I noted your comments on your habits. Thank you, I accept this is your tradition. I can work around it happily.

I keep harping on the Jewish calendar for a reason. If one takes the time to log, on the Jewish calendar, all the events from Passover/Last Supper Nisan 14 through the 50 days till Pentecost (which means 50 days from Passover) on Sivan 6, then one will find the truth. It will be impossible to believe the 120 UR fable.

In a court of law, the truth of a matter is established (unless there is corruption of course) and the method is to base it on the facts. Primary in this is WHEN something took place. If you mess up the dates and times in court, you are not going to get by. They will know you are lying if you said something happened on Tuesday and there's proof that Tuesday you were somewhere else.

My point here is to establish the truth about the beginnings of THE CHURCH and that all these religions, Watchtower included, by being in error about the most fundamental beginnings of Christ' Church thereby have no share in Christ and are imposters. They then have no authority to proclaim anything to anyone about the Christ!

Acts 1:4 finds Christ meeting with His Apostles only, on the Mt of Olives on the Day of Ascension. The Passover/Last supper, His death and his resurrection have past, as well as the 40 days appearing on Earth to His Apostles. The Week Before Pentecost is about to begin, starting from His Ascension. We read of the events of that special day all the way to Acts 1:13

It is debatable that Acts 1:14 even took place that day. There's no proof either way. And if it did or didn't still doesn't prove that even the 11 and the few friends mentioned were praying on that particular day or that they did this prayer in this upper chamber. All it says is that they did what they did, not when or where. It's all assumptions.

One thing is for sure, Jesus commanded them to be in Jerusalem and the purpose was clear to them, and so Luke writes that they returned to Jesusalem and were "continually in the Temple blessing God".

The Temple was constructed for the very purpose of the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Why would one assume that God Almighty would have His house made for the most important purpose of the beginning of His Son's church, and then ram an overcapacity of persons into a dingy upper chamber that would break apart under the weight of 12 tons of human flesh....

 

So what you are saying is Jesus gave this parable 2000 years ago for me today?

And of course, the parable had nothing to do with the context in the bible.

Sorry Josh. Jesus used this illustration to demonstrate that the accusations against Himself and John before Him by the false religious leaders was false, and that His own righteousness would be proved by His own works.

That's the context.

And you simply used it in a random and spiteful way.

 

You are not the only one on the forum who has a photographic memory. I can recite from memory, a list of 250 items that I haven't looked at in 20 years because I no longer work in that occupation.

 

I think that a more important understanding of this account is that only the Apostles had tongues of fire on their heads because they were the only ones who received God's Holy Spirit this way. The only way for the others to receive the Spirit was to have the Apostles lay their hands on them. They are the only ones who spoke in tongues "at this point in time". After the Apostles identified those who were to be "spirit begotten" they laid their hands on them and they "then" received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When you are spirit begotten and are sealed in the spirit you can tell who else also is spirit begotten. Even the demons can do this. See the account of the 7 brothers of Sceva. Acts 19:14-16.
You will notice that the demon (who is a spirit) does not recognize them "as spirits, or as person who are born again", so he has no fear of them because they have no real power over the demons and the demons knew it because the sons of Sceva were not "born again".

 

I don't have a photographic memory. In fact my memory, according to my wife, leaves something to be desired. I remember this because when we studied it, I immediately saw that the Watchtower was lying. That chapter attributes words to Jesus that he does not say, and in so doing, they turn the illustration on its head. I remember this, because I wrote a paper on both the illustration and the Watchtower's dishonest discussion of it. Hence, I understand the illustrationn ...and my comments to Josh about not 'using what you do not understand.'

 

Excellent observation Frank. Did you catch what I wrote in addition to my original inflammatory? That nobody spoke in different languages at Pentecost.

 

The truth is bursting out all over the place. Except Watchtower land. I can find many places on the net, now, where congregants are coming to an accurate understanding of the events of Jesus' life and ministry... And His true teachings. Sure, there's still lots of Trinity garbage out there. Right alongside the 1914 refuse.

But Christ's congregation is not letting that get them down.

Whereas 20 years ago I could find no one who could open their mind wide enough to see what really happened in the first century, now there's a growing abundance. Only God's Holy Spirit could do this.

Except in the totalitarian high control groups, (can you think of some) persons are openmindedly approaching news ways of looking at things. You can choose to do that here if you want. Some of you are already doing it.

 

No I don't remember. Your wife would say my memory is worse than yours if she knew me very well.

 

In principle, I agree with much of what you wrote. Just the last sentence I feel is at variance with Jesus' teaching, and Paul's. The Pharasees in fact missed it all. Jesus said the "Kingdom of God had passed them by". It was the ignorant and lowly that figured it out. So, if you rest your hopes in the Pharsees of Watchtower to "figure it out" and then you will be sanctified by means of them, I'd urge you to rethink it.

And if you feel it's right to "stick with the high thought control group" of Watchtower hoping that they will "refine (you) with their [1914] wrongness" then you must believe in Lady Luck.

 

Make it work brother.

 

Nobody at Pentecost 33ce spoke in different languages.