'Organisation is our mother'

EdenOne

I need your help please, for an article I'm writing.

I believe that quite recently in the 2010's, possibly at one of the annual meetings of the Watchtower, there was one speech (or was it in a publication? in a broadcast?) where it was stated that the "organisation is our mother". Now, I know that since 1957 that the "universal, spiritual organisation of Jehovah" is called mother (of the anointed remnant on earth), but this reference was made to include the earthly organisation as part of the "mother".

I can't find that right now, but can you point me to that direction please?

Thx

R.

blondie

I remember it as the heavenly organization is the mother of the anointed. But does that apply to the other sheep (subset great crowd)?

1957

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1957325?q=earthly+organization+mother&p=par

The real mother of Christians is not and can not be an earthly organization. To show this fact Paul contrasts the position of fleshly Jews with that of spiritual Jews, or Christians, and then says: “The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Gal. 4:26, NW) Then he quotes part of a prophecy in Isaiah. Turning to this prophecy in the fifty-fourth chapter of Isaiah we learn from the context the identity of this one called “our mother.” Verses five and six (AS) read: “Thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; . . . For Jehovah hath called thee as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit.” In this way Paul identifies Jehovah’s wife as His invisible universal organization, the mother of Christ and of his joint heirs.

The WTS might reason that non-anointed jws are the children of Jesus and the Bride of Christ (identified as only anointed Christians, 144,000) The first off-hand mention of an earthly organization being the mother of non-anointed jws that I can find is below, but the WTS teaches that the jws who pass the final test at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ over the earth (whew) become god's children not the children of Christ and the Bride:

1983

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1983528?q=motherly+organization&p=par

In order to face up to these violent days, we need the tender guidance of Jehovah’s motherly organization. Since 1938 there has been an improved theocratic condition among God’s people, as Jehovah had foretold: “I will appoint peace as your overseers and righteousness as your task assigners. No more will violence be heard in your land, despoiling or breakdown within your boundaries. And you will certainly call your own walls Salvation and your gates Praise.” The peace and love of righteousness that now characterize Jehovah’s organization worldwide have contributed much toward the “small one” of a few thousand Kingdom proclaimers of 64 years ago becoming “a mighty nation” 2,477,000 strong, moving forward throughout 205 lands of the earth. Reports from the field show that, as we approach “the end,” Jehovah is ‘speeding it up in its own time.’—Isaiah 60:17, 18, 22; Matthew 24:14.

EdenOne

I know Blondie, that article in 1957 was a landmark. Also, please note the difference between "celestial organisation" and "universal organisation" – the latter expression encompassing also the earthly organisation.

That quote from 1983 is also very good, thanks for pointing it out.

But even very recently, and I could swear it was on a talk delivered by a Government Body member in an annual WT meeting of this decade already, ( I may be wrong, though) it was stressed out again the role of the Organisation as "our mother", as per Galatians 4:26.

On the article I'm writing, which looks at the emotional attachment between the individual Witnesses and their "organisation" in the light of the psychological "Attachment Theory", it seems important to me this "personification" of the organisation in a motherly figure.

blondie

EdenOne, the WTS lets it be ambiguous. Galatians 4:26 clearly was written only to anointed Christians (even after the new light in 1935). There were difficulties after 1935 with the anointed jws trying to keep their special status compared to the hoi polloi or (amharets) great crowd.

Up until about 1959, the WTS used a phrase like this, "Jehovah's witnesses and their associates" or companions, making it seem like they were 2 different groups. The WTS applies Isaiah 43:10-12 in reality only to the anointed jws, since only the anointed are identified as spiritual Israelites thus jws as Isaiah says, not other sheep/great crowd. Thus by their definition, non-anointed jws are not spiritual Israelites, thus cannot be jws by direct designation.

I could not find anything saying there was an extension application of Galatians 4:26 to the other sheep/great crowd on the WOL. Perhaps some more able researcher might find something.

DesirousOfChange

All that crap applies to the other sheep "by extension". But only if they want it to for the specific occasion.

blondie

EdenOne and DOC

The WTS differentiates between "the Jerusalem above" and "New Jerusalem" which leads to the confusion. As the following demonstrates.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1998642#h=56:0-56:226

What Is God’s Organization?

In Jehovah’s Witnesses’ literature, the expression “God’s organization” is used in three ways.

1 Jehovah’s heavenly, invisible organization made up of faithful spirit creatures. This is called “Jerusalem above” in the Bible.—Galatians 4:26.

2 Jehovah’s human, visible organization. Today, this consists of the anointed remnant joined by the great crowd.

3 Jehovah’s universal organization. Today, this consists of Jehovah’s heavenly organization together with his anointed, adopted sons on earth, who have a spiritual hope. In time, it will also include perfected humans on earth.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2006203#h=8:179-13:167

Whom, then, did “the free woman” Sarah and her son, Isaac, represent? Paul indicated that Sarah, the “barren woman,” symbolized God’s wife, the heavenly part of his organization. This heavenly woman was barren in that before Jesus came she had no spirit-anointed “children” on the earth. (Galatians 4:27; Isaiah 54:1-6) However, at Pentecost 33 C.E., holy spirit was poured out on a group of men and women who were thus born again as children of this heavenly woman. The children produced by this organization were adopted as sons of God and became joint heirs with Jesus Christ under a new covenant relationship. (Romans 8:15-17) One of these children, the apostle Paul, could write: “The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.”—Galatians 4:26.

Jerusalem Above

Thus God and his heavenly organization make up Jerusalem above (which includes Jesus, the faithful angels, anointed resurrected in 1918 and currently in heaven)

New Jerusalem

Christ and the 144,000 (only those resurrected so far, marriage of Christ and Bride future yet, shortly after great tribulation starts and all 144,000 spirits in heaven…new teaching in the last few years, try finding reference to say time for Blondie)

Universal Organization (BTW the WOL segues to Jehovah’s Organization, use searching with “universal organization” only, not Topics, on WOL

God

Jesus

144,000 (those currently in heaven and those still on earth (on earth still on probation)

Faithful angels

Perfected humans

EdenOne

This was taken from Randall Waters' website:

Governing Body member Albert Schroeder in his address to elders of the Bethel family on
May 29, 1980:

     "We serve not only Jehovah God but we are under our 'mother'
(the organization). Our 'mother' has the right to make rules and
regulations for us... This book, entitled Branch Organization
Procedure, contains 28 subjects; and its sub-sections involve
regulations and administration. In it there are 1,177 POLICIES AND
REGULATIONS...this is an improved, fine-tuned organization, and we
are expected to follow its policies. If there are some who feel
that they cannot subject themselves to the rules and regulations
now in operation, such ones ought to be leaving and not be involved
here in the further progressive work."

Seems to me that not all of Bethel's elders are of the anointed, even at this time in 1980. So, the expression "our mother", as used here, must also apply to the Organisation in a broad sense, including its visible, earthly part. The "mother" prepared the Branch Organisation Procedure, and that is clearly part of the "earthly" organisation, which is therefore part of the "universal" organisation.

blondie

A definite case of using one of the 3 definitions that applies in this case per the WTS. The WTS can actually speak out of 3 sides of their mouth.

truthlover123

It was at an assembly- off the platform it was mentioned. I remember it and wrote it down to research it.... goes back to 1951 in QTR under The Heavenly Zion Oct 1 pgs 597-598 and Blondie brought up up to date with her answer. They use the scripture to cover it Heb 12:22-24

truthlover123

Again, it is only for anointed....

'Organisation is our mother'

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