Hi Mee ... here's something to consider.
Scripture says:
"Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation" 2 Peter 1:20.
I content that JW doctrine is founded on just that. A private interpretation of Scripture — the supposed dating of Christ's return — in that no such date is ever given in any orthodox Christian teaching up until that point. And certainly no reference to any date whatsoever — not even 1914 — is given in Scripture itself. In fact, quite the reverse: "It is not for you to know ..." Acts 1:7 et seq. So any attempt to claim knowledge of any date, by a private interpretation of prophecy of Scripture, is refuted by the Apostle based on the words of Christ Himself.
The fact that JW leaders were obliged to revise this date on a number of occasions, and then later to redefine the very terms of reference, illustrate that the data was not infallibly revealed in the first instance, therefore it was not a direct message from God. Your founders are not prophets.
You call yourselves witnesses. I contend your witness is of a private interpretation of Scripture, and thus a man-made tradition.
In short, you claim knowledge of that which The Lord said "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority." Your assertion of a date of Jesus' coronation in Heaven is a claim to know a time 'the Father has fixed' — something which 'is not for you to know'.
It seems to me, on the assertion of Scripture, an invalid claim.
Thomas
Scripture says:
"Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation" 2 Peter 1:20.
I content that JW doctrine is founded on just that. A private interpretation of Scripture — the supposed dating of Christ's return — in that no such date is ever given in any orthodox Christian teaching up until that point. And certainly no reference to any date whatsoever — not even 1914 — is given in Scripture itself. In fact, quite the reverse: "It is not for you to know ..." Acts 1:7 et seq. So any attempt to claim knowledge of any date, by a private interpretation of prophecy of Scripture, is refuted by the Apostle based on the words of Christ Himself.
The fact that JW leaders were obliged to revise this date on a number of occasions, and then later to redefine the very terms of reference, illustrate that the data was not infallibly revealed in the first instance, therefore it was not a direct message from God. Your founders are not prophets.
You call yourselves witnesses. I contend your witness is of a private interpretation of Scripture, and thus a man-made tradition.
In short, you claim knowledge of that which The Lord said "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority." Your assertion of a date of Jesus' coronation in Heaven is a claim to know a time 'the Father has fixed' — something which 'is not for you to know'.
It seems to me, on the assertion of Scripture, an invalid claim.
Thomas