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What are the other books of religious groups?

peacecrusader888

Active Member
Different religions have other books to rely on their beliefs. In Christianity, most believe in the Holy Bible alone. What are the other books?
1. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormons
2. Writings of Ellen G. White like Desire of Ages, Patriarchs and Prophets, – Seventh Day Adventist
3. Bible, Elpis Israel, Eureka by John Thomas – Christadelphians

4. Bible, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Miscellany – Christian Science

5. Bible, Studies in the Scriptures – Jehovah’s Witnesses
6. Qur’an and Hadith - Islam
7. The Secret Doctrine, Isis Unveiled, The Key to Theosophy, and The Voice of the Silence – Theosophy

8. Bible, Unity Magazine, Metaphysical Bible Dictionary – Unity
9. Bible, Jesus Christ is Not God, Power for Abundant Living – Way International

Could you please add other sacred scriptures?

How do we know that what the books that we believe come from the true God? If there are prophecies, they would have come to pass. That god must be omniscient and satisfied one of the three attributes of God.








Bottom of Form
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Different religions have other books to rely on their beliefs. In Christianity, most believe in the Holy Bible alone. What are the other books?
1. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormons
2. Writings of Ellen G. White like Desire of Ages, Patriarchs and Prophets, – Seventh Day Adventist
3. Bible, Elpis Israel, Eureka by John Thomas – Christadelphians

4. Bible, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Miscellany – Christian Science

5. Bible, Studies in the Scriptures – Jehovah’s Witnesses
6. Qur’an and Hadith - Islam
7. The Secret Doctrine, Isis Unveiled, The Key to Theosophy, and The Voice of the Silence – Theosophy

8. Bible, Unity Magazine, Metaphysical Bible Dictionary – Unity
9. Bible, Jesus Christ is Not God, Power for Abundant Living – Way International

Could you please add other sacred scriptures?

How do we know that what the books that we believe come from the true God? If there are prophecies, they would have come to pass. That god must be omniscient and satisfied one of the three attributes of God.
Bottom of Form

Although this isnt a quote on quote sacred book the catechism of the Catholic Church is a thick summary outlining in detail thr traditions of the Church which are in themselves sacred. It also goes through all ten commandments and relates all its info on scripture. Its like the Catholic Pocketbook.

Cant think of others you havnt mentioned...
 

Kolibri

Well-Known Member
Studies in the Scriptures was never considered inspired writings by Jehovah's Witnesses. The only thing we hold to as inspired or 'God breathed' is the 66 books commonly known as the Bible. The Studies in the Scriptures volumes have been out of print for nearly 100 years.
 

peacecrusader888

Active Member
Studies in the Scriptures was never considered inspired writings by Jehovah's Witnesses. The only thing we hold to as inspired or 'God breathed' is the 66 books commonly known as the Bible. The Studies in the Scriptures volumes have been out of print for nearly 100 years.
@Kolibri
Thank you for your clarification. So what are in Watchtower and Awake magazines are considered as inspired or ‘God breathed’.
 

peacecrusader888

Active Member
Only the Bible is considered 'inspired.' Other publications direct to the Bible but do not replace it.

And you're welcome.
@Kolibri
So it is only the Holy Bible that is ‘inspired’ or ‘God breathed’. How do you know that the interpretations of the Holy Bible by the Jehovah’s Witnesses are all correct?
 

Kolibri

Well-Known Member
@Kolibri
So it is only the Holy Bible that is ‘inspired’ or ‘God breathed’. How do you know that the interpretations of the Holy Bible by the Jehovah’s Witnesses are all correct?

"As for you, Daniel, keep the words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant." - Da 12:4

There are two things we can learn from this verse relevant to your question.
1) the understanding of the book would be sealed until a specific time period.
2) people who 'rove about' within the book would grasp the understanding when the time was right for it.

So, primarily we are students that wander about thru the 66 books, "examining [them] thoroughly." (Da 12:4 footnote.)
Examining and loving the Bible is not enough to grasp the understanding; we have to be living at the right time for Jehovah to open our minds to understand how the verses link together.

Even Paul wrote "For we have partial knowledge and we prophesy partially." (1 Cor 13:9)

1 Peter 1:19 suggests how understanding would grow with time while encouraging us to keep paying attention.
"So we have the prophetic word made more sure, and you are doing well in paying attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place (until day dawns and a daystar rises) in your hearts." - 1 Pet 1:19

So we keep studying, and our understanding grows. As our understanding grows, typically, the most up-to-date understanding finds its way into the publications we print.
-------------------------------------------------------------
But your question was more personal. How do "I" know that the interpretations of the Holy Bible by Jehovah's Witnesses are as correct as they can be at this moment? My conviction was also gradual. It started when I was exposed to the Witnesses for the first time as a young boy. My parents just started studying and they would take me to a Lutheran/Methodist Sunday school and then my Dad would pick me up and take me to the Kingdom Hall afterwards. I "tasted" a difference in the quality of study fed to all. I clearly remember reading about Daniel and the lion's pit in the Sunday School and asking myself why didn't they teach why this passage shows that we need to be people of integrity, regardless of what we have to face? So, you could say my confidence started with how the Bible was being used to encourage all of us to be better citizens.

Other things stood out too. In the KJV, the name Jehovah shows up 4 times. And yet it hides the name behind LORD and GOD over 6000 times. Why? Just today I read Jeremiah 23:26,27.

"How long will this continue in the heart of the prophets, to prophesy lies? They are prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They intend to make my people forget my name by the dreams they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot my name because of Ba'al."

So I started to collect identifying marks of a religion where doing what Jehovah asked of them mattered - and weeding out those that did not fit from my own personal examination. (If a bank teller wants to identify counterfeit money he/she examines real money.)

One place to start was the Lord's Prayer recorded at Mt 6:9,10 and the preceding verse 7. Which religions were putting primary focus on honoring and using God's personal name - stressing the need to not soil God's reputation as we live our lives? Which religions really stressed the Kingdom as the only complete solution to mankind's problems? Which religions were taking care "when praying" to not "say the same things over and over again," imagining "they will get a hearing for their use of many words." (vs 7)

As this happened, I got a clearer understanding of some very basic Bible teaching that have always been a part of our (that is Jehovah's Witnesses') understanding, becoming better able to defend the things I was learning. I also became acquainted with some very notable ways that Jehovah's Witnesses historically got the timing right in Bible prophesy. For 40 years in advance, 1914 was looked to as a marked year. There were misconceptions, true; but it really was a beginning of the global fulfillment of Jesus' words about his returned presence and the conclusion of this system of things. In 1942, we learned that the now defunct League of Nations was the "wild beast" that "was, but is not, and about to ascend out of the abyss" of Re 17:7. So we knew that WWII would not end in Armageddon and somehow that political entity would be revived - and it was as the United Nations. (Like it's predecessor many called it "the last hope of concord and peace," (Pope Paul IV, Oct 1965.) making it a rival for God's Kingdom.)

Other fulfillments of prophetic understanding such as that of Da 11 regarding the "king of the north" and the "king of the south" impressed me. The striking detail in which these things came true even hundreds of years after people claimed Daniel was a fraud writing after the fact, both built my confidence that the Bible truly is more than a man's collection of partial myth and history, and that I was experiencing a fulfillment of Isaiah 25:6.

In this mountain Jehovah of armies will make for all the peoples
A banquet of rich dishes,
A banquet of fine wine, (or "of wine kept on the dregs.")
Of rich dishes filled with marrow,
Of fine, filtered wine.
- Isa 25:6
 
Last edited:

peacecrusader888

Active Member
The spirit of Ama told us to use the King James Version of the Holy Bible for it is nearer the truth, and Awit at Salaysay ng Pasiong Mahal ni Hesukristong Panginoon Natin or Pasiong Mahal or Pasyon. How do we know that Pasyon comes from the true God? Who could make every stanza of Pasyon composed of five lines with eight syllables per line, and a total of 40 syllables long?

On page 5 of the book, it tells about the only true God and His triune Persons, to wit:

Mistulang Diyos na isa,
tatlo sa pagka-Persona:
Walang huli’t walang una,
bait at omnipotensia,
paraparang maligaya.

Na kung sa bilang ng tao,
una ang Amang totoo,
ikalawa ay ang Berbo,
at ang Personang ikatlo,
Diyos Espiritu Santo.

My English translation of the above stanzas:
Like God who is only one,
three in persons:
No beginning and no end,
kindness and omnipotence,
altogether is happy.

If counting by man,
first is the true Father,
second is the Word,
and the third person,
God the Holy Spirit.
 
Last edited:

peacecrusader888

Active Member
"As for you, Daniel, keep the words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant." - Da 12:4

There are two things we can learn from this verse relevant to your question.
1) the understanding of the book would be sealed until a specific time period.
2) people who 'rove about' within the book would grasp the understanding when the time was right for it.

So, primarily we are students that wander about thru the 66 books, "examining [them] thoroughly." (Da 12:4 footnote.)
Examining and loving the Bible is not enough to grasp the understanding; we have to be living at the right time for Jehovah to open our minds to understand how the verses link together.

Even Paul wrote "For we have partial knowledge and we prophesy partially." (1 Cor 13:9)

1 Peter 1:19 suggests how understanding would grow with time while encouraging us to keep paying attention.
"So we have the prophetic word made more sure, and you are doing well in paying attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place (until day dawns and a daystar rises) in your hearts." - 1 Pet 1:19

So we keep studying, and our understanding grows. As our understanding grows, typically, the most up-to-date understanding finds its way into the publications we print.
-------------------------------------------------------------
But your question was more personal. How do "I" know that the interpretations of the Holy Bible by Jehovah's Witnesses are as correct as they can be at this moment? My conviction was also gradual. It started when I was exposed to the Witnesses for the first time as a young boy. My parents just started studying and they would take me to a Lutheran/Methodist Sunday school and then my Dad would pick me up and take me to the Kingdom Hall afterwards. I "tasted" a difference in the quality of study fed to all. I clearly remember reading about Daniel and the lion's pit in the Sunday School and asking myself why didn't they teach why this passage shows that we need to be people of integrity, regardless of what we have to face? So, you could say my confidence started with how the Bible was being used to encourage all of us to be better citizens.

Other things stood out too. In the KJV, the name Jehovah shows up 4 times. And yet it hides the name behind LORD and GOD over 6000 times. Why? Just today I read Jeremiah 23:26,27.

"How long will this continue in the heart of the prophets, to prophesy lies? They are prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They intend to make my people forget my name by the dreams they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot my name because of Ba'al."

So I started to collect identifying marks of a religion where doing what Jehovah asked of them mattered - and weeding out those that did not fit from my own personal examination. (If a bank teller wants to identify counterfeit money he/she examines real money.)

One place to start was the Lord's Prayer recorded at Mt 6:9,10 and the preceding verse 7. Which religions were putting primary focus on honoring and using God's personal name - stressing the need to not soil God's reputation as we live our lives? Which religions really stressed the Kingdom as the only complete solution to mankind's problems? Which religions were taking care "when praying" to not "say the same things over and over again," imagining "they will get a hearing for their use of many words." (vs 7)

As this happened, I got a clearer understanding of some very basic Bible teaching that have always been a part of our (that is Jehovah's Witnesses') understanding, becoming better able to defend the things I was learning. I also became acquainted with some very notable ways that Jehovah's Witnesses historically got the timing right in Bible prophesy. For 40 years in advance, 1914 was looked to as a marked year. There were misconceptions, true; but it really was a beginning of the global fulfillment of Jesus' words about his returned presence and the conclusion of this system of things. In 1942, we learned that the now defunct League of Nations was the "wild beast" that "was, but is not, and about to ascend out of the abyss" of Re 17:7. So we knew that WWII would not end in Armageddon and somehow that political entity would be revived - and it was as the United Nations. (Like it's predecessor many called it "the last hope of concord and peace," (Pope Paul IV, Oct 1965.) making it a rival for God's Kingdom.)

Other fulfillments of prophetic understanding such as that of Da 11 regarding the "king of the north" and the "king of the south" impressed me. The striking detail in which these things came true even hundreds of years after people claimed Daniel was a fraud writing after the fact, both built my confidence that the Bible truly is more than a man's collection of partial myth and history, and that I was experiencing a fulfillment of Isaiah 25:6.

In this mountain Jehovah of armies will make for all the peoples
A banquet of rich dishes,
A banquet of fine wine, (or "of wine kept on the dregs.")
Of rich dishes filled with marrow,
Of fine, filtered wine.
- Isa 25:6
@Kolibri
In our (plural) sessions with the spirit of Ama, He emphasizes to us to use our intelligence to discern the truth. We have to broaden our minds. He said that even if the devil is talking about God, we pick up the good things he says. However, we have to scrutinize what he says because within the good things he says, there are things that are inserted which are smelly and rotten. It is with the nice things that the bad things are mixed.
 

Kolibri

Well-Known Member
@Kolibri
In our (plural) sessions with the spirit of Ama, He emphasizes to us to use our intelligence to discern the truth. We have to broaden our minds. He said that even if the devil is talking about God, we pick up the good things he says. However, we have to scrutinize what he says because within the good things he says, there are things that are inserted which are smelly and rotten. It is with the nice things that the bad things are mixed.

I am unfamiliar with this spirit of Ama you talk about. Is this something Biblical with a non-English term I am unfamiliar with?
 

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
Different religions have other books to rely on their beliefs. In Christianity, most believe in the Holy Bible alone. What are the other books?
1. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormons
2. Writings of Ellen G. White like Desire of Ages, Patriarchs and Prophets, – Seventh Day Adventist
3. Bible, Elpis Israel, Eureka by John Thomas – Christadelphians

4. Bible, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Miscellany – Christian Science

5. Bible, Studies in the Scriptures – Jehovah’s Witnesses
6. Qur’an and Hadith - Islam
7. The Secret Doctrine, Isis Unveiled, The Key to Theosophy, and The Voice of the Silence – Theosophy

8. Bible, Unity Magazine, Metaphysical Bible Dictionary – Unity
9. Bible, Jesus Christ is Not God, Power for Abundant Living – Way International

Could you please add other sacred scriptures?

How do we know that what the books that we believe come from the true God? If there are prophecies, they would have come to pass. That god must be omniscient and satisfied one of the three attributes of God.



Bottom of Form

Studies in the Scriptures are not considered to be 'scripture'

It is a study aid for us to use in studying the bible, but it is not considered inspired of God.

We have many other similar study aids as well. For example, 'what does the bible really teach'
 

peacecrusader888

Active Member
"As for you, Daniel, keep the words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rove about, and the true knowledge will become abundant." - Da 12:4

There are two things we can learn from this verse relevant to your question.
1) the understanding of the book would be sealed until a specific time period.
2) people who 'rove about' within the book would grasp the understanding when the time was right for it.

So, primarily we are students that wander about thru the 66 books, "examining [them] thoroughly." (Da 12:4 footnote.)
Examining and loving the Bible is not enough to grasp the understanding; we have to be living at the right time for Jehovah to open our minds to understand how the verses link together.

Even Paul wrote "For we have partial knowledge and we prophesy partially." (1 Cor 13:9)

1 Peter 1:19 suggests how understanding would grow with time while encouraging us to keep paying attention.
"So we have the prophetic word made more sure, and you are doing well in paying attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place (until day dawns and a daystar rises) in your hearts." - 1 Pet 1:19

So we keep studying, and our understanding grows. As our understanding grows, typically, the most up-to-date understanding finds its way into the publications we print.
-------------------------------------------------------------
But your question was more personal. How do "I" know that the interpretations of the Holy Bible by Jehovah's Witnesses are as correct as they can be at this moment? My conviction was also gradual. It started when I was exposed to the Witnesses for the first time as a young boy. My parents just started studying and they would take me to a Lutheran/Methodist Sunday school and then my Dad would pick me up and take me to the Kingdom Hall afterwards. I "tasted" a difference in the quality of study fed to all. I clearly remember reading about Daniel and the lion's pit in the Sunday School and asking myself why didn't they teach why this passage shows that we need to be people of integrity, regardless of what we have to face? So, you could say my confidence started with how the Bible was being used to encourage all of us to be better citizens.

Other things stood out too. In the KJV, the name Jehovah shows up 4 times. And yet it hides the name behind LORD and GOD over 6000 times. Why? Just today I read Jeremiah 23:26,27.

"How long will this continue in the heart of the prophets, to prophesy lies? They are prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They intend to make my people forget my name by the dreams they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot my name because of Ba'al."

So I started to collect identifying marks of a religion where doing what Jehovah asked of them mattered - and weeding out those that did not fit from my own personal examination. (If a bank teller wants to identify counterfeit money he/she examines real money.)

One place to start was the Lord's Prayer recorded at Mt 6:9,10 and the preceding verse 7. Which religions were putting primary focus on honoring and using God's personal name - stressing the need to not soil God's reputation as we live our lives? Which religions really stressed the Kingdom as the only complete solution to mankind's problems? Which religions were taking care "when praying" to not "say the same things over and over again," imagining "they will get a hearing for their use of many words." (vs 7)

As this happened, I got a clearer understanding of some very basic Bible teaching that have always been a part of our (that is Jehovah's Witnesses') understanding, becoming better able to defend the things I was learning. I also became acquainted with some very notable ways that Jehovah's Witnesses historically got the timing right in Bible prophesy. For 40 years in advance, 1914 was looked to as a marked year. There were misconceptions, true; but it really was a beginning of the global fulfillment of Jesus' words about his returned presence and the conclusion of this system of things. In 1942, we learned that the now defunct League of Nations was the "wild beast" that "was, but is not, and about to ascend out of the abyss" of Re 17:7. So we knew that WWII would not end in Armageddon and somehow that political entity would be revived - and it was as the United Nations. (Like it's predecessor many called it "the last hope of concord and peace," (Pope Paul IV, Oct 1965.) making it a rival for God's Kingdom.)

Other fulfillments of prophetic understanding such as that of Da 11 regarding the "king of the north" and the "king of the south" impressed me. The striking detail in which these things came true even hundreds of years after people claimed Daniel was a fraud writing after the fact, both built my confidence that the Bible truly is more than a man's collection of partial myth and history, and that I was experiencing a fulfillment of Isaiah 25:6.

In this mountain Jehovah of armies will make for all the peoples
A banquet of rich dishes,
A banquet of fine wine, (or "of wine kept on the dregs.")
Of rich dishes filled with marrow,
Of fine, filtered wine.
- Isa 25:6
@Kolibri
Like what I said to BilliardsBall, tell me when Nisan 14 was a Friday during the time of Jesus.

We (plural) talk to a spirit who we call Ama. Ama is the Filipino word for father. When capitalized, it refers to God the Father. Most, if not all, of His listeners believe that He is the spirit of Jesus. What if the spirit who we talk to is Jesus Christ Himself?

1 John 4:1-3 advise the readers of the Holy Bible not to ignore ALL spirits, Listen. Discern. If the “spirit confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh,” then the spirit is of God. If not, then the spirit is not of God and is an anti-Christ.
 

peacecrusader888

Active Member
I am unfamiliar with this spirit of Ama you talk about. Is this something Biblical with a non-English term I am unfamiliar with?
@Kolibri
The spirit of Ama is biblical. Most, if not all, of His listeners believe that He is Jesus Christ Himself. I asked Him pointblank in the 1980s what is the difference between Him and the one who uses a woman in our barrio in the Philippines or the one in the town proper. His reply to me was to listen to what He says and I will know who He is.

I doubted for eleven years that the spirit we talk to is Jesus Christ (1983-1994). You may read my aboutface in 1994 in http://aristean.org/wp113.htm titled “From doubt to belief”.

Five years later, in 1999, I said to myself that if His revelations of 05-23 birth and 08-17 death of Jesus were not true, then I would recant my belief in Him. By 2006, I have proven that both of them are true and correct using mainly the Holy Bible. Until recently, I still find confirmations from the Holy Bible that Jesus was really crucified and died in summer and not in spring.
 

peacecrusader888

Active Member
Thank you for defining Ama for me.
Is Filipino your language of birth?

I just answered your question to @BilliardsBall in your other thread.
@Kolibri
You are welcome.

Yes, Filipino is the language of my birth. I was born in Manila and baptized in the Roman Catholic Church. In late 1970s, I decided to be a non-denominational Christian. Still a Christian but I do not belong to any religious group, picking out from different religions what I think is logically correct. Presently, I am an immigrant, a naturalized citizen of another country. All the time, when I went out of the country, I go to the Philippines.
 

peacecrusader888

Active Member
I think Tanakh is first to be mentioned when it comes to Judaism.

For other beliefs this may be a reference list: Religious text - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
@miodrag
The Jews main book is the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Bible. It was originally divided into 24 books, contains 3 sections (Torah, Nevim, Ketuvim, i.e. “Pentateuch, Prophets, Hagiographa”). So their other books, as what Eliab ben Benjamin said, are Talmud. Mishna, Zohar. I do not know Zohar. This is the first time that I encountered the word. Maybe, he belongs to one branch of Judaism and believes in Zohar. Am I right, Eliab? Please elaborate.
 

peacecrusader888

Active Member
I think Tanakh is first to be mentioned when it comes to Judaism.

For other beliefs this may be a reference list: Religious text - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
@miodragThank you for citing “Religious text” in Wikipedia. I did not know that there are many religions in this world. How do we know that the text comes from the true God? Everyone seems to claim that only members of their group will enter Heaven. I have said that “according to some religions, only those who belong to their organization will be saved. Is that true? Religions A, B, and C claim that only members of their group will be saved. If A is correct, then B and C are wrong. If B is correct, then A and C are wrong. If C is correct, then A and B are wrong. Who is telling the truth?” That is why I propose that would-be immigrants have to undergo a “Comparative Religion” seminar. And not only would–be immigrants but everyone else, Can the true God allow this? Remember that Satan, the enemy of God is also powerful. But there is one attribute that he does not have, and that is to prophesy.
 

Eliab ben Benjamin

Active Member
Premium Member
@miodrag
The Jews main book is the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Bible. It was originally divided into 24 books, contains 3 sections (Torah, Nevim, Ketuvim, i.e. “Pentateuch, Prophets, Hagiographa”). So their other books, as what Eliab ben Benjamin said, are Talmud. Mishna, Zohar. I do not know Zohar. This is the first time that I encountered the word. Maybe, he belongs to one branch of Judaism and believes in Zohar. Am I right, Eliab? Please elaborate.

Shalom, yes you are correct with your observation of our many books, Torah or the first five books of Moshe being the prime or founding documents of our history and covenant, .... for wisdom and understanding perhaps all the subsequent documents are important for our comprehension ...

However to your question regarding Zohar .... Our tradition suggests that to study it one must first be well versed in all the other books, be of mature age and living a stable, peaceful, lawful life ....

I am hesitant to use the words mystical or magic, to describe it's content, however it is Kabbalah ,
"is an esoteric method, discipline, and school of thought that originated in Judaism."

my understanding is it tries to examine the word of G-d and how each letter and word of creation
existed and created ...

It has sadly been misused and distorted by many modern groups attempting to actually use
the magic of G-d, for their own benefit ...

you asked if i believe in it or belonged to a sect , the answer is essentially NO ... i am but a simple
Orthodox Jew ...
having survived a Death experience i am perhaps motivated to absorb all knowledge that may bring
me to a closer to my Father in Heaven o_O:);)

Shalom u'v Chesed
Eliab ....
 
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