This blog was inspired by the book "In Search of Christian Freedom"(by former governing body member Ray Franz) that I am not very far into yet.It's a big book!It's really great so far though!
Charles Taze Russell said in 1881:"Must I not join some organization on earth,assent to some creed and have my name written on earth?No,remember that Jesus is your pattern and teacher,and neither in his words nor acts will you find any authority for binding yourselves with creeds and traditions of the elders,which will tend to make the word of God to no effect."(Mark 7:13.)
So this blog isn't to suggest that Charles Taze Russell would actually approve of all that this organization has become,but rather to emphasize the origin of it and question why it is perfectly ok to the rank and file Jehovah's Witnesses when their leadership discourages "touching an unclean thing" with a "bad origin" to embrace the organization that actually has a bad origin with unclean things according to its own literature and the principles it heralds?
So who EXACTLY are the faithful and discreet slave in the parable?(quoting myself here from another blog):
I am going to assume like most Christians that all true Christians are "slaves" of Christ,and that if they are "faithful and discreet",caring for one another (and also caring for those who need to hear the gospel and be cared for spiritually and even materially,emotionally,and physically) and handling the word of truth aright,then they are "faithful and discreet slaves."There is nothing in the texts to suggest that it is the men in the higher echalons of the Watchtower bible and tract society.Changing light is neither inspired nor discreet when it has resulted in mishandled sheep.
1 Peter 4:10:As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of Gods varied grace
Hmm..doesn't sound like any Christian is excluded from stewardship.
The WT obviously made up what they say it is to have an excuse for a few men in NY to control millions of peoples' thinking & to have great authority over them.I'm not suggesting these men know any better.I think they're as deceived as the rank and file JW's and actually believe God is using them no matter how many times it's been proven He isn't.God allows an operation of error to overcome people who don't listen to His Son.
"From this it is clearly seen that the editor and publisher of Zion's Watch Tower disavowed any claim to being individually, in his person, that "faithful and wise servant." He never did claim to be such," ("God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached," 1973, p. 346).
This contradicts Watchtower December 1, 1919, p. 357 :"Thousands of the readers of Pastor Russell's writings believe that he filled the office of 'that faithful and wise servant,' and that his great work was giving to the household of faith meat in due season. His modesty and humility precluded him from openly claiming this title, but he admitted as much in private conversation," (Watchtower, Dec. 1, 1919, p. 357).
I know JW's will attempt to chalk this up to new light and progressive revelation,in the fact that NOW they say all anointed people in the WT society are the "faithful and discreet slave class",but one must remember that God supposedly chose the JW's as his people and sole channel when it was so full of error that there would have been no reason for him to choose it over any other.Basically,JW's believe any horrific error they make is perfectly fine..it's others errors whose aren't that they must expose.And if anyone exposes theirs,then that person is labelled and fit for destruction,because no one can survive Armageddon without being a member of the WT organization,according to its own literature..
"Survival of individuals today depends on their faith and their loyal association with the earthly part of Jehovah's universal organization." WT 5/15/2006 p.22 "Are You Prepared for Survival?"
"The WT Society's teaching is that a "slave class" has had a continuous,uninterrupted existence from its beginning in 33 A.D. until the present time."p.127 "In Search of Christian Freedom" by Ray Franz
The WT society advances the absurd concept that God has always fed his people as an organization,ignoring the fact that small groups and individuals can actually be "fed" without an enormous billion dollar a year organized society.Ignoring the bible's emphasis on God's attention given to individuals,judging them on individual basises and the fact that the 1st century fellowships were humble home ones and Jesus threatened to remove their lamps individually.
Acts 10:35:in every nation the MAN(as opposed to only members of particular organizations) that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
JW's pretend it is perfectly fine that their founder taught many things they're ashamed of now and prefer not to acknowledge,that God never taught that an organization is required for salvation and spiritual food dispension,and that Christians survived without it right up until a little over 100 yrs. ago.They make excuses for this by saying IN THE LAST days true knowledge would become abundant,as if the organization is true knowledge and Jesus Christ wasn't the truth for millions before the society strolled along.As if their lies and false predictions are perfectly acceptable because of some bizarre concept that the organization is the truth anyway,no matter what!And how dare anyone question that,right?
"The historical reality of such a premise,of any close-knit,interrelated,composite body down through the centuries constituting the sole recipient of Christ's feeding and thereby becoming the sole channel of instruction from God for all Christians everywhere,is NOWHERE demonstrated or documented.It is simply asserted.The interpretation advanced and the organizational stance taken REQUIRES it.The WT's publications make NO attempt to identify such a channel,offering as a reason that the entrance of apostasy "obscured" the identification of the "faithful and discreet slave class."So,the existence of such a "channel"during that period is simply assumed."p.128 "In Search of Christian Freedom" by Ray Franz
I guess I'll ask the JW's..Who was the channel before the WT society's inception,since they claim there has always been one?And why was it ok for Charles Russell to be identified as the sole man who was this faithful and discreet slave if there has always been a larger class?Recognize any inconsistency yet?
"The WT,despite its claims that there has ALWAYS been one,cannot find ANYTHING that would fit its description as ,to quote Ray,"a single,ongoing "faithful and discreet slave" class,a homogenous,close-knit,collective group functioning down through the centuries as the one and only feeding source for generation after generation of all genuine Christians in all places.Why not show at least those links of "the faithful and discreet slave" that would connect Russell and his founding of the WT society in 1881?"p. 128
Interestingly,to try and obscure the fact that it is misleading to identify a "faithful and discreet slave class" within a worldwide organization who are God's supposed sole channel that MUST be identified and has in fact existed throughout time for Christians,the WT has actually mentioned people like the Waldenses and Anabaptists,conveniently ignoring the VAST differences in doctrinal opinions.Even though they believed in the trinity and the immortality of the soul etc.In other words,the WT,to cover it's deceptions,pulled whatever it could out of a hat in a futile attempt to support their idea of this organized faithful slave sole channel always existing,as they assert it has.Obviously,it hasn't.Certainly not in the way they've established it!
"The bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization,not to individuals,regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the bible.For this reason the BIBLE CANNOT BE PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD WITHOUT JEHOVAH'S VISIBLE ORGANIZATION IN MIND."-WT 10/1/67 p.587
After an assertion like that,this BEGS the question:How,as a JW, can you trust that the foundation of this organization,and that,my friends would be the independent and private study of Charles Taze Russell its founder,is stable or acceptable given that this entire idea wholeheartedly contradicts WT principles that no one could possibly understand scripture without a class of men in an organization?In other words,can you recognize how ridiculous it is to be a member of an organization founded on independent bible study that forbids it for you?How could Russell reintroduce biblical truths that had been lost without Jehovah's sole channel of communication?And why would there need to be a reintroduction of these truths to begin with if there had always been a faithful and discreet slave class as the WT asserts?!Wouldn't that in essence mean that Charles Taze wouldn't have had to revive any truth at all..that it would be a consistent given thing as the WT claims it has?And isn't the truth Jesus Christ and not an organization at all?If so,and I can assure you he is,then why is YOUR truth an organization and not the Messiah himself?Would we be safer "in Christ" or in an organization chockfull of false haughty lofty claims,deception,and mistreatment of sheep,all wrapped up in a pretty package because of the good that DOES exist there like an angel of light?I trust Christ implicitly.I don't trust men implicitly.What about you?
"In its efforts to deny that Jesus Christ is now dealing,or would EVER deal with individuals apart from an organization,a unique "channel",the teaching produces an untenable position.It also claims that Christ did precisely that in dealing with Russell as an individual apart from any organization..This facet of their carefully constructed teaching about "the faithful and discreet slave class" proves to be a mere "house of cards" which their own statements cause to fall flat."p. 132
How,as a JW,can you in good conscience not see the discrepancy and hypocrisy here?Can you at the very least understand why some of us have "crisises of consciences?"And does it really make someone an apostate to be a Christian without a worldwide organization controlling one with manmade policies and intellectual intimidation,threats and unwarranted dogmatisms?If so,then wasn't Charles Taze Russell an apostate?And if you're commanded by the men you implicitly trust to avoid all things with negative origins,then wouldn't a man independently studying scripture establishing the very organization you think you need to save you be something to avoid like the plague,given the fact that independent bible study leads to apostate doctrines and negative findings according to the society you think is your savior?
"They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago."(WT; 8/15/1981; p.29)
Yet that's the VERY foundation & origin of the WT society.What an enormous discrepancy!
"The Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization in mind." (w67 10/1 p. 587)
YET that's exactly what the society's founder did!
"Let us face the fact that no matter how much Bible reading we have done, we would never have learned the truth on our own." (w90 12/1 p. 19)"
Even though the truth is Jesus and the men in the WT organization pilfer his sole titles and roles?
"To hold to the headship of Christ, it is therefore necessary to obey the organization that he is personally directing. Doing what the organization says is to do what he says. Resisting the organization is to resist him."WT 5/01/1959..
Sounds like the Pope's claims!!And if you DON'T think the organization is your savior,then why do you belong to it when it says it is?And why do you label and shun people who know it's not?
John 14:6:Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 10:1"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door(which is Christ as opposed to an organization that says Christ isn't your door but that they are!) into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up SOME OTHER WAY he is a thief and a robber."
In other words,if you think you need ANYONE but Jesus to reach the father and find salvation,you've been deceived by men,who Yah tells us NOT to put our faith in.We ARE allowed to question them,ESPECIALLY if they've proven they need to be.
My viddie on this..YEP my accent is ATROCIOUS!At least it's distinctive ;-)
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