December 29 WT Study
Christians Need one Another from WT November 15, 2002 Places of Worship. Do we Need Them ? We are members belonging to one another - EPHESIANS 4:25Lets see what examples the WTS provides.
| Helper | Commended For | My Comment |
| Aquila and Priscilla, tentmakers | p. 5-6 Received [elder Paul] in to their home, worked with him as tentmakers, and helped him to build up the congregation in Corinth. They even put their lives in jeopardy..Enhanced Appolos understanding of Gods word with regular bible study. | Brothers and sisters, be prepared to work, and work hard. Your elder needs you. The congregation needs you. Those in error need you. You have no needs. |
| Congregation in Philippi | Regular healthy contributions to the unobtrusive donation boxes at the back of the room. p. 7...the Phillipians demonstrated readiness to contribute even beyond their means. | Get out your pocketbooks, brothers and sisters, your congregation needs you. But REMEMBER. This is NOT THE SAME as Christendoms churches begging for cash. Begging for cash is shameful. THIS IS NOT THE SAME AT ALL. |
| Epaphroditus | p. 8 On account of the Lords work [Epaphroditus] came quite near to death, exposing his mortal soul to danger...a self-sacrificing and helpful Christian, and Paul really needed him. | Ministerial Servants and elders, be prepared to give more. Your CO needs you. Have you exposed yourself to mortal danger yet? Then you have not yet given enough. |
| Aristarchus | p. 9 was a strengthening aid [for elder Paul]. Should not all of us endeavour to be strengthening aids to fellow Christians? | Aristarchus is a fine model to follow, but the illustration is a bit of a stretch. Aristarchus was a fellow leader and companion to Paul, and in the end, a fellow prisoner. Tradition says Nero lopped off his head. He is more an example of two leaders in the congregation supporting one another. |
| Peter | p. 10 manifested strong, rocklike qualities, especially after Jesus resurrection. | ...and especially after he received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Peter had pebble-like qualities until then. Funny how the WT left that out. It sure would help the average believer if they had direct access to the strength of the Holy Spirit when ministering to others. |
| Timothy | p. 11 Though he had certain health problems, Timothy displayed whole-hearted faith and slaved with Paul in furtherance of the good news. | Uh oh. The faders cannot use ill health as an excuse any more. The ill cannot use that as an excuse any more either. |
| Dorcas | p. 12 [made] many garments or do other loving things for those in need. | ...and then the article immediately downplays the quality of Dorcas good works with this disclaimer: Of course, their good works primarily have to do with promoting Kingdom interests and sharing in the disciple-making work. I guess the seamstress types will have to put down their needles and get back to work peddling magazines. |
| Lydia | p. 13 Welcomed the apostles to stay at her home. How we appreciate it when similar hospitality is shown by kind and loving Christians today! | That is right, brothers and sisters. Welcome the CO and Elders in to your home with open arms, but keep your prodigal children out in the cold. |
| Jesus | p. 15 He liked hanging out at the temple and listening to the talks. He always wore a little suit and tie just like his father, and sat quietly and meekly in his chair, commenting only when recognized by the speaker. He never, never, never challenged the elders with his own interpretation of the scriptures. | What a fine example Jesus set for our young ones! Surely they should obey their parents and be interested in learning about spiritual things. |
We know barely anything about the life of Aristarchus or Epaphroditus. Why isnt Stephen mentioned? The Bible dedicates two complete chapters to his life (Acts 6 & 7). Could it be because he was a man full of grace and power, even though his simple assignment was waiting on tables for poor widows? Oh, thats right. The WTS stopped food services for its sheep a long time ago. If widows need help, they can call on that wicked organization, Meals on Wheels.
Note:
text in red is directly quoted from WT materials.
