Identifying the Faithful Slave as the Christ!
The best way to identify the Faithful Slave is to examine very carefully what is stated at Matthew 24:45. To try to use the New World Translation to do that would be a mistake, Because in all sincerity I believe that Translation is carefully worded to keep members of the rank and file off track, because reading their rendering does not stimulate the thinking processes; while every other Bible Translation does. It is my belief that is done purposely to hide the real truth of the matter. At the end of this article I will insert their wording to show you what I mean. You will easily see what I'm driving at when you read it for yourself.
Now to cite Matthew 24:45 --
45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?" {Matthew 24:45 NIV}
First! I want you to notice, we have a wise servant! We have a Master! Then, there are other servants in the household, that the Master puts the wise servant in charge of. This wise servant gives the other servants their food at the proper time. Notice something else. The expression, "In the Household." Ask yourself, Whose Household? Let me clear that up now:
19"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household" {Ephesians 2:19 NIV}
15 "if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." {1 Timothy 3:15 NIV}
So! The Household in this instance belongs to God, not Jesus. God has put his wise servant, in charge of all the other servants in his household. So the Master has to be Jehovah. Follow? So that means this wise servant is appointed over God's house. Now all we must do us find out just who it is that is appointed over the house of God, and just who, or what, constitutes this house.
1"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." {Hebrews 3:1-6 NIV}
Do you have your eyes fixed on Jesus? He was 'what would be in the future.' 'Worthy of greater honor than Moses!' Why? Because he was, like Moses, the one appointed over God's house, all the rest of the true anointed class, were the house itself. "We are the House!" Paul said! Now you tell me just who the Faithful Slave is?
24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household! 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known." {Matthew 10:24-26 ASV} Good point to remember in this instance.
Jesus is here telling us that he is the Master or Head of God's household, appointed over God's Household, as such the Faithful Slave responsible for providing the food at the proper time to all other members, or servants in the household. This creates one awful problem. The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses tell us that they were appointed to the office of the Faithful Slave in the year 1919, at the same time tell us they are all of the anointed class as well. So, at one and the same time, they are appointed over the house and they are the house itself??? I thought Paul said: "We are the House!" In other words all the anointed class constituted the house, but none of the original anointed class were appointed over the house. They were the house, according to Paul. You got to know, their answer to this ones got to be a beaut.
Tell me honestly! By reading this next scripture from the New World Translation, would you have been influenced to do an examination the like of which we just did? Nothing said about any ``household.`` We have instead, "Over his domestics."
I checked out eighteen different Bible Translations, and all of them worded it as the NIV version does.
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."{Matthew 254:45 NWT}
Put Household, where they insert the word domestics, for me at least, the entire picture changes. You would never say to yourself, "Whose Household is in question here?" The Governing Body is under the assumption that the Master is Jesus, who does the appointing of this Fathful Slave. That viewpoint gives them license to take the position of the Faithful Slave to themselves. But view the parable as meant to be viewed, putting Jehovah in the seat of the Master,then the slave he sent has to be his Son, who, as we know, was the one who taught his Fathers word to all of the anointed class.{Revelation 22:6} {John 7:16;15:15} Then too, it has to be considered the one appointed over all things was, is, Jesus. The Son through whom Jehovah has spoken to all of us: Hebrews 1:1,2 - John 3:35;13:3 I'm much afraid the Governing Body is going to lose their self-chosen seat. Reason being, the Bible Identyfies Jesus as the Faithful Slave. Not the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, so-called.Wannabe