Great quotes AnnOMaly . . . I knew I'd read that somewhere.
Christ/Messiah = the Annointed One.
I guess the question might be . . . with the tightening of control . . . does this line get some more flogging?
How long will it be......
by watersprout 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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AnnOMaly
To be fair, if they really were anointed then they would be part of the body, or part of the total Messiah if you like.
You're right. The apostle Paul's analogies suggest it.
But the WTS' interpretations go several steps further if certain assumptions are made first, like the 144k being a literal number and representing the totality of those to rule with Jesus in heaven. You then have, e.g., Galatians that says if you (as a limited class) belong to Christ, you are incorporated into the promised Seed and by which the (earth-bound) nations would bless themselves. Of course, if there is only one class of Christians, then all Christians from all nations would be blessing themselves because they become incorporated into the Seed and are co-heirs with Jesus.
The early WT literature (can't provide refs atm) also said that the Anointed ones would be called to be joint-sacrificers with Jesus and forever give up their human nature so as to become partakers of the 'divine nature' (a term from one of Peter's letters) and then they would, jointly with Jesus, bring humanity back to perfection during the 1000 years, which is pretty much still being taught today.
It's just that the WTS' interpretation takes things too far, where the restoration of mankind's perfection occurs by means of an elite class AND Jesus; salvation is through an elite class AND Jesus. It has a more Gnostic than Christian flavor to it - if that makes any sense.
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bats in the belfry
AnnOMaly >
Watchtower May 15, 1936, The Sacpegoat, pp 44/45
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AnnOMaly
Thanks bats
