Watchtower January 15, 2006, Reinstatement

by blindersoff 23 Replies latest jw friends

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  blindersoff

  Watchtower January 15, 2006, "Oppose Satan, and He will Flee!" pg 29, paragraphs 13, 14

  Do Not Be Overreached by the Devil

  13. When Paul urged Christians in Corinth to be forgiving, he wrote: "Anything you kindly forgive anyone, I do too. In fact, as for me, whatever I have kindly forgiven, if I have kindly forgiven anything, it has been for your sakes in Christ's sight; that we may not be overreached by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs." (2 Corinthians 2:10, 11) The Devil can overreach us in various ways, but why did Paul make the statement just quoted?

  14. Paul had reproved the Corinthians because they allowed an immoral man to remain in the congregation. This must have delighted Satan, for reproach fell upon the congregation for tolerating "such fornication as is not even among the nations." Eventually, the wrongdoer was disfellowshipped. (I Corinthians 5:1-5, 11-13) The man later repented. If the Corinthians refused to forgive and reinstate that man, the Devil would overreach them in another way. How so? They would be harsh and merciless, like Satan himself. If the repentant man became "swallowed up by his being overly sad" and gave up entirely, especially would the elders bear some responsibility for this before the merciful God, Jehovah. (2 Corinthians 2:7; James 2:13; 3:1) Of course, no ture Christian would want to imitate Satan by being cruel, harsh, and merciless.

  B
• 

  inbyathread

  This article and paragraph is being used in a judicial case against the elders in a nearby congregation. IF the WTS or the elers comment on it we will post what they say.
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  jgnat

  AHA! Maybe the "new light" is to do away with the six month reinstatement process! WOO HOO.

  This would also have the beneficial effect of plumping up the statistics for one year.
• 

  blindersoff

  IF the WTS or the elers comment on it we will post what they say.

  I'm all ears.

  I know of one who has been df over 2 yrs, lived an exemplary life even by jw standards (including meetings) for 1 & 1/2 yrs, submitted letters of repentance, & the elders will not even meet with him. They admit there is nothing more he can do. Just wait.

  B
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  2112

  I would like to know where in 2 Cor. is it stated that this man "later repented". It does not say that the cong. should go and get him, bring him back, show him "genuine" love- lest Satan overtake him. But it does not say he repented first.
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  AlmostAtheist

  Of course, you never know what they'll pop up and do. But this sort of information has been around for awhile. When I was trying to get reinstated (years ago, when I believed), I looked up and printed all the reinstatement stuff on the CD. This same "we must be careful not to make people overly sad" bull-crapola was published then, too.

  I printed it, showed it to the elders, explained that I was in fact "overly sad", that I was being tortured. Their answer? "I'm sorry, there just hasn't been enough time yet."

  I remember showing them the prodigal son story, too. Funny. When I was talking to them, I worked with a Bible and the Watchtower. When they talked to me, they worked with a calendar.

  Funny in a "Ha! That's a funny-looking exit wound!" sort of way...

  Dave
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  TheListener

  I don't know if the man in 1 Cor. and the man in 2 Cor. is even the same man.

  But, if he was, the text doesn't say he repented or that he ceased his activity. You could assume those two things but that's not always a safe thing to do.
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  DannyHaszard

  1st century case-----1 corn. letter written 55 AD -----2 corn letter written 3 months later so the very first Dfing case was for 3 months.

  The JC elders will cite this at your hearing say that you too can be reinstated in 3 months and exhort that "the amount of time is all up to you and your effort" this is a willful lie to cover their legal asses whan they already have agreed among themselves to use you as a whipping boy and not to reinstate you for a full year or more.

  Everything that comes outta their holes is a lie-Danny Haszard
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  2112

  I did not say they were the same person but I guess it may have been infered. however either way the scripture does not say he or they repented.
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  AlmostAtheist

  Verse 7 says the congregation should "forgive" the man. Without repentance on his part, could they offer forgiveness?

  Jesus said of those killing him, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do". Clearly, forgiveness CAN be extended even to those that don't know they need it. So I guess it's possible.

  Verse 6 says the 'rebuke was sufficient'. Sufficient for what? To move him to repentance? To get the congregation off the hook for allowing his behavior? For what? I don't know.

  What's weirdest about these verses is that this guy just sort of pops up in verse 5. Unless I missed it, he isn't mentioned at all until now. Paul's talking about God and Christ, how rough life's been lately, so forth and so on. Then outta the blue, here comes this coupla verses about this guy for whom the rebuke is sufficient. Then he drops the whole thing in verse 11 and goes on with more touchy-feely crap.

  What's this guy doing in the middle of this letter anyway?

  Dave