Post by rjkee on Feb 29, 2008 3:47:07 GMT -5
Hi,
I've just been looking through my files, and found a few interesting messages that were posted by an Irish ex-2x2 eight years ago under the name Ex-Professor. The first was in response to the suggestion that a list of Irish 2x2s' beliefs should be drawn up. It's appended to this message.
Best regards
Robert
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't want to dampen your enthusism for attempting to compile a written statement of 2x2 beliefs for the benefit of your worker visit but in my opinion, I don't believe the that the majority of 2x2's have any firm idea of what he or she believes. Those at the higher end of the intellectual number line might make an attempt to justify their faith by some well known, frequently referred to verses such as Matthew 10 (re workers) , The Last Supper and the bits about the New Testament Church (re meetings), while the more fanatical may come out with some of the well known rhetoric such as the Only Way, God's True Servants and the old familiar "How shall ye hear without a preacher?". In my experience however most could come up with little other than some reference to a homeless ministry, the meeting in the home and being in the "right way" and, when challenged further, could probably do little more than offer the old familiar "come to a mission and find out what we believe".
Er... em..I think I'll give that one a miss if you don't mind!
In conversation recently with a number of current members and workers I was surprised at the lack of clarity in the beliefs of some, the lack of accurate scriptural knowledge of others and the lack of unity in the beliefs of members. For example some surprisingly (incl a bishop!) did not believe in the church as the Only Way, some believed in the infallibility of the overseer and one, quite astonishlingly, stated that it was not necessary for baptism to be carried out by a believer!
One person I spoke to believed that all other churches were false because they met in buildings which were owned by them and God would not dwell therein.
When I pointed out that the 2x2's had owned portable halls in which they held meetings he pointed out that God could dwell there because they were portable!
Spare me please!
Probably the most tragic conversation was the following:
CURRENT MEMBER: Do you believe the meetings are the right Way?
ME: No
CURRENT MEMBER: Do you believe there is a right Way?
ME:Yes, Jesus said "I am the Way". Jesus is the right Way CURRENT MEMBER: But sure Jesus IS the meetings
Enough said!
Therefore you can begin to understand difficult it would be to get anyone, let alone workers, to agree that any written statement is an accurate and defendable portrayal of the beliefs of the group
As I see it the entire focus of the group in Ireland is not on a particular doctrine but rather on Workers and Meetings.
If you're interested, read the next post - A Guide to Workers and Meetings in Ireland.
The ExProfessor, Ireland
I've just been looking through my files, and found a few interesting messages that were posted by an Irish ex-2x2 eight years ago under the name Ex-Professor. The first was in response to the suggestion that a list of Irish 2x2s' beliefs should be drawn up. It's appended to this message.
Best regards
Robert
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't want to dampen your enthusism for attempting to compile a written statement of 2x2 beliefs for the benefit of your worker visit but in my opinion, I don't believe the that the majority of 2x2's have any firm idea of what he or she believes. Those at the higher end of the intellectual number line might make an attempt to justify their faith by some well known, frequently referred to verses such as Matthew 10 (re workers) , The Last Supper and the bits about the New Testament Church (re meetings), while the more fanatical may come out with some of the well known rhetoric such as the Only Way, God's True Servants and the old familiar "How shall ye hear without a preacher?". In my experience however most could come up with little other than some reference to a homeless ministry, the meeting in the home and being in the "right way" and, when challenged further, could probably do little more than offer the old familiar "come to a mission and find out what we believe".
Er... em..I think I'll give that one a miss if you don't mind!
In conversation recently with a number of current members and workers I was surprised at the lack of clarity in the beliefs of some, the lack of accurate scriptural knowledge of others and the lack of unity in the beliefs of members. For example some surprisingly (incl a bishop!) did not believe in the church as the Only Way, some believed in the infallibility of the overseer and one, quite astonishlingly, stated that it was not necessary for baptism to be carried out by a believer!
One person I spoke to believed that all other churches were false because they met in buildings which were owned by them and God would not dwell therein.
When I pointed out that the 2x2's had owned portable halls in which they held meetings he pointed out that God could dwell there because they were portable!
Spare me please!
Probably the most tragic conversation was the following:
CURRENT MEMBER: Do you believe the meetings are the right Way?
ME: No
CURRENT MEMBER: Do you believe there is a right Way?
ME:Yes, Jesus said "I am the Way". Jesus is the right Way CURRENT MEMBER: But sure Jesus IS the meetings
Enough said!
Therefore you can begin to understand difficult it would be to get anyone, let alone workers, to agree that any written statement is an accurate and defendable portrayal of the beliefs of the group
As I see it the entire focus of the group in Ireland is not on a particular doctrine but rather on Workers and Meetings.
If you're interested, read the next post - A Guide to Workers and Meetings in Ireland.
The ExProfessor, Ireland