by jschwehm 19 Replies latest jw friends
Hi Gang:
I realize that many here are not interested in organized religion. This is not meant to offend anyone. I just thought that some of you might find the following article interesting. Here is the link:
http://www.catholicexchange.com/vm/index.asp?vm_id=2&art_id=29470
Jeff Schwehm
Very interesting, thanks.
I think that it it great for ExJWs to find a religion that they're comfortable in, provided that religion isn't controlling.
Sirona
Anyone remember Matthew 23:9???I don't think Jesus was joking or excluding Catholic Priests from his statement.
I guess you don't call your father "Father," or "Dad", do you? And then there's that whole part in Matthew 16:18, eh.
I guess you don't call your father "Father," or "Dad", do you? And then there's that whole part in Matthew 16:18, eh
Serious question....do JWs really teach that people shouldn't call their father, father??
Please tell me this is a joke!?
I gave my views on this topic (of calling a priest "father") at Jeff's site. Hope it helps.
Serious question....do JWs really teach that people shouldn't call their father, father??
No, Dubs don't teach that.......whoever told you that is pulling your leg.
My own opinion is that Jesus was telling his followers not to use the title "Father" or "Rabbi", because it promoted the hiearchy amongst his followers, which he was trying to avoid.......He wanted his followers to be on equal footing, not "lording it over" one another.
Paul referred to himself as the Father of his Christians (1 Thess. 2:10-11). But I think by this point, Paul was full of himself and his position amongst the first century congregation and he simply ignored Jesus council (not for the first or last time).
But Mary, if that is the case, why did Jesus not object to the title Rabbi for himself? See John 1:38 and 49; John 3:2 and 26; John 6:25
But Mary, if that is the case, why did Jesus not object to the title Rabbi for himself?
I would say (and this is jes my opinion) that Jesus was different that his followers. First of all, he was the Messiah and God's Son. 'Rabbi' means 'teacher' and Jesus was their teacher. He was also humble, thoughtful and generous. The scriptures tell us that his disciples were far more interested in 'who would be the greatest' in the Kingdom, probably a carryover of the class system they saw within Judaism. Maybe Jesus forsaw that 'position' would become a big problem after he had gone and indeed it was.
This is why I think Jesus stressed the point that 'the greatest one among you must be your minister'. He didn't want them to get involved in a 'class system' again with titles and position. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in the end as they were all imperfect humans----Jesus was not.
Mary,
I agree with you that if anyone deserves to be called Rabbi or teacher it is Jesus. He is the ultimate teacher, in the sense that we are to be disciples of him alone. However, that is not to say that there aren't other teachers in the New Testament who play secondary and transitorial roles.
Acts 13:1 shows that "in Antioch there were prophets and teachers in the local congregation, Barnabas as well as Symeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who was educated with Herod the district ruler, and Saul." Paul calls himself a teacher at 1 Tim. 2:7 and 2 Tim. 1:11. A teacher is to be one of the officers in the Christian congregation. See Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28-29 and Rom. 12:7.
It seems to me, therefore, that since the title continues to be used by the early Christians, they must not have understood Matt. 23:9-11 as forbidding its usage.
