The Myth of being "Spirit Appointed"

BluesBrother

Back in the First Century we read that the apostles would "lay their hands" on someone and the Holy Spirit would be imparted to that one. Appointments of Older Men were made in this way - at that time. In modern times the WTS has claimed that their own elders ,Min. Servants and Organisation assignments are also made by the same Holy Spirit. Just last weekend the Watchtower Study repeated this belief :

"these “gifts in men” include Governing Body members, appointed helpers to the Governing Body, Branch Committee members, circuit overseers, field instructors, congregation elders, and ministerial servants. All these brothers are appointed by holy spirit to care for Jehovah’s precious sheep and serve the interests of the congregation"

Watchtower August 2020 p20

Now what basis do they have for this assertion? At one time I would have believed it but many years sitting on a body of elders taught me to see it differently. The debates, the sometimes favouratism, the human hang ups, showed me that these were entirely human decisions.. A number of the people we recommended with confidence turned out wrong and they faded away or got into trouble and had to be removed I soon realised that Holy Spirit had nothing to do with it.......

A sensible elder expllained to me that it was just that appointees had to measure up to spirit inspired scriptural requirements. That seemed more reasonable and the WT itsellf seemed to support that when it said :

Yes, congregation overseers, or elders, are appointed by holy spirit. In what way? In that appointed elders must meet the qualifications outlined in the inspired Bible. "

Watchtower 1992 1/02 p13

However they soon reverted to perpetrating the myth that each appointment is the result of direct action by the Holy Spirit....Why?

Imagine the value of this belief if it is accepted. If you disobey or disagree with the elders, or the Governing Body, that is rebellion against the Lord's appointed, as good as against God himself. What a wonderful tool to keep the rank and file in line!

FedUpJW

The debates, the sometimes favouratism, the human hang ups, showed me that these were entirely human decisions.

Shortly before he was kicked to the curb, ignored, and ridiculed by the oh so "loving" body of elders until the day he died, my father who was exactly what an elder should be said, "Anyone who claims that most elders decisions are not influenced by money, power, or nepotism is either extremely naive, or they are outright lying!"

waton

rebellion against the Lord's appointed, as good as against God himself.

BB: disobeying Jesus, who is divine, "a god" or god incarnate, would be okey, correctable, reversible, according to his word. but

sinning against the HS, is the unforgivable sin.

No wonder brother and sister Bully Coordinator strut around like that. Even questioning their wt appointed power, position will irreversibly put you on the chute down to gehenna --By by. wave!

Funky

LOL - yeah, if the typical R&F JW could only be exposed to a typical elders meeting prior to the arrival of the CO, when "appointments" are considered, that would pretty much blow up the notion that these guys are appointed by "holy spirit".

Here's how it works in real life:

COBE: "OK, who can we recommend for appointment?"

Rest of elders: Dumb silence

Token caring elder: "What about Brother Humble? He meets all the scriptural requirements, he's kind, caring, humble, generous, intelligent, compassionate, hospitable, loving...."

Other elder: "Yada yadda yadda, what's his average hours in field service?"

Secretary: "About 4 hours a month"

COBE: "Well that disqualifies him. Next?"

Another elder: "What about Brother Pompous? He gets 15 hours a month."

Token caring elder: "Well, yes, but he doesn't really seem to care much about other people. I've never been to his house. His kids don't look happy. His wife seems to gossip..."

Other elder: "Yadda yadda yadda. He gets enough time, his wife & kids are regular publishers, he qualifies."

COBE: "Let's taka vote, all in favor?"

All elders but one raise their hands.

COBE: "Brother Token, will you acquiesce to the decision of the majority?"

Token caring elder: "Well, if the body feels that strongly, I guess I'll go along with it."

COBE: "Great, it's unanimous. Now let's go on to our next point, spying on the facebook pages of congregation teens. Who'd like to volunteer to try catch them doing something wrong?"

stan livedeath

everything the watchtower believes in is a myth..starting with jehovah.

Jeffro

The term "holy spirit" is not well defined in the Bible, but whatever it is that it is 'supposed' to be (in the context of the story), Acts 19:2 indicates that it definitely isn't what JWs say it is. If the 'holy spirit' really were just 'God's power', then the disciples of John the Baptist certainly wouldn't say, "we have never heard that there is a holy spirit".

minimus

Once you see and experience an elders meeting with vastly different perspectives, you realize how much the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with decisions.

road to nowhere

A long time gone friend said all that was missing was the cigars.

They have explanations for the USSR getting in spies, nepotism, philandering , you name it. None if them make sense

mickbobcat

I can remember talking with an elder about this back in the 80s. He told me that it was inspired in that the person being considered for elder had to be practicing what the spirit inspired word of god had laid down. In that way it was appointment by spirit. Then in the 90s it was again this BS about how the actual spirit of god or holy spirit came down and directed directly each elder to choose or not each elder candidate. I asked again how can that be? Even in the cults own writings they give many cases where some elders, or COs have infiltrated in countries like East Germany and the old USSR just to get inside and they were made elders. I got a lot of BS from "well god must have seen something good in that person" to " It could be Jehovah was testing the congregation" There is no wondering why the cult does not let its members ask real questions. Because they know the light will show the flaws in the old woman's makup.

Funky

In any given congregation, it's a pretty sure bet that at least half on the body of elders are not qualified to run a lemonade stand, much less "shepherd the flock of God" or "judge righteously for Jehovah".

The Myth of being "Spirit Appointed"

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