On Page 24 of the January 15, 2008 Watchtower, the Governing Body makes the following statement:
"When Christ inspected’ the faithful and discreet slave’ in 1918, he found those anointed ones on earth (Joseph Rutherford and his associates) to be faithful in providing spiritual ‘food at the proper time.’ Hence, Jesus was pleased thereafter to appoint them ‘over all his belongings.’ (Read Matthew 24:45-47)"
Question: If Jesus did inspect the Society in 1918 would he have found that the Society had been faithful in providing the right spiritual food at the right time’? The only way to know if the Society could have passed a food-at-the-proper-time examination by Jesus Christ in 1918 is to make the same examination they say Jesus made.
The one mistake that all former Witnesses and all present Witnesses have made, and the one mistake all future Witnesses will make is the failure to make that examination before deciding to get baptized. As essential as passing that exam is to the Society’s claim to being Jesus’ "faithful and discreet slave organization," nobody checks for themselves to see if the Society could have passed it.
Even Raymond Franz made this mistake for some 60 years before he finally corrected it in "the late 1970s’" when he began to examine for himself what they Society had been teaching down till 1919.-Crisis of Conscience, p.138, paragraph 7
After completing his examination he concluded the following: "It would be an insult to Christ Jesus to say that he selected this organization on the basis of what it was teaching as of 1919." - - In Search of Christian Freedom, p. 145
It is much easier to correct this mistake today then it was in the 1970’s. Much of the Society’s pre-1919 teachings are now plastered all over the Internet for the whole world to see. But the source of information I like the best is their most up-to-date history book, "JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES: Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom." Although it contains thousands of details that don’t matter, it contains several that do. It’s just a matter of knowing what to look for and where to find them.
For example, the first surprising thing the book taught me is that the Society’s first three presidents never realized that Jesus’ returned in 1914 to begin his "invisible presence" (assuming that he did return in that year). How faithful could those men have been when God never allowed them to understand when His Son returned? And how discreet could they have been since they all announced the wrong date of 1874 for almost seven decades (67 years)?
The more the "Proclaimers" book taught me the more I could understand why Ray Franz said what he said. I too cannot understand how anyone could know what the Society had been teaching down till 1919 and still conclude that ‘Jesus would have been pleased thereafter to appoint them ‘over all his belongings' as the January 15, 2008 Watchtower asserts.
The point being that without the above appointment the Society cannot be God's organization today no matter what they are teaching today.
12 comments:
D.Cameron in his book Captives of a Concept deals brilliantly with this topic
see http://www.captivesofaconcept.com/orderinformation.html
Also Ron Frye- The Watch Tower Society and Spiritual Authority an 18 page essay
see http://www.caic.org.au/jws/control/frye.htm
Any JW lurkers on this site have the courage to confront this issue and read the above?
Another thread on this at
http://jehovahswitnessesrefuted.blogspot.com/2010/12/ever-changing-world-of-jehovahs-witness.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JehovahsWitnessesRefuted+%28Jehovah%27s+Witnesses+Refuted%29
Video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnLz-SnY7KM&feature=email
Others who have examined this question are ex Governing Body member Ray Franz in his book ‘In Search of Christian Freedom’ chapter 5 see
http://www.general-search.com/download/in-search-of-christian-freedom-franz-raymond
Edmond C.Gruss see
http://www.google.co.uk/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB389&q=Faithful+and+wise+servant%2Bedmond+C.+Gruss&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=
PDF Download
JW Facts see http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/faithful-discreet-slave.php
Doug Mason see http://www.archive.org/details/TheFaithfulAndDiscreetSlaveAndItsGoverningBody
Duane Magnani book Who Is The Faithful & Wise Servant?
If Jesus did base his decision exclusively on everything that was being taught by the WT in 1919, then no the WT could not have passed the test. However, was that in fact the only criteria?
Would Jesus expect to find perfection in any religion upon his examination? Or did he use more of a qualitative look into the worlds christian religions?
Lets face it, we have absolutely no **cking idea how that was handled.
This only becomes an issue for JW's that take everything so literally and eat up everything that rolls of the WT presses. That doesn't take away from the fact overall the WT follows very closely the model of Christianity outlined by Jesus.
"Lets face it, we have absolutely no **cking idea how that was handled."
jworld, you are right. We have no idea how it was handled or if it was handled at all. I do believe the teaching that they were chosen is a case of wishful thinking by a group of old men in Brooklyn. What proof do we have that they were actually chosen? Are they delusional like so many others who believe that God chose them?
"That doesn't take away from the fact overall the WT follows very closely the model of Christianity outlined by Jesus."
You're kidding, right? Jehovah's Witnesses follow the model of first century christians? That is something that the Watchtower teaches are you are just parroting it like a good little witness.
First of all, the Bible tells us that when the message of Jesus and his followers were rejected by men, they simply shook the dust off of their feet and went to the next place. They did not keep a record of their visit, writing it down in little pads. In fact, the Bible never mentions return visits.
When honest hearted men heard the message of Jesus they immediately became followers of his. There was no long periods of studying and indoctrination. There were no baptism questions to be answered.
In there anywhere in the Bible that says that time spent in preaching has to be counted and handed into the congregation elders to be passed on to those in authority?
Does the Bible say that we must attend a certain number of meetings a week?
Does the Bible give titles to men such as Coordinator of Elders, or Pioneers, District Overseer, Circuit Overseer, publisher, unbaptized publisher, etc., etc., etc.?
Does the Bible say that in order to be determined "Mature Christians" we must go from door to door a certain number of hours every month.
Okay, I'm tired of typing and I could go on forever. But you get the point, right?
Haha it’s true the WT has added quite a bit of organization, and I don’t buy into everything they decide to do. I do love these discussions though.
“You're kidding, right? Jehovah's Witnesses follow the model of first century christians?”
This conclusion assumes that the first century Christian congregation would never grow, mature, and thus change…and I guess time would just stand still for everyone!
So, because the bible doesn’t spell out in explicit detail how the Christian congregation would run after it matured thus means that God thought it should run without organization? How one could draw that conclusion from the endless descriptions of Jehovah being extremely organized in all He does is beyond me.
To accomplish Jesus words that the good news would be preached in all the earth would require some organizational planning. It’s a really ridiculous claim of the hard core disbelieves when they run around saying that scripture can be accomplished individually. For that matter, how many people even continue talking about the good news at all once they leave any organization?
I just don’t buy that the argument is organization vs. no organization. It still appears the argument is organization vs. organization.
Sometimes I think it’s the people that scour the bible for every last explicit detail that are the most likely to look to an organization to tell them exactly what to do. Can we really only blame the WT organization for the habits or these people?
If the worldwide preaching work were so urgent why is it not broadcase over radio or television so that many millions more people could hear it? Why must we continue the archaic door to door manner of preaching?
Because of the indoctrination issue. The message today is vastly different from the message that Jesus and his followers brought to the people. Their message was simple and lovely. The message today is complicated and requires hours of indoctrination that includes unquestioning loyalty to men.
As for organization or no organization. No organization is the answer. The Bible was left for us for a purpose. That purpose was not to invent things because in our opinion that is what the Bible means. It means just what it says and it does not need mere human to give it an interpretation wider that it is meant to be. Once religion is organized it becomes corrupt. Period. That is what happened to the Watchtower. Power and corruption have ruined it. Why is their opinion of what the Bible says more important that your opinion or my opinion? Are they really inspired or do they just think they are?
Why dopes Christianity have to change? Why not keep it simple and to the point as it was in the first century? Just love your fellow man as you do yourself and that would preclude all the evils in the world. It it sound too simple that is because it is simple.
Our witness does not have to be door to door. It can be the way we live our lives, the way we raise our children, the way we respond to others. No where in the Bible does it say that we have to print thousands of book (most of which are no longer relevant) and peddle them in our neighborhood.
Jehovah being extremely organized (your words) is beyond you? That's the point, isn't it. His ways are beyond you and me and the Watchtower organization and trying to imitate those ways by giving them an interpretation not found in the Bible will get you in trouble.
Jesus was born a Jew. Jesus died a Jew. He never tried to be anything other than what he was. He never indicated buildings were to be built and signs hung on them where people would come for endless repetitious meetings.
It was only after his death that people took on the name Christians and someone figured out that this could be a big money maker. Billions of dollars have been generated in the name of Jesus Christ.
"Jehovah being extremely organized (your words) is beyond you?"
lol well that was my comment out of context! It is beyond me how people can argue for no organization after looking at Jehovah's own example of organization.
Well we have different opinions on it and that is fine. I still enjoy the banter :)
On the date of the inspection, the Watchtower of January 15 2008 page 24 says that Jesus made his inspection in 1918 (not sure why that year, or why no year was mentioned in the above study of 2010). Russell died in 1916 and the organization was
named JWs in 1931 by Rutherford, who became president in 1917. So by the time of the inspection in 1918 there only Bible Students, and many must have been following Russell's teachings. Therefore, today, Bible Students could claim
to be the FDS as the JWs did not yet exist when the appointment was made, only that they don't, as they do not have a GB. They follow Russell's teachings and have independent study groups.
Now, that these BS beliefs today are considered old light is another story...
On the date of the inspection, the Watchtower of January 15 2008 page 24 says that Jesus made his inspection in 1918 (not sure why that year, or why no year was mentioned in the above study of 2010). Russell died in 1916 and the organization was
named JWs in 1931 by Rutherford, who became president in 1917. So by the time of the inspection in 1918 there only Bible Students, and many must have been
following Russell's teachings. Therefore, today, Bible Students could claim
to be the FDS as the JWs did not yet exist when the appointment was made, only that they don't, as they do not have a GB,as they follow Russell's teachings and have independent study groups.
Now, that these BS beliefs today are considered old light is another story...
”You'll never get sick. You will never grow old. And you will never die."
Although the above words come from the movie "Cocoon," they could have come
from the Watchtower Society because this is the same thing they have been proclaiming for decades as part of "the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things."*
This very appealing prospect attracts many people to begin to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. It then sustains them as they eagerly wait for the fulfillment of this promise.
But during the course of their study they get drawn into an illusionary concept involving the Watchtower organization that gradually takes over their decision-making process and even their conscience without them realizing it. It happens because of a mistake that everyone makes before they decide to become a Jehovah's Witness.
Captives of a Concept identifies both the concept and the mistake that causes people to become captives of it. The book also offers a few suggestions about how to help Jehovah's Witnesses correct their mistake and teach themselves the truth about their religion.
The book is designed to help the reader understand the illusionary concept mentioned by Raymond Franz on page 296 of his Crisis of Conscience, which holds Jehovah's Witnesses (and even their Governing Body) captive by dominating and controlling how they think and act.
It explains how the leadership has been able to keep themselves (apparently) and millions of Jehovah's Witnesses convinced that "the Watchtower Society is God's organization" no matter what the Bible says or what went on in the organization's history.
Don Cameron
CaptivesOfaConcept.ccom
”You'll never get sick. You will never grow old. And you will never die."
Although the above words come from the movie "Cocoon," they could have come
from the Watchtower Society because this is the same thing they have been proclaiming for decades as part of "the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things."*
This very appealing prospect attracts many people to begin to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. It then sustains them as they eagerly wait for the fulfillment of this promise.
But during the course of their study they get drawn into an illusionary concept involving the Watchtower organization that gradually takes over their decision-making process and even their conscience without them realizing it. It happens because of a mistake that everyone makes before they decide to become a Jehovah's Witness.
Captives of a Concept identifies both the concept and the mistake that causes people to become captives of it. The book also offers a few suggestions about how to help Jehovah's Witnesses correct their mistake and teach themselves the truth about their religion.
The book is designed to help the reader understand the illusionary concept mentioned by Raymond Franz on page 296 of his Crisis of Conscience, which holds Jehovah's Witnesses (and even their Governing Body) captive by dominating and controlling how they think and act.
It explains how the leadership has been able to keep themselves (apparently) and millions of Jehovah's Witnesses convinced that "the Watchtower Society is God's organization" no matter what the Bible says or what went on in the organization's history.
Don Cameron
CaptivesOfaConcept.ccom
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