Scriptural Basis for Obedience to GB?

mrhhome

I have a genuine question for the JW apologist.

What is your scriptural justification for your unquestioning obedience to the governing body and your unwillingness to question their intepretation of scripture?

DesirousOfChange

Consider John 16:12 -- "They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God."

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If you choose to blatantly brazenly refuse to obey the GB, they will have you banned from the "synagogue" (literally) and have you stoned (symbolically). Just like the Pharisees of old.

NOT an apologist here, but is that scriptural basis enough for you?

Doc

problemaddict

Im not an apologist either, but I used to be......so let me answer as one.

Your question assumes I BELIEVE I am obeying the GB, and not the bible. The response woudl go like this. Hebrews says to "obey those taking the lead among you", yadda yadda. Even the apostles had wrong understandings and expectations, yadda yadda. Who else is doing the work that Jesus did, yadda yadda.

The big mistake you are making in your question, is that you are knowingly equating God and the GB. While this may practically be the case, the genius of all of this, is that the rank and file still believe that THEY believe what they read in the WT as a fact of scripture (because of refferences?), and NOT that they are being "told what to do".

The GB has told them in more subtle terms, that how they are judged before jehovah, is determined by how they deal with his slave class (now only 8 guys that were elected by themselves).

So your question would fall on deaf ears.

A better question is,

"How do you believe the Governing Bodys current role is granted to them scripturally?" Then take it from there?

Separation of Powers

The apologist will tell you they are not obeying the GB. They are obeying God. The GB are simply helping them to understand just what God wants them to obey.

Quick response to this foolishness...ask an apologist why they don't celebrate birthdays. Now, ask them what would they do if the Watchtower said it's ok to celebrate birthdays. If they say that they would (new lite and all that) then they are not obeying God they are obeying the GB and we all know that if birthdays were fully acceptable...everyone would celebrate them!

SOP

mrhhome

How do you believe the Governing Bodys current role is granted to them scripturally?

Problemaddict... I like how your rephrased the question. So how do you believe the Governing Body's role is granted to them scripturally?

LostGeneration

mrhhome, JWs will argue that the GB/FDS was appointed by Jesus based on Matthew 24:45-47.

If you can get a JW to question whether this scripture really appoints an organization to do Jesus' bidding, you can knock down the whole house of cards.

A great essay on the subject from Peter Gregerson:

http://brci.org/resources/articles/God's%20Only%20Organization.pdf

Finkelstein

Scriptural Basis for Obedience to GB?

There isn't any .

Where is there scriptural basis to be obedient to the Governing Body of the Mormon religion ?

The WTS. leaders choose that position individually for themselves for their owm means and purpose

to support their publishing house.

problemaddict

Mrhome,

A good friend told me a long time ago that it situations like this, you ask questions you already know the answer to.

If I was asked the question the way I posed it above, I would go straight to matthew and the faithful and discreet slave scripture.

Once having heard that explanation I would ask two questions.

1) What does them being appointed over domestics mean and when did it happen (we already know they changed that)

2) What makes all stories surrounding this scripture a parable, but this a prophecy?

I think essentially those two questions have no real answer. I think a question from readers once took on the idea of it being parable. Does anyone remember that?

mrhhome

problemaddict,

I am not sure that I understand "What does them being appointed over domestics?" I am not sure that I understand the question.

Even if we concede that it is a prophecy for the sake of argument, how do they know that the Governing Board was appointed by God and Jesus? ...because the Governing Board told them so? That self-serving circular logic should make even the most unreasonable person's head hurt.

SAHS

I imagine that JWs would hinge their Governing Body’s supposedly Biblical authority on these FALSE suppositions:

(1) The mention of a “faithful and discreet slave” at Matthew 24:45-47 (RNWT) refers to a specific “governing body” of men to be appointed directly by Jesus during the time of the end (in 1919).

-----> FALSE! That was a parable illustrating all Christians in the role of teaching and upbuilding the congregation.

(2) “The apostles and elders” in Jerusalem referred to at Acts 15:2, 6, 23 (RNWT) constituted a prototype “governing body,” to be used as a precedent during the time of the end (in 1919).

-----> FALSE! That was an ad hoc committee formed to clarify a particular controversy involving the Mosaic Law.

(3) Hebrews 13:17, which says “Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, . . .” (RNWT), is ultimately referring to a “governing body” representing the highest level of theocratic order on earth today.

-----> FALSE! There was no “ruling” council in the first century. Jesus Christ was the ruling authority over Christians.

(4) Malachi 3:1, which says “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will clear up a way before me. And suddenly the true Lord, whom you are seeking, will come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant will come, in whom you take delight” (RNWT), is referring to Pastor Charles Taze Russell preparing the way for the true anointed “Faithful and Discreet Slave” (which now solely comprises the Governing Body) in a manner similar to John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus Christ.

-----> FALSE! This was referring specifically to John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can be “the true Lord” whom the people were seeking and who would “come to his temple” – NOT a publishing corporation coming to power!

(5) The prophet Ezekiel and the apostle John being instructed to “measure the temple sanctuary of God” (Ezekiel 41:15; 45:3; Revelation 11:1, 2; 21:15-17; RNWT) refer to Christ’s inspection of “Jehovah’s templelike arrangement for pure worship” (WT, Mar. 1, 1999, p. 13, par. 2), embodied by the 144,000 anointed in God’s great spiritual temple, New Jerusalem. Representing the earthly courtyard of that spiritual temple is the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, headed by that anointed class (but now the Governing Body itself), which was inspected from 1914 to 1919, resulting in its approval and selection as God’s one-and-only chosen mouthpiece on earth in 1919.

-----> FALSE! That had to be a symbolic “measuring” of all of God’s children (not just 144,000 anointed) in His heavenly organization.

Scriptural Basis for Obedience to GB?

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