Do the WT authors consider the early church fathers to have been apostates? I seem to have a vague recollection that they do. However, they don't seem to have a problem reading and selectively quoting or citing from their writings which would then be the writings of apostates. So, is it OK to read some apostate literature as long as it's only apostasy from original Christianity and not apostasy from the JW org.?
Do the WT authors consider the early church fathers to have been apostates?
by True North 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Narkissos
Very insightful remark.
It seems that the definition of "apostasy" which the early WT (after other groups, such as Darbyists) used against post-apostolic "Christendom" has given way to a completely new and distinct definition, i.e. "apostasy from the WT", as the latter was becoming more and more visible. And, yes, the treatment is quite different. They readily quote Tertullian but would never quote Ray Franz...
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Leolaia
There was a series of WT articles from around 1990-1991 on Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, etc. which presented them in a very positive light and did not portray them as apostates, denying (dishonestly) that these same writers believed in the deity of Christ. So they are quite ambiguous on when the "apostasy" supposedly took place.
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OHappyDay
They use those writings just like they use writings of modern-day theologians, when those writings appear to agree with some facet of Watchtower doctrine. But they do not consider such persons, ancient or modern, to be "true" Christians. Usually they are referred to as "nominal" or "professed" Christians.
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XQsThaiPoes
Like every heretic they reference they pick and choose what beliefs are apostate, or consider the person "searching" for the truth. Most articles have sly disclaimers saying the person had some of the truth but not all. For all we know Franz may make it back into the watchtower in the future. The attrition rate of JWs is steep and the watchtowers memory is short. Most apostate and occult material is used as reference in the bethel library oneday someone is going to ask "Crisis? Harry Potter? Wait how come I could not read these books before I got to bethel?".
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Earnest
The majority of early church fathers were declared heretical to a greater or lesser degree by the Church councils themselves.
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willyloman
WT attitude about 'early church fathers' is probably summed up by their response to an old "Question From Readers" (early 1950's?) which asked about an article in the WT. The magazine reported in a previous issue that massive persecution of early Christians led to large-scale deaths, including 144,000 in just one event. The reader wrote to inquire how this was so since the WT teaches that only 144,000 anointed Christians will go to heaven, and further teaches that all the Christians alive in the first Century were anointed.
WT's response? "They weren't all true Christians; many had fallen away from true worship by that time." Or words to that effect.
I'm sure someone here can cite the article. It's fascinating.
Based on this, they do not appear to have much respect for Christendom's early founders.
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plmkrzy
it's ok since they were not privy to the new light then
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True North
Leolaia,
It seems to me that they would pretty much have to consider Irenaeus to have been apostate. After all, he was active as late as around the end of the second century and was involved with the developing Rome-based hierarchy of the day (at least according to the online Catholic encyclopedia at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08130b.htm). If the JWs don't consider the apostasy -- as they view it -- to have been in full swing by that time, how can they seriously advance the claim that significantly less than 144,000 legit Christians had existed before the JW era?
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XQsThaiPoes
They can't it is a black hole that?s why it is never covered. If 1935 was the start of the great crowd there are only 144k seats in heaven. There were more Christians than 144k in the first/second century. So that means that the 144k was filled close to Jesus time just as logic would dictate, and maybe just those few people jailed in 1919 may have been the last few. The larger problem is that makes most of Christianity in vain. I believe my hybrid of historical fact and the watchtowers beliefs is logical. With the death of the FDS this may become new light because there is too many latter day anointed as it is.