by Powermetal4ever 18 Replies latest watchtower bible
Alright this has been in my brain lately: Both catholic church and the orthodox church has been around for about 2000 years, shouldn't they know how to practice christendom correctly by now? JW hasn't even been around for 200 years and yet they say they do it right. So silly of them. So proud of themselves, makes me wanna puke.
I am right? Say I am,please
On the one hand, you have the
Catholic Church started by Jesus and His chosen apostles.
On the other hand you have the
WTS started by Charles Taze Russell
hmmm, you may be on to something...
Charles Taze Russell is the founder of the Watchtower religion. It is one of thousands of sects that came to being due to the Reformation Movement started by Martin Luther. It is Luther's "Five Solas" that are responsible for the disharmony of the church -
Because of Luther's teachings the idea that the Bible should be interpreted literally. Luther also lobbied for the removal of several books of the Bible. He was partially successful. Any book of the Bible that contained scripture that opposed the Five Solas Luther wanted removed.
So, yes, it is quite amazing that the Watchtower has the gall to make such a claim.
Does this hypothesis also discard Luther's rebellion against the western church, and all the national churches that emerged in its wake? And, what about all the American and other sects that have also emerged more recently?
Your question, Powermetal4ever, raises other more complex questions about authenticity. Why exclude the Syrian/Nestorian church - they had congregations all across Asia, including China,
And, what about my favourite post-Jesus sect/church, the Manicheans? The prophet Mani preached all across Asia too. in fact the last Manichean temple remianing in the world, can be found near Quanzhou in southern China, once likely the biggest international trade port in the world. Here's a pik of the temple as it is today,
https://radiichina.com/manichaeism-chinas-forgotten-faith/
and, this is an image of Mani (who some contemporary Chinese who worship at this temple conflate with the Buddha)?
If you you would like to know more about this temple, here's an article in a contemporary English language Chinese magazine called Radii.
Vhttps://radiichina.com/manichaeism-chinas-forgotten-faith/
Even in the first few centuries of what Christians imagine as the 'pure' church, arguments raged between rival groups.
What did Jesus teach? We cant really know for sure, The earliest writings (the gospel accounts) were written some 20 years after Jesus died. Can anyone recall exactly what someone said 20 years ago?
In the late 15th Century, when Catholic missionaries from Portugal arrived in India to convert the "heathen", they found a well-established Christian community already there. Local tradition had it that this had been founded by St Thomas the Apostle, possibly as early as 52 AD.
Also, that term "Orthodox" is a rather general term which covers quite a spectrum of different churches, including the likes of the Egyptian Coptic Church and the Ethiopian Coptic Church. Established in Alexandria - and claiming the year in 33 AD as its founding date - the Egyptian Coptic Church is certainly one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. With such a diverse mix of churches under the general classification of "Orthodox", it almost goes without saying that they don't always agree with one another! Which shades further doubt on the idea that there ever was such a thing as a "Pure Church".
Pick up a set on Ante Nicene Church Fathers if you want to check out what was going on directly after the apostles left the scene. This volume set lists the writings of church leaders until 325 AD. It's easy to read the writings of the leaders that the apostles trained, and who they trained and so forth.
This is the set I bought: https://www.bonanza.com/listings/The-Ante-Nicene-Fathers-Complete-Set-Volumes-1-10-1989-USA-Roberts-Donaldson/1098748708?goog_pla=1
These were the early church leaders and they were always writing to each out about some trouble or heretical group or person and seeking advice from each other. It is very easy to determine what they believed because of all these writings. "Against Heresies" is a major early work. There is some variation among the leaders as you would expect, but nothing of huge importance.
They end up quoting all but a few verses of the NT while writing to each other. So, scriptures that are disputed by the critical text are easily checked out to see if / how the early church fathers quoted them or not. Basically, the early church leaders quoted scriptures consistent with the textus receptus - or KJV.
Lots of groups of Christians were never part of the RCC or the Reformation. Most of their histories were wiped out as the RCC killed 50 million people in Europe over an 800 year period. I do not believe that a person can understand Christian history without learning about these remarkable groups and the methodical relentless persecution they endured for centuries.
Here's the best work documenting these Christian groups IMO: https://www.amazon.com/Reformers-Their-Stepchildren-Dissent-Nonconformity/dp/1579789358
Baptists do not claim to be protestant but claim decendency from these various groups.
By the end of the first century, the canon or the Bible was complete (John writing the book of Revelation in A.D. 95-96). By the end of the second century, the early church fathers had quoted from all of the New Testament books. The Muratorian Fragment (A.D. 150-170) listed all the New Testament books, except for Matthew, Mark, Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter and 3 John.
The document is called a fragment because portions of the document have been torn off. The well known biblical scholar Westcott states that the missing books were probably included initially because the document is torn where they should have been listed. The Bible had already been established.
In the years that followed, the authority of certain books was challenged. Church councils were convened to review and verify the contents of our Bible. The Council of Carthage (A.D. 397) is usually pointed to as the council which finally put the debates to rest.
But unfortunately there will always be men who will challenge the authority of various books in the Bible.
In other words, the bible and sound Christian doctrines are easily determined today and are rock solid. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
Pick up a set on Ante Nicene Church Fathers if you want to check out what was going on directly after the apostles left the scene. This volume set lists the writings of church leaders until 325 AD. It's easy to read the writings of the leaders that the apostles trained, and who they trained and so forth.
This pretty much wraps it up and puts a bow on it.
Length of time that a religion exists is no proof of 'truth.' People still worship the Greek gods, giving that belief system millennia longer existence than the RC church. Do you think Greek or Roman polytheism the stamp of truth?
Length of time that a religion exists is no proof of 'truth.' People still worship the Greek gods, giving that belief system millennia longer existence than the RC church. Do you think Greek or Roman polytheism the stamp of truth?
It's not about what is truth or not.
