IMO, the “sandbox” was originally Judaism, but some nasty kitties got in and soiled it so badly that it could not be cleansed, so when Jesus came in the first century, he created a new “sandbox” and led his disciples out of the soiled one and into a clean one...same God but under a new covenant
So, what you are, in effect, saying, is that the Jews are “filthy kitties, living in their own filth.” Yet, Jesus didn’t throw away Judaism. Jesus didn’t condemn his heritage. Jesus merely brought forth from that heritage the next step. Your “mental picture” is both theologically and exegetically unjustifiable.
since there were no other sandboxes to be made until Christ came again, his disciples were to try and avoid the contamination as best they could. The owners of the sandbox did not think that the soiling stank and were content to play in there for centuries, eliminating the complainers (those who could not stand the stench) along the way. So those conditioned to the contamination remained silent.....virtually saying....”what contamination?”
So, ousting the “stank” of heretical theology wasn’t a reaction to that “stank” and an attempt to clean the sandbox? Your revisionist history is astounding.
When Christ returned to establish his kingdom (as he promised in 1914 by our estimations)
Your estimations are clearly wrong. This wrong estimation has led you to divide the household of the Faithful unnecessarily and, I believe, dishonestly.
so on his return, Christ again created a new sandbox, and this time every bit of leftover contamination was removed, and this sandbox was to remain clean for all time to come.
There is no “new sandbox,” just as the Church is not really a “new sandbox” from its Judaic forebears — merely a recognition that the sandbox is larger than originally thought.
A separation occurred at this juncture and those who didn’t want, or see the need for the 'cleansing', stayed in the old 'sandbox' that felt familiar and comfortable, despite the stench which they never acknowledged. For them, there was no need to change a thing.....except to gather themselves into like-minded sects, carving Christianity up into thousands of disunited fragments
Wait... isn’t this what you all did? “Carve up Christianity” by following this codswallop of “Christ returned in 1914? isn’t that what this “separation” you all created did?
No, I’m afraid you and I see things much, much differently from each other. As I said before, the difference is, that while I believe you all made a mistake, I don’t judge you for making that mistake — I merely think you should acknowledge it and move on. I don’t care what you believe. I don’t think God condemns you. Your position with regard to me appears to be much, much different. And that position comes from entitlement — not a Jesus teaching.
You are so busy stumbling over capital letters that you lost the gist of what I said. Jehovah’s “witnesses” have always existed as the scriptures indicate.....but rather than them joining us....we joined them by becoming his “witnesses” in this “time of the end”.
Do you not understand that there’s a marked difference between saying that the ancient Jews were Jehovah’s Witnesses, And that they were witnesses for Jehovah?
Do you see where you tripped up by being so pedantic?
Do you see where you tripped up by being so entitled?
At no time did I say that. It is the way that you interpreted what I said. Perhaps you need to read a little more carefully and with a lot less bias and few less knee jerks.
Yes you did. The capitalization indicates the denomination. You wrote that the ancient Jews were Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you didn’t mean that, then perhaps you need to write a little more carefully, and with greater concision, because you’re coming off as very entitled.
You have done it a few times. What purpose did stating your theological 'qualifications' have other than to put yourself above the “uneducated”?
It shows that you’re not the only one who has done his homework in Biblical exegesis.
The rabbinical schools were not what Jesus and the 12 attended
Did I say they went to rabbinical school?
Jesus’ day, his “accusers” were in God’s eyes, the “accused”. The heretics calling others 'heretics' is exactly what Roman Catholicism did with the inquisition. How many of Christ’s true disciples were silenced by their power-driven tyranny?
How many people do you condemn as not being real Christians just because they choose to work within the traditional church?
No, actually according to scripture, there are two gods vying for our worship
“Hear, O Israel (this is a witness of YHVH), the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
That’s according to the Bible, and coming from witnesses of YHVH, with whom you seek to align yourself. Yet, they don’t believe in this “Pretender.”
Sadly the pretender has at this time more devotees because he is the one who created the “sandbox” that they play in
No. Christ created his Body, the Church.
