Comments You Will Not Hear at the 12-5-04 WT Study (November 1, 2004 issue) Review comments will be in black and parentheses ()
WT quotes
will be in red and quotes ""Quotes from other sources
will be in blueHAPPY SERVANTS OF JEHOVAH
"Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need."?Matthew 5:3 NWT source
Alternate Translation.?Book Chapter:Verse (TRANSLATION)
www.biblegateway.com /cgi-bin/bible
Opening Comments
First
when reading just the title and the theme scripture, three things occurred to me.Although these are the words of Jesus directed to his disciples why isn?t the title "Happy Servants of Jesus"?
You wonder why they didn?t use this scripture:
Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!
PSALM 144:15Second,
isn?t part of Matthew 5:3 missing, an important part?"Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need,
since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. MATTHEW 5:3The WTS likes to downplay that part since they teach it only really applies to JWs that belong to the 144,000. Seeing that there are over 6 million JWs, you can see they are left out of the picture. The kingdom of the heavens does not belong to them.
Third
, if you are a long time JW, you have heard the WTS refer to themselves as the "happiest people on earth."Kingdom Ministry 2/02 p. 1 The Happiest People on Earth ***
"Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!" (Ps. 144:15) Those words describe Jehovah?s Witnesses as the happiest people on earth.
w99 10/1 p. 8 "For Everything There Is an Appointed Time" ***
Of course, the fact that Jehovah?s servants "weep" over the sorry state of world affairs does not preclude their being happy. On the contrary! They are actually the happiest group of people on earth. Jesus provided the touchstone for happiness when he said: "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, . . . those who mourn, . . . the mild-tempered ones, . . . those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, . . . the merciful, . . . the pure in heart, . . . the peaceable, . . . those who have been persecuted for righteousness? sake." (Matthew 5:3-10) There is abundant evidence to show that this description fits Jehovah?s Witnesses, collectively, better than it does any other religious organization.
w95 1/15 p. 12 The Joy of Jehovah Is Our Stronghold ***
Our close relationship with Jehovah makes us the happiest people on earth.
But you will look hard to find the proof.
START OF ARTICLE
Paragraph 1
In paragraph 1 the WTS uses Psalm 144:15.
The deepest happiness?comes from the awareness that we are blessed by Jehovah (but only JWs).Paragraph 1 concludes with another scripture oft used by the WTS, 1 Timothy 1:11.
according to the glorious good news of the happy God, with which I was entrusted . 1 TIMOTHY 1:11But the WTS ?adjusts? it by inserting Jehovah after the snippet to read:
How happy we can be if we faithfully serve "the happy God," Jehovah. Awareness of Our Spiritual NeedParagraphs 2-4
In paragraph 2 the WTS tries to appear to be delving into deeper scriptural understandings but presenting the literal translation and quoting for an alternate Bible translation.
"Happy the poor ones (as) to the spirit," or "Happy are those who are beggars for the spirit." Kingdom InterlinearToday?s English Version reads: "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor."But as we read above the NWT says:
"Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. MATTHEW 5:3
Why does the WTS approach this in such a convoluted way. It think it is that they want to make application to all JWs, not just those of the anointed.
Humble Christians, fully aware of their sinful condition, beg Jehovah for his forgiveness on the basis of Christ?s ransom sacrifice.But who really forgives sins in the WT organization? Can you go just to God for forgiveness?
w01 8/15 p. 30 Do You Remember? ***Since Jehovah is the one who can forgive our sins, why do Christians confess serious sins to the older men in the congregation?Yes, it is Jehovah?s forgiveness of serious sins that a Christian needs to seek. (2 Samuel 12:13) But just as the prophet Nathan provided help for David, mature older men in the congregation can help remorseful sinners. Going to the elders is in line with the direction given at James 5:14, 15.?6/1, page 31.w01 11/15 p. 13 Jehovah Shows Us How to Count Our Days ***To regain intimacy with Jehovah, we would need to pray for his forgiveness, leave our transgressions, and gratefully accept the spiritual help of Christian elders.Who decides whether a person is really repentant in the WT organization? God?
w81 9/1 p. 26 Repentance Leading Back to God *** The elders? responsibility in determining true repentance is a weighty one. They ought to show mercy and help erring ones who are truly repentant. Yet they also need to guard against misplaced sympathy that could lead to dangerous "leaven" remaining in the congregation.?Gal. 5:9.So the elders decide if a person is worthy of receiving God?s forgiveness.
Paragraph 4 has some strong statements.
Awareness of our spiritual need moves us to read the Bible daily (JWs who do not should not feel guilty), to absorb spiritual food dispensed "at the proper time" by "the faithful and discreet slave" and toAttend Christian meetings regularly.Love for neighbor makes us aware of the spiritual need of others and prompts us to beZealousIn preaching and teaching the good news of the Kingdom (not that many JWs even mention "kingdom" in their introduction).Our happiness is further deepened when we meditate on the wonderful hope of the Kingdom and the blessings that Kingdom will bring (the ?carrot" held out to motivate JWs?their own salvation on a paradise earth).For the "other sheep," it means everlasting life on a paradise earth. How Mourners Can be Happy (Matthew 5:4)Paragraphs 5-6
Those who are truly saddened over their sinful state are comforted when they learn that their sins can be forgiven if they exercise faith in Christ?s ransom sacrifice and show true repentance by doing Jehovah?s will (as taught by the WTS).Entertain the hope of living foreverParagraph 6 brings out Ezekiel 9:4 about the ?anointed? JWs marking people for survival. The only people who will survive are JWs and they leave out this part of that scripture.
And to these [others] he said in my ears: "Pass through the city after him and strike. Let not your eye feel sorry, and do not feel any compassion. 6 Old man, young man and virgin and little child and women YOU should kill off?to a ruination.. . . EZEKIEL 9:5-6When does a person become marked for salvation according to the WTS.
*** w96 1/15 p. 17 Jehovah?s Sheep Need Tender Care *** As an unbaptized publisher progresses spiritually, he may make a dedication to God in prayer and want to be baptized. (Compare Mark 1:9-11.) He should make his desire for baptism known to the congregation?s presiding overseer, who will arrange for elders to review with the publisher the questions on pages 175 to 218 of Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry. The four parts into which the questions are divided may be covered in three sessions by three different elders if possible. If they agree that the unbaptized publisher has a reasonable understanding of Bible teachings and qualifies in other ways, they will tell him that he may be baptized. As a result of his dedication and baptism, he becomes ?marked? for salvation.?Ezekiel 9:4-6. *** w89 1/15 p. 20 How Baptism Can Save Us *** And what is the "mark"? It is the evidence that we are dedicated to Jehovah and are Jesus? baptized disciples who have a Christlike personality.*** w88 11/15 p. 17 Helping Others to Worship God ***An announcement that he is a new unbaptized publisher can be made to the congregation. He should continue studying the Bible, participating in the meetings, applying what he learns, and sharing it with others. Before long, he will want to take the step of Christian baptism, thus becoming approved by God and ?marked? for salvation.?Ezekiel 9:4-6.The paragraph concludes:
They are happy to learn that Satan?s wicked system of things will shortly be replaced with Jehovah?s righteous new world.From Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge said:
"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." Happy Are the Mild-Tempered Ones (Matthew 5:5)Paragraphs 7-9
One Bible scholar wrote: "The supreme characteristic of the man who is [mild of temper] is that he is the man who is under perfect control. It is not a spineless gentleness, a sentimental fondness, a passive quietism. It is a strength under control" Insight Book Volume 2 p. 399 Mildness *** A New Testament Wordbook, by William Barclay, says of the adjective pra·ys´: "In classical Greek this is a lovely word. Of things it means ?gentle?. It is used, for instance, of a gentle breeze or a gentle voice. Of persons it means ?mild? or ?gracious?. . . . There is gentleness in praus but behind the gentleness there is the strength of steel . . . It is not a spineless gentleness, a sentimental fondness, a passive quietism." (London, 1956, pp. 103, 104)Jesus was mild-tempered yet
Jesus was courageous in depending righteous principles.Sounds like it is the Christian thing to disagree when religious principles are being bent, even by elders.
It is a Christian quality that makes for peace with outsiders (unless they are DF?d JWs) and with those in the congregation (I could write a book on the infighting in any local JW congregation).By willingly submitting ourselves to Jehovah?s sovereignty (by doing whatever the WTS says without question), we demonstrate we are mild-tempered?complete submission to his Father?s will (as interpreted by the WTS). Happy are Those Hungering for Righteousness (Matthew 5:6)Paragraphs 10-12
For Christians (only JWs), Jehovah (the WTS) sets the standard of righteousness.Such ones are keenly aware of their sin and imperfection and long for an acceptable standing before Jehovah?if they repent and seek forgiveness (from the elders) on the basis of Christ?s ransom sacrifice, they will be in a position to attain a righteous standing before God! (This is the 4 th time this sinfulness has been brought up?.the rank and file have been very, very bad not obeying the WTS).But only the ?anointed? are declared righteous for life according to the WTS.
The companions of the anointed ones are not yet declared righteous for life. However, they have a measure of righteousness credited to them by Jehovah through their faith in Christ?s shed blood. The are accounted righteous as Jehovah?s friends in line for deliverance at the time of "the great tribulation."But remember that the great crowd will only survive as a group and individual JWs could die.
Do you know when the WTS says the ?other sheep? will be declared righteous for life. At the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ after passing the final test.
I always wondered how the ?anointed? instantly became perfect when the died and resurrected and it took 1,000 years to make the same personality adjustments in the rest on earth.
Happy Are The Merciful (Matthew 5:7)Paragraphs 13-14
What definition of mercy have you experienced from the elders?
In a legal sense, mercy is understood to refer to clemency on the part of a judge who refrains from inflicting on a wrongdoer the full punishment allowed under law.In the Bible, however the original words translated "mercy" refer mostly to an expression of kind consideration or pity that brings relief to those who are disadvantaged?actively compassionate?Samaritan (nonJew). We need to engage in positive deeds of kindness.Jesus realized that mankind?s greatest need was spiritual. We too can show ourselves to be compassionate and merciful by sharing with others what they need most?the "good news of the kingdom."Almost thought they were going to talking about physical needs, right? I have always wondered about the homeless, alcoholics, addicts, the rejects of society. I have never seen JWs seek out such ones. Instead, they wait for some secular help organization or a church group, to get them on their feet before they will talk to them.
In my area, there is a house (actual several apartments) for people with HIV/AIDS. No one wanted to go there except a few truly loving souls. And then when they get back in the car, their fellow JWs won?t touch them until they spray themselves with disinfectant. I have seen JWs use a hanky to open the door at a KH because they know that a Bible student is visiting who has AIDS (yes, the JW studying with them blabbed it).
We can offer practical help to older fellow Christians, widows, and orphans and "speak consolingly to the depressed souls."I have fit into 3 of those categories (almost the 4 th ) and received no practical help. Older people at the KH were looked after by other older people. I can remember one very ill sister who kept track of all the little biddies. Never any help from the elders who obviously had more serious things to do. I overheard more than one elder say they would not visit people in the hospital because they were afraid of catching something?they might have caught a loving disposition, eh?
Pure in Heart and Peaceable (Matthew 5:8,9)Paragraphs 15-18
A pure heart is one that is not only morally clean but also spiritually untainted and unified in its devotion to Jehovah.Now what might they be talking about????..
Apostates!!!!
The peaceable live in peace with their Christian brothers?Who will see God as these verses bring out?
Only the ?anointed.?
The other sheep will only be part of the family when they ?Pass the final test after the Millennial Reign of ChristOnly then
Will be adopted as Jehovah?s earthly sonsIn anticipation of this, they address Jehovah as their Father.Yes, that is correct, technically, according to the WTS, the great crowd cannot call God their Father until the end of the Millenial Reign.
Concluding CommentsSo consider yourselves orphans.
Next week, "Persecuted Yet Happy."
The WTS compares themselves to the prophets of old.
How many times do they mention living forever on earth?
Blondie