Posts by Bill Parker

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

Dwiltshire:
Someone has lived a "Trillion times longer" than I! Someone has a "Billion times more reasoning ability" than I!When I wrote my article I was following the direction of that one's word in the Bible. They were not my word's. They belonged to Jehovah God. Who has lived longer than Him? Who has more reasoning ability than Him?
Certainly not Ritchie, not you, not me, not anyone. I work to that end though! Maybe some day I will be like Him. I can only keep on trying. Isn't that what all of us are supposed to be doing? I mean if we profess to be Christian?

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

Richie: Boy! You have to be one of the Active Elder's. They are the only one's I have ever heard come across like that! Perhaps you have not read Romans 2:1 yet. You were judging me and accusing me of many things. Listen to this: "Therefore YOU have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually praticing THE VERY SAME THINGS." {that you censure and denounce}Have a nice day! If you can!

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

Venice1T:
Everything is just an illustration to those who do not understand!

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

JT:
I have not been to a meeting for over six years now. At the time that I left, I was not disfellowshipped. So I have been inactive as they view it for about six years now. I am though by this time viewed by them as dissosociated. Their official policy now as I understand it is anyone who is dissasociated is automatically considered disfellowshipped. Now that must be true because a long time friend of my wife who is herself a witness passed by me on the street. You wouldn't believe the look that I got. Like your already as down as you can get. They come along and hand you a shovel.But lets face though if they have read any of my articles on this board. Which is a distinct possibility. Then I am now branded for life. You know what? That suits me down to the ground. They could render no greater service to their fellow man. I'll go back when Jehovah cleans out the weeds. That is if I am alive to do it. Bill

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

Refiners fire:
If you have something else to do with your time. Why not go and do it?

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

Englishman:
"Bring on the dancing girls." Your probably going to need them!

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

Refiners Fire:
I was using the Amplified Bible! If you have a problem with that maybe you better take it up with the translaters of that Bible. They were not my inserts. I could have used any number of Bible translations. You probably would have found fault with those too. Some days you just can't win any can you?

32

"WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE"?

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

the bible!

the things that are will be brought to nothing.

is that really the way jehovah teaches today?

Bill Parker

WHO REALLY IS THE FAITHFUL SLAVE?

How do we scripturally answer this question? Is it the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses? They say that it is! Is it the Popes? They also lay claim to this title! Can this composite body of individuals be contained within any of the Churches of Christendom?

Only one book can supply the answer to this question. The Bible! For within the pages of that book the needed credentials are clearly set forth to conclusively identify the one who “REALLY IS!”

We will now look at a parable Jesus uttered in Luke 14: 7-11. … “He noticed how they were selecting the places of honor, saying to them. When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast do not recline on the chief seat {in the place of honor} lest a more distinguished person than you has been invited by Him. {Proverbs 25: 6, 7} And He who invited both of you will come to you and say, Let this man have the place {you have taken} Then with humiliation and a guilty sense of impropriety you will begin to take the lowest place.” “But when you are invited go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in he may say to you, Friend, go up higher! Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit {at table} with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled {ranked below others who are honored or rewarded} and he who humbles himself {keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly} will be exalted {elevated in rank}”.

All of the religions of this world including the Watchtower Society with its Governing Body have taken the very best seats for themselves. They have seated themselves in high places of honor. They all will suffer great humiliation when the truly humble ones are elevated in rank. The “things that are will be brought to nothing.” Will be no more. They will become non-existent. The Apostle Paul explained it like this: “God selected {deliberately chose} what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected {deliberately chose} what in the world is low born and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are.” {1 Corinthians 1: 27, 28}

The two aforementioned religions are “the things that are.” But not only these two, the entire empire of religion will be brought low. Their humiliation will be very great! To say the very least!

Like the ancient scribes and Pharisees they have all “seated themselves in the seat of Moses.” {Matthew 23:2} Neither the Watchtower Society with its Governing Body nor any of the World’s Religions has been appointed by Jehovah God. They are all self exalted institutions and will be brought low. Their self exalted positions show that they have little or no humility at all.

Isaiah had something to say about these lofty ones in Isaiah 2: 12. It was this: “The proud looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be humbled” … “For there shall be a day of the LORD of Hosts against all who are proud and haughty and against all who are lifted up-and they shall be brought low.”

Informed people today know that the Pope’s have been viewed as the “Vicar of Christ” {regarded as earthly representative of Christ}. He is even viewed as “GOD on earth.” That is about as high and lofty as a sinful human can exalt himself. It is even said of him that “if it were possible for angels to err he could disfellowship them.” How heaven high can you get than that?

What about the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses of the Watchtower Society? Do they also put themselves in a like lofty position? We will see that they do! They tell us to “listen to them as though we were listening to the voice of God.” They claim to be the “wife of Jehovah God” our “Mother.” They tell us that “we cannot learn the Bible unless we are associated with them.” They claim to be Jehovah’s “only channel” for the dispensation of spiritual truths. His teaching instrument. Is that true? In the Watchtower magazine of 1990 march 15th pages 10-14 we read in part: “How can you identify the Faithful and discreet Slave? Further on in this article it tells us that: “This magazine. The Watchtower announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom is the principle instrument employed by the “slave” in the teaching work.” Then it goes on to mention other methods of teaching. These are ‘books, booklets brochures, tracts, and the awake magazine.” It mentions the “Ministerial Training School course” … “the Kingdom ministry school” … “the pioneer service school” … “the five weekly meetings” … Then it goes on to say: “Jehovah particularly teaches His people by means of a weekly study of the Bible, using the Watchtower as a teaching aid.” All credit goes to the Watchtower Society and their publications for teaching Jehovah’s people today. Is that really the way Jehovah teaches today? Throughout all of that there is no mention of the real teaching instrument Jehovah has always used to teach His people. Isn’t it strange that that information is missing? What is that “principle teaching instrument” they have failed to mention?

Recall the word’s of Jesus at John 14: 26. He said there: “But the comforter {Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby, and The Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name {in my place, to represent Me and act on my behalf}. He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall {will remind you of bring to your remembrance} everything I have told you.” What instrument is now seen to be Jehovah’s principle teaching instrument? It is the Holy Spirit isn’t it? But is that Spirit only poured out on a select few to the exclusion of the rest of mankind? IT is true that those called for heavenly life received a special anointing. {1Peter 2: 9} {Acts 2:4 If one reads on in Acts 2: 16, 17 “But {instead} this is the beginning of} what was spoken through the Prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy {telling forth the divine counsels” … Joel 2: 28, 29, words it like this: “And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh” … {not just on any one religious institution.} It says “all flesh” “all mankind!”

So then the opportunity is there for everyone alive on this planet now to receive that promised Holy Spirit. That “principle teaching instrument.” But how do we receive this “free gift” of the Spirit? Is it just poured out now indiscriminately on just anyone? Wicked and righteous alike? No! It is not free in the sense that we might expect it to be. There is something we must do first! We must: … “Repent {change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it} and be baptized” … “and live lives consistent with such repentance.” Acts 3: 19; 26: 20.

When we accomplish that the “free gift of the Spirit is poured out on us then the teaching program begins. Only then! If there is no repentance displayed, there is no “free gift of the Spirit.” Without that we can learn absolutely nothing at all about the Bible. Try as we might.

As we begin our study displaying the attitude marked out in Proverbs 2: 1-5 which is: “My Son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you. Making your ear attentive to skillful and Godly wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding {applying all your powers to the quest for it}, Yes if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, If you seek {Wisdom} as for silver and search for skillful and Godly wisdom as for hidden treasures, Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the LORD {JEHOVAH} and find the knowledge of {our omniscient} God.”

When it becomes so, as Jeremiah predicted at Chapter 31: 31- 33 that Jehovah’s Laws are in our minds and written on our hearts we will then have the” tongue of the taught one” or “like the stylus of a skilled copyist.” {Isaiah 50: 4 Psalms 45: 1} This scripture at Jeremiah 31: 31-33 brings out a very important point. It shows that it is Jehovah who puts His word in the minds of the individuals who are seeking it. IT is Jehovah who writes it on our hearts. No religious body on this planet regardless of their arrogant claims to having a special anointing could accomplish that feat. Only Jehovah could do that! Just as the Prophet Zechariah foretold: “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the LORD ALMIGHTY.” Zechariah 4:6

At this point I should state that anyone who has received this “free gift” of the spirit has been anointed by spirit. That being the case and as I have already shown, the words in 1 John 2: 27 has first application to those of the heavenly calling as we know. It also applies to the “all flesh” or “all mankind” who have received that gift. It states: “But as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, as His anointing teaches you about all things.”

Because of the foregoing the Prophet Jeremiah wrote: “No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother, saying ‘Know Jehovah’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” {Jeremiah 31:34.}

It is not any Religious body on this earth today that takes credit for imparting the knowledge of God. It is Jehovah alone who has accomplished all of that through His Holy Spirit. All man can do is direct attention to what Jehovah has said in the Bible. They can do no more than that! They cannot put Jehovah’s words in the minds of individuals. They cannot write those words on the hearts of people. Only Jehovah can do those things.

So “Who really is the Faithful Slave?” It is anyone who has taken in the knowledge of God and who is willing to impart said knowledge. Anyone who has done this can “supply the spiritual food at the proper time.’ Jehovah’s Spirit will then do the rest depending on the heart attitude of each individual. The Apostle John in Revelation 22: 17 stated: “whoever wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life.” So this “principle teaching instrument” is not the Watchtower nor Awake Magazine nor any other publication that they may possess. It is none of the Religions of Christendom or their publications either. It is only the Bible! Coupled with that is the possession of the Holy Spirit that enables us to understand it. Jehovah Himself takes all credit. Through that Book all men can come to an accurate knowledge of truth without the aid of any Religion on this earth. They are all going to be brought very low in the eyes of all when Jehovah gets ready to do that.

14

Can we understand the message of the Bible

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

reply to question- can we understand the message of the bible?.

joel bear made the following comment to me: as one of jehovahs witnesses who bears his name, why not give a well thought out answer to the question.. .

the questions as far as i can determine are this: why is the bible so ambiguous that so many interpretations are possible?

Bill Parker

Reply To Question- Can we understand the message of the Bible?

Joel Bear made the following comment to me: “As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who bears his name, why not give a well thought out answer to the question.”

The questions as far as I can determine are this: “Why is the Bible so ambiguous that so many interpretations are possible? Why doesn’t God simply speak clearly so that we can understand unequivocally the most important message ever supposedly delivered to humans? Why is there so much room for what Yadirf calls mistakes and misunderstandings? If the Bible is a message to all men, shouldn’t it be written on a level where even the simplest could understand it? Why instead do we have to have Bible Scholars to explain it to us?”

In trying to answer these questions for Joel Bear I hope to also answer the questions for Ashitaka and Running Man.

Isn’t it true that Jehovah has hidden His word from some among mankind? Recall what Jesus stated at Matthew 11:25. … “I thank you Father, LORD of heaven and earth {and I acknowledge openly and joyfully to your honor}, that you have hidden these things from the wise and clever and learned, and revealed them to babies {to the childish untaught and unskilled.” Then in Proverbs 2: 7 in harmony with that, are these words: “He hides away sound and godly wisdom and stores it for the righteous {those who are upright and in right standing with Him} … those who walk uprightly and in integrity”.

Are we to conclude from that, that because an individual may have a great deal of worldly knowledge, and is wise in the ways of the world that he cannot gain an accurate understanding of the Bible? I do not believe that that is the case at all. One like this could be a very spiritual person and would not be deprived from gaining knowledge of Jehovah. It is only the one’s lacking spirituality, the one’s not “walking uprightly and in integrity” that would be deprived of that knowledge. Those that feel that because of their knowledge they are superior to everyone else. The knowledge of God Is “foolishness to them.” They have little or no spirituality. Those who have no interest in spiritual things are really not concerned with walking uprightly before God will never understand the knowledge of God. To them the Bible is a book that cannot be understood. They feel it is full of “mistakes and misunderstandings”. They do not believe that it is written on a level “where all mankind can understand it”.

Joel Bear said: “If we are judged based on our reaction to the message, should we not be able to understand the message?”

The bible is a book written for the benefit of all mankind. Paul made this clear at 1 Timothy 2: 4 where he said: … “Who wishes all men to be saved and {increasingly} to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the {divine truth}?”Added to that are the words of the Apostle John: “The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1: 29 {Romans 5:12; Romans 3: 23} Peter adds this: “The lord does not delay or is not tardy our slow about what He promises, according to some peoples conception of slowness, but He is longsuffering {extraordinarily patient} toward you, not desiring that any should perish but that ALL should turn to repentance.” The only ones who will not understand the message is those ones who are not spiritually minded. From them Jehovah has hidden the message until such time that they recognize their sinful condition, repent of that course, turn around and do works that befit repentance. When that occurs Jehovah will then impart His Holy Spirit to them. Then that spirit “will guide them into all of the truth.” But when there is no true repentance {and Jehovah is the one who decides whether it is true repentance or false} then there is no spirit supplied. Without that spirit is lacking the true knowledge cannot be gained, try as one might.

Look at what 1 Corinthians 2: 14 has to say about this: “But the natural, non spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the spirit of God, for they are folly {meaningless nonsense} to him; and he is incapable of knowing them {of progressively recognizing, understanding and becoming better acquainted with them} because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.” So where do we lay the blame for one’s lack of the knowledge of God in this case? Isn’t it because the one spoken of here is lacking in spirituality? Doesn’t the blame rest solely on this person or people, whoever they may be? Isn’t it true that the word’s of Jesus at Matthew 13:13 apply to those who really have no spirituality? He said: “This is the reason that I speak to them in parables; because having the power of seeing, they do not see; and having the power of hearing, they do not hear, nor do they grasp and understand. In them indeed is the process of fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: You shall indeed hear and hear but never grasp and understand; and you shall indeed look and look but never see and perceive.” {Matthew 13:13, 14} If one reads on in verse 15 it was a bad heart condition that blocked their understanding of what Jesus was teaching. We learn of this particular heart attitude in Proverbs 14: 6 “A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain {for his very attitude blinds and deafens him to it}.

Look now at verse 15 of 1 Corinthians chapter 2. “But the spiritual man tries all things {he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things}; he can read the meaning of everything}”
Proverbs 2: 10, 11. Tells us of these spiritual people, this: “For skillful and Godly wisdom shall enter into your heart and knowledge shall be pleasant to you. Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you.” As to these spiritual persons this same Proverb continues: “But knowledge is easy to him who {being teachable} understands.”

From all of this we can see the Bible is impossible to understand only if we lack in spirituality. If our hearts are not right in God’s eyes. But for those among mankind who possess the right heart attitude and are spiritual persons, teachable people then “knowledge is an easy thing” for us to obtain. It is a very simple book to understand. Of these teachable people, these wise ones, the Proverb tells us: “The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel {so that he may be able to steer his course rightly}” Proverbs 18: 15 adds this to that: “The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge and the ear of the wise is ever seeking {inquiring for and craving} knowledge.” For the spiritual man the Bible is a very simple book to understand. For those lacking spirituality it is a very difficult book to understand.

But what about all of those Bible translations that allow for so many different interpretations? Why is there so much confusion created by them? One need only to look at the account in Genesis 2: 17 to discover why that is. There was perfect harmony up until they violated the command stated here. They had only the knowledge of good. When they ate of the tree Jehovah commanded them not to touch them then gained the knowledge of bad. Then all of the complexities started. They were misled by Satan. He now became the God of the World. The whole world then lay in the power of Satan. He had succeeded in blinding not only the minds of the pair in the garden but also the entire world of mankind. He has from that time until now misled “the entire inhabited earth”. 2 Corinthians 4: 4 Revelation 12: 9; 1 John 5:19. For that reason there is a confusion of Bible translations that are not in agreeance. That allows for one to conclude one thing and someone else another. All of them only keep individuals in a state of confusion. That only serves to show that Satan has blinded the Minds of these Bible translators. Since he himself is a god of confusion unlike Jehovah who is a God of order. Stan is the only one who doesn’t wish anyone to come to know Jehovah and gain abundant life since he himself will eventually lose his. He would have all of us lose ours too.

The true spiritual man though can use any of these Bibles and still come to an accurate knowledge of truth. Once one is “granted to understand the sacred secrets of the Kingdom of God” {Matthew 13: 10} who has had the “eyes of his heart enlightened” {Ephesians 1: 18} will eventually be able to “find the very knowledge of God”. Proverbs 2:5 that will depend though on how much effort is put forth to gain that knowledge.

Do we gain it though from the Bible Scholars who are lying in Satan’s power? Do we need any professed so called self appointed “slave class’ to teach us the Bible? Who tell us if we do not do as they do and teach we will not inherit life? Who tell us that we should listen to them as though we were listening to the voice of God?” Run away from those.
Who did Jesus say taught Him? In brief it was this: …“I say exactly what My Father has taught me.”{John 8:28} In John 14:24 Jesus tells us: … “The teaching that you hear and heed is not mine, but comes from the Father who sent me.”
In John 6: 45 Jesus said: “It is written in the book of the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God {Jehovah} {have Him in person for their teacher}. Every one who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to me.” It is not any sinful man we receive our instruction from. It is Jehovah God who does the teaching through His active force. “And all your sons will be taught by Jehovah.” {Isaiah 54:13}

In 1st John 2:20 we learn how this teaching is done. It reads: “But you have been anointed by the Holy One. You all know the truth; I do not write you because you do not know it because you do know it”. Then in verse 27 we read this: “The anointing of the Spirit which you received still remains in your hearts, and so you have no need that anyone should teach you. But just as that anointing of His teaches about everything and as it is true and no falsehood, and as it has taught you to do so, you must continue to live in union with Him.” Some would argue that this statement is directed at only those of the heavenly calling. That is definitely not true! Why? Look at Jeremiah 31: 33, 34 in part it states: … “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother, saying `Know the LORD` because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” They all had an anointing of Holy Spirit that is why they had ALL come to know Jehovah. They had all been taught by Jehovah. In order to do that they all would have had to understand the message of the Bible. If they didn’t they would never have gained the knowledge necessary to enable to come to know Jehovah.

It now becomes obvious that if we today do not understand the Bible we are lacking in spirituality. That can be gained by humble heartfelt prayer of repentance to Jehovah. We must be conscious of our sinful condition. We must acknowledge that openly to Jehovah. We must accept the fact that only by Jehovah applying the merit of the precious blood of His dear Son on our behalf can we receive the forgiveness necessary to gaining the free gift of the spirit. Then the anointing takes place. Then Jehovah begins teaching us through the effort we now put forth to gain the knowledge of God. Then the Bible becomes a simple Book to understand. We do not trust in any man to teach us the Bible. Men are prone to lying; Jehovah is the God who cannot lie. Everyone taught by Him will be exactly like His Son who taught exactly as Jehovah had taught Him. Paul one of the one’s taught by the master could say: “Become imitators of me just as I am of Christ.” In doing that we become “imitators of God as beloved children”… {1 Corinthians 11: 1, 2 Ephesians 5: 1} When we are really doing that we become qualified to dispense “spiritual food at the proper time” to those who are thirsting for knowledge of Jehovah. We are all that “faithful Slave” mentioned in Matthew 24: 45-47

13

UPDATE ON "PRESENT THE TRUTH" ...

by Bill Parker in

jw
friends

purgatory is still another.

what method of teaching did he impart to the 1st century christians?

how did he say that we should worship his father jehovah?

Bill Parker

Can we understand the message of the Bible?