SETTING LIMITS ON HOW TO LOVE by the the Guardians of Our Doctrines (G. O. D)

by Longlivetherenegades 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Longlivetherenegades
    Longlivetherenegades

    A Balanced View of Jesus’ Role

    Like those in Christendom, the early Bible Students mistakenly allowed their love for Jesus to overshadow their relationship with Jehovah. Beginning in 1919, however, they came to see that Jehovah and their relationship with him should be the focus of their worship. We can be thankful that we understand that our affection for Jesus is key to having a relationship with Jehovah. We must attach neither too much nor too little importance to our love for Jesus.​—John 16:27...... Watchtower April 2020 study edition

    WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH?

    Jesus said that one of the greatest commandments of God is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31) Did Jesus place a limit on loving our neighbor based on where that neighbor lives or on what nationality he is? No. He told his disciples: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:34, 35) Their love for one another would be so extraordinary that it would be an identifying mark. They would rather give their life for one another than to take life from others....... Watchtower July 1, 2013 (Can you trust religion and war)

    Legislation on love at it's peak.

  • truth_b_known
    truth_b_known

    Makes the name Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witness ring hollow.

    Householder: Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christians?

    Jehovah's Witnesses: Oh, yes!

    Householder: Do you love Jesus?

    Jehovah's Witnesses: Well, not too much. We focus our love on Jehovah.

  • jhine
    jhine

    Long live , Jesus was asked " who is my neighbour? " He then told the story of the Good Samaritan making it clear that ANYONE in need is our neighbour. Not just other people who are like us . Now that's not just people in other countries who are in the same religious group as us . Jews and Samaritans were very much at odds with each other.

    Does the WT encourage charity towards people who are not JWs ? Truly .

    Jan

  • FFGhost
    FFGhost

    In WT-world, it's all about qualifications.

    Do you qualify for privileges of service?

    Do you qualify for baptism?

    Do you qualify to survive Armageddon?

    Do you qualify for eternal life?

    So, "do you qualify to love and be loved?" fits right in.

  • jhine
    jhine

    So back to Doubting Thomas's salvation by works then . This is a theme in the WT- having to prove yourself worthy . Of course it serves to make JWs fully compliant with everything that they are told.

    Jan

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    I don't care about either. Jesus is nothing more than the archetype of the perfect slave--fiction. Joke-hova is the ultimate evil, intending to destroy all freedom throughout the whole universe. What's not to hate both of them for?

  • road to nowhere
    road to nowhere

    Do you qualify for disaster aid?

  • asp59
    asp59

    Think back in the 30s this org was change to a preaching cooperation. After that does in GB were not much interested in agape. Everything was abouth hours. Every appointment was base on how many hour field service. Rutherford was the man behind lots of this ideas maeby.

  • carla
    carla

    asp59, I don't think jw's do or know of 'agape love', at least from my research. I don't usually like to use wiki but it was fast and top listing-

    Agape
    In Christianity, agape is unconditional love, "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". This is in contrast to philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.Wikipedia
    It has been my experience that jw's can't quite wrap their head around 'agape' at all. There would always be a 'but.... what if the person is xyz or does this or that'? they truly have no concept of unconditional love and even go so far as to put a stop to natural affection of a parent and child, siblings and so on (shunning for disbelief even without any sort of so called 'sin').
    As jhine noted everyone is your neighbor regardless of belief, skin color, etc.... I know my jw is helpful to people but it is how he grew up (not as a jw) his whole family is that way and it is one thing that has stuck so to speak. Naturally he conveniently forgets this and thinks it is because he is now a jw. But I remember him when....
  • Konagirl
    Konagirl
    We must attach neither too much nor too little importance to our love for Jesus.

    How does that work? It works well through fear and ignorance. JWs are taught not to love, and taught to downplay the role of Christ. Many call him “the ransom” – true, but very sterile. I was thinking how the name “Jehovah” is used much more than “Father”. “Jehovah” is said to be a friend; a father can be a friend, but the true love between a father and a son has no limits. If Jesus and the Father are “one”, (John 10:30) and we are to honor the Son as we honor the Father, (John 5:23) wouldn’t our love for both have no bounds? JWs are to “imitate Jehovah”. I doubt God regulates how much love He has for His Son. If the leadership feels love for Christ must be bridled, kept in check, where is their scriptural proof. Their choice of John 16:27 doesn’t cut it.

    “neither too much nor too little”. Right in the middle – neither hot nor cold. Tepid. Synonyms: dull, halfhearted, unenthusiastic, apathetic, disinterested…lukewarm.

    I personally, would never underestimate Christ’s reaction on the matter, upon his return.

    ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need]

    I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will]. Rev 3:15-20

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