GB or Anointed the FDS?

by Thirdson 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Thirdson

  I was reading via Kent's site some of the "to all BOE" letters. I noticed something in particular in the letter of February 27, 2001 about the formation of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, a new legal entity.

  That letter in part states:

  We thank you for your cooperation with these adjustments made by the Governing Body in fulfilling its assignment to care for all the master's belongings.(Matthew 24:45-47

  I thought the "faithful slave" was entrusted with the master's belongings not the GB. Is this a slip, is it new light, or is it the GB presuming to be the only part of the anointed who have any authority? An ideas anyone?

  Thirdson
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  plmkrzy

  I didn't get that either the first time I heard it. It sounds like the GB wants to lable themselves "The Faithful and Descreat Slave"
  Don't know if I spelled descreet correct? but how ever it is spelled Governing Body as we know it IMO doesn't add up the the definition it claims to be.
  Anyone else who is annointed has no say in any matters at all unless they are a member of the GB. Never made sense to me.
  plmkrzy
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  Justin

  Thirdson,

  I do not think it is new light - I think it is more of a slip as to what the actual situation is. The official teaching is that the anointed class, as a whole, is the slave. The individual anointed ones are the "domestics" of the Lord's house, while as a composite whole they constitute the "slave" who is appointed over the house. But in reality, the average anointed one has no say in the governing of the organization. This is actually carried out by the Governing Body. So for all practical purposes the Governing Body is the slave, and this is the reason for the "slip" in your quotation.

  It's important to realize the psychological impact of having such a "slave." It's like the magisterium (or teaching authority) in the Roman Catholic Church. This authority is vested in the pope and the bishops, not the average Catholic.

  When Russell was considered to be the "slave" (or "faithful and wise servant" - KJV), it was evident that the average Bible Student (or JW) was not the slave. When Rutherford eventually changed the understanding of who constitutes the slave, I believe he said that "the Society" is the slave. (If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.) But this was not satisfactory scripturally, because the Society is a legal corporation that cannot be found in the Bible. So the current understanding that all the anointed constitute the slave was adopted when it became apparent that the "other sheep" would far outnumber the anointed, and hence the average JW could not claim to be of the slave class. This tactic of keeping the slave distinct from the rank and file has the effect of preventing them from doing their own thinking. If they were all the slave, they would start coming up with their own explanations of scripture, and Big Brother certainly wouldn't like that!

  So at this point, I don't think there has been a change of understanding. Someone on the writing staff just slipped up and identified who the slave really is!

  Justin
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  Justin

  Thirdson,

  I've had some more thoughts on this matter. Either this is a slip, as I stated, or it could be the beginning of a change. In one of my earlier posts I speculated that they may start including "other sheep" in the slave class because of the small number of anointed left and the current Governing Body getting up in years. As I have said, they can never allow the rank and file JWs to be identified with the slave. This means that they cannot merely extend their current explanation of the anointed congregation being the slave to include the entire congregation (all JWs), because it would destroy the impact of the magisterium.

  So it would be logical for them to narrow their definition of the slave to being the Governing Body before adding other sheep. Thus, it would not be all the other sheep who would be included in the slave, but only ones admitted to the Governing Body, or perhaps some who are on the writing staff as well. They could then say that the slave was always a small class of God's servants who was dispensing spiritual food to the household of faith, but that they did not previously realize that these persons did not necessarily have to be anointed.

  I do not like to indulge in prophetic speculation. You know where that gets us! So we'll just have to wait and see whether the statement quoted was just a slip, or if this is indeed the beginning of a change. Thank you for calling this to our attention.

  Justin
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  GermanXJW

  This is from the Watchtower March 15th, 2002:

  "As in the first century, a small group of qualified men from among the anointed overseers now serve as the Governing Body representing the composite faithful and discreet slave. Our Leader uses this Governing Body to appoint qualified men - whether spirit-anointed or not - as elders in the local congregations." (p. 14)
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  MacHislopp

  Hello Thirdson,

  an excellent topic, and a very logical

  question. In the last 80 years a lot has been written by the

  WTBS on the issue. Most JW don't know all these informations.

  I give you two ex.

  * Sometimes, when the WTBS write about the " governing body"
  the article dealing with modern times, associates it with
  the beginning of the 19th century. How many JW are aware of
  the watchtower article which clearly states:
  
  " ...the JW's have a governing body since 1944 "!!!

  and:

  how many JW's , do know about the existance of

  "the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses" ?
  one of the new legal entities.

  Justin : very interesting comments...let's see the
  follow up from the WTBS.

  German JW: Thanks for the excellent w 15.3.2002 quote.

  Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp
• 

  coffee_black

  The "Remnant" never really has had much to do with it in any practical way. My grandmother was of the "anointed". I've known quite a number of that group. Not one of them was ever consulted about what was to be taught to the rank and file. Heck, my grandmother wasn't even in the Ministry school. Nope, never gave a single talk. There are supposedly 8000+ of them still alive right now. If that is true, then why would it be necessary to fill the ranks of the governing body with "other sheep"?
  Surely, from 8000+ they would be able to find a few to fill any vacant positions. Can't believe I was ever so gullible!

  cb
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  Thirdson

  Thanks all for the replies,

  The GBs claim (they approved the letter, didn’t they?) is just as presumptuous as the Watchtower’s claim that Jesus chose them in 1919 as his only representative. In effect JWs teach that Jesus chose the board of directors of the Watchtower Society in 1919 presided over by J.F. Rutherford and for decades this board of elected officials was the Governing Body.

  What is interesting is that none of Watchtower legal entities and corporations, including the new CCofJWs are headed by a member of the Governing Body. Yet the GB claims to be the “faithful slave” dismissing the role of the other 8,000 members of the exclusive club.

  I think the text of the letter is a slip, perhaps even a “Freudian Slip” since the expressed sentiment is actually the reality of who controls the lives of 6 million JW adherents.

  Thirdson