[From ws6/17 p. 9 – August 7-13]
"Where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also." – Luke 12:34
(Occurrences: Jehovah=16; Jesus=8)
Switching Out the Prize
There's a lesson we can take from the life of Jacob that applies to this Watchtower study.
Jacob fell in love with Laban’s daughter, Rachel, and made a deal to work for him for seven years in exchange for her hand in marriage; but Laban went back on the deal and by trickery gave his eldest daughter, Leah, to Jacob instead. How would you have felt had you been in Jacob’s position and found that the promised prize you had labored so long and hard for had been snatched away from you at the last moment?
In paragraph 3, the study article explains the parable of the “Pearl of Great Value”. This represents the Kingdom of the heavens. Question: Who inherits the kingdom?
If, as a Jehovah's Witness and a member of the Other Sheep class with an earthly hope, you believe you do, then consider this incident from Jesus' life. When asked if Jesus paid the temple tax, Peter impulsively replied in the affirmative. Afterwards, Jesus set him straight with these words:
“What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive duties or head tax? From their sons or from the strangers?” 26 When he said: “From the strangers,” Jesus said to him: “Really, then, the sons are tax-free.” (Mt 17:25, 26)
The sons are tax-free because they inherit the kingdom. A son inherits from his father. The strangers—subjects of the kingdom—pay the tax because they are not inheritors, not children of the King. In all his the-Kingdom-of-the-heavens-is-like parables, Jesus is talking to his disciples, those who will, together with him, inherit the Kingdom of God.
“Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for YOU from the founding of the world.” (Mt 25:34)
Those for whom the kingdom has been prepared since the founding of the world are the children of God. These will reign with Christ as Kings and Priests. (Re 20:4-6)
However, The Watchtower is switching out this prize.
What is the lesson for us? The truth of God’s Kingdom is like that priceless pearl. If we love it as much as the merchant loved that pearl, we will be willing to give up everything in order to become and to remain one of the subjects of the Kingdom. (Read Mark 10:28-30.) – par. 4
Jesus didn't say “The truth of the Kingdom of the Heavens is like....” Since the Organization has denied its followers the inheritance which is their due, it now must reshape the message Jesus clearly spoke. The Kingdom of the heavens is no longer like a precious pearl, according to them. No, it is the truth, which is the pearl. And we all know that when Witnesses speak of the truth, they speak of the Organization. For instance, the common question among JWs: "How long have you been in the truth?" is really asking, "How long have you been in the Organization?"
“Peter began to say to him: “Look! We have left all things and followed you.” 29 Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news 30 who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the coming system of things, everlasting life.” (Mr 10:28-30)
The Other Sheep—according to the doctrine of JW.org—do not get everlasting life in the coming system of things. They only get a chance at everlasting life along with everyone else that comes back in the resurrection of the unrighteous. They have a thousand years to make good on the opportunity or to blow it and lose out for all time. But in Mark 10:28-30, Jesus is promising everlasting life in the coming system of things meaning that those who are resurrected get it at the start. This is the first resurrection. (Re 20:4-6)
Jesus never taught his followers that their hope was “to become subjects of God’s Kingdom”. (par. 7) The hope he spoke of was to be rulers with him in that Kingdom and become the means by which all of creation would be reconciled with the Father. (Ro 8:18-25) Here, as elsewhere, the Organization endeavors to take that hope away from us and instead substitute the hope for the resurrection of the unrighteous, rebranded as something it is not, an earthly resurrection of the righteous. In doing this, the Governing Body seeks to deny us our rightful opportunity to become adopted children of God.[i] (John 1:12)
It is hard to imagine a more heinous crime. There are many horrific acts of injustice and violence perpetrated on innocent victims every day, but all are temporary and the damage, though severe, will be undone under the righteous rule of the Christ. It is far more grievous an injustice to trick a man or woman out of their god-given opportunity to be with Christ in the Kingdom of the heavens. To stumble the little one in this way far surpasses any crime, however heinous, that one can imagine today, for it affects the victim for all eternity. Thus, it merits a special judgment.
“But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who have faith in me, it would be better for him to have hung around his neck a millstone that is turned by a donkey and to be sunk in the open sea.” (Mt 18:6)
This leads us to consider the next subtitle in a new light.
Our Lifesaving Ministry
While it can be shown that the preaching of the Good News is a means to salvation, the question is: Is the ministry of Jehovah’s Witnesses really a "Lifesaving Ministry”? To be so, it would have to be the same good news that Jesus and the apostles preached? Paragraph 8 says: “[Paul] described the ministry of the new covenant as a “treasure in earthen vessels.”
Hold on just a minute! Our lifesaving ministry is the ministry of the new covenant?! We are going from door to door in 'the lifesaving ministry of the new covenant'? But the millions of Jehovah's Witnesses preaching this message, this good news, are not in the new covenant. The hope that is being preached is to be part of the Great Crowd whom we are taught are not in the new covenant either. We are telling people that Jesus is not our mediator, because we do not have a heavenly hope.
it-2 p. 362 Mediator
Those for Whom Christ Is Mediator. The apostle Paul declares that there is “one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all”—for both Jews and Gentiles. (1Ti 2:5, 6) He mediates the new covenant between God and those taken into the new covenant, the congregation of spiritual Israel. (Heb 8:10-13; 12:24; Eph 5:25-27) Christ became Mediator in order that the ones called “might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance” (Heb 9:15); he assists, not the angels, but “Abraham’s seed.” (Heb 2:16) He assists those who are to be brought into the new covenant to be ‘adopted’ into Jehovah’s household of spiritual sons; these eventually will be in heaven as Christ’s brothers, becoming a part with him of the seed of Abraham. (Ro 8:15-17, 23-25; Ga 3:29) He has transmitted to them the promised holy spirit, with which spirit they are sealed and are given a token of what is to come, their heavenly inheritance. (2Co 5:5; Eph 1:13, 14) The total number of those who are finally and permanently sealed is revealed in Revelation 7:4-8 as 144,000.
In light of the foregoing, this whole subtitle makes little sense.
Our Treasure Store of Revealed Truths
From the time that we first heard the truth, we have had the opportunity to collect truths from his Word, the Bible, from our Christian publications, and from our conventions, assemblies, and weekly meetings. – par. 13
"We have had the opportunity to collect [revealed] truths...from our...publications...conventions, assemblies, and weekly meetings." So we have become like the Catholic Church with its Catechism, a collection of "revealed truths". These are truths revealed by God to the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, or in our case, the Governing Body. (Mk 7:7)
Jehovah God progressively revealed truth to individuals under divine inspiration, and what we have today was written down over the course of about 1,600 years. We have what we need, and we need what we have. There is no provision for humans today to "reveal new truths". If such a need arises, we can be sure that, just as in the past, their credentials will be impeccable—dividing the Hudson river or raising the dead, that sort of thing.
True, some with more knowledge may be able to help us understand what is already revealed in God's Word; but there looms large the danger that unscrupulous men may use their position and influence to twist the Word of God to their own ends. How do we protect ourselves? Ironically, the answer is found in the next paragraph of this study article:
The very first issue of this magazine, published in July 1879, stated: “Truth, like a modest little flower in the wilderness of life, is surrounded and almost choked by the luxuriant growth of the weeds of error. If you would find it you must be ever on the lookout. . . . If you would possess it you must stoop to get it. Be not content with one flower of truth. . . . Gather ever, seek for more.” – par. 14
To ensure that the brothers don’t carry this advice into dangerous territory, this “governor” is put on the engine of JW research: “We must develop good personal study habits and do careful research in God’s Word and in our publications.” (par. 14) Heaven forbid that Witnesses should go beyond the approved research resources provided by JW.org.
However, if you are to follow the advice given in paragraph 14 when seeking truth, you must not limit yourself. Do not be afraid of what lies over the horizon. The spirit of Jehovah will help you differentiate between the teachings of men and those of God as long as you submit to your leader, the Christ, and not to men. Many of us were former Witnesses and many continue to associate, yet this we have in common: We will no longer allow ourselves to be bullied into submission by men. Instead, we courageously stand for what is right and true, even if that means—as Jesus predicted—that we lose family and friends and even experience persecution in the form of shunning.
We want to conquer, not lose out on the prize due to cowardice.
"Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death.” (Re 21:7, 8)
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[i] This is the resurrection to life on the paradise earth of both righteous and unrighteous persons. (pe chap. 20 p. 173 par. 24 Resurrection—for Whom, and Where?)
Jehovah declares anointed Christians righteous as his sons and those of the “other sheep” righteous as his friends. (w17 February p. 9 par. 6 The Ransom—A “Perfect Present” From the Father)
Archived Comments
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Comment by simplyme on 2017-08-07 10:44:17
Great article Meleti,
From the time I can remember I was going to meetings, out in service, going to assembly's, learning about Jehovah and the Bible. In a very real way I was "raised in the truth", in my mind. It was many years back, maybe the 90's, when there was an effort to correct this saying. At meetings and assembly's they would tell us it's not proper to say you were "raised in the truth", you were "raised around the truth" and you didn't come into "the truth" until you were baptized. This didn't set well with me. I now see this as just another psychological way of changing a persons thinking. They wanted "the truth" to be associated with your vow to the organization, not learning the "truths" of God's word.Reply by Andrew on 2017-08-07 11:15:51
Simplyme:
I have had similar experiences to yours. here's a "funny" one:
I was at a large convention, talking with a group from another congregation, and the brother who studied with me was standing right next to me. Someone in the group asked me who "brought me into the truth."
I answered "Jehovah."
The brother who studied with me was visibly surprised, but said nothing. We are still good friends, and he sometimes tells the story to others.
AndrewReply by simplyme on 2017-08-07 12:23:57
That is funny Andrew. The sad thing is, that should have been the expected answer.
I was raised as a JW so everything we did was centered on serving Jehovah. I still look at this as a good thing in many ways. My life was all about serving Jehovah, I thought very little about the organization. I even knew bethel life was not for me.
My dad went to prison for "neutrality" so I thought when I graduated high school I would go to prison for the same reasons. I just accepted it because this was being loyal to Jehovah. So yes, I was raised "in the truth". It's just now I realize those "truths" are around 20% of what I learned ?But I still really appreciate those "truths".
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2017-08-07 11:25:14
For every error, there is a gem. The gem is in paragraph 14, which Meliti has highlighted.
How good it is to know that at one point in time the encouragement to seek truth was put at the forefront. At least here, and some other places, it is good to see this is being done, but nowhere in such a fine way as this site does it. Thanks for the encouragement this week.
For another missing gem, note paragraphs 3 & 4. The Greatest man book explained clearly that Jesus was like the merchant seeking pearls. He was not seeking truths. He was seeking
people who wanted the truth and would live by it. He also stated that the Kingdom is like the merchant seeking fine pearls, just as the previous verses spoke about the kingdom being like a treasure. He never spoke about the pearl being like the truth of God's Kingdom. It was the Kingdom ! There may not be much difference, but if we start suggesting the goal is simply the truth of God's Kingdom, then we water the hope down, as paragraph 4 does by offering us just the hope of being subjects of the Kingdom. This might be the reality, on earth under the kingdom, but is it right to call us mere subjects when Jesus never uses this expression.
Comment by Robert-6512 on 2017-08-07 22:41:24
Let us try to form an understanding from the articles "Stop the Presses" and "Set Your Heart on Spiritual Treasures". My apologies in advance for the length of this post.
The main point of "Stop the Presses" boils down to this: 'We can now accept that the "other sheep" refers to non-Jewish Christians who were first brought into the flock when Peter baptized Cornelius.' A number of ex-JWs and dissenters have held such a conclusion for a long time, but this article well-argues that this point can be drawn from WT literature itself. For those still believing WT has any hold or authority over them, that may be an important point; less so for others who have disengaged from that organization.
I can agree with this.
You then note that "The JW doctrine of the Other Sheep is dead! This doctrine teachers that the vast majority of Christians—all but 144,000—are God’s friends, but not His children. They are not spirit anointed; they do not have Jesus as their mediator; they are not born again; they are not in the New Covenant; and they must not partake of the memorial emblems." By asserting that the Other Sheep doctrine is dead, you are evidently trying to negate everything you claim that doctrine supports. In this, I feel you have gone too far without rigorously (dis)proving each aspect of the doctrine you dispute.
How so? What are the *real* factors or attributes that nominally distinguish the "anointed" and the "other sheep"? As I see it, there are two main issues. First, the "anointed" are supposedly destined to live in heaven, and second, they are destined to rule as kings and priests. The other aspects you note are basically 'side effects' of these first two factors.
We must ask, why is it that ex-JWs and dissenters have seized upon this question with such fervor, to the point that disproving that WT doctrine almost seems like a 'mission' or a 'vendetta' to them? Most likely it is because the concept seems unfair on the face of it, as though it were a form of discrimination. And, as we live in an age that is sensitive to this, where uncovering, revealing and triumphing over discrimination is held as a noble task, there is a strong emotional draw in doing so. But, we must be careful that our emotions do not supersede logic and reason.
In your article you ask, 'How would you have felt had you ... found that the promised prize you had labored so long and hard for had been snatched away from you at the last moment?' The implied answer is, we would be outraged, downhearted and disappointed. So, the conclusion we are drawn to by this analogy is that being a child of God, being anointed and being destined to live in heaven is a "prize" we expected to have, and that because of WT doctrines, that "prize" was wrongfully 'snatched away' and denied to us. That would indeed be disappointing, if that were the case. Is it? Part of the disappointment, no doubt, stems from couching the term "prize" as if it were some material thing we selfishly craved. Being a ruler with Christ is not a "prize", as if you 'won the lottery'. It's a grave responsibility to be taken with the utmost seriousness, not something to throw a party over.
I am more than willing to agree that the Other Sheep doctrine is incorrect, but you have conflated and mashed together so many other conflicting concepts, in an attempt to disprove WT, that the case you actually are trying to make is confusing and nonsensical, and more seriously, unscriptural. You equate the Other Sheep doctrine and the Other Sheep class with an "earthly hope". Yet, the Bible makes no such association. WT does, and maybe you do, but the Bible does not.
You noted the passage about Peter and the temple tax, where Jesus said, “Really, then, the sons are tax-free.” (Mt 17:25, 26) That is a quote, and it's fine, but you ought to follow the same advice you give WT, and not attribute more to this than it actually is. You claimed, "The sons are tax-free because they inherit the kingdom." No, they're not. You are wrong to make this claim. They are tax free because they are SONS. Sons of the king are "privileged" and not bound by the same laws and rules as those persons the king rules over, NOT because they may or may not inherit anything. Further, like any estate holder, the king is totally free to designate any person or persons he wishes to inherit what is his - and could even disinherit sons and bestow an inheritance to unrelated family friends if he so chose. This simplistic assertion, like others you have made, makes many assumptions that don't always hold true.
You continue this conflation of the children of God with those ruling as kings and priests by saying, "Those for whom the kingdom has been prepared since the founding of the world are the children of God. These will reign with Christ as Kings and Priests." (You cite Mt 25:34 and Re 20:4-6 for this.) I am more than willing to agree that all of the kings and priests will be children of God. But I say to you that not all children of God will be kings and priests.
Perhaps the most serious of your misstatements appears here: "Jesus never taught his followers that their hope was “to become subjects of God’s Kingdom”. (par. 7) The hope he spoke of was to be rulers with him in that Kingdom and become the means by which all of creation would be reconciled with the Father. (Ro 8:18-25) Here, as elsewhere, the Organization endeavors to take that hope away from us and instead substitute the hope for the resurrection of the unrighteous, rebranded as something it is not, an earthly resurrection of the righteous. In doing this, the Governing Body seeks to deny us our rightful opportunity to become adopted children of God.[i] (John 1:12)"
So many misstatements in so few words. Let us take them one at a time.
You said, "Jesus never taught his followers that their hope was to become subjects of God’s Kingdom." This really struck me as odd. So, I went and looked up every single occurrence of "kingdom" in the gospels. What I found is that your statement actually contains a number of errors.
First, the term "followers" is ambiguous and misleading. What is a "follower"? Many people physically 'followed' Jesus, akin to how modern 'groupies' follow rock stars; they wanted to be entertained by his miracles and some had a degree of interest in his words. Even some Pharisees 'followed' Jesus, like Nicodemus, so they were at least aware of his teachings and activities. People who listened closely to Jesus' words and learned them became 'taught ones' or "disciples". From these disciples, Jesus chose "apostles" as 'sent ones' who acted as messengers, ambassadors or emissaries. Of these, which group would be most fitting to serve as co-rulers under a king? Would it not be the ambassadors or emissaries? Yes.
Second, every member of God's Kingdom is a subject of that kingdom, in the sense that no one is above the law. You present 'becoming a subject of God's Kingdom' as if it were demeaning - not merely a disappointment but as if something to be ashamed of. Nothing could be further from the truth. In modern times, we can see all too well the harm that is done when rulers imagine themselves to be above the law. That will never be the case in God's Kingdom. While God himself is technically not subject to His own Kingdom, He never breaks His own laws or His own rules, so in practice, He too is 'almost' subject to it, in a manner of speaking.
Third, if we survey every mention of the Kingdom by Jesus, what do we find? MANY references to entering the Kingdom, seeking it, finding it, preaching it, the good news of it, being like something, and so on. But, only a handful of instances where something 'more' is implied:
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Mt 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons, doing obeisance and asking for something from him. 21 He said to her: “What do you want?” She said to him: “Give the word that these my two sons may sit down, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus said in answer: “YOU men do not know what YOU are asking for. Can YOU drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him: “We can.” 23 He said to them: “YOU will indeed drink my cup, but this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
Lu 12:32 “Have no fear, little flock, because YOUR Father has approved of giving YOU the kingdom.
Lu 22:28 “However, YOU are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; 29 and I make a covenant with YOU, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, 30 that YOU may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
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What do these passages have in common? They were statements made to the apostles, NOT to the disciples in general and NOT to any public "followers" at large.
What does this all mean? Meleti, I sincerely wish that you, and others who share your particular views on this matter, could let go of your 'mission' and single-minded fixation on the Children of God issue, and see the larger picture. You are actually quite close, having come 1/2 or 1/3 the way. I genuinely invite you to try and go the rest of the way. What is "the rest of the way"? As I see it, it encompasses the following:
1. The other sheep are the Gentiles who became Christian believers
2. All Christians who have been 'made over' have become children of God. The entire WT concept of being "Friends" of God is false and is utter nonsense.
3. The primary role of being anointed is to indicate a person's role as a future king/priest
4. Kings and priests will rule on earth for the 1000 years. No one is going to heaven. Since everyone will be on earth, "heaven" is not a reward bestowed on the privileged few and denied to the "second class" other sheep.
5. Being a child of God and being a future king/priest are not the same thing. The Bible says that many are called but few are chosen. Yes, many are called to be children of God, but few are chosen to be king/priests. That only makes sense, since that special role is a temporary one. Every last child of God cannot be a king; they would not all be needed, and it wouldn't make any sense.
6. The fixation of the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous has been overblown. As the scriptures say, there is no one righteous in the world, not even one. If a person in the past never knew God, but was resurrected and proved to be a humble person, they might learn righteousness, and merit being considered a child of God. Does that mean these are two totally different "classes" of people, when they both would have sins of one sort or another, both needed forgiveness, and both groups would live together on earth? I don't see how.
6. Being "anointed" and being a child of God are not the same thing.
7. Because of that, every Christian properly should partake of memorial emblems.
8. Every Christian is in the new covenant. However, not all Christians will be rulers with Christ, only some of them. The precise number is unknown, and the number 144,000 is symbolic of that number. Only that smaller group destined to be rulers is in the kingdom covenant.
9. For reasons that would take too long to discuss, not all Christians are born again. This only applies to Jews of the first century who were still under the Mosaic Law. After 70 CE, that Law was no longer in force, so no one from that point on needed to be born again.
10. All Christians have one mediator in Christ. The WT concept of Christ as mediator for the anointed class only, with the other sheep 'out of luck' or looking to the GB as a substitute mediator, and false and blasphemous.
Once you let go of the false heavenly-hope doctrine, and all the other confusing and deceptive doctrines that religions have burdened us with, and understand that the other sheep are not a separate group, then everything makes sense. All the false teachings of all false religions fall away, and we are left with the simple truth. There is one God, one Redeemer, and one family of mankind who will all live together on earth. This concept is elegant and profound in its simplicity.Reply by wild olive on 2017-08-08 00:36:11
Hi Robert6512
You make some valid points.
I also feel that at present all those who have sincerely accepted Christ are in fact his brothers and Jehovah's children,the problem is that the way such a person is identified is by partaking of Christs flesh and blood,this is the sign of the new covenant . To draw a parallel,when the nation of Israel stood at mount Sinai they agreed to the terms Jehovah laid down and the sign of the covenant was circumcision,to ignore performing this requirement was a death sentence even for foreigners,that explains why it was still an issue when Paul wrote the book of Galatians,and remains so for Orthodox Jews to this day.So for Christians to ignore the requirement to drink Christs blood and eat his flesh says loud and clear that they do not accept the terms of the new covenant and its associated blessings,worse still if an organisation has talked people into refusing the sign of the covenant,how can one not think that something has been stolen from them?This I believe is the intent behind this site to help those who know they should be in a covenant yet are pressured and sometimes even bullied out of it,because as Eph 2:12 shows,without a covenant you are without God,Paul also explains in :19 that we are citizens,Phil 3:20 explains that citizenship is heavenly,which is why I don't understand why you deny that as nonsense,the hope of the resurrection Paul exlpained to be in the likeness of Christ and to inherit what he inherited which is all in heaven,Paul talked of being caught away with the Lord at his return,again I can't understand how you can ignore those clear statements that indicate nothing earthly,please explain .
Reply by Leonardo Josephus on 2017-08-08 09:56:44
Robert6512. Hello. That is one excellent summary. I believe you are spot on about the children of God not all expecting to rule in heaven. We can all get bogged down with words. WT attempts to separate us into "children of God" (anointed) and "Friends of God" simply arises from the "Little Flock" and "Other sheep" doctrines. But Jesus does not speak of divisions. Yes some will rule and the rest will be subjects. certainly not a problem. It can be really dangerous when we try to read too much into words. And I have probably been guilty of this too.
I do not think I agree with you on point 9, and point 4 about ruling ON the eart and no one going to heaven, but I shall have to carefully consider the rest. Would like to hear your further thoughts on 9 and 4.
Reply by Rufus on 2017-08-08 13:04:47
Thank you, Robert6512, for giving us lots to work with here. Most of your thinking and commentary seems to assume there is a scriptural basis for the division of Christians into anointed and not-anointed classes. Where are you getting this from? Obviously, from WT thinking. Does not the very term Christian imply anointed by spirit? How can one be even called Christian without re-birth by spirit? John 3:7
It is the NWT that translates the Greek epi as a kingdom "over" the Earth, instead of the more common "upon" the Earth.
Your Point 9, while taking too long to discuss in your own mind, seems confused as to when the Mosaic Law ended. How did that nullify John 3:7?
Comment by huang on 2017-08-08 11:01:50
“…..an injustice to trick a man or woman out of their god-given opportunity to be with Christ in the Kingdom of the heavens. To stumble the little one in this way far surpasses any crime, however heinous, that one can imagine today, for it affects the victim for all eternity”. Agree.
After extensive “discussion” on many topics with an elder, I quoted this line: "We've been tricked, my brother," - 'Jihad' by Ismael Saidi. His reaction? He doubled down and wrote back, “YOU have been tricked” !!??
I wonder how it go down if I quoted CT Russell in comment on par 14 -” A truth presented by Satan himself is just as true as a truth stated by God…Accept truth wherever you find it, no matter what it contradicts”- w Jul 1879 pp 8-9.
Comment by Ifionlyhadabrain on 2017-08-09 15:48:19
I haven't managed to get past the first paragraph in this watchtower study , apparently the 3rd spiritual treasure is the precious truths in gods word , it then says we could loose appreciation for these truths and throw them away , job done a far as I can see
Comment by wild olive on 2017-08-09 22:43:16
When I first read this article I felt outrage that the ministering to the new covenant had been so twisted into the ministry of the uncovenanted great crowd.
However,this had become an answer to a prayer. I have been pondering for sometime on how to proceed with a ministry,this article gives me permission to go out in the field service and minister the new covenant along with the members of the cong,since I handed my letter to the elders 4 yrs ago I haven't been to a field service group since,that could change and I could give a proper witness piggyback on " Jehovah's arrangement" .
Ime going to approach the elders after this study and tell them how much I want to get back into "spiritual activitys" and see how it goes,could be a fail,but might also be a solution.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-08-10 07:18:15
Let us know how it goes, Wild Olive. I don't think they'll know how to handle it. You weren't disfellowshipped, so there is no sin to repent from, not reason for the standard 12-month waiting period between repentance and forgiveness. You chose to disassociate yourself and now you choose to return. I'm sure they've never confronted a situation like this.
Reply by eve04 on 2017-08-10 15:55:58
I had thought of doing the same thing. I just haven't come up with a presentation that will not cause alarm. If you come up with one please share.
Comment by River on 2017-08-13 12:09:23
The great crowd has washed it's sins away. But we learned that it has to take 1000 years. We are suppose to live all these years together with the upraised people who already is perfect because they payed the price with their dead. Nonsense.