They avoid this period because if they present it carefuly that will show apostasy as soon as the apostles died is a myth.
There never was an apostasy in the way that they describe. Problems existed as much during as after the apostolic age. There were people questioning the authority of the living apostles while trying to exploit their fellow Christians and in Revelation we see that several churches in Asia Minor had serious spiritual problems.
When real apostasy occured with Constantine it was some of the bishops and not the R&F, who made up most of the church, that initiated it.
Part A: The Missing 200-Years
by Amazing1914 15 Replies latest jw friends
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greendawn
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Leolaia
BTW, since we're talking about a so-called "apostasy," it is clear what the late first-century (or early second-century) gospel of Luke construes as false teaching:
"Take care not to be deceived, because many will come using my name and saying, 'I am he (egó eimi)' and 'The time is near (ho kairos éggiken)' " (Luke 21:8).
Do you think the author had in mind Revelation, and was saying not to believe it?
"Happy is the man who reads this prophecy, and happy those who listen to him and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near (ho kairos eggus)... Do not be afraid, I am he (egó eimi), the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I was dead and now I will live forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and the underworld. Now write down what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later" (Revelation 1:3, 17-19).
"Do not seal up the prophecies in this book, because the time is near (ho kairos eggus estin)... I am coming to you quickly, bringing the reward to be given to every man according to what he deserves. I am (egó) the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End...I (egó), Jesus, have sent my angel to make these revelations to you for the sake of the churches" (Revelation 22:10, 12-13, 16).
Curious, isn't it, how perfectly Revelation fits with the warning given in Luke?
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greendawn
I can't see the contradiction, near the time of the end there will be those trying to create confusion by claiming to represent the Christ and claiming he has come, just as the JWs have done, but there will also be the voice announcing the real coming as described in Revelation.
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DannyBloem
I think they ovoid this period, because of the 144.000 number.
But in a watchtower from 1951 I found something about early christian presecution. They say something that in the even only in the province of egypt 140.000 people were killed, because of this prosecution. 800.000 more died of illnesses, famine etc because of the prosecution.
Well they lived before 1935, after christ, so they have a problem if emphasising this....
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jwfacts
I am looking forward to your posts. What I have found when reading about that period is that much that the WTS claims was introduced around 325 by Constantine was commonly being taught shortly after Jesus died. They want to make Constantine and the Roman Catholics look like the apostasy, when in reality much of what was formalised in Constantines time was being taught all along by the Ante Nicene Fathers.
At http://www.jwfacts.com/index_files/antenicene.pdf there is an article by Michael J. Partyka that quotes some of the early Fathers from this time as to how Jesus was regarded, quite different to the way the Watchtower quotes them.
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Mary
Missing 200-Years: In all of its publications, the Watchtower Society never discusses the time frame from the end of the 1 st century to the end of the 3 rd century. It completely avoids this time frame, which is critical to understanding the development and establishment of the early church, its doctrines, and mode of operations.
Just to add to everyone else's comments, the WT generally avoids this time frame (unless it's convenient for them) because they believe that the "great apostasy" really began to flourish when John, the last apostle died. They believe that from then on, while there may have been "individual" true Christians, that as a group, they steadily moved away from the teachings of Jesus and adopted Greek and philosophical teachings from their pagan neighbours. While they might site an individual Christian living in the early or mid-second century, the quotes they use are generally very selective and taken completely out of context.
Plus, as someone else already mentioned, I think they also avoid this time frame because if anyone started to question how many Christians were alive at this time, they'd find out that it was well over 144,000 which would blow their own theories right out of the water. Can't have that, can we?
And finally, I think they avoid this time frame because this is the time when the writings of Jesus' disciples were being gathered by those pesky people who eventually formed the Catholic Church. That brings the question to mind: Why would Jehovah use the Catholics to compile His Written Word?
We all know that theh WTS ignores or avoids anything that upsets their apple cart. It's no surprise really that they refuse to focus and acknowledge what came immediately after Jesus and His disciples.