play the audio
This is the last part of the podcast series which charts the so called "judicial" process.
Remember the decision that is reached impacts a persons family and social circle and perhaps their livelihood and ultimately as Jehovah's Witnesses believe their life itself, in the event they term "Armageddon".
This decision is meant to be just and fair and arrived at by means of the Holy Spirit directing these men's actions. The Bible should also be the ultimate source to determine a person's wrongdoing in situations such as these.
Please listen and make your own judgement.
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Saturday, 16 May 2009
New World Translation examined
"The "New world" translation is the finest translation there is".
This is a phrase that a Jehovah's Witnesses will either hear said many times, or read in the publications.
When I attended an intensive study and teaching course serving as a "pioneer" (in the Door to Door work) ,the book which we used
had a whole chapter dedicated to the "Effective use of the NWT" .
This chapter from the "Illuminators" book asks on page100 ; "Why was the NWT needed in the first place?" One of the answers given was :- "The honest-hearted need help to comprehend correctly the Bible's teachings"
Also this statement is made..."The NWT is a completely new translation unfettered by Christendom's religious traditions"
And ....."It is especially appreciated since it was translated directly from Hebrew , Aramaic and Greek"
Let us examine these three quotes and determine whether they are accurate statements.
How have the "honest-hearted" managed without the NWT for the best part of 2000 years? Is it fair to claim that persons reading the Bible would not be able to understand what they were reading and would fail to see the Bible's "teachings" until circa 1960 A.D.?
These comments are of course to reinforce the notion that this "translation" is indispensable to serious Bible students and anyone who regards themselves as honest-hearted. And the "help" comes from reading the NWT as opposed to other Bibles. The NWT was produced by an anonymous group of people in the 1950's and 60's.
Some of these same people consider themselves to be God's "Channel of communication on earth" , so it would follow that their Bible would also be considered to have God's approval.
Let us look at one example to see if the "Bible's teachings" are adhered to and expounded clearly.
Please look at Hebrews 1:6 "But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all God’s angels do obeisance to him.”- New World Translation.
What are the honest-hearted being told here about Jesus? They are being told that the Angels do "obeisance" to him.
However when we look at the footnote in their reference Bible for Heb. 1:6 we see that it is the Greek word used is proskuneo and should actually be rendered "let WORSHIP" as it appears in many other translations. In the 1961 NWT it IS rendered "worship" but in the next revision (1971) it was removed for reasons known to this anonymous group.
Are the the "honest hearted" being helped to "comprehend" Bible truth?
The Watchtower Society (WTS) do not want to encourage the worship of Jesus in any way, a fact born out by the blatant removal of the word worship from this verse. So is manipulating the way a verse is translated acceptable, when the verse conveys a thought that is alien to the belief system one holds? I would have thought not.
Let us look at the second statement."The NWT is a completely new translation unfettered by Christendom's religious traditions".
This may well be an accurate statement to make as the WTS often adopt a position which is contrary to "Christendom" even if it cannot be substantiated , such as Jesus dying on a stake not a cross. So we would expect this same criteria to be applied in their NWT.
Is it fair though to say that your translation is unfettered by any religious "entity" such as "Christendom" while at the same time being heavily influenced or "fettered" by your OWN doctrinal bias?
Here is a quote from the Watchtower which represents how this actually works in real terms.
Watchtower 1986 4/1 p. 31
"Approved association with Jehovah’s Witnesses requires accepting the entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do such beliefs include?
That there is a “faithful and discreet slave” upon earth today ‘entrusted with all of Jesus’ earthly interests,’ which slave is associated with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses."(end of quote)
Notice how the Bible's true "teachings" are actually qualified by those beliefs which are "unique" to Jehovah's Witnesses?
So what this means is that the doctrinal and belief system of JWs such as the "faithful Slave" dogma are ,according to them, the REAL message of the Bible as interpreted by the Governing Body. Is this not exactly what the wts are claiming the NWT is free from?
Now let us consider the third quote:- "It is especially appreciated since it was translated directly from Hebrew , Aramaic and Greek"
While it is true that the NWT is translated from these ancient languages this statement gives the impression that the NWT always uses the oldest and most accurate manuscripts available and again that there is little room for manipulation.
Here is the quote from the foreword from the 1951 NWT:-
"The original writings of the Christian Greek Scriptures, commonly called the New Testament, were inspired. No translation of these Sacred writings into another language, is inspired... The Greek text that we have used as a basis of our NW translation is the widely accepted Westcott and Hort text (1881) by reason of its admitted excellence.But we have also taken in to consideration other texts including that prepared by D. Eberhard Nestle and that compiled by the Spanish Jesuit scholar Jose Maria Bover and that by the other Jesuit scholar A. Merk..."
The New world translation does not always use the oldest and most accurate manuscripts. So the question must be asked did they actually follow the ancient Greek text established by "Christendom's scholars, as they claim? No they did not. They threw in another series of later peculiar documents which have nothing to do with scholarly textual criticism because they are not witnesses to the ancient Greek text. Some of these "sources" happen to have included the name "Jehovah" or YHWH. Also of note is the fact that two named Jesuit Scholars (a high order of the Catholic Church) worked on the original Greek manuscripts to produce a translation which the society have drawn from for the NWT. These people are part of the very entity they repudiate in the WTS publications. So these sources , i. e. the Catholic Church are viable when it suits their purposes and vehemently condemned at other times. Is this not somewhat hypocritical?
Does this sound like the NWT is "unfettered" by Christendom's teachings?
Have a look in the NWT footnotes and you will see the proliferation of the letter "J" , these are the instances where they have utilised "manuscripts" and "sources" ranging from the 1500's to 1981. Usually where the Greek word for "Lord"(Kyrios) or God (Theos) would appear, the name Jehovah has been inserted in their place , thus "restoring" the Divine name to it's "rightful" place in the Greek scriptures. This has been done 237 times in the new testament of the New World Translation.
The oldest available Greek manuscripts do not contain YHWH at all, other than the expression "hallelujah" which appears in Revelation 19:3.
However a striking example of the translators doctrinal bias , hypocrisy and hiding the true message of the Bible is found at 1Thessalonians 4:15,16. in the NWT.
" For this is what we tell you by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [in death]; because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first."
In the above verses the Greek word Kyrios or Lord in English, appears 3 times in the oldest Greek manuscripts. (highlighted).
In verse 15 we see that the NWT translators have used the name Jehovah in place of lord in the phrase "Jehovah's word" when in the Greek manuscripts it is "kyrios" or Lord.
The "J" manuscript uses Jehovah here so that is the NWT translation basis for including it . The NWT translation committee proudly say they have restored the divine name to it's rightful place. Please look to the very next verse (16). The Greek word Kyrios is now rendered "Lord" instead of Jehovah. If you again check the footnote of the reference bible you will notice that the "J" source translation has indeed rendered the name Jehovah , just as in the preceding verse. And yet now the preferred manuscript is ABVg which uses "kyrios" or Lord.
So why have the NWT translation Committee decided that the Divine name "Jehovah" is now surplus to requirements?
The answer is doctrinal bias. Can the Watchtower teach that "Jehovah descends from heaven with an Archangel's voice"? Can they have a teaching as in verse 17 where the those caught up meet "Jehovah" in the "Air"? (again see reference Bible footnotes) What is the Bible actually saying?
There are two doctrinal issues which prevent them using the "J" rendering here.
1. They teach that Jesus is an Archangel and use this verse as a proof text.
2. They teach that Jehovah has never been on the earth so it cannot possibly be true that Jehovah comes down from heaven.
So here is an example of the Bible being very much in second place to the "teachings" of the WTS. Also of note is the sudden disregard for the name Jehovah when it clashes with doctrinal positions.
So is the New World Translation "the finest there is"?, helping "honest-hearted" ones find Bible truth?, and is it "unfettered" by religious "traditions"?
I was shocked when I discovered the many instances where the NWT is in fact doing the opposite of what it claims to do.
I was raised to believe that this was an honest piece of work , instead I found through personal study, many cases where the verses were changed to suit JW beliefs by omitting words , changing words, adding words and in some cases entire phrases.
I lost my confidence in this "translation" many years ago. But I found a new love for the Bible in other more reliable works such as the fine New International Version (N.I.V.) which I would recommend.
No translation is perfect of course and many do reflect the beliefs of the translators but in the case of the NWT what has been done is a bridge too far.( Revelation 22:19.)
This is a phrase that a Jehovah's Witnesses will either hear said many times, or read in the publications.
When I attended an intensive study and teaching course serving as a "pioneer" (in the Door to Door work) ,the book which we used
had a whole chapter dedicated to the "Effective use of the NWT" .
This chapter from the "Illuminators" book asks on page100 ; "Why was the NWT needed in the first place?" One of the answers given was :- "The honest-hearted need help to comprehend correctly the Bible's teachings"
Also this statement is made..."The NWT is a completely new translation unfettered by Christendom's religious traditions"
And ....."It is especially appreciated since it was translated directly from Hebrew , Aramaic and Greek"
Let us examine these three quotes and determine whether they are accurate statements.
How have the "honest-hearted" managed without the NWT for the best part of 2000 years? Is it fair to claim that persons reading the Bible would not be able to understand what they were reading and would fail to see the Bible's "teachings" until circa 1960 A.D.?
These comments are of course to reinforce the notion that this "translation" is indispensable to serious Bible students and anyone who regards themselves as honest-hearted. And the "help" comes from reading the NWT as opposed to other Bibles. The NWT was produced by an anonymous group of people in the 1950's and 60's.
Some of these same people consider themselves to be God's "Channel of communication on earth" , so it would follow that their Bible would also be considered to have God's approval.
Let us look at one example to see if the "Bible's teachings" are adhered to and expounded clearly.
Please look at Hebrews 1:6 "But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all God’s angels do obeisance to him.”- New World Translation.
What are the honest-hearted being told here about Jesus? They are being told that the Angels do "obeisance" to him.
However when we look at the footnote in their reference Bible for Heb. 1:6 we see that it is the Greek word used is proskuneo and should actually be rendered "let WORSHIP" as it appears in many other translations. In the 1961 NWT it IS rendered "worship" but in the next revision (1971) it was removed for reasons known to this anonymous group.
Are the the "honest hearted" being helped to "comprehend" Bible truth?
The Watchtower Society (WTS) do not want to encourage the worship of Jesus in any way, a fact born out by the blatant removal of the word worship from this verse. So is manipulating the way a verse is translated acceptable, when the verse conveys a thought that is alien to the belief system one holds? I would have thought not.
Let us look at the second statement."The NWT is a completely new translation unfettered by Christendom's religious traditions".
This may well be an accurate statement to make as the WTS often adopt a position which is contrary to "Christendom" even if it cannot be substantiated , such as Jesus dying on a stake not a cross. So we would expect this same criteria to be applied in their NWT.
Is it fair though to say that your translation is unfettered by any religious "entity" such as "Christendom" while at the same time being heavily influenced or "fettered" by your OWN doctrinal bias?
Here is a quote from the Watchtower which represents how this actually works in real terms.
Watchtower 1986 4/1 p. 31
"Approved association with Jehovah’s Witnesses requires accepting the entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses. What do such beliefs include?
That there is a “faithful and discreet slave” upon earth today ‘entrusted with all of Jesus’ earthly interests,’ which slave is associated with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses."(end of quote)
Notice how the Bible's true "teachings" are actually qualified by those beliefs which are "unique" to Jehovah's Witnesses?
So what this means is that the doctrinal and belief system of JWs such as the "faithful Slave" dogma are ,according to them, the REAL message of the Bible as interpreted by the Governing Body. Is this not exactly what the wts are claiming the NWT is free from?
Now let us consider the third quote:- "It is especially appreciated since it was translated directly from Hebrew , Aramaic and Greek"
While it is true that the NWT is translated from these ancient languages this statement gives the impression that the NWT always uses the oldest and most accurate manuscripts available and again that there is little room for manipulation.
Here is the quote from the foreword from the 1951 NWT:-
"The original writings of the Christian Greek Scriptures, commonly called the New Testament, were inspired. No translation of these Sacred writings into another language, is inspired... The Greek text that we have used as a basis of our NW translation is the widely accepted Westcott and Hort text (1881) by reason of its admitted excellence.But we have also taken in to consideration other texts including that prepared by D. Eberhard Nestle and that compiled by the Spanish Jesuit scholar Jose Maria Bover and that by the other Jesuit scholar A. Merk..."
The New world translation does not always use the oldest and most accurate manuscripts. So the question must be asked did they actually follow the ancient Greek text established by "Christendom's scholars, as they claim? No they did not. They threw in another series of later peculiar documents which have nothing to do with scholarly textual criticism because they are not witnesses to the ancient Greek text. Some of these "sources" happen to have included the name "Jehovah" or YHWH. Also of note is the fact that two named Jesuit Scholars (a high order of the Catholic Church) worked on the original Greek manuscripts to produce a translation which the society have drawn from for the NWT. These people are part of the very entity they repudiate in the WTS publications. So these sources , i. e. the Catholic Church are viable when it suits their purposes and vehemently condemned at other times. Is this not somewhat hypocritical?
Does this sound like the NWT is "unfettered" by Christendom's teachings?
Have a look in the NWT footnotes and you will see the proliferation of the letter "J" , these are the instances where they have utilised "manuscripts" and "sources" ranging from the 1500's to 1981. Usually where the Greek word for "Lord"(Kyrios) or God (Theos) would appear, the name Jehovah has been inserted in their place , thus "restoring" the Divine name to it's "rightful" place in the Greek scriptures. This has been done 237 times in the new testament of the New World Translation.
The oldest available Greek manuscripts do not contain YHWH at all, other than the expression "hallelujah" which appears in Revelation 19:3.
However a striking example of the translators doctrinal bias , hypocrisy and hiding the true message of the Bible is found at 1Thessalonians 4:15,16. in the NWT.
" For this is what we tell you by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [in death]; because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first."
In the above verses the Greek word Kyrios or Lord in English, appears 3 times in the oldest Greek manuscripts. (highlighted).
In verse 15 we see that the NWT translators have used the name Jehovah in place of lord in the phrase "Jehovah's word" when in the Greek manuscripts it is "kyrios" or Lord.
The "J" manuscript uses Jehovah here so that is the NWT translation basis for including it . The NWT translation committee proudly say they have restored the divine name to it's rightful place. Please look to the very next verse (16). The Greek word Kyrios is now rendered "Lord" instead of Jehovah. If you again check the footnote of the reference bible you will notice that the "J" source translation has indeed rendered the name Jehovah , just as in the preceding verse. And yet now the preferred manuscript is ABVg which uses "kyrios" or Lord.
So why have the NWT translation Committee decided that the Divine name "Jehovah" is now surplus to requirements?
The answer is doctrinal bias. Can the Watchtower teach that "Jehovah descends from heaven with an Archangel's voice"? Can they have a teaching as in verse 17 where the those caught up meet "Jehovah" in the "Air"? (again see reference Bible footnotes) What is the Bible actually saying?
There are two doctrinal issues which prevent them using the "J" rendering here.
1. They teach that Jesus is an Archangel and use this verse as a proof text.
2. They teach that Jehovah has never been on the earth so it cannot possibly be true that Jehovah comes down from heaven.
So here is an example of the Bible being very much in second place to the "teachings" of the WTS. Also of note is the sudden disregard for the name Jehovah when it clashes with doctrinal positions.
So is the New World Translation "the finest there is"?, helping "honest-hearted" ones find Bible truth?, and is it "unfettered" by religious "traditions"?
I was shocked when I discovered the many instances where the NWT is in fact doing the opposite of what it claims to do.
I was raised to believe that this was an honest piece of work , instead I found through personal study, many cases where the verses were changed to suit JW beliefs by omitting words , changing words, adding words and in some cases entire phrases.
I lost my confidence in this "translation" many years ago. But I found a new love for the Bible in other more reliable works such as the fine New International Version (N.I.V.) which I would recommend.
No translation is perfect of course and many do reflect the beliefs of the translators but in the case of the NWT what has been done is a bridge too far.( Revelation 22:19.)
Friday, 24 April 2009
Death or Obedience - The Podcast Part 5
Click on the link below to listen to the audio.
play the audio
play the audio
My wife and I had already had a visit from two elders, one of whom promised that he'd return.
True to his word, he returned bringing another local elder with him, who happens to be my brother. This podcast is the first of 3 parts of their visit.
We discuss some of Jehovah's Witnesses unique beliefs
Is the 1914 doctrine found in scripture?
Does the existence of ministerial servants and elders mark one group out as being the "true religion"?
Have the Watchtower Society added to the gospel ? (Gal 1:8)
Is the "Gentile times" calculation an express Bible teaching?
All the podcasts can be found on iTunes
I'd love to hear your thoughts on these podcasts, please leave your comments on the website. Or email me.
Monday, 9 March 2009
The Watchtower view of the Bible
How do the modern concepts and teachings of the wts differ from the old ones of 100 years ago?
Here are some examples from the past of their views on understanding scripture relative to the wts organisation.
"Bible classes and and Bible studies are all to no purpose until the Lord, in due time , sent them the 'Bible keys' through the society" wt10/01/1909 p4482
"If the six volumes of SCRIPTURE STUDIES are practically the bible topically arranged, with Bible proof texts given we might not improperly name the volumes- the Bible in an arranged form. That is to say ,they are not merely comments on the Bible , but they are practically the Bible itself...." wt9/15/1910p4685.
"A person would go into darkness after two years of reading the Bible alone; would be in the light reading the studies in the scriptures alone" wt9/15/1910.p4685
Now some more recent statements.
"Heavy research is not necessary.The Watchtower has done it for you.The most beneficial study you can do is to read the Watchtower or Awake! or a new book by the organisation." wt6/01/67 p338
"The Bible is a sealed book except to the organisation"Wt7/01/73p402
"Jehovah caused the Bible to be written in such a way that you need his human channel to understand it"WT 2/15/1981p.17
"Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that god is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible study we do."WT 12/01/81p 27.
"An individual must have The Watchtower to understand the Bible" 1983 yearbook p.21
"Our coming to know "the truth"- the entire body of Christian teachings that HAS BECOME PART OF THE BIBLE - and adhering to it are essential for our salvation." 15/12/2009 p.28,study edition.
And this is link is on the official web page of JW's right now.
(click on the link below)
These statements are not merely the views of the wts , but are rather enforced doctrine that if any JW was to disagree with would mean his removal from the congregation.
The import of these quotes is that the Bible is basically a book for the organisation's Governing Body to interpret. No individual can operate outside of these parameters.
A fair question to ask would be; how did God-fearing Christians manage to please God and attain salvation before the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society appeared in the late 19th century?
Is it really likely that no one was able to understand the Bible properly until C.T. Russell explained it to them through his books? As all of his books are now spiritually defunct,how could his views be the only way to salvation?If you believed his teachings nowadays you would be disfellowshipped.
What about the two billion professed Christians around the world today? Can all of these people who have 'just' the Bible be living in a spiritual vacuum, without any hope for salvation?
I think the most pertinent scriptures that come to mind are John 14;26 "But the helper, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you."
and John 15;26 "When the helper arrives that I will send you from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me"
Far from a publishing corporation or even an individual or group, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit , a helper and teacher would instruct people and witness about him.
Here are some examples from the past of their views on understanding scripture relative to the wts organisation.
"Bible classes and and Bible studies are all to no purpose until the Lord, in due time , sent them the 'Bible keys' through the society" wt10/01/1909 p4482
"If the six volumes of SCRIPTURE STUDIES are practically the bible topically arranged, with Bible proof texts given we might not improperly name the volumes- the Bible in an arranged form. That is to say ,they are not merely comments on the Bible , but they are practically the Bible itself...." wt9/15/1910p4685.
"A person would go into darkness after two years of reading the Bible alone; would be in the light reading the studies in the scriptures alone" wt9/15/1910.p4685
Now some more recent statements.
"Heavy research is not necessary.The Watchtower has done it for you.The most beneficial study you can do is to read the Watchtower or Awake! or a new book by the organisation." wt6/01/67 p338
"The Bible is a sealed book except to the organisation"Wt7/01/73p402
"Jehovah caused the Bible to be written in such a way that you need his human channel to understand it"WT 2/15/1981p.17
"Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that god is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible study we do."WT 12/01/81p 27.
"An individual must have The Watchtower to understand the Bible" 1983 yearbook p.21
"Our coming to know "the truth"- the entire body of Christian teachings that HAS BECOME PART OF THE BIBLE - and adhering to it are essential for our salvation." 15/12/2009 p.28,study edition.
And this is link is on the official web page of JW's right now.
(click on the link below)
Mennonites Search for Bible Truth
Johann told his wife and children: “You must always read The Watchtower. It will help you to understand the Bible.”
These statements are not merely the views of the wts , but are rather enforced doctrine that if any JW was to disagree with would mean his removal from the congregation.
The import of these quotes is that the Bible is basically a book for the organisation's Governing Body to interpret. No individual can operate outside of these parameters.
A fair question to ask would be; how did God-fearing Christians manage to please God and attain salvation before the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society appeared in the late 19th century?
Is it really likely that no one was able to understand the Bible properly until C.T. Russell explained it to them through his books? As all of his books are now spiritually defunct,how could his views be the only way to salvation?If you believed his teachings nowadays you would be disfellowshipped.
What about the two billion professed Christians around the world today? Can all of these people who have 'just' the Bible be living in a spiritual vacuum, without any hope for salvation?
I think the most pertinent scriptures that come to mind are John 14;26 "But the helper, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you."
and John 15;26 "When the helper arrives that I will send you from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me"
Far from a publishing corporation or even an individual or group, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit , a helper and teacher would instruct people and witness about him.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
The Concept of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"
The Doctrine of the "faithful and discreet slave"
This is perhaps the most important doctrine of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society( WTS), although strangely most Jehovah's Witnesses are not aware of the acute significance of the teaching.The belief stems from the question Jesus himself posed in Matthew 24:45-47 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. 47 Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.
This idea was first promoted in the early days of the wts organisation. The New World Translation (NWT) of the Bible was not yet in use, so the term used was "Faithful and wise servant"- which applied solely to C.T.Russell(president of the WTS) himself. This teaching continued for many years after his death in the year 1916. After J. F. Rutherford had been president for many years the doctrine was modified to the present format where all of the remnant of the "144,000" are in fact the "faithful slave" and are in turn represented by the small group of men at H.Q. in Brooklyn N.Y..
The basic import of this doctrine has not changed at all over the 130 years of the WTS's existence. The Idea is that The WTS is God's "channel of communication" on the earth and therefore the members of the JW faith are required to have unwavering confidence and faith in what the organisation teaches via the published material.The WTS teach that they were "appointed" as the faithful slave circa 1919 C.E.. Jesus apparently made an inspection of all of the Christian groups and decided that the WTS were the most worthy.
The Verses in Question.
There are a number of issues that should be of concern regarding this teaching , and perhaps the best place to start is with the Bible itself. Firstly is it reasonable to conclude that this parable has a real time prophetic application and that the benefactors of Jesus invisible inspection would in fact be placed in a position of absolute authority?
Benjamin Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott gives the definition of a parable - "it denotes a fictitious narrative , invented for the purpose of conveying truth in a less offensive or more engaging manner than that of direct assertion". So in other words a story....Why are there not a raft of prophecies(and modern day applications) concerning the many, many parables Jesus gave? Could it be that WTS only make application of the one's that suit their purposes, i.e. "the Dragnet" parable?
Can one derive from the Bible any mention of Jesus coming to inspect the worlds religions at a specific time and thereafter "appointing" one as "God's mouthpiece" to the exclusion of all others?
Also worth noting in the verses in question is the fact that it is Jesus himself who does the appointing ,not the slave who appoints himself or makes a claim to that effect.
These are all very valid questions but on close inspection of the context of the verses in question a more startling fact becomes apparent. Remember Jesus has just given his counsel regarding the "signs of the times" and the "end of the system of things". In fact Vs. 36-44 describe the very end of the system, where a comparison is drawn with the destruction of Noah's day and verse 42 shows that this is speaking of the very day of Jesus coming as opposed to a general period of time.
The whole import of Jesus words is of NOT knowing the day of his inspection , hence "keep on the watch" because the son of man will come "at an hour that you do not expect him".And the reward that the faithful ones would receive? ,being given all his belongings, i.e. their Kingdom inheritance.
We then come to the verses in question 45-47 where the "slave" doctrine originates. Is it reasonable to conclude that these verses apply to a time some 90 years ago?
Since the Master's arrival is at a time when the domestics or slaves do not expect , some within the household are warned against "beating" their fellow slaves because they feel the Master is delaying.This is further evidence that the actual meaning behind the parable is to counsel or warn Christ's brothers against both mistreatment of their fellow "slaves" and also that they must remain spiritually alert. Surely the counsel Jesus gave in all his parables were for all his followers for the whole period until the judgement day, which is why there is an element within most of his parables of warning and judgement regarding a Christian's life course. If this parable has already been fulfilled then the whole point Jesus was making in this parable is now moot, an historical curiosity.
Does the evidence support the claim?
When one has a scientific theory the only way that it becomes accepted scientific fact is when the available evidence proves it to be correct.Granted the Bible and spiritual matters cannot always be subjected to analysis in this way as some things are impossible to establish beyond doubt and are in areas which require faith. But in this case let us treat it as a theory to be established or cast aside. Let us suppose that there was a "slave" and the Jesus did appoint the WTS as such. Let us examine the notion by the WTS own criteria.
The nation of Israel were God's chosen people in much the same way as the "spiritual Israel" is today.Moses was the spokesperson and passed on laws , commands and directions to the nation from Jehovah. However when we examine literal Israel's direction we find that Divine wisdom is present, in such matters as sanitation, hygiene in connection with the treatment of dead bodies, etc.The nation themselves would have no idea why they did those things but God's wisdom would have been followed regardless. This is not to mention the ten commandments that Moses passed on to the people. Flawless, eternal, unchanging laws that have stood the test of time many thousands of years later.
Laws and Commands.
Do the "slave's" teachings hold up under the same scrutiny? Firstly the WTS has a long history of making decisions on medical matters and enforcing it as law within the WTS membership.If any JW dared to speak out and disagree or engage in the banned action they would be excluded from the group by disfellowshipping.
As an example the teaching that the medical practice of vaccination was a "crime, an outrage, and a delusion" on the grounds that blood was being misused. This is a striking example of the lack of even basic scientific knowledge. It became clear that the vaccinations in question contained animal matter, but NOT blood.Surely if Jehovah God were directing the WTS as they claim there would be a similar input from God to that of Israel? In other words advanced Divine knowledge that superseded any human reasoning on the matter in question. But instead what do we see? , the exact opposite. Wrong , very wrong teachings,that cost people's health and in some cases lives. Is this an isolated case though? No, unfortunately not. From 1967-1980 the WTS taught and enforced the ruling that human organ transplants were against God's laws as set forth in the scriptures. The argument used was that taking such a transplant was analogous to " cannibalism" and that since JW's do not accept blood( which is an organ) then it would follow that any other organ-transplant would be unacceptable to JW's. Classic WTS circular reasoning at it's best, or worst, tragically as many persons either died or suffered badly because of this intrusion into peoples lives. This policy was quietly reversed in a 1980 W.T. question from readers which stated that there was no Bible injunction which would prevent those whose conscience
allowed them to now accept an organ transplant. Again the question must be asked, does this appear to be an organisation being led by God's Spirit to pass on commands and laws from heaven? Where is the evidence of God's hand in the matter? Would God really cause death or harm to any of his servants by these erroneous and ill conceived teachings being given out via his "channel of communication"?
What I would also ask is How does the process of "truth" being conveyed to the Governing Body actually work? Do they pray and then receive direction from the Holy Spirit as to what to write? That sounds an awful lot like how the Bible was written UNDER INSPIRATION. Since the Governing Body say that they do not have any more Holy Spirit than anyone else why then do all Jehovah's Witnesses have to listen to them as they would "the voice of God". It just doesn't make any coherent, logical sense.
The above "doctrines" are two of the more serious "truths" that JW's have had to accept only for them to be scrapped later. There are of course many examples in a similar vein- "miracle wheat" , the "radio biola" device which could diagnose /cure the sick (both items for sale to the brothers in the publications), the 20 year tirade against the use of aluminium cookware on the grounds that it was thought to cause many death dealing ailments. All these things do not make a very good case for the WTS being appointed as God's "Faithful slave".
Spiritual direction.
The above represents the more extreme and dangerous teachings which could threaten a persons life, but what about the idea that the "slave" is meant to feed his fellow domestics?
It is of course NOT implied in Jesus' words at all that the food is in fact "spiritual food", that is dispensed in the form of literature about the Bible , rather than the bible itself. And that at his "appointed time" a small group of men via international publishing corporation would then assume God-given authority over all JW's spiritual direction.
Let us look at a number of examples of the "food" being provided for JW consumption.
Claims and Dates
The last days began in- 1799. strike that-1874, before agreeing on 1914.( The current teaching is that the year 1914 is not linked by time to Armageddon's coming.)
The year 1914 will see Armageddon and the resurrection of JW anointed living on earth to heaven.
1918 will see the end of all the churches on earth.
The year 1925 will see Isaac ,David and Jacob resurrected to the earth.(a house was built for this purpose).
The end of this system will occur in 1975.
"It is unlikely we will see the the year 2000 before the end of this system". -statement in the publications.
These are just a few of the truly colossal amount of failed prophetic dates that the WTS have provided to the faithful for consumption. Not one of the above predictions materialised.
Interpretation
Even though the Bible says that interpretations belong God, this does not prevent the "slave" from offering such for spiritual consumption.Surely Jehovah would be able to cast light on his word if he was directing the WTS? Also ask yourself do the following examples show the "light getting brighter" when in some cases the "new light" can be the exact opposite of the former teaching?
Will those who perished at Sodom be resurrected? Between 1879 and 1989 the answer went back and forth between yes and no a staggering EIGHT times even changing from no to yes during one year- 1988!
Who is the alpha and the Omega? Between 1955 and 1988(current teaching) this was either Jehovah or Jesus , this changed four times.
Who is Michael? In 1917 in the "finished mystery" book he is rather absurdly said to be none other than the POPE! Nowadays of course it's taught that he is Jesus.
Where is heaven? In the book "reconciliation" It's confidently stated that it is in the "Pleides" constellation, a statement which was later withdrawn.
Who built the great pyramid at Giza and for what purpose? The WTS taught for approximately 50 years that it was built under Jesus direction and was a "witness in stone" to the 1914 teaching and supported the Bible record too. It was later stated that it was in fact Built by Satan and had nothing to do with God's purpose or the bible.
What do the "1600 furlongs" spoken of in revelation refer to? In 1917 it was taught this referred to the distance between the place where the book "the finished mystery" was written and the place where it was published in America, provided u travel by a certain Lackawanna railroad and then take the Hoboken ferry! Truly Amazing......Nowadays it's explained that it just means destruction in a big way.(Rev Climax bk.)
Who are the seven spirits or angels of Revelation? They are the seven volumes of the series "studies in the scriptures"(1917)
In conclusion.
The above is only a small fraction of the many strange , clouded views, and interpretations that have been espoused over the 140 years or so of the WTS. Does the doctrine hold up under inspection, and is it sound evidentialy? Is it an explicit bible teaching, and did Jesus intend this parable to have a prophetic application?
However there are far more serious and damaging doctrines that witnesses HAVE to accept, such as the WTS views on who is part of the new covenant and who Jesus is mediator of. These teachings are against the very core of what being a Christian means. All of JW beliefs hinge on the mental acceptance that the WTS's authority is God given through the "slave" class. There have been many books written that deal with the whole subject in an excellent fashion, one such is "Captives of a concept" by Don Cameron, a very worthwhile read for all JW's and those who have left or have any connection with this Organisation.
This is perhaps the most important doctrine of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society( WTS), although strangely most Jehovah's Witnesses are not aware of the acute significance of the teaching.The belief stems from the question Jesus himself posed in Matthew 24:45-47 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. 47 Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.
This idea was first promoted in the early days of the wts organisation. The New World Translation (NWT) of the Bible was not yet in use, so the term used was "Faithful and wise servant"- which applied solely to C.T.Russell(president of the WTS) himself. This teaching continued for many years after his death in the year 1916. After J. F. Rutherford had been president for many years the doctrine was modified to the present format where all of the remnant of the "144,000" are in fact the "faithful slave" and are in turn represented by the small group of men at H.Q. in Brooklyn N.Y..
The basic import of this doctrine has not changed at all over the 130 years of the WTS's existence. The Idea is that The WTS is God's "channel of communication" on the earth and therefore the members of the JW faith are required to have unwavering confidence and faith in what the organisation teaches via the published material.The WTS teach that they were "appointed" as the faithful slave circa 1919 C.E.. Jesus apparently made an inspection of all of the Christian groups and decided that the WTS were the most worthy.
The Verses in Question.
There are a number of issues that should be of concern regarding this teaching , and perhaps the best place to start is with the Bible itself. Firstly is it reasonable to conclude that this parable has a real time prophetic application and that the benefactors of Jesus invisible inspection would in fact be placed in a position of absolute authority?
Benjamin Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott gives the definition of a parable - "it denotes a fictitious narrative , invented for the purpose of conveying truth in a less offensive or more engaging manner than that of direct assertion". So in other words a story....Why are there not a raft of prophecies(and modern day applications) concerning the many, many parables Jesus gave? Could it be that WTS only make application of the one's that suit their purposes, i.e. "the Dragnet" parable?
Can one derive from the Bible any mention of Jesus coming to inspect the worlds religions at a specific time and thereafter "appointing" one as "God's mouthpiece" to the exclusion of all others?
Also worth noting in the verses in question is the fact that it is Jesus himself who does the appointing ,not the slave who appoints himself or makes a claim to that effect.
These are all very valid questions but on close inspection of the context of the verses in question a more startling fact becomes apparent. Remember Jesus has just given his counsel regarding the "signs of the times" and the "end of the system of things". In fact Vs. 36-44 describe the very end of the system, where a comparison is drawn with the destruction of Noah's day and verse 42 shows that this is speaking of the very day of Jesus coming as opposed to a general period of time.
The whole import of Jesus words is of NOT knowing the day of his inspection , hence "keep on the watch" because the son of man will come "at an hour that you do not expect him".And the reward that the faithful ones would receive? ,being given all his belongings, i.e. their Kingdom inheritance.
We then come to the verses in question 45-47 where the "slave" doctrine originates. Is it reasonable to conclude that these verses apply to a time some 90 years ago?
Since the Master's arrival is at a time when the domestics or slaves do not expect , some within the household are warned against "beating" their fellow slaves because they feel the Master is delaying.This is further evidence that the actual meaning behind the parable is to counsel or warn Christ's brothers against both mistreatment of their fellow "slaves" and also that they must remain spiritually alert. Surely the counsel Jesus gave in all his parables were for all his followers for the whole period until the judgement day, which is why there is an element within most of his parables of warning and judgement regarding a Christian's life course. If this parable has already been fulfilled then the whole point Jesus was making in this parable is now moot, an historical curiosity.
Does the evidence support the claim?
When one has a scientific theory the only way that it becomes accepted scientific fact is when the available evidence proves it to be correct.Granted the Bible and spiritual matters cannot always be subjected to analysis in this way as some things are impossible to establish beyond doubt and are in areas which require faith. But in this case let us treat it as a theory to be established or cast aside. Let us suppose that there was a "slave" and the Jesus did appoint the WTS as such. Let us examine the notion by the WTS own criteria.
The nation of Israel were God's chosen people in much the same way as the "spiritual Israel" is today.Moses was the spokesperson and passed on laws , commands and directions to the nation from Jehovah. However when we examine literal Israel's direction we find that Divine wisdom is present, in such matters as sanitation, hygiene in connection with the treatment of dead bodies, etc.The nation themselves would have no idea why they did those things but God's wisdom would have been followed regardless. This is not to mention the ten commandments that Moses passed on to the people. Flawless, eternal, unchanging laws that have stood the test of time many thousands of years later.
Laws and Commands.
Do the "slave's" teachings hold up under the same scrutiny? Firstly the WTS has a long history of making decisions on medical matters and enforcing it as law within the WTS membership.If any JW dared to speak out and disagree or engage in the banned action they would be excluded from the group by disfellowshipping.
As an example the teaching that the medical practice of vaccination was a "crime, an outrage, and a delusion" on the grounds that blood was being misused. This is a striking example of the lack of even basic scientific knowledge. It became clear that the vaccinations in question contained animal matter, but NOT blood.Surely if Jehovah God were directing the WTS as they claim there would be a similar input from God to that of Israel? In other words advanced Divine knowledge that superseded any human reasoning on the matter in question. But instead what do we see? , the exact opposite. Wrong , very wrong teachings,that cost people's health and in some cases lives. Is this an isolated case though? No, unfortunately not. From 1967-1980 the WTS taught and enforced the ruling that human organ transplants were against God's laws as set forth in the scriptures. The argument used was that taking such a transplant was analogous to " cannibalism" and that since JW's do not accept blood( which is an organ) then it would follow that any other organ-transplant would be unacceptable to JW's. Classic WTS circular reasoning at it's best, or worst, tragically as many persons either died or suffered badly because of this intrusion into peoples lives. This policy was quietly reversed in a 1980 W.T. question from readers which stated that there was no Bible injunction which would prevent those whose conscience
allowed them to now accept an organ transplant. Again the question must be asked, does this appear to be an organisation being led by God's Spirit to pass on commands and laws from heaven? Where is the evidence of God's hand in the matter? Would God really cause death or harm to any of his servants by these erroneous and ill conceived teachings being given out via his "channel of communication"?
What I would also ask is How does the process of "truth" being conveyed to the Governing Body actually work? Do they pray and then receive direction from the Holy Spirit as to what to write? That sounds an awful lot like how the Bible was written UNDER INSPIRATION. Since the Governing Body say that they do not have any more Holy Spirit than anyone else why then do all Jehovah's Witnesses have to listen to them as they would "the voice of God". It just doesn't make any coherent, logical sense.
The above "doctrines" are two of the more serious "truths" that JW's have had to accept only for them to be scrapped later. There are of course many examples in a similar vein- "miracle wheat" , the "radio biola" device which could diagnose /cure the sick (both items for sale to the brothers in the publications), the 20 year tirade against the use of aluminium cookware on the grounds that it was thought to cause many death dealing ailments. All these things do not make a very good case for the WTS being appointed as God's "Faithful slave".
Spiritual direction.
The above represents the more extreme and dangerous teachings which could threaten a persons life, but what about the idea that the "slave" is meant to feed his fellow domestics?
It is of course NOT implied in Jesus' words at all that the food is in fact "spiritual food", that is dispensed in the form of literature about the Bible , rather than the bible itself. And that at his "appointed time" a small group of men via international publishing corporation would then assume God-given authority over all JW's spiritual direction.
Let us look at a number of examples of the "food" being provided for JW consumption.
Claims and Dates
The last days began in- 1799. strike that-1874, before agreeing on 1914.( The current teaching is that the year 1914 is not linked by time to Armageddon's coming.)
The year 1914 will see Armageddon and the resurrection of JW anointed living on earth to heaven.
1918 will see the end of all the churches on earth.
The year 1925 will see Isaac ,David and Jacob resurrected to the earth.(a house was built for this purpose).
The end of this system will occur in 1975.
"It is unlikely we will see the the year 2000 before the end of this system". -statement in the publications.
These are just a few of the truly colossal amount of failed prophetic dates that the WTS have provided to the faithful for consumption. Not one of the above predictions materialised.
Interpretation
Even though the Bible says that interpretations belong God, this does not prevent the "slave" from offering such for spiritual consumption.Surely Jehovah would be able to cast light on his word if he was directing the WTS? Also ask yourself do the following examples show the "light getting brighter" when in some cases the "new light" can be the exact opposite of the former teaching?
Will those who perished at Sodom be resurrected? Between 1879 and 1989 the answer went back and forth between yes and no a staggering EIGHT times even changing from no to yes during one year- 1988!
Who is the alpha and the Omega? Between 1955 and 1988(current teaching) this was either Jehovah or Jesus , this changed four times.
Who is Michael? In 1917 in the "finished mystery" book he is rather absurdly said to be none other than the POPE! Nowadays of course it's taught that he is Jesus.
Where is heaven? In the book "reconciliation" It's confidently stated that it is in the "Pleides" constellation, a statement which was later withdrawn.
Who built the great pyramid at Giza and for what purpose? The WTS taught for approximately 50 years that it was built under Jesus direction and was a "witness in stone" to the 1914 teaching and supported the Bible record too. It was later stated that it was in fact Built by Satan and had nothing to do with God's purpose or the bible.
What do the "1600 furlongs" spoken of in revelation refer to? In 1917 it was taught this referred to the distance between the place where the book "the finished mystery" was written and the place where it was published in America, provided u travel by a certain Lackawanna railroad and then take the Hoboken ferry! Truly Amazing......Nowadays it's explained that it just means destruction in a big way.(Rev Climax bk.)
Who are the seven spirits or angels of Revelation? They are the seven volumes of the series "studies in the scriptures"(1917)
In conclusion.
The above is only a small fraction of the many strange , clouded views, and interpretations that have been espoused over the 140 years or so of the WTS. Does the doctrine hold up under inspection, and is it sound evidentialy? Is it an explicit bible teaching, and did Jesus intend this parable to have a prophetic application?
However there are far more serious and damaging doctrines that witnesses HAVE to accept, such as the WTS views on who is part of the new covenant and who Jesus is mediator of. These teachings are against the very core of what being a Christian means. All of JW beliefs hinge on the mental acceptance that the WTS's authority is God given through the "slave" class. There have been many books written that deal with the whole subject in an excellent fashion, one such is "Captives of a concept" by Don Cameron, a very worthwhile read for all JW's and those who have left or have any connection with this Organisation.
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