Beyond the five books of Torah, there was little agreement on which other books were divinely inspired, and the books that eventually were chosen were those largely used by the Pharisees, plus the quotes as found in the NT that refer back to the Tanakh only come from their books. The Jewish scholars had around 2000 books/letters to choose from when they made their selection.
Whose word is it metis? You think that Paul lied when he said that
"all scripture is inspired of God"? (2 Timothy 3:16) If God inspired it, then he can also choose what belongs in it, and preserve it for the generations to come.
Jesus' emphasis on "laws made by men" that he so detested were teachings from the Oral Law that the mainline Pharisee element taught, not the liberal Pharisees. One Christian theologian that I personally know calls them "Love Pharisees" because of their emphasis on love. Sound familiar, Deeje?
Doesn't it stand to reason that Jesus stuck closely to scripture rather than to oral laws because one did not really agree with the other.? He and his disciples showed disdain for the oral laws by refusing to perform what God's word did not require. (Matthew 15:3)
As the Pharisees collected existing oral traditions and searched for Scriptural implication to establish more of their own, they saw the need to give added authority to their activity. A new concept regarding the origin of these traditions was born. The rabbis began to teach:
“Moses received Torah at Sinai and handed it on to Joshua, Joshua to elders, and elders to prophets. And prophets handed it on to the men of the great assembly.” (Avot 1:1, the Mishnah.)
In saying, “Moses received Torah,” the rabbis were referring not only to the written laws but to all their oral traditions. They claimed that these traditions (invented and developed by men) were given to Moses by God at Sinai. And they taught that God had not left it up to men to fill in the gaps but had orally defined what the written Law had left unsaid. According to them, Moses passed this oral law down through the generations, not to the priests, but to other leaders. The Pharisees themselves claimed to be the natural inheritors of this “unbroken” chain of authority....does this sound familiar?
It's so funny in a rather "telling" way that you bristle when I just used an example that's based on studies here in the States (PEW especially), and yet I can't help but notice that you dismiss these studies as "erroneous conclusions" and yet provide no evidence for your assertion. Again, you show a double standard and a propensity to fabricate stories.
Is that what you think I did? I merely stated that the premise upon which that conclusion was reached was flawed. Our academic record of achievement has nothing to do with our level of intelligence. We simply choose not to elevate education as a means to measure success in life. We succeed in all the important areas and we see that God doesn't value 'higher education' anyway.....the very reason why Jesus did not choose any who were educated up to the standard that the Pharisee valued was because most imitated the conduct of their hypocritical teachers. You remember the "blind guides" analogy that Jesus used? We don't need a college education in order to become a "blind guide".
On top of that, you bristle about any questioning of the JW's and yet you make all sorts of nasty claims against other Christian denominations and other religions. Hypocrisy much.
I bristle?
Do I bristle any more than you do? We are used to copping flack because Jesus told us to expect it (Matthew 5:1; John 15:18-21).....the difference is that the flack aimed at us has no foundation in truth. Whereas the things aimed at Roman Catholicism are part of recorded history.
Oh, so after his conversion, Paul lied about who he was. I guess that I believe Paul more than you do.
No, he was not lying about who he was. He identified himself as one of them....but other scripture I shared with you showed it was past tense.
Paul had a very specific way of appealing to the people he spoke to....
"For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some." (1 Corinthians 9:19-22NRSV Catholic Edition)
Do you see why he presented himself to Jews as a Jew? To those under Law he became as one under law even though he was no longer obligated to follow it....keep trying metis, I'm sure that if you read the scriptures for yourself you will see a good many things that you seem to fail to see now.
And you can't help but to lie again as idolatry involves praying to a material object and expecting it to do something. Catholic teachings forbid praying to any object. If I make an object, that's not idolatry; but if I take an object and worship it, that's "idolatry". See the difference?
In spite of seeing the idolatry with your own eyes....yet here you are justifying it. God's law to Israel was not to
"make" an image of
"anything" and use it in worship (Exodus 20:3-5).....When did God say that he had changed his mind on that score? You can "see that difference" to convince yourself....but how do you convince God though? (1 John 5:21)
Like the Pharisees, the Catholic church does not practice what it teaches.
This is idolatry......you can call it whatever you like.....the church "made images" and uses them in worship....that is a complete violation of God's command.
Did Jesus use images in his worship? Did the Jews? Why do Catholics?
Lying about what Catholicism actually does teach is just one indication of the true character of the JW teachers, I hate to say. They have repeatedly lied to you on this, as well as numerous other things, and yet you continue to blindly follow what they have brainwashed you to believe. I truly feel sorry for you, and I mean it.
Please reserve your pity for yourself and those whom I believe have been ensnared by an apostate church who has taught nothing but lies from the beginning.
Jesus made no excuses for false worship.....the people would never have known how corrupt the Pharisees were if he and his disciples had not exposed them for what they were. I think we as Christians have a similar obligation. How will people know unless someone tells them the truth?
Your lives are at stake here....you think all I want to be is right?
Instead of getting all offended, can you not think of why Jesus preached against the establishment of Judaism, whilst preaching to their "lost sheep"? He was trying to show them why the religious leaders had lost their way, and help them to find the way out of corrupt and hypocritical religious system. It was not reformable so they had to separate from it.....Revelation 18:4 is telling Christ's disciples to once again, "get out" of a corrupt religious system.
Now at least have the common decency of not condemning others simply because they may disagree with what the JW teachers have been teaching you on certain matters. Maybe take John 3:16 seriously as it really is that simple.
You seem to miss the fact that my issues with the Catholic church have very little to do with my being a JW. I was raised in Christendom and I have always despised "the church" for its non-biblical teachings and its blatant hypocrisy. No one violates the Bible quite like Roman Catholicism does. I can give you a long list.....just for scriptural violations....but you would justify them.That is of course, your prerogative.
But take the scripture you just quoted e.g....John 3:16..
." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
There is so much concentration on the first part of that verse, that many don't even acknowledge the rest.....God loved the world of mankind and gave his precious son to pay the price for our sins....why? Because he doesn't want to punish those people who fail to "believe" (to exercise faith) in God and to worship him acceptably. (2 Peter 3:9) How does he penalize those who fail in that regard? He will completely eliminate them from existence.....that is what "perish" means......being "destroyed".
Is this what your church teaches?
How much of the Bible do you really know metis? Does it form the basis for what you believe? If it doesn't...then because scripture formed the basis for all that Jesus taught.....please tell me why it doesn't ? 
