by allyouneedislove 8 Replies latest watchtower bible
Hello all,
Is there any Biblical support for having the pioneer arangement, that the WT provides? Even if you don't agree with it, could someone please provide the WT references that show Biblical support for it? I remember a long time pioneer saying that pioneering mirrored something in ancient Israel, like the Levite class or something.
Thanks in advance!
Is the word "pioneer" even in the bible?
How many terms does the Borg use that aren't even in the Bible?
Nope.
There is nothing in the LIE-ble about any "ranks" that have minimum hour requirements. You have missionaries who are obligated only to travel with established Christians on specific missions. There is no way of knowing how many hours a month Paul did in field circus. Even Jesus, the one they are supposedly measured against, never had any indication of how much time he spent in the ministry--and it was his ministry. If anyone would have been in a position to put in 200+ hours a month in the ministry every month, Jesus would have been the one. Where in the LIE-ble does it say how much time Jesus put in the ministry per month?
The only 'logic' (if you can call it that) or biblical basis i have seen is the nazarite arrangment. Beyond that there is nothing. Because of course, there is none. There is plenty of reason to not report service time in the first place, like the council not to compare ourselves... But since when does that matter ;)
Thanks elderelite,
The quotes I found when searching "pioneer nazirite" in the WT CD-ROM are below.
*** km 2/71 p. 4 A Letter from the Pioneers ***
In addition to the normal worship required by the Law, the Israelites could voluntarily make “a special vow to live as a Nazirite to Jehovah.” During that time they would abstain from some of the normal activities of life, in order to be especially “separated to Jehovah.” (Num. 6:2-8) Now today it is impossible for you to take a Nazirite vow, but as congregation publishers you can do something similar when you vacation pioneer. That’s why it’s considered as one of the “special privileges of service” in the “Lamp” book, pages 186 and 199.
*** w82 3/1 pp. 19-20 Jehovah’s Valiant Army of Full-Time Fighters ***
Doing More—As Nazirites Did
12 Many who have taken up the pioneer service have been impelled by a desire to do more. It is not a competitive or prideful desire to do more than their Christian brothers and sisters, but a desire to do more in manifesting love for Jehovah and their neighbors. (Matthew 22:37-39) We have an interesting Biblical example in the Nazirites. Ancient Israelite men and women could volunteer to be Nazirites, which name comes from the Hebrew word na·zir′, meaning dedicated, separated, singled out. Being a Nazirite required taking a vow, but we should not try to parallel this with a Christian’s decision to pioneer, for that does not involve a vow with resulting solemn obligations. Still, we can think about certain instructive similarities between the Nazirites and the pioneers.
13 An Israelite who volunteered to serve as a Nazirite accepted certain restrictions that helped to emphasize his “separated” or “singled out” role in worshiping Jehovah. One restriction involved food and drink, as explained at Numbers 6:3, 4. A Nazirite could not consume intoxicating beverages or the products of the grapevine. (Psalm 104:15) While there was a degree of self-denial, no necessary food was forbidden. Thus this restriction did not impose suffering.
14 Successful pioneers center their life, not around material things such as food or luxurious possessions, but around their service to God’s praise. This is an essential for a deep-seated and abiding joy that is the envy of many persons who might seem, from a material standpoint, to have a “better” life. (Compare Luke 12:16-21.) Living a simpler or more materially limited life also may bring benefits that are easily overlooked. Health experts report on the many-sided dangers of a diet with much rich food and drink. But a pioneer who normally has rather simple meals, though balanced and nutritious, and who combines that with plenty of walking in his house-to-house preaching, likely will have better health. Persons who have large homes, the latest in mechanical or electronic devices, and many other possessions, know that these things bring with them recurring “headaches,” or problems. The parallels between Numbers 6:3, 4 and pioneering are worthy of our consideration.
15 The second restriction for Nazirites was that they could not cut the hair of their heads. (Numbers 6:5) Their long hair was a crowning sign from which others could recognize them. Paul later explained that a Christian woman’s long hair was a reminder of her situation as to submission. (1 Corinthians 11:3-15) Having in mind the Nazirites’ long hair, can we not agree that a Christian brother or sister who volunteers to pioneer is manifesting, to a considerable degree, submission to Jehovah God? Many personal interests are set aside or given a secondary role so that the ministry receives first attention. The pioneer learns to depend on God, to submit to God.
16 A final requirement for Nazirites was that they must not touch any dead body, not even if a close relative such as a parent died. (Numbers 6:6, 7) Thus a Nazirite was to remain holy and clean, undefiled. (Compare the requirement for the high priest at Leviticus 21:10, 11.) Today no Christian, including any pioneer, is forbidden to arrange for or attend the funeral of a close relative. But, as with the Nazirites, pioneers want to avoid any questionable practice or course that might disqualify them. They want to be exemplary. And if a pioneer, who loves his family, is in a distant assignment and thus not able to visit them as much as might otherwise be possible, he draws satisfaction from knowing that Jehovah recognizes this sacrifice.
17 The Bible shows that an Israelite who became a Nazirite was not going through some mere religious ritual. Rather, he was undertaking an important, satisfying way of life, for God spoke of such a man as ‘living as a Nazirite to Jehovah.’ (Numbers 6:2) Similarly, the pioneer service today is a way of life and a happy one at that!
Pioneers were originally known as colporteurs.
*** yb75 p. 61 Part 1—United States of America ***
For many years prior to 1914 zealous colporteurs—Christian men and women “aglow with the spirit”—had been spreading the good news far and wide. (Rom. 12:11) The colporteur service began in 1881, when Zion’s Watch Tower carried the article “Wanted 1,000 Preachers.” To persons without dependent families and who could give one half or more of their time to the Lord’s work a plan was suggested. It was that they go into large and small cities as colporteurs or evangelists. For what purpose? Said the Watch Tower: “Seek to find in every place the earnest Christians . . . to these seek to make known the riches of Our Father’s grace, and the beauties of His word.” Bible publications were to be placed in the hands of such persons, and colporteurs were permitted to pay their own expenses with money received from literature placements and Watch Tower subscriptions that they obtained.
*** yb79 p. 128 Canada ***
Colporteurs were well organized by the early 1930’s... About that time, colporteurs began to be called pioneers.
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More info » Source - Dictionary.com - Answers.com - Merriam-Webster - The Free Dictionary The NWT does use the word PUBLISH(ING) which the WTS uses to describe jws, even pioneers.
(Acts 13:4-5) 4 Accordingly these men, sent out by the holy spirit, went down to Se?leu´cia, and from there they sailed away to Cy´prus. 5 And when they got to be in Sal´a?mis they began publishing the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They had John also as an attendant.
(Acts 15:36) . . .Now after some days Paul said to Bar´na?bas: "Above all things, let us return and visit the brothers in every one of the cities in which we published the word of Jehovah to see how they are."
(8 more times in Acts)
No "pioneer" who were called "colporteurs" earlier.
The term appeared fairly frequently in 1920s Watchtowers when Bible Students signed letters describing themselves as "pioneer colporteurs". Watchtowers described the apostle Paul as a pioneer (by preaching in virgin territory) and by the looks of a September 1931 WT article, the term referred similarly to fulltime preachers who travelled, often pitching tents to sleep. The term appears liberally in 1932 Watchtowers, again referring to fulltime travelling preachers.
By late 1932 the term seemed to have replaced "colporteurs" (the September 1932 WT reads: "This “crown of glory” is not bestowed because one has been elected to an office by the votes of men, but is bestowed upon all the faithful, including the faithful pioneers, whom we sometimes call “colporteurs”, and all others who are faithful and are made members of the ‘elect servant’.
A Nov 15 1933 WT article refers to the number of "pioneers and auxiliaries" at work in the US. The term seems to have been broadened in later years to include anyone plodding around neighbours, wasting a set amount of time to impress others with their level of dedication. Oh, and spirituality of course.
To add to Blondie's references, here are a few that indicate that JWs view their pioneer ranks as "an army". They are compared to locust swarm (in Joel and Revelation). In most of these cases it does refer to the publishers as a whole, however with the pioneers putting in most of the hours. In that sense the word "pioneer" could be understood as "foot soldier" (from Old French).
W98 5/1 11
19 God’s modern-day locust army has given a thorough witness in “the city” of Christendom. (Joel 2:9) They have done so throughout the world. They are still climbing over all obstacles, entering millions of homes, approaching people on the street, speaking to them over the phone, and contacting them in any way possible as they declare Jehovah’s message. Indeed, they have distributed billions of Bible publications and will distribute many, many more in their ceaseless ministry—both publicly and from house to house.—Acts 20:20, 21.
Re 146-148
18 The modern-day locusts had a job to do. The Kingdom good news had to be preached. Errors had to be exposed. Lost sheep had to be found. As the locusts went about these tasks, the world was forced to sit up and take notice. In obedience to the angels’ trumpet blasts, the John class has continued to expose Christendom as deserving of Jehovah’s adverse judgments. In response to the fifth trumpet, a particular aspect of these judgments was emphasized at a convention of the Bible Students in London, England, May 25-31, 1926. This featured a resolution, “A Testimony to the Rulers of the World,” and a public talk at the Royal Albert Hall on “Why World Powers Are Tottering—The Remedy,” the complete text of both of these being printed in a leading London newspaper the following day. Later, the locust band distributed worldwide, as a tract, 50 million copies of that resolution—a torment indeed to the clergy! Years later, people in England still spoke of this stinging exposé.
W02 9/15 8
(Ps. 110:3) The dewdrop simile is fitting, for dew is linked to abundance and blessing. (Genesis 27:28) Dewdrops are gentle and refreshing. In this time of Christ’s presence, young Christians willingly and eagerly offer themselves in great numbers. Just like refreshing dewdrops, many young men and women cheerfully serve God and assist their fellow worshipers.—Psalm 71:17.
W91 1/1 23
(Ps 68:11) 14 It is of interest that in many lands, such as the United States, about 75 percent of all pioneer publishers are sisters, giving force to the words of Psalm 68:11: “Jehovah himself gives the saying; the women telling the good news are a large army.” Our sisters are to be commended in that they are doing the greater part of the field work. Their skillful teaching at home Bible studies is leading many to the truth, and married sisters who are loyally supportive of husbands with many congregation duties are also to be warmly praised.—Proverbs 31:10-12; Ephesians 5:21-25, 33.
