Posts by Doug Mason

22

What does it mean to be saved?

by tan in

is it biblical?

i was told that salvation was believing in christ, but shouldn't there be something else to do?

thank you.

Doug Mason

What does it mean to be saved?

What an almighty question!

It means that when God looks at you he sees someone who is absolutely perfect, completely sinless, without fault. He sees someone who is completely in harmony with his own will.

God sees this perfection because Jesus, the perfect one, places his prefect, sinless, faultless nature on our behalf. The holy spirit joins in, pleading our case before God. It is a system that has been initiated and carried to its conclusion by God. What a team to have on our side!

Paul writes: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1 - 2, NIV)

To be “justified” means to be “just-as-if-I’d” never sinned. And this state is given on the basis of FAITH – not on the basis of intellectual prowess, theological knowledge, or doctrinal accuracy. It does not depend on my feelings or my state of mind. It does not depend on religious affiliation, piety, or on any generous donations. This state is provided because God said so and because God provided the means, through the completed work of the Son of God.

When Paul writes “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”, he is speaking of being at peace with God’s requirements, because Jesus has satisfied them. This is not speaking about a peaceful serenity, but about a technical peace.

Doug

6

Help needed with a drawing

by Doug Mason in

for the past few weeks, i have been developing a picture i have called "authority model".

i would appreciate any constructive comments and criticisms that will help me produce a picture that is both accurate and meaningful.

it can be viewed at .

Doug Mason

For the past few weeks, I have been developing a picture I have called "Authority Model".

I would appreciate any constructive comments and criticisms that will help me produce a picture that is both accurate and meaningful.

It can be viewed at

http://au.geocities.com/doug_mason1940/authority_model.pdf

Doug

3

A couple of "Kingdom Come" Appendix ch14 Questions

by rassillon in

i have searched the forum and i have read alan's .

"http://corior.blogspot.com/2006/02/refutation-of-appendix-in-let-your.html" .

i have it as a bookmark!

Doug Mason

rassillon,

On 23 Feb 07, I wrote about the problems the GB has in determining the date when Cyrus issued his decree and also the year that the Jews returned to Jerusalem. See post http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/129802/1.ashx

Jeremiah prophesied that the nations had to serve Babylon for 70 years. The other countries listed by Jeremiah were able to serve Babylon while they remained in their own country. Indeed, Jeremiah pleaded with Zedekiah, asking him to serve Babylon which would thus prevent Jerusalem being destroyed (Jeremiah 27:12-13, 17). All of this even though he had prophesied 70 years of serving Babylon.

One would expect that their servitude to Babylon ceased when Babylon no longer ruled - from October 539 BCE. The WTS is totally dependent on secular sources for the date 539 BCE for Babylon's Fall, but it does not accept the method used by those authorities to arrive at that date. The Bible does not give any dates in terms of the "BCE" calendar.

The WTS insists that Cyrus did not come to the throne as soon as Babylon fell, and puts out scenarios that make it impossible for him to have made his decree in sufficient time for the Jews to prepare thousands of families for a four-month trek and arrive there in 537 BCE.

Given how critical these dates are for the WTS's authority, it is unbelievable that they can only guess when the decree was given and can only hope the Jews did as the WTS requires.

Please let me know if I have not made myself clear, and maybe I could draw a timeline picture for you.

Doug

36

The faithful and discreet slave

by Ryan1 in

i have been doing a bit of research into the witnesses.

i have been told the faithful and discreet slaves reside in brooklyn ny.

these men believe they are appointed by god to lead the jehovah's witnesses and run a publishing company.. what scriptures do they use to back up this claim?.

Doug Mason

The expression “Faithful and Discreet Slave” has nothing to do with “Governing Body”. To say that the two expressions are related is to give credence to the Governing Body’s false use of Scripture.

There is only one group responsible for the teachings directed at Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is the Governing Body. To allow them to pass responsibility to some other group is to let them sidestep their full and total responsibility.

Doug

14

Who is the Slave?

by jeshurun in

who is the faithful and wise servant of matthew 24:45-47 ?

in his end time discourse jesus stressed his unexpected arrival for judgment.

by telling a range of parables, he impressed that teaching on the mind of his disciples.

Doug Mason

Jeshurun,

Have you read "Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes" by John Shelby Spong?

You will not agree with everything he says, but overall it addresses your comment about a "Q" document source.

Doug

30

"Did not defile themselves with women"

by Legolas in

so the 144000, wouldn't you say then are all men?.

i can't remember what crap excuse they gave for that one to get out of it not only being men....but all the writer had to say was 'they were virgins' if it was both sexes.. what do you think?.

Doug Mason

I said I would look for the book that considered the sequence of the names of the 144,000. Remember, I am only posting what another author wrote.

The tribes of Israel sealed with the seal of the living God cannot be the literal tribes of Jacob, because two of the original tribes, Ephraim and Dan are not even named. Both were leaders in idolatry. It is obvious that the names given in Revelation 7 and the order in which they are given is because of their spiritual significance; The meaning of Dan indicates “judging”, and Jacob, in Genesis 49: 16, 17, pictures Dan as a “serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse heels, so that the rider shall fall backward”. Dan represents those in the professing church who criticize and “judge” their fellow-believers, back-biting as they pass along life’s highway, causing those they slander to “fall backwards”. The Danites will not be in the kingdom of Christ. Manasseh, meaning “forgetting;” - representing those who forgive and forget - replaces Dan in the list of the tribes of Israel given in Revelation 7. Ephraim represents those who are “joined to idols” (Hosea 4: 17): those who have “mixed” (Hosea 7: 8) with the world and have not sufficiently valued their eternal life to earnestly seek the things of God (Hosea 6: 8-11). His name does not appear in Revelation 7.

The order in which the names of the tribes of the children of Israel are given in Revelation 7 is significant, being placed in such an Order as to proclaim the gospel in the meaning of their names. The reader will find the meanings of the names in the following verses, with their margins, set forth in the order of their birth: Genesis 29:32; 29:33, 34, 35; 30:6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 24; 35:18; 41:51, 52. Now observe that the tribes of Israel as enumerated in Revelation 7 are not given in the order of their birth, but in such an order that the meaning of their names preaches the gospel. For instance, Judah was the fourth son, yet his name heads the list, because he, being the kingly tribe, represents Jesus “The King of the Jews”, also because his name means “Praise”. In the days of Jehoshaphat, the people of God were faced with perils.

The king of Judah “appointed singers unto the Lord [margin, “praise”] that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say, Praise the Lord, and when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord” gave them victory over their enemies (2 Chronicles 20:21-24). Thus at the commencement of these names we are given the secret of victory. The tribe of Judah led the way in the march across the wilderness to the Promised Land, and its standard was the lion. This is the significance of the cheering message of assurance which was given by one of the elders, one who had been resurrected at the time of the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 27:50-53; Revelation 5:9; Ephesians 4:8): “Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed” (Revelation 5: 5). For it is Jesus, “the King of the [spiritual] Jews” (Revelation 2: 9; 3: 9) who leads His people through this world to the eternal Canaan.

Setting out the names in the order in which they are given in Revelation 7 we see that, by this arrangement of names according to their meanings and not according to their order of birth, we have God’s message of assurance to those who* are sealed among the tribes of Israel:

Judah: “Praise”
Reuben: “A son”
Gad: “A company” of sons redeemed and Aser: “Happy” after
Nepthalim: “Wrestling” in prayer
Manasses: “Forgetting” self and the past Simeon: “Hearing” God’s Word
Levi: “Joined” to God as
Issachar: “Servants”
Zabulon: “Dwelling” with
Joseph: “Added” joys and special blessings as
Benjamin: “Sons of the right hand”, for In Thy presence is fullness of joy: at Thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

4

NT use of the OT

by Doug Mason in

if you are interested in discovering the way that jesus and the apostles applied the scriptures (our ot), i strongly recommend the following book.

biblical exegesis in the apostolic period by richard n. longenecker, grand rapids: eerdmans publishing co. .

the following is the contents of the 1975 edition that i possess.

Doug Mason

If you are interested in discovering the way that Jesus and the Apostles applied the Scriptures (our OT), I strongly recommend the following book.

“Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period” by Richard N. Longenecker, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.

The following is the Contents of the 1975 edition that I possess. A second edition was released in 1999 and there may some minor amendments, if any.

I JEWISH HERMENEUTICS IN THE FIRST CENTURY
Sources
Literalist Interpretation
Midrashic Interpretation
Pesher Interpretation
Allegorical Interpretation
Summation

II JESUS AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
A Realistic Appraisal of the Documents
The Phenomena of the Quotations
Literalist and Midrashic Treatments
Pesher Interpretations
A Paradigm for Continued Study

III EARLY CHRISTIAN PREACHING AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
Sermonic and Catechetical Materials
The Phenomena of the Quotations
Testimonia Portions and Collections
Exegetical Presuppositions
Exegetical Practices and Patterns

IV PAUL AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Letters of Paul
The Phenomena of the Quotations
Literalist and Midrashic Treatments
Allegorical Interpretations
Pesher Interpretations

V THE EVANGELISTS AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Phenomena of the Quotations
The Quotations of Mark and Luke
The Quotations of Matthew
The Quotations of John

VI HEBREWS AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Provenance of the Letter
The Phenomena of the Quotations
Exegetical Presuppositions and Practices
The Biblical Argument

VII JEWISH CHRISTIAN TRACTATES AND THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Nature of the Materials
The Phenomena of the Quotations
Literalist Treatments
Pesher Interpretations

VIII THE NATURE OF NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS
Christocentric Interpretation
Common, Diverse and Developed Exegetical Patterns
The Descriptive and the Normative in Exegesis

30

"Did not defile themselves with women"

by Legolas in

so the 144000, wouldn't you say then are all men?.

i can't remember what crap excuse they gave for that one to get out of it not only being men....but all the writer had to say was 'they were virgins' if it was both sexes.. what do you think?.

Doug Mason

Truthsearcher,

I once read that the sequence of the names provided a message. I will see if I can find the book. I seem to recall that the author claimed "Dan" was omitted as he was a backbiter.

Doug

14

Who is the Slave?

by jeshurun in

who is the faithful and wise servant of matthew 24:45-47 ?

in his end time discourse jesus stressed his unexpected arrival for judgment.

by telling a range of parables, he impressed that teaching on the mind of his disciples.

Doug Mason

A Parable is a story, an illustration. Nothing more. It is not a prophecy.

The individual elements within it are there to develop the story. Do not try to make a parable walk on all four legs.

This particular Parable is explained by Jesus. There is no other meaning.

While Matthew places it in the context of a message given to a few disciples, Luke places the giving of the parable in a totally different setting. Why?

Matthew gives it in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke does not. Why?

Doug

13

Why was instruction given to "abstain...from things strangled?"

by M.J. in

what was the reasoning behind that instruction in acts 15:20,29?.

was it simply due to the fact that an animal dying by strangulation would retain more blood than various forms of slaughter?.

was it in reaction to a ritual or practice that had connections to idolatry at the time?.

Doug Mason

Shadow,

Every time "blood" is mentioned in Scripture, it represents DEATH, often a violent one. NEVER does "Blood" represent "life".

As CTR wrote, the presentation of blood at the altar proved that the beast was DEAD.

In Genesis 9, the writer was addressing the contemporary practice of cutting flesh from a living animal and drinking the blood from the quivering flesh. The passage says that there must be proof the beast is dead before its flesh may be eaten.

In the medical use of blood, such as for example with a vaccination or the recipt of Factor VIII, the presence of the product does not indicate the donor has died. The symbolism is not there.

Doug