@MadCornishBiker Said 
Wrong again. Oh dear you really do not know your bible do you.
For a start false gods are not gods that do not exist, rather they are gods that should not be worshipped (apparently demons in fact). If they did not exist, the bible would not name any, and it does name some.
John 1:17 These things I command YOU, that YOU love one another. 18 If the world hates YOU, YOU know that it has hated me before it hated YOU. 19 If YOU were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own.
Now because YOU are no part of the world, but I have chosen YOU out of the world, on this account the world hates YOU
Surely for Christ to take his followers out of the world they have to be taken in to something?
1 Peter 2:17 "Honour [men] of all sorts, have love for the whole association of brothers, be in fear of God, have honor for the king."
Does not the phrase "whole association of brothers" indicate some kind of organisation? It does to me.
1 Peter 5:9 "But take YOUR stand against him, solid in the faith, knowing that the same things in the way of sufferings are being accomplished in the entire association of YOUR brothers in the world"
The group, the whole association of Brothers" at the time became known as Christians, and they were definitely organised hence the referral to the "Apostles and Older men in Jerusalem" to have disputes settled.
https://www.watchtower.org/e/bible/ac/chapter_015.htm read the whole thing to get the full picture.
Hebrews 10:24,25 And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, 25
not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as YOU behold the day drawing near
Does that not suggest regular meetings?
God has always had an organisation on earth, either developed or developing. The original was the Nation of Israel, and it was them that were replaced by the Christian Congregation. The fact that teh Christina Congregation were to be considered a nation was attested to in various ways.
Firstly prophetically by Jesus himself in his illustration of the vineyard, spoken to, and apparently understood by the Pharisees, as recorded at Matthew 21:33 "Hear another illustration: There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and erected a tower, and let it out to cultivators, and traveled abroad. 34 When the season of the fruits came around, he dispatched his slaves to the cultivators to get his fruits. 35 However, the cultivators took his slaves, and one they beat up, another they killed, another they stoned. 36 Again he dispatched other slaves, more than the first, but they did the same to these. 37 Lastly he dispatched his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 On seeing the son the cultivators said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance!’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those cultivators?” 41 They said to him: “Because they are evil, he will bring an evil destruction upon them and will let out the vineyard to other cultivators, who will render him the fruits when they become due.”
42 Jesus said to them: “Did YOU never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected is the one that has become the chief cornerstone. From Jehovah this has come to be, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 This is why I say to YOU,
The kingdom of God will be taken from YOU and be given to a nation producing its fruits. 44 Also, the person falling upon this stone will be shattered. As for anyone upon whom it falls, it will pulverize him.”
45 Now when the chief priests and the Pharisees had heard his illustrations, they took note that he was speaking about them. 46 But, although they were seeking to seize him, they feared the crowds, because these held him to be a prophet."
That nation turned out to be the Christian Congregation, which Paul also referred to as the "New Israel" or the Israel of God".
When you become a Christian you accept Christ, not only as your saviour, but as your reigning king, thus this "nation", this "whole association" of brothers becomes a unified "nation" under one king.
As always the bible makes its own meanings clear provided you are prepared to check things out thoroughly.
Please forget all the nonsense rhetoric, and answer directly and concisely: where exactly in the bible does it specify a specific group (by the name of the group). Where does the bible say that JWs are the only acceptable Christians .... Be specific and stop interpreting... Just give the passage that specifies the "correct" form of Christianity BY NAME.
Mar 17, 2012 @ 21:52:15
