preaching work?

by Crazyguy 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Crazyguy
    Crazyguy

    We as JW's have always been told by the GB that the preaching work is paramount, they imply that if your not preaching that your not going to make it to the kingdom. So what scriptures do they use for this idea? The only one i can think of is the one in Matt. 28;19 'go make disciples', and then they imply James 2;26 'faith with out works is dead' them implying works is preaching. Other then these two what other scriptures do they use to make this idea so strong.

    And if you can point to scriptures showing the the 'works' in James is really the fruitage of the spirit that would be helpful too thanks.

  • Vienna Angelika
    Vienna Angelika

    i would like to know this too

  • free2beme
    free2beme

    When I left 15 years ago, the preaching work was almost declared over. Damn I was lied to.

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    you'd think it was out here. Been years since the English cong has been out in my neck of the woods

  • steve2
    steve2

    In the words of that old standard, I Don't Get Around Much Anymore.

  • DeWandelaar
    DeWandelaar

    Interesting question. The bible states that the disciples of Christ went to doors in Israel... however... for a whole different reason... Christ says the following according to the Gospel of Luke in other translations:

    c Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and d greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, e ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, f it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for g the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, h ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 i ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that j the kingdom of God has come near.’

    Jesus states NOT to go from house to house! They only went to houses to receive hospitality so they could stay in a city. The preaching work also concentrated around Christ. They preached that the Kingdom was in their midsts.

    Also Acts chapter 10 states the following:

    39 And t we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. u They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but v God raised him on w the third day and made him to x appear, 41 y not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as z witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And ahe commanded us to preach to the people and to testify b that he is the one appointed by God to be judge c of the living and the dead. 43 d To him e all the prophets bear witness that f everyone who believes in him receives g forgiveness of sins h through his name.”

    THEY were eyewitnesses and so they had every reason to preach! Does that automaticly means that we should preach? I do not know for sure. I think telling about Christ when you have the chance and living a good life is the most important thing. However... we can not say we witnessed him... it makes no sense

  • Ucantnome
    Ucantnome

    At one time I think it was in fulfillment of Isaiah 11:10

  • unstopableravens
    unstopableravens

    salvation is by faith alone(romans 4,1-5) eph 2:1-8) ,the thing is this if you truly have faith than you will have works, as christians we work "because" of our salvation ,not to get salvation, james was making the point that if you see a person in need and do nothing for that person, what are you doing to help him, and also man can not see our hearts and can only see our faith through our lives and what we do. the wt has the wrong gospel and thus has everything else about the preaching of the great commision wrong.

  • 2+2=5
    2+2=5

    They use a scripture in Romans I think, maybe 10:13, something like 'with the heart one excercises righteousness, with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation'. They also like the blood guilt verses from Eziekiel. I am sure I spelt that wrong.

  • Dismissing servant
    Dismissing servant

    "They also like the blood guilt verses from Eziekiel. I am sure I spelt that wrong."

    They do...but I think it was in the same chapter that God commande Ezekiel to use shit as fuel when baking his bread. I wonder what a JW-baker wold use?

    There is some reasons for preaching. First, Rutherford realised that bookstores would never distribute the WT-litterature, so the only way to sell it was by door to door sale.

    The preaching keeps people busy. They invest time, effort and emotion in it, that mekes them tighter connected to the org.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit