Putting The Kingdom First.....

Sunspot

If I had a dollar for all the times I heard this----*I* would be basking in a multimillion $$$ estate in the Bahamas. Every JW was told this over and over at every meeting and convention the WTS had the doors open for. What I didn't realize was that Jesus words were being twisted yet again by the men who write for the Watchtower, as they continually shouted this into their loyal and obedient (tm) followers ears.

Yes....Jesus said for HIS followers to put HIS Kingdom first in our lives......he DIDN'T SAY to put the Watchtower first in your lives!!! The boys in NY sure would like to think this was said.....as they demand and expect anyone that hopes to serve "God" will be serving THEM instead....and every meeting , publication and MOVE is designed to stress and emphasize this aspect.

Just one MORE example of how the men who run the WTS knw how to "twist and shout" without music.

Pahpa

sunspot

The "kingdom" is intrinsically linked with Jesus Christ. However, when the Watchtower speaks of "the kingdom" it is speaking about its own teaching that it was established in the heavens in 1914. Since only JWs recognize this message, they are convinced that they alone are doing the "preaching work." However, it is not the same "gospel" that was preached by Jesus and his followers. "The good news of the kingdom" is the same as the "good news of Christ" that has been preached for nearly 2000 years now.

If the Watchtower is wrong on this teaching, then all the work and time devoted to this message by Jehovah's Witnesses is all for nothing regardless of their sincerity and zeal.

greendawn

That's where they got really smart they make them work for the org while thinking that they are working for their jehovah and expect Him to reward them in due time. Of course they will never get a reward either from jehovah or from the org while the latter sells its publications and finds new recruits without any cost. Even worse the org itself doesn't seem to be putting the kingdom interests first eg they have plenty of money but their charity work is nil even when they are supposed to be a charitable organisation.

garybuss

The word "watchtower" only occurs 4 times in the New World Translation. The word "Jesus" occurs over 1,100 times. Of the two, which does the Witness Bible seem to focus on?

Guest with Questions

The "kingdom" is intrinsically linked with Jesus Christ. However, when the Watchtower speaks of "the kingdom" it is speaking about its own teaching that it was established in the heavens in 1914. Since only JWs recognize this message, they are convinced that they alone are doing the "preaching work." However, it is not the same "gospel" that was preached by Jesus and his followers. "The good news of the kingdom" is the same as the "good news of Christ" that has been preached for nearly 2000 years now.

I couldn't understand when last week the JW gentlemen told me that "only" the JW preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. Thanks for clearing it up for me.

What I find really creepy is that all JW's seem to use exactly the same jargon regardless what part of the country they're in. It's like they're programmed. (put in a room with headphones and brainwash them-this is what you'll think-this is what you'll say-don't understand-it's not for you to understand) Nothing they give me is personally written or typed up by them. All the info is from the JW magazines. I find this extremely lazy, but maybe they aren't allowed to? I have put so much work into my presentations, and yet they just give me photo copies.

greendawn

They not only preach a different gospel but they are also totally stuck in the spirit of the old testament and understand precious little about Christ being the central person of the NT and that there is no place for a legalistic approach. They don't even talk of themselves as being a church so what good is the gospel they preach?

Handsome Dan

We are all aware of the empowering effect that religion has availed itself for a select group of men, as an example the WTS. One hundred years ago a small group of men in New York

U.S.A. stated that god's kingdom on earth was being established and we are a part of that kingdom and are its spiritually directed constructors.They were some of many power seekers

at the time and there were many more of course as history shows. This was an obvious attempt to place the power of god in their hands and perhaps exploit it for their own purpose and

thats what they did. And now one hundred years latter a small group of men can stand high on top of that constructed tower and see how well the power of their kingdom has expanded

thanks in part to their procured slaves.........bullshit does sell well doesn't it !

yaddayadda

This is one area where JW's differ little from a lot of other churches who believe that the kingdom is more or less represented by the church. They all believe that making converts is increasing the kingdom.

The only difference is that JW's are converted to an organisation (that claims to represent Jehovah), whereas, the other churches convert to Christ.

Sunspot

What I find really creepy is that all JW's seem to use exactly the same jargon regardless what part of the country they're in. It's like they're programmed. (put in a room with headphones and brainwash them-this is what you'll think-this is what you'll say-don't understand-it's not for you to understand) Nothing they give me is personally written or typed up by them.

JWs DO all sound alike because they ARE programmed to say exactly the same things in exactly the same way...they proudly call this "unity" and that the bible says that ones must all speak in unity. They have it confused with conformity---just like watching those old films of Hitlers henchmen all walking in "goose step" or a college band in a parade.

JWs are not allowed to have their own thoughts and ONLY what the WTS teaches at the moment, is taught at the doors. When a JW sits through five hours a week---EVERY week---listening to exactly the same phrases and the same terms used BY the Watchtower representitives (elders and ministerial servants)....they tend to parrot these back when anyone asks a qjuestion on their beliefs.

And yes (to another poster) the JWs do NOT carry the same message the first-century apostles did.....it is ludicrous to think they talked about how God would destroy them if they didn't listen to what they said...as the JWs do today!

The message was of HOPE, MERCY and FORGIVENESS that Jesus gave His life for.....and to come to HIM for salvation. Do you EVER hear any JW deliver THAT message? They are all about coming to the WTS for salvation before God destroys you......a far cry from what Jesus taught.

Doug Mason

In its primary sense, “kingdom of God/Heaven” means the rulership, power and authority of God. This belongs to Him, not to man. It is God’s active rule.

The Kingdom is not a territory, a region, a church or a people. God’s rule creates a people, but the people are not the Kingdom.

While the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and Matthew use “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven”, the apostle John uses the expression “Eternal Life” as the equivalent. John uses the term “kingdom of God” just two times, each in the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus.

The phrase John normally uses is difficult to render in English. Most commonly, John’s Greek translation of Jesus’ original Aramaic phrase is rendered in English as “eternal life”.

This does not mean “life in heaven after you die” or “life after death”. The Greek phrase John uses for “eternal life” literally means “life of the ages”, in contrast to “life that people are living these days”. In the latter part of John’s Gospel, the phrase is rendered as “life” or as “life to the full”. Jesus makes a statement that is close to a definition:

This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3, NIV)

Here, “eternal life” means experiencing the true God and Jesus Christ in an interactive living relationship. It is not speaking of intellectual assent.

John’s phrases of eternal life, life to the full and life thus help explain what Jesus meant by “kingdom of God”. It is a life that is radically different from the way people are living these days. It is a life centered on an interactive relationship with God and with Jesus.

Doug

Putting The Kingdom First.....

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