Who really is the slave? The Governing Body!!!

by Ultimate Reality 28 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Ultimate Reality

  With the June 15th article (on jw.org) about the Slave and Governing Body, we can see the planned progression of breaking the Slave from the Domestics. Therefore, lumping the claimed-anointed and the great crowd in the same group for all intents and purposes. Now that the individual anointed members have "no special insight" according to the 2008 revisions, the 2009 revisions are taking what we already know about the GB and putting it in print.

  In typical fashion, the WT changes these "absolute truths" by redefining certain terms, then causing general confusion, and lastly coming to the rescue with clarification. Usually over a period of months.

  Interestingly, what I missed on this topic recently, was paragraph three from the February 15, 2009 Watchtower in the article They "Keep Following The Lamb".

  Notice the highlighted portion:

  3 Jesus has appointed the faithful and discreet slave "over his domestics," that is, the individual members of the slave class, "to give them their food at the proper time." He has also appointed the-slave "over all his belongings." (Matt. 24:45-47) These "belongings"include the growing "great crowd" of "other sheep." (Rev. 7:9;John 10:16) Should not individual members of the anointed and the "other sheep" trust the slave appointed over them? There are many reasons why the slave class deserves our trust. Two outstanding reasons are: (1) Jehovah trusts the slave class. (2) Jesus also trusts the slave. Let us examine the evidence that both Jehovah God and Jesus Christ have complete confidence in the faithful and discreet slave.

  The statement and question confuses the traditional identity of the parties. Historically the slave is a composite group (with it's GB representative). But this question assumes the Slave is over the anointed and the other sheep. Perhaps by 2010 a Question From Readers will explicitly identify the Governing Body, from the 1st century to today, as being the actual Faithful and Discreet Slave?
• 

  Cadellin

  The Society makes the distinction between "individual members" of the anointed and the anointed as a class or group. I don't think there's anything new in this point specifically. The individual members have always been subject to the slave as a whole class or group, in JW doctrine.

  The ability to at once view a group both as individuals and yet as a class or composite whole is something the Soc. does in their eisegesis (thank you, Leo, for that word and yes, I probably misspelled it.) For example, they do the same thing with the 24 elders in Revelation, who are supposed to represent the anointed as a class in their heavenly position, even though the Two Witnesses represent the anointed on earth at the very same time. Yes, its confusing. No, it doesn't make any sense.
• 

  Leolaia

  Very interesting. I don't think I've seen this dynamic before either. Of course, all along the Society didn't really see the whole anointed remnant as the real leadership behind Jehovah's Witnesses, and occasionally it blundered into admitting that the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society was really meant. For instance: "About a hundred years ago the 'faithful and discreet slave' class again began to come forward as a loyal advocate of God’s Word. With the years it has become ever more visible and noticed by the world. The facts show that today this 'slave' is identified with the Watch Tower Society" (Watchtower, 15 March 1982, p. 21). Notice that it isn't identified as the whole anointed remnant, just the WTB&TS. Since 1982, the authority of the GB has effectively superseded that of the President of the WTB&TS, so it is not surprising that such "slips" today put the GB in this role. Or maybe it isn't a slip but a doctrinal change to make the doctrine fit a little bit better with reality.

  Cadellin...Welcome to the board, and yes, it is spelled correctly. ;)
• 

  passwordprotected

  Good points. I don't think there's any doubt that this will be the official teaching. I know one or two JWs who already espouse this as gospel.
• 

  undercover

  huh...a Wt doctrine that doesn't make sense...go figure...
• 

  Kosonen

  I have remarked too that the last 2 years they have given confusing messages. In one WT they say all anointed are the faithful slave appointed to give spiritual food. Then anointed Jehovah's witnesses have contacted their Governing body and offered help in giving spiritual food. But the governing body do not want to receive assistance from other anointed, because they have pointed to some fundamental flaws in the teachings of the Governing Body. So now they try to give new instructions, instead of giving other anointed possibility to feed them spititually, they force them to shut up their mouth, otherwise they expect the same treatment as apostates. For us this is of course not new.
• 

  Ultimate Reality

  It's all a word game. Historically, the Faithful and Discreet Slave is a composite group of anointed ones. Individually they are "domestics", as a whole they make up a class, and as a class they "feed" each other in the household. They have a representative, in the form of the Governing Body, which takes the lead in providing the "food" for the household.

  Of course, in practice, this has never really operated this way. The top of of the organization (be it the office of the president or GB) determines policy and doctrine.

  However, there is a subtle shift taking place. A shift that diminishes the position of all those that claim to be anointed and further elevates members of the Governing Body. Some of this they have brought upon themselves. The 1935 claim that the Great Crowd ingathering started and the ranks of the 144,000 were filled, could no longer be sustained with the passing of time. This had unintended consequences, with the memorial partakers increasing, probably to over 10,000 this year.

  Now, they have been forced to act (in print at least) in order to reinforce and maintain the perception of concentrated authority in the hands of 9 men. I have never seen articles before that move to solidify the Governing Body as the actual "Slave" of their Matthew interpretation; it appears to be a growing underlying theme with the introduction of the Study Edition Watchtowers. This may be a significant move to the far-right. They are decaying from within with massive turn-over, they have a brain-drain, 2014 is closing, and the evil internet is exposing their true history. Some of the old guys may have backed off after the early 1980's and had some conscience about promoting their role after the 1975 and RV Franz debacles. But now (except for two) the GB is all new, have no direct knowledge of the issues of the 1970's, have no link to the 1914 era, and they think they are on a mission from God.

  Ignorance and hubris is a dangerous combination.
• 

  oompa

  OMG UR...i cant wait to show my dad that..........that is the clearest i have ever seen....though it does not actually say the slave is the GB...it does say the slave is over the anointed when all this time they have said the annointed are the faithful slave.............thanks, GREAT catch........oompa
• 

  dozy

  Somewhat of a side point , but the expression "Faithful Steward" is becoming increasingly the norm , in the Watchtowers & WTS publications. I understand that COs are being told to use this expression in their talks and speak about the "Steward Class" rather than the "Slave Class". I don't know the reason , but I suppose they may feel the conotation is better.
• 

  Narkissos

  Giving up (out of necessity) the idea that the "heavenly call" was collectively over in 1935 logically made the corresponding "class" pretty ethereal. As long as it could be considered a remnant (another WT keyword that must be going downhill these days if it's not already forgotten) it could still be pictured as an identifiable "body" in JW imagination. But as the former exceptions (post-1935 "anointed") become the rule (including in the GB) it gets more and more shadowy -- a "class" in which the legitimity of each and any "member" is questionable in principle, where none can claim personal authority and which is structurally unable to elaborate and voice any opinion, let alone direction. Fortunately(?) popular JW belief has long connected the dots in practice: functionally the "slave/steward" is the WTS (the use of the verb "identify" in the 82 Watchtower as quoted by Leolaia is a masterpiece in ambiguity) -- whatever it says, he says. The "class" has no other practical existence. Incidentally the Governing Body which was originally intended as distinct from the Society and its President (cf. Crisis of Conscience) now serves to cover up the self-authorisation of the WTS under a neo-apostolic type of leadership.