There have been a few threads on this magazine already. But I cannot recall a WT that has so many references to the GB and its authority throughout the articles as this one. The grip of authority and control is tightening. What is being written is making it ever more obvious that the 8 men of the GB are the source of mediation to God and source of salvation for humankind. Here are some highlights:
Without the assistance of “the faithful and discreet slave,” we would neither understand the full import of what we read in God’s Word nor know how to apply it. (Matt. 24:45-47) - page 8
The One Source of Spiritual Instruction First-century Christians enjoyed unity because they all received encouragement from the same source. They recognized that Jesus was teaching and directing the congregation through a governing body, composed of the apostles and older men in Jerusalem. - page 13 Similarly today, a Governing Body composed of spirit-anointed Christians contributes to the unity of the worldwide congregation. The Governing Body publishes spiritually encouraging literature in many languages. This spiritual food is based on God’s Word. Thus, what is taught is not from men but from Jehovah.—Isa. 54:13. - page 13
Accordingly, as Jehovah’s people, we are united because we accept Jehovah’s sovereignty, love our brothers, hope in God’s Kingdom, and respect the ones God uses to take the lead among us. - page 14
Jehovah’s spirit and blessings are linked to the one association of brothers that God is using. Even if someone in the congregation upsets us, where else can we turn? Nowhere else can we hear the sayings of everlasting life.—John 6:68. - page 18
The apostles and the elders of the Jerusalem congregation acted as a governing body. Christ used this instrument to lead the entire group of his anointed “brothers” on earth. (Heb. 2:11; Acts 16:4, 5) In this time of the end, Christ has committed “all his belongings”— all the earthly interests of the Kingdom—to his “faithful and discreet slave” and its representative Governing Body, a group of anointed Christian men. (Matt. 24:45-47) The anointed and their other sheep companions recognize that by following the lead of the modern-day Governing Body, they are in fact following their Leader, Christ. - page 23
Since being invested with kingly power in 1914, Christ is more than ever “with” his disciples and active as their Leader. His intense activity since 1914 will be examined in the following article. - page 25 [... in case anyone thinks the Society's chronology is not important...}
Jesus had prophesied that “on arriving” to inspect his domestics during “the conclusion of the system of things,” he would find a slave providing them “food at the proper time.” He would pronounce that slave happy and would “appoint him over all his belongings” on earth. (Matt. 24:3, 45-47) - page 26
As Head of the Christian congregation, Christ has used this “faithful and discreet slave” to administer His Kingdom interests on earth. He has provided direction for the anointed “domestics” and their “other sheep” companions by means of a Governing Body.—John 10:16. - page 26
They recognize, however, that Christ is using a small group of anointed Christian men as a Governing Body to lead and direct his disciples on earth.—Read Acts 15:6, 28-30. - page 27
This refers to Christ’s coming as Judge to separate people of “all the nations” into two categories: “the sheep,” those who will have actively supported his spiritual brothers (anointed Christians on earth) and “the goats,” those “who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thess. 1:7, 8) -page 29
The Governing Body and the Sept 15, 2010 WT
by Ultimate Reality 22 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Ultimate Reality
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OnTheWayOut
I think they are elevating themselves as they start their new "short-time-to-armageddon" campaign and will ask for strange things to get more money. They need obedience before they start begging for inheritances and start closing halls and branches and moving people around.
Also, I think they know they need to put more people in the GB and want to establish their role firmly before giving newbies a vote.
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mutinyinheaven
great point.
do they have an exit strategy when those 8 old farts die?
"whelp, thanks for the housing, health care, free world travel and that high we get when speaking to thousands of people (and getting free meals after while nubile young jws clamour at every word we say), and performing our greatest hits from over the years."
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cantleave
Lets see how this develops, R and F dubs are buying into all this crap hook, line and sinker.
I was encouraged at work today" to let go of the things holding me back, get back to the meetings" apparently there are" really exciting things happening in Jehovah's organisation."
Oh and I really must sure I get to a District Convention, it will really up-build me.
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jookbeard
CL,LOL "really exiting things in Jerkhoobahs Organization" heard that BS many times before, Err what kind of exiting things exactly?
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cantleave
I was tempted to ask, but decided to pick my time. I still have to work with these poor deluded people, and lets face it I was one of them until last year.
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jookbeard
CL; do you work with a load of them?
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cantleave
Yeah 8 out of 15 employees.
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ambersun
Thus, what is taught is not from men but from Jehovah.—Isa. 54:13. - page 13
I don't know what is more scary - the thought that 8 men sitting in Watchtower HQ are so brainwashed themselves that they actually, quite possibly believe all their plans and schemes are put in their heads directly by God to be obeyed by the masses, relieving them of every last shred of concience about the affects they are having on the lives of the R&F, or that the R&F absorb every last crumb of 'new light' and act in complete obedience en masse like a load of Stepford Wives without putting their brains into gear and realising how far-fetched or unlikely it all is!
Also, how can JWs reason that it is wrong for Catholics to glorify the Pope as being (in their eyes) God's representative on earth, being a mere mortal man, but it is OK for JWs to glorify 8 men in Watchtower HQ for the same reason! Let's face it, if they are to be obeyed unconditionally, with everyone hanging on their every word, what is the difference?????
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wasblind
what is taught is not from men but from Jehovah.—Isa. 54:13. Well then Jehovah broke a lot of hearts when he took back his promise from the generation of 1914 and turned around and gave it to an overlapin' generation.