The following is a beginning to something I have been thinking about for a long time. Any ideas or additional thoughts would be appreciated.
Lee
Matthew 23 and the WTS
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
The Governing Body takes this place now.
3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
You must obey them as long as they speak only the Word of God. The teachers at that time were very careful about making sure they spoke the Word of God and did not add to or take away from it - unlike the WTS today.
As for the second half of the verse: The GB holds one set of rules for themselves and another set for members (UN/NGO vs Malawi/political affiliations) as well as one set for all JWs and another set for non-JWs (Theocratic War Strategy).
4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Rules for how to behave in a wide variety of situations, to the point where people believe they must consult the elders on many decisions. Very little support given financially or materially, even when one is sick or dying.
5 "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[1] wide and the tassels on their garments long;
There is great attention made of and warnings about how non-witnesses will think of them. Many decisions on behavior is made to appear as though they are better than other people "so as not to stumble" someone or "to give a good witness".
6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
Interestingly the WTS is beginning to participate in many symposiums on cultural affairs. They are involved in the discussions on monetary awards to Holocaust survivors and have a Holocaust memorial for JWs. They are often in the courts and make sure people know how they have fought for human rights.
7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'
Well now it is "Brother" but conventions often have experiences of how their appearance or behavior has "won someone over" Also see vs. 6.
8 "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.[2]
The GB has replaced God and Christ. They have loudly proclaimed that they are the only path to salvation and that unless one is associated with them they will die at Armageddon.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
The whole idea of "servant" is lost. Those that lead now are judge jury and executioner leading many to fear the elders.
12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
This is beginning to happen. For all the finger-pointing they have done towards the Catholic Church regarding the pedophile scandal, they are not in the same place and worse even due to their refusal to accept responsibility.
13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! [14]You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Through their false teachings and prophesies they have not allowed people to get to know the true message in the scriptures
15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
Once a person is baptized they are on their own regarding their spirituality. Open discussion and questioning about teachings is forbidden. No further spiritual growth can occur in this environment.
16 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?18 You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.
Basically disregard your vow to serve God and serve the WTS instead.
23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
The "more important matters of the law" have been forgotten. People are judged based on hard and fast rules with little or no consideration for personal circumstances. Instead they follow petty rules - beards, shirt colors, skirt lengths, hairstyles etc.
24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
JWs are disfellowshipped for smoking, talking to disfellowshipped people, buying party cards (Malawi), celebrating Christs birth, getting help from the Salvation Army etc. but they allow sexual offenders to roam free in the congregations. GB members practice homosexuality but then preach that it is unacceptable. The WTS joins the UN as an NGO but condemns others for other political and spiritual acts.
29 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
The WTS is very proud of its facilities all over the world. They get richer while taking from the poor. They are in effect building their own tombs and call themselves righteous.
30 And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
They put themselves above other religions and say they do not cover over the sins of the members. They say they correctly care for the sheep.
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
But their actions prove differently.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
The time will come for their condemnation
34Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
The media and silentlambs are doing a great job of teaching the org what is right. And they get labeled as coming from the devil for it.
35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
Yes the blood-guilt of the innocents will be on their heads: suicide victims, blood vicitms, those who have died for beliefs that have now changed.
36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
Self-evident
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
The WTS has not been willing to tenderly care for the sheep. They have used them for their own purposes and then disposes of them when they are no longer useful. People who have served a life-time, still wait for prophesy to be fulfilled and often die alone and uncared for.
38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'[4] "
The time is coming
Footnotes
23:5 That is, boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm
23:10 Or Messiah
23:13 Some manuscripts to. 14 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely.
23:39 Psalm 118:26