Broad and Spacious Road to Destruction, or Narrow Gate to Life??

by stuckinarut2 19 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  stuckinarut2

  So we all know of the parable / illustration at Matt 7:13

  "go in through the narrow gate, because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones finding it, or going in through it"

  Here is a brain snapping thought that hit me!:

  The broad / spacious road is in fact the WT society (well, they love boasting about their rapidly increasing numbers dont they!?)

  The narrow gate to life is those not willing to just be drawn along with the crowd of WT followers!

  Ponder that......
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  Magnum

  I actually have been thinking something very similar; I just did not think of applying that scriptural passage to it, but it makes sense. JWs are taking the broad way, the easy way. Ironically they think they'er taking the hard route, the narrow way. But they're just going with the JW flow, never bucking the system because they're blind and/or ignorant and/or spineless.

  If they can't see TTATT at least to some degree, then they're unreasonble or they lack the ability to reason. JWs are self-righteous and to a degree, even idolatrous. They idolize, for example, GB members, certain Bethelites, power elders, even Bethel itself.

  If I were God, I'd want people like us to be my servants, people who have the ability to use reason and logic and can recognize truth.

  The last few months it's as though scales have been falling off my eyes. A lot of the Bible passages that I for years applied to others now seem to apply to JWs. I was actually going to start a thread on it when I collected all my notes. One of the verses is Mt 7:21-23.

  21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness.

  I can imagine JWs saying "but Lord, didn't we go to all the meetings and highlight some words in our Watchtowers and pioneer and donate money and clean the hall and bow to the GB.......?" And then he says to them "get away from you blind, ignorant idolaters. And they will be shocked. I'd love to see it.
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  twice shy

  Very valid point made.

  I feel the same way at times. I really and truly believed until I noticed trying to please the elders and the society often contradicted the bible.

  I found myself often sounding like a broken record "thats not Jehovah GOD, that's man."

  smh in disappointment
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  TheWonderofYou

  I wasnt better than those. and on the narrow way to the gate , am I really having a relation to god ? am i praying yet? what is my treasure for what i live , for what things my time invested
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  Shanagirl

  I think WT is just another religious snare and a racket and those who follow the organized religious koolaid, are on that broad and spacious road whereas those who choose not to follow human doctrine are those on the narrow road. That's my take on it. Christ taught simple lessons of kindness and never wanted to be worshipped. Just how to serve one another is all he taught. When we take our last breath the one who will judge us will be ourselves, not a religion, or a god.

  Shana
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  WTWizard

  The broad and spacious road is political correctness. You agree with a belief because someone from a supposed authority says it is the politically correct one, you are on that road. And I don't care whether it is the ADL or some religious leader. You refuse to question things because someone supposedly above you says you are to believe it, you are on that super-highway to damnation. And it's damnation for both yourself (because your soul is being programmed into slavery) and humanity (by supporting political correctness at any level simply because it is politically correct, you are assisting the Establishment, ADL or religion, to enslave the whole human race).

  The narrow and cramped road is questioning things. Many of us did that once by questioning religion--otherwise, we would still be knocking on doors. Some of us questioned religion twice--once to get into the washtowel cancer, and once to leave. But, do we stop there and abruptly revert back to relying on political correctness organizations? Do that, and you are right back on the broad and spacious road leading to damnation. Whether you become Christian or simply adhere to political correctness movements, you are going right back into the pattern of not questioning things. Which, once Saturn enters Sagittarius, is a risk factor in being lured right back into the washtowel.

  And no, this does not mean automatically rejecting every viewpoint. It simply means questioning and doing your own research. Instead of merely accepting that fluoride is bad because "the authority" says it is good, you do your own research including possibly experimenting on yourself (with fluoride removal filters). Cross-check what is going on within the banks instead of just taking my word to buy silver and gold. Look at what is going on within the EPA instead of just taking my word that an energy crisis is developing. Check the truth by researching "Christianity a lie" on your own search engine instead of just taking my word that Jesus is and was false. Examine what has happened to physics since the 1950s and what has happened to stifle technology and medical developments instead of just taking someone's word that it is being hampered--and take the time to see for yourself the source of this. Doing this, you will be on that "narrow and cramped" road--which requires you to do your own thinking instead of letting the ADL, government, Rockefellers, or washtowel do it for you.
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  BackseatDevil

  I found the candor of just the two choices in harmony with the simple-minded aspect that there is only the christian god and satan are our options in the word, and nothing else. This concept isn't shared in religions that recognize multiple deities or religions that recognize various paths to salvation. This "with us or against us" ultimatum isn't exclusive to christianity, it's just where the most polarizing concept meets the highest levels of eternal salvation and, as a result, becomes most absurd.

  When faced with such a blunt decision I can't help but go with Jerry Seinfeld on this one and think "Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason."
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  The Searcher

  I think it's common knowledge to many that there are other religions which are increasing far faster than JW's. A sister was stunned yesterday when I informed her that there are millions more Mormons than JW's on planet earth!

  So there are "other roads" apparently more spacious!
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  Faithful Witness

  It was recently explained to me, by a friend who actually tends sheep (a modern day shepherd), that sheep actually recognize their shepherd's voice. They will not come to a stranger, even one who tries to imitate their shepherd.

  I found this very interesting, in light of what Jesus said about His sheep... and the gate that His sheep would go through: Jesus is the gate!

  John 10:1-10 - Jesus is the gate

  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

  7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

  Jesus identified himself as the gate ("door," depending which translation you read).

  Take the original verse (Matthew 7:13) that was quoted, in context. If you read the entire chapter, and continue the train of thought that Jesus was on, when he spoke of the narrow gate in Matthew, you read:

  Matt 7:1

  Judge not, that ye be not judged.

  Matt 7:7

  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

  Matt 7:12 (golden rule)

  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

  Matt 7:13

  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

  Matt 7:15-16

  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

  Matt 7:24-27 (**Is the Watchtower built on a rock, or does it shift on the sand?**)

  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

  Matt 7:28 - Jesus establishes His authority

  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

  Jesus is the gate. Jesus is the only way.

  Watchtower has inserted itself as a sort of body guard, as if they can judge who can enter the gate... or have they set themselves up as the gate?

  I'm still confused about current JW doctrine. Does the Governing Body claim to speak for Jehovah, or do they claim to speak for Christ?
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  Seraphim23

  Up until the 2013 revision of the NWT of the bible, there was no wide gate in their translation, just the broad road that’s leads to destruction without its wide gate. The narrow road still had its gate, which the WT thinks of as itself. The WTs position seemed to have been that everyone by default is on the wide road that leads to destruction, unless they switch roads by going in through the WT gate. By omitting one of the gates in their old translation, (unlike other translations do) it automatically gave credence to the idea that all are doomed unless action is taken. However the fact that both roads have gates on them gives the default position as not destruction or life, but instead undecided or undetermined.

  For some reason, their new 2013 revision has put the wide gate back into its correct place, so now both roads have their gates. One would like to think that this might be due to a softening of attitudes by the WT to groups who have not yet got a track record of good or bad i.e. not entered a gate yet. Such groups are the ignorant, children, deceived and so on. However I doubt this is the case as cults can never allow for Gods mercy on the undecided and the ignorant. They talk the talk but never walk the walk in this regard. So who knows what the real motive was for cutting one of the gates out, or the putting back in of it.