Matthew 24:45–47 provides with another flagrant example of Watchtower self-authenticating eisegesis.
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food [i]in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
Here is their”scholarly”interpretation of this passage which was only discovered in 2012 by the then current Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses:
“Who Really is The Faithful and Discreet Slave?”
Jesus was referring, not to an individual, but to a composite “slave”—a group working together as one body. Jesus said that the slave (1) is appointed to a supervisory role “over [the master’s] domestics” and (2) gives the domestics spiritual “food at the proper time.”
From 1919 on, there has always been a small group of anointed Christians at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have supervised our worldwide preaching work and have been directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food. In recent years, that group has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The evidence points to the following conclusion: “The faithful and discreet slave” was appointed over Jesus’ domestics in 1919. That slave is the small, composite group of anointed brothers serving at world headquarters during Christ’s presence who are directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food. When this group work together as the Governing Body, they act as “the faithful and discreet slave.”http://www.jw.org/en/news/events-activities/annual-meeting-report-2012/
Here is some of the fine spiritual food the Watchtower was dispensing in 1919
- Jesus presence began in 1874
- Jesus was made king in 1878
- The archangel Michael is the Pope
- ‘Sleeping saints’ were resurrected to heaven in 1878
- Russell was the ‘faithful and wise servant’
- The Great Pyramid of Giza confirms biblical chronology
- Christmas should be celebrated
- The ‘time of the end’ began in 1799
- That Armageddon would happen in 1925 and the gradual general resurrection would be well underway in 1926
- The ‘Jews to be restored to their homeland’ is literal
- The ‘great company’ (great crowd) has a heavenly hope
- Jesus died on a cross
- Jerusalem was destroyed in 606 BCE
- Congregation discipline should be determined by the whole congregation
- The prohibition on eating blood is only a “suggestion” to gentile Christians
- Birthdays could and should be celebrated
Gillies Gray writes:
The only valid reason to believe something is true is when there is sufficient evidence to support the claim.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
The burden of proof to back up the assertion that a group of religious leaders were appointed by a supernatural being, second only to the Almighty Himself, would be astronomical. The evidence required would need to be of the highest order.
As things stand, Jehovah’s Witnesses lack valid arguments for the assertion that the Governing Body was ever appointed by Jesus. The best they have is extremely weak abductive reasoning which fails to demonstrate the claim.
Contrast the Governing Body with the examples of God’s appointed representatives found in the Bible, all of whom had some kind
The claim that the Governing Body were appointed by Jesus is a baseless assertion motivated by mere wishful thinking.