They based the practice of making regular reports on this Scripture, so I was informed by our old Congregation Servant when I was young ....
Ezek. 9:11
’And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. ( KJV)
Interesting. I'd never heard that one before. It's nonsense of course - that scripture is clearly nothing to do with time, but activity: what was being done, not how long it took. Likewise the other scriptures they've used in the past to justify reporting hours, such as this excerpt from the most recent Organised book:
"Early followers of Jesus enjoyed hearing reports about the success of the preaching work. (Mark 6:30) The Bible book of Acts tells us that about 120 were present when holy spirit was poured out on the disciples at Pentecost 33 C.E. Soon the number of disciples grew to about 3,000 and then to about 5,000. The report was made that “Jehovah continued to add to them daily those being saved” and that “a large crowd of priests began to be obedient to the faith.” (Acts 1:15; 2:5-11, 41, 47; 4:4; 6:7) What fine encouragement the news of these increases must have brought to the disciples! How these exciting reports must have impelled them to move ahead with their divinely commissioned work, in spite of severe persecution instigated by the Jewish religious leaders!
21 About 60-61 C.E., Paul reported in his letter to the Colossians that the good news was “bearing fruit and increasing in all the world” and had been “preached in all creation under heaven.” (Col. 1:5, 6, 23) The early Christians were obedient to the Word, and holy spirit empowered them to accomplish a tremendous preaching work before the end of the Jewish system of things in 70 C.E. How encouraging it was for those faithful Christians to hear reports of what was being accomplished!"
in fact, not a word is mentioned in those scriptures about how long each activity took, how many specific hours the apostles spent in each aspect of preaching, teaching, how many scrolls/verses were read, etc. The focus is on how many people were involved and what took place. It's amazing how we all fell for it at the time!Decades of an insistence on reporting time created a whole series of questions and anxieties among publishers around hours, such as these I pulled from a quick look at the JW website past articles on hours:
- "How should family Bible studies or studies conducted with nonbaptized minor children of dedicated Christians be reported?"
- "Was the time spent in the ministry? Or was it spent doing something else that is not actually part of that work?"
- "It is important to submit an accurate report of "Hours." Basically, this is the time you spend participating in the house-to-house ministry, making return visits, conducting Bible studies, or otherwise witnessing formally or informally to people who are not dedicated, baptized Witnesses. If two publishers are working together, both may count the time, but only one would count any return visits that are made or any Bible studies that are conducted. Both parents who share in instructing their children during Family Worship evening may count up to one hour a week. Brothers may count the time spent delivering a public talk. An interpreter for a public talk may count the time as well. There are essential activities for which time is not counted, such as getting ready for field service, attending the meeting for field service, running errands, and so forth."
Doesn't that all sound similar to the Pharisees "straining out the gnat and gulping down the camel"? Loads of paragraphs and effort spent worrying about reporting this time or that time, when the whole point of the ministry - people and their lives and choices - is being missed.
And now, after all those years, they're doing away with it all at a stroke (for those not in 'full-time' service, at least). Yes, it's belatedly correcting an error, but it still further calls into question the GB's supposed 'inspiration'.