Comments You Will Not Hear at the 06-03-12 WT Study (APRIL 15, 2012, pages 3-7)(REVEAL THE FATHER)
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‘THE SON IS WILLING TO
REVEAL THE FATHER’
“Who the Father is, no one knows but the
Son, and he to whom the Son is willing to
reveal him.”—LUKE 10:22.
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?
Why was Jesus in a unique
position to reveal his Father?
How did Jesus reveal his
Father to others?
In what ways can you imitate
Jesus in revealing the Father?
OPENING COMMENTS
What a mishmash this article is. But one thing to realize, the jws believe only they are true believers and that all non-jws face immediate eternal death.
START OF ARTICLE
1, 2. What question has puzzled many, and why?
‘WHO is God?’ This question puzzles many.
For instance, although most nominal
Christians believe that God is a Trinity,
many will admit that this doctrine is impossible to
understand. One author and clergyman acknowledged:
“This is a doctrine beyond the scope of man’s
finite mind. It lies outside the realm of natural reason
or human logic.” On the other hand, most who
accept the theory of evolution believe that there is
no God. They attribute all the wonders of creation
to blind chance. Even so, instead of denying God’s
existence, Charles Darwin said: “The safest conclusion
seems to me that the whole subject is beyond
the scope of man’s intellect.”
COMMENTS
Nominal Christians = so-called, professed; the WTS took on the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” not even bothering to make it “Jehovah’s CHRISTIAN Witnesses”; do jws even consider themselves “Christians” if asked what religion are you, do they say Christians or jws?
One author and clergyman = who? Dr. Walter Martin
http://www.waltermartin.com/bio.html
most…most means what, 50.1%? 99.9%
2 Most people, whatever their beliefs, have pondered
over questions related to God’s existence.
However, when they failed to reach a satisfying conclusion,
many eventually gave up on their search for
God. Indeed, Satan has “blinded the minds of the
unbelievers.” (2 Cor. 4:4) Little wonder that the majority
of mankind are left in ignorance and confusion
as to the truth about the Father, the Creator of
the universe!—Isa. 45:18.
COMMENTS
Most people? Have they failed to reach a satisfying conclusion, proof!
Unbelievers = non-jws including those who consider themselves Christians
Majority………..most……….?
3. (a) Who has revealed the Creator to us? (b) What questions
are we going to consider?
3 Yet, it is vital that people learn the truth about
God. Why? Because only those who call “on the
name of Jehovah” will be saved. (Rom. 10:13) To call
on God’s name involves becoming acquainted with
Jehovah as a Person. Jesus Christ disclosed to his
disciples this vital knowledge. He revealed the Father
to them. (Read Luke 10:22.) Why was Jesus able
to reveal the Father as no one else could? How did
Jesus do so? And how can we imitate Jesus
in revealing the Father to others? Let
us consider these questions.
COMMENTS
Does the WTS though only pull over “Jehovah” when it appears in the OT (Romans 10:13 see Joel 2:32) but wherever their judgment thinks it should be there. (see also Appendix 1D in the NWT)
***w82 3/15 pp. 26-27 par. 26 od***
The New World Translation also uses the name “Jehovah” in addition to where the name appears in quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures. Why? So as to help the reader to know whether Jehovah God or Jesus Christ is referred to when “Lord” (Kyrios) appears in the Greek text.
Why is it though Jesus never used God’s name in his prayers?
JESUS CHRIST—UNIQUELY QUALIFIED
4, 5. Why was Jesus in a unique position to reveal
his Father?
4 Jesus was especially qualified to
reveal his Father. Why? Because before
all other forms of life were created,
the spirit creature who later became
the man Jesus already existed in heaven
as “the only-begotten Son of God.”
(John 1:14; 3:18) What a unique position!
While no other creature existed,
the Son basked in the warmth of his Father’s
attention and learned about Him
and His qualities. The Father and Son
must have communicated extensively
and developed deep affection for each
other over aeons of time. (John 5:20; 14:
31) What a wealth of insight into his
Father’s personality the Son must have
gained!—Read Colossians 1:15-17.
COMMENTS
Why then is Jesus left out of the WTS equation so much starting with the name the WTS chose for their members—JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES—although there is no mention of that name in the OT where Christians are called Jesus’ witnesses even by Jesus himself at Acts 1:8?
5 The Father designated the Son to
be His spokesman, “The Word of God.”
(Rev. 19:13) Therefore, Jesus was in a
unique position to reveal the Father
to others. Appropriately, Gospel writer
John describes Jesus, “the Word,” as being
“in the bosom position with the Father.”
(John 1:1, 18) With that expression,
John alludes to a custom that in
his day was common at mealtimes. One
guest would recline right in front of another
person on the same couch. Being
close together, these two could easily
engage in conversation. So the Son,
being “in the bosom position,” had intimate
conversations with his Father.
COMMENTS
The “other sheep” of the WTS are not invited to eat with the “anointed” though merely to stand/sit in the dining room and observe.
6, 7. How did the relationship between the Father
and the Son keep developing?
6 The relationship between the Father
and the Son kept developing. The Son
“came to be the one [God] was specially
fond of day by day.” (Read Proverbs
8:22, 23, 30, 31.) It is logical, then,
that the bond between the two became
stronger as they worked together and as
the Son learned to imitate his Father’s
qualities. With the creation of other intelligent
creatures, the Son saw how Jehovah
dealt with each one, and his appreciation
for God’s personality surely
deepened.
COMMENTS
Note that the WTS only pulls out a snippet from Proverbs 8, don’t want to confuse anyone but even there the WTS cannot resist using brackets [] to help the rank and file understand the bible.
7 Even the challenge that Satan later
launched against the rightfulness of Jehovah’s
sovereignty gave the Son an opportunity
to learn how Jehovah would
exercise love, justice, wisdom, and power
when He was confronted with a difficult
situation. This would, in turn,
no doubt have prepared Jesus to cope
with the difficulties that he himself later
encountered in his ministry on earth.
—John 5:19.
COMMENTS
Later? Adam and Eve, Job, something else?
8. How do the Gospel accounts help us to
learn much about the Father’s qualities?
8 Because of his close relationship
with Jehovah, the Son explained the Father
in richer detail than anyone else
could ever do. What better way could
there be for us to come to know the Father
than by considering what his only begotten
Son taught and did? To illustrate,
think how difficult it would be for
us to come to appreciate fully what the
word “love” means by merely reading
a dictionary definition. Yet, by reflecting
on the vivid accounts of the Gospel writers
about Jesus’ ministry and his
ways of caring for others, we can gain
much insight into the statement “God is
love.” (1 John 4:8, 16) The same is true of
God’s other qualities that Jesus revealed
to his disciples while he was on earth.
COMMENTS
If Jesus could explain God better than anyone, why is the majority of the bible written by other people, and not even he wrote down anything the said.
Why then is the bulk of what jws are expected to read WTS (human words) not the bible?
HOW JESUS REVEALED HIS FATHER
9. (a) In what two basic ways did Jesus reveal
his Father? (b) Give an example that shows how
Jesus revealed his Father through his teaching.
9 How did Jesus reveal the Father to
his disciples and by extension to his
future followers? He did so in two
basic ways: through his teachings and
through his conduct. Let us first consider
Jesus’ teachings. What Jesus taught
his followers reflected his deep insight
into his Father’s thoughts, feelings, and
ways. For example, Jesus likened his Father
to a caring owner of a flock who
goes off to look for one stray sheep. Jesus
said that when the owner finds the
lost sheep, “he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that have not
strayed.” What was the application of
that illustration? “Likewise,” Jesus explained,
“it is not a desirable thing with
my Father who is in heaven for one of
these little ones to perish.” (Matt. 18:
12-14) What can you learn about Jehovah
from this illustration? Even if you at
times feel that you are of little value and
are forgotten, your heavenly Father is interested
in you and cares for you. In his
eyes, you are one of “these little ones.”
COMMENTS
How many jws realize that the first book about Jesus was written 28 years after Jesus died by Matthew?
Do jw elders go after the one, or expect the one to seek out the elder? Feel forgotten or realize no one calls when you are sick, realizes you were on vacation, etc.
10. How did Jesus reveal his Father through his
own conduct?
10 The second way in which Jesus revealed
the Father to his disciples was
by means of his conduct. So when the
apostle Philip asked Jesus: “Show us
the Father,” Jesus could rightly say: “He
that has seen me has seen the Father
also.” (John 14:8, 9) Consider some examples
of how Jesus demonstrated his
Father’s qualities. When a leper begged
Jesus to cure him, Jesus touched the
man who was “full of leprosy” and told
him: “I want to. Be made clean.” Upon
being cured, the leper no doubt could
see Jehovah’s hand in what Jesus did.
(Luke 5:12, 13) Also, at the time of Lazarus’
death, the disciples must have
felt the Father’s compassion when Jesus
“groaned in the spirit and became
troubled” and “gave way to tears.”
Though Jesus knew that he was going to
resurrect Lazarus, he felt the pain that
was evident among Lazarus’ family and
friends. (John 11:32-35, 40-43) You no
doubt have your favorite Bible accounts
that enable you to see the merciful Father
as exemplified by Jesus’ actions.
COMMENTS
Touch a leper = I remember the elder who would not touch any doorknobs at the KH because he knew a brother attending had AIDS. Or the elder who would not visit any jws at the hospital (and he was on the HLC).
Why did Jesus resurrect Lazarus when all the other people he had resurrected were not his followers?
***it-2 p. 785 Resurrection ***
Because of having been resurrected by his friend Jesus, Lazarus was likely alive Pentecost 33 C.E., when the holy spirit was poured out and the first ones of the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1) were anointed and spirit begotten. (Ac 2:1-4, 33, 38) Lazarus’ resurrection was similar to those performed by Elijah and Elisha. But it probably opened up to Lazarus the opportunity of receiving a resurrection like Christ’s, which he otherwise would not have had. What a remarkable act of love on Jesus’ part!—Joh 11:38-44.
11. (a) When Jesus cleansed the temple, what
did he reveal about his Father? (b) Why is the
account of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple reassuring
to us?
11 However, what conclusion do you
draw from Jesus’ cleansing of the temple?
Visualize the scene: Jesus made a
whip of ropes, and he drove out those
selling cattle and sheep. He scattered
the coins of the money changers and
overturned their tables. (John 2:13-17)
That forceful action made the disciples
recall the prophetic words of King David:
“Sheer zeal for your house has eaten
me up.” (Ps. 69:9) By taking firm action,
Jesus showed a strong desire to
defend true worship. Do you see in that
account the Father’s personality? It reminds
us that God has not only the unlimited
power to wipe wickedness from
the face of the earth but also the ardent
desire to do so. This depiction of Jesus’
strong reaction to wrongdoing reveals
how the Father must feel as he looks
at the wickedness that is rampant on
earth today. How reassuring that is to us
when we are coping with injustices!
COMMENTS
True worship = only jws though, all others will die eternally at Armageddon, all 7 billion men, women and children.
Wipe wickedness = wipe all non-jws
12, 13. What can you learn about Jehovah
from the way Jesus treated his disciples?
12 Let us consider another example
—the way Jesus treated his disciples.
They kept arguing about who was greater.
(Mark 9:33-35; 10:43; Luke 9:46)
From his long experience with the Father,
Jesus knew how Jehovah feels
about such prideful tendencies. (2 Sam.
22:28; Ps. 138:6) Moreover, Jesus had
seen such inclinations manifested by
Satan the Devil. That egotistic individual
cared greatly about prominence
and position. Hence, how grieved Jesus
must have been to see an ambitious
attitude continue among the disciples
he had trained! It was even found
among the ones he had chosen as apostles!
They showed an ambitious attitude
until the very last day of Jesus’ life on
earth. (Luke 22:24-27) Yet, Jesus kept on
reproving them with kindness, without
ever losing hope that they would eventually
learn to imitate his own humble
mental attitude.—Phil. 2:5-8.
COMMENTS
So who reproves the elders? Did the apostles learn humility…the jw anointed supposedly are imperfect and somehow the moment they die and go to heaven as spirits, they become perfect and immortal, how is that? The “other sheep” will take 1,000 years before they are even offered eternal life.
13 Can you see the Father’s hand in
the way Jesus patiently corrected wrong
tendencies in his disciples? Do you see
in Jesus’ actions and words the Father,
who does not forsake his people despite
their repeated failures? With that
knowledge of God’s qualities in mind,
are we not motivated to approach him to
express our repentance when we make
mistakes?
COMMENTS
Peter denied Jesus 3 times; was he put on restrictions for a year, no, he was the lead speaker at the first convention of Christians in the first century. What about later when Peter stopped associated with Gentile Christians and was chewed out publicly by Paul?
What about jws with repeated failures…they are marked as bad association.
THE SON WILLINGLY
REVEALED HIS FATHER
14. How did Jesus show that he was willing to
reveal his Father?
14 Many dictators try to keep people
under control and in ignorance by withholding
information from them. In contrast,
Jesus was willing to share the
information he had about the Father, revealing
Him fully to others. (Read Matthew
11:27.) In addition, Jesus gave
his disciples “intellectual capacity that
[they might] gain the knowledge of the
true one,” Jehovah God. (1 John 5:20)
What does that mean? Jesus opened up
his followers’ minds so that they could
understand his teachings about the Father.
He did not hide his Father in a
cloud of mystery by teaching that He
was part of an incomprehensible Trinity.
COMMENTS
Many dictators (the WTS) try to keep people under control and ignorance by withholding (hiding) information from them.
How many jws think the WTS has CONSISTENTLY taught that the presence of Jesus began in 1914 without realizing that with some digging they will find out that they taught it was 1874 for some time.
So does the WTS teach that any jws, including anointed jws, get any special help from God or do they have to go through the WTS?
15. Why did Jesus hold back some information
about his Father?
15 Did Jesus reveal everything that he
knew about his Father? No, he wisely
held back from sharing many things he
knew. (Read John 16:12.) Why? Because
at the time, his disciples were “not able
to bear” such knowledge. As Jesus explained,
though, a great deal of knowledge
would be revealed upon the arrival
of “the helper,” the holy spirit, that
would guide them “into all the truth.”
(John 16:7, 13) Just as wise parents may
withhold some information from their
children until the children become old
enough to understand, so Jesus waited
until the disciples became mature and
able to comprehend certain facts about
the Father. Jesus kindly took into account
their limitations.
COMMENTS
So does the WTS withhold info from the rank and file? What about the elders’ manual….if it weren’t for the internet, no one would realize that if a person stays overnight unchaperoned with someone of the opposite sex, that they can be df’d for adultery/fornication despite there being no witnesses of the sin.
Is the WTS our parent or equal to Jesus? Doesn’t the WTS made up of imperfect humans have the limitations as the rank and file?
IMITATE JESUS BY HELPING
OTHERS TO KNOW JEHOVAH
16, 17. Why are you in a position to reveal the
Father to others?
16 When you come to know someone
well and appreciate his loving personality,
are you not moved to tell others
about him? When on earth, Jesus talked
about his Father. (John 17:25, 26) Is it
possible for us to imitate him in revealing
Jehovah to others?
COMMENTS
Did Jesus saw would reveal God or would his followers be witnesses of Jesus?
(Acts 1:8) but YOU will receive power when the holy spirit arrives upon YOU, and YOU will be witnesses of me both in Jerusalem and in all Ju·de′a and Sa·mar′i·a and to the most distant part of the earth.”
17 As we have considered, Jesus had
far deeper knowledge of his Father than
others did. Yet, he was willing to share
some of what he knew, even giving his
followers the intellectual capacity for
grasping deeper aspects of God’s personality.
With the help of Jesus, have
we not come to appreciate our Father in
a way that most people today do not?
How grateful we are that Jesus through
his teachings and conduct willingly revealed
his Father to us! In fact, we may
properly boast in knowing the Father.
(Jer. 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:31) As we have striven
to draw close to Jehovah, he has drawn
close to us. (Jas. 4:8) Therefore, we are
now in a position to share our knowledge
with others. How can we do that?
COMMENTS
Willing to share SOME…so does the WTS give us “intellectual capacity”
Boast in knowing Jesus….draw close to Jesus?
18, 19. In what ways can you reveal the Father
to others? Explain.
18 We need to imitate Jesus by revealing
the Father by our words and deeds.
Keep in mind that many we meet in
field service do not know who God is.
Their view of God may be obscured
by false teachings. We may share with
them what we know about God’s name,
his purpose for humans, and his personality
as revealed in the Bible. Moreover,
we may discuss with fellow believers
some Bible accounts that reveal
God’s personality in a way that we did
not appreciate before. That way, they
too may benefit.
COMMENTS
Many…do not know God..all non-jws even those who think they are Christians
Revealed in the bible—rather revealed in the WTS publications
Fellow believers==only jws
19 How about revealing the Father by
your conduct as you strive to imitate Jesus?
When people see in our actions the
love of Christ, they will be drawn to the
Father as well as to Jesus. (Eph. 5:1, 2)
The apostle Paul encouraged us to ‘become
imitators of him, even as he was
of Christ.’ (1 Cor. 11:1) What a wonderful
privilege we have of helping people
to see Jehovah in the way we conduct
ourselves! Yes, may we all keep on imitating
Jesus by revealing the Father to
others.
COMMENTS
I did not see the love of Christ in the actions of jws. Jws shun those with repeated failures or perceived failures by their definitions. See God or Jesus by our conduct, Jesus’ followers were called Christians in the NT.
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Next week, BETRAYAL AN OMINOUS SIGN OF THE TIMES!
Somehow I know David is not going to be used as an example.
Love, Blondie