modern 'theocratic' terms applied to biblical times... not a new thing

by Aussie Oz 5 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Aussie Oz
    Aussie Oz

    We are well aware of the recent 2010 convention drama with the first century christians portrayed using modern theocratic terms such as 'field service' and 'reports' etc...

    It seems this is not a new trick of the WT...

    while researching something else i came accross these :

    Watchtower 1944

    30 As a representative of the Lord’s Theocratic organization Paul did, indeed, instruct that a congregational meeting be held, but not to vote with outstretched hand and indicate by a show of hands what was their judgment and decision on the matter. They were told to meet to confirm and apply the judgment already expressed by the Lord’s apostle. By putting from their midst this leaven of a case of fornication between mother and son it would tend to preserve the spirit of the Lord within the Christian congregation and would save it unto the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ones that had chosen

    to go in the way of Satan through committing fornication and to bring reproach upon the entire congregation thereby were to be ’delivered over to the one they had elected to serve till at last their flesh was destroyed’. The good of the congregation and of the witness work which it was carrying on demanded this obedience to Theocratic instructions for the

    organization.

    38 A person that has been given an appointment of service in God’s organization should keep on the job until the Lord makes a change for him. If he leans to his own understanding and thinks he would like to do something else that attracts him off the job, and then he makes the change for himself, he may cause division in the organization for a time. An illustration of this is found in the case of "John, whose surname was Mark". (Acts 12: 12, 25) He left his mother at the house in Jerusalem and was sent out on the road with the apostle Paul and Barnabas to foreign lands. They all acted as special pioneers in the preaching service; "they had also John to their minister." (Acts 13: 1-5) When this party got into

    the Roman sub-province of Pamphylia, John Mark quit his part in the special pioneer service and left Paul and Barnabas without benefit of his ministry in their foreign assignment. This reflected unfavorably upon John Mark as to future privileges of service, and on one occasion it caused division in the pioneer ranks for a time.

    Watchtower 1946

    page 264

    3 In harmony with this same reasoning as to James’ definition of pure and unsoiled worship, we

    ask this question: The apostle Paul was a house-to-house publisher of God’s kingdom, and went out in the service or ministry of Jehovah God and showed mercy to widows and orphans by preaching the Kingdom gospel to them. But, what would that amount to if the apostle Paul had at the same time, on the side, spotted himself up by friendly companionship with this world ? True, he would have gotten in his time in the field service by actively giving a witness to the kingdom of God; yet he would have soiled his field-service record in God’s sight, and his partial service or ministry to Jehovah God would have been in vain and would bring him no heavenly reward.

    Also of note is the attitude even in 1946 that preaching to a person in physical need, was charity.

  • cult classic
    cult classic

    yeah Aussie because as we all know:

    Paul was a circuit overseer.

    The nazarites were bethelites/special pioneers

    The nephinim were modern day GB helpers

  • notverylikely
    notverylikely

    What revisionist bastards.

  • sabastious
    sabastious

    It's so creepy.

    -Sab

  • cult classic
    cult classic

    did i use the correct tense when writing my above post? I confused myself.

  • Aussie Oz
    Aussie Oz

    What got me the most was, how the hell could they tell just how circuit overseer Paul went about his daily routine?

    And how many hours a month did Paul have to report as a special pioneer?

    oz

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