Hi MDS,
Thank you for your response. I appreciated very much the thought you put into the matter. I hope we can continue the dialogue as I enjoy very much a dialogue that is centred on scripture and highlights common sense and good conscience.
I am happy to accept that Matt 24:45 can/will describe an arrangement provided by God. Revelation chapter 2 etc. describes Jesus inspecting his people during the ‘Lords Day’ and his people are to be found in congregations. However has this been fulfilled yet or is it something some have claimed in error. Any such claims have to be looked at closely.
*** Rbi8 Matthew 24:45-47 ***
45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. 47 Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.
Turning to history for a minute it should be said that the FDS says it was appointed in 1919 - 5 years or so after Jesus came in kingdom power. A number of difficulties arise. What ‘food’ was being provided at the time of appointment regarding the arrival of Jesus? Jesus was said to have arrived considerably earlier in the late 1870s. This could not be described as food at the proper time. This remained official teaching until the 1940s when it was determined that Jesus came in 1914. The difficulty is the ‘FDS’ only realized 30 years or so later that Jesus came in 1914. This is not helpful in determining that Jesus when he came in 1914 would choose a FDS that did not accurately teach others the very basics of his arrival.
Logically Jesus would not have appointed the WTS President as the FDS in 1919. It should also be noted that the FDS was nothing like the official teaching in that it has been associated with the President of the WTS and note the congregation of anointed ones who have little or no input into the food provided to ‘the domestics’. As presidents came and went the FDS became associated with the GB and again the anointed ones were ignored. Now virtually all the GB and anointed ones have passed away or cannot help in an effective manner.
Notwithstanding the above the FDS has taken on for itself the mantle of deciding all sorts of personal matters including areas of sexual behaviour and personal conscience. The results have been arbitrary and contradictory.
On matters of faith I do not need to go into the various errors in understanding prophecy and scripture. E.g Beth-Sarim, 1975, Generation teaching. There are grave difficulties at the present with policy on blood and child abuse. These will be improved in due course but in the meantime damage can be done to individuals.
These errors do not indicate a divinely appointed FDS who would provide ‘meat in due season’. The individuals concerned do not have to demonized by those who would oppose. I am sure that most if not all served to the best of their ability. You cannot pour a gallon out of a quart measure. Taking the matter as a whole it is difficult to accept that Jesus has appointed the WTS, one or all of the 5 legal corporations, the presidents of the past, the GB of the past or whoever in the WT world who claim the mantle, as the FDS mentioned in the scripture. Time is marching on very soon all the GB as were, will have passed away. The anointed ones also would have died leaving ‘great crowd’ members here on earth. When will the penny drop?!
Any thoughts?
ISP
Edited by - ISP on 12 January 2001 17:2:1
