Do you have to be Anointed to be called a Jehovah's Witness?

by Triple A 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Triple A

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/85344/1.ashx
  In the above thread I said,

  ?To truely call yourself a Jehovah's Witness, you have to be one of the 144,000 (Anointed). Truthfully you can only truely be a champion or associate. But this is not enforced and the great crowd is allowed to say they are a Jehovah's Witness.
  By the way to be truely one of the 144,000, you should have been baptized before 1935.?

  AshtonCA called me on the carpet,

  ?This wasn't the way it was when I was in about 10 years ago, you were one of JW's if you were baptized, that's why they ask you the question about if you accept that you are now one when you get baptized. Being anointed or not, if you were not baptized at any time in your life, then you are not one of JW's.

  Well I should have said that it is my theory that you have to be one of the Anointed to be technically called a Jehovah?s Witness. Is it enforced today? No. But is it still a belief of the GB?

  While researching the WTS I kept getting this nagging feeling that to truly or technically, according to the Society, be called a Jehovah?s Witness you had to be one of the Anointed. Recently I read Edmond C. Gruss?s book, ?The Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society (Jehovah?s Witnesses)? I became convinced of this. I also believe it answers another question of mine and that is why is it okay for the Anointed to lie to the Great Crowd?

  On page 28 the second para. Gruss says, ?It was this man-made ?organization? that henceforth occupied the position of ?the faithful and wise servant.? Than as now, it consists only of the ?remanant.? 25 The
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  Odrade

  Not necessarily. The actual belief is that the anointed (FDS) are the ones that have the New Covenant with Jesus. All the other JWs are beneficiaries of the New Covenant by virtue of association with the FDS. They are still Witnesses of Jehovah, but Jesus is not their direct mediator. Rather they are under the umbrella of protection of the Covenant Body.

  The name "Jehovah's Witnesses" is drawn (as I'm sure you know) from the Hebrew Scriptures, and as such, though prophetic, can apply to ALL "Jehovah's People," not just his anointed.
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  mineralogist

  Just to put in some confusion:

  (Isaiah 43:10) "YOU are my witnesses," is the utterance of Jehovah, "even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may understand that I am the same One. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none.

  chosen has a reference to

  (Matthew 24:45) "Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?

  so "biblical" (from the NWT) - yes, only the annointed are JW's.
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  ValiantBoy

  It kind of goes along with the thought in the Greek Scriptures about the anointed being "ambassadors substituting for Christ." While that applies only to the anointed, the WT will refer to members of the great crowd as "envoys." Seems like it is splitting hairs to me.

  I have always been taught that while we who were of hte great crowd were not in that special covenant relationship with Jehovah, we, by means of our actions, were his witnesses. I believe Odrade is right. She is very witness sounding. great lingo.
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  Poztate

  Well I should have said that it is my theory that you have to be one of the Anointed to be technically called a Jehovah?s Witness. Is it enforced today? No. But is it still a belief of the GB?

  Triple A

  This is what I remember learning. When Rutherford invented JW's back in 1931(?) there were less than 144,000 of them and they ALL believed they had the heavenly calling. As the numbers increased it became an embarrassment for him. He now created a new class who still had a heavenly hope but they were not true"jehovahs witnesses" I forget what the name of the class was for sure. Jonadabs ?? I think.

  As time has gone by and numbers increased they slowly moved away from these teachings.They keep trying to blur the lines between the "anointed" and other sheep. I think finally with the creation of the"christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses" in 2000 they finally buried this doctrine for good. It might have never been discarded offically so it could be that deep in the background this is stilll this thought at head office that only 144000 are true JW's

  Anybody else remember more than my faulty memory ??
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  Triple A

  Thank you for the input. The doctrine that only the Anointed are JW is evidently not taught today. But I still wonder if the GB does not believe it. If the GB does, it would help explain why it is okay for them to lie to the other sheep.
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  Odrade

  Yeah, I can "witness-talk" with the best of 'em. How do you think I've still got a good "fade?" LMAO!!!!
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  Honesty

  They can claim to be anything and put any label on it because most of the dubs are so blinded by the WTBTS, CCoJW's, GB and the dub elders they believe everything they hear if it issues forth out of the mouth of Crooklyn Bethel.
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  Triple A

  Ran across this statement made in the Watchtower August 15, 1934 page 249.

  "All who have taken their stand on the side of Jehovah must abide in his organization under Christ, if they would live. There is no exception to this rule.. The name 'Jehovah's witnesses' applies specifically to God's anointed ones who have been taken out of the world and made witnesses for Jehovah, and these alone bear the new name.. The official organization of Jehovah on earth consists of his anointed remnant, and the Jonadabs who walk with the anointed are to be taught, but not to be leaders."

  I understand that this is not an open teaching today, but I wonder how the average Jehovah's Witness knocking at the door would deal with this if confronted with it.