Another problem with "new light"

leaving_quietly

Matt 25:34-40

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for YOU from the founding of the world. 35 For I became hungry and YOU gave me something to eat; I got thirsty and YOU gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and YOU received me hospitably; 36 naked, and YOU clothed me. I fell sick and YOU looked after me. I was in prison and YOU came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you?’ 40 And in reply the king will say to them, ‘Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did it to one of the least of these my brothers, YOU did it to me.’

Who are Jesus' brothers?

*** w09 10/15 pp. 15-16 par. 15 “You Are My Friends” ***
15 Read Matthew 25:31-40. Jesus called those who would make up the faithful slave class his brothers. In the illustration about the separating of the sheep from the goats, Jesus clearly states that he takes personally the way we treat his brothers. In fact, he said that the determining factor that would distinguish a sheep from a goat would be the way an individual treated even “the least of these [his] brothers.” Therefore, the primary way that those with the earthly hope demonstrate their desire to be friends with Christ is by supporting the faithful slave class.

Tell me, how are we even remotely supposed to do something kind to one of these eight people whom most of us have NEVER MET?

If this changes (I suspect it will) to include all the anointed, the same question remains? No one knows who they are. The GB certainly doesn't and publicly stated so. How are we supposed to do something kind to even the least of these?

Is "supporting" REALLY the preaching work? I don't see preaching even remotely discussed in these verses.

Shador

by supporting the faithful slave class.

The explanation I've always heard (and I think has been printed), is that JWs "support" the faithful slave (be they 8 or 8000) by the preaching work. So I don't really see that they will need to change anything there.

Is "supporting" REALLY the preaching work? I don't see preaching even remotely discussed in these verses.

PROTIP: Replies are easier and less confusing than editing, but hey.

I never said it was. I just said that was how the WTBTS would explain it.

prologos

easy: according to wt NL :

you have to figure out which one of the 8 is the is the least, zero in on him and love bomb him. feeding, clothing the works.

before you had to be really generous all around, anybody could be masquerading as Christs brother, and they would not be sealed until the winds of Armageddon, overlapping generations away. now its easy.

SERIOUSLY, THE TEXT WAS NEVER HONESTLY APPLIED BY WTBtS.

sir82

I don't see preaching even remotely discussed in these verses.

Surely you know by now that the WTS can (quite literally) isolate any verse in the Bible, ignore its context & meaning, & twist it to support any doctrine or policy they deem expedient.

Their entire theology is based on that concept.

leaving_quietly

PROTIP: Replies are easier and less confusing than editing, but hey.

Yep... I wouldn't normally have done that, but I submitted my post prematurely and was finishing while you were writing your first response. Sorry 'bout that.

Surely you know by now that the WTS can (quite literally) isolate any verse in the Bible, ignore its context & meaning, & twist it to support any doctrine or policy they deem expedient.

Oh, yes, I know. And I know how these verses have been applied since forever. But this one makes ZERO sense to me whatsoever. It never did. It was one of those that nagged at me even when I was fully mentally in. How does preaching to someone NOT Jesus' brothers pertain whatsoever to feeding, giving drink to, clothing or visiting in prison even a least one of Jesus' brothers? Makes zero sense.

Anyway, the "new light" just makes this even sillier. If they continue to maintain that these verses apply to the FDS, then that implies that the commission to preach is only given to the FDS.

Bobcat

I posted some research material on the sheep/goats parable here. (See my posts # 267 & 272)

There is more research posted here about this parable. (See my posts # 714 & 716)

And here is some regarding how the Society uses this parable to get support for itself at the expense of what the parable actually says. (See my post # 387, about halfway into the post)

leaving_quietly

@BobCat, thanks for those.

EdenOne

If everyone would acknowledge that there is only ONE hope....then everyone baptized as a Christian would also be baptized with the Holy Spirit ... and in that sense.... all that are baptized with the Holy Spirit are Sons of God....and therefore ...if all Christians are Sons of God, all are brothers of Christ. So, to do good to the least of the brothers of Christ is simply to do good to your brothers in Christ. Your fellow Christians.

Eden

prologos

eden 1 jesus is reported to have made it even broader: " ALL those that do the will of my father are my brothers and sisters". but then it is what you do and how you treat the least one of those that counts.

abusing dominators beware.

Crazyguy

Great thought leaving quietly.

Another problem with "new light"

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