Just in time for Memorial season...

by OutsiderLookingIn 8 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  OutsiderLookingIn

  This is short and quick but maybe it's a seed to plant in the 10 days until the Memorial. I have talked to JWs who tell me their reason for not eating the bread and drinking the cup is because that was only a New Covenant with His disciples (and in their wonky extension, the 144,000). But I just thought of a few things.

  First off, that's not even true because in John 6:53-54, Jesus was talking to more than His disciples. But let's assume that's true: why are they doing other things Jesus only told His disciples about? Like the preaching work. The flimsy proof texts given for the need to preach for salvation were only spoken to the disciples: Matthew 24:14 (see verse 3, He told the disciples these things "privately"); Matthew 28:19-20. In two accounts (starting Matthew 10:1 and Mark 6:7), Jesus tells them to pair off and preach; only Luke 10 talks about the 70 (or 72) disciples but just say "well, the 12 is equal to the 144,000, why aren't they equal to the 70? The accounts are otherwise the same." The fact remains, in the most-cited reasons for the "preaching work" (in Matthew), Jesus was talking directly to His nearest and dearest disciples. If the Lord's Supper is only for His disciples who will rule with Christ in heaven, why should anyone but that anointed group preach? Or: why are they disciples for the preaching work, but not for the very act that symbolizes that they're a part of the New Covenant?

  
  

  Thoughts?
  
  
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  prologos

  Jesus would be removed as an elder and disfellowshipped for active apostasy, because he served the bread and wine to non-anointed people with an earthly hope, ordering them to eat and drink. think.
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  Crazyguy

  Jws pick and choose what Scriptures they will use. They are taught by stupid men and so they end up stupid too. Example they love James 1:26-27 faith with out works is worthless yet never read Ephesian 2:8-9 where it says the exact opposite.

  About the eating of the bread and wine, every other Christian religion knows that Jesus was talking to everyone in the crowd at copernium when he said you have to eat my flesh to have life in you. The second group he talks about the other sheep is the gentiles, Christians know this as well.
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  sloppyjoe2

  As prologos pointed out, both instances Jesus said to eat the bread and drink the wine it was to non anointed Christians. He was telling everyone to do it, not a select number who magically know they're anointed but can't tell you how they know.
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  DATA-DOG

  The 144,000 is a symbolic code. 1+4+4+0 = 9, which is a sacred number to ancient followers of Hermetcism/ Sacred Geometry.

  DD
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  Listener

  The other sheep are simply assisting the anointed. They do recognize that it is the anointed that has been given the responsibility of preaching/teaching but since they have asked the other sheep, the other sheep are required to be obedient to the anointed and assist them carrying out this work.

  W07 11/1

  This is so because he uses the anointed to proclaim the Kingdom message. The “other sheep” help in bringing spiritual refreshment to people by actively supporting the anointed in the preaching work. (John 10:16) What a privilege it is to share in this work, which brings true refreshment to others!

  However, it gets even more interesting when you consider that not long ago they viewed the other sheep as their 'belongings' in relation to the FDS parable. They are no longer belongings but 'domestics' but as 'belongings' they believed this applied -

  
  

  W08 8/15
  

  GOD’S WORD identifies anointed Christians who are caring for Christ’s interests on earth as “the faithful and discreet slave.” When Christ inspected the “slave” in 1918, he found those anointed ones on earth to be faithful in providing spiritual “food at the proper time.” Hence, Jesus, the Master, was pleased thereafter to appoint them “over all his belongings.” (Read Matthew 24:45-47.) In this way, before receiving a heavenly inheritance, anointed ones serve other worshippers of Jehovah here on earth.
  2 A master has authority over his belongings, or possessions, and he can use them as he chooses. The belongings of Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s enthroned King, embrace all Kingdom interests on earth. That includes “a great crowd” seen by the apostle John in vision. ...
  3 Members of that great crowd are among those referred to by Jesus as his “other sheep.” (John 10:16) Their hope is to live forever on a paradise earth. ....
  4 .... They are not independent but willing to serve under the direction of the heavenly King and his anointed brothers on earth.
  5 Anointed Christians have met and will continue to meet severe opposition from Satan’s world. Nevertheless, they can rely on the support of their companions of the great crowd. While anointed Christians are now few in number, the great crowd yearly increases by hundreds of thousands. The anointed are unable to oversee personally each of the some 100,000 Christian congregations throughout the world. Thus, one aspect of the support that the anointed receive from the other sheep is that qualified men of the great crowd serve as congregation elders. They help care for the millions of Christians now entrusted to “the faithful and discreet slave.”
  6 The willing support given to anointed Christians by their companions of the other sheep was foretold by the prophet Isaiah. He wrote: “This is what Jehovah has said: ‘The unpaid laborers of Egypt and the merchants of Ethiopia and the Sabeans, tall men, will themselves come over even to you, and yours they will become. Behind you they will walk.’” (Isa. 45:14) In a symbolic way, Christians with an earthly hope today walk behind the anointed slave class and its Governing Body, following their leadership. As “unpaid laborers,” the other sheep willingly and wholeheartedly expend their strength and their resources in support of the worldwide preaching work that Christ assigned to his anointed followers on earth.—Acts 1:8; Rev. 12:17.
  7 ... By exercising faith and displaying loyalty now, he shows that he will respond well when the King gives him directions in the new world.

  
  
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  stuckinarut2

  They were not anointed for "heavenly life" until Pentecost 33CE.....

  so up until then, they were of the "earthly class"....right??
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  DATA-DOG

  Does anyone else want to puke when reading WT articles? Since no one is appointed over the "belongings" yet, how can the above article be taken seriously? I guess the GB are saying, " We are the boss of you, just because."

  Of course, that's how cults operate. LET'S REVIEW: ....................

  DD
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  pbrow

  Those are excellent points.

  Right before my kids have to go to the memorial with their mother I always ask them "what does jesus tell you to do with the wine and bread? and what do the elders tell you to do with the wine and bread?... Who should you listen to?"

  If you are a christian and beleive the bible holds any weight, those two questions pretty much destroy any credence to the "sit and pass" mentality of the dubs.

  pbrow