Comments You Will Not Hear at the 12-19-10 WT Study (OCTOBER 15, 2010, pages 16-20)(HONOR FELLOW BELIEVERS)
Review comments will be headed by COMMENTS
WT material from today's WT will be in black
Quotes from other sources will headed by QUOTES
w = Watchtower
g = Awake
jv = Proclaimers book
EXCELLENT GENERAL WEBSITE : www.jwfacts.com
Bible translations www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible
WT publications www.strictlygenteel.co.uk
WT child abuse www.silentlambs.org
Blood issue www.ajwrb.org
United Nations http://www.randytv.com/secret/unitednations.htm
Also posted on
http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com
http://www.jwsupportforum.com/index.php
http://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/
D O Y OU T AKE THE L EAD IN
H ONORING F ELLOW B ELIEVERS ?
“In brotherly love have tender affection for one another.
In showing honor to one another take the lead.” —ROM. 12:10.
OPENING COMMENTS
Have you had an elder or other jw yell at you during your active days?
Did you hear elders yell at each other?
Is gossip “honoring”?
START OF ARTICLE
1, 2. (a) What admonition does Paul give in his
letter to the Romans? (b) What questions will we
consider?
IN HIS letter to the Romans, the apostle
Paul emphasizes the importance for us as
Christians to show love within the congregation.
He reminds us that our love should
be “without hypocrisy.” He also mentions
“brotherly love” and notes that such love
should be shown with “tender affection.”
—Rom.12:9, 10a.
COMMENTS
“us as Christians”—per jws only they are Christians, others are merely “professed” or “so-called” Christians
Think about who if any showed love, was it unconditional or did it have many strings attached?
*** w04 4/15 p. 17 par. 1 Pursuing Kindness in a Hostile World ***True, kindness is identified in the Bible as part of “the fruitage of the spirit,” but why is it so difficult to express kindness even in so-called Christian lands?
2 Of course, having brotherly love involves
more than merely having warm feelings toward
others. Such feelings need to be demonstrated
by actions. After all, no one will
know of our love and affection unless we give
out samples, so to speak. Hence, Paul adds
the admonition: “In showing honor to one
another take the lead.” (Rom. 12:10b) What
is involved in showing honor? Why is it important
to take the lead in showing honor to
fellow believers? How can we do so?
COMMENTS
More than warm feelings…demonstrated by actions: so what does the WTS suggest are “loving” actions?
Give out samples????!!!
Fellow believers—only jws
Respect and Honor
3. What meaning does the word “honor” carry in
the original Bible languages?
3 The principal Hebrew word for “honor”
Literally means “heaviness.” A person who is
honored is regarded as being weighty or as
amounting to something. The same Hebrew
word is also often translated in the Scriptures
as “glory,” which further indicates the
high regard shown to the one being honored.
(Gen. 45:13) The Greek word translated
“honor” in the Bible conveys the sense of
esteem, value, preciousness. (Luke 14:10)
Yes, those we honor are precious, valuable
to us.
COMMENTS
What is the principal Hebrew word for honor…why does the WTS leave it out…are the days of Fred Franz over? So what is the scholarly basis for translating it honor, or glory? What is the Greek word? Scholarly basis?
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/kabad.html
4, 5. How are showing honor and having respect
related? Illustrate.
4 What is involved in honoring others? It
starts with respect. In fact, the words “honor”
and “respect” are often used together because
they are closely related. Honor is the
manifestation, or outward demonstration,
of respect. In other words, respect refers primarily
to how we view our brother while
honor refers to how we treat our brother.
COMMENTS
Honor = respect…I know an elder that feels that women and the word respect should not be in the same sentence unless it is saying women should respect men.
Outward demonstration—so how do men in the WTS honor or respect women?
View our brother…treat our brother: what happened to women in this equation?
5 How can a Christian show genuine honor
to fellow believers if he does not have
heartfelt respect for them? (3 John 9,10) Just
as a plant can flourish and last only if it is
rooted in good soil, so honor can be genuine
and lasting only if it is rooted in heartfelt respect.
Since insincere honor does not grow
out of genuine respect, it will wither sooner
or later. No wonder, therefore, that Paul preceded
his admonition to show honor with
the clear-cut statement: “Let your love be
without hypocrisy.”—Rom. 12:9; read 1 Peter
1:22.
COMMENTS
A Christian—only jws
Fellow believers—only jws
He?????
Insincere honor…whenever a brother or his wife are around influential elders, COs, DOs, etc.
Hypocrisy---sucking up
Honor Those Created
“in the Likeness of God”
6, 7. Why do we need to have respect for others?
6 Since having heartfelt respect is a key to
showing honor, we should never lose sight
of the Scriptural reasons we have for respecting
all our brothers. Let us, therefore, consider
two of those reasons.
COMMENTS
Scriptural reasons—yes, love ordered by law
All our brothers—no sisters?!
7 Unlike other creatures on earth, humans
were created “in the likeness of God.” (Jas.
3:9) Hence, we possess such godly attributes
as love, wisdom, and justice. Note what else
we have received from our Creator. The
psalmist states: “O Jehovah . . . , you whose
dignity is recounted above the heavens! . . .
You also proceeded to make [man] a little
less than godlike ones, and with glory and
splendor [“honour,” King James Version] you
then crowned him.” (Ps. 8:1, 4, 5; 104:1)*
Humans in general are crowned, or adorned,
by God with a measure of dignity, glory, and
honor. Thus, when we dignify another person,
we are, in effect, acknowledging the
Source of human dignity, Jehovah. Now,
if we have valid reasons for showing respect
to people in general, how much more
ought we to have respect for fellow believers!—
John 3:16; Gal. 6:10.
*David’s expressions in the 8th Psalm are also prophetic,
pointing to the perfect man Jesus Christ.—Heb.
2:6-9.
COMMENTS
Does the WTS really feel women are created in God’s image or is it qualified?
So sisters are crowned…only if anointed and not until they die.
Fellow believers—only jws
*** g80 4/8 p. 5 People—How They Began ***In a particular respect man was in God’s image where woman was not—in headship. (1 Cor. 11:3, 7)
Members of One Family
8, 9. What reason for having respect for fellow believers
does Paul mention?
8 Another reason why we respect one another
is mentioned by Paul. Just before he
gives the admonition to show honor, he
states: “In brotherly love have tender affection
for one another.” The Greek expression
translated “tender affection” refers to the
strong bond that unites a loving and mutually
supportive family. Thus, by using
that expression, Paul emphasizes that relationships
in the congregation should be as
strong and as warm as in a close-knit family.
(Rom. 12:5) Moreover, keep in mind that
Paul wrote those words to anointed Christians,
all of whom had been adopted as children
by the same Father, Jehovah. So in a
very significant sense, they were a close family.
Hence, anointed Christians in Paul’s day
truly had a powerful reason for respecting
one another. The same holds true for
anointed ones today.
COMMENTS
So how are jws tender to each…shun if “bad association” missing meetings due to illness, taking care of older parents….
Close like a family---a family where the WTS endorses spanking.
Did you realize that the WTS teaches that only the anointed are children of God…the rest will not be until the end of the 1,000 year reign…just friends….God is not our Father, Jesus is not our brother.
9 What about those who are of the “other
sheep”? (John 10:16) Although they have
not yet been adopted as God’s children, they
can appropriately call one another brother
and sister because they form one united
worldwide Christian family. (1 Pet. 2:17; 5:9)
Thus, if those of the other sheep fully appreciate
what they are saying when using the
terms “brother” or “sister,” then they too
have a powerful reason for having heartfelt
respect for their fellow believers.—Read 1 Peter
3:8.
COMMENTS
Other sheep…not yet adopted (did not mention when)
Call brother and sister…if inactive, or miss 1 meeting a week, how many?
Can’t remember the first or last name of people at the KH
Why So Important?
10, 11. Why is having respect and showing honor
so important?
10 Why is having respect and showing
honor so important? For this reason: By
showing honor to our brothers and sisters,
we greatly contribute to the well-being and
unity of the entire congregation.
COMMENTS
Honor sisters? How? Show respect? How?
11 Of course, we realize that having a close
relationship with Jehovah and receiving the
support of his spirit are the most powerful
sources of strength that we have as true
Christians. (Ps. 36:7; John 14:26) At the same
time, when fellow believers show that they
appreciate us, we are encouraged. (Prov. 25:
11) We feel uplifted by a sincere expression
of appreciation and respect. It gives us added
strength to continue walking with joy and
determination on the road to life. You have
no doubt experienced such feelings yourself.
COMMENTS
Where is the close relationship with Jesus?
We…true Christians—remember the rest are “professed” or “so-called”
Show that we appreciate us…I could go three weeks before an elder would say hi and it would be on the fly, “Hi, how are you?” as they keep walking to talk to someone else more important. How many times did others interrupt your conversations with others?
12. How can each of us contribute to a warm, loving
atmosphere in the congregation?
12 Now, since Jehovah knows our inborn
need for receiving respect, through his
Word he properly urges us to “be eager to
show respect for one another.”
(Rom. 12:10, Today’s English
Version; read Matthew 7:12.)
All Christians who take
that timeless counsel to
heart contribute to an atmosphere
of warmth and love
within the Christian brotherhood.
Hence, we do well
to pause and ask ourselves,
‘When was the last time that I
expressed through words and
actions my heartfelt respect
for a brother or sister in the
congregation?’—Rom.13:8.
COMMENTS
Need for receiving respect…God may know but not people at the KH
All Christians—only jws
When was the last time ….Matthew 5:45-47 only people you like, Gentiles do the same
A Specific
Assignment for All
13. (a) Who should take the lead in showing honor?
(b) What do Paul’s words found at Romans 1:7
indicate?
13 Who should take the
lead in showing honor? In
his letter to the Hebrews, Paul
describes Christian elders as
“those who are taking the
lead among you.” (Heb. 13:17) True, elders
take the lead in numerous activities. Still, as
shepherds of the flock, they surely need to
take the lead in honoring fellow believers—
including fellow elders. For instance,
when elders meet to consider the spiritual
needs of the congregation, they honor one
another by carefully listening to the comments
made by any of their fellow elders.
Further, they show honor by taking into
consideration the views and expressions of
all the elders when making a decision. (Acts
15:6-15) We should remember, though, that
Paul’s letter to the Romans was directed not
only to the elders but to the entire congregation.
(Rom. 1:7) Thus, by extension, the admonition
to take the lead in showing honor
applies to all of us today.
COMMENTS
Who SHOULD take the lead in showing honor? (but not called leaders)
Honoring…including fellow elders: quite a few yellers among that group
CAREFULLY listen to fellow elders; take into consideration views of ALL the elders
(my way or the highway said one PO to the elders)
14. (a) Illustrate the difference between showing
honor and taking the lead in showing honor.
(b)What question might we ask ourselves?
14 Note also this aspect of Paul’s counsel.
He urged his fellow believers in Rome not
merely to show honor but to take the lead in
showing honor. Why does that make a difference?
Think of this example. Would a
teacher urge a group of literate students to
learn to read? No. They already know how to
read. Instead, the teacher would want to
help the students to read better. Similarly,
having love for one another, which moves
us to show honor, is already the identifying
mark of true Christians. (John 13:35) However,
just as literate students can make further
progress by improving their reading
skills, so we can make further progress by
taking the lead in showing honor. (1 Thess.
4:9, 10) That specific assignment is given to
each one of us. We might ask ourselves, ‘Am
I doing that—taking the initiative in honoring
others in the congregation?’
Picture: How can we show honor to fellow believers?
COMMENTS
Teacher show how to read better…assumption is that those in the congregation are already showing honor?
AM I DOING THAT—TAKING THE INITIATIVE….what if the elders are not “taking the lead” or worse yet are not showing any honor to others?
Honor “the Lowly Ones”
15, 16. (a) When showing honor, whom should
we not overlook, and why? (b) What may reveal that
we have heartfelt respect for all our brothers and sisters?
15 When showing honor, whom in the
congregation should we not overlook?
God’s Word states: “He that is showing favor
to the lowly one is lending to Jehovah,
and his treatment He will repay to
him.” (Prov. 19:17) How should the principle
found in those words affect us as we endeavor
to take the lead in showing honor?
COMMENTS
So who are the “lowly ones” in the congregation? Who are the “superior ones”?
16 You will agree that most people manage
to show honor to their superiors, but these
same people may treat those whom they
consider to be their inferiors with little or no
respect. However, Jehovah is not like that.
He states: “Those honoring me I shall honor.”
(1 Sam. 2:30; Ps.113:5-7) Jehovah shows
honor to all those who serve and honor him.
He does not ignore “the lowly ones.” (Read
Isaiah 57:15; 2 Chron. 16:9) Of course, we
wish to imitate Jehovah. Thus, if we want to
measure how we fare in showing genuine
honor, we do well to ask ourselves, ‘How do I
treat those who have no prominent, or responsible,
position in the congregation?’
(John 13:14, 15) The answer to that question
reveals much about the degree of heartfelt
respect we have for others.—Read Philippians
2:3, 4.
COMMENTS
Most people manage to show honor to their superiors---who would that be
Those whom they consider their inferiors---LOWLY ONES?!
LOWLY—no prominent or responsible position in the congregation
Pharisee praying………………….I’m not like this sinner over here
Showing Honor
by Giving of Our Time
17. What is a major way in which we can take the
lead in showing honor, and why is that so?
17 What is a major way in which we can
take the lead in showing honor to all in the
congregation? By giving others of our time.
Why is that so? As Christians, we live busy
lives, and carrying out our numerous important
congregation activities takes much of
our time. Not surprisingly, therefore, we
view time as precious. We realize, too, that
we should not demand that our brothers
and sisters give us inordinate amounts of
their time. Likewise, we appreciate it when
others in the congregation understand that
they should not be demanding when it
comes to asking us for our time.
COMMENTS
So did the elders have time for you? Did the righteously superior have time for you? Did they have time for children and older people?
So are the “weak” or lowly demanding inordinate time?
Rather who is demanding of their time, time slips, meeting attendance, etc.?
18. As shown by the picture on page 18, how might
we indicate our willingness to give some time to fellow
believers?
18 Nonetheless, we also recognize (especially
those of us who serve as shepherds in
the congregation) that our willingness to interrupt
our activities in order to give some
time to fellow believers demonstrates that
we have respect for them. In what way? By
dropping our activities to give some time to
our brothers, we say to them, in effect, ‘You
are so valuable in my eyes that it is more important
to me to spend some time with you
than to continue what I am doing.’ (Mark 6:
30-34) The opposite is also true. If we are reluctant
to stop our activities so as to give
some time to our brother, we may make him
feel that he is of little value to us. Of course,
it is understood that there are times when an
urgent matter cannot be interrupted. Still,
our willingness—or our reluctance—to give
some of our time to others does reveal much
about the depth of respect we have in our
heart for our brothers and sisters.—1 Cor.
10:24.
COMMENTS
Aren’t the elders first and foremost shepherds to be caring for the sheep…not making schedules, meetings, paperwork, building KHs, etc.?
Reluctant to stop our activities…what could be more important than caring for the sheep?
Do you later complain to your friends about those who need you?
Be Determined to Take the Lead
19. In what way, other than giving of our time, can
we show honor to fellow believers?
19 There are other important ways in
which we can show honor to fellow believers.
For instance, when giving them of our
time, we should also give them our attention.
Again, Jehovah sets the example. The
psalmist David states: “The eyes of Jehovah
are toward the righteous ones, and his ears
are toward their cry for help.” (Ps. 34:15)We
strive to imitate Jehovah by turning our
eyes and ears—our full attention—toward
our brothers, especially those who approach
us for help. By doing so, we show them
honor.
COMMENTS
Attention…have you ever had another elder come up and interrupt a serious conversation you had with another elder? Or had a sister interrupt your conversation with someone else? Did you feel honored?
20. What reminders about showing honor do we
want to keep in mind?
20 As we have considered, we want to keep
clearly in mind why we should have heartfelt
respect for fellow believers. Further, we
look for opportunities to be the first in expressing
honor to all, including lowly ones.
By taking these steps, we will strengthen the
bond of brotherly love and unity in the congregation.
Therefore, let all of us continue
not only to show honor but especially to take
the lead in showing honor to one another.
Are you determined to do just that?
COMMENTS
Should SHOW heartfelt respect…LOOK for opportunities to be the first.
Do You Recall?
? How are honor and respect related?
? What reasons do we have for honoring
our fellow believers?
? Why is it important to show honor
to one another?
? In what ways can we show honor
to fellow believers?
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
I had 2 sisters who always interrupted me when I was talking to a person new to the KH. They would turn their backs on me and take the conversation off to a different direction and walk away with the person. I tested it out eventually to see if I was imagining it, but no. Another “rejected” sister came over and said that they were protecting them from me, a spiritual defect (a pioneer and an elder’s wife BTW).
Once I finally was able to talk to the PO about something that was bothering me and a brother just cut me off after the 3 rd word. I waited to see what the PO would do. As I watched the PO walk away, I was disappointed. I had known him since before he was a jw and he seemed to have some real caring. I got my coat and walked out to my car after about 15 minutes had passed and here he came running.
“I’m sorry, Blondie. Brother So-and-so said it was important.”
“More important that me?” He knew this was not just a social hi.
“I can talk now” he said as I saw his wife approaching complaining that they had to go to lunch.
“I’m sure you don’t think it important enough to interrupt lunch.” I said and got in my car.
Next week, DO YOU SHARE IN MAKING CHRISTIAN MEETINGS UPBUILDING?
Love, Blondie
