Comments You Will Not Hear at the 10-20-02 WT Study
"WITHOUT AN ILLUSTRATION HE WOULD NOT SPEAK TO THEM
"Matthew 13:34Introduction
"Can you recall an illustration you heard, perhaps in a public discourse, many years ago? Effective illustrations are not quickly forgotten." Nor are bad ones.
Can you remember a bad illustration? Could you tell when the public speaker tried to make up his own rather than used the one provided in the outline?
Please post the most memorable (bad) illustrations used in a WTS publication or talk at the end of this review.
WHY JESUS TAUGHT WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
First, it was prophesied in Psalm 78:2. Second, Jesus said, "I speak to them by the use of illustrations, because, looking, they look in vainneither do they get the sense of it."
"His listeners had to dig in order to get the full meaning of his words. Humble individuals were moved to ask for more information." Can you imagine an elder "digging" to get the full mean of Jesus words? Since their counsel is based on their personal opinion, digging for Bible information is unnecessary. For those who think that elders research points to discuss at an elders meeting, talk to an elder or ex-elder that posts on this DB. Can you imagine an elder asking for more information? And how many elders rate the adjective "humble"?
Jesus was hiding this from the Pharisees and we know who the elders resemble. Is it any surprise that the elders "look in vainneither do they get the sense of it."
SELECTIVE USE OF DETAILS
"They did not yet have the advantage of consulting a written record to remind them of the things he said." Even with a written record, few JWs remember what they have heard. That is why the WTS has to repeat it 5 times a week, 52 weeks a year.
"Jesus left out nonessential details." Then why is it that every talk at the KH, assembly, convention, are the same details over and over. Meetings, meetings, meetings.
If anyone has read one of the so-called WTS study books about prophetic books of the Bible, they know that the WTS fogs the issue with details, unrelated details many times. Fred Franz was the detail man in my opinion. Without details, Fred Franz could not speak or write.
DRAWN FROM EVERYDAY LIFE
Jesus did "see his mother prepare leavened bread" and did "watch the fishermen as the let down their nets" and did "observe children playing in the marketplace." How can the writers of the WTS publications say the same living in their isolated ivory tower at Bethel? What could they write about, "flushing thoroughly," "squeeging the shower after a shower," "only 3 items on a dresser," room bidding, scavenging, etc. People at Bethel live such unnatural lives, how could any illustrations they use mean anything to the rank-and-file in the congregations?
DRAWN FROM CREATIONOf course, the illustration the WTS highlights is that of a shepherd, "the most tender of Jesus illustrations." They highlight how the sheep know the shepherds voice. The only way the "sheep" at the KH know the elders voice is from the platform. Elders are so busy before and after the meeting, that you will not hear their voice off the platform unless its to grab you and go to the backroom. So remember, the voice we need to recognize and obey is Jesus and his words are found only in the Bible. Where the elders and the WTS publications agree with the Bible, fine, but be discerning. Know the Bible well so you can tell when an elder is braying, whoops, saying something that it has the sound of Jesus voice.
DRAWN FROM EVENTS KNOWN TO HIS HEARERSThis implies that Jesus knew his hearers well. How many elders know/knew your address and phone number? I can remember one elder always calling to get the number of someone in the book study group. I asked once if I could just make up a list for him to post by the phone rather than have him interrupting us at dinner 3 times a week. He certainly didnt know the appearance of his flock, or their phone number.
So from the last few articles, we can see that at least the WTS sees from Jesus example what a good/great teacher is like. Next week we will see how it should be applied and we will see if the WTS as an organization and JWs get the point. (We get to see what the WTS calls logical reasoning and how to help an audience "think and reason.")