Comments You Will Not Hear at the 10-05-2014 WT Study (AUGUST 15, 2014, pages ()
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20140815/role-of-women-in-jehovahs-purpose/
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OPENING COMMENTS
Having been a woman from the age of 3 to my 50’s before I left the WTS, having grandmother, mother, aunts, female cousins, and a variety of other women in many congregations over that time, I have seen the low place women have been placed in over those years, women I knew were intelligent, talented, hard-working, loving, Christlike.
I realized that 50% or more at the KH were women, that the bulk of the preaching was done by women, that the men would disappear in a vehicle together, occasionally taking the older boys with them (never those in diapers), never to be seen again until coffee break, ostensibly to be doing man’s work. Quizzing my brother about what they did, he would say they drove around talking about the problems of people in the congregation , making rvs on people that were never home, picking up dry cleaning, having the oil changed in the car, etc.
I was in a congregation with no baptized men, a sister handled the book study, a sister handled the WT study and a sister read at both, a sister handled, magazines, literature, and territory. Finally a 17-year old brother, a 60 year old husband of a sister were baptized and the sister trained them and acted as backup. Finally the WTS sent a 28-year-old regular pioneer brother who proceed to treat every sister as if she were mentally challenged at least until the newly baptized 60 year old husband told him that this immature boy had no right to counsel or demean his wife.
That was a lesson for me too, that most times women are demeaned by brothers because other men in the congregation do no stand up for women. What about your congregation (s)?
http://assets.jw.org/assets/m/w14/20140815/w14_20140815.art/2014603_univ_lsr_lg.jpg
What Is the Role of Women in Jehovah’s Purpose?
“The women proclaiming the good news are a large army.”—PS. 68:11.
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What has the rebellion in Eden meant for men and women?
How did women serve Jehovah in the past?
What role do women now play in preaching the good news?
START OF ARTICLE
1, 2. (a) What gifts did God give Adam? (b) Why did God provide a wife for Adam? (See opening image.)
JEHOVAH created the earth for a purpose. He “formed it to be inhabited.” (Isa. 45:18) His first human creation, Adam, was perfect, and God gave him a wonderful home—the garden of Eden. How Adam enjoyed its stately trees, its trickling streams, its frolicking animals! But he lacked something very important. Jehovah indicated what that was when he declared: “It is not good for the man to continue to be alone. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him.” God then caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs, and “built the rib . . . into a woman.” When Adam woke up, how happy he was! “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” said Adam. “This one will be called Woman, because from man she was taken.”—Gen. 2:18-23.
COMMENT
Looking at Eve with dark hair and Adam with a trimmed hair and beard, how does the WTS know what they looked like?
Do you know what the word COMPLEMENT means?
com·ple·ment noun
1. a thing that completes or brings to perfection.
So Adam was not complete or perfect without Eve; how could he become many and fill the earth without Eve?
2 God’s gift of a woman was unique in that she was to be the man’s perfect helper. She would also have the special privilege of bearing children. In fact, “Adam named his wife Eve, because she was to become the mother of everyone living.” (Gen. 3:20; ftn.) What an amazing gift God gave that first human couple! They had the ability to produce other perfect humans. By this means, the earth would eventually become a paradise populated by perfect people who would have other living things in subjection.—Gen. 1:27, 28.
COMMENT
Helper or complement?
“special privilege” or baby makers, property themselves
3. (a) To be blessed by God, what did Adam and Eve need to do, but what happened? (b) What questions will we consider?
3 To receive the blessings set before them, Adam and Eve would have to obey Jehovah and acknowledge his rulership. (Gen. 2:15-17) Only under those circumstances could they fulfill God’s purpose for them. Sadly, though, they were influenced by “the original serpent,” Satan, and sinned against God. (Rev. 12:9; Gen. 3:1-6) How has this rebellion affected women? What was accomplished by godly women of the past? Why can present-day Christian women be referred to as “a large army”?—Ps. 68:11.
COMMENT
Why would a perfect human talk to a snake? Was she baby in an adult’s body, with a baby’s brain…was youth the problem. She had seen many animals, did any others speak, what about Adam, he named them all, wouldn’t he have mentioned that snakes talk. So note below, the WTS says perhaps the snake could talk because it ate from the tree.
Notice this nonscriptural reasoning by the WTS:
*** w11 1/1 p. 12 Why Would Satan Use a Serpent to Speak to Eve? ***
Might she not have reasoned that this lowly, dumb creature had itself eaten from that fruit and had thereafter been able to speak? If the fruit could do so much for a serpent, what might it do for her?
Who was the covering cherub?
Who spoke to Adam and Eve otherwise after they sinned? No other humans yet.
If I had a dollar for every time a brother said an army of large women, I could have retired long ago.
WHAT REBELLION HAS MEANT
4. Who was held responsible for the sin of the first human couple?
4 When called to account for his rebellion, Adam offered this lame excuse: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate.” (Gen. 3:12) Adam not only failed to accept responsibility for his sin but also tried to place the blame on the woman God had given him—and on the loving Giver! Both Adam and Eve sinned, but Adam was held responsible for their wrongdoing. Hence, the apostle Paul wrote that “through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world and death through sin.”—Rom. 5:12.
COMMENT
So it starts, men blaming their wives for their mistakes…the closest to perfection of any man other than Jesus.
The bible even says that God said husbands would dominate their wives…without any accompanying words that is wrong. Look at how the WTS adds even to the Bible. Do you see in this a tie-in into wife abuse?
*** w98 8/15 p. 6 Confidence Can Be Restored! ***
The relationship between Adam and Eve also suffered. Jehovah warned Eve: “In birth pangs you will bring forth children, and your craving will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.” (Genesis 3:16) The Jerusalem Bible says: “He will lord it over you.” Instead of exercising loving headship over his wife, as God had wanted, Adam now became her master, lording it over her.
After they had sinned, Adam tried to shift the blame to his wife. In his opinion it was because of what she had done that they were ejected from a perfect garden into an unfinished earth, doomed to slave under less than ideal conditions before returning to the dust. (Genesis 3:17-19) We can well imagine that this was a source of friction between the two. Adam may have overreacted, voicing that he would never listen to Eve again. Possibly he felt justified in telling her, in effect, ‘From now on, I’m the boss!’ Eve, on the other hand, may have seen that Adam had failed in his role as family head, causing her to lose confidence in him.
5. What has been proved by God’s allowing rule independent of him to continue for a time?
5 The first human pair were led to think that they did not need Jehovah as their Ruler. That raised this vital question of sovereignty: Who has the right to rule? To provide an answer for all eternity, God allowed rule independent of him to continue for a time. He knew that experience would prove that rule independent of him would fail. Over the centuries, such rulership has plunged human society into one calamity after another. In the past century alone, about 100,000,000 people died in wars—and that includes millions of innocent men, women, and children. So there already is mounting evidence that “it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jer. 10:23) Realizing that fact, we acknowledge Jehovah as our Ruler.—Read Proverbs 3:5, 6.
COMMENT
Did rulership have anything to do with Adam and Eve, just 2 humans, or perhaps the spirit creatures with “God”?
Are there any “innocents” in God’s judgment? Are not 7 plus billion non-jws destined to die eternally, no hope of a resurrection, including babes in the wombs, babes in arms, children who happen to have the wrong parents?
6. In many lands, how are females treated?
6 Both men and women have experienced mistreatment in this world that lies in the power of Satan. (Eccl. 8:9; 1 John 5:19) Some of the worst atrocities have involved the abuse of women. Worldwide, about 30 percent of women report having been assaulted by a male partner. Males are favored in some societies because it is thought that they will grow up to continue the family line and care for their aging parents and grandparents. In certain lands, females are considered undesirable children, and far more baby girls than baby boys are aborted.
COMMENT
Imagine a world that thought women could not be doctors, scientists, mathematicians, artists, architects, inventors….50% of the world’s talent treated as if they did not exist.
Imagine a world where women are told they are abused because they are not obedient enough to their fathers and husbands.
Imagine a world where women are expected to kill themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre; or fathers, brothers can kill their single daughters for some imagined disobedience.
Or been in a KH when sisters are considered to lowly to mow the lawn, vacuum the rug, but eminently qualified to clean toilets.
7. What kind of start did God give both men and women?
7 The mistreatment of women certainly does not please God. He treats women justly and respects them. Jehovah’s regard for women is evident from the fact that Eve was created perfect and with characteristics that made her, not a slave, but a wonderful complement of Adam. That is one reason why, at the end of the sixth creative day, God “saw everything he had made, and look! it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31) Yes, “everything” Jehovah made was “very good.” He gave both men and women a very good start!
COMMENT
Could Jewish women divorce their husbands? For women was there any reason they could divorce their husband? Adultery = death penalty. Could men divorce for some other reason….? Did men have to prove to be virgins when they married for the first time?
WOMEN WHO HAD JEHOVAH’S BACKING
8. (a) Describe the behavior of people in general. (b) Throughout history, to whom has God shown favor?
8 The behavior of men and women in general deteriorated after the rebellion in Eden, and during the past century, it has become worse than ever before. The Bible foretold that wicked conduct would prevail in “the last days.” Human wrongdoing has become so widespread that these truly are “critical times.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Throughout mankind’s history, however, the “Sovereign Lord Jehovah” has shown favor to men and women who have trusted in him, have obeyed his laws, and have submitted to him as their Ruler.—Read Psalm 71:5.
COMMENT
Is there any proof provided here that people today are worse than people in past centuries? Can you think of some?
There is a reason that jws rejoice over all the problems today = problems = proof the end is near.
According to the NT, there are only 2 laws…what are those?
9. How many people survived the Flood, and why?
9 When God destroyed the violent ancient world by means of the Flood in the days of Noah, very few humans survived. If Noah’s brothers and sisters were still alive at that time, they too died in the floodwaters. (Gen. 5:30) But as many women as men survived the Deluge. The survivors were Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives. They were preserved because they feared God and did his will. The billions of humans now living descended from those eight individuals who had Jehovah’s backing.—Gen. 7:7; 1 Pet. 3:20.
COMMENT
Noah’s brothers and sisters would have died eternally, no resurrection for them.
It would have been difficult to repopulate the world with all men, or all men and one old woman (the nameless wife of Noah).
10. Why did God-fearing wives of faithful patriarchs have Jehovah’s backing?
10 Years later, the God-fearing wives of faithful patriarchs also had God’s backing. That would not have been the case had they been complainers about their lot in life. (Jude 16) It is hard to imagine that serious cries of complaint would have come from the lips of Abraham’s respectful wife, Sarah, when they left the comforts of Ur and became temporary residents living in tents in another land. Instead, “Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.” (1 Pet. 3:6) Consider also Rebekah, who was a blessed gift from Jehovah and became an excellent wife. It is no surprise that her husband, Isaac, “fell in love with her, and . . . found comfort after the loss of his mother.” (Gen. 24:67) And how glad we are today that we have in our midst godly women who are like Sarah and Rebekah!
COMMENT
So is the WTS suggesting that female jws are complainers about their lot in life, or should beware that they should not have any complaints.
So how did Abraham and Isaac view their wives…as ransoms for their own lives by giving them to other men as wives, lying and saying they were their sister?
(Gen 20:2-7)
11. How did two Hebrew midwives display courage?
11 During their years of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites increased greatly in number, and Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew male babies were to be destroyed at birth. However, consider the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah, who likely headed the midwife profession. Because they had reverential fear of Jehovah, they courageously refused to practice infanticide. He therefore rewarded them with their own families.—Ex. 1:15-21.
COMMENT
“likely”?
So women risked their lives……..have you had jw men say that some assignment was too dangerous for jw women?
12. What was remarkable about Deborah and Jael?
12 In the days of Israel’s judges, one woman who had God’s backing was the prophetess Deborah. She encouraged Judge Barak and played a part in helping the Israelites to rid themselves of oppression, but she foretold that glory for victory over the Canaanites would not go to Barak. Instead, it would be “into the hand of a woman” that God would give the Canaanite army chief Sisera. That is what happened when the non-Israelite woman Jael killed him.—Judg. 4:4-9, 17-22.
COMMENT
Was Deborah just a prophet?
(Judges 4:4, 5) . . .Now Deb′o·rah, a prophetess, the wife of Lap′pi·doth, was judging Israel at that particular time. 5 And she was dwelling under Deb′o·rah’s palm tree between Ra′mah and Beth′el in the mountainous region of E′phra·im; and the sons of Israel would go up to her for judgment.
Not only a woman, but a non-Israelite woman killed Sisera.
So we see that Barak confidence depending on Deborah, a woman coming along.
(Judges 4:8) . . .At this Ba′rak said to her: “If you will go with me, I also shall certainly go; but if you will not go with me, I shall not go.”
Yet, the WTS says only Barak was a true judge, and Deborah only in a “general sense.”
Who had courage, Barak or Deborah; Barak or Jael?
13. What does the Bible tell us about Abigail?
13 Abigail was a noteworthy woman who lived in the 11th century B.C.E. She had discernment, whereas her husband, Nabal, was harsh, worthless, and senseless. (1 Sam. 25:2, 3, 25) David and his men protected Nabal’s possessions for a time, but when they asked for provisions, he “screamed insults at them” and gave them nothing. This angered David so much that he planned to do away with Nabal and his men. Hearing about this, Abigail took food and drink to David and his men, thereby preventing bloodshed. (1 Sam. 25:8-18) David later said to her: “Praise Jehovah the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!” (1 Sam. 25:32) After the death of Nabal, David married Abigail.—1 Sam. 25:37-42.
COMMENT
Abigail = who realized that obeying one’s husband is not the first thing.
Abigail saved the lives of her household and kept David and his men from dishonoring God.
14. The daughters of Shallum took part in what work, and how are Christian women doing something similar today?
14 Many men, women, and children died when the Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem and its temple in 607 B.C.E. The city’s walls were rebuilt in 455 B.C.E. under Nehemiah’s supervision. Among those who helped to repair the walls were the daughters of Shallum, a prince of half the district of Jerusalem. (Neh. 3:12) They willingly did menial work. How we appreciate the many Christian women who joyfully support theocratic building projects in various ways today!
COMMENT
607 (587? Another issue; search on JWN)
Women helped building the walls….but only menial jobs. So did you see women allowed to do construction work they had skills in? Did you see men with no skills except a male appendage doing construction work?
Yes, that’s all women can do, MENIAL thing.
GODLY WOMEN OF THE FIRST CENTURY
15. God gave what privilege to one woman named Mary?
15 Somewhat before and during the first century C.E., Jehovah blessed a number of women with fine privileges. Among them was a virgin named Mary. While engaged to Joseph, she miraculously conceived a child by holy spirit. Why did God choose her to become the mother of Jesus? No doubt because she had the spiritual qualities needed to help nurture her perfect son through childhood to maturity. What a privilege it was to be the mother of the greatest man ever to live on earth!—Matt. 1:18-25.
COMMENTS
Mary = how else could God have the perfect human man to sacrifice as the WTS says?
No doubt ?
16. Give an example showing Jesus’ attitude toward women.
16 Jesus was very kind to women. For example, consider a woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years. From behind, she approached Jesus in a crowd and touched his garment. Instead of rebuking her, Jesus kindly said: “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed from your grievous sickness.”—Mark 5:25-34.
COMMENT
Jesus was, but do the men in jw congregations do the same?
17. What miraculous event occurred at Pentecost 33 C.E.?
17 Some women who were Jesus’ disciples ministered to him and his apostles. (Luke 8:1-3) And at Pentecost 33 C.E., about 120 men as well as women received God’s spirit in a special way. (Read Acts 2:1-4.) That outpouring of holy spirit was foretold in the words: “I [Jehovah] will pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy . . . And even on my male slaves and female slaves I will pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28, 29) By means of that miraculous event on the day of Pentecost, God showed that he had transferred his backing from apostate Israel to “the Israel of God,” made up of both men and women. (Gal. 3:28; 6:15, 16) Among the Christian women who shared in the ministry in the first century were the four daughters of Philip the evangelizer.—Acts 21:8, 9.
COMMENT
Ministered to him, buy groceries, cook, do dishes, mend clothing…did they get to sit in on the big boy conversations?
Based on congregation demographics, how many of the about 120 were women?
All received the same amount of holy spirit, women would prophesy. What the WTS leaves out is that Philip’s daughters were all prophets, all four.
“A LARGE ARMY” OF WOMEN
18, 19. (a) With regard to true worship, what privilege has God given to both men and women? (b) How does the psalmist refer to women who declare the good news?
18 In the late 1800’s, a few men and women showed keen interest in true worship. They were forerunners of those who now share in the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophetic words: “This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”—Matt. 24:14.
COMMENT
Is the “true worship” they believed in, believed today? Is 1914 the end or the beginning.
19 The small group of Bible Students has grown to some 8,000,000 Witnesses of Jehovah today. More than 11,000,000 other individuals show interest in the Bible and our work by attending the annual Memorial of Jesus’ death. In most lands, the majority of those present are women. Also, women make up the greater number of over 1,000,000 full-time Kingdom proclaimers worldwide. God has indeed granted faithful women the privilege of participating in the fulfillment of the psalmist’s words: “Jehovah gives the command; the women proclaiming the good news are a large army.”—Ps. 68:11.
COMMENT
8 million jws, the only possible survivors of Armageddon supposedly coming soon. Of the 11 million would attend one day a year out of 365, how many ever get baptized as jws?
Yes, women have the privilege of preaching, but the WTS says they can’t teach at the congregation. Which is more important, finding sheep or teaching people that are supposedly sheep already?
PICTURE: The women declaring the good news truly are “a large army” (See paragraphs 18, 19)
GRAND BLESSINGS AHEAD FOR GODLY WOMEN
20. What study projects merit our consideration?
20 Space does not permit us to discuss the many faithful women of Bible record. But all of us can read about them in God’s Word and in articles published in our literature. For instance, we can meditate on the loyalty of Ruth. (Ruth 1:16, 17) Reading the Bible book named after Queen Esther and articles about her may well strengthen our faith. We can benefit from study projects of this kind that can be planned for Family Worship evenings. If we live alone, we can consider such subjects when we do our personal study.
COMMENT
Ruth…remember that Naomi, her husband and sons disobeyed God by going to Moab and marrying non-jews. She was not a born-in.
Esther married a non-Jew and was no censured for it.
21. How have godly women shown their devotion to Jehovah in difficult times?
21 Jehovah undeniably blesses the preaching work of Christian women and supports them in times of trial. With his help, for example, godly women maintained their integrity under Nazi and Communist rule when many of them suffered and some even lost their lives because of their obedience to God. (Acts 5:29) Today as in the past, our sisters and all their fellow worshippers uphold God’s sovereignty. In effect, as in the case of the ancient Israelites, Jehovah grasps their right hand and says: “Do not be afraid. I will help you.”—Isa. 41:10-13.
COMMENT
It’s a good thing that God supports them because many single jw mothers, sisters with non-jw husbands all with children get very little attention. Elders’ wives afraid they are after their husbands; jws that view them as dangerous association.
22. We can look forward to what future privileges?
22 In the near future, godly men and women will transform the earth into a paradise and help millions of resurrected ones to learn about Jehovah’s purposes. Until then, whether male or female, let us cherish our privilege of serving him “shoulder to shoulder.”—Zeph. 3:9.
COMMENT
Yes, in the NEAR FUTURE women will help transform the earth as they do MENIAL tasks.
Will there even be door to door in the WT paradise?
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
I have seen other articles like this over the years, some better. But it is all words. Actions speak louder than words.
Women are second class….even in heaven. I was told by one of the GB (now deceased) that the anointed women resurrected in heaven would only help women on earth…even though the WTS teaches there are no physical genders in heaven.
Love, Blondie