by codeblue 21 Replies latest watchtower bible
TD: thanks for your help....I am still wondering where my copy would be...
If you could...find out if in 1974, there were any questions saying that we were dedicating ourselves to the WTBS...
As I recall, it was to be a footstep follower of Jesus....and a dedication to Jehovah to do his will in modeling his son Jesus.
Thanks!!!
CodeBlue
are you referring to the "lamp book"?
I may be able to get a hold on one. Look in your pm
I have a "Lamp" book at home. If you don't have the info by tonight, I will see what I can do without a scanner.
That was the book I went through. We did it all in a group with only one elder asking the questions. We did not have to answer all the questions (in fact I think some never said anything).
Blondie
Codeblue:
In 1974 these were the questions for one considering baptism:
1. Who is the true God?
2. What kind of God is Jehovah?
3. What does it mean to know God?
4. What does the Bible mean when it says that Jehovah requires our exclusive devotion?
5. How will Jehovah God sanctify his name? How can we have share in it?
6. Who is Jesus Christ, and what is his position in relation to Jehovah God?
7. Why did Jesus die a sacrificial death?
8. How is the ransom an expression of God?s love for mankind?
9. How does the ransom affect us as individuals?
10. What is the holy spirit?
11. How can we benefit from the operation of that spirit today?
12. Whose ideas are recorded in the Bible? Does that mean that God personally spoke or wrote it all? Is all of it true?
13. Why should we pray, to whom and how often?
14. About what is it proper to pray?
15. What is the kingdom of God?
16. What does it mean to ?seek first the kingdom??
17. When Christ returns, is it visibly as a man, or how?
18. How can people know when his second presence occurs?
19. What is God?s purpose for the earth?
20. How will this purpose be realized?
21. What conditions will prevail on earth in God?s new system of things?
22. Who is the Devil? What is his origin?
23. Against what spiritistic practices employed by the Devil and his demons does the Bible warn us?
24. How can we protect ourselves against the influence of these wicked spirits?
25. Why has God permitted wickedness to continue until now?
26. By what means will God destroy the wicked?
27. What is the human soul? Can it die?
28. What is sin, and how did we all become sinners?
29. What should be our attitude toward committing sins?
30. Do only those who have committed gross sins or flagrant violations of God?s Word need to repent?
31. What is death?
32. Why do people die?
33. What future hope for life is there for one who dies?
34. How many from among mankind will be in heaven with Christ?
35. What will they do there?
36. Are Christians under the law convenant with its requirements of sabbath keeping and sacrifice?
37. What Christian quality should outstandingly characterize our relationship with our spiritual brothers and with the members of our own families?
38. In God?s arrangement, who is head of a married woman?
39. How should a husband exercise his headship?
40. Is the wife whose husband is not a believer freed from his headship?
41. Who is responsible before God for the training and disciplining of children?
42. May a Christian have more that one living marriage mate?
43. What is the only scriptural basis for divorce that frees one to remarry?
44. Must persons living together as husband and wife have their marriage legally registered with the government?
45. Why must lying be avoided?
46. What is the Christian view of stealing?
47. What is the Christian view of drunkenness?
48. What is God?s law concerning blood?
49. What does the Bible say about fornication, adultery, sexual relations with another person of the same sex and other loose conduct? May a person who is engaging in such practices be baptized?
50. Why is moral cleanness of all persons among Jehovah?s people important to every one of us?
51. When difficulties arise between individuals because of serious wrongs, what is the Christian way to handle the situation?
52. What action does the congregation taken when a person in its midst proves to be a persistent and unrepentant violator of Gods commandments?
53. If a person in weakness commits a serious sin, but he wants help to be restored to Jehovah?s favor, what action should he take?
54. What is the proper viewpoint to have when one is Scripturally reproved?
55. What is the fruitage of the spirit, and is it reasonable to expect a Christian to manifest this fruitage in his life?
56. How should Christians view the shortcomings of fellow believers?
57. What does the Bible say about sharing with other religious groups in worship or any of the other activities in which they engage?
58. What is the only religious celebration that Christians are commanded to observe?
59. What Bible principles should guide us in determining whether other celebrations that are popular in the community are acceptable for Christians?
60. Whom does the Bible identify as the "ruler of the world" and "the god of this system of things"?
61. What is the position of Christians as to this world alienated from God?
62. What was Jesus? attitude toward all participation in the political affairs of the world?
63. How do Bible command s concerning idolatry affect a Christian in this modern world?
64. In the light of the following texts, what is the position of a true Christian in this world?
65. Is it necessary for a Christian to be subject to worldly rulers and to show them respect?
66. Must a Christian pay all the taxes demanded by law?
67. Is there any circumstance under which a Christian would not obey the law?
68. Why are true Christians persecuted?
69. What are some factors to consider in determining whether certain types of employment are proper for Christians?
70. What should always be our attitude toward the doing of Jehovah?s will?
71. Why are Christians called Jehovah?s witnesses?
72. Who or what is the "faithful and discreet slave"?
73. What is the governing body of the Christian congregation, and what purpose does it serve?
74. What attitude should Christians show toward those who server as shepherds in the congregation?
75. Why is it beneficial to attend the meetings arranged by the congregation?
76. Why is personal study important in the life of a Christian?
77. What urgent work does the Bible set out for all Christians at this time?
78. In what various ways may this work be accomplished?
79. Is this work done in our own strength?
80. Why should one who has sincerely repented and turned around and chosen to be a disciple of Christ be baptized?
These questions were changed in 1983. Some were added, some were dropped, some were reworded. Few were unchanged. There were several more organizational questions in 1983. For example:
How does Jesus Christ exercise headship over the Christian congregation today?
By what visible means is Christ's headship represented in the Congregation?
How do members of the congregation demonstrate submission to the headship of Christ in the congregation?
As everyone knows, at the baptism event itself, the candidates are publicly asked two additional questions. This is how they were worded in 1974:
(1) Have you recognized yourself before Jehovah as a sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son, Jesus Christ?"
(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?
(The Watchtower, May 15, 1968 page 297)
These were changed to their present form in 1985
38. In God?s arrangement, who is head of a married woman?
I can't believe I answered this. I'm gonna speww...
By what visible means is Christ's headship represented in the Congregation?
and why is it I got the image of a phallic symbol when I read this?!
lol @ TG
Thanks, TD. I fell asleep last night. It was a bad day at work, 2 people called in sick and I had a tutoring session last night. I fell asleep and Irreverent let me out of kindness.
Yes, those are the questions.
The WTS carefully primes the pump by providing the "appropriate" scriptures after each one.
For example, under the question "who is Jesus Christ?" the WTS does not trust the student to know how to answer so provides Matthew 16:16. This is the only scripture given. I suppose if you had a different one, you would be marked wrong (tongue in cheek).
What about this one?
Why are Christians called Jehovah's Witnesses?
Huh!!!!!! Shouldn't that be why are members of the WTS called JWs? It is interesting that I only underlined the scripture on Revelation 1:5 showing I always was at odds with "Christians" being called a name that was given to literal Israelites. Based on the teachings of the WTS, only the remnant (144,000) can rightly be called "Jehovah's Witnesses."
We believe that you will be greatly aided to do so (learned and accepted the fundamental teachings set out in the Bible) if you read the books "Things in Which it is Impossible for Godto Lie" and "Life Everlasting--in Freedom of the Sons of God (the 1975 book). In this way you will find out what the Bible teaches, what Jehovah's Christian witnesses (they were still calling themselves that) advocate.
Your congregation overseer will check to ascertain whether there are any associated with the congregation who are planning to get baptized. If there are, he will ask them if they have read the publications mentioned (reading of the complete Bible was not a requirement) mentioned in the preceding paragraph. If they have not yet done so, he will urge them to complete that reading before they are baptized (so those 2 books are more important than the Bible and the congregation overseer relies only on the self-report of the candidate). He will also arrange to have a series of meetings with these candidates for immersion to review the information that follows.
When I was baptized, these "meetings" consisted of all 10 baptismal candidates together discussing the questions with one elder on 3 separate occasions. It was not one on one with one or 2 elders. Was this unique to my congregation or did others here baptized in that time period have the same experience?
I might point out that towards the end of this Lamp book this is a page "Record of Christian Baptism" where you fill in "Your Word is a Lamp to My Foot" then the date and location of your baptism, your signature, the signature of the congregation overseer, name of congregation, date signed.
This document has this statement "I am now an ordained minister of Jehovah God..."
Remember that his book was printed in the depths of the Vietnam era and many young men in the congregation were not regular pioneers or Bethelites. This was meant to prove they were ministers and exempt as such under the Selective Service.
It is interesting that the questions are in the beginning of the Lamp book not at the end as in the Organization books.
Blondie
When I was baptized, these "meetings" consisted of all 10 baptismal candidates together discussing the questions with one elder on 3 separate occasions. It was not one on one with one or 2 elders. Was this unique to my congregation or did others here baptized in that time period have the same experience?
Mine was done one-on-one with a single elder.
That's enlightening, Elsewhere. Makes me wonder why we had a group session; not everyone answered because they were intimidated in the group session. I remember one sister never answered once but was baptized anyway.
Blondie
