[From ws1/18 p. 27 – March 26-April 1]
“You will . . . see the distinction between a righteous person and a wicked person.” Malachi 3:18
The very title of this Watchtower study article is worrying once we begin to read its contents. Its thrust seems to cause us to separate ourselves from any contact with individuals deemed unworthy due to their traits. Indeed, why do we need to examine the difference in people? If we concentrate on improving our own Christian qualities, does it really matter how others are different? Does it affect us?
Please read Malachi 3 if you have time before continuing with this review, as it will help you better understand the context of the verses that are being used by this WT article, so that you can discern the true context of what the Bible is saying.
Paragraph 2 opens with:
“These last days are a time of moral chaos. The apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy describes the characteristics of people who are alienated from God, characteristics that will become more pronounced in the days ahead. (Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13.)”
The Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy around 65 C.E. Consider the time. These were the last days of the Jewish system of things. Starting one year later (66 C.E.) the first Roman invasion came. By 70 C.E., the city lay in ruins, and by 73 C.E. all revolt had been quashed.
Now turning back to Malachi 3.
- Malachi 3:1 is clearly a prophecy about Jesus coming as the Messiah, the Messiah awaited by Israel.
- Malachi 3:5 talks about Jehovah coming to judge the Israelites.
- The next verses record God’s plea to his people to return to him so they might not get destroyed.
- Malachi 3:16-17 is clearly talking about spiritual Israel, “a special property”, becoming Jehovah’s possession as a replacement for the wicked natural nation of Israel. These ones would be shown compassion (by being saved from the destruction of the nation of Israel). All these events occurred in the first century from the time of the ministry of Jesus starting in 29 C.E. to the destruction of the Jews as a nation in 70 C.E. and the escape of the early Christians to Pella.
Therefore, the theme scripture from Malachi 3:18 had its fulfillment during that time period. The distinction between a righteous person and a wicked one resulted in the salvation of the former (Christians) and the destruction of the latter (faithless Jews). There is therefore no basis on which to claim a modern antitypical fulfillment. More accurately, the paragraph should have read “Those last days were a time of moral chaos.”
How we view ourselves
Paragraphs 4 thru 7 give good Bible-based counsel on avoiding such traits as being puffed up with pride, haughty eyes and a lack of humility.
How we relate to others
Paragraphs 8 thru 11 again contain good Bible-based counsel. However, we need to examine the final part of paragraph 11 where it says “Jesus also said that love for one another would be the quality that would identify true Christians. (Read John 13:34-35.) Such Christian love would even be extended to one’s enemies.—Matthew 5:43-44.”
Over the years, I have been a member of a few congregations and have visited many others. Very few have been happy, most have been riven by problems of one kind or another, including cliques, gossiping, slandering, and abuse of power by the elders. The latter often used the platform to launch tirades against congregation members who had stood up to them. I have seen, and continue to see, love, but usually on an individual basis, only rarely has it proven to be congregation-wide. Certainly, I have not witnessed this love on a wide enough basis to claim the Organization as a whole is the true Christian congregation chosen by God because of its members' love for one another. (Admittedly, this is one man's perception. Perhaps your experience is different.)
Now what about love being extended to one’s enemies?
- Can shunning a teenager because he or she stopped attending meetings be considered a loving act? Does the teenager become worse than one's enemies, worthy of less love?
- Can shunning a victim of child sexual abuse be considered loving and Christ-like because they can no longer bear to see their abuser face-to-face at every meeting?
- Can shunning of a recently bereaved mother by her own son and daughter-in-law simply because she no longer attends meetings be Christian?
Since when did non-attendance at meetings make a person worse than an enemy? What is especially sad about these practices within the Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is that they are not rare nor isolated. They have become the norm.
What about the treatment of those questioning the teachings of the organization?
- Even if they are thought of as enemies (incorrectly) rather than one’s desirous of truth, is it the love of the Christ to call them “mentally diseased” or “apostates” when they have left neither Jesus nor Jehovah?
- Is it Christ's love to disfellowship them because they will not obey the men of the Organization rather than God? (Acts 5:29)
- If we truly feel such ones are erring, would not the course of true Christian love move us to reason with them from the Scriptures, rather an arrive at a snap judgment?
- Is it love or fear that causes so many to cut off communication from such ones?
We are then reminded of Jesus' example.
“Jesus showed great love for others. He went from city to city, telling people the good news about the Kingdom of God. He cured the blind, the lame, the lepers and the deaf (Luke 7:22) “. (par. 12)
How does the organization match up to this example?
Is it really telling people the good news about the Kingdom of God? It tells us we can only be friends of God when Galatians 3:26-29 states “You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus.”
While we cannot cure the blind, lame, and deaf as Jesus did, we can imitate his spirit in doing what we can to alleviate the suffering of others through charitable works; yet the Organization discourages all such efforts in favour of our support of its programs of hall building and performing field service the JW way.
Paragraph 13 contains yet another unverifiable experience in an attempt to bolster the message they want to convey. While it is true that the atmosphere at large conventions is heady, those who attend similar conventions of other religious denominations will say the same thing. It is not how we appear to be loving when we are all in a good mood that counts. Jesus himself recognized this:
. . .For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? (Matthew 5:46, 47)
At conventions, we are "loving those who love us". This is not extraordinary, though this article would have us believe so. We must love our enemies, as the Father does. (Matthew 5:43-48) We must love the unlovable to be like the Christ. Often, our biggest test comes when we must love our brothers who offend us, or who "lyingly say every sort of wicked thing about us", because they fear the truth that we speak. (Mt 5:11)
Wolves and Lambs
We are then treated to another subtle piece of propaganda to have nothing to do with non-witnesses when the article says:
“Other qualities displayed by people in the last days provide additional reasons for Christians to keep their distance from such people.” (par. 14)
The message being transmitted is ‘stay away from those worldly people’. In other words, we are encouraged to lump everyone into the same group; to paint anyone who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses with the same brush. But inside the congregation, supposedly, we are safe.
I personally know elders whose most prominent trait is not humility, but what Paul refers to as ‘without self-control, fierce,...headstrong’. Evidence of this can be seen when you refuse to obey the direction of the body of elders. How quickly they label this as "loose conduct", and threaten expulsion from the congregation to those they consider to be rebellious.
I am sure most readers have to mix with men like this within the congregation, so why make an exception for non-witnesses? Ultra-Orthodox Jews will avert their eyes from a Gentile. Gypsies have their own term for non Roma Gypsies, “Gorgas”. The message from these and similar groups is "don’t have anything to do with those not of our kind". Normal people would view them as extreme. Is the organization any different?
What was Jesus' example? He spent time with tax collectors and sinners trying to help them to be different rather than shunning them (Matthew 11:18-19).
Paragraph 16 highlights how learning about the Bible has changed people’s lives. Wonderful as it is, all religions can point to examples like this. It is the Bible that changes people’s lives for the better. It is not an identifying marker of the true religion which is what the article tries to imply.
From these turn away
Paragraph 17 tells us “We who serve God must be careful that we do not become influenced by the unrighteous attitudes of others. Wisely, we heed the inspired counsel to turn away from those described at 2 Timothy 3:2-5.” However, is that really what 2 Timothy 3:2-5 is telling us?
Check any Greek Interlinear translation for 2 Timothy 3:5 including the Kingdom Interlinear Translation. Does it say we need “to turn away from those people”? No, rather it says “these be turning yourself away from”. What is the “these” referring to? Paul had been describing the traits people would have. It is the traits being referred to as “these”. Yes, we should turn ourselves away from practising such traits. The ones who practise these traits are those we should be assisting to change, not turning away from (or turning our backs on).
As the latter part of the paragraph correctly says, “But we can avoid being drawn into their thinking and imitating their characteristics. We do this by strengthening our spirituality by Bible study”.
In conclusion, rather than looking for differences with other people, let us help them to develop godly qualities and eliminate any differences.
Archived Comments
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Comment by wild olive on 2018-03-25 17:58:01
Thanks for the breakdown Tadua.
A big problem with this WT article and last weeks is applying 2Tim3:1-5 to those outside the congregation, as if the unchristlike behaviour mentioned in these verses doesn't exsist within the congregation, Ime sure all of us on this site are now painfully aware that these verses are directed TO the congregation, Paul was warning his breatheren to act on the problem IN the congregation, the way the article applies it makes it seem the problem is outside, red herring .
As for the comment Tadua made on his personal experience of the "love" shown. I feel that congregations go through an ebb and flow, they have up times and down times, but since I don't involve myself with any of the cliquish behaviour, or kowtow to any elder, I feel completely free and without burden, my dear wife on the other hand , is always telling me how strained and downtrodden everyone is these days , what unbelievable pressure everyone is under, like their hanging from a cliff with just a finger or two, it's almost like it's nessesary to feel like that to be a real JW. I have a little chuckle to myself on the inside and put on serious face and ask her " so who do we help now?" And there is always some poor unfortunate who is being victimised in some way , it certainly is no spiritual paradise.
So I feel there is accuracy in Taduas comment , it's not just his experience.
Comment by Joseph Anton on 2018-03-26 11:08:59
Also, lets juxtapose this lesson with the parable of The Good Samaritan.
Comment by Robert-6512 on 2018-03-25 20:58:32
Tadua, I feel your take on 2 Timothy 3:5 is not well substantiated. I did look at the online interlinear for this verse, and also comparative translations and Strong's definition for the word in question. The word for "these", both in the meaning of the word and its grammatical usage in the sentence, could easily mean either "these things" or "these people", so that alone is not enough to go on.
If we go back to verse 1, it seems clear that the subject of this whole paragraph (verses 1 to 5) is about "men" or "people" depending on the translation. It does not say "traits of selfishness, greed etc. will be found in people...".
It is informative that in comparing translations, where any of them chooses to elaborate on "these", they say "these people" or "these men". No translation said "these traits" or anything close to it. Surely at least one translation would have agreed with you, if you had the correct understanding, don't you think?
I do not mean to be unduly critical, but I believe the conclusion you have drawn here is incorrect. I certainly don't question that those traits noted should be avoided, but that is not the point the scriptures are making.
If you believe, in spite of that, that your point is still valid, you need to at least acknowledge that it is a novel conclusion that is not supported by any consensus of existing translations.Reply by Tadua on 2018-03-26 06:51:54
Hi Robert-6512
I have reflected on your comments, and reevaluated my conclusion, but on balance I feel I was correct, although of course you are perfectly entitled to your view and conclusion (and of course I may still yet be wrong). My reasons are as follows. A review of the 28 translations available on Biblehub, show 14 translate as "these people" and 14 as "these" or "such". So from the point of translations 50% support my view, 50% don't. Should we hate people or the wrong things they do? God hates what they do, not the people otherwise he would not have sent his son to die for all mankind.
I would still argue that the subject of verse 1-5 is the bad traits not the people. Why were the last days (of the Jewish system of things) critical times hard to deal with? Was it because of men, or was it because of the traits that the men displayed? If it was because of the traits men displayed then that surely is the subject, not the men. If the Christians were to shun or turn away from those men, how would they ever change? Yet Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 says "I wrote you to quit mixing in company with fornicators, not meaning entirely with the fornicators of this world or the greedy persons and extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise you would actually have to get out of the world" (He does go on to say "to quit mixing in company with a brother" practising these things who should know better). This leads on to his statement in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 about how fornicators, idolaters and adulterers etc had changed into Christians. This would not have happened if such ones were shunned.
The phrase "turn away" can also be translated "shun". So I would ask, should we shun the traits mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:1-6 and hence keep our righteous standards? Surely this is most important, or should we shun the people who act that way and alienate them from Christ? Verse 6 goes on to say that "out of this sort indeed are those who enter into households" and mislead others. Again I would ask is it the men? or men with those type of traits who cause trouble? Is it more important to stay away from men with these traits or from the traits themselves? If we shunned such men but displayed the traits ourselves, we would be no better. Does that mean we should happily and freely associate with ones with those traits? That of course would hardly be sensible, but "mixing in company with", being close friends of, is totally different to turning away from, turning our back on, shunning people.
I have tried to clearly convey my reasons behind my conclusion here for evaluation. As to whether it is right or wrong or in between it is left up to every reader to consider the matter scripturally and prayerfully and make their own conclusions. "Each must bear his own load".
Your brother
Comment by lost in space on 2018-03-25 23:54:46
Dear WT writers and GB..one finger pointing at others, four fingers right back at you. The moral high ground at the expense of 8 billions others is infuriating. We are all in need of compassion and attention not shunned, but supported in developing better qualities together as a human family.
Comment by Psalmbee on 2018-03-26 10:10:59
Thank you Tadua, I agree with your conclusions about 2 Timothy 3:5. If you are a JW you shouldn't have any problems avoiding these traits of people. For one reason: the congregations are so closely monitored that there should be none of these traits portraying themselves unless of course it is coming from the upper levels that cant be controlled. But if we look at it another way, those traits should be showing themselves if the publishers are doing their ministering to those who really need it, in other words to those who need it most, just like Jesus showed compassion to the thieves on the Cross/Stake that were with him.
Comment by Joseph Anton on 2018-03-26 10:44:54
About six weeks ago we had a part in our congregation where five or six young Witness children (ages 4-10) were brought to the stage for a question and answer part. The brother (a friend of mine) asked the youngest child there if worldly children his age had his best interests at heart when they were vying for his friendship. "No." the little guy said. It was heartbreaking. To imply motive and intent to little children is abhorrent no matter who's doing it. Kids are the few innocents we have, and ours are being programmed and weaponized. It's shameful.
Comment by Warp Speed on 2018-03-26 21:27:08
Hi Tadua,
Thank you so much for your hard work on the CLAM and WT. I really enjoy your reviews. I agree with your take on traits being the aspect that should be avoided and not flat-out shunning the person who displays the traits.
It would certainly make sense to me that Jesus would not be looking to "shun" someone who was misguided and hence displayed some traits that were less than stellar. Of course, a balance needs to be struck as well, to protect ourselves from unwholesome influences lest we too start going astray.
Keep up the excellent work brother,
WS
Comment by Robert-6512 on 2018-03-27 20:53:38
It's important to consider not only the context of 2 Timothy 3 but the entire letter. Paul is writing to Timothy, a "beloved son". So, whatever 3:5 is referring to, Paul is telling Timothy, first and foremost, to turn away from it/them. Now, look at the traits in question in verses 3:1-5: greed, blasphemy, slander, brutality, treason, love of pleasure rather than God and fraudulent displays of pseudo-godliness.
Instead of analyzing Greek vocabulary and grammar and comparing various translators' efforts, look at the counsel Paul is giving Timothy. Is he really telling Timothy not to be a blasphemer? Not to be brutal? Not to slander others? Does Paul actually have such a total mistrust and suspicion of Timothy's intentions, integrity, motives and love for God that he feels compelled to advise his "beloved son" not to be a blasphemer ?!
Something just doesn't seem right here. It's like telling our beloved family members if they would please, kindly, not become ax murderers. We really shouldn't need to have to say such things to them. It doesn't make any sense, if we knew them well, really loved them and had a warm relationship with them.
On the other hand, would we advise our children to avoid people that had bad qualities? I would if it were my family.
Tadua, perhaps you are anxious and motivated to find a scriptural justification to avoid "shunning" and to equate "shunning" with "hate", and will obviously point out that the motives of God and Christ are love rather than hate, which is true. Jesus said he did not come into the world to judge it. He didn't need to, because mankind born under sin is already judged and condemned to death. Were Jesus to come and 'judge' further would be like 'kicking a dead horse'. What would be the point of Jesus judging us? We're going to die anyway. Why bother, right?
I totally understand your motivations. However, there is a difference between showing love to others (even loving one's enemies) and catering to the feelings of blasphemers and other serious wrongdoers.
The "love" we are supposed to show is unselfish concern for the best interests of others. I might show common decency to a person who happened to be a bank robber, but that doesn't mean I am going to assist them in robbing banks. There is a limit to everything, even love.
I must stand by my original post. Paul was telling Timothy to turn away from people having these traits, not those traits themselves. Paul didn't need to tell Timothy to avoid the traits, because he knew Timothy to be better than that.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2018-03-28 05:51:54
Hi Robert. Thank you for your thoughts and thank you so much, Tadua, for your regular and considerable efforts on this site. You have made me look again at 2 Timothy.
Ch 1:15-6 states that all the men in the province of Asia had turned away, even, it seems, including one who had treated Paul especially kindly . The illustration from 2:20-2 serves as a reminder, kindly put, that congregations contain different sorts of Christians, including some who are best avoided (vs 22). This was true then and would also be true in the last days (Ch 3).
So we need to be careful. Ch 3:6 says that among these arise men who....never come to an accurate knowledge of truth, so this makes it very clear to me that vs 5 is discussing men, although it must be true that the qualities listed in vs 2 to 5 should be avoided by all of us.
It is good to be able to raise points and discuss them honestly here, something that is virtually impossible to do in a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Comment by corrado on 2018-04-01 15:55:05
Hi everybody,
i did not go to the meeting, my daughter was sick. But if I would be there probably I would become sick too. Just paragraph one encompass the WTS philosophy: sick and contagious people on one side and good, generous, pure, blameless people on the other side of the barricades. These last one fight to stay uncontaminated while helping them to become JW curing them to avoid be destroyed. It reminds me the first years of Nazional Socialist regime where mentally ill, handicapped, lame, retarded people were driven inside modified ambulances fitted to be mobile gas chambers. This was the preparation of the mass destruction performed some years later (I suggest to read some books on the topic, or for the lazy ones watch Amen, by Costa Gavras). So in the same way these "ill" and "contagious" people that would not embrace the healing power of the WTS representative they will meet a unavoidable fate: using Antony Morris figure o f speech they will "grilled" like hot dogs in the future battle of Harmagheddon. Wouldn't be less cruel to gassed them? This is the portrait of Jehovah and HIs Son gave by the pages of the Watchtower. At lest the Nazis burned corpses not alive people.
Comment by John of ARC on 2018-04-03 07:46:02
Thanks for a well written review, Tadua.
Just wanted to share some scriptures on how to treat those one consider disagreeing with “the truth”:
2. Tim 2:16-18;23-26 (dialogue with, and admonishing of, people with wrong beliefs, to save them from the Devil; I.e. these were not people doing small offenses)
2. Tim 4:16 (Paul was not acrimonious towards those “standing away”, leaving the door open)
Jak 5:19,20 (how can anyone save someone who has left the truth without speaking with them? Does an annual visit from the elders having done the DFing do the trick?)
Mat 23:37 (Jehovah continued to send prophets to his nation, although most had apostatized)
The last convention I attended was about following the law of Christ. The key public talk spent a lot of time on how we could learn from the Good Samaritan. The speaker obviously did not mention that Israelites considered Samaritans apostates, and that socializing with them could bring shunning. If anyone is a Samaritan to a Witness, it would be a former Witness. E.g. Ray Franz. Interestingly, Jesus shows how a Jew is helped by the Samaritan (and not the other way around), like accepting a gift from someone one is taught to hate. It is the Samaritan who carries the weight and transcend the hate metered our to him from the Jews, and still stopping to save - the Jew. Turned around: a practicing JW accepting that what he has considered an apostate can actually help him, shows humility.
(The great paradox was that right before the public talk, an elderly woman told the audience how she recently had been widowed, and how her DFed daughter had provided a lot of help in the situation. A grand child had asked her: “will we now spend more time with aunty”, whereupon the widow answered no. They would stay loyal to the org. The daughter, having been shunned for years, stepped up to help her mother when her father died, displaying a Samaritan like attitude. The reward: continued shunning. A grousome irony.)