How would the Watchtower of July 15th read if the Watchtower was written in 1st person FROM the ones allegedly “preparing an dispensing spiritual food” (IE The Watchtower)? Why is it written by a faceless 3rd person telling readers what to think about the people who are allegedly dispensing the very material I'm reading? I was reading the July 15th article and laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.
Considering all of the articles are conceptual up to the big reveal in paragraph 10 of the 4th study article, I can understand the 3rd person writing. But what if they spoke to their readers in 1st person after that? I typed it out from 10 onward and put in clarifying 1st person language. Disturbing portions highlighted:
(10) Who, then, is the faithful and discreet slave? In keeping with Jesus’ pattern of feeding many through the hands of a few, that slave is made up of a small group of anointed brothers who are directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food during Christ’s presence. Throughout the last days, it has been only us, the anointed brothers who make up the faithful slave, who have served together at headquarters. In recent decades, we have been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Note, however, that the word “slave” in Jesus’ illustration is singular, indicating we are a composite slave. We--who currently number as eight anointed men--make our decisions collectively at headquarters in Brooklyn, NYC.
WHO ARE THE DOMESTICS?
(11) It is noteworthy that in Jesus’ illustration, the faithful and discreet slave—currently the eight of us Governing Body members at headquarters-- receive two distince appointments. The first is over the domestics; the second is over all the master’s belongings. Since the illustration is fulfilled only in this time of the end, both appointments would have to come after Jesus’ presence in kingly power in 1914.
(12) When did Jesus appoint us here at headquarters over his domestics? To answer that, we need to go back to 1914 – the beginning of the harvest season. As you learned earlier, at that time, many groups claimed to be Christian. From which group did Jesus select and appoint the faithful slave? That question was answered after he and his Father came and inspected the temple, or spiritual arrangement for worship, from 1914 to the early part of 1919. (Mal 3:1) They were pleased with a small band of loyal Bible Students who showed that their heart was with Jehovah and his Word. Of course, they needed some cleansing, but they humbly responded during a brief period of testing and refining. (Mal 3:2-4) Those faithful Bible Students were true Christian wheat. In 1919, a time of spiritual revival, Jesus selected capable anointed brothers from among them to be the earlier faithful and discreet slave at headquarters and appointed them over his domestics. |ADDED: This is a tradition which we, the eight at headquarters, carry forward since none of us were among the original selection, however we have been invited into the small circle individually over the past 100 years such that the composite “slave” has continued unbroken.|
(13) Who, then, are the domestics? Put simply, they are you who are fed. Early in the last days, the domestics were all anointed ones. Later, the domestics came to include the great crowd of other sheep. The other sheep now make up the vast majority of the “one flock” under Christ’s leadership. (John 10:16) Both groups of you benefit from the same timely spiritual food that is dispensed by us here at headquarters. What about us? We also need to be fed spiritual. Hence, We humbly recognize that as individuals we are domestics just like the rest of you genuine followers of Jesus.
(14) Jesus placed a weighty responsibility on the currently eight of us here at headquarters. In Bible times, a trusted slave, or steward, was a house manager. (Luke 12:42) We, the eight here at headquarters, are thus charged with the responsibility to manage you all, 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. You all depend on all the spiritual provisions dispensed by us.
APPOINTED OVER ALL THE MASTER’S BELONGS – WHEN?
(15) When does Jesus make the second appointment- “over all his belongs”? Jesus said: “Happy is that slave if his master on arriving[literally, “having come,” ftn.] finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will apoint him over all his belongings.” (Matt. 24:46, 47) Note that Jesus makes the second appointment after he arrives and finds the slave has been “doing so,” that is, faithfully dispensing spiritual food. So there would be an interval between our two appointments. To understand how and when Jesus appoints us, the currently eight here at headquarters, over all his belongings, we need to know two things: when he arrives and what his belongings include.
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(18) In view of the foregoing, what can we conclude? When Jesus comes for judgement during the great tribulation, he will find we here at headquarters in Brooklyn, NYC, have been loyally dispensing timely spiritual food to you. Jesus will then delight in making the second appointment-over all his belongings. We here at headquarters will get this appointment when we receive our heavenly reward, becoming co-rulers with Christ.
(19) Do the eight of us here at headquarters receive a greater reward in heaven than the rest of you who are annointed? No. A reward promised to a small group in one setting may ultimately be shared by others. For example, consider what Jesus said to his 11 faithful apostles the night before he died. (Read Luke 22:28-30.) Jesus promised that small group of men that a fine reward awaited them for their faithfulness. They would share his throne of kingly authority. But years later, he indicated that all of the 144,000 will sit on thrones and share his rulership. (Rev. 1:1; 3:21) Similarly, as stated at Matthew 24:47, he promised that a small group of men – currently the eight of us here at headquarters, who make up the faithful slave – will be appointed over all his belongings. In reality, all of the 144,000 will share his vast heavenly authority. – Rev. 20:4, 6.
(20) By means of the current eight of us here at headquarters in Brooklyn, NYC, Jesus is following the pattern he set in the first century – feeding many through the hands of a few. Jesus apointed the eight of us here at headquarters to ensure that you all, his genuine followers—whether of the anointed or of the other sheep—would have a steady supply of timely spiritual food throughout the last days. You all must be determined to show your appreciation by giving your loyal support to us. – Heb. 13:7, 17.
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Source material: http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20130715/who-is-faithful-discreet-slave/
Recap: When you remove the conceptual term "faithful and discreet slave" and make it an honest 1st person writing scenario, it is creepy creepy creepy how much those eight specific men, Sam Herd, Geof Jackson, Stephen Lett, Gerrit Losch, Anthony Morris, Guy Pierce, Mark Sanderson and David Splane think they are written RIGHT into the Bible. That God of the Universe is gonna make them kings of the Universe. They hide behind empowering conceptual language ("the faithful slave") and let other people talk about them reverently via 3rd person writing, when in fact they are just eight dudes walking around Brooklyn, NYC in suits. Just some jerks who weren't even alive prior to 1941 and who are just playing the game that's was set up for them 50 years prior.