Less literature for Field Service means more Bible usage...

by Alfred 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  Alfred

  I recently asked my JW elder brother (who thinks I'm just "inactive") what he makes of the reduction in pages of the WT & Awake rags...

  His response was something like:

  Well this was something that has been discussed for a long time. The Society feels that the brothers need to start using the Bible more in Field Service so they are slowly reducing the pages of the literature to encourage the brothers to read the Bible more and not depend so much on the literature. They're doing this because they know the Great Tribulation is just around the corner and we may not be able to use our literature as freely as in the past.

  I'm not going to bore you with the discussion that followed... suffice to say that my reaction to all of this was:

  WTF???
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  baltar447

  
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  clearpoison

  Well, as far as I remember (I admit I have lost lots of memory of last times things) it was encouraged that only one article should be brought up at the door based on the interest of door opener. To my understanding there will still be two magazines to offer, which certainly will contain at least one article you can bring up at the door, as earlier. Do not sound right at all.

  CP
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  St George of England

  Maybe they are planning a simplified Bible.

  George
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  fugue

  Householders will appreciate the smaller magazines. They will take up less space in their trash cans.
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  Disillusioned Lost-Lamb

  Yeah right! When pigs fly!
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  cedars

  Ordinary publishers are hopeless when it comes to just using their bibles on the doorstep and nothing else. Offered literature is a crutch they all lean on in an attempt to justify their uninvited presence on a stranger's doorstep. Without anything to hide behind apart from their own words and a bible, most crumble. They certainly don't know where to take the conversation in the rare event they manage to start one. Usually it involves the promise of calling back with literature at another time, which defeats the object. They may as well just offer the literature to begin with, and dispense with the awkwardness.

  And besides, how can you have an "official" bible study with someone without at some point placing a Bible Teach book with them? The preaching work of Jehovah's Witnesses is absolutely dependent on literature, whether they like to admit it or not.

  Cedars
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  mP

  it will be funny when jws show their revelation book with page after page of paste over corrections. perhaps they will rele$ase a book or movie about the song of solomon, or can highlight the 613 laws in the tanauch especially the virgin raping and slavery.
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  fugue

  There's a thread over on JWTalk where they're explaining why they MUST use literature, not just the bible.

  B: "I only read the Bible, I don't need your literature." I meet people who say that. You probably do to. But how do you handle it? I envision this conversation: Do you go to church? Yes! Does your pastor give you a sermon? Yes! In that sermon I suppose he gives experiences, illustrations and explanations of scriptures. Yes! If he wrote his sermon on paper would you read it? You see where I'm going with this. I don't want to insult the HH but want him/her to think about how they learned what they know about the Bible. Thus giving them a new outlook on Bible literature. What do you think?

  H: I too have experienced the no literature defence. It is a great way to sharpen your brain because once you have tucked the magazine back into the folder, (make sure Hh eyes follow) it is time to do as they have asked. Just use the Bible. Be sure to leave a Qu to call back on next visit. That kind of person often turns out to be a good r/v. Iron sharpens iron.

  T: Yeah, I have started a few studies this way. I look at chapter one and pick out the verses and reasoning and use just that. Then after a few weeks I ask if they enjoyed their study - ONLY from the Bible. If yes - I show them the book and show that - we have been just following it ALL along. That is why this is called a BIBLE study. I have had a few continue from there, but they too have fizzled ... To date - I have not had a person who started out this way progress to baptism. I am still hopeful. At some point they have to accept the slave (Matt 25: 34-41 ) or ... (Matt 25: 41-46 )

  A: My dad, when he was at pioneer school a few years ago, said the CO suggested that they use the bible more and the literature less. There may be a time we don't have our literature, so using the bible only is a good idea. It's good practice to start that now. I think with the smaller mags, less pages, there will be less articles to discuss, so we may have to use our bible more. Think it's awesome! I need to work on it, but I am hoping that I can just use the bible when I speak to others eventually. It would be awesome, imo, to just teach from the bible and not be dependent on our literature.

  H: My congr. had that advice from our Co in the mid 90's. Hubby and I both a/pioneered for months using the Bible only He carried a range of tracts in his suit pocket as a surprise and it worked. People saw us arrive up their garden paths without our tell-tale bags and we gave them quite the shock (and they said so) because they thought we were somebody else. Most people gave us generous time and opinion because we were not 'armed to the teeth '. . we got a fine study out of it and that couple are still in the Truth today. We are in a different congr. now and publishers often use the simple tack . . leave the bag and use the Bible only . . you can't fail. Experience from our Field Service Overseer . . he was doing the Bible only method when the husband & wife thanked him for the good converstaion and Bible texts . . when FSO asked for a time to return he noticed a sign on the verandah saying no religious callers . . the couple explained that they don't mind if he returned . .that sign is there for The Watchtower people. Makes you think . .

  M: In the past, I've shown people the story in Acts of the Ethiopian Eunuch. He was reading Isaiah by himself. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, and the Eunuch said: "How could I, unless someone explained it to me?" So Philip sat with him and explained it. Then I've told the householder that I am like the Ethiopian Eunuch. I read the Bible by itself, and it speaks to me... but I can't fully understand it without someone to explain it. That's what our literature does. It sits with us, just like Philip, and explains what we are reading. Note that Philip's explanation never REPLACED the Eunuch's reading of Isaiah, it simply supplemented it. That's the role that Bible literature plays in my life, and that's why I'd like to share it with you, too.
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  fugue

  I love the third one. He's basically bragging that he deceives the householders. He claims that he's conducting a study "using just the bible," but in reality he is still using the book... he just has it memorized so the householder doesn't see it. Then later he shows them: "See? You thought we were just using the bible, but we were really using this book!"