The change in the Memorial

by Doug Mason 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Doug Mason

  Up until 1954, the Watch Tower Society said that the symbolism of the Memorial Loaf included the “little flock” and that the wine represented their sharing in Jesus’ death. (One example: “The loaf pictures not Jesus’ fleshly body but his body members, the Christian congregation.” The Watchtower, March 15, 1954, page 174)

  I am not aware of a relevant statement in any 1955 Watchtower.

  In the following year, The Watchtower announced a complete reversal: “The one unleavened loaf does not symbolize this ‘one body’ under Jesus. That loaf symbolizes the human body that Jesus sacrificed.” (The Watchtower, January 15, 1956, page 56). That particular article makes a several similar statements.

  For some reason, the Watch Tower Society recently felt it necessary to acknowledge they had made this change: “At one time, God’s servants felt that … the bread meant “the body of the Christ,” the congregation of anointed ones. In time, however, it was appreciated that both reason and Scripture indicate that the bread represents Jesus’ human body. … Thus, at the Lord’s Evening Meal, the bread represents that physical body in which Jesus ‘bore our sins’.” (The Watchtower, December 15, 2013, page 25)

  Doug
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  prologos

  Do not Catholics call the whole act Communion? Partaking in any way (privately) makes sense to me now only as a declaration of solidarity with those embracing "Christian" tm teachings.

  The co-rulers with Christ are supposed to be fellow martyrs ( die a sacrificlal death), but eating the bread symbolic of your own flesh? one anti type to far.
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  jwleaks

  Great find Doug,and great timing. Here I am having a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon while waiting for my bread to rise so I can put it in the oven. Of course I have used yeast in my bread mix. As we know yeast bread is the antitype of unleavened bread. I guess that makes me the antiypye of a Jehovah's Witness.
  
  
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  Atlantis

  Scans:

  
  1954 Watchtower, March 15, p. 174

  http://postimg.org/image/qekkzmjsh/

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  1956 Watchtower, January 1, p.56

  http://postimg.org/image/xhh5l1bwt/

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  Atlantis!
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  iconoclastic

  Thank you

  Doug Mason

  I was looking for something like this--changing the same thing repeatedly!
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  Splash

  Didn't they flip back to 'Christs congregation' after that 1956 wt, then flop back to 'Christ's literal body' again?

  FLIP *** w57 4/1 p. 199 “The Lord’s Evening Meal” ***
  "It therefore follows that only those who belong to spiritual Israel, or Christ’s body, may properly partake. “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of the Christ? The loaf which we break, is it not a sharing in the body of the Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, although many, are one body, for we are all partaking of that one loaf.' ”—1 Cor. 10:16, 17"

  FLOP *** w59 7/1 p. 408 Part 17—“Your Will Be Done on Earth” ***
  He broke a loaf of unleavened bread and offered it to them to eat, saying that it represented his perfect human body that was to be sacrificed in behalf of human sinners.

  
  

  I like the thought that for 36 years (1919 - 1957) the F&DS didn't understand why they were partaking of the loaf, or even better, that for 77 years (since the first mention of the loaf being the congregation in 1880 - 1957) the anointed didn't properly grasp the meaning of such a special institution.
  

  w13 12/15 p. 25 par. 10 'Do This in Remembrance of Me'

  At one time, God’s servants felt that... the bread meant "the body of the Christ," the congregation of anointed ones. In time, however, it was appreciated that both reason and Scripture indicate that the bread represents Jesus’ human body.

  If "reason and scripture indicate" this, was the wrong teaching, held for 77 years, unreasonable and unscriptural? If so, was it wise or discreet to teach it?
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  CloseTheDoor

  It was in the early 50's that the Org. taught the bread symbolized the "unity of the body of Christ" -- and in other words, "the Christ", the anointed believers.
  
  "the loaf of bread symbolized the unity of the body of Christ." -- w51 1/15 p. 57 par. 2 Partaking in a Worthy Manner
  
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  cognitivedizzy

  Another one of their flip flops..Somebody save me from this nonsense of a religion
  
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  Terry

  The questions never asked and never answered:

  "How is it possible to channel information which is dead wrong and why does the passage of time make the changes possible?"

  "Why would the Governing Body authorize publishing and teaching doctrine, interpretation, and 'truth' which is eventually seen to be nonsense?"

  Where is there truth in anything needing revision to its own opposite?

  This has never been addressed. Nobody asks.

  What is celebrated is the point of change (called New Light) which--when seen another way--is the moment the error is revealed.

  "Hooray--we screwed up, but this time we got it right."

  Oh, really? How do you know inasmuch as you thought you knew before, but were wrong?
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  Splash

  CloseTheDoor It was in the early 50's that the Org. taught the bread symbolized the "unity of the body of Christ" -- and in other words, "the Christ", the anointed believers.

  It goes back further than the 1950's!

  w1880 April (No. 10) p.8
  if we are Christ's, we are part of the same loaf; to be broken as He was; to die, as He did to the flesh - crucifying the flesh. "The loaf, which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"