IsThe "Slave Class" Biblical?

by stevieb1 5 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  stevieb1

  I'm currently involved in an in-depth study of the WT Society's doctrine of the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matthew 24:45-47 and hope to present my research to an inquiring JW elder. I am trying to counter some of the claims made in the following reference:- Insight On The Scriptures Vol 1, pp. 805-806. Here is a quote from p.806 which adequately describes the Society's understanding of the "slave class"
  QUOTE:

  Commentators often view this as a general exhortation to any and all who have individual positions of responsibility in the Christian congregation. The requirement of faithfulness in discharging responsibility clearly applies to all such. (Compare Mt 25:14-30; Tit 1:7-9.) Yet, the impossibility of each and every one of these individuals being placed over "all" his master's belongings at the same time, the time of the master's arrival, is obvious. This, however, does not require that the "slave" prefigure only one particular person who would be so privileged. The Scriptures contain examples of the use of a singular noun to refer to a collective group, as when Jehovah addressed the collective group of the Israelite nation and told them: "You are my witnesses [plural], . . . even my servant [singular] whom I have chosen." (Isa 43:10) Similarly, the figure of the unfaithful "evil slave" could apply to a collective group in the same way that "the antichrist" is shown to be a class made up of individual antichrists.--1Jo 2:18; 2Jo 7.

  Those forming the Christian congregation are referred to by the apostle Paul as "members of the household of God" (Eph 2:19; 1Ti 3:15), and the same apostle shows that 'faithful stewardship' among such household members involved the dispensing of spiritual truths on which those becoming believers would 'feed.' (1Co 3:2, 5; 4:1, 2; compare Mt 4:4.) Whereas this was a prime responsibility of those appointed as 'shepherds' of the flock (1Pe 5:1-3), the apostle Peter shows that such stewardship of the divine truths was actually committed to all the 'chosen ones,' all the spirit-anointed ones, of the Christian congregation. (1Pe 1:1, 2; 4:10, 11) Thus the entire anointed Christian congregation was to serve in a united stewardship, dispensing such truths. At the same time the individual members making up such composite body, or the "domestics" making up the "house" of God (Mt 24:45; Heb 3:6; Eph 2:19), would also be recipients of the "food" dispensed. (Heb 5:11-14; compare 1Co 12:12, 19-27.) Expanded responsibility would result from faithfulness maintained until the master's promised 'arrival.'--Mt 24:46,47; Lu 12:43, 44

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  love to read your comments.
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  aChristian

  Notice that Christ asked, "Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed (past tense) over his domestics (those in his household), to give them their food at the proper time?" These words clearly apply to an appointment Christ had already then made. For Christ had appointed all of his followers to care for the needs of their fellow Christians.

  Then Jesus said, "Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings." That these words apply to a time when Christ would appoint faithful Christians over far more than just his household also seems clear. When Christ returns he will appoint Christians over "all his belongings." No longer will they be in charge of just his household belongings.

  The Watchtower Society maintains and asks us to believe that Jehovah's Witnesses now make up all in Christ's household, all his "domestics." That is hard for many to believe. But the Watchtower organization then goes much further. For it maintains that Christ already has fulfilled the second part of this illustration. They tell us Christ already has returned and "on arriving" he appointed the Watchtower Society "over all his belongings." But in order for us to believe this we have to believe that Jehovah's Witnesses not only make up all of Christ's household, but also now make up all that belongs to Christ. But how can this be? The Bible tells us that Christ now has authority over more than just Jehovah's Witnesses. In fact, it tells us that after Christ's resurrection he was given "all authority" "in heaven and on earth." Has Christ given all of this authority to the Watchtower Society? Evidently not. For if they now had the power to do so they could, for instance, order the French government to leave them alone.

  The Watchtower Society claims that Christ has already returned. And it claims to be "the faithful and discreet slave" after the time of Christ's return. But if this were a correct understanding of Jesus' illustration the Watchtower Society would now have control of far more than the lives of Jehovah's Witnesses. They would have control of "all his belongings" which would include control of everything, "in heaven and on earth." Since they do not, it is clear that Jesus was not referring to the Watchtower Society when he spoke of "the faithful and discreet slave" whom he will appoint "over all his belongings" at the time of his return.

  Another important aspect of this subject matter to discuss with JWs, in fact more important than the precious one, is this: How does the Watchtower Society or anyone else actually know that Christ ever made any such appointment? How did the men who run the Watchtower Society find out he had done so? Did Christ tell them he did so while appearing to them in a dream or vision? Did he send an angel to deliver this news to them? If he did not, how did they find out that Christ had appointed them to be his "Faithful and Discreet Slave" and thereafter act as his sole channel for distributing Bible truth on the earth?

  Many Jehovah's Witnesses are likely to answer this question by saying, "His appointment seems obvious. After all, look at how much better Jehovah's Witnesses understand the Bible than other so-called Christian sects. Look at our preaching. Who else preaches like we do? Look at the love we have among ourselves." However, even if all these things are true, do they really prove that Jesus Christ ever made such an appointment? After all, every Christian sect believes their group has the most truth and believes their group is the one most approved by Jesus Christ.

  If Jesus himself never actually told the men who run the Watchtower Society that he was then declaring them to be faithful, and that he was then appointing them over all his belongings, was it right for them to tell the world that Christ himself had done those things? Since Jesus Christ himself made no such announcement, the men who ran the Society in 1919 had no way of being certain that Christ had ever really made such an appointment. And, neither do the men who run the Society today.

  The parable of the faithful and discreet slave informs us that when Christ returns he himself will judge which of his servants have faithfully taken good care of all he entrusted to them. With this in mind, is it the place of Christ's slaves to proclaim themselves to be faithful? No, it is not. Christ said he will judge his slaves. For a slave to judge himself as faithful and then tell all the world that Christ himself made that judgment is a very presumptuous thing to do. And God assures us in His Word that, "I shall actually cause the pride of the presumptuous ones to cease." (Isaiah 13:11 NWT)
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  Amazing

  There is no 'organizational / instituionalized 'Slave Class', as this is a WTS invention. Any Christian can be fiathful and discreet or evil, depending on individual choice.

  Following Bible principles, we will avoid trying to live - or demand others to live - by an extensive and rigid set of dos and don'ts that go beyond the teachings of the Bible. The Watchtower, 4-15-02, pg 22, pp 15
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  patio34

  Sorry Stevie, but my tolerance for JW-speak only allowed me to read this:

  I'm currently involved in an in-depth study of the WT Society's doctrine of the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matthew 24:45-47 and hope to present my research to an inquiring JW elder. I am

  Then my mind went bland [8>](Freudian slip!) But what Amazing said sounds pretty good.

  Pat

  Pat
  
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  Kenneson

  The Watchtower Society is neither faithful nor discreet. It is a false prophet.
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  Larsguy

  The idea of the slave class has to be put into the context of what Jesus would be doing during the last generation. Thus I reference you to the fact that two scriptures show Jesus investing in three slaves in particular and at another time 10 different "slaves". When he "goes away to secure kingly power" (Luke) he returns to inspect the work of these slaves and each does well EXCEPT ONE, a sluggish slave who buries the Lord's money so that it does not even collect interest in a bank. He is condemned then as the "evil slave."

  This "evil slave" is the focus of many other parables but is the general reference here in Matthew as well where this slave could have turned out to be faithful and discrete, or could end up being an evil slave and have what is charged to him given to others.

  Now for AChristian's reference, please note this determination of when that PARTICULAR slave is decided to be faithful or evil doesn't happen until Christ's second coming, that's the seeing for the FDS vs evil slave.

  But we do know from the other scriptures that this PARTICULAR slave, does, indeed become the evil slave and not the FDS. But, in order to be a slave that is kicked OUT, he must be first inside God's arrnagement in the beginning.

  So, yes, there IS a specific slave class that would operate during the "last generation" charged with feeding some of God's anointed ones in the temple organization. That "slave class" indeed would be the leadership of the witness organization. However, Christ did not appear in 1914 but in 1992 per critical Biblical chronology. It is at that point that the returned Messiah has to determine if this "slave class" was faithful and should be rewarded or was unfaithful. Of course, we know the WTS leaders are unfaithful and comprise the "evil slave" so they are not the FDS. But they ARE the slave referenced here since they are in charge of God's organization.

  Please note a critical reference to their apostasy shows them as the Lamb-Dragon-Beast in Revelation, the companion to the 666-Beast which represents all of Christendom and their fantasy TRINITY-666-DOCTRINE. But note that Christendom comes out of the SEA whereas the Lamb-Dragon beast comes out of the EARTH! The earth represents God's organization and the Lamb resembles Christ's anointed followers but speaks like a dragon and thus becomes apostate. This proves that the apostate evil slave must originate within god's chosen temple organization, which indeed, is the organization of the witnesses.

  So in summary:

  YES, there is a specific "slave class" fulfilled by the leaders of the WTS. And yes the reference in Matthew is to them POTENTIALLY being the "faithful and discrete slave" class OR being the evil slave class when Christ comes to inspect near the end of the last generation which ends in 1994. Unfortunately, they end up not being the FDS but the evil slave class.

  But all of this must be kept in mind with the fact that there are OTHER SLAVES who were sent out who were successful and there are "other sheep not of this fold", this fold being called a "little flock".

  With that in mind, we again can reference where the coin originally invested to the evil slave that he buried is given to the first slave who had a 10-fold increase!!! So the one with the most success will get what the evil slave mismanaged.

  What does that mean?

  It means that at some point, the largest body of secret "witnesses" will absorb the runoff of the true wheat within the witness organization. What he has will go to others, that which is not rejected, that is. This is the organization where the "sheep must be separated from the goats" and then Christ will lead his sheep out.

  So that's what's really going on with the FDS issue. No, the GB is not the FDS prophesied, but they ARE the "evil slave", Lamb-Dragon Beast prophesied since they are in charge of the temple organization, which is that of Jehovah's witnesses.

  L.G.