WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE?
How do we scripturally answer this question? Is it the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses? They say that it is! Is it the Popes? They also lay claim to this title! Can this composite body of individuals be contained within any of the Churches of Christendom?
Only one book can supply the answer to this question. The Bible! For within the pages of that book the needed credentials are clearly set forth to conclusively identify the one who “REALLY IS!”
We will now look at a parable Jesus uttered in Luke 14: 7-11. … “He noticed how they were selecting the places of honor, saying to them. When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast do not recline on the chief seat {in the place of honor} lest a more distinguished person than you has been invited by Him. {Proverbs 25: 6, 7} And He who invited both of you will come to you and say, Let this man have the place {you have taken} Then with humiliation and a guilty sense of impropriety you will begin to take the lowest place.” “But when you are invited go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in he may say to you, Friend, go up higher! Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit {at table} with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled {ranked below others who are honored or rewarded} and he who humbles himself {keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly} will be exalted {elevated in rank}”.
All of the religions of this world including the Watchtower Society with its Governing Body have taken the very best seats for themselves. They have seated themselves in high places of honor. They all will suffer great humiliation when the truly humble ones are elevated in rank. The “things that are will be brought to nothing.” Will be no more. They will become non-existent. The Apostle Paul explained it like this: “God selected {deliberately chose} what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected {deliberately chose} what in the world is low born and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are.” {1 Corinthians 1: 27, 28}
The two aforementioned religions are “the things that are.” But not only these two, the entire empire of religion will be brought low. Their humiliation will be very great! To say the very least!
Like the ancient scribes and Pharisees they have all “seated themselves in the seat of Moses.” {Matthew 23:2} Neither the Watchtower Society with its Governing Body nor any of the World’s Religions has been appointed by Jehovah God. They are all self exalted institutions and will be brought low. Their self exalted positions show that they have little or no humility at all.
Isaiah had something to say about these lofty ones in Isaiah 2: 12. It was this: “The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled” … “For there shall be a day of the LORD of Hosts against all who are proud and haughty and against all who are lifted up-and they shall be brought low.”
Informed people today know that the Pope’s have been viewed as the “Vicar of Christ” {regarded as earthly representative of Christ}. He is even viewed as “GOD on earth.” That is about as high and lofty as a sinful human can exalt himself. It is even said of him that “if it were possible for angels to err he could disfellowship them.” How heaven high can you get than that?
What about the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses of the Watchtower Society? Do they also put themselves in a like lofty position? We will see that they do! They tell us to “listen to them as though we were listening to the voice of God.” They claim to be the “wife of Jehovah God” our “Mother.” They tell us that “we cannot learn the Bible unless we are associated with them.” They claim to be Jehovah’s “only channel” for the dispensation of spiritual truths. His teaching instrument. Is that true? In the Watchtower magazine of 1990 march 15th pages 10-14 we read in part: “How can you identify the Faithful and discreet Slave? Further on in this article it tells us that: “This magazine. The Watchtower announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom is the principle instrument employed by the “slave” in the teaching work.” Then it goes on to mention other methods of teaching. These are ‘books, booklets brochures, tracts, and the awake magazine.” It mentions the “Ministerial Training School course” … “the Kingdom ministry school” … “the pioneer service school” … “the five weekly meetings” … Then it goes on to say: “Jehovah particularly teaches His people by means of a weekly study of the Bible, using the Watchtower as a teaching aid.” All credit goes to the Watchtower Society and their publications for teaching Jehovah’s people today. Is that really the way Jehovah teaches today? Throughout all of that there is no mention of the real teaching instrument Jehovah has always used to teach His people. Isn’t it strange that that information is missing? What is that “principle teaching instrument” they have failed to mention?
Recall the word’s of Jesus at John 14: 26. He said there: “But the comforter {Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby, and The Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name {in my place, to represent Me and act on my behalf}. He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall {will remind you of bring to your remembrance} everything I have told you.” What instrument is now seen to be Jehovah’s principle teaching instrument? It is the Holy Spirit isn’t it? But is that Spirit only poured out on a select few to the exclusion of the rest of mankind? IT is true that those called for heavenly life received a special anointing. {1Peter 2: 9} {Acts 2:4 If one reads on in Acts 2: 16, 17 “But {instead} this is the beginning of} what was spoken through the Prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy {telling forth the divine counsels” … Joel 2: 28, 29, words it like this: “And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh” … {not just on any one religious institution.} It says “all flesh” “all mankind!”
So then the opportunity is there for everyone alive on this planet now to receive that promised Holy Spirit. That “principle teaching instrument.” But how do we receive this “free gift” of the Spirit? Is it just poured out now indiscriminately on just anyone? Wicked and righteous alike? No! It is not free in the sense that we might expect it to be. There is something we must do first! We must: … “Repent {change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it} and be baptized” … “and live lives consistent with such repentance.” Acts 3: 19; 26: 20.
When we accomplish that the “free gift of the Spirit is poured out on us then the teaching program begins. Only then! If there is no repentance displayed, there is no “free gift of the Spirit.” Without that we can learn absolutely nothing at all about the Bible. Try as we might.
As we begin our study displaying the attitude marked out in Proverbs 2: 1-5 which is: “My Son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you. Making your ear attentive to skillful and Godly wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding {applying all your powers to the quest for it}, Yes if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, If you seek {Wisdom} as for silver and search for skillful and Godly wisdom as for hidden treasures, Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the LORD {JEHOVAH} and find the knowledge of {our omniscient} God.”
When it becomes so, as Jeremiah predicted at Chapter 31: 31- 33 that Jehovah’s Laws are in our minds and written on our hearts we will then have the” tongue of the taught one” or “like the stylus of a skilled copyist.” {Isaiah 50: 4 Psalms 45: 1} This scripture at Jeremiah 31: 31-33 brings out a very important point. It shows that it is Jehovah who puts His word in the minds of the individuals who are seeking it. IT is Jehovah who writes it on our hearts. No religious body on this planet regardless of their arrogant claims to having a special anointing could accomplish that feat. Only Jehovah could do that! Just as the Prophet Zechariah foretold: “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the LORD ALMIGHTY.” Zechariah 4:6
At this point I should state that anyone who has received this “free gift” of the spirit has been anointed by spirit. That being the case and as I have already shown, the words in 1 John 2: 27 has first application to those of the heavenly calling as we know. It also applies to the “all flesh” or “all mankind” who have received that gift. It states: “But as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, as His anointing teaches you about all things.”
Because of the foregoing the Prophet Jeremiah wrote: “No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother, saying ‘Know Jehovah’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” {Jeremiah 31:34.}
It is not any Religious body on this earth today that takes credit for imparting the knowledge of God. It is Jehovah alone who has accomplished all of that through His Holy Spirit. All man can do is direct attention to what Jehovah has said in the Bible. They can do no more than that! They cannot put Jehovah’s words in the minds of individuals. They cannot write those words on the hearts of people. Only Jehovah can do those things.
So “Who really is the Faithful Slave?” It is anyone who has taken in the knowledge of God and who is willing to impart said knowledge. Anyone who has done this can “supply the spiritual food at the proper time.’ Jehovah’s Spirit will then do the rest depending on the heart attitude of each individual. The Apostle John in Revelation 22: 17 stated: “whoever wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life.” So this “principle teaching instrument” is not the Watchtower nor Awake Magazine nor any other publication that they may possess. It is none of the Religions of Christendom or their publications either. It is only the Bible! Coupled with that is the possession of the Holy Spirit that enables us to understand it. Jehovah Himself takes all credit. Through that Book all men can come to an accurate knowledge of truth without the aid of any Religion on this earth. They are all going to be brought very low in the eyes of all when Jehovah gets ready to do that.