Ya'll are making the Governing Body look like a bunch of fools. They can be downright serious at times.
Latest convention brochure on,,, the Governing Body
by cedars 106 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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FatFreek 2005
And, they are truly inspired spirit-directed.
I hope this clears things up.
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Quendi
@ Finkelstein: Unless a man professes to be of the anointed and partakes of the emblems during the Memorial "celebration", he cannot serve on the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, period. That has been an ironclad rule which has never been broken or compromised. Now it has happened that some members--Garrit Lõsch in particular comes to mind--who originally claimed to be of the "other sheep class" but subsequently had a change in heart, declared themselves to be "anoninted", and began partaking. That qualified them to then serve on the Governing Body. I believe Ted Jarascz was another man who traveled a similar route to the leadership. But nobody is appointed/elected/invited to serve unless he professes to be anointed first.
Quendi
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Finkelstein
Thanks for the clarification Quendi, I read somewhere that most of the GB are anointed but few possibly weren't.
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Finkelstein
They act and conduct themselves like they were the top executives editors and directors of a religious publishing house .....naaaaa
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jeremiah18:5-10
I read a scripture this morning that I feel is relevant to this whole discussion. Luke 12:57 in the Amplified Bible says, "And why do you not judge what is just, and personally decide what is right?" This was Jesus talking to the "crowds" after denouncing the Pharisees. The verses prior to it he states that they know how to interpret the sky and weather, then poses that question. It seems Jesus was questioning why they needed a "governing body" (Pharisees and scribes) to judge for them.
This reminds me of JW's. They individually refuse to "decide for themselves" preferring to have a "governing body" and a body of elders to decide "what is just and right" for them.
Such delusionment is what keeps the GB employed.
From these verses I believ its clear how Jesus felt about any GB.
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jgnat
...but none of the GB today were alive for Jesus' invisible return, were they? So would they be neo-Annointed?
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Quendi
@ jgnat: You raise an interesting point about the "neo-Anointed" because it harks back to "old light". There was a time when WTS theology held there not only was an "anointed" and "other sheep" class among Jehovah's Witnesses, but that the anointed themselves were divided into two classes. Of course, this has been swept under the rug now along with so many other discredited and abandoned teachings but once upon a time, this was a view that was actively taught.
The thinking was that C.T. Russell and those who were originally associated with him had been prefigured in the Bible by the lives and times of Naomi and Mordecai. Witnesses who claimed anointed status but who joined the religion after Russell's death were thought to have been previewed by the lives and times of Ruth and Esther. So you had a "Naomi class" or "Mordecai class", depending on what "type" the WTS theology wanted to discuss and the "Ruth class " or "Esther class" again depending on what point was being examined. Confused? You would not have been alone.
Many of us Witness veterans can remember when WTS literature would talk about "types" and "antitypes", "typical" and "antitypical" fulfillments of Bible prophecy. There is a school of theology which holds that the Bible is deeply allegorical and full of symbolic dramas. There is Biblical precedent for this as can be seen in the discussion in the book of Hebrews about Sarah and Hagar. Many took that discussion and ran with it, applying it to the Bible as a whole. Among those who were fervent advocates of this viewpoint was Fred Franz and WTS publications were rife with this kind of thinking, reflecting his role as "seer and oracle" in the religion.
But as the years went by and those professing to be of the anointed began to dwindle to a small fraction of active Witnesses, you heard less and less talk about this. Today, you don't hear or read it at all. It has been expunged from current doctrine. With the Governing Body now having effectively shut out all other professed anointed Witnesses from having any voice or role in shaping policy, this should be no surprise. The last question a Garrit Lösch, Sam Herd, et al. want to answer is if he is part of the "Ruth" or "Esther" class of the anointed! It's better to pretend this was never taught in the first place, especially since it might reincite unrest among the "neo-Anointed".
Quendi
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
In Acts, the discussion by the "governing body" was recorded for all to read. The "Governing Body" today meets in private and many of their decisions are sent out in secret correspondence to COs and elders. There is no scriptural foundation for their modern "papacy".
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kurtbethel
This leads to some obvious questions one would ask so that they can be assured that they are taking direction from the correct governing body, and not some impostors.
How did the governing body in first century Jerusalem select successors?
When did they move out of Jerusalem, and where did they move to?
How long were they located there?
Where else did they move their headquarters to? Please give an example for each century since the first century of their names and location, with sufficient evidence.
