Questioning the FDS teaching was what started the unraveling for me.
Some issues I saw as I examined it : -every other time in the scriptures the term "faithful and discreet slave " is used it is always refering to an
individual (even according to JW reasoning)
- The Society loves to point to Matthews version which is stripped down compared to Luke's version. (Luke 11) When you try to apply the Society's interpretation of Matt. 24 to Luke 11 things begin to break down. (Ex. In Luke's account there are MANY slaves in the house awaiting the masters arrival--not just 1 as can be derived from Matthew)
- Matthew 25 has an account where the master tells the the servant "Well done good and faithful slave" and the Society's interpretation is that it applies to individuals. A closer look reveals that the account is merely continuing from Matt.24 where supposedly Jesus is talking about a slave "class". How can you give two different definitions to the same subject?
-I was also interested to see that in the Insight book under the heading "Illustrations" it makes the comment (I'll paraphrase because I joyfully flung my copy into the dumpster last year) that illustrations or parables are merely for teaching moral lessons ect. and NOT for expressing doctrine. They then proceed to examine and explain 30 of Jesus illustrations. Notice which illustration isn't there. You guessed it! The most important illustration to JW's, the one where all of their authority comes from! I believe the reason it's not there is because a close examination reveals the many holes in their theory.