BLONDIE’S FOOD FOR THOUGHT, 10/06/2019 WT STUDY ARTICLE, Let Your Love Abound (August 2019)
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-august-2019/let-your-love-abound/
Opening Comments:
I have been trying to condense my previous comments/highlights format. I am trying a more essay type form. I invite any readers to look at the original article linked above, or not especially if it triggers bad memories and negative physical effects.
Food For Thought?
I noticed that while the WTS has become better at using the phrase “brothers and sisters” when meaning all the members, they still don’t do it consistently. There are times when they are only referencing males. This was problem with jw women I have known over the years. One anointed female jw would sit in the front of the hall on the right-hand corner, and not so silently say under her breath “and sisters” whenever the man on the podium said “brothers.” We could all hear it even to the back of the KH, good acoustics evidently. The women would all chuckle. (If you want to and you still must attend meetings, make a star by each “brothers and sisters” or just “brothers” for “entertainment.”)
I have noticed too that the writer(s) of the study articles are very liberal with adjectives and adverbs to make a “teaching point.”
Examples:
Zealous brothers
Hospitable believer
Great love (2)
Heartfelt words
Half-hearted love
Grow stronger, strengthen our love (at least giving the individual the benefit of the doubt they did have some love for God)
Rich spiritual food
Well-meaning host
Actively share
Full share
Determined to apply
Confident
Also, words that show that the following info is not found in the Bible, but, the WTS/GB can explain it for its members; evidently only one explanation possible.
Evidently
Apparently
No doubt (2)
How often do Christian writers of canonical books use the name “Jehovah”?”
Did Paul specifically say “Jehovah” when he prayed in the behalf of the Philippian congregation? (Philippians 1:9-11). Is every place the NWT uses “Jehovah” a direct quote from the OT?
Philippians 1:9-1 (NWT/Study Edition)
9 And this is what I continue praying, that your love may abound still more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment; 10 that you may make sure of the more important things, so that you may be flawless and not stumbling others up to the day of Christ; 11 and that you may be filled with righteous fruit, which is through Jesus Christ, to God’s glory and praise.
Limited knowledge (of God)
Regular bible study
Meditation (strange word to use since the WTS/GB has not endorsed “worldly” meditation)
God’s word (as explained in the WTS/GB publications)
The WTS says we should follow the example of Jesus, “whose love was so great that he gave his life in our behalf.)
How many jws do you know personally that would give their life, or in other words, die for you? But don’t have the time to talk to you at the meetings or worse yet talk bad about you behind your back?
Did you ever have an elder or other jw use John 20:2 as an excuse for loving some jws more than others? Even the WTS seems to know that is wrong (only time they every said it in a publication though).
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1988723?q=john+20%3A2+affection&p=sen
On the pretext that the Scriptures allow for our having warmer feelings for some brothers than for others, are we inclined to rationalize our feelings? (John 19:26; 20:2) Do we think we can express a cold, reasoned “love” to some because we have to, while we reserve warm brotherly affection for those to whom we are attracted? If so, we have missed the point of Peter’s exhortation. We have not sufficiently purified our souls by our obedience to the truth, for Peter says: “Now that by obedience to the truth you have purified your souls until you feel sincere affection towards your brother Christians, love one another whole-heartedly with all your strength.”—1 Peter 1:22, The New English Bible.
Do jws remember that the WTS defines the word “hate” in the Bible as meaning “loves less”?
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1992521?q=%22loving+less%22&p=par
Further, the word “hate” is used in the Scriptures in the sense of loving less. For example, Jesus said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own soul, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26) Clearly, Jesus simply meant loving these less than we love him. Jacob ‘hated Leah,’ but he actually loved her less than he did Rachel.—Genesis 29:30, 31.
As to finding “it difficult to obey the commandment to love one another,” the WTS/GB resorts to the example of 2 women, Euodia and Syntyche, to illustrate that. In this case, they seemed not to be communicating in the congregation. But what about Paul and Barnabas and their fight over that Paul did not want Mark to come with them because Mark had been irresponsible, but Barnabas felt Mark should come with them. How does the Bible describe that disagreement?
Acts: 15: 36-41
36 After some days, Paul said to Barʹna·bas: “Let us now return and visit the brothers in every one of the cities where we proclaimed the word of Jehovah, to see how they are.” 37 Barʹna·bas was determined to take along John, who was called Mark. 38 Paul, however, was not in favor of taking him along with them, seeing that he had departed from them in Pam·phylʹi·a and had not gone with them to the work. 39 At this there was a sharp burst of anger, so that they separated from each other; and Barʹna·bas took Mark along and sailed away to Cyʹprus. 40 Paul selected Silas and departed after he had been entrusted by the brothers to the undeserved kindness of Jehovah. 41 He went through Syria and Ci·liʹcia, strengthening the congregations.
The WTS/GB also seems to think that a jw’s love “cool off” because another member does not show up to clean the KH. How petty the WTS must think their members are, that there are not greater things that might cause this “cooling off,” such as concealing child sexual abuse(rs) in the congregation. How then can jws keep a “positive” view of the abuser or those that conceal the abuser?
I would think that concealing the abuse and the abuser would be a bigger issue that would stumble people inside and outside the jw congregation. It is more than a “conscience” thing.
How many of the jws you knew, elders included, would have stopped going to any movies because one “new” member felt it was wrong? I have elders told me after I asked why certain elders could attend R-rated (US) movies and remain an elder and was told there was nothing “specific” saying elders could not. In this case, the “stumbling” clause did not apply to elders.
How many jws would tell an admitted alcoholic to drink alcohol; that now that they were a Christian (a jw, the only “true” Christians) and had holy spirit? Not many I have known but a couple. When the elders found out that some jws had done just that, was anything done by the elders; no, the MS who said that to a known alcoholic was not held responsible when that person tried drinking again thinking that holy spirit would remove the dangerous effect alcohol had on him.
I have noticed too that the WTS seems to be speaking out of both sides of their mouths.
1) Saying that even if you never personally have a bible student get baptized as a jw, that doesn’t mean you have failed….circumstances prevail.
2) Then saying that more is required than preaching, jws must be teachers as well. The WTS even recently has gone to the point of having a WT study article, teachings jws how to start and continue Bible studies with non-jws.
3) “most important work” “making disciples
How many jws are in prison, or too old to physically walk from home to home or are in a country that forbids converting others.
At the same time, the WTS has told jws not to be aggressive when “preaching” to relatives, neighbors, schoolmates, workmates, acquaintances (that’s right, no friends outside the WTS). (article coming up in WT study article to not be too aggressive).
Concluding Comments
I tend to read the study articles right away, hot off the press so to speak. Then I let them sit as I re-read the article for current Sunday. Sometimes I have just read the newest WT while I am reviewing the one coming up that Sunday. I really see the pattern of the WTS and the so-called hidden desperation that more people are not coming in, and those that remain are more and more disenchanted, but not enough to leave physically. But physically in or not, many do not donate money anymore. Maybe you are one of those.
The sun is shining today. It has been a wet year, some flooding, but nothing like in other areas of the world. But still, closing on being the 2nd wettest year in this are in its recorded weather history. Last year, was the wettest.
So, I will make “hay” while the sun shines, picking apples, making pies, and putting the garden to bed.
Love, Blondie