Note:
text in red is directly quoted from WT materials.
I use Quotes for bible references.
December 29 WT Study
Christians Need one Another from WT November 15, 2002 Places of Worship. Do we Need Them ? "We are members belonging to one another" - EPHESIANS 4:25 This article outlines the needs of brothers and sisters worldwide, and how they can assist each other as part of the body of Christ. There is a fair bit of emphasis on unity. Everyone doing their bit, smoothly, without conflict or question.
p. 1 (Quoting The World Book Encyclopedia) ..all the parts work together and so make the body or the machine run smoothly.
p. 3 ...Happily united with them are truthful, cooperative Christians having an earthly hope.
p. 21 ...They also need to keep on serving unitedly
What is missing is a thorough study on what it means to be part of the body of Christ. As Blondie pointed out so well, there are only three approved activities for a good Witness; study, meeting attendance, and field work. An image of six million people all performing the same activity, lock-step, does not bring to mind a body with a myriad of organs and functions. I have often wondered how people who do not readily fit in to this mould, function in the organization. How do young mothers keep up? Can a painfully shy person ever be comfortable going door-to-door? How about the aged and the very young? Since these weak ones time cards cannot possibly match the energetic male extrovert, how do these other ones keep from feeling like lesser members of the organization?
My selective notes on the Body of Christ
..he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ...He is the one who gave these gifts to the Church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
as each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:1-16 NLT
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office: so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.
And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:4-8 ASV
..those who can help others, those who can get others to work together...Suppose the whole body were an eye - then how would you hear?... What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! Portions 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 NLT
The WTS is one big mouth with feet - feet worn out from stumping from door to door, a mouthpiece for the Watchtower magazine. Its members are not taught to listen, only to provide appropriate response to opposers. The body has no helping hands, because that would take away from the all-important trinity of study, meeting attendance and field work.
Amongst Christendoms churches, there are many different jobs to be done. There are shy bus drivers, encouragers with a ready smile, technosquad geeks in the sound room, prim church secretaries, deep musicians, crush-your-hand ushers, funky youth leaders, passionate evangelists, casserole squads for shut-ins, earnest prayer warriors, Sunday school teachers with abundant laps, pastors with caring eyes...
A common quality of the body of Christ is the abundance of love. That is a common theme in all the scriptures quoted above. Love is what keeps us together, guiding and helping, and caring for one another. A loving body is a healthy, growing body. The WTS has lost that first love. I found the following quote telling, as there is no biblical reference given.
p. 3 Since they belong to one another, there is truthful communication and full cooperation among members of spiritual Israel.
Why would the FDS need to admonish its members to be truthful and cooperative? When there is mutual love and respect, people do not have to be reminded of this.
p. 4 In times of distress, we can also offer encouragement or perhaps consolation.
From the stories on this board, it seems obvious that people undergoing a crisis are shunned rather than comforted. Those who fall off may not hear from anyone in the congregation for years. This callous behaviour may come from strong ones fearing such weakness will rub off on them. It is as if brothers and sisters are fearful of contamination. We also see this in the natural world, when a mother sheep rejects her young. Perhaps the young sheep is a runt, or just doesnt "smell right" to the mother. A good shepherd notices and rescues that little sheep, hand feeding it if necessary.
Also, the WTS does not require time cards for helping others. Compassion has to be squeezed in after all other commitments are met, or face being labelled "weak".
Edited by - jgnat on 24 December 2002 12:58:26