by wha happened? 6 Replies latest watchtower bible
I was reading John 10:16. This scirpture ends with the statement. One shepherd. Never put much thought into it. But why does the WT say that Jesus sacrifice is only for the annointed. Or that the scriptures were only for the annointed.
Jesus said there is only one shepherd. So why are 99.9% of JW's getting marginilized?
But why does the WT say that Jesus sacrifice is only for the annointed.
Just an FYI, they do say his sacrifice is for the "other sheep" too.
It's the "new covenant" that is just with the "anointed".
Of course, as every single non-JW Christian on the planet knows, John 10:16 is referring to Gentiles, not a "secondary class of Christians". I suspect most on the GB know that too, but it would be far too inconvenient for them to change it now.
Seems like the 99% gettin' shitted again.
It helps to see thru the WT slight-of-hand if one understands the shepherding 'culture,' as it were from back then. And you might, but for the sake of those who might not . . .
Multiple flocks of sheep might be kept in town in a "courtyard" or "sheepfold" (John 10:1, 16 NWT, Greek aule, Strong's # 833). The "courtyard" would have a "door" as well as a "doorkeeper" (John 10:3), someone who guards entry to the courtyard. Of course, the doorkeeper would know the shepherds whose flocks were housed there. Each flock of sheep would also know their own shepherd by voice quality and respond to him when he calls for them to go out grazing (John 10:2-5).
The shepherd would take his flock out of town to pasturage in the fields. Where they pasture, there might be another enclosure for the sheep, but it would not have a door. It would have an opening to allow the sheep to freely go in to find rest and protection, and to freely go out of the enclosure to feed. The shepherd might sit in the open doorway to act as a protective "door" for the sheep inside the wilderness enclosure (John 10:7-9). This wilderness enclosure was NOT what was referred to as a "courtyard" or "sheepfold" (Greek aule, see above) That term referred to the in-town housing for the sheep.
When John 10:16 says, "And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold," "fold" is the same Greek word aule (see above), which in verse 1 the NWT renders "sheepfold" (which also means "courtyard"), but here in verse 16 the NWT renders as "fold." That difference in rendering is not, in itself, unusual (The NRSV renders similarly). BUT the WT wants it's readers to think that these "other sheep" are not in the same wilderness enclosure as is mentioned in verses 7 thru 9. This is how they create the two seperate flocks, the earlier ones mentioned in verses 1-3, and the later ones mentioned in verse 16.
But what Jesus is really saying is that these "other sheep" are not from the same in-town "courtyard" from which the earlier mentioned sheep come from (John 10:1-3). But once they are gathered, they are brought together and become just one flock of sheep.
Incidentally, some (not just the Society) contend that John the Baptist is the "doorkeeper" mentioned in verse three, that opens to the shepherd that portrays Jesus. This is debatable since, technically, the parable implies that there are several flocks in the "courtyard" to which the "doorkeeper" would be responsible for their security also. And, naturally, he would also open the door to the shepherds of their respective flocks.
2 Peter 2:1
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So why are 99.9% of JW's getting marginilized?
Pterist nailed it in this:
Peace,
tammy
You know it is very hard to talk to XJWs because they have zero ability to think the WTS is recognized, even as a false prophet in the Bible. But in fact, the WTS is the "temple in its right condition" chosen sect that would operate even though infested with weeds until Christ arrived in 1992. "Let the wheat and weeds grow together until the harvest."
Having said that, the 11 hours of the vineyard work applies to them. That is, every hour is 7 years so we are talking about 77 years from 1914 to 1991. Thus you have a two-class system implied here. That is, the earliest workers hired knew in advance they would be paid the "penny" for a full day's work. From the third through the 11th hour workers, would be paid "whatever is fair." But it turns out the master wanted to be generous, so paying the last first and the first last, he gave EVERYBODY the penny.
So multiply when the third hour workers would be present. Three hours is 3 x 7 which is 21 years. Add 21 years to 1914 and you get 1935. Thus this parable applies to a unique situation with the JW org. That is, after 1935, there would be TWO CLASSES! Those that know in advance they will get the penny and those who think they will get less. So from 1935 through 1991, you have the "other sheep" who only have the earthly hope!
BUT... LOOK WHAT HAPPENS! When the master arrives, he starts to pay the workers and turns out he pays EVERYBODY THE PENNY. That means, for the alert "other sheep" they ALL get invited into the heavenly class! Thus there is only a two-class system from 1935-1991; or technically until Passover of 1993 (April 6). The workers are paid from the last to the first during the 12th hour or the "last hour" which is a 7-year period from 1991-1998.
Thus per the Bible, in reality, though there was a period where there were two classes, everything is evened out in the end when all the "other sheep", that is, the 3rd through 11th-hour workers are also given the "penny."
So the message here is: DON'T SUPERIMPOSE FALSE WTS DOCTRINE ON THE BIBLE. God invites ALL to be part of the kingdom is they are paying attention. He does let some know in advance they are of the heavenly class, and does not tell some they will be invited there, but once Christ arrives (12/25/1992) and after the first and last passover celebration (April 6, 1993), ALL are invited to have the penny, including the "other sheep" class vineyard workers (1935-1991).
Yes, ANOTHER false teaching by the WTS.
Now you can see in the parable that ALL get the penny. The WTS likes to feel persecuted by Christendom, so they think the first-hour workers are early Chistendom because they murmur against the 11th-hour workers. But the first-hour workers still get their penny. It is not taken away! So this is still part of the heavenly class. The WTS likes to think of themselves as coming into the work late, so they identify with the 11th-hour workers. Well fine. But ALL the workers get the penny! Who are the 3rd -9th hour workers who also get the penny? So you see, the WTS is in the dark and CLUELESS!
But ultimately, in response to the above, indeed, ALL at some point are invited into the heavenly class, but not all at the same time.
Now, since Christ arrived in 1992 and ended the Memorial celebration on April 6, 1993, all the new anointed out of the "other sheep" don't partake, nor should they. But some do. There are some marginals who end up partaking because they know they are of the anointed, but don't fully understand Christ arrived in 1992. That's fine. So even in the JW org, there has been a steady increase in partakers! This is sooo funny.
Now the "murmuring" of the 1st-hour workers has to do with this being such a surprise to them. The original anointed ones are surprised that the "other sheep" get to have the "penny" as well and are invited into the heavenly class. They think they should get more since they worked the longest, but they don't. They get what they deserve, which is the penny.
So that's what is really going on. God is not partial. In the end, EVERYBODY GETS INVITED to the heavenly class. But.. you have to be alert. Many fail to respond to the invitation and miss out.
So from 1993 through the end of the 12th hour, which is from 1991-1998, a special invitation to the "other sheep" was made to become part of the heavenly class and thus there is no 99% dysphoria involved as implied for the majority of JWs. Those paying attention got anointed into the heavenly class. From the last to the first.
XJWs, in the meantime, have to get over the significance of the WTS in Bible prophecy. They end up being the "evil slave" and the "man of lawlessness" but they are also the temple sect prophesied that would arrive after "2300 evenings and mornings." If you accept the WTS is the "evil slave" then you have to accept their special role as the temple sect -- it's just that simple. Many prophecies in the NT, therefore, apply specifically to them. Unfortunately, most are negative.
