A Simple explanation of the Faithful Slave!

by wannabe 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  wannabe

  A Simple explanation of the Faithful Slave!

  Naturally it would follow that the Faithful Slave would have to be the one who delivered God's Messages to Mankind in the first Century. The Holy Writings should show us just who that was, without too much difficulty.

  1"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs."{Hebrews 1:1-4 NIV} Just what was it that the Son spoke to all of the First Century Christian's?

  15"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." {John 15:15 NIV} Thus far, it was the Son who did all the speaking in the first Century; making Jesus the Faithful Slave. The one appointed heir of all things. What about after his ascension? Is there anything to point to Jesus position as the Faithful Slave from a Heavenly source? We will learn there is:

  11"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." {Galatians 1:11,12 NIV}

  1"For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly." {Ephesians 3:1-3 NIV} We know that Paul was the Apostle to the Nations, and even the Nations had received the message from the Christ, through Paul. But notice! The Message didn't originate with Paul; Paul was merely a witness to what he had, had revealed to him in the Revelation from the Christ. He was a method of conveyance, if you will. {Romans 11:13} {John 15:26,27} Delivering the Revelations from the Heavenly Spirit Realm as he did, shows it was Jesus still maintained the seat of the Faithful Slave even from that Heavenly Source. This is also seen in the Revelation given to the Apostle John; for note this account:

  1"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." {Revelation 1:1-3 NIV} So! God gave the Revelation first to His son, Jesus Christ. Christ in turn delivered it to his servant John. John, it tells us Testifies to everything he saw. He witnesses to it, by penning it all for our benefit today. Both Paul and John were of the anointed class; but the messages didn't originate with them, as the Governing Body would have us all believe that they are the Faithful Slave. That they supply the food at the proper time. Paul one of the original anointed didn't supply it, nor did the Apostle John. It begins with Jehovah, next to his Son the Christ, and then to Paul and John. But they had received it from the true Faithful Slave, the Christ; whom Jehovah had spoken through.

  To this point I don't think anyone would argue that, it was the Chrst was the Faithful Slave; and wouldn't it make sense that the Faithful Slave was the one appointed over the household of God?

  To that end take a serious look at Matthew 24:45 as rendered by the New International Version of the Bible:

  45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?" {Matthew 24:45 NIV}

  We have the faithful and wise servant. We have the Master. We have the other servants in the household. The Faithful and wise servant is put in charge of the other servants in the Household.

  Ask yourself; Whose household is in question here? Take a look:

  19"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household," {Ephesians 2:19 NIV}

  15 "if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." {1 Timothy 3:15 NIV}

  So! It's God's Household, correct? God has put his faithful and wise servant in charge of the other members of his household. That makes Jehovah the Master of that parable. So this faithful and wise servant is put over Gods Household. He's in charge, if you will. Now take a look at Hebrews 3:1-6:

  1"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." {Hebrews 3:1-6 NIV}

  If your thoughts are fixed on Jesus, you will notice Paul is telling us here that Jesus was appointed OVER the House of God, while all of the other anointed class constituted the House. "We are the House," he said. Now the Governing Body will tell us that they are the Faithful Slave, as well, the Anointed Brothers of the Christ. So according to them, they hold two separate positions. As the anointed, they are the HOUSE, as the Fathful Slave they are appointed OVER the HOUSE. Over themselves, would you believe? It do get a bit confusing don't it? I know I can be bit thick at times, but I can't seem to bend my mind around this one; can any of you, and I didn't live up to my Theme Text either, cuz it got very confusing, at the end, didn't it? Wannabe
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  wobble

  Another ,simpler explanation,and this is how it reads to me, is that Jesus was using the example of a wise servant to show the quality of the kind of follower he needed.

  So it is simply addressed to individual Christians so they examine their own spiritual condition.

  Not to a collective group.

  After all, if each individual follower of Christ acts in a spiritual way like a"wise servant" all of Jesus' teaching would be put in to practice.

  The Kingdom would come in a real sense.
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  miseryloveselders

  What gets me is I've never seen an article from the WT that explains why the Faithful & Discreet Slave is supposed to be a class. I've never seen any article or paragraph that explains why this isn't simply a parable or illustration. The Writing Department just figures if they keep printing that they're the Faithful & Discreet Slave, then their readers will just assume thats correct. Maybe Blondie can find something, but in all my searches on the CD Rom, I've never located anything to support their interpretation of this parable. The Insight Book takes a potshot at Christendom stating something along the lines of, "most of Christendom incorrectly believes this verse is about the responsibility of individual Christians." I can't recall exactly how they have it quoted, and I'm at work right now so I don't have access to the CD-Rom or Insight Books. But even in the Insight Book, they don't make a convincing argument explaining why the Slave is a distinct class, and why this only applies to them.
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  gubberningbody

  I think wobble understands it clearly and presented in a simple manner.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch-Kincaid_Readability_Test

  wannabe's was 76, which was higher than I expected, which puts it at the 6th-grade reading level, however the lack of white space and the huge wads of quoted text made it such that I didn't WANT to read it.
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  BluesBrother

  I am sure that the WTS makes more of this scripture than was intended. I concur with Wobble...

  But, a J W would say, yes - you have got it correct. They use the word "domestics" rather than household ..As I recall, the individual members of the 144k (remnant) receiving "spiritual food" are the well fed domestics and the remnant , as a composite class are the F & D Slave, feeding them.

  [ I never said it made sense]
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  EndofMysteries

  Even simpler, read it's either mark or lukes account, and EACH slave meets 1 of 4 categories. It's yet another parable just like the 10 bridgegrooms, the slaves in the field, the wedding feast, etc.
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  Cold Steel

  I've never understood the meaning of the word "slave" in this context. A slave, to me, is far removed from a servant, who is often employed. A slave, on the other hand, is born into bondage and has no choice as to what his future may entail. Some of these terms, like "discreet slave" are laughable. In fact, the scriptures used by the Witnesses not only is a joke among scholars, but its bland text lacks beauty and elegance.

  Why does the WBTS even use the term "slave" in the first place? And what is a "discreet slave"? Someone who doesn't talk out of turn?

  In the book of John, we learn that people can progress beyond servants to friends. "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." This group isn't a class, but is inclusive of all people who come unto the Lord in righteousness and truth.

  The Lord states: "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods." But these are not self-appointed people who give meat unto the people, but authorized and anointed servants. "For ye hath not chosen me," the Lord said, "but I have chosen you and ordained you."

  Who has anointed the leadership of the WBTS? Anointing is a specific ordinance that includes consecrated oil; it is not metaphor. And ordaining is the laying on of hands to confer power and authority. The JW leadership has neither been anointed or ordained, but have taken this honor unto themselves. The scripture from Matthew 24 doesn't say that the faithful on Earth who recognize that their Lord is gone and who seize the moment and feed meat to the rest of the Lord's "slaves" are blessed, but only those whom the Lord hath made ruler over His Household. According to the Witness leadership, none has received either revelation or visitation from God or His Holy Angels, so how would they know they are the ruling class? And how would they escape judgment when they appear before Him in judgment and say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" Certainly the JW leadership has repeatedly prophesied of Armegeddon, have worked to cast out demons and done many wonderful works. But they're still self appointed, and they've been wrong repeatedly and they certainly have not (as far as I know) been appointed by God to do anything.