by Christ Alone 68 Replies latest jw friends
I had a fleeting encounter and a handshake with Gerrit Losch in a corridor at Brooklyn once. (Little was he to know... mwah ha ha!)
I also met Carey Barber in the Brooklyn dining room, although he was very frail at the time.
I never met Milton Henschel, but (believe it or not) I actually sat at his desk in his office! I have photographic evidence - but don't expect to be seeing it any time soon!
Cedars
SOPHIEG - hey, I've got connections. . .
I had two weeks with Albert Schroeder back in the early 70s at a school for congregation overseers.
I found him to be an extremely arrogant person - loved to show off his encyclopedic knowledge of old Watchtower articles.
His relationship with that boy (Judah Ben, about 10 at the time) was decidedly weird.
I had Barber as a district servant in the early 50's. I was just a little boy 5 or 6. But I thought he was strangely shy.
He never looked at the audience and appeared to be reading all of his talks.
A circuit overseer later told me when I was older that Barber's speeches were all memorized and that he sometimes would be paging through the song book while he recited his talk. Apparently he was shy - probably Asberger's Syndrome.
Karl Klein was fairly close to my parents. Him and his wife stayed with us a couple times.
He would start out a conversation with a leading title almost like a headline. One time he started out saying "There are no more Giants".
Realizing he needed to follow that up with some "amazing" insight I asked "What do you mean?"
He said, "Well their was Russell, then Rutheford, and then Knorr but now those Giants are gone and things are run by a Governing Body." He was presiding on the Governing body and called attention to that saying, "For example, right now I have the most important job on earth but somehow it doesn't feel that way." Being a brash young man with little respect for authority I asked him point blank "Who was the Giant Killer?"
He drew a blank look and became silent or should I say "discreet". I personally lost half of my faith in the Watchtower when they started rotating positions in the top teaching positions. I resented that because it presumed that all these guys had equal talent and ability. I was conducting the school at the time and refused to be appointed to Elder because I thought they did away with that concept back when they allegedly established theocratic order back in 1938. I felt the elder arrangement was kind of a coup d tat. The fact that Klein ended the conversation affirmed to me that there had to be some controversey over that whole deal.
Here is a talk by Dan Sydlik. You can tell he's a nice guy. I imagine this is the sort of talk Ray would have given while he was "in".
Herd was district overseer and came to my congregation. I think I said hello, but I was young and shy and in awe of someone of the "anointed". He gave me a strange look as if he were trying to figure me out.
My parents had dinner with Sydlik and some others after the convention one year. My mother was gushing all about it.
Thanks Christ Alone:
Now, please excuse Me of Little Faith, but how exactly does JHVH communicate with the GB-
Voices
thoughts
writing on a wall
Actually I am serious since I just dont understand how this works.
I ask because it just seems to me that if I was one of these guys I would know somewhere I was making $ht up.
The way God speaks to these men is very vague and has not been talked about much. Basically they believe that God's holy spirit (small h small s) guides them. This is not done with actual words. They believe that the holy spirit guides their hearts into what they teach. So if they sit down and do some "research" on a new article, the holy spirit will somehow guide them to write the correct things. If they are wrong, well then it wasn't the holy spirit that guided that particular view, it was their own faulty hearts.
Here are a few quotes so can see a bit into how they think it works. This was taken from this thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/197537/1/How-does-GOVERNING-BODY-receive-NEW-LIGHT:
"Doing God's Will" Brochure (1986), Pages 26-27:
The Governing Body supervises what the Society publishes. What is written is based on observing the spiritual needs of the flock and is the result of prayerful and thorough study and research into God’s Word. As these men continue to study the Bible and observe the progressive outworking of God’s purposes, the fulfillment of prophecy in world events, and the situation of God’s people in the world, they may at times find it necessary to make enlightened adjustments in the understanding of some teachings. In this way, knowledge of truth becomes ever more abundant.—Psalm 97:11; Proverbs 4:18; Daniel 12:4.
Proclaimers Book (1993), Pages 143-146:
How did Brother Russell view his own role? Did he claim some special revelation from God? In the Watch Tower of July 15, 1906 (page 229), Russell humbly replied: “No, dear friends, I claim nothing of superiority, nor supernatural power, dignity or authority; nor do I aspire to exalt myself in the estimation of my brethren of the household of faith, except in the sense that the Master urged it, saying, ‘Let him who would be great among you be your servant.’ (Matt. 20:27.) . . . The truths I present, as God’s mouthpiece, were not revealed in visions or dreams, nor by God’s audible voice, nor all at once, but gradually . . . Neither is this clear unfolding of truth due to any human ingenuity or acuteness of perception, but to the simple fact that God’s due time has come; and if I did not speak, and no other agent could be found, the very stones would cry out.”
The Watchtower, August 1st, 1985, Page 31:
Questions From Readers
· How does the holy spirit work along with the modern-day Governing Body in the appointment of elders?
The apostle Paul told Christian elders from Ephesus: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.”—Acts 20:28.
Paul did not explain in detail how God’s spirit functioned in such appointments. However, we can gain insight from what occurred when the first-century governing body considered a question concerning circumcision. In summarizing their conclusion, they wrote: “For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things.” (Acts 15:28) How did God’s spirit, his impersonal active force, contribute to the binding decision reached at that time?
Acts chapter 15 shows that first Paul and Barnabas outlined the question. Then a discussion took place. The apostle Peter related what had led up to baptism of the uncircumcised Gentile Cornelius and his household. Peter explained that ‘God bore witness by giving them the holy spirit, just as he did to us also.’ (Acts 15:7, 8; 10:9-48) Next Paul and Barnabas ‘related the many signs and portents that God did through them among the nations.’ (Acts 15:12) Thus, by its operation on Peter, Cornelius, Paul, and Barnabas, the holy spirit indicated that Gentiles did not need to be circumcised.
Yet there were additional operations of the spirit involved in that decision reached by the governing body. We can assume that they had asked for the help of the spirit on their deliberations. Such help may have moved the disciple James to recall the prophecy at Amos 9:11, 12, and to see its application. That prophecy had, of course, been written under the inspiration of the holy spirit. (Acts 15:13-20) Furthermore, “the apostles and older men in Jerusalem” who made up the governing body were Christians who were anointed with holy spirit and who manifested its operation in their lives, such as by producing its fruits.—Acts 15:2; Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 7:40; Galatians 5:22, 23.
So without there being some audible directive from heaven on the circumcision question, those of the governing body could accurately say that “the holy spirit” had led to their decision.
It is similar with the appointment of Christian men to be elders, or overseers, in the congregations today. Periodically a group of elders (likely including a traveling overseer of the Society) meet to consider recommending brothers for appointment as overseers. Those in the group have themselves been appointed as elders and they manifest in their lives that they have the spirit. Their discussion is opened with prayer for the spirit’s guidance. Then, during the meeting, they analyze whether each brother being considered measures up to the qualifications for elders set out in the Bible, which have been recorded under the direction of holy spirit. (1 Timothy 3:2-7; Titus 1:5-9) They also consider whether the brother evidences in his manner of life that he is “full of spirit and wisdom.” (Acts 6:3) If they agree that he is of that sort and meets the qualifications to a reasonable degree, their recommendation is forwarded to the spirit-designated Governing Body or its chosen representatives. Later the congregation may be informed that the brother has been appointed.
Understandably, the appointed elder is still imperfect and may have limitations. But the apostles were imperfect, both before Jesus chose them and later when they served on the governing body. (Luke 9:46, 54; 22:54-62; Galatians 2:11-14) They certainly did, though, have God’s spirit and were appointed under its guidance. Comparably, brothers and sisters can be confident that ‘the holy spirit has appointed the overseers, to shepherd the congregation.’ (Acts 20:28) It is regarding such men that the counsel is given: “Remember those who are taking the lead among you, who have spoken the word of God to you, and as you contemplate how their conduct turns out imitate their faith.”—Hebrews 13:7.
Thanks CA!
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