Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Memorial of Christ’s Death

by Greybeard 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  erbie

  Yes, quite so. I have thought long and hard about this too.

  Look at it this way: Not only do they discourage us from taking part, they actually get each and every one of us to refuse to partake. Every time we are handed that highly polished silver tray and we dumbly pass it on to the next person we are openly refusing to do exactly what Jesus explicitly commanded his followers to do.

  Either they are right to get us to do that or they are extremely insidious and clever at getting us to do the opposite of what is commanded.

  I haven't quite made up my mind yet. And what would their motive be?

  Exclusivity?

  I don't know. Help me out.
• 

  Greybeard

  @ erbie

  Like the hypocritical Pharisees their motive is to control people and dominate them with their man made doctrine.

  Matthew 23: 13-15, “Woe to YOU , scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for YOU yourselves do not go in, neither do YOU permit those on their way in to go in. Woe to YOU , scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one YOU make him a subject for Ge·hen´na twice as much so as yourselves."
• 

  designs

  I understand the partaking participation, I partook one time as a JW at the KH and another time with the Christian Millennial Fellowship (offshoot of the Bible Students).

  FYI- don't form an opinion on the Pharisees from the NT (hint- it wasn't like that).
• 

  james_woods

  Do you think it has to be done on Nisan 14/15 or that it can be done from time to time like the Catholics and others do?

  I never could convince myself that the JWs had any real case that it had to be done yearly in respect to an abandoned (for Christians) Jewish feast.
• 

  Greybeard

  @ james_woods: Jesus said "as often as you do it" at 1Corinthians 11:25 so many take that as more than once a year and I have no problem with that however so far I only do this once a year and only started partaking last year myself.

  @ designs: Could you tell me more about your view of the pharisees and what you believe it was like? Thanks
• 

  Chalam

  1 Peter 2:6-8

  New International Version (NIV)

  6 For in Scripture it says:

  “See, I lay a stone in Zion,
  a chosen and precious cornerstone,
  and the one who trusts in him
  will never be put to shame.”

  7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

  “The stone the builders rejected
  has become the cornerstone,”

  8 and,

  “A stone that causes people to stumble
  and a rock that makes them fall.”

  They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
• 

  mP

  chalam

  what does talking about a stone actually mean in relation to the memorial ? how in the world are the connwcted? are younsure younonly see the connection becuase the wts has interpreted thatnscripture for you to say tat ?
• 

  Chalam

  1 Corinthians 10:3-4

  New International Version (NIV)

  3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

  John 6:53-55

  New International Version (NIV)

  53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
• 

  designs

  Greybeard- The Pharisees came out of the first Jewish enlightenment period post Babylonian Exile. They were the progressives the base of Jewish intellectualism that sought equality for all. Part of their motto was- 'Unto all are given the Kingdom of Heaven'. Under Simon ben Shetach they began setting up free schools in every community, something that would not be seen again in history until the nineteenth century USA elementary educational system. They and the Sadducees kept the Jewish culture and heritage going through the centuries when Greece and Rome dominated their country.

  The Pharisees were responsible for a democratic and social revolution in Judea. Their second motto was- ' Take upon yourself the yoke of the Kingdom of god; let the fear of God be your judge and guide; and deal with one another according to the dictates of love'.
• 

  Greybeard

  @ designs

  Thank you for this information. Very interesting... May I ask where you found this information? Josephus? I have not read his writings but would like to. I do not doubt what you say and I believe the Pharisees most likely did do many good deeds. However I do believe they "gulped down the camel" when they rejected the son of God. In Matthew 23 Jesus had much to say about them and called them "blind guides". Much like many teachers of our children in this world, they too are blind guides, not all but many... This is only my opinion... I have much to learn myself I am sure