Hello everyone, with this message I do have a request:
- can you help me to reconcile the statements, quotations
from the w concerning the identity, time of appearance
of the "modern time" " governing body"?
Thank you for your precious help!
Greetings , J.C. MacHislopp
P.S. I do apologize for the text and the mistakes.
*** w81 3/1 24 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? ***
“Who really is the faithful and discreet
slave whom his master appointed over his domestics,
to give them their food at the proper time?
Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you,
He will appoint him over all his belongings.”—Matt. 24:42-47.
*** w81 3/1 24 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? ***
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that this
parable pertains to the one true congregation of Jesus
Christ’s anointed followers. Beginning with Pentecost,
33 C.E., and continuing through
the 19 centuries since then,
this slavelike congregation has
been feeding Its members spiritually,
doing so faithfully and discreetly.
*** w81 3/1 24 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"?
Especially has the identity of this “slave” become clear at the time of
Christ’s return or presence.
The “slave” is identifiable by its watchfulness and by the fact that it is faithfully
and discreetly providing spiritual food as needed by all in the
Christian congregation.
Indeed, this “slave,” or spirit-anointed
congregation, is the one approved
channel representing God’s kingdom
on earth in the “time of the end.” (Dan. 12:4)
*** w81 3/1 24 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"?
Witnesses of Jehovah understand that the “slave” is comprised
of all anointed Christians as a group on earth at any given time
during the 19 centuries since Pentecost.
Accordingly, the “domestics” are these followers of Christ as individuals.
*** w81 3/1 26 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? ***
Thus we see a clear Scriptural basis for saying that all anointed
followers of Christ Jesus make
up God’s “servant,” with Jesus as
its Master. Accordingly, that servant, or “slave,” as a collective
body provides spiritual food for all the individuals of this congregation,
which make up the household of “domestics.” These individually
benefit as recipients of that food.—
1 Cor. 12:12, 19-27; Heb. 3:5, 6; 5:11-14.
*** w81 3/1 26 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? ***
THE ‘FAITHFUL SLAVE’ DISAPPEARS FROM CLEAR VIEW
This clear identity of the “faithful and
discreet slave” class was not to continue
all through the centuries until the return of the
Master with his kingly power.
The apostles warned that a great apostasy would develop after their
death and would continue until Christ’s presence. (2 Thess. 2:1-12; Acts 20:29, 30;
1 John 2:18, 22; 4:2, 3)
Jesus also indicated this in his parable of the ‘wheat and the weeds.’
*** w81 3/1 26 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? ***
Jesus foretold that both the “wheat” and the “weeds” would grow together until the
“harvest,” or “conclusion of the system of things,” when the “wheat
(true Christians) would be separated
from the “weeds” (false Christians) and would let their spiritual light shine.
(Matt. 13:30, 39-43)
Thus the identity of the “faithful and discreet slave” class would
not again become clear
until the time for Christ Jesus to return.
*** w81 3/1 26-7 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? ***
THE ‘FAITHFUL SLAVE’ IDENTIFIED BY ITS ACTIVITY
Though the “weeds” dominated the world’s religious scene through
the centuries, some “wheat”
was active and spiritual food was provided for the “domestics.”
By the early 1870’s there was a group of
sincere Bible students sufficiently well
fed spiritually to be in expectation
of the Lord’s return and to realize the need for thorough study of the
Scriptures so as to be prepared. Their unsectarian search of
the Bible produced an abundance of knowledge.
*** w71 12/15 756 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
The Christian apostle John, who wrote the last books of the Holy Bible toward the close of the
first century C.E., was apparently the last surviving member of the original governing body
appointed by Jesus Christ.
Centuries passed. Came the month of July of the year 1879.
Then there appeared on the scene a new religious magazine called Zion’s Watch Tower and
Herald of Christ’s Presence. It was then to be published monthly, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
U.S.A., its first issue comprising only 6,000 copies. Its editor and publisher was a sincere
Christian man, Charles Taze Russell, and the names of five other regular contributors to
the magazine were announced.
*** w71 12/15 756 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
At that time C. T. Russell was associated with a Christian congregation of Bible students at
Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and this congregation had requested him to serve as its religious
pastor. Thereafter C. T. Russell became known world wide as “Pastor Russell.”
*** w71 12/15 757 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
GOVERNING BODY
According to the apostolic example of the first century C.E., these dedicated, baptized Christians
known today as Jehovah’s witnesses have a governing body, as specifically noted from the year
1944 onward. This governing body has through the years been associated with the publishers of
the Watch Tower magazine and the Board of Directors of the legal religious corporation now
known as Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
*** w71 12/15 760 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
HOW THE GOVERNING BODY CAME TO EXIST
How did this governing body make its appearance in recent times? Evidently under the direction
of Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ. According to the facts available, the governing body
became associated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
C. T. Russell was patently of that governing body back there in the last quarter of the nineteenth
century. Being fully dedicated to God through Christ, he set himself to apply his time, energy,
abilities, wealth and influence to defending God’s inspired Word and spreading its message.
To that end he began publishing Zion’s Watch Tower back there in July of 1879, believing, as
he said in its columns, that this had Jehovah’s backing, and hence there would be no
solicitation for money. He manifested the qualifications of an overseer as set out in
1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 and accordingly he was requested by the congregation
of Christian Bible students at Allegheny to serve as its pastor or spiritual shepherd.
*** w71 12/15 761 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
Dedicated, baptized, anointed Christians became associated with that Society at headquarters in
Pennsylvania. Whether on the Board of Directors or not, they rendered themselves available for
special work of the “faithful and discreet slave” class. They aided in the feeding and directing of
the slave class, and thus a governing body made its appearance. This was evidently under the
guidance of Jehovah’s invisible active force or holy spirit.
Also, under the direction of the Head of the Christian congregation,
Jesus Christ the Son of God.
*** w71 12/15 761 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
True, the members of that governing body were not directly appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
*** w71 12/15 761 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
This is illustrated by the action of those twelve apostles when appointing Stephen and Philip and
five other men to take care of certain business of the Jerusalem congregation. (Acts 6:1-8) Also,
the apostle Paul pointed out in his remarks to the elders of the Ephesus congregation that the
overseers of God’s flock of spiritual sheep were appointed by God’s holy spirit. (Acts 20:28)
Thus, too, even though there were no apostles of Christ on hand in the nineteenth century,
God’s holy spirit must have been operative toward the formation of the governing
body for his anointed remnant of the “faithful and discreet slave” class.
*** w71 12/15 761 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***
The facts speak for themselves. There came on the scene a body of anointed Christians who
accepted and undertook the responsibilities of governing the affairs of Jehovah’s dedicated,
baptized, anointed people who were following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and endeavoring
to fulfill the work stated in Jesus’ prophecy at Matthew 24:45-47. Facts speak louder than words.
The governing body is there.