The "faithful slave" urges confession in latest Watchtower!

by The Searcher 43 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  The Searcher

  Watchtower October 2017, page 11, par. 17 - Confess and abandon secret sins. Some Christians who have committed a serious sin try to cover it over in order to avoid embarrassing themselves or disappointing others. (Prov. 28:13) Yet, such a course is unloving, for it harms not only the sinner but also others. It can hinder the flow of God’s spirit and threaten the peace of the entire congregation. (Eph. 4:30) Genuine love moves Christians who have committed serious sins to speak [confess] to the elders......

  So Catholics have been right all along??????????? But the alleged "faithful slave" said this less than 7 years ago -
  

  w10 9/1 p. 23 - "God does not authorize men [elders] to forgive sins...only he can do so... to whom should such [serious] sins be confessed? Since forgiveness can come only from God, confession must be made to him."

  How quickly "Bible truth" changes!!!!!
  
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  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  Let's just take the GB's theory that hidden sins prevent the holy spirit from flowing into the sinner's congregation. This would explain why the whole organization is such a f*cked up mess with zero holy spirit. Everyone has secrets. I would put my life on it that there is not ONE congregation out there without at least one or two members withholding information about their past (or current) transgressions.
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  Ding

  Perhaps they should look at how they are still covering up pedophilia within the organization. JWs still believe its "Jehovah's clean organization."
  

  And what about other aspects of WT history -- Rutherford's cutthroat tactics, the GB's blaming rank and file JWs for the 1975 failure, the GB's treatment of Ray Franz and many others at Bethel in the 1980s?
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  Giordano

  for it harms not only the sinner but also others. It can hinder the flow of God’s spirit and threaten the peace of the entire congregation.

  I'll raise the ante and say there is probably not a congregation anywhere that doesn't have a spirit deflecting Elder or MS.or congregants.

  The ARC's data going back to 1950 shows convincingly that a massive pedophile problem was kept secret from the JW's and the authorities. This is sin after sin........ crime after crime.

  With just this one issue and a cover up that extends right to the top of the organization how could anyone make a case that the Society and all it infects has any spirit and blessing on them?
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  scratchme1010

  Should we all start sending them letters of confessions? We should all send one different letter for each sin we have committed.
  
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  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  @Giordano YESSSSSSS.

  
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  FedUpJW

  I "suggested" to one of the eldurrs that the now unused second school room (due to very low attendance and no TMS any more) be converted to smaller confessionals. I said that the three JC eldurrs could take turns manning them.
  

  I keep "suggesting" that at every chance I get. Maybe this article will be another chance to bring that up, even though I cannot any longer make "public declaration of my faith".
  
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  pale.emperor

  I hid all my sins, not because I was embarrassed or worried about letting anyone else down, but because I knew they'd get my family to shun me.

  Glad I had all that sex and didn't tell them now.
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  darkspilver

  Remember, remember the OP is from 'The Searcher'......

  Look at the 2010 Watchtower that 'The Searcher' has helpfully pointed out:
  

  Watchtower 1 September 2010, page 23
  

  To Whom Should Sins Be Confessed?

  God does not authorize men to forgive sins against him; only he can do so. The Bible tells us clearly: “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) However, to whom should such sins be confessed?

  Since forgiveness can come only from God, confession must be made to him. That is what David did, as we have noted. On what basis, though, would forgiveness be granted? The Bible tells us: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah.” (Acts 3:19) Yes, forgiveness is contingent not only on one’s recognizing and confessing the sin but also on one’s being willing to desist from the wrong course. This additional step is often difficult. But there is help.

  Recall the words of the disciple James that we referred to earlier: “Openly confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may get healed.” To those words, James added: “A righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.” (James 5:16) The ‘righteous man’ can be one of “the older men of the congregation,” whom James mentioned in verse 14. In the Christian congregation, there are spiritually “older men,” or elders, appointed to assist those who want to gain God’s forgiveness. No, such “older men” cannot absolve anyone of sins, for no man is authorized to forgive a fellow human for a wrong against God. However, they are spiritually qualified to reprove and readjust a person guilty of a serious sin, helping him to recognize the gravity of his sin and the need to repent.—Galatians 6:1.
  
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  OrphanCrow

  The Searcher: How quickly "Bible truth" changes!!!!!

  Yes. WT doctrine bends to the demands of the legal world. They are a legalistic organization that pretends to be a religion. The real "bible" resides within law libraries.

  "Confession" must be advocated now - they need to claim clergy confidentiality in the courts. The doctrine changes as it is legally convenient or necessary for it to do so. And if they don't like a law, they challenge it and push it through, calling it "religious freedom". When that fails, they change their doctrine.