New Light - July 15, 2008 SE of the WT - Sower and Seed - another angle

by independent_tre 38 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  wha happened?

  How about chapter 43 of the "Greatest Man" book?
  
  
  
  
  
  After identifying each feature of his illustration, Jesus describes the outcome. At the conclusion of the system of things, he says that the reapers, or angels, will separate weedlike imitation Christians from the true “sons of the kingdom.” Then “the sons of the wicked one” will be marked for destruction, but the sons of God’s Kingdom, “the righteous ones,” will shine brilliantly in the Kingdom of their Father.
  
  So are they now changing the quotes in this book?
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  passwordprotected

  No, they're not changing the GM book. But they are, as previously mentioned, choosing to refer only to Mark's account of the parable.
  
  This is exactly the same as only every mentioning Matthew's rendering of the 'faithful and discreet slave' while choosing to ignore Luke's.* They choose the Gospel account that most closely matches whatever agenda they're pushing.
  
  *Luke give a lot more detail as to why Jesus asked that rhetorical question, including some key features he'd be looking for on his return before bestowing his earthly belongings to anyone...
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  Mary

  So I guess the real question is: Are both accounts talking about the same thing? Or are they two different stories?
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  Room 215

  I gave this thread a quick read, and will have to go back to it when I have a bit more time, so someone may already have commented on this: we need to reconcile all of this to what Paul said to the Corinthians --``I planted (sowed?), Apollos watered, and God made it grow." What do you think?
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  OnTheWayOut

  "Who is this sower? Some in Christendom believe that this refers to Jesus himself. But how could it be said that Jesus sleeps and does not know how the seed grows? Surely Jesus is aware of the growth process! Rather this sower, like the one mentioned earlier, represents individual Kingdom proclaimers, those who sow the Kingdom seed by their zealous preaching activity. The seed that is cast to the ground is the word that they preach*

  I could say that the Bible is not the Word of God and this parable doesn't fit perfectly
  because it wasn't inspired by perfect God.

  Instead, let's assume that Jesus is the Son of Man, either part of the Trinity or
  the son of God Almighty. In that case, IT'S JUST A FREAKING COMPARISON PARABLE.
  If you overanalyze these things, you can always find that they don't fit perfectly.

  Life is like an onion. I mean, come on. Of course there are many instances where life is NOT
  like an onion. I could go on, but one example should be sufficient.

  But how could it be said that Jesus sleeps and does not know how the seed grows?

  How about this- In their own doctrine, JW's claim that only Jehovah can read minds. Jesus can
  only observe the heart condition by how the person responds to the good news. In many ways,
  he would not know what a person is thinking and how he will eventually change to respond to good
  news. In that way, Jesus sleeps.

  Or, Jesus starts things up, but then let's his minions in the WTS carry his message while his
  attention is still there, but just in observance without direct interaction. That's how he "sleeps."

  I think that WTS needs a new Freddy Franz. They don't know how to write anymore.
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  WTWizard

  I think it is pretty blatant that the Bible, at that the New World Translation, identifies Jesus as the "sower". It is as blatant (the "son of man" refers to Jesus) as anything I have ever seen in the Bible. Yet the Washtowel Slaveholdery is denying something that is that blatant in the guise of "new light", putting the individuals that are out there in field circus as the sowers. This is a blatant attempt to breathe new life in the work of those who are out in field circus without doing anything meaningful to improve their lives.

  Yet they tell us that we are to believe the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger, even if they can be proven wrong right out of the New World Translation. Even when they had it right in the first place--if it ain't broke, why fxxx with it?!
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  wha happened?

  I have the 2001 WT CD and after about 10 minutes into searching the 1400 or so WT magazine references, the WT seems to parallel those in Christendom because every reference points to Jesus.
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  abbagail

  Sir82 wrote...
  
  [...]
  One has to wonder if this is a "trial balloon" for future weird / scary stuff.
  
  Suppose that they have some point they want to make which is in direct explicit contrast to the unambiguous words in the Bible itself. And further suppose that point is some GB-inspired mandate that is uncomfortable or even dangerous for individual JWs to undertake.
  
  To just print such a thing right now would cause consternation & alarm among even the most faithful JWs.
  
  So why not get the R&F used to the idea of "Watchtower truth" openly contradicting the Bible by starting with something small? In normal, day-to-day life, what does it really matter who the "sower" is? So what if the WT interpretation is at odds with what the Bible says? Doesn't directly harm me in any way.
  
  Perhaps we will begin to see more and more of these blatant contradictions as time goes on? Building up to a "biggie"?
  
  Or am I just infected by the conspiracy theorists who post regularly here?
  [...]
  
  
  HA! As one of those "conspiracy theorists" I'm pleased to see you have been "infected," lol.
  
  All kidding aside, you have a good point... arsenic in small doses is less noticeable... it might take longer for the "kill," but you wouldn't want to alarm your puppets' pockets up front, so slow subtle "poisoning" would be the best way to go...
  
  And that may not be happening with this article re: the sower, but it'd be interesting to keep on the lookout in the years to come as to which-a-way the WT mags go with all of their written-in-stone "truths" (until they decide to alter/amend/append/change them)...
  
  Keep your straight pins nice and sharp so you can burst their "trial balloons" as you spot them along the way...
  
  (If they still sent out subscriptions, I'd probably try to do the same).
  
  ----------
  
  Good thread all around, great info. It could be said that the Lord Jesus was the "original SOWER" but as was stated in Paul in Cor., God gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, etc. meaning all Christians also do sowing -- in various ways, not just preaching, but by giving, helping the needy, etc.
  
  /ag
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  booby

  don't know if anybody cares anymore but more than "some in christemdom" said it was Jesus.
  
  *** w50 12/1 pp. 481-482 Parable of the Sower ***
  
  Parable of the Sower
  THE parable of the sower is found in the gospel accounts of the disciples Matthew, Mark and Luke. Matthew’s history of Jesus Christ introduces it this way: "On that day Jesus, having left the house, was sitting by the sea; and great crowds gathered to him, so that he went aboard a boat and sat down, and all the crowd was standing on the beach. Then he told them many things by illustrations, saying: ‘Look! a sower went out to sow: and as he was sowing, some seeds fell alongside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell upon the rocky places where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up because of not having depth of soil. But when the sun rose they were scorched, and because of not having root they withered. Others, too, fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. Still others fell upon soil that was right and they began to yield fruit, this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty. Let him that has ears listen.’"—Matt. 13:1-9, NW.
  4 It is true that John the Baptist proclaimed, "Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near," but his proclamation did not reveal the sacred secret that the followers of God’s anointed King would have the opportunity to enter into the kingdom of the heavens with him to rule as kings. Jesus, and not John the Baptist, was the one who uncovered the secret: "Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . . Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:3, 5, NW) (NOTE) So Jesus is primarily the sower,(NOTE) and God gave him the seed of the Word of the Kingdom to sow. But Jesus takes his faithful followers into the sowing work with him, and through him they receive the Word of the Kingdom to scatter. That is why the apostle says to them: "Now he that abundantly supplies seed to the sower and bread for eating will supply and multiply the seed for you to sow and will increase the products of your righteousness." (2 Cor. 9:10, NW) Since A.D. 1914, the year when the "appointed times of the nations" ended, the seed has been the message of God’s kingdom as born or set up.