The man asked Jesus who is my neighbor Jesus stated the one who acts mercifully toward other humans. Not good enough for watchtower neighbor must fit in three catagories only according to yesterdays wt wow changed the words of the son of God.
The wt has now changed Jesus definition of neighboor
by poopie 66 Replies latest jw friends
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Slidin Fast
Like the new definition of a lie. Its only a lie when its to someone "entitled to know the truth". Anyone else, go for it! -
lanalonger
let’s be truthful here then, the three categories covered all human beings.
Marriage mates, family members, then anyone one might meet in the ministry….which covers all human beings.
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Beth Sarim
Yes all bases covered here. -
The Searcher
Slidin' Fast - "Like the new definition of a lie. Its only a lie when its to someone "entitled to know the truth".
Wow! I've just discovered they've taught this corruption for the past 28 years - since 1988!
it-2 p. 244 Lie
"The opposite of truth. Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth and doing so with the intent to deceive... "
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dbq407
I noticed that too, pretty sure Jesus wasn't talking about marriage mates when he was talking about neighbor. But leave it to the WT to set strict guidelines on something that was basically saying treat kindly and love everyone. -
Island Man
Marriage mates, family members, then anyone one might meet in the ministry….which covers all human beings.
Why limit it to people you meet in the ministry? Why not just say anyone you have opportunity to interact with?
By specifically saying those one might meet in the ministry, Watchtower is giving JWs cause to justify not participating in soup kitchens or offering other kinds of charitable assistance to people other than preaching to them.
What I mean is this. If a more reasonable and genuine JW were take a Saturday off from the ministry to volunteer at a soup kitchen and another JW later asks him why he didn't see him in service Saturday, the conversation could go something like this:
Watchtower JW: Hey, I didn't see you out in field service last Saturday. Were you sick?
Noble-Minded JW: No, not at all. I just took a Saturday off from field service to volunteer at the local soup kitchen. My heart goes out to those poor homeless people I see on the street. So I try to take some time off from time to time to be like the good samaritan and help my neighbor in need.
Watchtower JW: It's good that you show concern for you neighbor. But the greatest help you can offer them is to share the good news of the kingdom with them. That leads to everlasting life under God's kingdom, which will solve all their problems, including giving them food and shelter. We need to show love for neighbor by helping them to put their trust in God's kingdom as the only solution to their problems - not vain human efforts.
Noble-Minded JW: Yes, but Jesus didn't just teach people. He also offered them practical help like feeding them and healing their illnesses.
Watchtower JW: That's different, Jesus was performing miracles to prove he was the Messiah and to demonstrate to the people what God's kingdom, with him as King, will do on a larger scale in the future.
Noble-Minded JW: Well, the good Samaritan didn't preach to the beaten up, left-for-dead Jew. He didn't tell him to trust in God to solve his problems and leave him lying there. He lovingly offered his time and resources to bring him relief and Jesus said we should be doing the same to our neighbor.
Watchtower JW: Do you remember that study article we looked at in the Watchtower a few weeks ago that talked about showing love for your neighbor? I invite you to go look at it again carefully. See who the faithful and discreet slave is telling us our neighbor is. It says our family and marriage mate and people we meet in our ministry. See the illustration on the first page of the article - the one with the brother helping the people dig out their stalled vehicle. Why is the brother dressed that way? Was it not because he was in the ministry. Think of the great witness he gave to the vehicle owners. Because he was out preaching they know that it was a Jehovah's Witness that helped them, and he no doubt used the opportunity to explain to them that the reason why he helped them is because he is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. So the faithful slave is helping us to see that in the modern day application the neighbors that we are to help is people we encounter in our ministry.
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lanalonger
I’ll say it again, it covers anyone you might meet in the ministry, which means everyone, because anyone you meet anywhere is someone you could meet in the ministry.
The point of Jesus’ parable was that anyone who could benefit from your love and mercy is your neighbor. Well, your marriage mate definitely can benefit from your love and mercy, as can your family, so they are your neighbors. Then the whole human family was included in the last category, as all others can benefit from your love and mercy.
Interesting how such a beautiful teaching from the lesson yesterday is being criticized.
Strict guidelines? the guideline was to love the people you have dealings with, your neighbors.
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ttdtt
IT ALL MAKES ME SO SICK! -
konceptual99
What about people that are highly unlikely to be met in the ministry like those caught in the war in Syria? Is it neighbourly to support charities that are sending doctors and nurses to help them for example?