Why don't JWs follow Christ's ENTIRE command at Matt. 28:19-20?

by Olin Moyles Ghost 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Olin Moyles Ghost

  JWs take a great deal of pride in the fact that they follow Jesus' command at Matt. 28:19-20:

  Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit,teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU . And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.

  They claim that the JWs must be the true religion because there is no other organized religion in which all members participate in a "preaching and disciple-making work." In particular, JWs criticize other religions that delegate the preaching and disciple-making to a clergy class.

  But if you read the verses carefully, you can see that there is a portion of Jesus' command that most JWs have no share in--"baptizing them..." Yes, the WT/JW religion delegates the responsibility for baptism to two or three brothers at a circuit assembly or district convention.

  If Jesus' command at Matt. 28:19-20 is a non-delegable duty personally directed to each individual Christian, how can the Witnesses delegate the responsibility for "baptizing" to a small group of men? It seems inconsistent to apply the "disciple-making" portion of the command to individuals, but allow the "baptizing" portion to be delegated. What scriptural support exists for this arbitrary distinction?
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  easyreader1970

  Since when has the GB needed scriptural support? I'm still waiting for somebody to tell me why beards are illegal.
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  sir82

  What?!?!?

  An inconsistency in how the GB applies a scripture?!?!?

  Say it ain't so!
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  wobble

  See Passwords latest blog,it's good and points out that the 1st. Centuary christians baptised people straight away! NO waiting till the CA or DA no months of study,no interminable questions from a book mentored by three morons,sorry Elders.

  As I pointed out on that thread,JW's don't baptise in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit so they ignore this bit of the command too!

  Love

  Wobble
• 

  moomanchu

  That's easy they make the rules, period, the end.

  another thought

  The Great Commission

  16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

  There's a scripture where the GB limits its application

  to the 144,000, because Jesus was talking to his close disciples.

  I can't remember what it was right now.

  Why don't they do that here?

  Also how does Jesus come back to us in 1914 if he was with us always?

  I guess I should re-read the first sentence I typed. lol
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  Borgia

  you say:

  If Jesus' command at Matt. 28:19-20 is a non-delegable duty personally directed to each individual Christian

  What makes you think this command is given to each nindividual Chrsitian? As far as the WTS is concerned: it is a command directed at the Chrsitian congregation. Hence the delegation of this matter to a few people.

  But I agree, that same princple could therefore apply to publishing as well...........but as you know.....they choose to follow the individual line here because as an individual you have" "choosen" to be recognized as a JW interrelated with Gods spirit directed organisation. So, you receive a ordination by this org to be a publisher. Your individual duty is to the organisation not to this command in particular.

  Cheers

  Borgia
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  stapler99

  The preaching activity of Jehovah's Witnesses never seemed to me to be very similar to that of the first-century Christian church. The first century Christians were more extravagant, preaching in public saying what they really meant. Not going from door to door at the weekends flogging literature, and it didn't take months and months for someone to get baptised, but many were baptised soon after hearing the Christian doctrine, without any need for a central organization to allow the baptism.

  There's another part of that scripture they ignore, too. They don't preach in "all the nations". It would be dangerous to preach in nations where Jehovah's Witnesses were banned. The fact that they can't and don't is a sign that there is no divine support to their work.
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  WTWizard

  Because the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger is too worried about following the Old Testament. They are too busy trying to figure out how to build Genesis chapter 5 into a Big Boasting Session, or a whole series of washtowels without having Blondie rip them to shreds.