Compare what happened during the apostolic period -
Col 1:23:provided, of course, that you continue in the faith, established on the foundation and steadfast, not being shifted away from the hope of that good news that you heard and that was preached in all creation under heaven.+ Of this good news I, Paul, became a minister.
Rom 16:26but has now been made manifest* and has been made known through the prophetic Scriptures among all the nations according to the command of the everlasting God to promote obedience by faith;
Who was the preaching commission, or coming forward as a witness given to?
Remembering Context, Audience and Purpose….
John 15:27;and you, in turn, are to bear witness,+ because you have been with me from the beginning.
Hmmm I personally wasn't with Jesus from the beginning ---were you ?
Matt 11:1When Jesus had finished giving instructions to his 12 disciples, he set out from there to teach and preach in their cities.
I wasn't one of his original 12 disciples ---where you?
Matthew 28:16-20However, the 11 disciples went to Galʹi·lee to the mountain where Jesus had arranged for them to meet. 17 When they saw him, they did obeisance, but some doubted.18 Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”
I wasn't one of his 11 faithful post execution disciples ---where you?
Mark 3:14, 15;And he formed* a group of 12, whom he also named apostles, those who were to accompany him and whom he would send out to preach 15 and to have authority to expel demons.+
I wasn't one of his original 12 disciples ---where you? I can’t expel demons--can you?
Luke 24:47-49;and on the basis of his name, repentance for forgiveness of sins+ would be preached in all the nations+—starting out from Jerusalem.+ 48 You are to be witnesses of these things.+ 49 And look! I am sending upon you what my Father promised. You, though, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Jesus did not command me to preach starting out from Jerusalem --- and wait in Jerusalem till I was clothed will holy spirit ( ie... tongues of fire---able to talk languages). Who am I to take these words written 2000 years ago and say it was to me too?
Acts 1:22-26starting with his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us,+ one of these men should become a witness with us of his resurrection.”+23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barʹsab·bas, who was also called Justus, and Mat·thiʹas. 24 Then they prayed and said: “You, O Jehovah,* who know the hearts of all,+ designate which one of these two men you have chosen 25 to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas deviated to go to his own place.”+ 26 So they cast lots over them,+ and the lot fell to Mat·thiʹas, and he was counted* along with the 11 apostles.
Hmmm --were the 11 apostles talking to me?? asking me to take the place of Judas --- for the ministry and apostleship?
Acts 5:12-20;Moreover, through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders* continued to occur among the people;+ and they would all meet together in Solʹo·mon’s Colonnade.+ 13 True, none of the others had the courage to join them; nevertheless, the people were speaking highly of them. 14 More than that, believers in the Lord kept on being added, great numbers both of men and of women.+ 15 They even brought the sick out into the main streets and laid them there on small beds and mats, so that as Peter would pass by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.+ 16 Also, crowds of people from the cities around Jerusalem kept coming, carrying sick people and those troubled with unclean spirits, and they were one and all cured.
Do we cure the sick and do many signs and wonders?? -- I we being a bit deluded to think we are in the same group as described in these writings?
Acts 9:1-20;Account of Jesus appearing to the apostle Paul
Did Jesus appear to you---- he didn't appear to me..
When you read about God’s servant getting the commission to build an ark- do you start building because you too are God’s servant? –
Why not?
Because the commission noted in the bible was given to Noah
According to the bible - the preaching commission was given to the apostles including Paul -directly by Jesus to those who physically witnessed him and whom he apparently appeared
The Governing Body do not believe they are inspired or have angelic direction (see page 708 – Jehovah’s Witnesses – proclaimers of Gods Kingdom) in fact -they say in this publication they let the bible interpret itself– so where did they get the commission to give the ‘go preach’ decree from?
Preaching work already done - not for now
by stockholm_Syndrome 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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stockholm_Syndrome
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scratchme1010
Who cares
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stockholm_Syndrome
Such an articulate and informed response to someone who has recently progressively undone various cult teachings he was brought up with. You would make a good elder -- they give the same answers when people first start having issues
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steve2
Oh dear, we have another poster who takes it upon himself to tell us how "Scripture" should be understood.
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Vidiot
@ steve2...
Gosh, what would we do without them??? :smirk:
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deegee
I sometimes wonder if Preterists & JWs have anything in common?..............Jesus Christ came in 1914 and only we knew.........the world ended/Jesus Christ came in 70AD and only we knew.............
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stockholm_Syndrome
LOL steve2 - no wonder you were a JW - read info and feel this mysterious pressure that something is telling you what to do...
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schnell
so where did they get the commission to give the ‘go preach’ decree from?
For what it's worth, I do like your reasoning in the OP, and I also agree with scratchme. So do you. Seriously, who cares?
That commission comes from whomever taught whomever that this applies to them in their day. It continues as we speak, and it's nonsense. It's also made and lost millions, and the WTBTS is quite clearly in the real estate business under a nonprofit religious corporation.
Yep, preaching work's over. It was never necessary to begin with.
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jookbeard
100% Schnell, in the grand scheme of things it holds zero relevance to any one past/present or the future, the message of doomsday cults is really very tiring and really who cares?
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stockholm_Syndrome
So what jookbeard is saying is that the whole JW experience is irrelevant...no one cares ... and he does not know why he is on an exJW forum --- thought I would clear it up for everyone :o)