Once Anointed, Always Anointed?

by Sweetp0985 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Sweetp0985
    Sweetp0985

    Maybe this is a questions I should be asking a active JW but they wouldnt like my question after their answer. What is their take on this? Because I was reading an article that was talking about Jesus came in 1918 or something to that matter, so more cockamamy s**t. But how do they feel about if an "anointed" person turns away from Jehovah are they still considered anointed? Like for instance someone has been partaking of the emblems and for some weird reason they get df'd or just decide to stop taking the emblems. Are they still anointed? Since I do know they feel all the disciples were anointed, was Judas Ischariot still anointed at the time of his death because he was sorry for what he did? I know it's a weird question, but alot of times I fell weird myself.

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    The official view now is that if an anointed falls away they are replaced by somebody from the Great Crowd who in all probablity would have a long record of faithful service - now back in NT times I assume if someone fell away or did the old porneia bit and then came back they would still be anointed - so do not know when this changed -sometime after 1914 and I think it was da judge or early days of Freddie under Nathan Knorr because Freddie ivented disfellowshipping

  • finallyspringlol
    finallyspringlol

    one of my family member's was one of the annoited. it really bothered her son since the time he was a little boy, on why god would take his mother away from him when the new system started. she would not be on earth to be with her family who loved her dearly. he never got over this at all. he felt god could have anyone else, why his mother. it did not make sense to him....this boy never did come into the truth because of this and other reasons. he basically saw through the b.s at an early age. so then we fast forward to sometime in the 90's. the wt brought out that the society thought there were many who said they were of the annointed but was only doing so out of wanting to so much but not really been of the annointed...just having too much love for god and just wishing it to be. or maybe, they wanted the status...i cannot remember how they worded it, but it got this family member thinking seriously about this. she anguished over this and it made her sick....she finally decided in her heart that she was not one of the annointed and she did not partake....it was hard...to say the least. bros and sis were wondering...and the talk. my family member, was never the same after this. she went into a depression and lost her joy for and towards the bros and sis. as for her son, he never did come into the truth either, even though she did this. and i think this bothered her too......ahhh just remembering it, gives me a heavy feeling.

    does anyone else know of someone who changed their mind during this time...and how did it effect them ?

    joanne

    msn me [email protected]

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    I know somebody who was GC and then changed their mind and became anointed

  • blondie
    blondie

    This is interesting if you consider this, if one of the anointed is DF'd for something like adultery or smoking and is reinstated, are they still of the anointed?

    What is the WTS position on this?

    w76 3/1 pp. 158-159 Questions from Readers ***

    Can an anointed Christian who is disfellowshiped later be reinstated and still have the heavenly hope?

    Yes, that is possible. Of course, in each case Jehovah God is the one to determine whether he will extend forgiveness.

    The fact that this is possible is borne out by what we read in the apostle Paul?s letters to the Corinthian congregation. He wrote to Christians who had been anointed by holy spirit and given the hope of heavenly life. Paul addressed them as "you who have been sanctified in union with Christ Jesus, called to be holy ones."?1 Cor. 1:2; 15:49.

    One of these anointed Christians began to practice fornication. When he evidently did not repent and stop his immorality, Paul directed the congregation to disfellowship him. (1 Cor. 5:1-5, 9-13) However, it seems that this disfellowshiped person thereafter did sincerely repent. He is understood to be the person whom Paul was referring to in his second letter when he advised the Corinthians to forgive and accept back the former sinner.?2 Cor. 2:6-11; 7:8-13.

    When that man was reinstated into the congregation, what was his hope? Had he lost the heavenly calling, and had his hope now been changed to everlasting life on earth? No, for the earthly hope is not, as it were, a second-chance prospect. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and multitudes of other persons of outstanding faith had the hope of eternal life on earth, but this was not because they failed to measure up to the heavenly calling. They simply did not live in the time when the heavenly calling was in process according to Jehovah?s will. (Heb. 10:19, 20) Comparable faith and integrity are required of all who will gain everlasting life, whether in heaven or on a paradise earth. A Christian who is anointed with holy spirit and made a joint heir with Christ must prove faithful to that calling if he is to receive eternal life at all.?Rev. 2:10, 11; Phil. 3:8-14; Rom. 8:14-17.

    This, though, does not mean that while they are on earth anointed Christians never sin. In the flesh, they are still imperfect and consequently they sin, as do all humans, and may even commit gross sin. The Christian disciple and Bible writer James, certainly an anointed Christian, wrote: "For we all stumble many times. If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man." (Jas. 3:2; 2:5) It appears that such unintentional sin resulting from imperfection is what the apostle John meant by "sin that does not incur death." (1 John 5:16) God can forgive such sins. John said: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."?1 John 1:9.

    But repentance is necessary. If an anointed Christian today practiced gross sin and did not manifest repentance, the congregation, out of obedience to God?s counsel, would have to disfellowship him. If he subsequently repented, though, he could be forgiven and reinstated, as was the man in Corinth.

    God does not, however, forgive all sin. According to what Jesus said in Mark 3:28, 29, those who willfully and knowingly blaspheme God?s spirit can never be forgiven. And Paul wrote: "If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment." (Heb. 10:26, 27) Such unforgivable sin is evidently what John referred to as "sin that does incur death."?1 John 5:16.

    If an anointed Christian sinned against the spirit, practicing willful sin without repentance and ?impaling the Son of God afresh,? God would completely and forever reject him. (Heb. 6:4-6) Not being repentant, he would not be reinstated. Jehovah would have to select and anoint another Christian as a replacement so that the full number of 144,000 would be kept complete. It might be compared to heaven?s choice of Matthias to replace unfaithful Judas Iscariot so that there would be twelve faithful apostles of Jesus on which to build the Christian congregation.?Acts 1:23-26; Eph. 2:20.

    Is this to say that if an anointed Christian is disfellowshiped, Jehovah then and there selects a replacement? No human can say that, for we cannot know if the disfellowshiped individual has committed the unforgivable sin. Jehovah knows, and so the matter can be left in his hands. Just how and when he chooses to select a replacement is for him to decide. He did not give a detailed discussion of the matter in the Bible. So rather than speculate on what He will do or try to guess whether a disfellowshiped person is beyond the possibility of repentance, we can leave the matter up to Jehovah, the righteous Judge.?Heb. 12:23.

    If a congregation has had to disfellowship a person but he later repents and is reinstated, we can rejoice over Jehovah?s mercy and forgiveness. (Luke 15:7) That is so whether the person professed the heavenly hope and continues to do so or had and continues to have hope of everlasting life on earth. All of us should take to heart the lessons learned from this?our own need to fight constantly against imperfection and sin, the importance of seeking forgiveness when we do sin and the necessity of enduring to the end so as to be saved.?Matt. 10:22.

    Notice that taking a blood transfusion was not a disfellowshipping offense in 1958:

    w58 8/1 p. 478 Questions from Readers

    One

    of Jehovah?s witnesses who claims to be of the anointed remnant recently went to the hospital and took a blood transfusion, voluntarily. Should she be allowed to partake of the emblems of bread and wine at Memorial time??R. J., United States.

    We, of course, regret with you that this sister who professes to be one of the anointed remnant took a blood transfusion voluntarily during her stay in the hospital. We believe that she did the wrong thing contrary to the will of God. However, congregations have never been instructed to disfellowship those who voluntarily take blood transfusions or approve them. We let the judgment of such violators of God?s law concerning the sacredness of blood remain with Jehovah, the Supreme Judge. The only thing that can be done in the cases of individuals like this is to view them as immature and therefore not capable of taking on certain responsibilities, hence refusing to make certain assignments of service to such ones.

    Since an individual is not disfellowshiped because of having voluntarily taken a blood transfusion or having approved of a dear one?s accepting a blood transfusion, you have no right to bar this sister from the celebration of the Lord?s Evening Meal. As an anointed member of Christ?s body she is under orders and command by Christ Jesus to partake. Whether she is unfaithful as to what she professes to be by virtue of taking the emblems of the Lord?s Evening Meal is something for Jehovah God to determine himself. His judgment begins at the house of God. It is not for you or anyone serving the Memorial emblems to act as the judge, but to allow the emblems to go to anyone in the audience as these are passed along in the normal manner of letting each one have the opportunity to partake.

  • Justin
    Justin

    With regard to Judas Iscariot, he never was anointed as he died before the outpouring of the holy spirit at Pentecost.

  • Sweetp0985
    Sweetp0985

    So Justin are you saying that nobody before the pouring out of the holy spirit at pentecost is anointed? Moses, Abraham, etc. those are not considered anointed?

  • minimus
    minimus

    Since Pentecost, once anointed always anointed. Even if you get df'd, you're still a JW. If you never come back then you're of the "evil slave".

  • onacruse
    onacruse

    There are numerous references from the 30s WatchTowers to the effect that one who once professed to be of the anointed, and subsequently turned away from the WTS, thereby proved that they were never really anointed at all. In those days, they thought that there was a "period of proof" required before your profession was legitimized...and cooperation with the dictates of "God's organization" (specifically, selling books and booklets) was the only proof you could offer.

    Sell=anointed.

  • minimus
    minimus

    old lite

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit