Some comments on paragraph extracts from the WT 15OCT2010 pages 8 & 9, will be studied this week.
Under the subheading :
The Danger of Becoming Self-Righteous
5. In writing to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul highlighted a danger we all need to avoid if we are to be successful in seeking first God’s righteousness. Speaking of his fellow Jews, Paul said: “I bear them witness that they have a zeal forGod; but not according to accurate knowledge; for, because of not knowing the righteousness of God but seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness
of God.” (Rom. 10:2, 3) According to Paul, those worshippers did not understand the righteousness of God because they were too busy trying to establish their own righteousness.
Footnote: According to one scholar, the original-language word translated “to establish” can also mean ‘to erect a monument.’ So those Jews were, in effect, erecting a figurative monument to their own praise and not God’s.
You got to admit: The governing body has guts. If you compare this paragraph with all the stuff they wrote about themselves in the Study watchtower of last month (15SEP2010), they were indeed very busy to establish their own righteousness. The WTBTS perfectly fits the description given by Paul in Romans 10. The Footnote just highlights the point made by Paul: they (the Governing Body) did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God
8. The person who becomes “righteous overmuch” sets his own standards for righteousness and judges others by them. Yet, he fails to realize that by doing so, he is elevating his standards above those of God and thereby proving himself to be unrighteous in God’s sight.
This is an interesting sentence. Who is setting the standards for Jehovah's Witnesses, and then judges others by these standards? Is it the Governing Body or is it the bible? What is the Scriptural definition of apostasy? What is the definition of the Society? Why the difference? Why is the shunning verse totally pulled of context to apply to "sins" that the GB choose to make DF offenses. What is the biblical standard for an active publisher, pioneer, Circuit overseer, district overseer, bethel elder? Where in the bible is the word 'active' or 'inactive publisher' anyway? (I could go on and on...) Setting their own standards: the GB knows what they are talking about - 1st hand experience and leaders in the field. The judging bit, most of us have had the 'joy' of being judged in one way or another. Conclusion: The Governing Body is elevating their standards above those of God and thereby proving himself to be unrighteous in God’s sight.
It is themselves who wrote it in the WT