“Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)
Let’s summarize what we’ve learned so far.
- We cannot prove with certainty that Rev. 7:4 is referring to a literal number of individuals. (See post: 144,000—Literal or Symbolic)
- The Bible doesn’t teach that the Little Flock are a subset of Christians who are differentiated from the rest because they alone go to heaven; nor does it teach that the Other Sheep are only Christians with an earthly hope. (See post: Who’s Who? (Little Flock/Other Sheep
- We cannot prove from Scripture that the Great Crowd of Rev. 7:9 is comprised exclusively of other sheep. For that matter, we can’t prove that the Great Crowd has any connection whatsoever to the other sheep, nor that they will serve on earth. (See post: A Great Crowd of Other Sheep)
- The scriptural evidence favors the view that all Christians are in the New Covenant just as all natural Jews were in the old one. (See post: Are You in the New Covenant)
- Romans 8 proves we are all God’s sons and that we all have the spirit. Verse 16 does not prove that this revelation is anything other than a clear understanding of our position based on what the spirit reveals to all Christians as it opens up the Scriptures to us. (See post: The Spirit Bears Witness)
Given this, our path seems simple. Jesus told us at Luke 22:19 to keep doing this in remembrance of him. Paul confirmed those words applied not just to the apostles, but to all Christians.
(1 Corinthians 11:23-26) . . .For I received from the Lord that which I also handed on to YOU, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf 24 and, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: “This means my body which is in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup also, after he had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as often as YOU drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.
By celebrating the Lord’s Evening Meal, we are obeying a direct command of our Lord Jesus and thus “proclaiming the death of the Lord until he arrives”. Is there any mention of an observer class? Does Jesus, in commanding us to commemorate his death by partaking of the wine and bread instruct us that this only applies to a tiny percentage of Christians? Does Jesus instruct the vast majority to abstain from partaking? Does he command them to merely observe?
This is simple order; a straightforward, unambiguous command. We are expected to obey. Anyone reading this can grasp the meaning. It is not couched in symbolisms, nor does it require the study of a Bible scholar to decode some hidden meaning.
Do you feel uncomfortable learning this? Many do, but why should that be?
Perhaps you are thinking of Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 11:27.
(1 Corinthians 11:27) Consequently whoever eats the loaf or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty respecting the body and the blood of the Lord.
You may feel that God hasn’t chosen you and so you are unworthy. In fact, you may feel you would be sinning by partaking. However, read the context. Paul isn’t introducing the idea of a non-anointed class of Christian who is unworthy to partake. Our publications imply that, but would it make sense for Paul to write the Corinthians to warn them of conduct that wouldn’t apply for another 2,000 years? The very idea is ludicrous.
No, the warning here is against disrespecting the solemnity of the occasion by acting inappropriately, not waiting for one another, or over-indulging, or even having sects and divisions. (1 Cor. 11:19,20) So let’s not misapply this text to support the traditions of men.
Still, you may feel it inappropriate to partake because you feel it is Jehovah how decides who should partake. Where would that idea have come from?
“All of us need to remember that the decision is solely God’s, not ours.”
(w96 4/1 pp. 8)
Ah, so it is the interpretation of men that is causing you to doubt, is it not? Or can you show this belief from Scripture? It is true that God chooses us. We are called and as a consequence, we have the holy spirit. Were you called out of the world? Do you have the holy spirit? Do you have faith that Jesus is the son of God and your redeemer? If so, then you are a child of God. Need proof. There is solid proof, not from the reasoning of men, but from Scripture: John 1:12,13; Gal. 3:26; 1 John 5:10-12.
Therefore, you are a chosen one, and as such, you have a duty to obey the Son.
(John 3:36) . . .He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; he that disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
Either we exercise faith for life, or we disobey and die. Remember that faith is more than believing. Faith is doing.
(Hebrews 11:4) . . .By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than Cain, through which [faith] he had witness borne to him that he was righteous,. . .
Both Cain and Abel believed in God and believed what God said was true. The Bible actually shows Jehovah talking to Cain to warn him. So both believed, but only Abel had faith. Faith means believing in the promises of God and then acting on that belief. Faith means obedience and obedience produces works of faith. That is the whole message of Hebrews chapter 11.
You have faith in the Son of man and that faith is manifest by obedience. So now the Son of man, our Lord, commands you how he wants you to commemorate his death. Will you obey?
Still holding back? Perhaps concerned how it will look? Understandable considering what we have been taught.
w96 4/1 pp. 7 Celebrate the Memorial Worthily
“Why might one wrongly partake of the emblems? It may be due to [1] previous religious views—[2] that all the faithful go to heaven. Or it may be because of [3] ambition or selfishness—a feeling that one is more deserving than others—and a [4] desire for prominence.” (Bracketed numbers added.)
- Of course, we shouldn’t partake because of a previous religious view. We should partake because of what the Scriptures, not men, are telling us to do.
- Whether all the faithful go to heaven or not is irrelevant to the matter at hand. Jesus said the cup represented the New Covenant, not some spiritual passport to heaven. If God wants to take you to heaven or wants you to serve on earth, that is entirely up to him. We partake because we are told to do so, for by doing this we proclaim the importance of Christ’s death until he arrives.
- Now if all Christians are to partake, how is ambition served by partaking? In fact, if there is ambition or selfishness, it is a symptom, not a cause. The cause is the artificial two-tier system created by our theology.
- This is the most telling comment of all. Do we not speak reverently of someone who partakes. If their name is mentioned, will not the next comment be, “He’s one of the anointed, you know?” or “His wife just passed away. Did you know she was one of the anointed?” We, ourselves, have created two classes of Christian in a congregation where no class distinctions should exist. (James 2:4)
Given the forgoing, we are naturally going to find it hard to partake because we will be concerned what others might think of us.
“Who does she think she is?”
“Is God going to pass over all these long time pioneers to pick him?”
We have attached a stigma to what should be a demonstration of loyalty and obedience. What a sad predicament we have created for ourselves. All because of the tradition of men.
So next year, when memorial rolls around, we will all have some serious soul-searching to do.
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Comment by on 2013-05-22 17:49:53
I came to this understanding last year but the night of the memorial I recieved back from bethel a letter about this very matter, so mentally I was not prepared to partake. After the bread was passed it pained my heart not to have partaken, so I let the wine pass to since I had not eaten the bread. I felt much pain that I did not do what Jesus commanded me to do. I felt one agian I was part of a black mass were Satan worshippers reject the emblems. It will not be easy but I will partake this time and from now one.
Crazyguy.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2013-05-22 18:09:44
It is no easy thing to partake given the power of the indoctrination we have undergone for so long. I did partake this year for the first time. Whether that means I'm going to heaven or not, I really don't know. I certainly don't feel the least bit worthy of a heavenly calling. However, the reward is not the concern since either way that is something that is in Jehovah's hands. I just want to live forever.
I partook because Jesus told me to through what is recorded in the Bible. Plain and simple.
I won't go into more detail because while America is a big place, it is a small world in the JW community. I will say that my go-to response when asked why or how I knew or whatever else they may come up with is: "It's a very personal matter."
Comment by erick on 2013-05-22 19:05:06
Congrats Meleti on participating in the emblems. This is not an easy thing to do given that the Society has hinted that many of those who participate could be mentally unbalanced.
By most not participating it puts the attention on those who do. Instead of the attention of the brothers on Jesus it can sometimes shift to those who participate. Sometimes you'll hear " Did you know so-and-so participated? He's only 40 yrs. old. How could he be anointed?"
This was the talk after a brother and a sister started participating at a hall I used to attend.
John 6 could also be used as additional evidence that we should partake. vs 4 "Now the passover, the festival of the Jews, was near."
vs. 53-56 "Accordingly Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to ?YOU, Unless ?YOU? eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ?YOU? have no life in yourselves.54He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I shall resurrect him at the last day;55for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.56He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me, and I in union with him"
If the Society came out with new light telling all JWs that they should partake almost all JWs would begin to partake without question. So it's not biblical evidence that motivates 99.9% of JWs including elders and traveling overseers. Their belief of what they should do rests solely with the opinion of a few men in Brooklyn.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2013-05-22 19:20:57
Actually, I think they're in Patterson now, though I could be wrong. :)
Comment by miken on 2013-05-23 08:14:34
Jesus also invited Christians to come to him to learn and be refreshed Matt 11:28-30
and to come to him to receive life John 5:40. He also stated that gaining everlasting life also required coming to know him the Greek at John 17:3 meaning much more than taking in knowledge about him as well as his Father but having a close personal relationship with him. a close companionship.
JW's are denied such a relationship with Jesus as they have been told they are not to pray, communicate with or call on the name of Jesus despite his invitation at John 14:14 where in the Greek he states "If you ask ME anything in my name, I will do it". “Most truly I say to you, He that exercises faith in me, that one also will do the works that I do; and he will do works greater than these, because I am going my way to the Father. Also, whatever it is that you ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in connection with the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:12-14
The scriptural evidence shows the early Christians responded to his invitation. see Acts 7:59, 9:14, 9:21; 1 Cor 1:2, 2 Cor 12:8-10 and also Paul's personal relationship with Jesus is demonstrated at Acts 23;11. In Rev 5:6-14 The Lamb is prayed to, sung to and worshipped. “Never at a Kingdom Hall meeting of JW's will you hear a prayer directly addressed to Jesus.
However one could quote together with OT references “Then Jesus said to him: ‘Go away, Satan! For it is written, “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.”’” – Matthew 4:10 or "At that I I fell down before his feet to worship him. But he tells me: "Be careful! Do not do that! All I am is a fellow slave of you and of your brothers who have the work of witnessing to Jesus. Worship God, for the bearing witness to Jesus is what inspires prophecying". Rev 19:10.
The vast majority of JW's deny being in a covenant relationship with Jesus and he being their mediator (1 Tim 2:5-6) when at their annual memorial meeting of his death they do not partake of the bread and wine despite his counsel at John 6: 48-58.
“By refusing to partake of the bread and the wine they are in effect whether they realize it or not refusing to confess union with Christ. Jesus stated at Matt 10:32-33 "Everyone then, that confesses union with me before men, I will also confess union with him before my Father who is in the heavens; but whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown him before my Father who is in the heavens."
It should be remembered that at the first memeorial meal with Christ those who shared with him were not at that time spirit anointed as they did not receive their spiritual anointing until the following pentecost festival.Reply by smolderingwick1 on 2013-05-24 17:09:30
I recall a CO (now deceased) explaining that the Greek word used in John 17:3 had nothing to do with mere knowledge, that the word meant “knowing upon knowing” which in Greek terms meant with much greater intimacy than mere knowing. After the sessions were over I searched him out to ask him where he found this but as usual all the wannabes kept clustering around him. So I ask a few of the Greek brothers I knew and they confirmed this—especially those most familiar with Greek translation.
So this is an enormous departure for our so-called unbiased NW Translation. Check any other translation. None use the phrase “taking in knowledge.” They all translation it “knowing.” Then I got going on researching names from an ancient perspective and guess what? Our modern world is guilty for that departure since we perceive names as mere labels whereas the ancients used names to define the entire personage, their character, the way they think, act and judge.
So when praying in the name of Christ, (whether to Christ or not—as stated that’s for each to decide), the important thing is that we pray knowing their character with all of our heart. We would only ask for what they would perceive our needs are in a way that defines their will and not just ours. So when we ask the Father for anything in the name of the Son, it means knowing the character of the Father and Son sufficiently to know what to ask for. Repeating their names over and over mean nothing.
Comment by Meleti Vivlon on 2013-05-23 09:10:38
The interlinear does indeed show "me" in John 14:14. The our Reference Bible does give an explanation of sorts.
“Ask,” ADIt and in agreement with 15:16 and 16:23; P66?BWVgSyh,p, “ask me.”
I haven't been able to learn what "ADit" stands for. (If anyone knows, please share.) However, John 15:16 and 16:23 do support the way we have rendered 14:14. This provides ideological consistency in our translation and conforms to our official teaching. However, we claim our Bible is free of bias, so making this change calls that claim into question. By dropping the pronoun from the translation, we are changing the meaning of this one verse to conform to the meaning of the other two verses. This is called "conjectural emendation" and really has no place in a translation that claims to be a literal and faithful rendering of the ancient Greek manuscripts. It isn't up to the translator to decide what the writer was implying. It is up to the reader to discern this and dropping a key word will lead the reader down a path that the writer may not have intended.
I am not willing to concede that we should pray not only to the Father, but also to the Son. I would have to do a good deal more research before speaking on that subject. However, I would like to have the best tools for the job, and using a translation that has been altered to support a theological bias only serves to hinder honest research. Fortunately, we have no shortage of translations and research tools. Sadly, the vast majority of my brothers rarely, if ever, use them.Reply by on 2013-05-23 12:43:21
seek and you will find........
A = Codex Alexandrinus, Gr., fifth cent. C.E., British Museum, H.S., G.S.
D = Bezae Codices, Greek and Latin, fifth and sixth cent. C.E. Cambridge, England, G.S.
It = Old Latin Versions, Itala, second to fourth cent. C.E. ; H.S., G.S.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2013-05-23 13:36:13
Or, as in this case, "ask and it shall be given to you..." :)
Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.
Reply by apollos0falexandria on 2013-05-23 17:29:22
Actually I think ADit was just a policy adopted by the translators. "If something is found to be missing according to our official doctrine we'll just ADit."
Sorry. Poor joke. It doesn't even work well since in this case they took away :)
Reply by Hugo I. Matias on 2013-05-25 16:53:25
For some months I started to pray to Jehovah but also to Jesus talking to them in plural. I know that they both are listening to me. Jesus knew what was in the heart of the people while he was on earth, and as he showed many times, he has the authority to forgive sins too, but he also says that we must ask the Father in his name, so, I started to speak and talk to them in plural, and not also to the Father with the words: "In the name of Jesus, amen." This even in my public prayers. I usted to conduct a preaching group and at the end of the metting in the prayer a sister showed a bit confused when I said (in spanish): "Estamos agradecidos con USTEDES por el amor que nos HAN mostrado y el privilegio que nos HAN encomendado." (In English it may be render like -using the NWT method for plurals-: "We are thankful to YOU for the love YOU HAVE showed to us, and the privilage that YOU HAVE given to us...").
Regarding the chief topic... I have thought about partaking or not in the memorial. I'm just 21 years old, and I don't feel the "heavenly calling". I wonder what reaction brothers may have if a boy like me partake in the memorial.
This year I didn't felt the need to partake, or the responsability toward Jesus to do it. I need to pray and meditate deeply in the matter, and let's see what God leads me to think an do.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2013-05-26 00:24:33
In the first century, a baptized 21 year old, or a 12 year old for that matter, would have been expected to partake. In fact, not partaking would have been considered a sin, a rejection of the redemptive value of Christ's sacrifice. This same attitude would have persisted right down to the first third of the 20th century. After Rutherford's "revelation" of 1935, that same youth have been judged as uppity for doing what had been required just a year before.
What a strange little world we've built for ourselves. Are we the slaves that will be beaten with a few stokes?
Comment by on 2013-05-23 17:42:49
Going back to Erick's point that the Society has hinted that some partaking may be mentally unbalanced or there are those who think a person may be too young, say in their 40's-. the latest GB member to be added, Mark Sanderson is just 48 years old. Does that make him potentially 'mentally unbalanced'?
Also, did not Stephen just moments before dying from stoning, pray to Jesus? Acts 7: 59 says (NWT)- "And they went on casting stones at Stephen as he made APPEAL (prayed?) and said 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' " Verse 60 says that Stephen asked Jehovah not to charge this sin against them. Most, if not all other translations would use the term 'God' not Jehovah.in that verse. From my own research, the only justified use of the divine name in the New Testament is in Revelation 19, where 'Jah' is used 4 times.Reply by apollos0falexandria on 2013-05-23 21:45:41
Actually most translations use the term "Lord" rather than "God" in that verse. The NWT substitution of the divine name in the NT is most often in cases where "Kyrios" was present in the text.
Comment by Kiss the Son | Beroean Pickets on 2013-06-18 23:42:40
[…] this teaching of our leadership is wrong. We’ve already gone into that in depth in a previous post. What we want to discuss here is the reason that we seem to be repeating this pattern of […]
Comment by Ambassadors or Envoys | Beroean Pickets on 2013-07-14 08:25:31
[…] of Christ’s followers are spirit anointed. We have discussed the fallacy of this teaching elsewhere, but let’s add one more log to that […]
Comment by Remember Those Who Instructed You | Beroean Pickets on 2013-10-13 11:01:11
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Comment by Are We Apostates? | Beroean Pickets on 2014-05-22 00:08:47
[…] Christ’s time (C.E. 33) forward to the end should have the heavenly hope. All these should be partaking of the emblems at Memorial time and not just those who claim to be of the anointed […]
Comment by Wild Olive on 2015-03-06 17:18:52
I go home and have my own ceremony in private,my desire is not to create controversy,but to have peace with Jehovah
Reply by john ship on 2019-03-16 16:27:12
i am one who has been in since 1963..now almost faded out.wife and family stil in..since i woke up 3 years ago i have been going to the local anglican church and enjoying communion .so i partake at least 2 times a month .i find it very moving .shal i partake now with jws? i dont see the need as i dont believe in their teachings any more...
Comment by I Foster on 2017-03-29 03:43:09
On 11 April at the coming Memorial, JWs will be rejecting the Emblems unless they are of the anointed. I ask all JWs to read John 6: 48 to 60. Jesus uses the words ANYONE twice and WHOEVER three times. At the Last Supper, none of those gathered there with Jesus were of the anointed; yet Jesus himself passed the bread and the wine to his UNANOINTED followers telling them to eat and drink in remembrance of him. Watchtower has corrupted the words of Jesus to suit its theology. It has lead JWs away from accepting Christ by having JWs REJECT him at the Memorial.