6/15 WT- GB More Powerful than Worldwide Anointed- Don't Judge Partaking (page 4)

When I first skimmed this article when it was scanned and posted, I just kinda thought, "eh...more of the same ole BS..." but as a I went back and re-read it closer and thought about it, I see almost a seismic shift in WT theology.

Previously, the official doctrine has always been that the Faithful and Discreet Slave as a class dispensed spiritual food. Not that it was practiced that way, but it was what all good little dubbies were taught. They were conditioned to think and believe that the while the Governing Body may be the ultimate decision makers they were not above the rest of the Slave. The GB merely represented the entire slave class.

In reality though, the vast majority of the Slave were just people who got to sip wine and nibble on crackers...it was the GB who was really dispensing information.

There has always been a logistical problem about promoting the thought that the entire Slave class was dispensing spiritual food when most of them weren't even part of headquarters and no one ever sought them out for their visions or insights. Did Bethel even keep a record of names of people who partook? But of course, JWs never questioned it. They rarely question anything.

But this article is changing that doctrine.

It has taken the majority of the Slave class and lowered their position to almost equal with the Great Crowd. The article says, "They (anointed) do not believe that their being of the anointed gives them special insight beyond what even some of the experienced members of the "great crowd" may have."

The article makes the point of highlighting the word "domestics" when speaking of individual members of the anointed. I have the feeling that a new class of JW is being introduced. Before we had the Slave Class made up of the Little Sheep or anointed and the Great Crowd, those with earthly hopes.

Now, the shift is happening to lower the anointed from being the actual Slave that dispenses spiritual food to just being the Domestics, those who are part of the anointed but don't serve as the actual Slave. The Governing Body will become the actual Faithful Slave that alone dispenses information for all classes underneath. I could even see them drop the term "faithful and discreet slave" to just using the term "faithful steward" thus dropping the intent of their being an entire group of leaders to just a few, or even one.

I'm surmising on some of this, but even if they don't go as far as my imagination has seen, it is still a big change in how they identify the Slave and how it operates.

Hopefully some JWs will try to wrap their brains around this and see that the entire thing is a fornicating mess and will wake up to the control they've been under.

sir82

Is Reniaa 'one of the annointed'??

Good Lord, imagine a world where she's in charge!

yknot

I think Sir82 & Undercover have been given a glimpse of 'new '.....

However it would be far more profitable (both in conversions and number watching) to just say that partaking should be for all until Act 1:11 is fulfilled. They could keep the literal 144,000 but stop reporting those who claim anointed. I mean come-on it isn't like they are ever gonna promote some schmuchk to GB who isn't strongly tied to Bethel.

Like I said before this is a desperate gut shot not a well thought out move.

The goal of the WTS should be appear less cultic and more mainstream in order to both retain and convert.

Since the WTS likes to use examples like only a few being chosen to write the Bible..... I would like to offer up the fact that the supposed GB of the 1st century isn't really highlighted nor exalted in the Bible... just a bunch of old guys opining on interpretational matters that were in now way set in stone.... and Paul really didn't adhere to there opinions nor sought their yoke of leadership. Hell he really didn't even report his time! They ought be careful with that 'send forth' talk regarding apostles too or be ready to make the claimed anointed a 'special pioneer' class of their own, leaving us nothings to our daily toils to survive.

passwordprotected

@doubting;

"As you point out, this would solve both the problem of the increase in the "annointed" and serve to solidify their position. I think they may actually be worried that a charasmatic "newly annointed" person who is very popular in a local area could actually try to form a break off group. Stranger things have happened."

Agreed. That's hinted at in the article, advising the "great crowd" not to put anyone of the "anointed" on a pedestal.

Hey, I'm of the anointed! D'you guys wanna put me on a pedestal?

Doubting Bro

Ynot - Your comment about Paul is dead on. They love to talk about how Paul was used, but at the same time, they don't consider him a member of the 1st century "GB". Can you imagine what would happen if a CO or DO (the position I've most heard Paul compared to) were to go off on missions visiting local congregations and writing letters to them after he left giving them direction? He would be df'ed so fast their heads would spin!

PP - I would imagine your conduct is more worthy of being put on a pedestal than the GBs!

JeffT

I think the WTBS is trying to figure out how to get out of the corner they've painted themselves into. Unfortunately (for them) they seem to be dumping more paint on the floor. When I came in the "faithful and discreet slave" was a group of 144,000 who Jesus put in charge. They "used" (I remember that word being in the literature at the time) the governing body to dispense the information Jesus gave them. However that organization chart didn't exist in reality, and the 144.000 number has proven to be unsustainable. No they don't know what to do.

That's what happens when you make it up as you go along.

heathen

I think one thing they have gotten away from was the fact the Apostle Paul did encourage them to prophesy and pray incessantly for the gift in the various congregations ,it was so the righteous one could be aknowleged and the unrighteous could be exposed . Something along those lines . It would upbuild the congregation and help them in their faith knowing they had people that were in good standing.

iknowall558

As regards the increase in partakers . . .

The Feb 15th WT 1975 pg 105 - 11 "Annointing to a heavenly hope - How is it manifest ?"

This article basically warned against mistakingly presuming to have the heavenly calling. It basically blamed the increase in numbers on the ignorance of the membership. The reasons that some made wrong assumptions was apparently based on the fact that their life on earth sucked due to marraige problems etc, and they felt the need for a change and so put themselves in the queue for heaven.

"Others who made the mistake of partaking of the emblems had reportedly experienced 'spiritual enlightenment' through drug abuse or simple fantasizing. ALL OF THESE PARTAKERS WERE DULY REPRIMANDED, AND SOME WERE DISFELLOWSHIPPED."

But now, they can no longer reprimand these "mistaken ones" because they've opened the door again. They have backed themselves into a corner and need to present a different view.....a 180 degree turn in fact.

June 15th WT par 15: - -

" On the other hand, how should other Christians view a person who claims to have received this anointing and begins to partake of the emblems at the Memorial ? HE OR SHE SHOULD NOT BE JUDGED. The matter is between this person and Jehovah. "

They cannot control who partakes and they cannot stop the numbers increasing as they've basically given the green light by changing the teaching again. But they obviously have thoughts similar to 1975, that some partaking are not "suitably" annointed , but are partaking due to desiring attention and prominence and a position of authority. This is why they are saying that they are not due any special honour or recognition, to make sure that no individual partaker is revered by any of the members.

They have seen the need to separate themselves and keep the purity and eliteness of the 'slave' in tact and not allow it to be tainted by by all these worker bees trying to become queen bees.

The focus needs to be solely on the men in Brooklyn. By this article, this will be achieved. There are supposed to be 2 distinct and clear classes. The FDS (not of the GB) are not distinct any longer. They have been merged and blended into the Great Crowd of Other Sheep. Only the GB comes out of this identifiable,- literally; - we know all their names, ages and what they look like. But is it right for them to claim to be a class ? The FDS has dwindled from ' thousands' of individuals to only 9 in number. Barely enough for a Tuesday Group.

Another point.....The Jan 15th, 2000 WT pg 12, "signs of the last days"

One of the 6 convincing lines of evidence used in the article to prove that we are living in the 'last days' , is the fact that the number of the annointed partaking of the emblems would be decreasing. Will they now be admitting that we are not in the last days as the facts are showing the numbers are increasing ?

6/15 WT- GB More Powerful than Worldwide Anointed- Don't Judge Partaking

isaacaustin

Quirky1

undercover