The WT teaches that the Memorial ( Communion) should only be celebrated yearly and only the anointed can partake of the bread and wine
Is that right ? I don't think so .
The Memorial
by jhine 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Ron.W.
Thanks jhine.
Your post reminded me of all the changes they have made to the great crowd and the memorial.
Have I got it right?
1.Initially there was no GREAT CROWD - all bible students had a heavenly hope and had annual memorial and partook the bread and the wine.
2.Great Crowd introduced (1930's) - NOT ALLOWED to attend annual memorial.
3.Great Crowd allowed to attend memorial ('to observe') - but must not partake (year??)
4.JW's are by now mostly all great crowd - smaller and smaller numbers of the remnant attend and partake.
5. 2024 - Memorial still a great crowd affair with all new ones invited 'warned off ' taking emblems - but number of remnant increasing greatly (how many?)instead of shrinking as was the case in the past.
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TonusOH
That is how I remember it, Jan. Once a year (Nissan 14 on the Jewish calendar) and only the anointed are to partake of the emblems. Everyone else just passes the plate along.
I only ever recall seeing two or three people partake. Most of the time, the crackers would be disposed of afterwards, and the wine would... the rumor was that the elders would drink it afterwards. No use in wasting cheap wine!
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jhine
Ron and Tonus thanks for that information. I am not familiar with the history of the Memorial in the WT
On another thread a comment was made that Jesus only told the original 11 Apostles to keep taking the bread and wine . I cited 1Cor 10 : 16 as proof that in fact the whole church had adopted the practise and Paul was totally ok with that. As long as people approached the Sacrament in with the right spirit
It has also occurred to me that if it was only the 11 who were originally instructed to partake how come even now after all the changes the 144 , 000 can
Non of the ' logic ' makes sense to me
I can find no Biblical evidence for the WT teaching . I have asked but non forthcoming.
Jan from Tam
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DesirousOfChange
I can find no Biblical evidence for the WT teaching.
Somehow that really shouldn't come as a surprise, but be sure the average JW will argue with you until blue in the face. Or, they'll argue until you stump them with the Bible and they will turn an run!
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Ding
It's hard to get JWs to answer Bible questions at all these days.
All they do is shrug and refer you to the website.
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Diogenesister
Ron W. Very interesting, Wow! I didn't know some of that at all & I thought I knew quite a bit when it comes to Watchtower history!!
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Anony Mous
Jesus used the words ‘do this in remembrance of me’ so seemingly whenever you ponder the sacrifice of Jesus in the accompaniment of other Christians, you should do it. There seems to be neither a temporal limit nor restriction.
Similar language in Hebrew scripture is used to signify weekly (Shabbath) and various other religious events which occurred at least monthly if not required daily during some religious weeks. I know some churches still have daily and require at least weekly communion in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Easter etc.
Justin Martyr’s First Apology indicate that weekly administration of the Lord’s Supper existed in the first century. The Catholic Church actually puts a limit of communion no more than twice daily to prevent people from thinking that it could somehow be quantified, so people doing it daily in early Christianity were seemingly not uncommon (still not uncommon amongst people in the clergy).