Thursday, August 28, 2008

Noah, A Preacher of Righteousness

As a basis for the preaching work of the Jehovah's Witnesses, they cite the preaching work of Noah prior to the flood. The Watchtower likens it to witnesses today preaching before Armageddon.
The Bible calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. However, it gives no indication that he undertook a global campaign to warn people of a coming flood of which they 'took no note'.
In Genesis chap 6, God gave Noah very detailed instructions about building the ark. In 6:18 and 7:1 he gave specific instructions about who to take into the ark. No instructions were given to Noah about warning anyone that they too should get on board with him.
The judging had already been done and Noah was chosen to be saved because he was a righteous man. Hebrews 11:7 shows that Noah built the ark 'for the saving of his household'--not anyone else.
So while Noah was a 'preacher of righteousness' this may refer to his preaching righteousness before the matter of the flood ever came up. This may have contributed to his being chosen to be saved.
Is it even practical that Noah could have set out on a global mission to get people into the ark? He needed to use his time to build it.
Since the size of the ark had already been determined , it seems unlikely that God intended for other people to join Noah. MATTHEW 24:39
Matthew 24:39------ and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away. . New World Translation.
Almost any Bible you pick up indicates that people were not expecting the flood, not that were ignoring noah's warning.
It is notewothy that the Kingdom Interlinear Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses renders the Greek "not they knew" but the English "they took no note". Is there not a difference in not knowing something and taking no note of something you know?
Other Bibles say: were unaware--knew not--did not understand--knew nothing about what was happening--didn't know anything was happening--knew nothing about what would happen--didn't realize what was going to happen--did not know--they knew nothing
This fits in perfectly with the context and the point Jesus was making. His point was that his return would come as a surprise; not announced beforehand. This becomes apparent by considering Luke's account. Luke 17:28 says "likewise" and compares the days of Noah with the days of Lot sudden unexpected destruction as they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building. There is no indication of a warning work before the destruction of Sodom.
Jesus said in vs 30 :"The same way it will be on that day when the Son of man is to be revealed"
Notice Kingdom song # 215
ExtendingMercytoOthers
1. When Jehovah decreed that a deluge
Should destroy wicked men long ago,
Then to Noah he gave a commission:
‘Build an ark! Preach the word! Let men know!’
Now, did Noah reject that assignment,
Since he never had built arks before?
No, but he made good use of God’s mercy,
And he built and he preached more and more.

Where in the Bible do we find this commission? Or that he 'preached more and more'?
There is nothing in the old testament to suggest he did any preaching at all, but there is a verse in the new testament that calls him a "preacher of righteousness". Based on that one description, the Watchtower has created a whole story about Noah the Preacher.
I don't have any references at hand, but I recall a thread where this "preacher of righteousness" scripture was shown to be a mistranslation. It doesn't actually convey the idea of Noah preaching at all. So the whole idea of preach-before-destroy dissolves. Anybody have a reference to that handy?
This whole Noah was a preacher of the last days things is simply not supported by the Bible.
2 Peter 2:5 - calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. How did he preach?
Hebrews 11:7 tells us that by his faith he condemned an ancient world. There you have it. He made known his faith in God by following instructions. Not by going to his neighbors homes and trying to convince them to join him.
Matt. 24:36-42 - 36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

GBL:

"So while Noah was a 'Preacher of righteousness' this may refer to his preaching righteousness before the matter of the flood ever came up."

Or it MAY not.
----------------------------------
"Is it practical...he needed to use his time to build it."

You have no idea how Noah used his time, but whatever he did it must have pleased Jehovah. Perhaps A GLOBAL mission wasn't be necessary in Noah's day.

Come to think of it, your version of events is just as speculative as you accuse the Watchtower of doing.

We won't know for sure until the resurrection, then we can ask Noah. :-) Why don't you try out your explaination of why you rejected the preaching work at Armageddon and we will try ours. Doing the preaching of the Good News does no harm, but if we failed to do it and we were suppose to do it....well it is like the slave who buried his talent, right?

Knock, knock

Who's there?

NOT GBL, that's for sure.

Theocratic Joker said...

Yes, I agree. It is all a lot of speculation. Mine is just as good as the Watchtowers'. However, I don't promote my fairy tale as the truth and require that everyone believe it or else.
".....if we failed to do it and we were suppose to do it....well it is like the slave who buried his talent, right?"

Jehovah's Witness jargon at it's best. Unless you preach the good news that Jesus preached all your witnessing is in vain. The preaching of Jehovah's witnesses has nothing to do with the Kingdom message of Jesus and the apostles. Your message is one of recruitment. Join our organization andd be saved!

Anonymous said...

Isn't the flood account one of the best examples of nonsense contained in the bible? I cannot believe that the story described in Genesis actually happened, the animals going in 2 by 2 etc, it's just ridiculous.

Theocratic Joker said...

"Isn't the flood account one of the best examples of nonsense contained in the bible? I cannot believe that the story described in Genesis actually happened, the animals going in 2 by 2 etc, it's just ridiculous."

Hi James. The whole thing is just a children's fairy tale, but fundamentalists religion love it!
It is easy to see why the witnesses love it. Bad people equal destruction, good people equal salvation. Right up their alley.

S said...

What's your point?

S said...

So you don't believe in the flood?

Anonymous said...

"So you don't believe in the flood?"

I'm still in disbelief that you do.

Oh wait, that's right. You're ronde. It all makes sense now.

S said...

Anon said:
"'So you don't believe in the flood?'
I'm still in disbelief that you do."

Well it is in the Bible and Jesus believed in it. If we don't believe either of those two, then what is there left?

Anonymous said...

Circular reasoning again. The bible says the flood happened, the bible say's Jesus believed it, therefore it's true. What do you have left if you don't believe in fairytales? Reality.

Anonymous said...

Ronde's a Witness apologist, while GBL is a realist. GBL's notion of what "preacher" means in that sense and the Watchtower's are both speculation and theory. At least GBL admits it.

This is the main reason I left; Any theory the WT comes up with is immediately taken by the friends as divinely-inspired, even when said theory flies in the face of context and supporting scripture.

I have hope for you, Ronde. As I was once as blind and ignorantly supportive of the Society as you.

S said...

anon said:
"Ronde's a Witness apologist, while GBL is a realist."

I'm not a Witness apologist. I just don't like apostates and what they stand for.

"This is the main reason I left; Any theory the WT comes up with is immediately taken by the friends as divinely-inspired,"

Oh really? What theories are those? And is that a bad thing? That is their choice to do that and they can if they want to. Why knock them for that?

"I have hope for you, Ronde. As I was once as blind and ignorantly supportive of the Society as you. "

Where do you get the idea that I am supportive of the Society. I've never said that I am supportive of the Society. I am just against the opposers of the Witnesses.

The problem is that you who were supportive of the Society, right wingers, get disillusioned then become leftwingers. The thing to do is to just stay in the middle and you won't have either problem.

Anonymous said...

I think it's quite obvious that Ronde is not a "true" Jehovah's Witnesses loyalist. A troll, as mentioned many times.