by OldSoul 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Oldsoul - deffinately outside the whole JW faith - it's not as a JW would define witness work, is what I'm trying to get across.
I'm so open about it because 1. I have nothing to lose in doing so 2. God knew I did it 3. No longer worried about being judged by men that do not have the faintest Idea about any kind of LOVE. 4. I'm free from their grip and it's wonderful!
In Acts 20:20, the orginal Greek is kata (kat-ah') and oikos (oy'-kos) in combined form:
Narkissos: (8:3, kata tous oikous, cf. 20:20 kat'oikous).
Acts 2:42 says:day after day they were in constant attendance at the temple with one accordIf they were in the temple day after day, where did they find the time to go door-to-door?
Good point! Also;
It would seem that the primary focus was that they were preaching to those that would come to them and not those that they went to.
There were probably occasions where they were invited to such one's homes, but it was not the "pattern" to gather at the temple and set out by two's to canvass the homes in the area!
Imposition or invitation?
Annie
in (various) houses (of believers)
Are the parenthesis in that definition your additions, or is that the definition as it stands in a book somewhere?
Thanks,
-ithinkisee
in (various) houses (of believers)Are the parenthesis in that definition your additions, or is that the definition as it stands in a book somewhere?
The parenthesis are mine. If you want a literal (although meaningless) translation:
- kat'oikon, 2:46; 5:42, "according to house"
- kata tous oikous, 8:3, "according to the houses"
- kat' oikous, 20:20, "according to houses".
This use of kata is generally called "distributive," actually meaning "in the various houses involved" within the group being discussed -- only the context showing that believers are meant.
Interestingly, to mean "from house to house" Luke 10:7 has a completely different expression, very close to the English: ex oikias eis oikian, out of [one] house(hold) into [another] house(hold).
- kat' oikous, 20:20, "according to houses".
I think it is worth noting that the Kingdom Interlinear translates 20:20 the same way in its literal form. "according to" "houses"
The Greek construction is completely different in Luke 10:7, but the WTS "scholars" thought it best to translate it the same way.
Narkissos mentioned my favorite scripture on this subject. Acts 2:46. I actually made some notes comparing the Emphatic Diaglot to the KIT on this subject (please indulge):
I have noted four occasions where kai'oikon is used in the greek scriptures. I've compared the Diaglott to the KIT. The KIT english text is the 1984 NWT and appears to really fit the phrasing the society uses in its teachings.
English Rendition in Diaglot Acts 5:42 - And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not teaching and preaching the glad tidings of the anointed jesus. ((Greek text: in the temple and at home))
English Rendition in KIT Acts 5:42 - And everyday in the temple, and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus. ((Greek text: in the temple and according to house))
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English Rendition in Diaglot Acts 2:46 - ...the temple everyday, and breaking bread at home, they partook of food...((Greek text: in the temple, breaking and at home bread, they were partaking of food))
English rendition in KIT Acts 2:46 - At the temple with one accord, and they took their meals in private homes...((Greek text: in the temple, breaking and according to house break, they were partaking))
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English rendition in Diaglot Acts 20:20 - Neglecting not to declare to you and to teach you publicly and at your houses.((Greek text: to teach you publicly and in houses))
English rendition in KIT Acts 20:20 - teaching you publicly and from house to house.((to teach you to public and according to houses))
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English rendition in Diaglot Romans 16:5 - Greet the congregation that is in their house.((Greek text: according to))
English rendition in KIT Romans 16:5 - The congregation that is at their house.((Greek text: Also the in house of them congregation))
By the way, I've used Acts 2:46 with a dub or two and it confuses the crap out of them. They just are not prepared to discuss it.
They inevitably do WTS research and come back with various quotes about door to door being the right way; of course most of these quotes were made by fire and brimstone preachers of the 19th century.
I've combed the society's literature and written down every preacher that backs their claim up and gotten biographies for most of them (I couldn't find some of them no matter how hard I searched). The society also quotes from a magazine called something like the Catholic Daily Journal (??), anyway I contacted them and they sent me a copy of the magazine article for my files. The quoted article was written in the 50 or 60s. I haven't typed all this information up yet but I will in the future.
The result of the conversations I've had turned into: "well, the FDS has a right to have us carry out the work the way they see fit, even if it wasn't done that way in the first century." - They get that statement right out of an older WT study article (I'll try to look up the reference tonight).
Hi.
I haven't been a JW, and there are some things I've always been curious about. I hope nobody minds me asking this here. I'm not trying to divert this thread.
1. Do JWs have to supply proof of time spent in field work--like a time card?
2. How do they decide on a particular neighborhood?
3. JW men always wear suits and women wear long dresses (although most look like they buy at thrift stores). What if there was a real zealous and effective witness who insisted on wearing casual clothes, like jeans, tank tops, athletic shoes?
4. In my more recent engagements with JWs, they seem less interested in debating issues. Is there new instruction to simply excuse oneself and move on if the target is not receptive?
5. A neighborhood I used to live was racially and ethnically mixed. Latino JWs would come to the door and just ask if I knew anyone in the neighborhood who spoke Spanish. Is this part of a deliberate strategy to target marginal Catholics?
6. Sometimes I see JWs standing outside markets and donut shops holding up issues of Awake magazine. Apparently they are waiting for people to come up and engage them in conversation (people led by Jehovah to find the truth). Does this "passive" field work count the same as door-to-door?
7. Obviously, many people consider "sales calls" annoying and intrusive. Has the increase in gated communities and "do not call" lists restricting telemarketing had any impact on this strategy?
Thanks.
1. No proof, just a report.
2. Each local congregation (= parish) is ascribed a territory, which is then divided and distributed (to individual publishers or to group) for regular visits.
3. A JW could be "counselled" for "inappropriate dress" anytime -- but I've noticed lately some cases of more informal dress (no ties), perhaps as a conscious effort to look "cooler".
4. Don't know, I've been out for nearly 20 years.
5. It is just a Spanish-speaking congregation which targets on Spanish speakers. (I was once in a Portuguese congregation in France)
6. Yes.
7. Don't know (cf. # 4).
