What has the Spiritual Paradise of the WTS been over time

by blondie 7 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  blondie

  The first mention I find in the WTS publications is 1958. Although the WTS says the Index goes from 1930 to 1985, nothing appears before 1958 a search only found by using the phrase "spiritual paradise" not in the index. In 2015 there was a clarification of the phrase "Of course, we should not conclude that the terms “spiritual paradise” and “spiritual temple” are the same. The spiritual temple is God’s arrangement for true worship."

  2022 EXPRESSION EXPLAINED: “Spiritual paradise” refers to the secure environment in which we worship Jehovah in unity. In this environment, we have an abundance of spiritual food that is free from religious lies and we have plenty of satisfying work to do in preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom. We enjoy a close relationship with Jehovah, and we live in peace with our loving brothers and sisters, who help us to endure life’s challenges with joy. We enter the spiritual paradise when we begin worshipping Jehovah in the right way and when we do our best to imitate him.

  2015 The expression “spiritual paradise” has become a part of our theocratic vocabulary. It describes our unique, spiritually rich environment, or condition, which allows us to enjoy peace with God and with our brothers. Of course, we should not conclude that the terms “spiritual paradise” and “spiritual temple” are the same. The spiritual temple is God’s arrangement for true worship. The spiritual paradise serves to identify clearly those who have God’s approval and who are today serving him at his spiritual temple.

  1983 “What do you mean by a spiritual paradise?” you ask. Put simply: An organization of Christians who have made over their personalities to conform to God’s requirements and who are united in his true worship may be said to be in a spiritual paradise.

  (oldest in WOL) 1958 Thursday afternoon the conventioners waited with intense interest to hear Brother Knorr speak on “Maintaining Our Spiritual Paradise.” \... Knorr told the vast audience of 145,488 persons that when the holy spirit was poured out on Christ’s disciples at Pentecost, making them spiritual sons of God, “a spiritual paradise had then been established.” (Notice that Knorr refers to spiritual sons of God—at that time only the anointed had the designation)
• 

  Atlantis

  Blondie:

  Thank you Blondie! You have provided some excellent quotes on this subject. I remember all those discussions.

  Grandpa!
• 

  MissDaSilva

  Thank you for your research.

  I hated that expression. 🙄

  Your life was crap but hey you’re living in a spiritual paradise. Utter bollocks.
• 

  Sea Breeze

  “Spiritual paradise” refers to the secure environment in which we worship Jehovah in unity. In this environment, we have an abundance of spiritual food that is free from religious lies

  

  It wasn't much of a paradise for this elder (Arvid Einar Moody) from the Hyde Park Congregation on River St. in Hyde Park, MA. He believed the WT lie that he should not have a kidney transplant. As a result, he died in 1978. Too bad he couldn't make it two more years to 1980 when the WT lifted their ban on organ transplants.

  He wasn't free from religious lies was he?
• 

  Phizzy

  Agreed SB ! if a doctrine is overturned, it was a LIE ! never mind the "Present Truth" * utter bollocks, to use Miss da Silva's excellent choice of word (Spoken like real Lady Miss d S !).

  I too knew a lovely guy who died around the same time, for the same reason. His wife would not speak to J.W's who later took a transplant, what her thinking was can be guessed at.

  * The other expression used to excuse this nonsense is : "It was our understanding at the time".................. utter Bollocks as well.
• 

  was a new boy

  Phizzy

  The other expression used to excuse this nonsense is : "It was our understanding at the time"

  p 55 of Captives of a Concept (Anatomy of an Illusion) By Don Cameron

  lists 27 other expressions.

  
  
• 

  Duran

  10 The expression “spiritual paradise” has become a part of our theocratic vocabulary. It describes our unique, spiritually rich environment, or condition, which allows us to enjoy peace with God and with our brothers. - w15 7/15

  When they mention “spiritual paradise” their most important date of 1919 is usually closely cited. Sure enough in the next paragraph it reads:

  11 How exciting it is to know that since 1919, Jehovah has allowed imperfect humans to work with him in cultivating, strengthening, and expanding the spiritual paradise on earth! - w15 7/15

  We know that 1919 is a lie, but it is a necessary one to fulfill:

  [8 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “‘For the reason that YOU men have spoken untruth and YOU have visioned a lie, therefore here I am against YOU,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” 9 And my hand has come to be against the prophets that are visioning untruth and that are divining a lie. In the intimate group of my people they will not continue on, and in the register of the house of Israel they will not be written, and to the soil of Israel they will not come; and YOU people will have to know that I am the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 10 for the reason, yes, for the reason that they have led my people astray, saying, “There is peace!” when there is no peace, and there is one that is building a partition wall, but in vain there are those plastering it with whitewash.’11 Say to those plastering with whitewash that it will fall. A flooding downpour will certainly occur, and YOU, O hailstones, will fall, and a blast of windstorms itself will cause a splitting. 12 And, look! the wall must fall. Will it not be said to YOU men, ‘Where is the coating with which YOU did the plastering?’]
• 

  NotFormer

  'The other expression used to excuse this nonsense is : "It was our understanding at the time".................. utter Bollocks as well'

  Did they ever adopt an "It is our understanding at this time" phrase, in the face of potentially fatal new doctrines? Kind of a CYA strategy. I suppose there were other phrases that meant "this looks voluntary, but woe betide if you do it/don't do it!"