I don't get it... (re: Memorial)

by ilikecheese 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Sulla

  transhuman is correct, I think. They figure his death matters, but his resurrection is incidental to the whole thing. In this, as in so much else, they are teaching something more nearly the opposite of the gospel.

  rattigan has neatly missed the point: from the very earliest days, the Lord's Day was the Sunday communal feast. It is an indisyncratic and historically absurd idea that leads one to suppose that the mandate to celebrate the Eucharist was designed as a replacement of the Passover only and, thus, only to be done one time each year.
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  leaving_quietly

  The scriptural reason is in 1 Cor 11:26. It shows the purpose of the eating the bread and the wine... to proclaim the death of the Lord.

  "For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives."

  http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/11-26.htm

  Frankly, the purpose of the observance is one thing JWs are correct about. Who partakes, not so much. I know of no command to observe the resurrection, and for a certainty, bunnies and colored eggs have nothing to do with any of it.
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  Apognophos

  rattigan has neatly missed the point: from the very earliest days, the Lord's Day was the Sunday communal feast. It is an indisyncratic and historically absurd idea that leads one to suppose that the mandate to celebrate the Eucharist was designed as a replacement of the Passover only and, thus, only to be done one time each year.

  I've been wondering about this recently. Why did Paul take the time to counsel a congregation in 1 Cor. 11 over the inappropriate way they celebrated the Meal if it was only once a year? When he talks about people eating dinner or getting drunk before the Meal, it makes it sound like a regular, weekly practice. Of course, I can't prove it; it just seems like the Corinthians could have gotten their act together better for a once-a-year occasion, whereas if this was once a week, you could see some of them getting complacent or careless about the celebration and needing counsel.
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  leaving_quietly

  Apognophos, to me it makes sense that it's an annual celebration, just as Passover was. One thing to remember about the Corinthians is that Paul had to give them stronger counsel than usual. Remember, in the same letter, in chapter 5, Paul chided them because they were having immoral relations so shocking that it was worse than the nations (1 Cor 5:1). Thus, it kinda makes sense that there might be some drinking problems going on, too, and thus he would have to counsel them in regards to that. The Corinthians were the only ones in the NT where any talk of removing ones from the congregation occurred, if I recall correctly. It would seem (er, or "evidently" LOL!), some of them were a bad bunch.
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  Deputy Dog

  ilikechesse

  Why do JWs celebrate Jesus dying rather than his resurrection? I was talking to my boyfriend about this last week, and he said, "It's way more important that he died." I kind of thought the whole coming back to life thing was a bigger deal, but whatevs.

  I'm sure the Pharisees would be glad to celebrate his death as well. Jesus is more dangerous to them alive than dead. And when you think about their theology, they believe Michael resurrected not Jesus. Michael died (killed or suicide) somehow, Jesus (the angelman) was born, then Michael resurrects.