Tax collector or publican

by jacethespace 3 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  jacethespace

  luke Chapter 18:9-14 says- 9 And he spoke this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray the one a pharisee and the other a publican 11 The pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, god i thank you that i am not as other men adulterers or even as this publican 12 I fast twice in the week i give tithes of all that i possess 13 And the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying god be merciful to me a sinner 14 I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

  Now to be fair i have met some people in the tower who are generally humble, but i was wondering out of this parable who does the rank and file jw and governing body, elders, circuit overseers basically follow after.The tax collector or the lowly publican?

  I mean it is certain that the watchtower does despise others [ worldly, etc] and they do generally have the tax collector attitude of " i thank you god that i am not like other men.And a lot of them are anything but humble and abased.

  This is evident even in the ministry when i was out there were some that would leave the houses muttering " its there funeral at armaggedon.

  One elder even said once to me that the best part of the truth is that the wicked dont have a say in whether there going, jehovah will just remove them whether that want to go or not.

  What do you think? Who does the tower represent the tax collector or the publican?
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  BluesBrother

  I would agree with your implication that the Watchtower has a similar attitude to the Pharisees, althogh they themselves cannot see it...

  However In the understanding of the parable , the modern translations make clear that the two men were the Pharisee and the tax collector (the word publican being altered to tax collector in modern English)

  "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector. "

  New Living Translation © 1996 Tyndale Charitable Trust
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  Rooster

  *** Rbi8 Luke 18:9-14 ***

  9

  But he spoke this illustration also to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and who considered the rest as nothing: 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began to pray these things to himself, ‘O God, I thank you I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, I give the tenth of all things I acquire.’ 13 But the tax collector standing at a distance was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward, but kept beating his breast, saying, ‘O God, be gracious to me a sinner.’ 14 I tell YOU, This man went down to his home proved more righteous than that man; because everyone that exalts himself will be humiliated, but he that humbles himself will be exalted."

  The Witchtower has no representation in this illustration. The Witchtower Society is represented in the scriptures as Satan the Devil.
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  Carl_Hernz

  So I gather, Jace, you are meaning to ask if the Watchtower is either the Pharisee or the tax collector (publican), correct?

  While it is easy to be judgmental of the Witnesses, especially since so many of us, including myself, have literally suffered due to their brand of religion, we wouldn't want to make the same mistake the Watchtower makes in misapplying texts to others.

  Tax collectors were considered rejects and failures among the Jewish people. As a general rule, they were ruthlessly pushed aside by the self-righteous Pharisees, considered unworthy of God's love.

  But the object of this parable asks the question: How does God view his own creation, even those that fail, make mistakes, criminals, society's outcasts? Jesus answered that the sinful tax collector was more righteous than the Pharisee in God's eyes.

  While the religion of the Witnesses and many within its organization have truly been guilty of hypocracy and have failed to live up to the Gospel they preach, does this mean we are to push them aside as un-worthies? True, they sit themselves as judges over us, saying we are unworthy, but should we look upon our neighbor through the same judgmental glasses they do? Jesus said that wicked people love their own kind, but godly people loved those that hated them.

  I think instead of trying to label Witnesses as one thing or the other, we should learn patience and mercy. They obviously don't hold that for us who have either disassociated from them or been disfellowshipped or the like. But we aren't learning from them anymore. Hopefully, despite any pain they have inflicted upon us, we can prove that the way they believe is very wrong.

  And we do that by not acting the way the expect us to.