New GB Member - Mark Sanderson (page 15)

breakfast of champions

I think this move to bring a 47 year old into the GB will simply cause an explosion of partakers at the memorial in 2013.

light gets brighter and, Jehovah's spirit appoints this new GB member to implement change in blood policy ???

Perhaps they are preparing to get rid of the literal 144k and radically change the blood policy all in one fell swoop.

cedars

bats in the belfry

Why on God's green earth would they need an addition to the current 7 GB members?

The answer is simple - continuity of legacy. In order to survive for decades to come, the Governing Body needs to appoint a new member every few years to replace those who have died off (or who will die off shortly).

For example, prior to Sanderson the last appointments to the Governing Body came 7 years ago in 2005 when Geoffrey Jackson and Anthony Morris were appointed. Since then, two members have died - namely John Barr and Theodore Jaracz. The Governing Body needs to replenish itself regularly in order to ensure longevity. Ideally, it needs to do this BEFORE members of the old guard die off, so that new recruits can be schooled properly by the veterans in how to run things before their mentors die and they are left to their own devices.

Cedars

bats in the belfry

cedars >> ... big "Sigh" .

Evidently, "once a theory has been sloganized ("the Governing Body") into community thinking, it no longer requires proof, and any who dissent are scorned. If such dissenters present rational refutation of the slogan’s validity, they are especially irritating and subjected to the only available response, namely, ridicule." Awake! 1990, 1/22, p. 10

Room 215

So, now every single one of the GB is a latecomer to the nibble and tipple crowd... the post-1935ers, a category of partakers the WT once suggested might have acted impulsively due to emotionalism or mental instability.... Knorr and Freddie must be spinning in their graves...

leaving_quietly

w06 2/16 pp 26-30 has an article entitled "Walking in the Path of Increasing Light". Par 11 states:

The year 1992 saw still another refinement, one that is comparable to what happened after the Israelites and others returned from exile in Babylon. Back at that time, there were not a sufficient number of Levites to care for temple service. So non-Israelite Nethinim were given more to do in helping the Levites. Accordingly, to assist the faithful and discreet slave class in caring for its increasing earthly interests, in 1992 some of the “other sheep” received added service responsibilities. They were appointed as helpers to the Governing Body committees.—John 10:16.

Notice the scripture used? They only ever use this scripture to refer to the "other sheep", not the anointed FDS. The 1992 article talks about the "Given Ones", the Nethinim used to assist the Levites. Notice this quote (w92 4/15 12-17 par 17): "Of course, the Nethinim did not become the equals of the priests and the Levites. The latter groups were Israelites, who were chosen by Jehovah himself and not to be supplanted by non-Israelites."

So, the "helpers to the Governing Body committees" are "appointed" (meaning assigned). They are non-Israelites (or in JW lingo, non-spiritual Israelites, thus not anointed). They were not equal to the Levites, and thus are not equal to the anointed (er, Governing Body).

Does anyone else see a massive problem here with the JWs own published theology? I think David Splane also came from this group, but don't recall offhand.

Incidentally, the secular source for the Nethinim, the Dictionary of the Bible,that they quote from in the 1992 article further says that in later times, the Nethinim and the Levites were eventually were equals, something the 1992 article denies, as stated above. From the Dictionary of the Bible: "It is not known at what date the practice arose in Israel; but there seem to have been three stages in the history of Temple servants: (1) They were slaves in the strict sense; (2) they were admitted to IsraeUte privileges, being circumcised, and treated as free men holding an official position of the Church; (3) they rose in standing and prestige so as to become practically equivalent to the Levites."

blondie

Also the WTS has said there will be some of the anointed still alive on earth when the GT starts and the most visible are the GB.-------

However, as of their most recent significant comment on the topic 20 years ago the Watchtower Society seems to have backed off of their earlier cocksureness that a remnant of the anointed will survive the end of the world—now saying that the Bible does not say, one way or the other. The August 15, 1990, Watchtowersays in answer to the following Question from Readers: "Will some anointed Christians survive the great tribulation to live on earth in the new world before being taken to heaven?"

"Pointedly, the Bible does not say…Comments about the possibility that some of the anointed might survive into the new world are made with good intentions and in the light of Biblical precedents for trying to understand prophecies or patterns that could have later parallels. If it turns out that none of the anointed are left on earth, there will be no reason for dissatisfaction. We already have accepted that Biblical matters are understood better as time passes."

But even in leaving open the possibility that none of the anointed will survive Armageddon, the Watchtower is inadvertently contradicting itself. How so? Well, if the Bible "does not say," then that aspect of God's purpose is humanly unknowable by any means. Yet, the Watchtower then goes on to say: "Biblical matters are understood better as time passes." But if the Bible is silent on that crucial issue – as the Watchtower claims it is – then it is not really a "Biblical matter," is it?Presumably, the Watchtower is saying that we will just have to wait until after the dust settles to find out what the Bible doesn't say!