[Watchtower study for the week of July 21, 2014 – w14 5/15 p. 21]
“God is a God not of disorder but of peace.” 1 Cor. 14:33
Par. 1 – The article opens with a teaching which I have come to believe diminishes Christ’s place in God’s purpose. It states: “His first creation was his only-begotten spirit Son, who is called “the Word” because he is God’s principal spokesman.”
We teach that the only reason Jesus is called the Word is because he is God’s spokesman. Since no other being—human or spirit—is called the Word, yet many have served as God’s spokesman, we claim that the degree to which Jesus is used in this role is what merits his being given this singular designation. Hence, we often call him God’s chief Spokesman or in this case, his principal spokesman. The article “What is the Word According to John?” deals with this issue in detail, so I won’t belabor the point here, except to say that being the Word represents a unique role—one only Jesus could fill. It is so much more than simply being God’s mouthpiece, as privileged as that assignment might be.
Par. 2 – “God’s numerous spirit creatures are referred to as the well-organized “armies” of Jehovah.—Ps. 103.21” [Boldface added]
The verse cited does not say nor even imply that God’s armies of angels are “well-organized”. We can safely assume they are, just as we can safely assume they are mighty, loyal, happy, holy, valiant, or any one of a hundred other adjectives. So why insert this one? Obviously, we are trying very hard to make a point. We are trying to show that Jehovah is organized. One would hardly think this necessary as the idea of a disorganized Almighty God of the universe seems at once insulting and ludicrous. So no, that is not the point we are trying to make. What we are saying –what will be evident by next week’s study—is that God only works through an organization of some type. That is why the title of the article isn’t “Jehovah Is an Organized God”, but rather “a God of Organization”. In line with what will be revealed in the next week’s article, a more on-the-nose title would be “Jehovah Always Works through an Organization”.
So the question thinking Christians should be asking themselves at this juncture is: Is that really true?
Par. 3, 4 - “Like the righteous spirit creatures in heaven, the physical heavens are superbly organized. (Isa. 40:26) Therefore, it is logical to conclude that Jehovah would organize his servants on earth.”
This is an odd example to present as proof that Jehovah would organize his earthly servants as he organized the universe. The Hubble telescope has provided many extraordinary pictures since it went operational. Some reveal galaxies in collision, ripping each other into new shapes and tossing random stars loose into the cosmos. There are also many images of supernova remnants—the aftermath of unimaginably massive star explosions irradiating space for light-years in every direction. Comets and meteors smash into moons and planets, reshaping them.[i] This is not to suggest that there isn’t purpose in all this. Jehovah has set strict physical laws in motion which all astronomical bodies obey, but there seems to be a kind of randomness at work here as well; not the clockwork, micro-managing organization the publishers would have us accept. The article doesn’t err in using the universe as an example of how Jehovah manages his intelligent creation. It errs by drawing the wrong conclusion from this example. This is understandable given that there is a strong bias that looks for anything Scriptural to support the existence of our organizational hierarchy.
Setting down strict laws—be they physical or moral—and then setting things in motion and stepping back to see where they lead, while lending a guiding hand here or there, is consistent with what we know of the universe in general and what we’ve learned from God’s dealings with humans.
Par. 5 – “The human family was to grow in an organized way so as to populate the earth and extend Paradise until it covered the entire globe.”
Perhaps this is a good time to revisit our theme text. Paul contrasts “disorder” not with orderliness or organization, but with peace. He wasn’t promoting the idea of organization over chaos. He just wanted the members of the Corinthian congregation to respect one another and conduct their get-togethers in an orderly fashion, avoiding a prideful, chaotic atmosphere.
Let’s have a little fun. Open up your copy of the WT Library and type “organization” into the search field and hit Enter. Here are the results I got.
Number of hits in the Awake: 1833
Number of hits in the Yearbooks: 1606
Number of hits in the Kingdom Ministry: 1203
Number of hits in the Watchtower: 10,982
Number of hits in the Bible: 0
That's right! Watchtower, 10,982; Bible, 0. Stunning contrast, isn’t it?
It now becomes obvious why we have to reach so deep to try to find scriptural support for the idea of God doing everything by an organization.
Par. 6, 7 – These paragraphs reference the time of Noah, however the real point they are making is found in the caption to the illustration on page 23: “Good organization helped eight people to survive the Flood.” Surely, this is stretching the idea to the point of absurdity. Or perhaps the writer of Hebrews got it wrong. Perhaps a better rendering of Hebrews 11:7 should be:
“By good organization Noah, after being given divine warning of things not yet beheld, showed godly fear and constructed a well-organized ark for the saving of his household; and through this organization he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness that is according to organization.”
Forgive the facetious tone, but I feel it is the best way to show who silly this caption is.
Par. 8, 9 – Continuing the theme that God always uses an organization to get things done, we are now taught that in Israel “good organization was to involve all aspects of their life and especially their worship.” Here we are confusing rules and laws with organizational structure and procedure. Before the time of the kings, we have an idyllic time alluded to in Judges 17:6
“. . .In those days, there was no king in Israel. Each one was doing what was right in his own eyes.” (Jg 17:6)
“Each one…doing what was right in his own eyes” hardly fits with the organization that is being described in these two paragraphs. However, it does fit nicely with the pattern of a God who provides order through laws and principles, then sits back and watches how his servants apply them.
Par. 10 – This is a pivotal paragraph, in the humble opinion of this writer, for it unwittingly disproves the point the article is attempting to make. Up to now they have attempted to show that the success enjoyed by Jehovah’s servants was due to being well-organized. Noah survived the flood due to good organization. Rahab survived the destruction of Jericho, not by putting faith in God as Hebrews 11:31 says, but by allying herself with the organization of the Jews. Now we are in the time of Jesus and Jehovah’s Israelite organization is more highly organized than ever. They have laws governing every aspect of life, down to details like how far up the arm one has to wash to please God. They are also God’s appointed channel of communication. Caiaphas prophesied—evidently under inspiration—because of his role as high priest. (John 11:51) The priesthood could trace its lineage all the way back to Aaron. They had better, more scripturally provable credentials than the leadership of any Christian denomination on earth today.
That their organization was efficient and effective is evident by the fact that they could use it to control all the people, even getting them to turn on the Messiah they had publicly praised just days before. (John 12:13) They accomplished this by coercing the dissenters with a call for unity. Unity with and obedience to those taking the lead overrode common sense and the conscience of the people. (John 7:48, 49) If some disobeyed, they were threatened with disfellowshipping. (John 9:22)
If it is organization that Jehovah values, then why reject them? Why not fix it from within? Because the problem was not inside the organization. The problem was the organization. The Jewish leadership was the organization. God laid down laws to govern a nation ruled by Him. Men turned it into an organization ruled by them. They had prophetic interpretations in place, even as to how the Messiah was to appear and what he would do for them. They were unwilling to change when forced to face the reality of the situation. (John 7:52) Jehovah lovingly sent his son, and they rejected and murdered him. (Mt. 21:38)
Jesus didn’t come bringing a better organization. He came bringing something they lost along the way: faith, love, and mercy. (Mt 17:20; John 13:35; Mt 12:7)
Paragraph 10 unwittingly disproves the study article’s main premise.
Par. 11-13 – This paragraph is an excellent example of the power of repetition. Here we continue to restate “organization” in place of “people” or “congregation”, hoping that by repetition the reader will forget that the word is never—NEVER—used in the Bible. We might just as easily insert “club” or “secret society” for all the probative value it adds to the discussion.
Par. 14-17 – We close our study with a brief review of the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem. “The Jews in general [those not joining Jehovah’s organization] did not accept the good news, and calamity was to befall them…faithful Christians [those in Jehovah’s organization] survived because they heeded Jesus’ warning.” (par. 14) “Those associated with the well-organized early congregations benefited greatly... (par. 16) “As Satan’s world nears its end in these last days, the earthly part of Jehovah’s universal organization is moving ahead at an ever-increasing speed. Are you keeping pace with it?”
A newbie reading this subject for the first time may be puzzled by all the emphasis placed on organization. He may wonder how our salvation is tied, not to faith or a personal relationship with God, but to keeping up with an organization. However, any baptized Jehovah’s Witness will know that what the article is promoting is not the quality of being organized—something not required by God for salvation—but the importance of being loyal to the direction of a small group of men who head up the worldwide organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. If any should doubt this conclusion, they have but to read next week’s study to remove all doubt.
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[i] Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona is only 50,000 years old. Scientists blame the extinction of the dinosaurs on a massive comet/meteor strike.
Archived Comments
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Comment by Christian on 2014-07-21 18:25:51
Hi Meleti, I had a quick look at your article before heading off to work.
The WTS/GB are really reaching hard on this subject, yet on the face of it any 'reasonable' witness would agree with their arguments yet I fear if these same ones would have looked to the Temple as a source of God's approval if they were Jews. And we all know what happened there :)
I watched a documentary a while back about Chaos Theory. While the term 'chaos' is a misnomer as it implies random haphazard action it does seem to demonstrate again that our concept of Jehovah's laws is relevant to our extremely limited understanding.
Indeed Jehovah himself is not governed by laws but sets them.
If He chooses to create or purpose other things that do not follow the laws we understand then that doesn't mean they do not follow his purpose.
How angel's materialize is a classic example. How can a spirit take on a DNA based form seemingly instantly. Just wonderous!
So as you rightly point out Jehovah is not constrained by this concept of 'organization' and uses individuals in an organized way when and if He sees fit.
The WTS has attempted to bestow God's favour on themselves by calling it " God's Organization"
Is that any different to a dollar bill saying "In God We Trust" being used to imply that God favours America over all other nations.
Great article again thankyouReply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-21 19:03:13
Good analogy with the dollar bill. Thanks,
MeletiReply by Mailman (@Nico_CAN_DO) on 2014-07-21 21:37:53
I like that analogy too. Having God's name printed on the organization does not mean He supports everything that it does, much less instruct everybody to just follow what its leaders told them to do. That's stripping us off the free will that the Father has given us all.
Reply by GodsWordIsTruth on 2014-07-22 12:09:54
Funny .... where was Jehovah's "earthly" organization before the WTBS?
Could it be that Jehovah has an household instead of an " organization"?
Reply by Anonymous on 2014-07-22 14:54:24
As a matter of fact, I think having God's name printed on the organization and referring to the direction coming from the organization as coming from Jehovah, places the organization in the dangerous position of being guilty of doing what Deuteronomy 18:20 condemns - presumptuously speaking it's own instructions as coming from Jehovah.
Reply by anderestimme on 2014-07-22 16:45:05
Not to mention having God's name associated with corporations, bank accounts, commercial correspondence and, worst of all, lawsuits. Seems to me that if we're so concerned about the sanctification of the divine name, we should be restricting our use of it to our worship.
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-22 13:07:56
I hadn't noticed that line of reasoning before, GodsWordIsTruth. Thanks. Looking at it from this point of view--which is the POV of the WTBS--Jehovah replaced his Israelite organization with the first century Christian organization, which continued down to our day, but now as an apostate organization, so Jehovah made yet another organization under Russell, who wasn't the FDS, so he had to make yet another organization under Rutherford who was the FDS. That's a whole lot of organizations. Given the track record, can we be assured that the current organization is not going to follow in the footsteps of the previous ones? In fact, the evidence indicates it has.
I just don't see Jehovah pursuing a course of action that fails time and again. This should prove that he doesn't provide salvation through organizations. He would not use a methodology for saving his faithful which has so consistently failed to work throughout history.Reply by GodsWordIsTruth on 2014-07-22 14:22:41
You are absolutely right !!!! It is evident that this WT is full of human reasoning . I
Your comment has me thinking: If Jesus wanted to establish a direct "channel of communication" ,where the light would get brighter concerning the understanding of the Scriptures , why wouldn’t the apostles been first in line?
I was reading Luke 24:13-35 the other day . The same day Jesus, was resurrected he appeared to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaeus, a man named Cleopus and someone else ( the bible doesn’t say ) . "Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them" (not to the apostles ) "what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself'.” I would love to have been blessed to receive a divine revelation from Jesus Christ himself ! Imagine getting a complete explanation from JESUS as to how the Hebrew prophecies applied to him. The scriptures goes on to say that they ( the two disciples) immediately returned to Jerusalem, found the apostles and then told them about their meeting with Jesus. Where was the “organization” in this scripture ?
And where was the Israelite “organization” after the division into two kingdoms? Was there still one “ organization “ then ? :/Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-22 14:59:14
And if the apostles were the first century governing body, why would Jesus appear to these two disciples first and not to his apostles.
Reply by GodsWordIsTruth on 2014-07-22 15:18:04
Exactly! ... when you take a closer look at their arguments ... they fall apart.
Thanks Meleti for your analysis of this WT. If you hear God has one organization over and over again without examination.... you begin to believe that he really has one or needs one.
Like you said before ... God does not need an organization ... Humans do .
Comment by MarthaMartha on 2014-07-21 18:37:16
One of the main reasons I love reading your comments, Meleti, is that I feel so relieved to find a kindred mind who thinks the same way I do when reading the WT articles such as this one. I am heartily sick of the word 'organization'. I feel as if I have been force fed it for so long that I actually feel slightly queasy, reading this week and next's study articles. Thank you for a voice of reason that reassures me that I'm not alone. Greetings and thanks also to the others here who add to that reassurance.
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-21 19:02:40
You're welcome and by the way, love your username.
Reply by MarthaMartha on 2014-07-22 02:31:29
Thanks! It seems apt.... I am 'anxious and disturbed about many things' these days and it isn't food! ;)
Comment by search4truth on 2014-07-21 20:08:43
Oh, here we go again! Next two Wt articles demanding loyalty to the Org.
Comment by yobec on 2014-07-21 21:04:38
It is also interesting to note that the word "religion" does not appear in the Bible.Jesus said that we could identify his disciples and not his "religion". The org. however, has changed that to an identifying of the "true religion and of course it is the "organization". Pretty clever
Reply by J.D. on 2014-07-22 06:19:56
"Jesus said that we could identify his disciples and not his “religion”.
Very well said! :-)
Comment by Mailman on 2014-07-21 21:45:10
The WT has presented and organized the paragraphs in such a way that it conditions the mind of typical JWs By power of repetition or repetitive emphasis on the word organization, one would not avoid subconsciously associating it with God's organization today. In court, it's laying the basis to advance one's argument. WT has successfully done this time and again. Instead of having these kind of articles that are organization-centered, why not publish articles more about Christ?
Comment by imacountrygirl2 on 2014-07-21 23:04:45
Mailman asked "why not publish articles more about Christ?"
The thing is that just publishing more articles about Christ Jesus, does not change what the GB is all about......which is THEMSELVES.
It seems they are capable of spinning anything to THEMSELVES.Reply by Mailman on 2014-07-22 00:40:05
Hello imacountrygirl2. Oh, you nailed that: GB capable of spinning anything to themselves. All articles, not one I guess, do not fail to link the message to the organization or its leadership. Isn't this tantamount to subtle idolatry? Having goosebumps here.
Reply by anderestimme on 2014-07-22 14:45:55
Jesus is a potentially problematic figure, the way he’s always correcting those who are most concerned about position. Best not to dwell too much on him.
Comment by imacountrygirl2 on 2014-07-21 23:07:25
"Thank you for a voice of reason that reassures me that I’m not alone. Greetings and thanks also to the others here who add to that reassurance."
Welcome to the site MarthaMartha! (Your name is even fun to type)Reply by MarthaMartha on 2014-07-22 02:33:34
Thank you :)
Comment by menrov on 2014-07-22 03:50:04
I think Meletti mentioned it already. Par 10 talks about the loss of faith and loyalty of the Jewish people (Gods people !) that ended up in killing Jesus. Par 11 tries to "prove" Jehovah setup a new (dynamic...yeah) organisation (of course without any proof). In fact, without paying notice of course but the reference to the Jewish (God's) people actually shows that an approved organisation can become an enemy of Jehovah over time. And let's not forget that this first organisation was setup by Jehovah himself but still ended up as His enemy. In contrast, our/WT organisation is a man-made, self-made organisation. Imagine how WT can end up?? It indeed just proves that following an organisation can be / is most damaging to ones well-being. It was a remnant that did not listen to their leaders but followed their faith in the prophecies and scriptures that got saved.
It is also peculiar to (finally) see how the WT jumps to conclusions, based on irrelevant scriptures and so-called "logical" reasoning where the logic is of course based on their own logic.
But, in line with what Christian says, most JW's will swallow this article without any objection. And like MarthaMartha (welcome !) said, [they] have been force fed it for so long.
Comment by Trynhard on 2014-07-22 07:11:27
Just glad to see, when one removes the influence of the organization . How the real TRUTH of his word, is revealed!
Comment by yobec on 2014-07-22 23:53:09
From time to time, when talking with the friends, I purposely use the word "instituton" instead of "organization". It basically means the same thing but it does away with the reverence. It also helps me not to get nauseated. LOL.
Reply by smolderingwick1 on 2014-07-23 01:11:44
Famous words of Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption, "These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized."
sw
Comment by kev c on 2014-07-23 03:25:43
Thanks meleti for another fine insight on the article .Its articles like this that made me not want to go anymore .The theme scripture is clearly being twisted .anybody reading the context would realise its all about controlling the gifts of the spirit to bring some orderliness to the meetings they used to have How can anyone be a faithful slave when they are not faithful to his word kev .
Comment by XKhanX on 2014-07-23 09:01:28
Excellent analysis. My wife loves yr writing. Glad we are out. If not I will be rolling my eyes, making faces during meeting or give comments that's tangent to what article trying to drive at.
Comment by Matthew ele-Ven on 2014-07-25 18:07:39
I would venture to guess that, were we to take many of the traits expressed in the comments above or below me (including Mr. Vivlon), many of them probably would not match the pattern of a true christian (organization or no organization). Why do I say that? Incessant fault-finding and continuously remaining disgruntled hardly match the Bible's description of a christian. Jesus even alluded to this un-christian personality when he spoke at Matthew 11: 16-19: ”But what comparison may I make of this generation? It is like children seated in the market-places, crying out to one another, 'We made music for you and you did not take part in the dance; we gave cries of sorrow and you made no signs of grief. ' For John came, taking no food or drink, and they say, He has an evil spirit. The Son of man has come feasting, and they say, 'See, a lover of food and wine, a friend of tax-farmers and sinners! ' And wisdom is judged to be right by her works. ” Whether or not you agree with me, who can argue with the Apostle Paul's definition of what love is love is not? (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Is it fickle? No. Is it characterized by finding fault? No. Is it bitter? No. Does it sing its own praises? No. Is it proud or arrogant? A thousand times No. And, please, if you do not think Jehovah and His Son are using/blessing the imperfect men or women that make up JWs today, what perfect people can you point to who WOULD stand up to your scrutiny? The very ticks and fleas you comb out may, in fact, be what Jehovah uses to glorify himself. If one knows—really knows—the Scriptures, it's not too hard to figure out that God chooses to glorify himself with what Appears inexperienced, weak, poor or foolish (examples: Jesus himself, Mary, Paul, David over his brothers, David over Goliath, David over Saul, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over his brothers, Bethlehem-Ephrathah over mighty Jerusalem, Moses instead of other more-qualified men….the list could go on). If you cannot see Jehovah and Christ’s blessing on JWs today…if you cannot look past the apparent ‘stones of stumbling’ (that Jehovah may have set up for His own purposes), then aren't you displaying traits like the young children in the market-places? (Matthew 11: 16-19)
Reply by BeenMislead on 2014-07-26 16:34:23
Hi Matthew ele-Ven,
I don’t think of it as fault-finding and remaining disgruntled to expose disturbing and even dangerous things as the following:
“At that time, the life-saving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint. All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.” - (w13 11/15, Pg. 20, Seven Shepherds, Eight Dukes—What They Mean for Us Today)
Requiring un-questioning obedience to 7 imperfect men whether these instructions appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not is extremism and is cult-like! This is especially disturbing given the fact that they have been wrong many, many times in the past.
Un-questioning obedience is something that is earned. They have not earned it.
If you look at the TRUE un-filtered history of the organization back in 1919, the evidence does not support their claim that Jesus appointed them the faithful slave over his domestics. Jesus would not have appointed a slave preaching falsehoods like, “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”, and Armageddon is coming in 1925, and the faithful ones of old such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were going to be resurrected in 1925.
(See Deuteronomy 18:21-22, Ps. 31:5, Titus 1:2, Heb. 6:18)
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-26 19:47:25
Hi Matthew ele-Ven,
Welcome. I assume by the way you write and by the fact that your name links to jw.org that you are a witness. You know that I am one as well. Therefore, I wonder at the implied insult of referring to me as Mr. Vivlon. Even if you feel I'm erring, 2 Th 3:15 still requires you to admonish me as a brother.
Your brother,
Meleti VivlonReply by Matthew se-Ven sixteen on 2014-08-02 14:30:40
Truly as I say to you, when I wrote that, I consciously meant no such insult. But on that note...I will now try addressing you with a question I would ask any of my Brothers when I visit other halls, attend assemblies and conventions. "What is your name, Brother, and where are you from?"
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-08-02 17:54:22
No offense taken, Matthew. As to your question, I really wish I could answer that openly. I wish that we would enjoy the freedom of speech which is our due. However, following the example of our brothers who have carried on the preaching work in countries were Christian activities are banned, I shall have to continue to work underground.
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-26 19:57:08
Now to address your main point, Matthew ele-Ven: You seem to feel that it is wrong for us to find fault with what we feel are false teachings and unchristian conduct on the part of those presuming to take the lead among us. Would you accuse Elijah of finding fault with the priests of Baal? If you think that is an unfair comparison, then how about Jesus with the Jewish religious leaders? When he preached, those leaders still had the official status of God's chosen priesthood. The nation was still under the covenant. Was it wrong for Jesus to point out their mistakes? To expose their bad conduct? Are Christians not required to follow in his footsteps and do the same? Does the Organization not expose and find fault with other religions? Does it not expose the false teachings of others? Are you suggesting there's a double standard? Are you suggesting that our leadership is exempt? Their teachings beyond scrutiny?
Or do you feel that the teaching of our leadership that they are the chosen of God is so unquestionable, so carved in stone, that it gives them an automatic exemption from all outside examination?Reply by Matthew se-Ven sixteen on 2014-08-02 14:54:11
Examination is one thing. If one examines a house as a house inspector,they are not in the business of damaging it, are they? They are there to examine it. But if one goes to the house for the purpose of burning it, what do we call that person and their actions?
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-08-02 17:57:38
An excellent analogy, Matthew. Would you pay a house inspector if he found flaws in the house and didn't point out them out to you?
Comment by imacountrygirl2 on 2014-07-25 22:14:36
Matthew ele-Vens, Welcome to this site and thank you for your comment!
May I ask you one question? In this article and in all of the comments, is there anything said that you believe to be a lie?
Comment by Dorcas on 2014-07-25 22:17:02
Greetings Matthew. I hope my response does not come off as unkind, but it is my feeling that you have not read too many articles on this site. If you had, you would see the entire tone of this site is not to bash or fault-find but rather to come to a better understanding of "what is truth?"
For example, you said:
"if you do not think Jehovah and His Son are using/blessing the imperfect men or women that make up JWs today, what perfect people can you point to who WOULD stand up to your scrutiny?"
I think most who post on this site would agree that there are no perfect people anywhere, inside or outside the Witness organization. What we object to is the fact that we are not allowed to disagree with or even scrutinize the Scriptures for ourselves and must toe the line, so to speak, with the ever-changing Watchtower explanations.
Scrutiny? That word makes me laugh. Who is scrutinizing who? Can you honestly say you do not feel scrutinized every minute you are in the Kingdom Hall or with each visit of the Circuit Overseer? How many hours of field service are you turning in? Are your answers at the meetings according to Watchtower-speak or from your own understanding?
The beautiful words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 13 really DO work both ways. By that I mean true Christian love should be flowing FROM our so-called Governing Body TO the brothers in all the congregations as well as the other way around. I have been associated with Jehovah's Witnesses for over 50 years and can honestly say I am disheartened by what I see and feel each day.
What Meleti, Apollos and others have so kindly done with this site is to provide a place where we can experience true fellowship, with freedom of speech. If you see it as a negative place, I'm very sorry for you. I have experienced nothing but kindness and encouragement from one and all.
Comment by menrov on 2014-07-26 08:58:37
Been to the study today. When I read the article on my own, I could digest it and formulate my comments. But looking at the article in KH with the study leader made it far harder to digest. His comments were biased, unnatural and to me annoying. I came to the conclusion during the study that in fact any christian group that is organized belongs to God based on the examples, arguments and info provided in the article. I even thought that the company I work couls be as we are organized, operate globally and apply high standards and in almost everything far more open than the society.
Comment by Mailman on 2014-07-27 04:46:43
Hi Meleti and fellow brothers in faith, good afternoon. I could not wait for your insights for the next study article - Are you Moving Ahead with Jehovah's Organization? Why? I have read it several times, at times causing my head to spin, to have goosebumps. I think you would be shocked to see some very direct assertions there.
Comment by BeenMislead on 2014-07-27 12:39:19
In the words of Ray Franz ...
“Christ clearly emphasized the personal nature of that relationship. (Matthew 10:32, 33) His call is, not “come to my organization” or “come to a certain church or denomination,” but rather it is, “Come to me.” (Matthew 11:28) In giving the illustration of the vine and its branches, his words were not “I am the vine and religious organizations are the branches and you are the twigs or the leaves connected to those branches,” but rather “I am the vine and you are the branches,” connected directly to him. (John 15:5)” – (Crisis of Conscience - Fourth Edition 2004, Pg. 396)Reply by J.D. on 2014-07-29 17:24:39
Yes! Jesus said: "Come to ME!" :-)