Comments You Will Not Hear at the March 19, 2006 WT Study (February 15, 2006 issue, pages 16-20)(ADMINISTRATION))
Review comments will be in redWT material from today's WT will be in black
Quotes from other sources will be in quotes boxesw = Watchtower
g = Awake
www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible (various Bible translations online)
www.reexamine.org (WT publications online)
www.silentlambs.org (child abuse)
www.ajwrb.org (blood issue)
http://www.randytv.com/secret/unitednations.htm (United Nations issue)
AN ADMINISTRATION FOR FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE
"[God] operates all things according to the way his will counsels."-EPHESIANS
1:11.
Opening Comments
Every year the WTS has at least 2 study articles prior to the Lord's Supper on Nisan 14 that pre-condition 6 million plus JWs to the concept that they will not eat the bread and drink the wine. They are invited to a "party" only to watch, with only 8,524 JWs who partake and over 98,269 congregations, few JW congregations have even one person that partakes. Year after year, over 6 million people are told that they have no part in the ceremony that Jesus instituted with his dearest friends.
Watch how the WTS weaves in scriptural "snippets" making the Bible say something it does not.
Paragraph 7 "administration" then linked to a euphemism for "government "bring about a united universe occupied by creatures who lovingly submit to his sovereignty"
Paragraph 10 "administration" linked to "kingdom"
Paragraph 14 "administration" linked to "Kingdom government"
Paragraph 16 "administration" linked to "Messianic kingdom government"
Can you find other places where the WTS has pulled apart scriptures into snippets and strung them together to make it seem that the scriptures support their viewpoint?
START OF ARTICLE
ON Wednesday evening, April 12, 2006, some 16 million people will gather to
observe the Lord's Evening Meal. In each meeting place, there will be a table on
which unleavened bread, representing Christ's body, and red wine, symbolizing
his shed blood, will have been set. Toward the end of a discourse explaining the
meaning of the Memorial of Jesus' death, these emblems -first the bread, then
the wine-will be passed among all present. In relatively few congregations of
Jehovah's Witnesses, one or more in attendance will partake of the emblems. In
many cases, however, no one present will partake. Why is it that only a few
Christians, those who hope to live in heaven, partake, whereas the majority,
those who hope to live forever on earth, do not partake?
16 million people will gather
Last year only 6,613,829 of the 16,383,333 that gathered were JWs; though there were 2.3% less than the year before, this ratio of JWs to non-JWs has been fairly constant over the years. Who are these 10 million non-JWs? Potential converts or inactive and disfellowshipped JWs from the past 30 years who no longer attend meetings any other time or new people? What is your experience?
Discourse
http://hufffamily.com/html/Observing_the_Memorial_of_Christ_s_Death.htm
Relatively few will partake
And this and the next article along with the discourse are designed to condition JWs and others attending NOT to partake.
Christians--only JWs
Carrot--majority, those who hope to live forever on earth
2 Jehovah is a God of purpose. In fulfilling his purpose, he "operates all
things according to the way his will counsels." (Ephesians 1:11) He first
created his only-begotten Son. (John 1:1, 14; Revelation 3:14) Then, through
this Son, Jehovah created a family of spirit sons and eventually the physical
universe, including the earth and man upon it. Job 38:4, 7; Psalm 103:19-21;
John 1:2, 3; Colossians 1:1.5,16.
Purpose
Or Plan...this was case of "brighter light." Russell talked about the Divine "Plan."
(see Eternal Purpose book, 1974)
Order of creation per WTS (proves that WTS believes that spirits live outside the physical universe)
Jesus
Angels
Physical Universe--Earth--Man
3 Jehovah did not create the earth as a testing ground to enlarge his family of
spirit sons in heaven, as taught by many churches of Christendom. He created it
with a definite purpose in mind, for it "to be inhabited." (Isaiah 45:18) God
created the earth for man and man for the earth. (Psalm 115:16) The entire globe
was to become a paradise, filled with righteous humans, who would cultivate it
and take care of it. Never was the prospect of eventually going to heaven held
out to the first human couple.-Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7, 8, 15.
Jehovah did not create the earth as a testing ground to enlarge his family of
spirit sons in heaven, as taught by MANY churches
Other than the Mormons (LDS), what other churches teach this?
Jehovah's Purpose Challenged
4 A spirit son of God rebelled and set out to thwart Jehovah's purpose, abusing
the divine gift of free will. He disturbed the peace that comes to all who
manifest loving submission to Jehovah's sovereignty. Satan led the first human
couple to embark on a course of independence from God. (Genesis 3:1-6) He did
not deny Jehovah's power, but he challenged His way of exercising sovereignty
and therefore His right to rule. Thus, the fundamental issue of Jehovah's
sovereignty came into focus here on earth, at the very dawn of mankind's
history.
Free will
A whole book probably could be written on the this concept but not in this review.
*** w01 5/15 p. 5 God's Permission of Suffering Nears Its End ***
However, was the fine gift of free will to be used without limits? In directions given to early Christians, God's Word answers: "Be as free people, and yet holding your freedom, not as a blind for badness, but as slaves of God." (1 Peter 2:16) For the common good, there must be boundaries. Hence, free will was to be regulated by the rule of law. Otherwise, anarchy would result.
(Whose law? Whose interpretation of that law?)
What do other religions teach? Is this also a secular thought?
Independence from God--or from the WTS
His way...His right..but his name (see question 6)
What is the rule about capitalizing pronouns referring to God?
*** w57 11/15 p. 703 Questions from Readers ***
It is our policy to lower-case pronouns referring to Jehovah God and Jesus Christ in all our publications, with the exception that capitals are used when other pronouns in the sentence might make the meaning doubtful. If, for instance, both Jehovah and Jeremiah are mentioned in a sentence and then in that sentence the pronoun "he" occurs, the "h" would be capitalized if the pronoun were referring to Jehovah and it would be lower-cased if it referred to Jeremiah.
5 Bound up with that primary issue of universal sovereignty is a secondary issue
raised by Satan in the days of Job. Satan cast doubt on the motive of Jehovah's
creatures in submitting to Him and serving Him. Satan implied that they were
doing so for selfish reasons and that put to the test they would turn against
God. (Job 1:7-11; 2:4, 5) While raised in connection with a human servant of
Jehovah, this challenge also involved the spirit sons of God, even Jehovah's
only-begotten Son.
While raised in connection with a human servant of Jehovah, this challenge also involved the spirit sons of God
And where is the scriptural backing for this statement?
6 Faithful to his purpose and to the meaning of his name, Jehovah caused himself to become a Prophet and a Savior.* (Footnote: * The divine name literally means "He Causes to Be come." Jehovah can become whatever is necessary to fulfill his purpose.-Exodus 3:14, footnote.) He told Satan: "I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel." (Genesis 3:15) By means of the Seed of his "woman," or the heavenly part of his organization, Jehovah would answer Satan's challenge and provide Adam's descendants with hope of deliverance and life.-Romans 5:21; Galatians 4: 26, 31.
"woman," or the heavenly part of his organization
Is the word 'organization' in the Bible?
*** w98 9/1 p. 8 Keep Safe as Part of God's Organization ***
The word "organization" does not appear in the Bible,
Where is the scriptural reasoning on this "woman" being an organization?
"The Sacred Secret of His Will"
7 In his letter to Christians in Ephesus, the apostle Paul beautifully explains
how Jehovah administers things to fulfill his purpose. Paul wrote: "He made
known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure
which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the
appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the
things in the heavens and the things on the earth." (Ephesians 1:9, 10)
Jehovah's glorious purpose is to bring about a united universe occupied by
creatures who lovingly submit to his sovereignty. (Revelation 4:11) His name
would thus be sanctified, Satan proved a liar, and the divine will accomplished
"as in heaven, also upon earth."-Matthew 6:10.
administration
"dispensation" in other Bibles and the term used by Russell. Makes it sound less like a government, doesn't it?
His name would thus be sanctified
For years the WTS taught that his name would be "vindicated."
8 Jehovah's "good pleasure," or purpose, would be fulfilled by means of "an
administration." Paul used a word that literally means "household management."
It refers, not to a government, such as the Messianic Kingdom, but to a way of
managing things.* (Footnote: * Paul's words show that the "administration" was
functioning in his day, whereas the Scriptures indicate that the Messianic
Kingdom was not established until 1914.) The wonderful way in which Jehovah
would administer things to accomplish his purpose involved a "sacred secret"
that would progressively be made known over the centuries.-Ephesians 1:10; 3:9,
footnotes.
"administration"...not to a government, such as the Messianic Kingdom
Yet implies it by mentioning those terms together in previous and later paragraphs.
Messianic Kingdom was not established until 1914
Actually 1878.
*** Proclaimers book chap. 28 p. 632 Testing and Sifting From Within ***
Based on the premise that events of the first century might find parallels in related events later, they also concluded that if Jesus' baptism and anointing in the autumn of 29 C.E. paralleled the beginning of an invisible presence in 1874, then his riding into Jerusalem as King in the spring of 33 C.E. would point to the spring of 1878 as the time when he would assume his power as heavenly King.
progressively be made known over the centuries
And who did he he reveal this to as the "faithful and discreet slave" between 100 and 1879 CE?
9 By means of a series of covenants, Jehovah gradually revealed how his purpose concerning the Seed promised in Eden would be fulfilled. His covenant promise to Abraham revealed that the promised Seed would come to earth in Abraham's lineage and would be the means whereby "all nations of the earth" would bless themselves. That covenant also intimated that others would be associated with the primary part of the seed. (Genesis 22:17, 18) The Law covenant made with fleshly Israel disclosed Jehovah's purpose to have "a kingdom of priests." (Exodus 19:5, 6) The covenant with David showed that the Seed would be the Head of a Kingdom to time indefinite. (2 Samuel 7:12, 13; Psalm 89:3, 4) Once the Law covenant led the Jews to the Messiah, Jehovah revealed further aspects of the fulfillment of his purpose. (Galatians 3:19, 24) Those humans who were to be associated with the primary part of the seed would form the foretold "kingdom of priests" and would be brought into "a new covenant" as the new "Israel," a
spiritual one.-Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:7-9.* (Footnote: * For a detailed discussion of these covenants involved in the outworking of God's purpose, see The Watchtower of February 1, 1989, pages 10-15.)
Series of covenants--Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, Solomon
"new covenant"
Only the 144,000; the great crowd of other sheep have no part in this per the WTS thus Christ is not their mediator.
10 In line with the administration of the divine purpose, the time came for the
foretold Seed to appear on earth. Jehovah sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary
that she would give birth to a son who was to be called Jesus. The angel said to
her: "This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and
Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as
king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom."
(Luke 1:32, 33) The identity of the promised Seed thus became clear.-Galatians
3:16; 4:4.
Administration of the divine purpose
Dispensation of the divine plan per Russell.
Why is "Seed" capitalized? Because it refers only to Jesus?
11 Jehovah's only-begotten Son was to come to earth and be tested to the limit. The perfect answer to Satan's challenge would be in Jesus' hands. Would he remain faithful to his Father? This involved a sacred secret. The apostle Paul later explained Jesus' role: "The sacred secret of this godly devotion is
admittedly great: `He was made manifest in flesh, was declared righteous in spirit, appeared to angels, was preached about among nations, was believed upon in the world, was received up in glory."' (1 Timothy 3:16) Yes, by his unflinching integrity until his death, Jesus provided the definitive answer to
Satan's challenge. But other details of the sacred secret remained to be uncovered.
sacred secret--"mystery" in other Bibles
Other details--per the WTS?
"The Sacred Secret of the Kingdom of God"
12 During one of his preaching tours of Galilee, Jesus indicated that the sacred
secret was closely related to his Messianic Kingdom government. He told his
disciples: "To you it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom
of the heavens ["kingdom of God," Mark 4:11]." (Matthew 13:11) One aspect of
that secret involved Jehovah's selecting a "little flock" of 144,000 humans to
be associated with his Son as part of the seed, to reign with him in
heaven.-Luke 12:32; Revelation 14:1, 4.
Jesus indicated...related to his Messianic Kingdom government
Jesus used the word "government"?
One aspect...selecting...144,000
(1 John 5:1) Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God, and everyone who loves the one that caused to be born loves him who has been born from that one.
"Everyone" believing that Jesus is the Christ, not just 144,000
144,000 humans--only JWs per the WTS
13 Since humans were created to live on earth, "a new creation" by Jehovah was
required in order for some humans to go to heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Speaking
as one of those chosen to share this exceptional heavenly hope, the apostle
Peter wrote: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for
according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled
and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for you."-1 Peter 1:3,
4.
"a new creation"
Volume 6, Studies in the Scriptures, The New Creation, in 1904
http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/newcreation/nctitles.html
exceptional--doesn't that raise them above the great crowd?
14 Another part of the sacred secret with regard to the future Kingdom government was God's will to include non Jews among the small number of humans who would be called to reign with Christ in heaven. Paul explained this facet of Jehovah's "administration," or way of managing the fulfillment of his purpose: "In other generations this secret was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by spirit, namely, that people of the nations should be joint heirs and fellow members of the body and partakers with us of the promise in union with Christ Jesus through the good news." (Ephesians 3:5, 6) The comprehension of this part of the sacred secret
was revealed to the "holy apostles." Similarly today, if it were not for the help of the holy spirit, we would not understand these "deep things of God."-1 Corinthians 2:10; 4:1; Colossians 1:26, 27.
future Kingdom government--where was 'government' in the Bible? Isn't kingdom enough?
small number--has this been established?
government...administration
comprehension...revealed to the "holy apostles"--by implication only to the FDS/GB/WTS
If it were not with the help of the holy spirit, we would not understand--without the WTS
*** w94 10/1 p. 8 The Bible-A Book Meant to Be Understood ***
Even as Bible prophecy pointed forward to the Messiah, it also directs us to the close-knit body of anointed Christian Witnesses that now serve as the faithful and discreet slave. It helps us to understand the Word of God. All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave.-John 6:68.
*** w91 9/1 pp. 18-19 Jehovah and Christ-Foremost Communicators ***
That faithful and discreet slave is represented today by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has as its publicity agent the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Most appropriately, that faithful and discreet slave has also been called God's channel of communication
15 "The hundred and forty-four thousand" seen standing with "the Lamb" on
heavenly Mount Zion are said to have been "bought from the earth," "bought from
among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb," Christ Jesus. (Revelation
14:1-4) Jehovah chose the first of his heavenly sons to become the primary part
of the seed promised in Eden, but why did he select Christ's associates from
among mankind? The apostle Paul explains that this limited number was "called
according to his [Jehovah's] purpose," "according to the good pleasure of his
will."-Romans 8:17, 28-30; Ephesians 1:5, 11; 2 Timothy 1:9.
"The hundred and forty-four thousand" seen standing with "the Lamb"
Literal or symbolic number?
*** w04 9/1 p. 30 Questions From Readers ***
If the number 144,000 were symbolic and referred to a group that is actually numberless, the force of the contrast between those two verses would be lost.
What if the 144,000 and the crowd are the same group?
How many Christians were there in the 1st century? How many partook of the emblems in 1925? 90,434. That only leaves 54,000 for the time from 33 to 1879 CE. and ten years before the "revealing" of the great crowd.
*** w55 6/1 p. 336 Part 11: Restoration of Theocratic Organization ***
The hands of the witnesses continued to be kept busy during this crucial year of 1925. For this year a peak of 90,434 was recorded as the attendance at the spring Memorial celebration.
16 Jehovah's purpose is to sanctify his great and holy name and vindicate his universal sovereignty. By his incomparably wise "administration," or way of managing things, Jehovah sent his firstborn Son to earth, where he was tested to the limit. Furthermore, Jehovah determined that the Messianic Kingdom government of his Son would include humans who had also upheld His sovereignty until death.-Ephesians 1:8-12; Revelation 2: 10, 11.
sanctify his...name and vindicate his universal sovereignty
*** w50 1/1 p. 15 Haggai Exhorts the Temple Builders ***
This for his name's sake, that his name might be vindicated
And after 1986 the light dawned that this was wrong but was not mentioned until 1995.
*** w95 5/15 p. 25 Flashes of Light-Great and Small (Part 2) ***
Similarly, for a long time, Witnesses spoke of the vindication of Jehovah's name. But had Satan called Jehovah's name into question? For that matter, had any of Satan's agents done so, as if Jehovah did not have a right to that name? No, not at all. It was not the name of Jehovah that was challenged and that needed to be vindicated. That is why the Watch Tower Society's recent publications do not speak of Jehovah's name as being vindicated. They speak of Jehovah's sovereignty as being vindicated and of his name as being sanctified. This is in keeping with what Jesus told us to pray: "Let your name be sanctified." (Matthew 6:9)
"administration"....Messianic Kingdom government
17 Jehovah showed his great love for Adam's descendants by having his Son come to the earth and by selecting from among mankind those who would be the Son's joint heirs in the Kingdom government. How could that benefit others who have proved faithful to Jehovah, from Abel onward? Born slaves to sin and death, imperfect humans would need to be spiritually and physically healed and brought to perfection, in line with Jehovah's original purpose for mankind. (Romans 5:12) How comforting it is for all of those who look forward to everlasting life on earth to know that their King will show them love and kind understanding just as he did to his disciples during his earthly ministry! (Matthew 11:28, 29;
Hebrews 2:17, 18; 4:15; 7:25, 26) And how reassuring it is for them to realize that Christ's associate kingpriests in heaven were once men and women of faith who themselves contended with personal weaknesses and experienced life's challenges as we do!-Romans 7:21-25.
Abel onward--first JW per the WTS
CARROT--Everlasting life on earth
Christ's associate king-priests in heaven were ONCE men and women--sounds like they aren't going to men and women in heaven...that's right they are genderless, sexless in heaven.
Have you ever wondered why the 144,000 go from being imperfect people to immortal, perfect spirits in a twinkling of an eye and why the rest of humaniity needs 1,000 years?
Jehovah's Unfailing Purpose
18 We are now better able to understand the import of Paul's words to anointed Christians, as found at Ephesians 1:8-11. He said that Jehovah had made known to them "the sacred secret of his will," that they were "assigned as heirs" with Christ, and that they were "foreordained according to the purpose of him who operates all things according to the way his will counsels." We perceive that this fits into Jehovah's marvelous "administration" of things for the fulfilling of his purpose. This also helps us to understand why only a few Christians attending the Lord's Evening Meal partake of the emblems.
Paul's words to anointed--have you ever been told that the NT is only for the anointed?
*** w74 6/15 p. 376 Serve with Eternity in View ***
Also, it is to the spirit-anointed Christians who will rule in that kingdom that most of the Christian Greek Scriptures is directed, including the promises of everlasting life.
only a few Christians--only JWs
19 In the following article, we will see what the Memorial of Christ's death
means to those Christians whose hope is heavenly. We will also learn why
millions whose hope is to live forever on earth should be intensely interested
in what the Memorial symbolizes.
Christians--only JWs
Millions--only JWs
Live forever on earth--CARROT
Closing Comments
The number of anointed has not been decreasing much over the past 15 years considering that the WTS teaches that the number was filled in 1935. People born in 1935 would be 71 years old today and even assuming that a person was baptized at 6 in 1929, they would be 77 with only a few years left. How many of the 8,524 that partook are "real" or "genuine" anointed as the WTS describes them?
The new most recent GB members were born long after 1935. The current listing shows their ages. How many are "replacement" anointed?
John Barr - 92
Carey Barber - 100
Samuel Herd - 70
Geoffrey Jackson - 50
Theodore Jaracz - 80
Steven Lett - 56
Gerrit Lösch -63
Anthony Morris - 55
Guy Pierce - 70
David Splane - 61
Daniel Sydlik - 86
Hope things are going well. Spring is Monday...............and the International Speakers of French Only Day.
Love, Blondie
By Way of Review
- Why did Jehovah create the earth and put man upon it?
- Why was it necessary for Jehovah's only-begotten Son to be tested on earth?
- Why did Jehovah select Christ's associate rulers from among mankind?
Questions
1. Why will all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses meet on April 12, 2006?
2, 3. (a) How did Jehovah proceed to create according to his purpose? (b) For
what purpose did Jehovah create the earth and mankind?
4. How was Jehovah's way of exercising sovereignty challenged at the dawn of
human history?
5. What secondary issue was raised, implicating whom?
6. How did Jehovah prove to be faithful to his purpose and to his name?
7. What purpose did Jehovah reveal by means of the apostle Paul?
8. What is the meaning of the word translated "administration"?
9. How did Jehovah progressively reveal the sacred secret of his will?
10, 11. (a) How did Jehovah reveal the foretold Seed? (b) Why did God's
only-begotten Son come to earth?
12, 13. (a) What is one aspect of "the sacred secret of the kingdom of God"? (b)
What was involved in Jehovah's selecting a limited number of humans to go to
heaven?
14. (a) How were non Jews involved in "the sacred secret of the kingdom of God"?
(b) Why are we able to understand these "deep things of God"?
15, 16. Why did Jehovah select Christ's associate rulers from among mankind?
17. Why can we be glad that Christ and his associate rulers once lived as
humans?
18, 19. Why are Paul's words at Ephesians 1:8-11 clearer to us, and what will be
considered in the following article?