Questions on Gilead and the revised NWT

by L3G 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  L3G

  First, thanks to zound for posting the link re: the 135th Gilead graduation. Watching it got me thinking…

  Some years back (2007-2009?) Lawrence Bowen and Wallace Liverance (and perhaps Mark Noumair) were suddenly dismissed as Gilead instructors, evidently for calling into question the "NWT and some doctrines," according to Bethelite Elder. Plenty of threads were started at this forum as a result. Some reported that they were told that they were lucky the hadn't been DFed for disagreeing with the borg. A few examples:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/177237/1/Two-Gilead-Instructors-let-go#.UmPDDb_FHL8

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/163248/2/conference-call-Saturday-August-2-RUMBLINGS-AT-GILEAD#.UmPIkr_FHL8

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/scandals/187743/1/Mark-Noumair-oh-yeah#.UmPKvr_FHL8

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/228410/1/The-WTS-Brain-Drain#.UmPLlr_FHL8

  (see especially Jesuit Scholar's comment in this last link)

  The recent revision and release of the NWT makes me wonder about a pattern seen before in borg history. That is, there is someone (or group) who sees something in need of change within the WTS and either brings this out or, far more dangerously, tries to do something about it. The organizational powers come down hard on this person or persons, punish him or them, and only then does the borg set about doing something to fix the problem. A good example of this is the homegrown hospital committees that Jim Penton reported that started in Canada years ago, to help publishers deal with doctors and hospitals who put pressure on Witnesses about taking blood transfusions, find doctors willing to treat Witnesses while respecting their stand on blood, etc. The GB back then put those committees out of business, but then shortly afterward began such officially sanctioned ones in several countries, basically doing the same thing the Canadian R&F ones had been doing.

  This has led to two questions that I'd like to throw out for discussion.

  1. So is the recent revision of the NWT at least partly the result of these guys' (and others') criticisms? It would sure fit the historical pattern.

  2. I'm curious about the current Gilead program, its instructors, and how it's structured. According to the video of the most recent class's graduation, the instructors are now Sam Robertson, William Samuelson, and Michael Burnett. Who are these men? What are they like? Surely some members here must know some things about them. Finally, does the current Gilead school fall under the supervision of Anthony Morris? He seems to be the main character in the vid so I'm assuming it's mainly his baby.

  Anyone's help here will be appreciated.
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  stillin

  For what it's worth, I have worked out in the field service with Bro Samuelson. I took a day off from work and told him that he looked like he needed the encouragement. He could have gotten uppity about my brand of humor but, very seriously, he said that I didn't know how true that was.

  I discussed some of the criticism that I had gotten from the local BOE (I was an MS) regarding my methods when I gave Public talks. He was supportive and said that he does some of the same things.

  Overall, I thought he was a good guy, for a Company man.
• 

  Heartofaboy

  marked
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  dropoffyourkeylee

  Interesting subject.

  Since the Gilead School has been changed (ie no longer trains missionaries) maybe it is not a surprise that some of the instructors were reassigned And we are reading too much into it.

  Concerning the new NWT, so far I haven't seen any evidence of Greek or Hebrew scholarship. I could duplicate everything they have done with standard reference books like Strong's and a Lexicon, coupled with a dozen or so other recent translations like the NASB.
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  L3G

  DOYKL,

  Agreed, we should not expect much in the way of scholarship in the revised NWT since JWs are not scholars. However, some members here (the seacher and bobcat) have found at least one instance of it in a passage from Ephesians:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/265247/1/REVISED-NWT-IS-TRUTHFUL#.UmPwD7_FExc

  As to the changing character of Gilead, that happened in 2011, several years after they kicked out the old instructors. In the interim it carried on like it had for decades.