Should every J.W. be an evangelizer/preacher?

by The Searcher 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  The Searcher

  According to the WTBTS all 1st century Christians were evangelizers/preachers, and by extension, all modern-day J.W.'s should be doing likewise. (For the moment, let's ignore the org's own contradiction that only their elite anointed class are "ambassadors", and that the preaching work was assigned to them! (wt 98 12/15, p.18, par. 10)
  

  it-1 p. 770 Evangelizer - "While all Christians are commissioned to be evangelizers....."

  (Acts 21:8) "The next day we left and came to Caes·a·reʹa, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelizer."

  (Ephesians 4:11) "And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers...."

  w13 5/15 p. 3 par. 3 - "Jesus commanded his (11) disciples to be evangelizers." (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8)

  w05 1/1 p. 13 par. 4 - "For almost three years, they.........(12 disciples) received training as evangelizers."

  Why did Paul say that Jesus gave "some" as evangelizers - if every Christian was to be one?
  

  Jesus never instructed one single person out of all the thousands he met - except his apostles - to become preachers, nor is there a single scriptural reference of any 1st century Christian women carrying out preaching work.

  Philip had the distinction of being called an evangelizer. Why would Philip be uniquely described as an evangelizer if every 1st century Christian had the same function?
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  stillin

  Searcher, all good points. The standard, stock answer is from Matthew 28. The last couple of verses, when Jesus is speaking to the last 11 apostles telling them to go preach and make disciples. When this is read to the r&f witness it is applied to them "by extension." Can you really do that "by extension" stuff? Because if "by extension" works across the board, so does kicking the dust off of your feet when you find people who aren't receptive to the message. I found nobody to be receptive after more than 30 years of looking, so I'm kicking the dust off of my feet "by extension" regarding the rest of the human race and the message. I wasted the time that God gave me to live on this Earth.

  By extension, if there comes to be a paradise earth, the loving, merciful, happy God shouldn't have any qualms about somebody like me. But that's "if," not "when."
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  nicolaou

  It's not even an 'if'.
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  running_away

  I remember an old sister in my cong preaching:

  "Do you know how to read? take! read this!"

  Hehe, amazing presentation.

  And the membership numbers are low BECAUSE the preaching work that you are supposed to do. So, for the good of humanity against this cult: leave like that.
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  DATA-DOG

  Here's what's dumb about JWism. Jesus said to his disciples, that they would be witnesses of him to all the nations... Witness means to see, then you give testimony. A "witness" gives testimony based on what they have seen. Doesn't all that "witness" talk apply to 1st century events only?

  Dubs are said to be witnesses, but what have they actually witnessed? And God forbid that Dubs would give a testimony like Christendom. How dumb to say, "I'm a witness.", when you haven't seen anything?

  DD
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  LongHairGal

  THE SEARCHER:

  I often wondered about that everybody being an evangelizer bit as well. I thought it was silly and unrealistic that EVERYBODY be "preaching" their every waking moment, wherever they are! How would progress be made and how would buildings and bridges be built if everybody was preaching? Everybody would starve to death with this mindset.

  Many Jehovah's Witnesses also expected to be supported like a Protestant minister!! Well, they were in the wrong religion. This is a totally unsustainable mentality and I never gave anybody there any money.

  DATA DOG:

  Good point! An actual "witness" has to have seen something that they can testify to. Modern day Jehovah's Witnesses do not fit that bill because they have not actually seen or witnessed anything. Oh, they will say they have faith or believe but that's not the same thing.
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  Island Man

  "Good point! An actual "witness" has to have seen something that they can testify to."

  Yes, and that is actually the point being made at Isaiah 43 where Yahweh calls the Israelites his witnesses. He was telling them that they are witnesses to the fact that he is the only real god because they experienced his miraculous saving acts in their behalf. A contrast was being made between Yahweh, the only true God who acts (which the Israelites could testify to), and the false gods of the nations that do nothing.

  So what Isaiah 43:10 says only applies to those who witnessed the reality of Yahweh's godship by experiencing his miraculous saving acts. By coopting Isaiah 43:10 out of this context and applying it to themselves, the JWs are twisting the scripture and misapplying it. They are clearly not Yahweh's Witnesses since they, as a group, have never experienced any miraculous saving acts by Jehovah.

  Great points made in the OP too. But JWs are not open to reason. I think they try to get around the points by saying that when the bible talks about an evangelizer it is not referring merely to someone who preaches the good news (even though that is literally what the word means. lol) but that it refers only to special, full-time preachers.

  Dishonest Watchtower. If they're not twisting the meaning of scriptures then they're twisting the meaning of words.
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  OUTLAW

  Dubs are said to be witnesses, but what have they actually witnessed?....DD

  Over 130 Years Of..

  WATCHTOWER TRAIN WRECKS..
  

  
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  Finkelstein

  The JWS preaching was designed and formulated to support the continuing proliferation of the WTS published goods, from out of that core agenda the organization created a tainted commercialized version of preaching gospel.

  Aggressive self imposing Bullshit wrapped up in a bow of religious virtue.
  
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  Brokeback Watchtower

  To a printing corporation what better way to get your gullible readers to sell your product free of charge. Tell them that everyone must preach the good news and be blood guilty if you don't.

  It has worked for over 100 years to keep the presses running by unpaid workers. That's the only way they could turn a profit, now with the internet it seems they need a plan b and c because their cash cow finally died.