Excellent catch sd-7! I'll have to add marginal notes there.
Happifyingly, I haven't taken a close look at that particular piece of crap yet
"Bearing Thorough Witness"--page 98, par. 13; Compare p. 103, par. 9, 10, 12
by sd-7 16 Replies latest watchtower bible
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besty
Transcript and commentary on Fred Franz Gilead Graduation talk 1975 where he trashes the GB authority compared to El Presidente
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jamiebowers
Very good, as usual, sd-7!
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Bangalore
Excerpts from BeDuhn's book can be read online at Google Books.
Bangalore
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shiatsu58
Im new to this forum, I would like to say throughout history religious controllers, have sought various ways of controlling information, luckily for us burning at the stake is not allowed anymore, Im sure that if the GB or JW existed in those times, the burning of many ex JWs or Apostates would be the very entertainment the controllers would allow people to watch in their leisure time. I have read some of the propaganda produced, and sometimes wondered how alls mans scientific achievements are criticised yet they use some of those scientific breakthroughs to spread their words, ie printing when the first printing presses were around, religious controllers had people arrested and tortured for printing material not approved by them, in fact up till then Latin was the only language used to spread the word, because most ordinary people had no access to education, education at that time was also controlled by the church, so people couldnt read the Bible and question what they were told, in church services which they had to attend!! The JW publications are splattered with comparisons from obscure non religious publications which by the way you are not allowed to read anyway, they quote parts of these transcripts to suit their view, in fact the term economical with the truth, springs to mind, so that people are reading articles which they believe must be true because an expert or periodical has confirmed the point the propaganda is making. Its not a new idea, you only have to read old articles from Eastern Europe in the days of Communism to see this. If Gods princes did return to Earth, the GB, JW setup would be finished, along with the Pope, the Queen of England as head of the Anglican Church, because the Boss is back in town, and Im sure the first act of a new governing body, would be to make that lot redundant!!! So in effect the controllers although preaching the welcome return of Gods Kingdom on Earth, dont really want to lose their power and control, as did the pharsees when Christ returned and we have all read what happened to him!!
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Cadellin
BeDuhn, BeDuhn, BeDuhn, BeDuhn...That's all, folks!
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pirata
"As we help others learn truths from God's Word, do we, like Paul and Barnabas, avoid seeking adulation? Charles Taze Russell, an outstanding teacher who took the lead in the preaching work in the late 19th and 20th centuries [curious that they don't mention his position as president of the Society--I've noticed that terminology has largely disappeared in recent years], set an example in this regard [Ha!]. He wrote: "We want no homage, no reverence, for ourselves or our writings; nor do we wish to be called Reverend or Rabbi." Brother Russell's humble attitude reflected that of Paul and Barnabas."
This is coming up in this week's Book Study. And here's the quote in context from Dec 15, 1896 Watchtower, pg. 304. Funny how a lot of the other things Pastor Russell wrote in the article do not hold true today:
WORSHIPING FELLOW MESSENGERS.
God's people are to love and esteem each other, and that in proportion as they recognize in each other the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ, the spirit of holiness and devotion to truth and righteousness; as the Apostle says, the faithful should be esteemed "very highly for their work's sake" (1 Thess. 5:13); but while there may be danger that some will fail to render "honor to whom honor is due" (Rom. 13:7), there is undoubtedly danger also that some might render too much honor to human instruments, whom God is pleased to use in connection with the service of the truth. It is proper therefore that we call attention here, as we have done heretofore, to the danger of man-worship. This matter is very forcibly brought to our attention in Revelation 22:9. John the Revelator, who, representing the living saints all down through the Gospel age, is caused to see unfolding the various features of the divine plan, in conclusion falls down to worship the angel who showed him those things. So there has been and is a tendency on the part of many to give more than love, respect and honor to the servants of God who from time to time have been used as special servants of God in bringing to the attention of the Church things new and old, or to the particular brother or sister who was the means of conversion or other spiritual benefit. There was this disposition in the early Church, some exalting one Apostle and some another as their chief and master, and naming themselves as his disciples, saying, "I am of Paul;" or "I am of Apollos;" or "I am of Peter," etc. The Apostle Paul assures them that this disposition indicates a measure of carnality, and he inquires, who then are Paul, Apollos and Peter, but merely the servants or channels through whom God has been pleased to send you the blessings of the truth. "Neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase." He indicates thus that they should recognize, not the channels through whom the blessings came, but the Lord, the Author of their blessings, and loyally bear no other name than his who died for and redeemed them.
Likewise, when the Church began to get rid of the gross darkness of the dark ages under the help and instruction of the reformers, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others, they naturally and properly had great respect for those whom God had honored as the instruments in the work of reformation. But again the tendency to "worship" the messengers, the human agents, instead of the divine Author was manifested, and to-day there are hundreds of thousands who call themselves by the name of Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Campbell and others, and who give more respect to their teachings and writings than to the Word of God, and this with corresponding injury to themselves.
Likewise, to-day, in the light of present truth, shining more clearly than ever before, no doubt there is need to be on guard against this carnal tendency which has had so deleterious an influence in the past.
When John fell down to worship the angel who had shown him the wonders of the divine plan, the angel's refusal to accept homage should be a lesson to all ministers (servants--messengers) of God. He said, "See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant [not thy Lord and Master], and [fellow-servant] of thy brethren the prophets, and [fellow-servant] of [all] them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship God [the source from which come all these blessings and all this light]." All servants of God are fellow-servants regardless of the time or extent of their service.
The Apostle calls attention to this man-worshiping tendency in his epistle to the Colossians (2:18,19), saying, "Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels [messengers]." The intimation is that this temptation will come insidiously, craftily, and not by brazen demands for reverence. Such is the reverence accorded in general to the ministry of the nominal churches. Many ministers who seem very meek, and who would not think of demanding reverence or worship, nevertheless accept of their flocks the voluntary title, Reverend, and encourage it, and feel offended if reverence or worship of this sort is not rendered. The effect has been and still is to injure the household of faith, to give an over-confidence in the judgment and word of the minister in spiritual things, so that many neglect to prove their faith by God's Word, and to trust implicitly to its authority.
And there is danger amongst those who do not use the title, Reverend. It should always be remembered (as pointed out in our issue of Nov. 15, '95) that control resides in the congregation and not in self-appointed leaders, whether they seek to serve a dozen or thousands. The churches of Christ should recognize the leading of their Head, and know their leaders to be of his choice (See Heb. 13:7,17,24,Diaglott), but they should beware of any disposed to usurp the rights of the congregation or to ignore those rights by taking the place of leaders without the specific request of the congregation; beguilingthe company into supposing that the leader alone is competent to judge and decide for the congregation as to the Lord's choice, and thus failing to hold the Head (Christ) as the only real teacher, who is able and willing to guide all the meek in judgment, because they are his Church--"his body."
Nor is this beguiling of the attention of the flock, away from the only Shepherd, to a fellow sheep always the fault of the "leaders:" there seems to be a general tendency on the part of all who have the true, humble, sheep nature to follow one another. It is a lesson, therefore, for all to learn,--that each sheep recognize as leaders only such as are found in full accord with the voice and spirit of the Chief Shepherd (Christ), and the under-shepherds (the Apostles), and that each sheep see to it that he eats only "clean provender" and drinks only "pure water" as directed by the Shepherd. (See Ezek. 34:17-19.) This implies the exercise of the individual conscience of each member of Christ's flock on matters of doctrine and practice, and tends to keep each one in sympathy and fellowship with the Shepherd, who knoweth each sheep and "calleth his own sheep by name." The same intimate relationship of the individual Christian with the Lord is illustrated in the figure of Christ the Head and the Church as members of his body.--1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 4:15,16.
As we have been to some extent, by the grace of God, used in the ministry of the gospel, it may not be out of place to say here what we have frequently said in private, and previously in these columns,--namely, that while we appreciate the love, sympathy, confidence and fellowship of fellow-servants and of the entire household of faith, we want no homage, no reverence, for ourselves or our writings; nor do we wish to be called Reverend or Rabbi.Nor do we wish that any should be called by our name. The name of him who died for all--the name Christian--is quite sufficient to designate the spiritual sons of God, the true brethren of Christ; and whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil, of carnality, and tends toward more of the same.
Nor would we have our writings reverenced or regarded as infallible, or on a par with the holy Scriptures. The most we claim or have ever claimed for our teachings is, that they are what we believe to be harmonious interpretations of the divine Word, in harmony with the spirit of the truth. And we still urge, as in the past, that each reader study the subjects we present in the light of the Scriptures, proving all things by the Scriptures, accepting what they see to be thus approved, and rejecting all else. It is to this end, to enable the student to trace the subject in the divinely inspired Record, that we so freely intersperse both quotations and citations of the Scriptures upon which to build.