Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-20-04 WT Study (5-1-04 issue)

by blondie 20 Replies latest watchtower bible

blondie

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-20-04 WT Study (5-1-04 issue)(abbreviated)
Review comments will be in black and parentheses ()WT quotes
will be in red and quotes "" Quotes from other sources
will be in blue
STRENGTHEN ONE ANOTHER
"These very ones have become a strengthening aid to me.?Colossians 4:11 (snippet)
and Jesus who is called Justus, these being of those circumcised . Only these are my fellow workers for the kingdom of God , and these very ones have become a strengthening aid to me . . . COLOSSIANS 4:11
Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish Christians among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!?Colossians 4:11 (NLT)

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Opening Comments
First, I was wondering why the WTS left out the "these being of those circumcised." It shows how there were those in the congregation that were neglecting their Christian responsibilities. Why did only the Jewish Christians help Paul? Why did he mention it? Why did the WTS give the impression that all Christians were doing this?
Let me share my observations over the last few years. I have seen elders say they could not/would not go up to the hospital to see ill JWs because the elder did not like hospitals and sick people. I have seen them refuse to visit people in jail or psychiatric units. I have seen them refuse to sit with dying JWs because they did not like to see death.
If the elders did not do this, who did? Women and other people who were looked down upon as weak and of no account.
When older people needed their lawns mowed, house repaired, house cleaned, food bought and prepared, taken to the doctor/dentist/optometrist, it was those "lowly ones" with no status who gladly did these things, following through on their words.
Second, I noticed that their example while finally an NT one, is an example of encouraging an apostle, an elder, and a traveling brother. How many times are the rank and file told not to discourage the elders by doing bad things or not following the "orders" of the elders?
Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among YOU and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over YOUR souls as those who will render an account; that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to YOU.
HEBREWS 13:17
Third, there is an extensive segment on how to "help the inactive." Hmmmm?.the numbers are dropping off. Tweetiebird posted on this DB that out of 110 publishers, only 68 attended the Sunday meeting, and this is a trend in many congregations in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada as well as other countries in Europe. Will their tactics retrieve the wounded sheep?
START OF ARTICLE
Paragraphs 1-2
It can be dangerous to be the friend of someone languishing in prison?even if your friend has been imprisoned unjustly. The prison officials may view you with suspicion, watching your every move to ensure that you commit no crime. Therefore, it calls for courage to keep close touch with your friend and visit him in prison.
Above I mentioned the elders I know that would not visit a fellow JW in the hospital, prison, or psych unit. Based on the support you get from the elders (and others) in the congregation now, can you expect support when the going gets rough?
They did not hesitate to visit Paul in his prison bonds?who were these loyal friends?
"A Strengthening Aid"
Paragraphs 3-4
The apostle Paul is in prison in Rome on the fabricated charge of sedition?Paul singles out for mention five Christians (Jewish) who stood by his side (all men).
Paul made a powerful statement about the help his loyal friends rendered to him. He used a Greek word (paregoria) translated "strengthening aid," which in the Bible is only found in this verse. (*Vine?s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament words, by W.E. Vine (no page number or date of publication))
This information appeared in a 1999 and 1997 WT issue.
Why Paul Needed "a Strengthening Aid"
Paragraphs 5-7
All humans at one time or another need to receive comfort?true even of Jesus.
He (Paul) did find loyal, true companions whose courage and affection soothed his heart. They were his genuine spiritual brothers.
They did not permit Paul?s prison bonds to make them shy away from him. Instead, they willingly and lovingly provided personal services for Paul.
They likely (buzzword meaning they are adding to the Bible account) obtained needed times, such as winter clothing, scrolls, and writing tools?all such helpful deeds strengthened and encouraged the imprisoned apostle so that he, in turn, could be "a strengthening aid" to others, including entire congregations.
What is the hidden message here? Help the elders so they can help the congregation. Do you see any message to help the weak and downtrodden in the congregation?
How to be "a Strengthening Aid"
Paragraphs 8-11
It takes courage and self-sacrifice to come to the aid of others in their adversity.
That explains why the elders I have seen over 40 years, in several congregations, states and countries, don?t reach out. Also, the elders judge whether their adversity deserves congregational attention.
Further it takes humility to acknowledge that we may need help in times of personal distress.
Translation: If you are getting help, it?s because you are too proud to ask for it.
This reminds me of an illustration about a sheep that fell off a ledge. The WTS said that it was the sheep?s responsibility to bleat so the shepherd could find it.
Not only did Paul admit that he needed help but he accepted that help graciously and commended those who gave it.
Not only is the lost, weak sheep responsible for asking for help but must be grateful for any crumbs they receive.
For us to say that we never need strengthen aid would imply that we are superhuman. Remember, Jesus? example shows that even a perfect human may sometimes need to cry out for help.
Yes, folks, if you are getting the help you need it is because you are to proud to admit you need help!!!!!!
Good results can come when those in responsible positions admit that they have limitations and that they are dependent on the support of others?strengthen the bond between those with authority and those subject to that authority.
So the elders are supposed to turn themselves and each other in? Right!
It shows that those taking the lead are human and approachable.
How the Congregation Can Help
Paragraphs 12-16
For one thing, you regularity at the meetings and in field service does much to fortify the faith of others.
How many JWs do you know that think they have "helped" by showing up for meetings and field service?
Your constancy in sacred service is evidence of your loyalty to Jehovah (Jesus?) and shows that you are keeping spiritually awake despite the difficulties you may be coping with.
Yes, meeting attendance and field service must continue at the same level or you are disloyal to God.
That constancy can have a strengthening effect on others.
At times, the pressures of life or other difficulties (????) can cause some to SLOW DOWN (caps mine) or become INACTIVE (caps mine) in the field service.
We may not see inactive ones at congregation meetings.
YET (caps mine), they likely still have a love of God in their heart.
The elders can offer kind assistance by VISITING them (unannounced of course; how many elders do you know that make an appointment. Many have told me it is better not to because you are more likely to find them home.)
Other congregation members may be asked (why do they have to be asked) to assist too.
Such loving visits can be just the right medicine, as it were, to revive those weak in faith.
Weak in faith!!! Likely still have a love of God in their heart!!!!!
He (Jehovah) does not view them as of little worth, and he does not wish any to DRIFT (caps mine) away.
Can you help the congregation "to hold fast" to the SPIRITUALLY WEAK (caps mine) until they are stronger?
One elder visited a married couple who had been inactive for six years.
The elder writes: "The kind and loving concern displayed toward them by the entire congregation had such a tremendous impact that it moved them to return to the flock."
I?d like to go back a year from now and see what level that love is on.
She (the once inactive sister/what happened to her hubby) now says: "What helped us to become active again was neither the brothers who visited nor the sisters who accompanied them (?????) ever showed a judgmental or critical attitude toward us. Rather, they were understanding and provided Scriptural encouragement."
Sisters go on shepherding calls???
A sincere Christian delights to be a strengthen aid to others.
And as circumstances change in our lives, we ourselves may be the recipient of strengthening acts by our brothers (and sisters).
And here is the out for everyone so they don?t have to feel guilty when they don?t offer help.
Realistically, thought it is possible that in a time of need, no human aid will be available (or offered)?..one who is always willing to help?Jehovah God.
Jehovah?the Ultimate Source of Strength
Jesus?closest friends had abandoned him and fled..still his trust in Jehovah was not in vain.
He heard his Father?s voice expressing approval and confirmation?dispatched angels.
Are they suggesting that God will strengthen us this way?
War, poverty, sickness, death, or our own imperfections (more likely the imperfections of the elders and others in the congregation) can put us under immense pressures.
Until he makes "all things new" in his promised PARADISE (caps mine) SO NEAR (caps mine) at hand.
Concluding Comments
So the elders are falling down on the job. But they won?t see themselves in this. They will imagine they are doing all they can, but more likely only what they want to do.
Imagine it took 6 years before they called on that inactive couple!
The hidden message to the elders is "stop being judgmental and critical." But since the WTS is doing that in the pages of its publication, how can the elders be any different?
Didn?t they say: "Your constancy in sacred service is evidence of your loyalty to Jehovah." Thus inactive JWs are disloyal to God.
Blondie
mineralogist

Par 3-4: W.E.Vine
Comfort, comforter, comfortless4. paregoria (Strongs #3931), primarily "an adressing, address," hence denotes "a soothing, solace," Col4:11. A verbal form of the word signifies medicines which allay irritation (eng. "paregoric")
cyber-sista

Thanks Blondie,
Again, the WT is so far removed from reality. I went missing in the Org after 20 plus years of faithful service and I have not experienced any of this loving "encouragement" that the Org speaks of. I only see judgment from others--congo members and their superiors-- I don't at all see the love and concern that is spoken of in this article. These articles divide the spiritually "strong" fror the spiritually "weak" and give those "strong" ones (judgmental ones) their continual ego feeding to maintain their feelings of superiority towards those "lesser" than themselves.
cybs
HadEnuf

We may not see inactive ones at congregation meetings.
YET (caps mine), they likely still have a love of God in their heart.

Hi Blondie! (& irREVerent):
The reason why they are "inactive" and NOT attending meetings is exactly because they DO have a love of God in their hearts. Thus, they feel compelled by their conscience NOT to attend meetings because they know in their HEARTS that this organization has removed itself far, far away from true Christianity.
If I was to attend this particular Watchtower Mind-Control Session Blondie, I would be silently screaming inside my head (aside from generally talking to myself inside my head and sometimes out loud, thus the 2 anti-depressants and 1 anti-psychotic meds I am currently on due to the fact that being a JW completely screwed me up and it really sucks to be me. End of Pity Party. No...actually it DOESN'T suck to be me because I am free from this sort of trashy, hypocritical, mind-bending sewer food. Yea...I was out in the sun too much today. )...hmmmm...where was I? Oh yea...I would be silently screaming inside my head and wishing I could take my Watchtower and wack all the elders up the side of the head and tell them they oughta start walking the walk instead of just talking the talk. Yea...you go Cathy. GO GO GO!!!
I love your Watchtower reviews Blondie. It gives me hope that there are people, such as yourself and countless others on this board, that actually can think for themselves, have a conscience and still have a great big HEART !!!
Cathy L.
Leolaia

One elder visited a married couple who had been inactive for six years. She (the once inactive sister/what happened to her hubby) now says: "What helped us to become active again was neither the brothers who visited nor the sisters who accompanied them (?????) ever showed a judgmental or critical attitude toward us. Rather, they were understanding and provided Scriptural encouragement."

Well, duh, if they were trying to lure them back, showing a negative attitude would not exactly work would it? Now if they had been disfellowshipped in absentia for falling away.....
heathen

I don't even think the elder arrangement is biblical . Being an elder is simply the older men and is not an office as say the overseer arrangement . These people do not have holy spirit yet claim they are experts on spirituallity .To them spirituallity is based on meeting attendance and selling magazines . IMO they are way too judgemental and are really asked to do things they are not qualified to do .
Scully
Hi Blondie:
When I read your opening comments, I immediately thought of the deeply ingrained concepts of mitzvah/mitzvot, tzedakah, and g'milat chesed among the Jewish people as to being likely reasons for "the circumcised ones" being of such comfort to Paul.
"These very ones have become a strengthening aid to me.?Colossians 4:11 (snippet)
and Jesus who is called Justus, these being of those circumcised. Only these are my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and these very ones have become a strengthening aid to me. . . COLOSSIANS 4:11
The Torah comprises the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, that all Jewish people are expected to observe. A mitzvah is also any Jewish religious obligation, and even more simply, any good deed.
The term tzedakah is generally accepted as referring to acts of charity. However, while our notion of charity implies that a person is going beyond what is necessary, or performing a noble deed voluntarily, the Hebrew word actually means justice or righteousness. In this respect, giving of oneself voluntarily is not something that is just nice and good to do, there is a personal sense of duty and necessity to perform tzedakah.
The third notion that would have been prevalent in the mind-set of first century Jewish-Christians is the even more noble concept of g'milat chesed - acts of loving kindness. Rabbis have taught that g'milat chesed is even more important than charity in three ways:
1. Charity (tzedakah) is accomplished with items of monetary value - money, clothing, food, shelter. Loving kindness is practised with one's person - spending time with the sick, cheering up the despondent and depressed, making people feel they are important.
2. Charity is given only to the needy; g'milat chesed can be given to anyone - consoling those who are experiencing bereavement, comforting the suffering, being a friend to to those who are lonely or spiritually starved even if they are financially blessed.
3. Charity is given only to the living; g'milat chesed is shown to both the living and the dead - arranging for a proper burial, attending a funeral service, visiting a grave of a friend or family member who has passed away.
These very loving, generous and heartfelt concepts are precisely the ones that are sorely lacking among JWs. As you said, the WTS's goal is that everyone is expected to assist those in the congregation "higher up in the food chain", while ignoring the very real needs and concerns of the sick, the depressed, the needy, the lonely who are at the bottom of the JW totem pole.
Even Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats has been twisted away from tending to the lowly and the sick and the crippled of the congregations, into a message of fattening up the coffers of those who are supposed to be shepherds caring for the flock:
*** Rbi8 Matthew 25:31-46 ***
31 "When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.
34 "Then the king will say to those on his right, ?Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for YOU from the founding of the world. 35 For I became hungry and YOU gave me something to eat; I got thirsty and YOU gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and YOU received me hospitably; 36 naked, and YOU clothed me. I fell sick and YOU looked after me. I was in prison and YOU came to me.? 37 Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ?Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you?? 40 And in reply the king will say to them, ?Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did it to one of the least of these my brothers, YOU did it to me.?
41 "Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ?Be on YOUR way from me, YOU who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. 42 For I became hungry, but YOU gave me nothing to eat, and I got thirsty, but YOU gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger, but YOU did not receive me hospitably; naked, but YOU did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but YOU did not look after me.? 44 Then they also will answer with the words, ?Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?? 45 Then he will answer them with the words, ?Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did not do it to one of these least ones, YOU did not do it to me.? 46 And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life."
Since when is it the job of the SHEEP to provide for the SHEPHERDS? These concepts of 'feeding the hungry', giving a drink to a thirsty person, welcoming strangers with hospitality, providing clothing and shelter for those in need, consoling the sick and the imprisoned are mitzvot, tzedakah and g'milat chesed - and Jesus - being a JEW himself - understood those concepts completely and was endorsing them to those who followed him. And guess what? The apostle Paul knew it too!!
The WTS doesn't "get it". They never will. They are losing people by the thousands because they just don't get it.
Love, Scully
Odrade

One elder visited a married couple who had been inactive for six years.
The elder writes: "The kind and loving concern displayed toward them by the entire congregation had such a tremendous impact that it moved them to return to the flock."
I?d like to go back a year from now and see what level that love is on.
She (the once inactive sister/what happened to her hubby) now says: "What helped us to become active again was neither the brothers who visited nor the sisters who accompanied them (?????) ever showed a judgmental or critical attitude toward us. Rather, they were understanding and provided Scriptural encouragement."

Geez, there are so many things wrong with this "experience," where to begin? First... SIX YEARS??? LOL! If they were so primed to go back, the elders just let them cool their anxious heels for 6 years...presumably until they got around to it. After all, it's way more important to spend your time knocking on the doors of people who aren't home, and drinking coffee at the donut shop.
Kind and loving concern of the entire congregation??? Was this the Rod Serling congregation? We were in one of those loving and concerned congregations. All we ever got was "Where have YOU been?" and "Nice to FINALLY see you." Yes, emphasis on FINALLY, with a nice little sarcastic tone. We were so loved. *warm fuzzies* NOT!
I too, would like to see how many lunch invites and loving hugs/encouragement are being offered a year from now.
Finally, sisters making shepherding calls? I think it's way more likely that the sisters were accompanying them by sitting in the car, then at the very end coming in to use the bathroom. Or else stopping in to "chat" during field service because they had to use the bathroom. I've had more than a couple of those "encouraging visits." Funny how they spent more time encouraging my bathroom...
For the record, I have NEVER seen a sister accompany a brother on a shepherding call. Not even when I was a single sister. Not even when the congregation was full of "power-hitter" sisters. And not even when the elders were so few that they could only pay a visit once every 2-3 years.
Now is it just my imagination? or was most of this article about what the lowly publisher can do to encourage and support the ELDERS? What happened to them being shepherds? Bleat, bleat, bleat.
Odrade
p.s. : thanks again Blondie! You da "best in de west!"
BluesBrother

Is this a a piece of stick for the elders , or is it tellingthe flock that they probably just have to manage on their own? I can agree with Cybersista's experience here
p16 Realistically, though, it is possible that in a time of need no human aid will be available"
Why not.. Apart from a few hours of communication time, this worldwide network should reach you wherever you are... It seems an admission that the elders cannot be relied on to do their job.
I know how hard it can be as an elder, to scedule it all in and shepherding is easy to let go of...but if ever there was a time of need I like to think that I would have been there
It says, "Realistically" you are on your own , just pray to Jehovah.
willyloman

Imagine it took 6 years before they called on that inactive couple!
This is the same organization that warns its members not to drift away for even a week or two because "there may not be time" to get back in before the end comes! But this experience (far from unique) shows clearly how real a sense of urgency the average elder has.

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-20-04 WT Study (5-1-04 issue)

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