Comments You Will Not Hear at the March 6, 2005 WT Study (February 1, 2005 issue date) Review comments will be in black and parentheses ()
WT quotes from today?s WT
will be in red and quotes ""Quotes from other sources
will be in blue"FINDING ONE PEARL OF HIGH VALUE"
"The kingdom of the heavens is the goal toward which men press, and those pressing forward are seizing it."?Matthew 11:12 (NWT)
And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize--a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].?Matthew 11:12 (Amplified Bible)
www.biblegateway.com /cgi-bin/bible
Opening Comments
There are three articles in this issue but only the first 2 are directly related in the one-two punch fashion of the WTS. First, try to develop a "Bible" principle from the OT or sometimes the NT; second, show how the rank and file are not doing it or could do it "more fully." The second article also contains the belated statistics for the 2004 service year.
But there is a theme that connects all three: the rank and file are not obeying and trusting the WTS/FDS/GB completely.
Pearl = Kingdom
Kingdom = represented by anointed/remnant of 144,000 on earth
Kingdom can only be understood through the "Channel"
w94
10/1 p. 8 The Bible?A Book Meant to Be Understood ***Even as Bible prophecy pointed forward to the Messiah, it also directs us to the close-knit body of anointed Christian Witnesses that now serve as the faithful and discreet slave. It helps us to understand the Word of God. All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah?s channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave.?John 6:68.
START OF ARTICLE
Paragraphs 1,2
Is there something that you value so highly that you would give everything you own or sacrifice all that you have in order to gain possession of it?
Translation
: Too many things are "crowding out" meeting attendance and the door to door work. We were told by one JW that only 60% were at the Sunday meeting. While the elders try to point out illness and vacations, those excuses only work if people are ill but not at the movies or vacationing at home.Though people speak about dedication in their pursuit of some goal?money, fame, power, or position?it is rare that a person comes across something so desirable that he is willing to give up everything for it.
Edited to read
: Though some witnesses speak about dedication in their pursuit of everlasting life?it is rare that a person is willing to give up football, movies, shopping, to be at the meetings.High Value of Pearls
Paragraphs 3-6
A snippet quote:
One source observes that according to the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, pearls occupied the "topmost rank among all things of price."
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/uskapp1.htmWho is source, where is the source, why did they leave it out? What authority does this source have in this piece without this information or is the WTS the quoter of the source to be accredited with the information?
This particular merchant?interest was not monetary or material?possibly (buzzword) all his personal belongings and properties?in order to acquire.
His reward was not any financial advantage, but the joy and satisfaction of possession something of surpassing value.
Are there individuals (JWs) like that today?
The only thing most JWs value like that is everlasting life on a paradise earth.
Do you know many JWs that would give up (or have already) all their personal belongings and properties to acquire that? Be honest.
Those Who Appreciated the High Value
Paragraphs 7-9
Jesus?from city to city and from village to village, preaching?Matthew 4:17; Luke 8:1.Did Jesus ever go "door to door"?
Can you prove it scripturally?
Jesus proved his loyalty Stirred to ActionParagraphs 10-13
The Gospels do not tell us much about what they did immediately after this first encounter with Jesus. Apparently, (buzzword meaning that now the WTS will tell us what the Bible does not) most of them returned to their normal course of life.Footnote: John, the son of Zebedee might have (buzzword) followed Jesus and witnessed some of the things he did after their first meeting, thus enabling John to record them so vividly in his Gospel account. (John, chapters 2-5) Nonetheless, he did return to his family fishing business for some time before Jesus called him.How many JWs will take this as "gospel" because the WTS surmised it?
Luke?s account adds that they "abandoned everything and followed him."?Luke 5:1-11Was the disciples? prompt response a spur-of-the-moment decision? Hardly!?there is no doubt (WTS will be adding to the Bible again) that what they had seen and heard on that occasion left a deep impression on their heart and mind. The passing of nearly a year would have allowed them plenty of time to reflect on such matters?.so stirred by the discover of the priceless pearl?time for action had come?without hesitation they gave up everything and became Jesus? followers.How did they feed and clothe themselves? What happened to their families? Who took care of them? Should brothers today abandon their families?
Did other hard-working people donate monies to them?
Shortly afterwards he went journeying from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and certain women that had been cured of wicked spirits and sicknesses, Mary the so-called Mag´da·lene, from whom seven demons had come out, 3 and Jo·an´na the wife of Chu´za, Herod?s man in charge, and Su·san´na and many other women, who were ministering to them from their belongings . LUKE 8:1-3 Many were the ones who were cured or fed by Jesus but who simply went about their own business?begged off. Re-edited: Many are the ones that are cured and fed spiritually by the WTS/FDS but who simply go about their own business and begged off from the meetings and field service.Others Joined the SearchParagraphs 14-20
Jesus gave detailed instructions on how they were to carry out their ministry as well as warnings about the challenges and hardships that lay ahead. (Matthew 10:1-42; Luke 6:12-16)Did you know that the WTS uses this as the scriptural basis for having a one-hour service meeting every week? Do you think this instruction lasted one hour and that they had a meeting every week?
All of this no doubt (buzzword, adding to Bible account) touched them deeply, so much so that like the traveling merchant, they were zealous and wholehearted in their pursuit of the Kingdom.This whole article hammers on this theme of being zealous and wholehearted?why?because JWs are slowing down?and the WTS wants them to speed up.
An even greater joy was in store for them because of their zeal for the Kingdom?"your names have been inscribed in the heavens." Luke 10:17,10But according to the WTS, only 144,000 people out of every person who every lived on earth will have this joy.
They were being offered the highest honor and privilege that any human could have.It was Jehovah?s will (or the WTS) that a total of 144,000 be taken into the Kingdom covenant as corulers with Jesus Christ in the glorious heavenly Kingdom.And as a crumb
In addition, the apostle John saw in vision "a great crowd"?These are the earthly subjects of the Kingdom.(for those that require a more scriptural answer they refer to "chapter 10 of the book Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life, published by Jehovah?s Witnesses" (proof that JWs are in the book publishing business).
Jesus words (Matthew 28:19,20) indicated that the task of disciple-making would be extended all the way to "the conclusion of the system of things." Concluding CommentsMany JWs are not pursuing the "pearl of high value" today by giving up all they have. It is reflected in the numbers of the report from 2004 in the next article. There is a slowing down especially in the wealthier countries with 0 or barely 1% increases (mostly children of JWs).
Keywords next week: exerting, tireless, courageous, self-sacrifice, dedication, faith, zeal, moved, selfless, tireless (2 nd ), eagerness, willingness, motivated, diligence, self-sacrifice (2 nd ), intensely focused, wholehearted, zeal (2 nd ), zeal (3 rd )Love, Blondie