Early church fathers

by Rattigan350 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Rattigan350

  In a post by Leolaia she stated:

  Then the Trinity brochure came out and I almost immediately became upset at its intellectual dishonesty, as by this time I was very familiar with the early church fathers and recognized that the brochure distorted heavily their views.

  This is something I don't get. Early church fathers and their views? Who were they? Ignatius, Polycarp, Clement, Origen, etc.

  The theory being that they were closer to the apostles who knew Jesus that they would know more accurately the truth of the matter.

  But the apostles themselves didn't teach with distinction truth on these matters. They weren't inspired. It is recorded that Polycarp had been a disciple of John. So what of it? John was not clear in his writings as there is so much conflict over them, how would Polycarp be clearer? Would Polycarp be the Robin to John being Batman. Or Master apprentice, John would be Quigon to Polycarp being Obi Wan?

  Using 2000 year old letters to form doctrine, when they should have originally being put in a teaching-doctrine is ridiculous. Look at how much people debate over the founding fathers and their intent with the constitution. Its interpretation has evolved to be more complex in 200 years to suit their needs of the day. In 200 years of Christianity, these people argued about the sayings and meanings of Jesus to where they made it more complex to suit their needs of the day.

  I feel that the Bible, as the important word of God, should have been presented with more definiteness as a teaching book, rather than simply history and sayings. So how is it that people judge religion based on quotes or perceived views of these ones? Who or how the heck would one know what they thought anyway?
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  jwfacts

  I doubt Leo thinks the Church Fathers taught the truth. What she was offended by was the way the Watchtower misquotes them, and misrepresents what they preached.
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  TTWSYF

  The truth is that ALL of the church fathers considered Jesus as God in the flesh. The trinity booklet is just another example of Watchtower lies.....in a long long list of lies.

  Praise Jesus!

  dc
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  TTWSYF

  My apologies to you Rattigan for killing your post.......

  dc
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  Chariklo

  Maybe you trumped it rather than killed it!
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  erbie

  The Early Christian Writings are very interesting to read. You can buy them as a Penguin Classic.

  The Didache (meaning 'teaching') is generally dated from around 40-60 AD which would make it older than some of the canon.

  In Philippians a certain Clement is mentioned (not to be confused with Clement of Alexandrea!).

  Some belive this to be Clement who was the first Bishop of Rome whereas some do not.

  In any case, church history is very interesting, unlike WT history
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  soontobe

  I feel that the Bible, as the important word of God, should have been presented with more definiteness as a teaching book, rather than simply history and sayings.

  But it isn't, and never was meant to be, the definitive teaching book. Christianity isn't a religion of a dead printed word, but a living Word.
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  erbie

  With you on that one soontobe.
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  Phizzy

  I think that sometimes we who have come from a Bible thumping religion forget that there was no Bible in those early days. There were possibly hundreds of writings circulating, and some of the Church fathers were quite certain as to which were "genuine" , that certainty does not mean that they ended up in the canon as we have it today.

  By genuine, they usually meant taught doctrine that they approved of more than without doubt written by an Apostle ,say.

  The huge arguments that went on show that, even close to the time of the Apostles, there was no real certainty as to what the Apostles taught and believed, and certainly little consensus on what Jesus taught.

  What they all seem to have in common is a belief in the Resurrection and in the Divinity of Christ, but within those beliefs lie several ways of looking at both, hence the time it took to agree on a Creed.

  The way the WT cherry picks and misquotes their words is typical of the WT, and quite indefensible.
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  Chariklo

  With you, soontobe and Erbie.

  Phizzy, you too have it absolutely right there.