Do You See the Need to Train Others?

Comment by MarthaMartha on 2016-10-19 09:05:22

It's good to see your email notification Meleti. I was beginning to worry. So, no complaints from me about the WT review. I haven't even had time to read it let alone meditate on what I could say as a comment. Take care, and thanks for your work.

Comment by Mowani on 2016-10-19 09:26:39

Yes, I also look forward to your email notification each week. It has become part of my spititual routine.
Thanks Meleti

Comment by Deo_ac_veritati on 2016-10-19 12:50:49

Thanks Meleti, I was getting worried too. Hope everything is ok. Let us know if there's anything we can do! Christian love to you and yours!

Comment by Menrov on 2016-10-19 16:16:56

Opening verse lacks verse 1 in my view as Prov. 4:1 reads: Listen, children, to a father’s instruction and pay attention so that you may gain discernment
In other words, a Father is speaking to his children.
Par.1 makes the reader believe that Philip educated his daughters. Well, the verse does not make any mention of that. It is assumed that the girls were gifted and for that reason could prophecy.
Par. 2: apparently by working "hard" a male JW can be appointed. Actually, once appointed, the person will even have to work harder....it is not surprising that many young ones do not aim to become a ministerial servant or elder.
Not sure but Par. 5 does not actually say that you should use the bible for your personal bible study. Various references are made to WT publications.
Par 7 makes reference to Matthew 10. Please read and compare your observations with the points in the footnote.....
Par. 9 shows how the WT continuously try to influence the view on Jesus. It has this sentence: He decided to learn more about what Jesus, a man from Nazareth, was teaching. The addition of A MAND FROM NAZARETH has no value at all other than making it clear that Jesus was just a man.
It also says: to see how honesthearted people respond favorably. Does this mean that those who do not want to listen are not honesthearted people? What a way to influence the thinking in a subtle way.
Par 13 says that showing brotherly affection is a privilege. Really?? Or is actually a sign of true believers?
The rest is about other things one can learn to do in a congregation. In essence, it is good to support the older ones and the weak etc. It is in my view just very strange / weird that those who have been recently baptized (and many other JW's I presume) need to be reminded to help others, that they need to develop the desire to do what is takes to be a good JW etc. Apparently it does not come naturally. If that is true, that it does not come naturally, it probably is not natural to serve God or Jesus in the way the WT teaches its members.

• Reply by Mowani on 2016-10-22 04:54:14

  Menrov, thanks for your comment about the article.
  Regarding par. 9 I think the reference made about Jesus coming from Nazareth makes sense because Nathanael had a negative view about people from Nazareth.
  I do agree though with your observation that the literature increasingly tries to denigrate the role of Jesus. Last example in the article about marriage - its origin and purpose, par 9 stated: "The Scriptures later revealed that from his wifelike organization, God would send one who would “crush” the Devil." Send one, ore someone, hinting that it could have been anybody from the heavenly family. This is very subtle but effective.

Comment by tyhik on 2016-10-20 02:38:20

Par. 5: Here we are taught, how to shape student's understanding about what Bible study is. It is: reading WTS books, reading every issue of Watchtower and Awake, and in case of questions, turning to WTS online library. The paragraph ends with: "As a result of such help, very likely your Bible student will soon be delighting in his personal study of God’s Word." An attempt to blur the distinction between God's Word and WTS literature is apparent.

Par. 6: Carefully worded mind shaping. Dissecting it a bit.

"Of course, we should not pressure anyone to read and study the Bible."

Sure.

"Rather, let us use the tools provided by Jehovah’s organization to help our student deepen his or her love for the Bible."

Notice how "pressuring to read the Bible" is contrasted to turning to WTS study tools to "deepen love for the Bible". Like there were only these two alternatives.

"In time, the sincere student may well feel as did the psalmist who sang: “Drawing near to God is good for me. I have made the Sovereign Lord Jehovah my refuge.”"

Here we are told that "making Jehovah one's refuge" may be a result of studying with WTS tools, while "making the Org one's refuge" is meant. So, if we are teaching our student along these guidelines, but the student does not progress towards the Org, it's not that there's anything wrong with our message, methods, or tools, but probably the student is just not sincere. Oh well.

Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2016-10-20 12:02:27

Meliti, may I send my best wishes and thanks for all the hard work you have done and look forward to future articles.

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2016-10-20 22:05:05

  Thanks Leonardo. I hope to get back to some in-depth writing soon.

Comment by Smoldering Wick on 2016-10-25 01:26:10

Been meaning to reply to this site for some time but dealing with some family tragedy. At any rate I would like to commend contributors for keeping it alive. SW1