The answer to the thread's title question is: NO
Is the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY the "faithful and discreet slave" of Matt. 24:45-47?
by Roger Kirkpatrick 75 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Ding
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Konagirl
"What I could never understand about the wording of that parable is that the faithful and wicked slave are one in the same."
48 “But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time’”
It seems to indicate that the faithful servant turns wicked. And then what are we left with, no one teaching truth, right? (Mal 2:7) But that can’t be right, since the GB have told lies from the beginning. They've never been faithful to the truth of Jesus Christ.
Firstly, if Jesus is asking his servants the question and gives two scenarios of a faithful servant and a wicked servant, there’s got to be two, not just one. But verse 48 doesn’t appear to read that way. Yet, his teachings show us in several places how to determine the good servants he sends, and the bad servants, the wolves that come in sheep’s clothing. He even makes it clear that the bad servants/false prophets that rise up, will mislead the "elect"/chosen. Matt 24:5,24,25; 7:15-20; 1 John 4:1;1 Tim 4:1
In verse 45, he seems to be saying that from among the “faithful” servants, he chooses one to serve food to the household at the proper time. Verse 48 never set well with me and I’ve looked at several translations.
“But suppose THAT servant”. I concentrated on “that” and looked at a couple of interlinear translations– one is scriptures4all, the other is the Kingdom Interlinear copied here.
I noticed how the word “that” is positioned differently – the same is found in scriptures4all.
δὲ(but) εἴπῃ(might say) ὁ(the) κακὸς(bad) δοῦλος(slave) ἐκεῖνος(that) ἐν(in) τῇ(the) καρδίᾳ(heart) αὐτοῦ(of him) Χρονίζει(Is taking his time) μου(of me) ὁ(the) (lord,) 49 καὶ(and)
ἄρξηται(he should start) τύπτειν(to be beating) τοὺς(the) συνδούλους(fellow slaves) (of him,) ἐσθίῃ(may be eating) δὲ(but) καὶ(and) πίνῃ(may be drinking) μετὰ(with) τῶν(the (ones)
μεθυόντων,(getting drunk)
The bad slave, not "that" slave, doesn’t seem connected with the faithful slave. I see two different slaves and outcomes. Interestingly, the bad slave is moaning over the fact that Christ’s coming is delayed. Well, there is no other religion that I know of that not only has a counterfeit “faithful slave” but who has set failed dates for Christ’s return several times. But do they beat the other anointed servants of Christ? Well, yeah, more than ever now. The elders are the priests and “kings”, “representing the royal priesthood”. (wt 02/8/1 p. 9-14) The anointed are told to accept it and not challenge their authority. If they challenge it, they are “thrown out of the synagogue”. Dan 8:10,11; John 16:2; Rev 13:15
Does the GB eat and drink with drunkards – the elders who are fully dedicated to teach their doctrine?
Isa 28:7-10 - Even these stagger because of wine and stumble under the influence of beer: priest and prophet stagger because of beer, they are confused by wine. They stumble because of beer, they are muddled in their visions, they stumble in their judgments. 8 Indeed, all their tables are covered with vomit; there is no place without a stench.
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enoughisenough
parallel account in LUke 12:42-48 shows different slave descriptions: 42....faithful steward.....45 that slave...beat the male and female servants.....47 ...that slave who understood the will of his master, but did not...do what was asked...48 but the one who did not understand....( I see 4 slave descriptions )
When JW speak of the faithful and discreet slave, they just cherry pick what they want from Matt 24:45
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Chezdale
Jesus directed the OP question to any one listening.
If we TRULY follow Jesus, then we are REALLY that one.
WE don’t need to provide proof.
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Chezdale
The GB are men who are desirous of recognition and obeisance.
They are trapped by the attitude of the Pharisees.
Jesus will reveal those soon, those lawless men who live at 1 Kings drive, Tuxedo. New York State.
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Phizzy
The Parable of the Discreet and Evil Slaves is.......... guess what ?........ A PARABLE, not a prophecy. To make it a prophecy is a nonsense, and logically would mean that all of the recorded parables of Jesus were prophecies.
In a vain effort to bolster their claim that Jesus' parable is a prophecy, and refers to the G.B of J.W's, the Org. did attempt to prove just that, the prophetic nature of most of Jesus' parables. Their attempt was obvious arrant nonsense, and has been abandoned in recent times, except for this one parable.
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Wonderment
BoogerMan: "The NWT copied the wording of the KJV which says "kings" at Revelation 5:10, whereas other translations such as the NIV say "kingdom." But of course, it's common knowledge that the NWT perverted their own Kingdom Interlinear Translation twice in that one verse - kings instead of kingdom, and over the earth instead of upon it. (see Psalm 45:16)"
I checked the 1969 and 1985 Kingdom Interlinear editions, and they both show "kingdom" in Rev. 5.10 instead of "kings."
As for the alleged "perversion" of this text, it should be noted that the KI has "upon the earth" as translation for the preposition "epí," whereas the NWT on the right margin shows "over the earth."
Now, a preposition can have many meanings, and translators use a wide range of renderings for these, including "epí" in the genitive case as we have in Rev 5.10. Grammarian J. Harold Greenlee* explains that one basic meaning of "epí" is "upon" followed by 'over' (of authority), which he follows with two genitive examples: Acts 8.27 & Luke 12.42. Check them out! (*A Concise Exegetical Grammar of New Testament Greek, pp. 64-65)
As for the interpretation of Rev 5.10, I will say that just as you have the independent right to have your own, as you have shown us, the NWT translators have the same prerrogative. There is no 'perversion' here in regards to the the readings found in both the KIT and NWT editions.
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Vanderhoven7
Who else could it be?
No, Jesus wouldn't have chosen them according to Mark Jones.
- He questioned those claiming to be Jehovah’s representatives and criticized their interpretation of scripture.
- He sought out sinners and mixed with them.
- He ate with tax collectors and sinners, and even made one of them an apostle.
- He befriended a prostitute.
- He conversed with Satan himself.
- He called out the pharisees for practicing disfellowshipping and shunning.
- He called out the Pharisees for adding laws upon laws.
These are the things Jehovah’s Witnesses are told NOT to do,
Footnotes110326 -
enoughisenough
vanderhoven- this last post made me think of something to ask someone who is shunning : if Jesus would here, do you think he would speak to me? ( after all, as you mentioned, he spoke with Satan.) Given the right opportunity, I am going to pose the question.
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Ding
The Pharisees added laws upon laws.
Can we think of anyone who does this today?