Luke 12:45 - Does that mean the F&D can go "bad"?

by thedepressedsoul 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  sarahsmile

  "Suppose" the "faithful servant or slave" does not preach Christ delay or gets drunk and parties. He beats his fellow servants with emotional black mail. Would the ending change. No

  You can read that chapter many ways! The master could be YHWH and Jesus could be the servant. In my view point, the conversation is to prove that only Jesus was handed such a responsibility. Through only him holy spirit is given which is food.

  Also, Jesus never answered the question. 41Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" Probably neither! Peter was just as puzzled with Jesus saying as we are today.

  Kind of hard to emotionally black mail people over an unanswered question and a parable at that!

  Many people try to make claim to that title with poor results! Unfortunately, it has harmed many for believing them.

  Anyhow there are other ways to interrupt that chapter and reading it for yourselves is better than depending on a religion. What religion would not want that power!

  Haha I like what DD said.
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  Comatose

  Evidently, the reference to a "bad slave" is figuritive here. Some bible scholars point out that the Good Slave is literal. We can be confident that the faithful slave is providing food in the proper times. Jehovah God is no doubt pleased with His slave as seen by the dynamic and unprecedented growth of Happified kingdom proclaimers worldwide. Are we not thankful for what Jehovah provides by means of His slave for his people? Our happiness no doubt moves us to contribute of our time and "worldy riches" so that this momentous preaching work can continue. Reports are heard of even young children forgoing toys to give to Jehovah and his store house. Surely we feel the same way! May our appreciation for this "good slave" move us to help advance this soon to end work as well.

  a. How do we know that the bad slave is figurative?

  b. What does your faith and love for god's faithful slave move you to do?
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  mrhhome

  Jesus absolutely warned about organized religion. On multiple occasions. In the week before his execution, he marched into Jerusalem and directly confronted the religious establishment. He stirred up so much trouble that they crucified him. Every organized religion eventually becomes corrupted by those who seek power and/or wealth.

  I find it interest that Luke 12:45 is right before the passage the JW cite to shun families.

  Caveats:

  (1) Communities of faith need organization and leadership. The rank and file just need to be ready to fight or flee if the leadership twists the organization to suit there own needs. It happens to all organizations eventually.

  (2) The religious landscape of Jesus's day was probably more complicated and nuanced than Luke (a Gentile writer) would protray it after the 70 AD destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
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  DATA-DOG

  LOL!! @ Comatose!

  Since when does a slave [ a servant, duh??] in the Master's [ Jesus'] house demand that the children [ The Congregation/ aka Sheep/ ALL Christians/ The Body of Christ/] of the Master obey the Slave!! Can you imagine such a thing??? That truly show the ridiculous nature of the GB's actions in light of the Holy Book they supposedly follow. Jesus is gone and they start throwing their weight around.

  DD
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  DATA-DOG

  Vidiot,

  I like the " Theological Captain Planet" illustration. "By the HOLY SPIRIT'S POWERS COMBINED, I AM THE FDS!!!"
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  wantingtruth

  Welcome "the depressedsoul"

  the knowledge of truth we may acquire by meditating at God's word may help with depression

  I have meditated and I invite also you to do so .

  friendly, wt.
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  Magnum

  Apognophos & berrygerry - I have been saying for a long time that there is only slave in the parable; I discussed that with my wife about a year before the 7-15-13 Watchtower changed the JW understanding to that. It's so obvious from reading the account that there's only one slave and he could be good or bad. How could God's one and only channel of communication get that wrong? There's nothing hard to understand about it. Just think of all those years that they talked about Ray Franz being part of the evil slave and they said the evil slave was beating the faithful one. All wrong - all wrong.

  I knew if before they did. They get nothing from a superhuman source. They get it from themselves or plagiarize it from others. The Bible says "that slave", that is, the one that had already been referred to. It is so clear. They got it wrong for one of two reasons. They lack comprehension and just can't read with understanding or they did comprehend and chose to twist the Scriptures for a reason. Perhaps they just wanted to say an evil slave existed alongside a faithful one so they could say that they were the faithful one and could cry persecution and have a label ("evil slave") to apply to those who don't bow before them. So, as usual, they make the Bible so what they want it to. Even though it says "that slave", referring to the same slave, it referred to a different one because they wanted it to.
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  Apognophos

  It's so obvious from reading the account that there's only one slave and he could be good or bad. How could God's one and only channel of communication get that wrong? There's nothing hard to understand about it.

  I agree. Perhaps they didn't like the implication that the one slave (themselves) might turn bad. I forget how they phrased it in the 2013 WT in order to distance themselves from that possibility, but I guess they said something like Comatose did, which is that the evil slave is more of a warning than a real possible outcome.

  Seeing as I've already seen a number of posters over the years declaring that the org. used to have the truth but became corrupt, this new understanding (AKA the common-sense reading of the passsage) will only give them more license to say that the F&DS has turned into the evil slave.
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  Vidiot

  Data-Dog - "I like the 'Theological Captain Planet' illustration. 'By the HOLY SPIRIT'S POWERS COMBINED, I AM THE FDS!!!'"

  Oh, jeezus, that's funny.

  I can't believe I never thought of that.

  Oh, oh, how about the Transformers?

  "Governicons, combine to form... Faithful-Discreeticus! Destroy the Apostabots!!!"
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  Vidiot

  Apognophos - "Seeing as I've already seen a number of posters over the years declaring that the org used to have the truth but became corrupt, this new understanding (AKA the common-sense reading of the passsage) will only give them more license to say that the F&DS has turned into the evil slave."

  So?

  What does it matter if they think the WTS used to be the good guys but went bad (rather than realizing it was always fundamentally flawed)?

  Isn't the fact that they see those fundamental flaws now the important thing?