by Theocrat 19 Replies latest jw friends
"EVIL SLAVES LOST OUT ON HEAVENLY HOPE"
WTF????? Then why are so many of the GB under 60 years of age - The WT claims that annointed are almost never replaced.
Dare I say that Freddie Franz and others who died recently did not get a heavenly reward, and were replaced with these younger men when they croaked their last breath?
HB
I was born in 3rd generation JW in 1957 and never heard the apostate bogeyman word until it's introduction at the 1979 district convention,before that evil slave prevailed.If i heard it once i heard it a thousand times the way it was explained to me and the setting,theme and plot of the 1980 yearbook (on France) is that the "evil slave were lazy selfish sluggards who would not accept the 'revelation' that they were not to be taken to heaven in 1914 but were to undertake the great shifting and preaching work"
Main Entry: apos·ta·sy
Pronunciation: &-'päs-t&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -sies
Etymology: Middle English apostasie, from Late Latin apostasia, from Greek, literally, revolt, from aphistasthai to revolt, from apo- + histasthai to stand -- more at STAND
Date: 14th century
1 : renunciation of a religious faith
2 : abandonment of a previous loyalty : DEFECTION Scapegoating
Hitler-had the Jews
Jim Jones -"fascist terrorist"
David Koresh- Feds aka 'agents of Satan'
Watchtower - former member aka apostate traitors
Danny defines apostate--"a devout believer turned destroyer"--yup, that's me I reckon.
My comments on the quote are as follows. First, let's quote the NWT passage involved.
45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. 47 Truly I say to YOU , He will appoint him over all his belongings.
48 “But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.
Ok, that out of the way. Now, from the 2004 Watchtower study:
Yes, the “evil slave” came from the ranks of the faithful slave. How?
What in the Parable of the Slave indicates that the slave discussed is a class of people? And furthermore what supports the interpretation that the "evil slave" comes from the "ranks" of the faithful slave? Even if you believe that this is referring to a "class," in fact only one slave is ever mentioned in the parable, and that one single slave either passes or fails. It doesn't support in any way the notion that the slave could somehow split in two, partly passing and partly failing.
Before 1914, many members of the faithful slave class had high hopes of meeting with the Bridegroom in heaven that year
As pointed out by others, this is because that was the official doctrine of the Bible Students. To believe otherwise would have been to be an apostate.
As a result of this and other developments
Why mention the "other developments" and then not specify what those developments were?
Some of these turned to ‘beating’ their former brothers verbally and consorting with “confirmed drunkards,” religious groups of Christendom.
Where is the proof that the "beating" somehow indicates verbal dissent? And where is the proof that "confirmed drunkards" refers to "religios groups of Christendom"?
He [Jesus] rejected them, and they lost out on their heavenly hope.
How do we know this? Did Jesus tell you that?
They first had to endure a period of weeping and gnashing of teeth in “the darkness outside” the Christian congregation.
Where is the evidence that those who didn't follow Rutherford, or who stopped following Russell, endured a period of "weeping and gnashing of teeth?" How was their post-Bible Student experience consistent with that description?
a few other anointed individuals have shown a similar bad spirit, identifying themselves with the “evil slave.”
The phrase "identifying themselves" sounds like it's something they announced, but in reality, it's a label that the Society applied to them, based on their interpretation. No "anointed" person has ever left the Society and announced "I am part of the evil slave now."
Rather than becoming embittered, however, they were readjusted. (2 Corinthians 13:11)
Where is the scriptural basis supporting "readjustment"? I'm sorry, 2Cor13:11 doesn't cut it, just because a scripture mentions "readjustment" doesn't support the idea that proper worship of God requires constant adjustments in core eschatological understandings.
It's such ballocks. Because the scriptures themselves don't support the interpretations the Witnesses impart, believing these teachings requires--REQUIRES--that you accept that there are additional revelations, additional inspiration, beyond Scripture, and that the Society is the sole owner of those revelations.
It makes me laugh when I think of how they like to claim the late President Eisenhower. As many know, he was raised as a Bible Student although I don't know if he was ever Baptised as one. When 1914 came and went, it appears that all of his family, with the sole exception of his mother, left the Bible Students, thus making them part of the "evil slave" by the definition of the article quoted. But then, since Eisenhower entered West point in 1911 maybe they feel they can safely exclude him from the "evil slave" since he effectively left the Bible Students prior to the 1914 thing.
Did anyone notice that the article basically linked the "evil slave" to the 1914 disapppointment? Although many did leave the Bible Students at that time, they just simply left without raising the sort of furor which can explain the label of "evil slave". To get to the bottom of what is really meant by the label we have to dig a little further. What could explain such name calling?
*** w52 9/15 p. 567 Loyalty the Test ***
7 Back in the troublous times of 1918-1922 there were severe testings among God’s people. The Lord had appeared at the temple for judgment. The question was, Who would stand loyally on Jehovah’s side, remaining steadfast, immovable? “But who may endure the day of his coming? And who is he that can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ alkali.” (Mal. 3:2, Ro) Jehovah through his Judge at the temple tested the hearts of his people and rejected thousands, because they were selfish and disloyal. After being fed and directed through the faithful legal governing body, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, for thirty years, many said, “Jehovah is also dealing through other agencies.” Thus they could advance their own selfish interests. The loyal ones stood by the Lord’s organization. They produced proof of his direction and opposed those who were disloyal. They fought for Jehovah’s ways, and though the fight continued for years, the loyal ones won out, and the disloyal were removed. There are hundreds of thousands happy in the knowledge of the truth today as a result.
8 Yes, the disloyal ones would have prevented the truth’s going to the people in general, for they said, “The harvest is over and the Lord’s work is done. Now we have to wait to be gathered to the Lord in heaven.” The loyal ones said, “Jehovah is revealing more truth. The work is not over, and we are going to prosecute such work regardless of your negligence and your charges that the Lord is not dealing through the Watch Tower Society.” Believing the truth was theirs, the disloyal ones left and tried to create more light, but the spark they had died out, as all sparks do when separated from the main fire. They vanish in the air, and so also did the disloyal ones. Even in the closing days of this evil system there are a few who show their wrong condition of heart by disloyal conduct. Do not be concerned because such disloyal ones seem to have a spark of light, rather consider where they got that spark, and where it will lead them. Will it bring one into close association and unity with God’s people, or put one farther away from them? Will it really unite the faithful, or rather is it a deception to follow other men’s ideas?
Ah! That illuminates thing just a little, doesn't it? From 1918 to 1922 something happened that was so dramatic that thirty years later the Watchtower was still harping about it. Some began to question the direction of the "legal governing body" and tried to impede the work. After much struggle, "the disloyal were removed". Now THAT sounds like something important enough to get bent out of shape about.
The book God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years, after a general description of the "evil slave" gets a little more specific about just who is meant by that label:
*** ka chap. 17 pp. 360-361 The “Slave” Who Lived to See the “Sign” ***
62 There were instances of this in the ranks of the International Bible Students Association right after the death in 1916 C.E. of the editor of The Watch Tower and founder of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. There were attempts on the part of some individuals to seize power and control contrary to the provisions of the Society’s Charter. There were disagreements as to who made up the Lord’s approved organization. The power-seeking ones and those dissatisfied with sincere efforts to conduct matters according to the legal Charter and Bible principles were frustrated. They indulged in considerable ‘beating of their fellow slaves’ in a verbal way in print and by word of mouth and in judicial court. They put themselves on the side of the “confirmed drunkards” of this world, spiritually speaking, especially during those days of World War I. All of this put the stability of the organization, which was then under increasing religious persecution, to a great test. It brought a great trial upon the “faithful and discreet slave” class.
Ah! Now we see! The label is here applied to those who opposed the takeover of the WTBTS by good ole uncle Joe! Are you getting the picture of how this prophecy came to be applied by the WTBTS? When Rutherford ignored Russell's will and took over the WTBTS, those who'd been named as the ones to hold the power in Russell's will tried to put a stop to his designs. That anyone would dare to oppose him enraged Rutherford. That others would dare not to accept his authority and cease their associationwith the WTBTS also enraged the man so that he would later apply a whole number of insulting designations from the Bible to them! "Evil Slave" was just one of many he would use in the Watchtower to revile those he didn't like.
Did you note that in the first section quoted the Watchtower said that those "disloyal ones" were removed? Rutherford physically attacked the board members who wouldn't bow down to him and threw them bodily out of the Bethel residence. When those among the Bible Students who didn't think Rutherford should be the head of the Bible Students left of their own accord by the thousands. Those folks weren't "removed". Rutherford almost lost his shirt when that happened since alot of money in contributions effectively went out the window. So yeah, It is easy to see both why he would revile the whole bunch and why the Watchtower would want to spin the story all those years later.
So now you know the other side of that story.
Forscher
How come I can't find this topic on the main sections of the site? I have to go to my post history to see it. Why is that?
Quoting that Watchtower article:
Some of these turned to ‘beating’ their former brothers verbally and consorting with “confirmed drunkards,” religious groups of Christendom
What a hoot! Drunkards, indeed! Tell tht to the baptists!!
If it's meant "spiritually", then how on earth were they drunk?
Ahh well, all part of the paranoid and bizarre world known as dubdom!
The evil slave turned out to have been "Judge" Rutherford!
--VM44
That's Joe Ratherflawed!
What it really boils down to was that Rutherford was an excellent con-man. He was able to sway the masses to his side but some remained on Russells side...even after he died. Since Rutherfords domain was bigger....he made more money and expanded his flock. Since his group was bigger and more prosperous, it was obvious Jehovah had chosen the Rutherfordites over the Russellites.
Bad Russellites....bad, bad!!!!!
Gumby
