24:14 - And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

[DeeDee]

 

5 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

in particular future time

The truths below do NOT change...

The new teachings do not change the Bible's Message (the Good News):

 

Ps. 37:39 - The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it.

 

Ps. 37:34 - Hope in Jehovah and follow his way,

And he will exalt you to take possession of the earth.

When the wicked are done away with, you will see it.

[Shiwiii]

1 hour ago, DeeDee said:

When JW's realized that they were practicing false religion, they stopped. This is a reflection of Prov. 4:18.

but this admittance proves that they were NOT a continuation of the disciples as you claim. If they were then they would not have deviated, unless of course they were led by a power not from God. 

1 hour ago, DeeDee said:

There is no mention of any groups in the Bible since there were only the new followers of Jesus' teachings. These followers of Jesus became his "disciples."

Then why did you claim that there was? Here is your quote:

2 hours ago, DeeDee said:

No, I was not "told" this from "the men who run the wt." The evidence/proof is in the Scriptures themselves. I have read those Scriptures every time I read the entire Bible. The meaning of those words is not changeable, even if the actual words do change. The Bible's message DOES NOT CHANGE.

[Shiwiii]

36 minutes ago, DeeDee said:

Here are a few more Scriptures that prove how to tell false prophets from true followers of Jesus:

Here is another:

Matthew 24:24-27  "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."

Clearly here we are told that there will come some who proclaim that Jesus returned and you just didn't see Him, because He came invisibly. That just isn't true and doesn't line up with the Bible which clearly states His return WILL be visible. 

[Space Merchant]

On 1/14/2018 at 1:00 AM, Cos said:

Space merchant,

 

Although you seem to deny Unitarianism and Arianism similarity, there is no doubt you both share the same concepts.

 

Anyway, I suggest you read the writings of Christians before the fourth century, which show historically that the Arian concept (shared by Unitarians) was not even heard of. <><

Not denying anything.

Unitarian theology is Socinian/semi-Socinianism, vastly different from Arianism, thus making us not Arian or Semi-Arian. There is a huge difference. Plus in the past, the Polish Reformation separated from the Calvinist. Plus core beliefs and principles of a group doesn't make them 100% Arian or for what Arius had taught. Most Unitarian opponents do not even know what Socinian even is.

That being said,  the Jehovah's Witnesses are often referred to as "modern-day Arians" or they are sometimes referred to as "Half/Semi-Arians", usually by their opponents and or those who do not like them. There are some similarities in theology and doctrine, the Witnesses differ from Arians, examples being: saying that the Son can fully know the Father (something which Arius himself denied), denial of personality to the Holy Spirit (Arians believe the Holy Spirit had a mind of it's own, and a personality, so to speak). The original Arians prayed to Jesus and he alone while Jehovah's Witnesses pray to God, with the mediator being Jesus Christ, hence, no one goes to the Father expect through me, John 14:6 - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

The verse that tells us Jesus is the mediator, 1 Timothy 2:5 - "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,"

Other groups which oppose the belief in the Trinity are not necessarily Arian. The Iglesia ni Cristo, Christadelphians, Seventh-Day Adventist and others. Unitarians themselves are typically Socinian in Christology and not Arian. Binitarians believe that God is two persons, the Father and the Son, but they believe that the Holy Spirit is not a person.

Once again, there are difference, unless you can name a true Arian church that not only deny Trinity, but prays to Jesus, believes that the Holy Spirit is indeed a person, and that Jesus doesn't know his own Father who is also his God, etc. (There is more difference on Arians vs Non-Arians, but I leave that up to you for research).

Anyways for me, I am not shy about understanding the beliefs of others, but beliefs that has no foundation, base, or understanding is obviously not something that originates with God.

 

Plus it is not only the 4th century you should be looking at. It is from the 2nd Century with the Early Christian Schisms (and Trinity Origins) to the 4th and onward. Luckily for you I will provide you with video links so you can better understand the council and the creeds that became a reality in those days:

 

[Srecko Sostar]

31 minutes ago, DeeDee said:

Note that God is now using this organization to accomplish his will on earth

also exist many other who doing same or similar :)))

[Srecko Sostar]

25 minutes ago, DeeDee said:

The truths below do NOT change...

Bible have much  more verses :))) 

[Space Merchant]

3 hours ago, DeeDee said:

More on Christmas:

From the New World Translation (Study Edition):

 

Winter in Bethlehem

Jesus could not have been born in December because the weather in Bethlehem is typically cold and rainy from November to March. In winter, snow may fall in this region. During this time of the year, shepherds would not be living out of doors, keeping watch over their flocks in the fields at night. (Lu 2:8) Bethlehem is located some 780 m (2,550 ft) above sea level in the Judean highlands.

Related Scripture(s):

Mt 2:1; Lu 2:4, 6

There was a lot of talk in December of Christmas not being a Christian holiday, even by opponents of Jehovah's Witnesses. There was an interesting video I saw from a brother in Christ about this, he isn't a JW, but he, as many others brought up good points.

Another video by a Christian man, rumored to have died and or been killed  (I myself thought he perished), since he was off YouTube for a couple of years, his friends and family said he either died or went off grid and were very worried, but miraculously, he returned (very much alive and wasn't dead after all) and he sees holidays in the same light, not being Christian, and such should not be done by Christians, his channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ2chBk4nLQ3tXdmGU5F4tw

Plus, we believe that Jesus was born, even though is unknown, around (September-October), something of that sort, I forget what they called the name of that month though, I'd have to look into what it was titled again.

 

[Shiwiii]

10 minutes ago, Space Merchant said:

There was a lot of talk in December of Christmas not being a Christian holiday, even by opponents of Jehovah's Witnesses. There was an interesting video I saw from a brother in Christ about this, he isn't a JW, but he, as many others brought up good points.

Another video by a Christian man, rumored to have died and or been killed  (I myself thought he perished), since he was off YouTube for a couple of years, his friends and family said he either died or went off grid and were very worried, but miraculously, he returned (very much alive and wasn't dead after all) and he sees holidays in the same light, not being Christian, and such should not be done by Christians, his channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ2chBk4nLQ3tXdmGU5F4tw

Plus, we believe that Jesus was born, even though is unknown, around (September-October), something of that sort, I forget what they called the name of that month though, I'd have to look into what it was titled again.

 

How do you look at this in light of scripture, specifically Romans 14:5&6 and Colossians 2:16?