GB member David Splane says Jehovah had already chosen the organization in 1916

by slimboyfat 48 Replies latest jw friends

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  slimboyfat

  In the new DVD governing body member David Splane discusses the fact that the Bible Students did not simply disappear after Russell died in 1916. He says this is because Jehovah had already chosen the organization to do his work.

  This is not a work of man, this is a work of Jehovah God. It's evident that Jehovah had already chosen this organization, because of the faithfulness and the sincerity of the men behind it. It's obvious that Jehovah had already chosen this organization to get his work done. There were enough honest hearted men, hungering for the truth, desirous of doing the will of God, to prevent the organization from collapsing.

  How does that square with the teaching about the inspection of the temple and the selection of the organization in 1919? Is this a change in teaching, a slip of the tongue, or simply an indication they don't care about being consistent in their statements? For decades the selection of the Watchtower organization in 1919 has been a pretty bid deal, and for a governing body member to apparently undermine it with this incidental comment strikes a pretty discordant note.

  In a certain sense I suppose Splane is only stating what on some level must be obvious in the Witnesses' presentation of their history. Although they formally teach that Jehovah only chose the organization in 1919, they seem to believe that Jehovah already approved and directed the Bible Students well before that date. His use of language in saying that Jehovah already chose the organization before 1916 is clumsy however, and draws a attention to a tension between the somewhat contradictory messages that Jehovah had been using the Bible Students right from the start, and that the organization was specifically selected as God's chosen organization in 1919.

  I have not finished watching all the DVD yet, but so far not a single mention of Maria Russell. That is a travesty!
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  designs

  What they don't explain is that the Bible Students were in the midst of their own breakup from 1906 to 1916 when Russell died. Charles was becoming a Zionist supporter and once he changed his views on the New Covenant many Groups left and formed the first and real Reformation Movement far predating Rutherford.

  The Beliefs of the Bible Students in 1916 are diametrically opposite the JWs Watchtower beliefs.

  Thank God I saw David Splane in person at a CA ten years ago, it was like watching Mien Fuhrer, a possessed man ranting at the Faithful. It was time to leave.
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  Titus

  That's what I asked!

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/196059/2/Faithful-slave-has-been-around-since-the-1st-Century-So-why-DIDNT-Charles-Russell-join-them

  It is interesting, isn't it?
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  slimboyfat

  Yes and I noticed that use of "it is evident" too!

  Did he write the generation WT nonsense?

  Then again JWs generally are fond of their "evidently".
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  booby

  and you won't hear them mention maria either. I have come to the realization that this is the biggest problem for the society. they have written so prolifically over the years that the only way that they could possibly keep it all straight and keep their feet out of their mouths would be if they were god inspired. And they only falsely claim to be guided by holy spirit. So since they are just men, men to numerous to mention, it becomes easy for ones who have seen through the veil, behind the curtain to find fauxpas's or whatever the plural of that fancy word meaning gaffe is. I listened to three versions of the part of the assembly talk that included the expanded understanding of generation and although I feel certain every effort was made to keep the brothers closely to the outline they were still spouting info that could be construed somewhat different, one from the other.
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  Think About It

  Evidently.......sounds like we have a frontrunner for next WTS GB member to turn apostate.

  Think About It
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  jwfacts

  I have never understood the reasoning behind 1919. Surely God had chosen the organisation under Russell, prior to 1914, because they were the ones pointing to 1914 as the end of the Gentile times. I always felt the 1919 date was chosen as "the date" by Rutherford, in an attempt to elevate himself above Russell. Certainly there is no Scriptural parallels to point to 1919.

  To now state 1916 is a ridiculous comment, so I imagine it was out of the blue. It would make more sense if Splane said that since the Watchtower did not collapse after Russell's death in 1916, it proved the group had already been chosen.
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  agonus

  Splane was also instrumental in my eyes being opened to something being very, very wrong, when he said from the podium that choosing not to "serve Jehovah" was NOT AN OPTION. For that I owe him a debt of gratitude.

  "I'm sorry Dave... but I'm afraid I can't do that."
• 

  thetrueone

  A self promoting marketing ploy, well if this is your livelihood and your published goods are designed to attract attention

  from the public, is this really all surprising.

  The Mormons and other religious organizations say the exact same thing.

  Allot people dropped out of the WTS. because they really wanted to preach " The Word " of the bible

  not the word devised by the WTS itself.
• 

  MrMonroe

  It is evident that the WTS has altered its view several times on when God chose it as his channel. On none of those occasions has it declared that it was a change of doctrine; one date simply supplanted another.

  So when did the inspection and selection take place? Take your pick:

  (a) 1879. (After discussing an 1882 Watchtower that discussed God's name and identity): "In many ways the evidence was beginning to accumulate that, of all the early voices heard, Jehovah had chosen the publication we now call The Watchtower to be used as a channel through which to bring to the world of mankind a revelation of the divine will and, through the words revealed in its columns, to begin a division of the world's population into those who would do the divine will and those who would not. For this reason 1879 was a turning point in the work. This little group, headed by C.T. Russell, had now been tested and had been found fit to undertake the great preliminary campaign leading up to the climax expected in 1914." (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, page 22).

  (c) 1914. "Whom did Jesus appoint to feed his followers in the first century? And whom did he find still faithfully doing so when he returned in Kingdom power in 1914?" (Organized to do Jehovah's Will, 2005, page 16). "On his return in Kingdom power in the year 1914, did Christ find a “faithful and discreet slave” class providing spiritual “food,” or information? Yes, he found such a “slave” made up of the remaining ones on earth of his 144,000 “brothers.” And since 1914 millions of persons have accepted the “food” they provide. (Live Forever, 1989, page 193).

  (c) 1918."In 1918, when Jesus Christ inspected those claiming to be his slaves, he found an international group of Christians publishing Bible truths for use both inside the congregation and outside in the preaching work. In 1919 it truly turned out to be as Christ had foretold: “Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings.” (The Watchtower, March 15, 1990, page 14). "Thus, when the Lord’s day dawned in October 1914, there were still true Christians on earth. It appears that Jehovah came to his spiritual temple for judgment about three and a half years later, in 1918, accompanied by Jesus as his “messenger of the covenant.” It was time for the Master to reject finally the false Christians and to appoint ‘the faithful and discreet slave over all his belongings.’" (Revelation: Its Grand Climax, 1988, page 31).

  (b) 1919. "Since the 'master' found the remaining ones of this body faithfully and discreetly giving out 'food supplies' when he arrived for inspection in 1919, he appointed them 'over all his belongings.' The facts show that since 1919 this 'steward' has faithfully cared for these 'belongings'." (The Watchtower, September 15, 1983, page 19). "When the enthroned Lord Jesus inspected his household in 1919, he found the group of Christians associated with the Watchtower magazine loyally striving to “keep on the watch” with the help of spiritual “food at the proper time.”" (The Watchtower, December 1, 1984, page 17).

  For a religion that insists it knows the truth, and needs to nail down every specific detail of it, this is a pretty extraordinary trail of evidence. Did anyone in the org notice? Did anyone care?