Questions Regarding the New Light on the FDS

by Ding 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Ding

  It's my understanding that the old light regarding the faithful and discreet slave was that in 1918-1919 Jesus appointed the faithful and discreet slave over all his house.

  But under the new light, it's a two-stage process.

  Now the "truth" is that in 1919 Jesus appointed the Governing Body to provide spiritual food in due season and the GB will only be placed in authority over his domestics during the Great Tribulation.

  All of this is WT nonsense, but in order to get JWs who believe this stuff to think about the implications, my questions are:

  1. What will the future appointment authorize the Governing Body to do that is not yet authorized?

  2. Since under the old light the Governing Body has wrongly believed they have had this authority since 1919, doesn't this mean they have been wrongly exercising authority that Jesus hasn't yet given them?

  3. Since their current authority is only to provide spiritual food at the proper time, do they have the authority to appoint elders? To require field service? To require records to be kept of field service? To make rules not contained in the Bible itself, such as dress codes? To appoint judicial committees? To disfellowship people? To control who is in good standing in Jehovah's earthly kingdom and who is not? To make judgments about individual JWs' spirituality that impact whether or not they will survive Armageddon?

  4. No Bible derivation has ever been given for the 1919 date. All we have is Rutherford's word for the fact that Jesus gave him authority in that year. Now the GB tells us that Rutherford was wrong about the extent of the authority that he was given and that Knorr and Franz were likewise in error. Isn't it a serious matter to claim that God has given you authority that in fact he has not given you? How did this happen? Weren't these men being guided by holy spirit? Why did Jehovah take 94 years (1919-2013) to reveal that they were wrongly claiming authority that had not yet been given?

  5. Now that the GB realizes that it does not yet have the authority over Jesus' domestics that it thought it did, what rules or policies will it repeal?
• 

  Emery

  Great set a questions! *marked*
• 

  pixel

  Excellent questions.

  1. What will the future appointment authorize the Governing Body to do that is not yet authorized?

  I think they explained that they will be appointed to Christ's Kingdom belongings aftter the Big A, along with the rest of the annointed. Problem is this parable a.k.a. "prophecy" says that the only ones receiving these things from the Lord is the FDS. There's a lot of annointed that don't make it to the FDS, including the 12 original apostles.

  Go figure!
• 

  Ding

  Good point.

  This new light demotes the apostles and all Christians until 1919.

  Since they were not a part of the faithful and discreet slave, does this mean that they were not authorized to dispense spiritual food in due season?
• 

  Oubliette

  Ding, great questions!

  Here are my answers:

  1. What will the future appointment authorize the Governing Body to do that is not yet authorized?

  Nothing

  2. Since under the old light the Governing Body has wrongly believed they have had this authority since 1919, doesn't this mean they have been wrongly exercising authority that Jesus hasn't yet given them?

  Yes

  3. Since their current authority is only to provide spiritual food at the proper time, do they have the authority to appoint elders? To require field service? To require records to be kept of field service? To make rules not contained in the Bible itself, such as dress codes? To appoint judicial committees? To disfellowship people? To control who is in good standing in Jehovah's earthly kingdom and who is not? To make judgments about individual JWs' spirituality that impact whether or not they will survive Armageddon?

  No. No. No. No (and they never did). No. No. No. And No, definitely not!

  4. No Bible derivation has ever been given for the 1919 date. All we have is Rutherford's word for the fact that Jesus gave him authority in that year. Now the GB tells us that Rutherford was wrong about the extent of the authority that he was given and that Knorr and Franz were likewise in error. Isn't it a serious matter to claim that God has given you authority that in fact he has not given you?

  Yes it is.

  How did this happen?

  Because they could.

  Weren't these men being guided by holy spirit?

  You're kidding, right?

  Why did Jehovah take 94 years (1919-2013) to reveal that they were wrongly claiming authority that had not yet been given?

  He was busy.

  5. Now that the GB realizes that it does not yet have the authority over Jesus' domestics that it thought it did, what rules or policies will it repeal?

  None.

  Doctrines are irrelevant. It's all about control.
• 

  SophieG

  What will the future appointment authorize the Governing Body to do that is not yet authorized?

  Nothing

  2. Since under the old light the Governing Body has wrongly believed they have had this authority since 1919, doesn't this mean they have been wrongly exercising authority that Jesus hasn't yet given them?

  Yes

  They are taking CONTROL and letting themselves off the hook at the same time?
• 

  heathen

  I'm marking this one as well , some long timers will probably show up ... looking forward to blondie posting . I guess we can't call them them the governing body anymore since they claim now not to have the appointment to govern ... this must have to do with law suits and people using the society for legal reasons , ohh the religious leaders said this or that , seems like a dodge of liability to me .
• 

  prologos

  and why, as the july wt says, did rutherford appoint himself (more or less) and disssolved the existing "Governing body" of 7 brothers? was he then, after that soup d'etat, not alone, himself the F&DS?

  did a governing body not re-appear until the 60s?

  was it not the rutherford/Franz duo the tail that wagged the dog?
• 

  AnnOMaly

  Now the "truth" is that in 1919 Jesus appointed the Governing Body to provide spiritual food in due season and the GB will only be placed in authority over his domestics during the Great Tribulation.

  Not quite. The FDS ('small group of anointed brothers preparing spiritual food') was appointed over the 'domestics' in 1919. The FDS will be appointed over all the Master's belongings - which includes heaven and earth, not just earthly interests as previously taught - in the future.

  2. Since under the old light the Governing Body has wrongly believed they have had this authority since 1919, doesn't this mean they have been wrongly exercising authority that Jesus hasn't yet given them?

  Yup. for 85 years they have assumed a position - a promotion for passing the test of being faithful and discreet - that they never had! ... Which automatically calls into question thier faithfulness and discretion in fulfilling their duties.

  w00 10/1 p. 32 Are You Discreet?

  Those to whom Jesus Christ has entrusted "all his belongings" are described in God's Word as "faithful and discreet." (Matthew 24:45-47) They do not immodestly run ahead of Jehovah on an impulsive whim; nor do they lag behind when God's direction in a matter is clear. They know when it is time to speak and when it is time to wait silently for further clarification. All Christians do well not only to imitate their faith but also to prove themselves discreet, as the slave class does.-Hebrews 13:7

  4. No Bible derivation has ever been given for the 1919 date. All we have is Rutherford's word for the fact that Jesus gave him authority in that year.

  Until 1927, Rutherford claimed that Jesus had made Russell 'ruler over all the Master's goods.' In 1927, he claimed the FDS was a 'class' of anointed rather than an individual. (My mind's a blank atm on whether he clearly associated 1919 with that class appointment.)

  Why did Jehovah take 94 years (1919-2013) to reveal that they were wrongly claiming authority that had not yet been given?

  The $64,000 question. A Prov. 4:18 defense doesn't cut it.

  5. Now that the GB realizes that it does not yet have the authority over Jesus' domestics that it thought it did, what rules or policies will it repeal?

  None. The GB doesn't appear to realize that it has diminished authority. From pp. 20 and 23 of the WT:

  That faithful slave is the channel through which Jesus is feeding his true followers in this time of the end. It is vital that we recognize the faithful slave. Our spiritual health and our relationship with God depend on this channel.

  Jesus placed a weighty responsibility on the faithful and discreet slave. In Bible times, a trusted slave, or steward, was a house manager. (Luke 12:42) The faithful and discreet slave is thus charged with the responsibility to manage the household of faith. That responsibility includes overseeing material assets, the preaching activity, assembly and convention programs, and the production of Bible literature for use in the field ministry and in personal and congregation study. The domestics depend on all the spiritual provisions dispensed by the composite slave.
• 

  Ding

  I agree with the answers to my questions given above.

  I hope the questions themselves will be useful in opening some JW eyes.

  They are questions that can be asked of JWs... because most JWs would never ask them.