IF they were really using first century Christianity as the guiding example, the congregations would appoint elders by laying on of hands to tranfer the holy spirit (and they would have works of the spirit, as that infers) prophets who had visions that actually came true and there would be female "deaconesses" or congregational servants.
Their denial of the works of the holy spirit is simply because they can't prove they can do these works, so they say it's not part of Christianity anymore.
This BS about "minister" only meaning a door to door or public evangelizer is ridiculous. Lydia is clearly shown as doing the work of a deaconess, organizing and teaching in the congregation held in her own home.
The way the WTS organization is set up is all about consolidation of power. They're giving less and less of it to fewer and fewer people because they don't like sharing.
And god forbid giving inferior and stupid women any! They're so misogynistic that I'm surprised they don't claim to be clones so they can say they never came near a vagina, even to be born.
The first century congregations didn't have anything like a judicial committee either. People who didn't wish to be Christians or people who had committed wrongs against another were handled one on one, then with someone else coming to mediate, if that didn't work and then just allowed to go their way if they didn't listen or change their ways.
If you had a grievance or dispute over behavior or doctrine, you brought it up right in the midst of the congregation and let the chips fall where they may. That's how Paul handled it when he thought Peter was being preferential to Jewish Christians and discriminating against Gentile Christians.
But, no "disfellowshipping" and judicial committes or field circus groups of inept half hearted preachers punching time clocks for God or even pouncing on unsuspecting stangers door to door. Evangelizing in public forums, itinerent preaching, was a gift that only some had, and they apparently enjoyed doing it as much as those who had other gifts of the spirit.
Read a few books on life in the time of Christ and the Apostles and early Christian history and it will bear little resemblance to what JWs do.
Sad that they think it does. But, who ever goes outside of their own literature to read about these things? Oh, right...me. *G*
