Interesting overview bible highlights

[barry]

Hi,

Yesterday at our meeting, during the highlights the brother who handled the part (the secretary) discussed some interesting points.
He was saying that it is important that we know how to study by ourselves. He mentioned that the evening of the bookstudy is now free to study. And so we can prepare how to study, so we can use that during the great tribulation. He said what do you think that will be? The biggest tribulation ever. So, we have to know how we can strengthen ourselves. He also said that maybe there will be a time that we will not be able to get magazines and books. Maybe the only thing left is the Bible. Do we know how to study from only the bible, without any help or literature? Do we exercise this now we have the chance to do that?

I did not hear anyone warning like this before, that there might be a time when everything will be gone and we might left alone. I thought it was interesting that he really focussed on learning to study the Bible without aids.

regards,
Barry

[billy2]

Hi Barry

do you think this was his own opinion or advice from the GB?

I wonder if more b&s will start questioning things if they are left up to their own devices - thinking of what happened in Bethel when certain ones formed private study groups

[barry]

do you think this was his own opinion or advice from the GB?

I have the impression that it was his own opinion.

[SlaveForJah]

I have the impression that it was his own opinion.

Well that is truly encouraging. Hopefully, things will beging trending in that direction, with more brothers offering nice, scripturally-based thoughts about how to strengthen our faith. Thank you for sharing that, Barry.


Agape

SlaveForJah

[SWORDOFJAH]

Our brothers always encourage us to read the Bible.
Example:



*** w00 10/1 p. 10 par. 9 Bible Reading—Profitable and Pleasurable ***
One might add that the reading of many books published today is not only wearisome to the flesh but, frankly, dangerous to the mind. So it is important to be selective. In addition to reading our Bible study publications, we need to read the Bible itself. The founding editor of this magazine wrote to its readers: "Never forget that the Bible is our Standard and that however God-given our helps may be they are ‘helps’ and not substitutes for the Bible." Hence, while not neglecting Bible-based publications, we need to read the Bible itself.

[James]

Our brothers always encourage us to read the Bible.
Example:



***

w00 10/1 p. 10 par. 9 Bible Reading—Profitable and Pleasurable ***
One might add that the reading of many books published today is not only wearisome to the flesh but, frankly, dangerous to the mind. So it is important to be selective. In addition to reading our Bible study publications, we need to read the Bible itself. The founding editor of this magazine wrote to its readers: "Never forget that the Bible is our Standard and that however God-given our helps may be they are ‘helps’ and not substitutes for the Bible." Hence, while not neglecting Bible-based publications, we need to read the Bible itself.




Hello SwordOfJah,

Not trying to be a NITPICKER, but some might read the following as the WT publications are the main course and the bible as supplemental.
In addition to reading our Bible study publications, we need to read the Bible itself.

Here again, it puts the publications ahead of the bible in preference and importance.
Hence, while not neglecting Bible-based publications, we need to read the Bible itself.


Like I said, I don't want to be a nitpicker.

agape,
James

[SWORDOFJAH]

Not trying to be a NITPICKER..

You are lol. Our brothers always encourage us to read the Bible.

Another example:



*** w95 5/1 p. 13 par. 2 Benefiting From Daily Bible Reading ***
Jehovah’s Witnesses greatly appreciate their Bible study aids, including The Watchtower, and they use these regularly. But they know that none of them take the place of the Bible itself. Back in 1909, Charles Taze Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, wrote to readers of the Watch Tower magazine: "Never forget that the Bible is our Standard and that however God-given our helps may be they are ‘helps’ and not substitutes for the Bible."




*** w95 5/1 p. 14 par. 3 Benefiting From Daily Bible Reading ***
The inspired Scriptures have a depth and a force that no other book has.

[Desert Blossom]

Not trying to be a NITPICKER..

You are lol. Our brothers always encourage us to read the Bible.

Another example:



***

w95 5/1 p. 13 par. 2 Benefiting From Daily Bible Reading ***
Jehovah’s Witnesses greatly appreciate their Bible study aids, including The Watchtower, and they use these regularly. But they know that none of them take the place of the Bible itself. Back in 1909, Charles Taze Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, wrote to readers of the Watch Tower magazine: "Never forget that the Bible is our Standard and that however God-given our helps may be they are ‘helps’ and not substitutes for the Bible."




***

w95 5/1 p. 14 par. 3 Benefiting From Daily Bible Reading ***
The inspired Scriptures have a depth and a force that no other book has.


Some more quotes from CT Russell:

Volume 1, Studies in the Scriptures, Foreword (http://www.dawnbible.com/volume1/foreword.htm)

The present Volume was written from the reverse standpoint. It presents the Truth, shows its strength and beauty, and then suggests the removal of the error, as not only unnecessary, but absolutely useless and very injurious. Thus the reader of the DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES at each step finds a strengthening of faith and a greater nearness to the Lord, and therefore a confidence that he is in the right way. After seeing the Truth, the errors are more and more seen to be absurd, worthless, injurious, and are gladly abandoned.

*******************************

“Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the SCRIPTURE STUDIES aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years—if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness.” —The Watch Tower, September 15, 1910, p. 298, Watchtower Reprints, p. 4685 (http://www.4jehovah.org/downloads/jehovahs_witness/bibleread/wt9-15-1910p298.pdf)

[Desert Blossom]

Why is it that we are not reading Russell's "God-given" helps anymore?

[SlaveForJah]

Why is it that we are not reading Russell's "God-given" helps anymore?

How ironic, DB. I put that same line of questioning to a family member not 6 hours ago.

Of course, I was told that I was unable to understand the Bible on my own or without instruction from the men in Brooklyn. What a pity that the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper which was prophesied to 'teach us all things', is so powerless in the eyes of those who glorify the governing body above Jehovah.

I asked that very same question: If the Studies in the Scriptures were "essential" to understanding the Bible and having a relationship with Jehovah, then why have we discarded them? Answer: "Because Russell was wrong."

Question: "Did you know that Russell privately entertained the notion that HE HIMSELF was the "Faithful and Wise Servant?" Answer: "Well Russell was wrong."

Question: "Then how is it that Jesus picked Jehovah's Witnesses from all the other denominations at his inspection in 1918, if the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" was wrong?" After a pregnant pause...Answer: "This is a progressive organization. The light gets brighter."

Well, so much for truth being eternal. All that matters is loyalty to the Organization. So sad.


Agape

SlaveForJah

[FutureMan]

Not trying to be a NITPICKER..

You are lol. Our brothers always encourage us to read the Bible.

Another example:



***

w95 5/1 p. 13 par. 2 Benefiting From Daily Bible Reading ***
Jehovah’s Witnesses greatly appreciate their Bible study aids, including The Watchtower, and they use these regularly. But they know that none of them take the place of the Bible itself. Back in 1909, Charles Taze Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, wrote to readers of the Watch Tower magazine: "Never forget that the Bible is our Standard and that however God-given our helps may be they are ‘helps’ and not substitutes for the Bible."




***

w95 5/1 p. 14 par. 3 Benefiting From Daily Bible Reading ***
The inspired Scriptures have a depth and a force that no other book has.


SwordForJah, instead of quoting the hypocritical Watchtower, why not try quoting from the bible instead, just try it.
Start reading the bible on it's own and put aside man's writings.

On the one hand the watchtower society, tells us to read the bible daily, but then in their literature they tell us not to dig to deep, because they the "faithful and discreet slave" will do it for us.

[Desert Blossom]

How ironic, DB. I put that same line of questioning to a family member not 6 hours ago.

Of course, I was told that I was unable to understand the Bible on my own or without instruction from the men in Brooklyn. What a pity that the Holy Spirit, the promised Helper which was prophesied to 'teach us all things', is so powerless in the eyes of those who glorify the governing body above Jehovah.

I asked that very same question: If the Studies in the Scriptures were "essential" to understanding the Bible and having a relationship with Jehovah, then why have we discarded them? Answer: "Because Russell was wrong."

Question: "Did you know that Russell privately entertained the notion that HE HIMSELF was the "Faithful and Wise Servant?" Answer: "Well Russell was wrong."

Question: "Then how is it that Jesus picked Jehovah's Witnesses from all the other denominations at his inspection in 1918, if the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" was wrong?" After a pregnant pause...Answer: "This is a progressive organization. The light gets brighter."

Well, so much for truth being eternal. All that matters is loyalty to the Organization. So sad.


Agape

SlaveForJah

What's really funny is that prior to learning the truth about the truth, I had never read any of Russell's writings, except for selected quotes that would show up in WT publications. So, for a long, long time I believed whatever the Society told me about Russell and his teachings.

When I started learning the truth about the truth I questioned everything being told to me. Fortunately, many people have put much time and effort into making CT Russell's writings available on the internet, so it wasn't hard to check out the questions that were raised.

It's pretty fascinating, imo, to find out what Russell really taught, what his point of view really was. And quite disconcerting to find out how the Society distorts the truth when using select quotes from Russell. You really have to get in there and dig for yourself to find out the truth. The problem is that the Society has trained the brothers and sisters to be spoon fed from them, and not to do any of their own digging. I was in that position at one time, when the Society's literature was the final authority.

Thanks to the help from those who know the truth about the truth I've learned how to do my own digging. And I learned how to do what FutureMan said, "Start reading the bible on it's own and put aside man's writings." Reading the Bible and asking for holy spirit to help me understand what I'm reading is proving to be very beneficial!

[TheMdC]

We did that very same thing this week at our Family Worship Night.

Bible only. No books, no magazines. Just the Bible.

It was great. I'm going to do it several weeks in a row and when my family sees that it's a much better way to draw close to God and to each other, I'm going to try revealing some of the things I've learned over the last few months from Watchman and others.