by Splash 31 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't the Elderly Parking teaching been pretty much the same for the last 30 years or so?
Of course I think it could do them some good to park out in the "north 40" and get some cardio.
And I almost forgot about the Beard Doctrine. That's been around for 50 years by my personal recollection.
Good to know that some things are immutable.
Jehovah’s Witnesses-Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom pp.146-147 discusses the change of view of Romans 13:1-7 from 1929 onward.
Karl Adams was the major author and compiler of that book. One day he explained to me that it was Jehovah's will that the understanding of the superior authorities changed from secular authorities or "higher powers" to Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. Why did Jehovah want the former understanding completely changed? Karl gives a hint on page 147 of Proclaimers when he wrote these words:
"They [Bible Students and then JWs] still obeyed secular laws, but the emphasis was on obedience to God first. That was an important lesson, one that fortified them during the years of world turmoil that followed. "
According to Karl in our conversation, he said that during the pre-war years of WWII and during WII, if the Witnesses who were caught up in that conflict thought the "higher powers" were secular rulers, such as Hitler, Stalin, etc., they would have been obedient to these tyrants and to the laws enacted by the Third Reich, etc. Understanding that the higher powers were Jehovah and Jesus made them stand firm against these mad men. The Witnesses showed the world they were neutral like the first-century Christians even though many died but they proved their loyalty to God, that he came first.
How about that explanation?
Barbara
