Speculation: Female Ministerial Servants coming soon

by Londo111 64 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Bye bye birdie
    Bye bye birdie

    Instructions to Women

    1 Timothy 2:11-12

    11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.

    i think they use this one. Good old single Paul. He was never married .....I can't figure out why. Maybe since he was such a murderer. Yup....that would do it for me.

    strange that Paul was not without accusation but still was used as whatever Title he had..... and wrote those rules for leadership requirements.

    weird.

  • designs
    designs

    The GB follow the Pope not the Episcopalians. If the Pope ever caves then the GB will get New Light about a year later...

  • suavojr
    suavojr

    Can you imagine! All the pioneer sisters and elder's wife's will want to be MS's lol

  • Iown Mylife
    Iown Mylife

    Keeping a subservient attitude in women would probably become more difficult if they were allowed to be attendants, ministerial servants or anything reserved for males, would it not?

    The main thing Jehovah/WT/GB wants from women is submission, submission, submission. At least that's what i personally observed.

    Of course, in WT org, what you see and what's True are often two different things. So i could be wrong. But i don't think so.

    Marina

  • Splash
    Splash

    sir82: 1 Timothy 3:1 specifically states "man". The WTS can twist the meanings of words as well as anyone, but even they'd have a hard time with that one!

    It only says 'man' in relation to the 'overseer' (elder), not the ministerial servant.

    Midway through the list of qualifications for an MS it says (vs 11) "Women should likewise be serious, not slanderous, moderate in habits, faithful in all things." Why mention women at all, let alone between verses discussing MS's, if they are not being discussed in this context?

    bennyk: "I commend to YOU Phoebe our sister, who is a minister of the congregation in Cenchreae..." (Romans 16:1 NWT)

    The greek word used here for 'minister' is exactly the same as used in 1Tim 3 when it lists the qualifications for a ministerial servant.

    Splash

  • Londo111
    Londo111

    However unlikely it is (because it is an effective control mechanism), IF they dropped reporting hours, then there would be no more auxiliary or regular pioneers. Being a pioneer provides a measure of status, and the only status women are allowed to have currently. There would need to be something to compensate.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    More likely I imagine is twelve year old males assigned MS duties.

  • wisdomfrombelow
    wisdomfrombelow

    The Governing Body can do whatever they like and spin it however they wish and everyone will just accept it. There was a time when women weren't allowed on the Theocratice Ministry School but who can imagine a time like that now? Why not have women handle the microphones and do accounts and other things which are really just busy work? They can even make a a new role/title for it being different than Ministerial Servant title/role. It would show that JWs are more "progressive" to the younger generation when, in reality, it is nothing.

  • Dis-Member
    Dis-Member

    What 'spritual qualifications' do you need to hold a mic or hold a door open again?

    Because there is really absolutely nothing of any real importance to do in their entire system they have no choice but

    to pretend there is deep meaning and significance in the utterly mundane and banal.

  • dozy
    dozy

    No harm in speculation , but I think this is unlikely. If anything , the trend is for sisters to be used less and less.

    I used to be on parking at the convention and gradually the WTBTS moved the goalposts - first of all the sisters could only point the way for the cars if they were in close proximity to a brother ( as otherwise they would be "directing the brothers" ) , then they were all told they could no longer be on the team at all. Cue a lot of angry women! Recall also the letter in 2010 that said that a sisters wouldn't be allowed to bind an elders manual , but a brother could do so , as long as he was accompanied by the elder. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/201089/1/The-letter-re-coil-binding-the-elder-book#.U8WcuJVOW1s That pretty much shows the very low level of authority that women are allowed to achieve in "the truth" ( apart from the ministry , of course , where they are encouraged to do as much as possible ).

    The WTBTS has used almost painful reasoning to try to explain away references to Phoebe being " a minister"...

    ***Insight Book it-2 p. 635 Phoebe ***

    A Christian sister of the first-century congregation in Cenchreae. Paul, in his letter to the Christians at Rome, ‘recommends’ this sister to them and calls on them to render her any needed assistance as one who “proved to be a defender of many, yes, of me myself.” (Ro 16:1, 2) It may be that Phoebe delivered Paul’s letter in Rome or else accompanied the one who did.

    Paul refers to Phoebe as “a minister of the congregation that is in Cenchreae.” This raises the question as to the sense in which the term di·a ′ ko·nos (minister) is here used. Some translators view the term in an official sense and hence render it “deaconess” (RS, JB). But the Scriptures make no provision for female ministerial servants. Goodspeed’s translation views the term in a general sense and translates it “helper.” However, Paul’s reference is evidently to something having to do with the spreading of the good news, the Christian ministry, and he was speaking of Phoebe as a female minister who was associated with the congregation in Cenchreae.—Compare Ac 2:17, 18.

    Phoebe served as “a defender of many.” The term translated “defender” (pro·sta ′ tis ) has the basic sense of “protectress” or “succorer,” so that it implies not mere cordiality but a coming to the aid of others who are in need. It may also be rendered “patroness.” Phoebe’s freedom to travel and to render notable service in the congregation may indicate that she was a widow and possibly a woman of some material wealth. So, she may have been in position to use influence in the community in behalf of Christians who were being wrongly accused, defending them in this way; or she may have provided refuge for them in time of danger, serving as a protectress. The record gives no details.

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