Thanks Blondie. My WT Lib is broke....
I have never thought of this before. I am going to research this as soon as I get my @#$% computer working again.
Not even say a "greeting" to them...
by integ 11 Replies latest jw friends
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But why did Jesus tell his disciples not to embrace anyone in a greeting? Were they to be cold, even rude? Not at all! The Greek word a·spa´zo·mai, meaning to embrace in a greeting, may mean more than a polite "hello" or "good-day." It may also include the customary kisses, embraces, and long conversation that would ensue when two acquaintances met. One commentator observes: "Salutations among the Orientals did not consist, as among us, of a slight bow, or extension of the hand, but was performed by many embraces, and inclinations, and even prostrations of the body on the ground. All this required much time." (Compare 2 Kings 4:29.) Jesus thus helped his followers to avoid unnecessary, though customary, distractions.
Thank you for this quote Blondie. I believe this same Greek word 'aspazomai' is the one used in 3 John where the apostle says to not even say a greeting to them (antichrists). So it is only this type of very warm, friendly, lengthy greeting that is meant here, not a basic and polite simple salutation. Yet the Watchtower Society twists this to say that disfellowshipped persons should be totally shunned, yes, treated coldly and rudely, which ironically this WT article notes the early disciples would never do!
The correct scriptural position is JW's are free to say a simple 'hello, how are you?' to disfellowshipped persons, yet they may choose not to engage in lengthy, warm, social interactions with them. Disfellowshipped people should be treated with the same courtesy and politeness as any JW would treat any 'worldly' person, and especially since Christians are meant to show more love to everyone of all sorts, even their enemies.