Brian2
Veteran Member
I quoted the scriptures for you, but what did you have to say about them? ... Nothing.
Those are Jesus' commandments. Not mine, nor the men who publish the Watchtower.
When Jesus was on earth, he said the fields are white for harvesting, and there was a need for more workers in the field. Beg the master for more workers. John 4:35
So ask for more workers and if the master sends you then go. If the master tells you to do another job then do that.
Acts 2:46 With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
It is the Lord who adds to the number by His Spirit. Preaching is needed because people cannot believe if they have not heard. Breaking bread from door to door sounds like they celebrated the last supper meal quite regularly, not just every year, but that is another topic.
Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”
Acts 20:20
That is the commandment to the Church and the Watchtower has changed it to apply to all JWs and to apply in a certain way. And what happens if a JW refuses to do the preaching work set out by the Watchtower for all to do?
. . .I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.
Acts 5:42
.And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.
2 Timothy 4:2
I do not see anything about house to house in 2 Timothy. The house to house quote in Acts 5 is an interpretation of the Watchtower, that it means go from door to door to spread the gospel. It may not mean that and also the Watchtower has made that interpretation into a command and all JWs need to obey the Watchtower.
Preach the word; be at it urgently in favorable times and difficult times
; reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all patience and art of teaching.
No Brian. It is not men we are following. It is the faithful and true witness of God.
I am just being a follower of that one, and the example of the cloud of witnesses.
(Revelation 12:11) . . .And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death.
(Revelation 12:17) . . .So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her offspring, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness concerning Jesus.
I am not saying that Christians should not preach the gospel. Why do you suggest that I have.
It's of course your choice to not follow those examples, in being obedient to the Christ.
Did you know, we are commanded to obey Christ's annointed followers, and the appointed men.
(Hebrews 13:17) . . .Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive,. . .
You didn't know that?
Take note that everything I am showing you here is scripture. I have not opened a single Watchtower, to quote anything, so please tell me what words of men you think I am following.
That's the reason this is so lengthy.
Heb 13:17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
That does not mean to be obedient in everything they tell you, especially if they are abusing their power and demanding you do what is not what the Lord wants you to do specifically,,,,,,,,,,,,or if they are making up commands that you must obey to be loyal to God,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but really it is just to be loyal to them.
Also, saying you are not judging me, and then saying that I am doing what men say to do, because they have interfered with my conscience to make me think that I are doing wrong if I do not go from door to door, is indeed a contradiction.
You have judged me. Have you not? Yes you have.
I am not saying that the door to door stuff is wrong or that you should stop. In fact I recommended that you keep doing it if you think it is wrong to stop.
It is the WT that interprets the Bible for you and makes commands where there are no commands in the Bible. That is what I want you to see.
Are you by any chance referring to Judas, as a weed?
Putting one's ideas on the text, would only result in twisting the truth of what Jesus said.
Jesus gave a series of illustrations in Matthew 13. Evidently, all of them related to after his death, and related to the kingdom, with regard to his anointed ones - that would be after the Christian congregation was formed in 33 CE.
No I was not referring to Judas. Maybe the Legalistic Jewish Christians who wanted to make circumcision and keeping the law compulsory. That would sort of fit with the WT who bring in other man made commands and make them compulsory for someone who wants to remain a JW.
In a way, we all do our own thing, because indeed I have made the doing of God's will "my own thing". In that, I have a burning desire to share the truth with my neighbor, even though most are apathetic. So I really do delight in the work Christ gave his followers to do.
Yes. Wisdom is the prime thing. Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding (Proverbs 4:5)... and yes. I do listen to the wise servant (Matthew 24:45). After all they are entrusted with the responsibility to provide food at the proper time,
One minute you deny that the Governing Body is the faithful and wise servant and the next you admit it.
They have given their wise council that JWs of years gone by should not go to college and get an education because the time is short and the work of the Kingdom is more urgent. Many JWs missed out on an education because of that. And yes the work of the Kingdom is important but the context of the wise council was when the Lord was expected in a particular year. That council was not given at the proper time and was not proper food.
..........and have kept loyal servants of the true God free from the Babylonish teaching, and idolatry in all the false religions making up Babylon the great. How can one have a relationship with God, when they teach God dishonoring teachings - like Hellfire, Trinity, Immortal soul, etc?
That relationship is between them and God.
Some of the teachings you must be referring to are teachings condemned by the WT which has foisted that judgement about those things onto their members and condemned people who are acting in good conscience and innocently.
You cannot have a birthday, you cannot celebrate Christmas, you cannot wear a cross, you cannot etc etc.
If you approve or disapprove of this sort of thing then keep it between you and God and don't condemn others for what they approve. That sounds Biblical to me.
But no, all this stuff is used to demonise Christendom.