[From ws12/16 p. 19 February 13-19]
“Throw all your anxiety on [Jehovah], because he cares for you.” – 1Pe 5:7
This is a rare Watchtower study article. I do not mean to sound condescending, but in my experience, it is difficult to find a study article like this one where some emphasis is put on Jesus’ role and where the writer doesn’t stray from the Bible narrative. If you’ve been following our past reviews, you’ll know this to be true.
Often, Jesus is all but ignored. For example, in the introduction to this month’s broadcast on tv.jw.org, we are told that “Jehovah urges us to seek first the kingdom”. Actually, it is Jesus who does this, not Jehovah. (See Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31) How can we honor the Son if we cannot even give him credit for the things he himself has said?
“. . .He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” (Joh 5:23)
However, the writer of this study does appear to be trying to give Jesus his due. For example,
In God’s Word, we find Jesus’ soothing sayings. His words and teachings were a source of refreshment to his listeners. Multitudes were drawn to him because he calmed troubled hearts, strengthened the weak, and consoled the depressed. (Read Matthew 11:28-30.) He showed loving consideration for others’ spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. (Mark 6:30-32) Jesus’ promise of support still applies. It can prove to be as true for you as it was for the apostles traveling with Jesus. You do not have to be in Jesus’ physical presence to benefit. As heavenly King, Jesus continues to have and show empathy. Thus, when you are anxious, he can mercifully ‘come to your aid’ and ‘help you at the right time.’ Yes, Jesus can help you to cope with distress, and he can fill your heart with hope and courage.—Heb. 2:17, 18; 4:16. – par. 6
In most articles, such a paragraph would be written with “Jehovah” being substituted for “Jesus”, and nary a meeting attendee would bat an eye. I honestly cannot recall the last time I read a passage like this in the publications. Let us hope they keep this up.
All in all, it is a encouraging and balanced article. For instance, the chart following paragraph 15 in the online version or at the top of pages 22 and 23 in the print and PDF versions encourages us to have a balanced way of life. This is good theory, but in practice—as any Witnesses will tell you—it is virtually impossible to apply this counsel while complying with the many demands on our time imposed by the Organization. We have two meetings a week to prepare for and attend. We have a third which is the “family worship night”. We have to go out in the field ministry and maintain the congregation average of hours. We have extra meetings when the circuit overseer comes, and we have to support two assemblies and one convention every year. If you are an elder, you also have many additional administrative duties to perform. Additionally, we are all pressured to increase our time in the ministry every year as auxiliary pioneers, or even better, as regular pioneers.
If we start to cut back on any of these things, we get “encouraged” by the elders to bring our service back up, or even to exceed what we formerly did.
So as Yogi Berra once said: “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.”
However, this is not theory. The chart items are supported by scriptural references, so we are dealing with Bible principles. If a Witness is going to prosper, he must be obedient to God and Christ. Therefore, we should all be vigilant in applying the counsel shown in the chart of this week’s study article and resist any attempts by well-meaning elders to change. Only we can maintain our balance. One way for us to accomplish this is to apply the Bible principle found at Matthew 6:33:
“. . .“Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness,. . .” (Mt 6:33)
Spending time learning falsehoods and spending more time preaching falsehoods is clearly not seeking the kingdom and God’s righteousness. So if we eliminate such activities from our schedule, just imagine the time we free up for the other things the chart mentions that contribute to a happy, balanced, and spiritual life.
Your Relationship with God—Your Greatest Strength
My late wife was considered by all to be a model Witness. She spent years preaching where there was a greater need, helped dozens to acquire a knowledge of the Bible and be baptized, and made people feel they could share anything with her without fear of being judged. She was a quiet and mild person, but was also fiercely loyal and courageous. Yet, she lamented to me from time to time that she never felt really close to God. She wanted a close, personal relationship with her creator, but it always seemed beyond her grasp. It wasn’t until she awakened to the truth and came to realize that she needed to have a relationship with Jesus and through him to the Father; it wasn’t until she came to accept that she was called to be a child of God by her faith in the Lord; it wasn’t until she finally viewed God as her personal father that she finally began to feel the relationship she had yearned for all her life. (John 14:6; 1:12)
This study concludes by telling us that such a relationship is our greatest strength. That is true, but the Organization, by its “Other Sheep as friends of God” doctrine, denies us the very relationship it extols, rendering its reassuring words empty and bereft of meaning. Our greatest strength is our relationship with God as our Father, not as our friend. That relationship has been taken away from us by this abomination of a doctrine. However, they cannot really shut up the kingdom because they are not more powerful than Jesus, who continues to extend the offer. (See Mt 23:13 and Mt 11:28-30)
Do You Remember
Since there isn’t much to comment on in this week’s Watchtower study, perhaps we might have a look at the “Do You Remember” review on page 18 of this December issue.
What type of sin was Jesus speaking of in the counsel outlined at Matthew 18:15-17?
He was speaking of matters that can be settled between those directly involved. But the sin is serious enough to merit disfellowshipping if the matter is not settled. For example, the sin might be slander, or it might involve fraud.—w16.05, p. 7.
False! He was speaking of all types of sin, not just those of a personal nature. First, there is nothing to indicate Jesus is speaking of a specific type of sin. Second, if he were only giving us direction to his disciples on handling sins of a personal nature, where is his direction on handling sins of a non-personal nature? Why would he lovingly prepare us to handle less serious sins (as the Organization puts it) and then leave us empty handed when it comes to dealing with more serious sins? (For more information, see Matthew 18 Revisited.)
What can you do to make Bible reading more beneficial?
You can do the following: Read with an open mind, seeking lessons that you can apply; ask yourself such questions as ‘How can I use this to help others?’; and use available tools to do research on the material you just read.—w16.05, pp. 24-26.
“Read with an open mind”, yes! But not a credulous mind. Rather, be like the Beroeans of old and verify everything. As to using the “available tools”, it is understood by Witnesses that these are confined to the publications of JW.org.
Thus, “the faithful and discreet slave” does not endorse any literature, meetings, or Web sites that are not produced or organized under its oversight. (km 9/07 p. 3 Question Box)
Ignore this! Use the plethora of Bible research tools available online. (I use BibleHub.com regularly.) How else can you be sure you have the truth unless you put it to the test?
Whom do the man with the secretary’s inkhorn, mentioned in Ezekiel chapter 9, and the six men with weapons symbolize?
We understand them to picture heavenly forces that were involved in the destruction of Jerusalem and that will be involved in bringing destruction at Armageddon. In the modern-day fulfillment, the man with the inkhorn represents Jesus Christ, who marks those who will survive.—w16.06, pp. 16-17.
The Bible makes no secondary application to this account, no antitypical fulfillment. So where does this antitypical fulfillment come from? What instructions have we received from the Governing Body who now claims to be the “faithful and discreet slave” of Matthew 24:45 on the use of prophetic antitypes?
In summing up our new position on the use of types and antitypes, David Splane stated at the 2014 Annual Meeting Program:
“Who is to decide if a person or an event is a type if the word of God doesn’t say anything about it? Who is qualified to do that? Our answer? We can do no better than to quote our beloved brother Albert Schroeder who said, “We need to exercise great care when applying accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures as prophetic patterns or types if these accounts are not applied in the Scriptures themselves.” Wasn’t that a beautiful statement? We agree with it.” (See 2:13 mark of video)
Then, around the 2:18 mark, Splane gives the example of one brother, Arch W. Smith, who loved the belief we once held in the significance of pyramids. However, then the 1928 Watchtower nullified that doctrine, he accepted the change because, to quote Splane, “he let reason win out over emotion.” Splane then continues to say, “In recent times, the trend in our publications has been to look for the practical application of events and not for types where the Scriptures themselves do not clearly identify them as such. We simply cannot go beyond what is written.”
This was reiterated in the “Questions From Readers” in the March, 2015 Watchtower.
So why is the June, 2016, Watchtower contradicting the “new truth” about non-Scriptural antitypes? Why is it flouting this new direction from those purporting to be God’s channel of communication? Is Jehovah sending us a mixed message or is this an example of human hypocrisy?
The Bible survived what sorts of threats?
It survived (1) the threat of decay of the materials used to write on, such as papyrus and parchment; (2) opposition by political and religious leaders who tried to destroy it; and (3) attempts by some to alter its message.—wp16.4, pp. 4-7.
Yes, it certainly has survived these threats, and largely due to the courageous stand of faithful children of God who risked life and limb to preserve it. The current edition of the NWT is just one more example of point (3). Take, for example, the insertion of Jehovah into the Christian Greek Scriptures where it isn’t found in any of the 5,000+ original manuscript copies and fragments. (See Fred Franz and the Divine Name in the Greek Scriptures.) Or take 1 Peter 1:11 where the rendering is changed from:
“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” – 1 Peter 1:11 KJV
To:
“They kept on investigating what particular time or what season the spirit within them was indicating concerning Christ as it testified beforehand about the sufferings meant for Christ and about the glory that would follow.” (1Pe 1:11 NWT)
It appears the removal of “Christ” in this verse—even though it appears in the interlinear upon which the NWT is based—is to avoid questions that would challenge JW doctrine.
There are too many examples to list here, but one thing is clear, the Beroean Bible student should make use of many versions to ensure he or she doesn’t fall prey to translator bias.
Is it proper for a brother today to have a beard?
In some cultures, a neat beard may be acceptable and may not detract from the Kingdom message. Still, some brothers might decide not to have a beard. (1 Cor. 8:9) In other cultures and localities, beards are not considered acceptable for Christian ministers.—w16.09, p. 21.
While this seems like a reasonable statement, we are getting reports that indicate the “cultures” being referred to are cultures particular to the local congregation or community of Jehovah’s Witnesses and have nothing to do with how the world at large views a man with a beard.
Archived Comments
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Comment by THE DRIFTER on 2017-02-11 23:10:00
Hello Meleti, hope things are well with you.
Every once and a while we get a taste of that which drew us into this Witness Group. This article is an example of that. While we hope this will become the norm, ...it won't.
What it will be is a well used, future footnote reference showing the congregation/world that Gods People (channel) does revere the Lord as Lord and do not minimize his role.
It will also be referenced with the goal to silence all those lying apostates that continue to nip at the heels of the writing committee.
Mark my words...
PS.
or, ...there is a rogue writer amoungest the writing committee. One can only hope!Reply by Colette on 2017-02-12 02:58:50
Hello Drifter, that was exactly what I was thinking. Maybe someone is waking up!
Reply by John S on 2017-02-15 09:27:10
Hello from John S to all 'Beroeans' here. Brother Meleti, so sorry about your wife. Maybe you will take comfort knowing she successfully was 'baptized into his death', by remaining faithful and spiritually vigilant toward the Lord's commission to 'do business (minas) until I come'. She will surely be rewarded for her faithfulness, and her example we all should review against our own actions. How brave are we to trust Jesus' words, "The Father is looking for suchlike ones (those worshiping in spirit and truth) to worship him.
Brother , you said this above;
"Spending time learning falsehoods and spending more time preaching falsehoods is clearly not seeking the kingdom and God’s righteousness. So if we eliminate such activities from our schedule, just imagine the time we free up for the other things the chart mentions that contribute to a happy, balanced, and spiritual life."
This encapsulates what I did and am now doing in my life.
Having been through all you all are going through right now; learning what the O has hidden ...purposely, and in plain sight...that is, the real true good news that all people are to aspire to what JESUS taught, not men's doctrine, I continued right on to achieve a heavenly calling from Christ and the spirit some 10 years ago. For two years I partook at the Halls, amidst angst, envy, quarreling and true hatred from elders, self-righteous 'Pioneers', and even my own family; almost all , including my ex-wife. Finally, the unbelief of Witnesses toward Jesus ' instructions to partake of the heavenly hope, and beliefs he laid down got me to realize my true brothers were not in the congregations...at least to any great extent ..THEN....but it appears many more now are waking up , as this site proves.
For years I have posted comments similar to yours Meleti, and with some wonderful success, also. I have seen how others among the Witnesses are now awakening, and seeing the need to totally overhaul their faith, as I continue to do. It is an ongoing process, as the Proverbs say ....'continuing to strive for knowledge and wisdom.' Prov. 3
I saw early on about 12 years ago that closely following Jesus' instructions, and those of Paul, Peter, James, indeed all the New Testament was the key, so I re-read the Gospel and Revelation over and over. Heb. 4:13 is true; "God's word is alive", and every time I read , the spirit taught something new. I learned 1st-hand, how God's spirit becomes the teacher. This is how the word comes alive; the spirit directs you to the scriptures, and brings to your mind the true meaning; not always, especially the prophecies, but those things you really require at that time.
I went beyond just typing for JW's benefit some years ago. Now, I go directly into the foray; attending churches of different denominations. I tell my experience to the membership at their Sunday-school classes primarily. Then, I will attend a few sessions, and if there are people who wish to know more, I will teach truths about Jehovah, his name, Jesus' true identity as the only-begotten son, and the need to get an accurate knowledge of truth, and not pay undue attention to church traditions, as Jesus instructs.
Currently I am teaching at a little church around the corner from where I live. ..and having very good results; as I have found churches in general have mostly a minimal knowledge of the scriptures. The wife of the Pastor at this church even thought Abraham was an 'Israelite' (lol). But she is very sweet and humbly listened as I helped the group know about the basic Bible teachings of Genesis.
Well, I will cut off this reply as it is getting long in the tooth, even as I am (62 years young now)
I will conclude by encouraging all to look ahead to great things occurring for JW's as these events here show; those having insight are now beginning to shine like the expanse.(Daniel 12) The Spirit and the Bride are even now, 1000-plus years before the main fulfillment of Rev. 22.....crying out:
"Come! Takes life's water free!"
The 'word of truth' is the 'way' to the Father, as Jesus plainly said; (James 1:18, & John 3:5)
Enjoy large glassfuls regularly, and the blessings of being taught by the spirit, brothers and sisters. (1 John 2:20,27)
Brother John SReply by mailman on 2017-02-15 10:31:49
I like it John. I think we are comfortable to belong to the modern "Beroeans" Congregation. :)
Reply by John S on 2017-02-16 10:19:23
Yes, and I say amen to ,'mailman'. This appears to be a great place to get spiritual stimulation and some good references to accurate knowledge.
Sister Colette, who waxed;
"...how to begin to get the truth as there is a lot of information and much no doubt is false"
What I did was focused on John's Gospel quite a lot. There the intimate relationship of sonship with the Father is described; 'born again'. And that was the key that helped unlock the door of knowledge of God and his Son, the 'other' god. (John 1:1)
Also, sister C., much can be learned from anointed ones, especially sisters who write here. Their fine attitude of great love for Christ, and humility (something brothers like myself forget when debates may crop up over scripture) cannot be dismissed lightly. Anywhere sisters are posting, as a rule...a great balancing in egos generally results. I think of Mary Magdalene weeping over her sins as she cleaned Jesus' feet with her hair, while self-righteous Pharisees looked down on here with disdain. Jesus, though raised her right up above them by stating ,
"he (she) who is forgiven much, loves much."
Now, Anointed sisters have little trouble wanting to marry Christ in our future resurrection, whereas maybe we brothers need to see what superlative value there is in praying to God and asking to talk to our Lord, and develop a love relationship with him also even now.
Sadly, this is what has happened to us as Witnesses; Jesus-knowledge has been hidden---buried, actually.
Incidentally, one here asked about praying to Jesus; never having seen this scripture or noted it ;
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts 7:59
I thank you all for the kind invitation to come down under for a visit. Who knows what may transpire for the sons of the kingdom in future days as the anointed continue to come forth out of darkness in to the light of the spirit-truth, ...'water of life'.
And brother Meleti, yes, I also believe the first Resurrection of anointed ones has already begun (1 Thess. 4:17 key word; "Afterward")
So, your precious wife may have already received her reward, as my own Mother , also as I have had some personal indication given me as a gift.
Let me go, I'm late for work; but I will close by saying please go to Jesus' words at Matt. 24 where he alludes to Joel's prophecy ch. 2:31, and places this time period as close to ours. Peter also; following suit, says in the last days miracles and signs will occur as we receive the spirit-re-birth. (Acts 2:14-21)
Isn't it exciting to see Jehovah's spirit being poured out upon a people who were blinded, though having eyes, some all their life? I'm referring to we Witnesses who have been robbed of spirit and truth. John 4
So, I share all's joy here as we see sites like this come forth, and we glorify Christ, the head of our congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in the heavens....and our Father, Jehovah, who is selecting us, humble sinners, castaways, broken-hearted, lame, old, downtrodden. He has lifted up our hearts to feel loved, and feel the power to rise high, high up, ...all the way up , to see His face, and (hopefully) sit on his lap and kiss His cheek, as tears stream down our faces, and we say...
"Thank you, Father. We made it!"Reply by John S on 2017-02-19 17:04:49
Well, it appears I've thrown a wet blanket on this fire....
Please don't let my big mouth spoil the party. Best wishes to all of you and God and Christ are going to bless your thirst for truth.
Good bye all!Reply by Enoch on 2017-02-19 18:05:30
Howdy John S. No big mouth, wet blanket or party pooping at all! You're more then welcome to come over to "Discuss the Truth" and continue the chat or get my email from Meletti. We enjoyed your thoughts but I think we didn't want to take the post too far away from Meletti's discussion/review.
I hope you keep coming back and posting on the WT reviews. Look forward to your input. ?
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-19 17:58:37
I don't believe that the first resurrection has already begun, but the reason requires more of an explanation than I can give right now. I'll soon be doing that however as I get back up to speed. For obvious reason, my mind has been elsewhere for the past four months.
Reply by Enoch on 2017-02-15 11:37:37
Howdy John S. That was one of the most fascinating things I have read....what a story!!
If you ever feel like a yak with an Aussie please feel free to contact Meletti and get my email address....I think there is a lot I can learn from you. (same goes for anyone else ...feel free to hit me up for a yak. Ive now made the acquaintance of several people on Pickets and its been fun?)
Cheers
Reply by Colette on 2017-02-16 01:08:22
Hello John S, Thank you for a very practical course of action. I, like no doubt many, feel a bit adrift spiritually as I know I have been taught many falsehoods, but where and how to begin to get the truth as there is a lot of information and much no doubt is false. I am in Africa, 100km away from the Southern most point, so if you are ever out this way, give us a shout... I'll get Enoch to visit too at the same time. :-)
Reply by Amitafal on 2017-02-12 16:04:49
I hope there is a rogue writer there - sometimes I wonder if certain things have been slipped in and haven't been proof read by our busy FDS - they're too busy buying new suits and appearing on the broadcast !
Comment by GodsWordIsTruth on 2017-02-12 01:09:43
Hi Meleti,
I'm not sure if your wife's passing is recent . I want to extend my condolences to you and your family. May the God of tender mercies meet you in your quiet hours. I pray that the Comforter brings back to mind the love you shared to provide healing in the days ahead.....Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-12 07:51:07
It's quite recent. She'd been battling cancer for some time.
Reply by GodsWordIsTruth on 2017-02-12 08:33:42
“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing… not healing, not curing… that is a friend who cares.” ~ Francis Bacon
Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze"
Your season of healing is now and Jehovah stands with you in this fire. He will give you safe passage to His healing waters.
Warm Christian Love
Reply by Candace on 2017-02-12 09:33:08
Please accept my condolences to you and your family. May Jehovah give you the strength to go through these difficult times, his love so that your hope remains forever strong, and his blessings for the interchange of encouragement with the community here, especially with excellent articles you write that really help us to search properly for the hidden treasures in Gods word!
When the time is right, can you expand on this point 'It wasn’t until she awakened to the truth and came to realize that she needed to have a relationship with Jesus and through him to the Father'? Because, how is it possible to have a relationship with Jesus when it is only a one way communication at the moment? (by reading his sayings in the gospels)Reply by Menrov on 2017-02-12 15:14:41
Hi Candace, why did you say: "how is it possible to have a relationship with Jesus when it is only a one way communication at the moment"?
Why do you think you cannot "talk" with Jesus? In particular if He is like a brother to you?Reply by Candace on 2017-02-13 08:55:43
I don't know Menrov, maybe because every prayer I have ever heard was to Jehovah. I have never heard of a prayer thats addressed to Jesus. The only time Jesus is mentioned is at the end by saying 'through your son, our king Jesus Christ, amen'. So I honestly never thought of praying directly to Jesus.
Tyhik that is an interesting example :') It shows Jesus can answer prayers the same way Jehovah does.
Ok. Obviously I have to think about this lots more!Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 12:27:16
Hi Candace,
Jesus gave us something truly special: the right to call God, Father, and to speak with our Father in prayer. So we would never want to give that up or substitute Jesus for God as many religions have done. It is kind of the reverse of what Jehovah's Witnesses have done, by substituting Jehovah for Jesus.
Jesus has his rightful place and that place has been established by Jehovah God himself. However, a big part of Jesus' role was to open the way back to God for humans.
However, does that mean we cannot speak to Jesus as well? Are we denied access to Jesus, our Lord, our King, even our brother, while allowed access to our Father? That doesn't seem to be logical. The important thing is to find for yourself proof of such a thing. And failing that, proof of the contrary.
As the Bible says, “. . .prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. . .” (Ro 12:2)
Reply by tyhik on 2017-02-13 06:22:46
Candace, Paul gave us an example, 2 Cor 12:7-9 :
7 ... To keep me from becoming overly exalted, I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to keep slapping me, so that I might not be overly exalted. 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it would depart from me. 9 But he said to me: “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you, for my power is being made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly, then, I will boast about my weaknesses, in order that the power of the Christ may remain over me like a tent.Reply by Deo_ac_veritati on 2017-02-13 22:42:02
Funny tyhik,I was going to use that verse in a WT comment once, to show how we can lean on Jesus. Passed it by an elder first and was told I was applying the scripture improperly. Was subsequently given a "Questions from readers" article that claimed Paul was actually praying to Jehovah. The article made absolutely no sense to me at all. Clearly Paul was talking to Jesus, but the organization's twisted and nonsensical logic concluded otherwise. It's interesting to me that the organization has diminished Jesus so much that someone like Candace wonders whether we can even talk to him. Striking, really. Praying for you Candace; God will give you the solution you need.
Reply by simplyme on 2017-02-12 09:43:50
I am very sorry for your loss. From the words you wrote about her she must have been a very special person. I find myself wishing I had known her. Losing someone so deeply loved is very painful and you will be in my prayers and I'm sure many others.
Please take care brother.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 12:30:49
It is a grief like no other. I know she lives, so I cannot mourn her death, for Jehovah is the God of the living. (Mt 22:32; John 11:25) But I mourn her absence. It is her presence I miss. So in fact, I more for me.
Reply by Stormie on 2017-02-12 21:07:13
My condolences.
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 12:48:16
Thank you, Stormie.
Reply by amoreomeara on 2017-02-13 17:40:33
So sorry to hear about your loss, you have my every sympathy. My Mother-in-law was buried today, after battling a brain tumour for the past 2 years. I can't possibly comprehend what you are going through, but I can certainly relate to the pain my Father-in-law feels.
I pray that you will truely be comforted as Jesus promises at Mat 5:4.
AReply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-14 08:13:44
Thank you for kind words. It truly helps to have so many supporting me during this time.
Reply by mailman on 2017-02-15 10:34:05
Oh, quite a late message. Please accept our sincerest sympathies for your loss. My sister and I lost our father and mother too. But losing ones wife's is totally different.
Comment by Colette on 2017-02-12 03:02:32
Hi Meleti. Question: How do we have a relationship with Jesus if we don't talk to him?
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 13:11:53
I don't believe we can.
Comment by Enoch on 2017-02-12 05:13:36
HEARTFELT COMMUNICATION
17, 18. How can good communication help you to cope with anxiety?
17 A fourth way to help you cope with anxiety is good communication, sharing your feelings with a trusted confidant. A marriage mate, a close friend, or a congregation elder may be able to help you to put your anxiety into perspective. “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up.” (Prov. 12:25) Frank and honest communication can do much to help you to understand and deal with your concerns. The Bible tells us: “Plans fail when there is no consultation, but there is accomplishment through many advisers.”—Prov. 15:22.
I just wanted to focus attention on paragraph 17 as I think it's one of the areas where the principle espoused comes to a head on collision with reality in the JW.ORG environment. (like Meletti's quote "So as Yogi Berra once said: “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.”)
There are many in the congregation who can't talk openly about their feelings to any of the people mentioned in the paragraph. Unless a publisher is prepared to parrot the party line then marriage mates, close friends or Elders simply aren't up for the task.
When the generation point changed in 1995 and for the first time some of the Elderly were faced with the prospect of perhaps dying in this system, there was no open communication to deal with the anxiety that came from that disappointment.Nor is there any right of recourse if someone is wrongly disfellowshipped. People are brushed off with cliches and corny catch phrases such as "Jehovah will sort it out when its ready" or as recently told to me "Jehovah's justice grinds very fine but in order to grind fine it has to grind slow".
There are still some brothers in the Org like the writer of this WT article that ostensibly seem reasonable and balanced but who wants to take the risk? In a rat out culture where even someone as close as your spouse is a potential informer, open communication is sacrificed on the altar of organizational conformity and anxiety can fester like a maggot on a mouldy lamb chop.:-)
(Jas 5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-12 07:53:01
Well put!
Reply by Candace on 2017-02-12 09:12:33
Yes I am thinking of the same thing to be quite honest! Its awkward talking about the scriptures with anyone other than the ones who know me well since I was little. I have had long talks with my mum about why I am not going to pioneer anymore and she has that I must speak to the circuit overseer when he comes soon.
I am thinking to myself, the new CO looks about 25 so only a few years older than me. Is he going to understand what my concerns are about (organisation, other sheep, 1914 generation overlap) or is he going to freak out and follow the overseers handbook or whatever he uses and then mark me for more 'shepherding' by the elders. Either that or he and I could actually talk more openly because we are the same age group.
He is married though, what a letdown. j/kReply by lazarus on 2017-02-12 15:53:23
My prayers go to you Candace.
Reply by Candace on 2017-02-13 09:10:12
Thank you so much, I still don't know why I decided to just tell her everything I have been thinking about over dinner like that. But anyway its done and I know from now things are going to be different. I am moving out soon anyway so I won't have to drive enormous distance to uni anymore.
You are totally right Amitafal, thats what my friends have been saying to me all along! They say I am becoming spiritually weakened by reading apostate material and that I need to speak to CO or write to the society to get 'my mind made over, to set matters straight'. No I am not going to do that. But I will keep my mouth closed and not be so talkative about what I am learning about the organisation, even though I am dying to chat openly about it. The good thing is I have found this place! I am very thankful the environment here is supportive or I would go crazy literally.
Reply by Amitafal on 2017-02-12 16:02:00
Hi Candace
Very brave of you to talk with mum about not pioneering. I wouldn't bother talking to CO. You also have to be careful what you say as it could get you into trouble. In their eyes questioning 1914,other sheep, FDS etc would be seen as you are weak spiritually and need help to understand or that maybe you are being disloyal.
No one can force you to Pioneer. I can't recall if you still studying or working P/T , but maybe consider how you could use the time if not pioneering, and could do something worthwhile. Will keep mum and others off your back?
This is a good site to go to if you have concerns about bible teachings and where you can talk freely. Your friends you grew up with won't understand unless they wake up.
Take care- hope things go well for you
Amitafal
Reply by Menrov on 2017-02-13 03:24:02
Very brave, Candace.
Reply by tyhik on 2017-02-13 09:24:10
Hi Candace. Who to talk to and about what, depends on what you expect to achieve. Please try to answer the following questions for you.
- What would be the best possible outcome you'd expect when talking to your CO and what are the chances of arriving at it?
- Does that best possible outcome help you or anybody else and in which way?
I was once (as an UP) in the field service with a CO. When driving back, just we two in the car, I suddenly started to explain him why I don't believe it's God's org. He listened and listened and listened, and then we arrived. He left the car and we never talked about it any more. I have every reason to believe that he never talked about this to elders either. So he probably did his best he could - prayed about me that I could see the light. I don't remember, what I was expecting back then, but in the hindsight, this no outcome was perhaps the best possible outcome in my case.
Reply by lazarus on 2017-02-12 15:51:55
Good point! True Enoch, I recall that time to all to well. They also wrote an article in the 1990's, in helping people with their anxieties, the Title was, You are Precious in Gods Eyes.
Reply by Dajo on 2017-02-12 16:29:11
Spot on Enoch.
Comment by GodsWordIsTruth on 2017-02-12 08:27:06
Another well written article!
"Jesus can help you to cope with distress, and he can fill your heart with hope and courage."
How does this work in the JW framework? The GB isn't sanctioning prayer to Jesus again ...are they? I'm sure they are not , but my point is He's not the Lord they teach we must call on to be saved. They teach that it is Jehovah and translated the NWT to reflect that. The shocking omission of the Spirit of Christ is not a translation error IMHO. It is a deliberate attempt to hide the truth of our Adoption into God's family.
"They kept on investigating what particular time or what season the spirit within them was indicating concerning Christ as it testified beforehand about the sufferings meant for Christ and about the glory that would follow.”
I don't understand the above rendering. What spirit are they referring to? If, not the Spirit of Christ , then by what spirit? The spirit "within" is an Adamic dying spirit if you reject the invitation to receive the anointing of Christ .
"What can you do to make Bible reading more beneficial?
You can do the following: Read with an open mind, seeking lessons that you can apply; ask yourself such questions as ‘How can I use this to help others?’; and use available tools to do research on the material you just read.—w16.05, pp. 24-26."
Contrary to what the GB would have us believe when reading the bible is not just so we can share with others.
The law of Christ must be on our hearts first.
So much to say about this article...
Comment by simplyme on 2017-02-12 10:42:59
In connection to your thoughts on Matthew 18:15, I was going to say the words "against you" are not found in earlier manuscripts but you and the commenters covered this quite nicely in your article "Matthew 18 revisited".
The point that Matthew is applying this to all sins seems to be in harmony with what Luke wrote at Luke 17:3.
Then at Luke 17:4 the sins are of a personal nature, "against you".
Thanks again for a fine article!
Comment by lazarus on 2017-02-12 15:46:11
Thanks Meleti, well put! Paragraph 1, quotes Psalm 13:2, How long will I have anxious concern, With grief in my heart each day? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
How long could one be anxious? It could be each day, ongoing. There will be the anxieties of life, no doubt and some excellent strategies in dealing is mentioned in the Wt Study?
In the opening paragraph we have a bible example of David. He had his own imperfections, but also his struggles were with his spiritual brothers and family. The Battles within the congregation. Enemies! As he put it, or they may be his opponents also philistines.
What about the struggle one has with a sinking faith. Failed interpretation of prophesies, etc. expectations postponed makes one sick. There's the peer pressure of making your hours as I pioneer or just making hours.
Well we can be assure at heart that God does not forget his people. The study provides good suggestions.
I remember my first shepherding call we made, to a sister, after a few mins in our friendly visit, she asked, "why we were visiting her, and had she'd done something wrong " Anxieties! John 5:5, Luke 13:11, etc.
Our enemy as mentioned in the psalms , would be , sin, doubts, diminishing faith, truth etc. aside from the external anxieties of life.
But what's the real cure of daily anxieties .Apply the suggestions.
What's helped me, prayer, Good food from God's table, his promises, walks with Jesus, exercise in good works, gym, :) if you need medical or professional help , why not and seek that also. A brother I knew in the 1980's wouldn't seek professional help as it was seen as lack of faith, he was an appointed brother after all. But after many years of struggle, he did. Best thing he ever did, he said.Reply by THE DRIFTER on 2017-02-12 16:48:50
@lazarus
Anxiety is caused by a brain chemical imbalance that is 100% reversable with proper treatment. A .032 second google search will bear that out. While the trigger points will vary between individuals, the song remains the same. (trama)
Source - Experience 101 - Damned Cognitive Dissonance!Reply by lazarus on 2017-02-12 17:04:51
Thanks for that, I'm definitely then in the wrong business, a pharmacist, the way to go , I wouldn't be surprised if the top 10 drugs on the pharmaceutical line is drugs for Anxiety.??
Comment by THE DRIFTER on 2017-02-12 16:44:01
@colette
@Amitafal
I believe the "waking up" is on all levels, .. emphasis on all!
Even go so far as to include (*edit - some within) our Governing Body.
--
@Candace
You might get to the point with yer mum where you can openly and honestly state that Pioneering is, ... well, ... ummmm, ...unscriptural. (we made it up)
I've used that line of reasoning in both a loving and unloving way. Please don't ask which way I enjoy more...
Comment by Menrov on 2017-02-13 03:18:21
I browsed the article as this review gave me the impression that the study would be say 90% around Jesus. But then I thought, if that is true, why have this as a title: Throw All Your Anxiety on Jehovah??
So, I did a word count. I believe some 23 occurrences of Jehovah and some 13 occurrences of Jesus and only in 2 paragraphs.
Then, if I read about Jesus in par. 6. It concludes: Thus, when you are anxious, he can mercifully ‘come to your aid’ and ‘help you at the right time. Yes, Jesus can help you to cope with distress, and he can fill your heart with hope and courage.—Heb. 2:17, 18; 4:16.
It does not say HOW? can we ask Him? If so, How? Very vague.
Par 13 mentions Jesus but it does not provide anything about the role Jesus will play or plays when one is anxious.
Par.14 and further show examples of how people prayed in OT times but no examples provided from NT times.
The headline of par 19 says it all what the real message is: YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Not with Jesus. It says: The support of true friends and spiritual brothers is vital in times of distress. In other words, your friendship with God.
Par. 20 has the summary. Where is Jesus in this summary???Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 13:03:37
Still, the ratio is usually 8 to 1 (Jehovah over Jesus) so 2 to 1 is moving in the right direction. :)
Of course, I think we'll find this is only a temporary blip.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2017-02-13 06:51:59
Meliti, I Just wanted to pass on my condolences and best wishes after your wife's death. I do not know how I would handle it at all,but neither do I want to leave my wife to handle it instead. Truly death is an enemy, but God's justice is the one certainty. How it all proves to be, we shall all wait and see. It really seems a hazy picture. We trust Jesus and Jehovah to right all the wrongs in due course and cling on to truth as you have been helping us to do. Please keep it up, and all you new ones who have been so helpful and encouraging with your observations.
With reference to Bible Hub. I have forgotten who recommended E-Sword. Anyone else use this ? It is superb for getting the Hebrew and Greek word and its meaning, as we have had the need in recent Watchtowers. I shall be exploring this more.
While writing, I would like to know how to send money without revealing too much about the sender (me).
Christian love to all on this site.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 13:08:55
Thank you for your condolences, Leonardo.
In answer to your question, all we have to offer is the donation page on this site. If you use your alias e-mail address, that is all we will see. Of course, we treat all donations with the strictest of confidence.
Comment by tyhik on 2017-02-13 08:01:45
Meleti, it is sad to hear about your wife. I pray that God will help you to cope with the emptiness after your loss. It takes as long as it takes, but the last trumpet will sound one day.
Big thanks for your articles. They are much waited.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 13:10:05
Thank you Tyhik. I've lost both parents, but this pain outweighs that loss a hundred fold.
Reply by socrates1 on 2017-02-14 18:55:35
Meleti
So sad to hear about your wife. My condolences to you and your family. May Jehovah and Jesus give you all the power and strength you need. What you are doing shows such a faith and commitment. Having a loss and the pain and still offering spiritual food and not focusing on your self. Really appreciated. The least I can do my brother is to pray for you and your wife who will not be forgotten.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-14 19:28:06
Thank you Socrates1. I do appreciate it.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2017-02-13 10:51:41
Meliti. Lots of good points. Does the GB forget what was said about types and anti-types. It does appear so .
However, for once I wonder what Jesus did mean at Matthew 18:15. Lots of translations speak about "If your brother sins against you", and the Greek text used in support seems to have words for "against you". Unfortunately the Wescott & Hort text used for the NWT does not have those words, at least according to the Interlinear. SO, you would be correct if the W & H text is used, in which case the sin is general, but not if the Greek text does have the words for "against you". It would be useful to know which is the correct way to read this passage.
If I have raised this before, E Sword has made it even easier to understand the issue.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 12:19:04
You make a good point, Leonardo. It's unfortunate that there does not seem to be agreement between the interlinears on this verse. However, if the original text did include "against you", I do not feel that this allows us to consider the sin Jesus is speaking of as being "of a lessor nature" as JW.org would have us believe. (I know you, I and many others are in agreement on this.)
Obviously, lying gossip would be "against you" and would be considered a lessor sin by the Org. However, lying isn't a lessor sin as we see by what happened to Ananias and Sapphira following their 'little white lie'.
The Org would also have us consider adultery as a serious sin requiring the sinner to confess his or her sin to the elders. This, they say, is not a "sin of a personal nature". But really, is their a more personal sin than that of adultery? The adulterer has sinned against his or her mate firstly, so the words "against you" must surely apply, meaning that even the sin of adultery can be forgiven at the first of the three levels given us at Matthew 18:15-17 by our Lord.
Of course, this robs the Governing Body and its appointed men of the control they feel they deserve. So their interpretation of how Matthew 18 applies is self-serving.
Another factor that comes into play if we accept the "against you" element as valid is, what are we to do when someone sins in a way that affects no one personally? (Perhaps it is not really possible to sin in a way that no one else is affected, but for the sake of argument, let's say that it is.) For example, a man gets drunk every night in the privacy of his own home. All I can say is that there is that, failing specific direction from the Lord, we have no basis to make our own laws and create our own judicial system as the Governing Body has done. If we do, we introduce the rule of man which always stands in resistance--the meaning of "Satan"--to the Government of God.
This is the sin of the Organization, and many have been its victims, as we both know.
Reply by Menrov on 2017-02-13 14:48:47
Here is the footnote from the NET for this verse:
tc ‡ The earliest and best witnesses lack “against you” after “if your brother sins.” It is quite possible that the shorter reading in these witnesses (א B, as well as 0281 Ë 579 pc sa) occurred when scribes either intentionally changed the text (to make it more universal in application) or unintentionally changed the text (owing to the similar sound of the end of the verb ἁμαρτήσῃ [Jamarthsh] and the prepositional phrase εἰς σέ [eis se]). However, if the mss were normally copied by sight rather than by sound, especially in the early centuries of Christianity, such an unintentional change is not as likely for these mss. And since scribes normally added material rather than deleted it for intentional changes, on balance, the shorter reading appears to be original. NA includes the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 16:07:32
This may be the cynical me speaking, but another reason for adding in the words "against you" is that it opens up the option for a two-tier judicial system such as we have in the Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses and such as existed in the ancient past with the Catholic (and other) churches. An ecclesiastical authority which has no right to judge sin is an authority without power. Such a thing cannot last. For the church to have power over the people, it has to be able to punish offenders. Jesus' command clearly takes power aware from any central authority, at least until the final stage of the process, so re-qualifying his words such that they apply only to personal sins, allows the church leadership to make up its own rules for what they would term, "more serious sins".
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-13 17:44:53
Iron sharpens iron. It seems on this site, the floor is littered with iron filings. I rejoice in that thought. :)
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2017-02-13 17:33:47
Meliti and Menrov. Thanks for your thoughts. Always appreciated. It is odd that the WT
treats the scripture as "sins against you" when the "against you" is not in the text they are using. I deem myself adequately corrected. Thank you again.
Comment by Yehorakam on 2017-02-13 20:14:47
First and foremost, I just became aware by this article that Meleti's wife died and would like to say that I had the privilege of meeting him and her when I was in their neck of the woods last year. I realize that those that visit here are from all over the earth and for that reason may not have had that chance and wish to say just from the short time we were together, it was wonderful to be in her presence. One thing that struck me was her keen sense of justice/injustice and courage to say something about it. I suppose I would say she had a strong love for righteousness, with no self-righteousness anywhere in it. If she had been around when Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple, she probably would have picked up a whip of her own and helped him. When he chastised Simon the Pharisee for looking down on the repentant immoral woman, she might have had something to say too. In the new earth where righteousness is to dwell, I'm sure her courage, intuitions and perception of matters will be a great gift in teaching others. Please give Meleti whatever support you can. They were two peas in a pod.
Meleti, I am very sorry you must spend this time separated from your wife. You have been in my prayers and will continue to be. I will get in touch...
As regards the secretary with the Inkhorn, yeah, again they say they won't look for symbolisms/types and then they do it again, just like their 2 sticks sticking together as one stick (Judah and Israel). I laughed at that one. I suppose their attitude is "we should exercise care in applying types/antitypes that aren't mentioned in the Scriptures, but we'll keep doing it wherever we see fit." They like to speak out of both sides of their mouth. The vision of Ezequiel was already fulfilled. The GB gets confused because the plagues of Revelation describe a similar situation to Ezequiel where those that don't have the mark die. They assume then that Ezekiel 9 is a prophesy for the future because it has similar elements. They also assume Jesus' judging of the sheep and goats is the same as the angel of Revelation putting the mark on the foreheads. Of course, we know that they are totally confused about what 'salvation' really is, believing we must follow them to 'survive.'
Candace, Tyhik makes a very good point about who you speak to and with what objective. Do you want to be convinced to continue pioneering? Then speak to the CO, because that is likely what he will try to do. He's been trained to do that. Do you want to be convinced to stop pioneering? Then speak to anyone who's not a Witness because they have no idea what pioneering is. Depending on the outcome you want, then pick your audience. And yet, in my opinion, I don't believe either of those options are correct. In my opinion, the most correct option would be to consider what the scriptures say about "worship" and sharing the Kingdom message so as to make sure that you're that you're not doing a powerful work that isn't considered the 'will of God.' Add to that what is best for your health, your life, for YOU. Try to focus on what Jesus ministry and teaching was like, and what invitation he extended to others. You will find that the JW ministry has a totally different message. You don't want to look back on these years and say "I have no delight in them" because you finally realized what Christ wanted from you was something different. I was in full time service for 25 years. I can say that although the love and interest I tried to show to others during those times was not a waste of time, my preaching was a waste of time. I actually didn't make any real disciples the way Christ did. None of them accepted the invitation to be adopted as one of God's sons. I never even mentioned it to any of my Bible studies. They are baptized yes, but haven't received of the holy spirit and are still "dead." If you want others to have "life" you will have to preach as Christ did. Meleti has set an excellent example in this regard, so there's a modern day example to look at.
As regards having a personal relationship with Jesus, it is absolutely essential because the scriptures say it is. That relationship is impossible without communication. Some call it "prayer", some prefer to call it "talking to Jesus." In the end, it's communication with him. There are quite a few references of Christians talking to Jesus after he was raised to heaven. You might want to read Acts to Revelation in another translation where it only says "Lord." Unfortunately in a number of instances, the NWT puts "Jehovah" where someone is actually talking to, or talking about the "Lord" Jesus. How about that? The GB knows so much, but they sometimes can't see the obvious when the scriptures are talking bout Jesus, not Jehovah. But, you might not feel that closeness to Jesus until you actually accept his invitation in full faith and become his "sister" or "brother." If you are part of the body, Christ is your head. Could you imagine having a boss and not having any communication with him? God is our father and we cannot imagine not communicating with him. If we let Jesus be our king, our shepherd, our bridegroom, our head, etc, and knowing he has been given authority over all the angels and even the holy spirit, then I would consider it unthinkable not to have communication with him. How could I ignore him? What an insult that would be, especially because HE is responsible for our eternal salvation and we are to obey HIM (Heb 5:9). But, keep reading your Bible and praying about it. Don't be afraid to actually ask Jesus to make thing clear to you. He would be delighted that for once you asked for his help. This is a difficult time for you. Please make sure of what the scriptures say, pray for holy spirit and meditate on them. You can't go wrong that way.
Much love,Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-14 08:31:48
Thank you so much, Yehorakam, for your heartfelt expressions. Your description of my wife brought tears to my eyes because you were spot on. She was all that and more. She used to refer to herself as my sounding board, because I would pass my research and conclusions by her first; and often when I wasn't quite on the mark, that process helped me to get my thinking straight. She was also a moderating influence on me, helping me to find words that would encourage but not alienate those who are only just coming to the conclusions we had reached some time back.
She was also unusually perceptive. When the Proclaimers book came out in the very early 90s, she was quite upset by the inclusion of pictures of Governing Body members. This really didn't bother me, but it disturbed her greatly as she felt they were seeking glory from men. How right she turned out to be. Then when we were studying the "Jehovah's Day" book back in the days we still had the Book Study as a separate meeting, she grew increasing upset as week after week they made scriptural applications using references that often had little or nothing to do with the point they were making. The excessive speculations in that book caused for her what she termed, "a crisis of faith".
So, when I finally woke up a few years later she had no problem accepting the additional truths we learned together. I would not have been able to do what I've been doing these past years without her support. I shall continue to miss her deeply.Reply by Lois on 2017-02-14 19:14:11
So sorry for your loss. Thanks for all your scholarly articles, they have been so enlightening. You have a lot of friends out here in 'internet land' keeping you in our prayers.
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-14 19:27:47
Thank you, Lois.
Reply by MarthaMartha on 2017-02-15 07:00:50
Ah, Meleti, my heart aches for your loss. Your exceptional wife sounds like someone I would have enjoyed knowing. Meanwhile I pray for comfort for you as you wait to be reunited with her. I hope to meet you both in that future. Meanwhile, be assured of our love and concern and gratitude for all the work you do here. Take care of yourself. I can imagine that throwing yourself into study, research and writing will be of some help, but I'm trusting that you'll take all the rest you need, too.
You can see how much we all appreciate you.
Sisterly love,
MarthaReply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-15 07:15:06
Thank you, Martha. I'm afraid the memorial service will have its own unique set of challenges.
Comment by James on 2017-02-14 02:58:47
Communicating with Jesus need not be one-way (reading the gospels).If one does not communicate with his/her Head of department but seeks to communicate with the General Manager, that would be a rift in ethics.
As said ,Jesus is our elder brother, the first son, and as other children of God,, we communicate here regularly.Communicating with Jesus is an uphill task for a JW for it would be worshiping,but not true.One snubs the Head of the congregation and only communicate with Jehovah is absurd,is insurbordination,any respect for the Head of the Congregation may only be lip service
Comment by Lois on 2017-02-15 07:50:04
The basic definition of prayer is "asking", Prayers may include praise, but basically we are asking for something. Jesus told his followers they could ask him for things. John 14:13 "Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it,that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."
Comment by Smoldering Wick on 2017-02-16 23:01:15
So sorry to hear of your loss, Meleti and I know you cannot respond to all. So I will share my feelings with the prayers of many.
"God is love" is the quoted text for the day. Which is fine if that's all 1 John 4:8 said. Why do they quote such tidbits of scripture? Why not say, "Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love?"
Yes, God is love but what inspired John to write "Whoever does not love has not come to know God?" And why can't we quote the entire paragraph to get the true sense of the translator's point of context? If the translator chose to make a paragraph, shouldn't we at least attempt to discuss its context?
So let's do that. Verse 7 begins John's point by saying "Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God."
How interesting. Before he even says that "God is love," John is already explaining that "everyone who loves has been born from God," and even "KNOWS GOD" which is really stating the true form of love that cannot be interpreted as anything else but God's unique personification.
Now while the comments go on to comfort us that God will soon judge the world, this is not what John is saying. The world has already been judged according to John's words in his own gospel, "He that exercises faith in him is not to be judged. He that does not exercise faith has been judged already, because he has not exercised faith in the name of the only-begotten Son of God." (3:18)
In my view, the love of God is so expansive, so all inclusive that it took only one humble request by an evildoer hanging next to Jesus for him to say, “Truly I tell you today you will be with me in Paradise." (Lu.23:43)
Sorry for being somewhat verbose. I guess my frustrations are obvious. Death is temporary. Life in God's heart is forever.
SwReply by Colette on 2017-02-17 01:00:21
SW, This is exactly the point of what it means to be a Christian. Christians are identified by their love for God and neighbour, not by which organization they belong to, or how well they know their bible. John points out that if we don't love, we don't know God. Love is the basic requirement of all of us as human beings.
Not an intellectual agape love (I don't like you but I will behave in a loving principled way!) That is not love, that is hypocrisy. We must love and care for people the way Jesus did, from our hearts. And this is sorely lacking among JW's as a whole.
Jesus died that we can gain life. God loves all mankind and certainly isn't going to destroy people for not listening to the JW's preaching work. In Revelation, when the bowls of anger are poured out, it states repeatedly that people did not repent. So even at that late stage, the opportunity is there to repent. Our Heavenly Father is consistently going to do what is most loving with all of mankind.
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-18 06:58:43
An excellent analysis, SW. Thank you for bring that to our attention!
Comment by Truth-Seeker on 2017-02-17 01:13:42
Dear Meleti,
First of all, my deepest condolences for the loss of your beloved wife. She must have been a saint from your description.
When reading this rather good study article I was wondering what rebuttal you could find in it, but you surmised the article fairly in my opinion. Nothing beats recognising Jesus as our Lord and Master and direct biblical argumentation. The irony,however, is that the WTS is the very source of much anxiety as you pointed out. No amount of hours is enough, no sacrifice too great, thereby forgetting the One who made the sacrifice for us.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-17 10:13:28
Thank you, Truth_Seeker. She had her faults as we all do, but she loved truth, hated hypocrisy and never participated in gossip. Most of all, she did not judge others, so many felt secure with her and could speak of their worries, concerns, and trials without fear of being judged. Yet, when asked she didn't refrain from offering helpful advise when she felt it might be of benefit. She was also a champion of the little one and I've saw her face down a district overseer once in public when he criticized a well-meaning pioneer. He was a particularly opinionated man, universally disliked and feared, and to see him nonplused when momma bear roared was one of the more endearing memories I have of her.
Comment by Vox Ratio on 2017-02-18 07:05:12
Please accept my belated sympathies, Meleti. Your wife sounds like a remarkable woman, proverbially capable, and a blessing to all who love the truth. If you won't mind a little self-effacement, there is a saying that I'm sure you would agree with:
"Behind every great man there is a great [even greater] woman."
I too lost a loved one recently, but I won't presume to understand your unique loss. Even still, I pray that her memory will continue to stand behind you as a strengthening aid for the ministry that Christ has entrusted to you.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-18 07:39:17
I would most certainly agree with what you've said! Thank you for your support and your many wise contributions to our community.
Comment by Enoch on 2017-02-18 21:55:32
I just got back from the meeting and wanted to draw attention to Paragraph 14. The paragraph is talking about going to Jehovah when faced with the anxiety of sin.
14. How can you deal with anxiety about your past?Some anxiety may be caused by a person’s past actions or failings. He may be plagued with guilt about something he did in the past, even many years ago. At times, King David felt that his ‘errors loomed over his head.’ He admitted: “My anguished heart makes me groan aloud.” (Ps. 38:3, 4, 8, 18) In that situation, what was the wise thing for David to do? What did he do? He trusted in Jehovah’s mercy and forgiveness. With conviction he said: “Happy is the one whose transgression is pardoned.”—Read Psalm 32:1-3, 5.
A very experienced Elder commented from the Audience on this paragraph drawing attention to Psalms 32:5 which says..
"Finally I confessed my sin to you; I did not cover my error. I said: “I will confess my transgressions to Jehovah.” And you pardoned the error of my sins. (Selah)"
The Elder mentioned that we can go to Jehovah on minor sins but in order to get Jehovah's relief on more serious sins then we must go to the Elders as mentioned in James chapter 5. He then summarized by saying "So we can go to Jehovah directly on less serious sin and find comfort. In order to get comfort on serious sins then we must approach the Elders. "
In context though, the scriptures in Psalms are talking about serious sins. The Pulpit commentary on Esword said this ....""It is allowed generally that the psalm is David’s. Written probably soon after his repentance, but not immediately after, it expresses at once his sorrow for his grievous lapse, and his joy when he dwelt in thought upon the words, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin" (2Sa_12:13)."""
The WT was not talking about congregation discipline but freedom from anxiety. I just find it peculiar that Elders seem to find ways to weave the Judicial Committee process into studies that aren't even dealing with it. There is a time and a place.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-19 09:16:09
Good point, Enoch. Additionally, James is misapplied by the organization to support their judicial process. What James is talking about is older men helping those who are "sick among you". Sick spiritual, sick physically, he doesn't clarify. There is no talk about the sick one confessing sin. In fact, the mention of sins is tangential. "ALSO, if he has committed sins, tehy will be forgiven him." There's nothing here to support a judgment process of any kind, nor even a mention of confession of sins to men. The elders are praying for the sick one, and oh, by the way, even if he's committed since no one is aware of, they'll be forgiven as well.
Reply by mailman on 2017-02-19 10:34:10
I have read and re-read those verses from James. I felt James was referring to being sick physically as the main point. The word "also" would mean "in addition to" or "further". There's no clear presumption that the person is spiritually sick first. Healing of physical sickness comes first then healing of spiritual infirmity, if it does exist, comes next.
Reply by Enoch on 2017-02-19 15:55:37
Howdy Meletti and Mailman. Yes the account in James 5 is another example of JWs approaching scripture with a preconceived idea and then bending scripture to make it fit. ...something they roundly condemn Trinitarians for doing.
I think Meletti mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, the Catholic Confessional is in some ways closer to scripture then the JW set up as the penitent person is guaranteed mercy/forgiveness.."if he has committed sins it will be forgiven him" whereas the JW system guarantees a Kangaroo Court trial.
As a JW I always struggled with James chapter 5. The best explanation I found was in the "Commentary on the Letter of James" which years later I found out was penned by one Ed Dunlap!! Those nasty apostates sure had a nice way of teaching the scriptures!?
Reply by tyhik on 2017-02-20 06:39:12
Regarding confessing, verse 16 encourages confessing to "each other". How about elders confessing their serious sins to other members of congregation?
Also, interpreting "applying oil" (anointing) as elders using Bible counsel is completely arbitrary. The whole point of the passage is that the prayer of a righteous one is powerful and will cure the sick and the weak. The WT interpretation and policy means that elders are always righteous as forgiveness comes only through them praying over you and they have never anything serious to confess to you.Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-20 08:57:08
Confessing their sins to others? To lowly publishers? That would undermine their authority. What heresy!
If the Governing Body cannot repent for the sin of fornicating with the UN per their own rules (See w91 6/1 p. 17 par. 11 "Their Refuge--A Lie") and if they cannot even admit wrongdoing in this, then the elders who are led by example can hardly be expected to do better.
Comment by Deo_ac_veritati on 2017-02-18 22:10:22
"However, they cannot really shut up the kingdom because they are not more powerful than Jesus, who continues to extend the offer." Mt11:28-30.
Truly, this must be one of the most beloved scriptures in the New Testament, no? In it, Jesus addresses the people of Israel who were burdened down with the externalism and legalities of the Pharisees, and with the consequences, and anxiety, that came along with it - the guilt, frustration, the dissatisfaction that always goes along with legalism. The Pharisees claimed Mosaic authority as interpreters and teachers of the law, which meant that they also demanded that the Israelites who submitted to Moses should also submit to them. Jesus referred to this in Matthew 23:2 as "the men who sit in Moses' seat" who "tie up heavy loads, laying them on men's shoulders" (Mt 23:4).
But even though the Old Testament Law was good, holy, and righteous, it did not bring liberty because it was weak in that it depended on man. It did not provide the means of fulfilling the law and thus it left man under the guilt and load of sin. Rather than freedom, it brought oppression. Paul called it an administration of death. Instead of a sense of release, it brought a sense of guilt and failure.
It is in the midst of this religious setting that the Lord makes a very gracious invitation to all who would want to experience the relief, joy, and the blessings of His life through a grace/faith relationship with Him. This is an invitation aimed at all, at the curious and at the convinced to bring them to a place of a deeper level of commitment in which they are to take His yoke and learn from Him as committed disciples.
Many of us call ourselves “disciples” but do we have the right? We have responded to Him as our Savior, we have come to Him, but when He seeks to slip the yoke around our necks to join Him, well, we resist, we back off, we refuse to truly listen and submit to His Word and acknowledge His authority.
Too often, we refuse to trust in His gentleness and goodness. We look at the yoke and think it does not fit when in reality, it is designed perfectly for us in that it is designed to make us like Him, but also because it is tailor made for us.
This will be my comment at the WT study tomorrow (shortened greatly, of course, to meet the ridiculous and inane "30 second" rule).
Christian love to all.
Comment by PoetryofProvidence on 2017-02-22 15:35:45
enjoyed the last few articles immensely , I will also add my condolence's , but I believe so many have been so well said that I can add little .
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-02-22 15:44:27
Thank you, PoetryofProvidence. It is not just the words, but the spirit behind them.