Maybe you have JFish on ignore. #3592. If Jehovah did not interact with them how did God's Word come to be?
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Watchtower Governing Body: Are They The Exclusive Channel For God??
- Thread starter katiemygirl
- Start date
Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
Yes, but the majority who get baptised are older ones. Some younger ones do get baptised but they are a minority.... not all young ones develop at the same rate...spirituality is not judged by how much knowledge you have...its judged by your inner qualities.
You are right that it the parents role to teach and prepare there child... but they cannot decide when a child should be baptized. It has to be the childs decision and most children do not make that decision when they are that young.
What is relevant is the serious nature of baptism.... Jesus was a full grown adult when he got baptised. He made a decision about his life that others thought foolish...he was persecuted and ridiculed and even his own family thought he had gone mad. but even with that sort of discouragement he did give up and pack it in or turn into an opposer.... he stuck with it an sacrificed everything for it. Now that is relevant to our conversation because it shows that he was fully ready for his baptism... he didnt give up at the first sign of discouragement.
That is something for you to consider.
correct.... but it also means that you are willing to carry his name through public praise as his representative. This is why we call ourselves by his Name. Show me where you can go to find another christian religion who are baptising in the name of Jehovah?
Take a lesson from the apostles who said "to whom shall we go away to Lord"
There is no other organisation who publicly praise Jehovah or uphold his holy name. And as a 13 year old you may not have fully understood the significance of that. So whatever you feel about the elders or the GB is irrelevant if you really want to be baptised in the Name of Jehovah. He wants you, but you must recognise the avenue he is using.
Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
e.r.m.
Church of Christ
Seed of Eve, the rest of humanity. The serpent is a serpent, because they still strike at people's heels and we still crush their heads. But that serpent is also representative of the devil Rev. 12:9.
averageJOE
zombie
Problem is is that you find it funny. I find it sad.Lol haha had a giggle at that
Well its a rewarding career thats for sure
averageJOE
zombie
Ohhh! But that is dishonest!!!
The way you feel about the Governing Body is completely and totally relevant. One must believe that the Governing Body are directly appointed by god himself, and hold that belief throughout. They won't baptize someone who doesn't believe so, and if you loose that belief you're dissfellowshipped. How one feels about the Governing Body is everything.
I think this might be true. All the JWs have given me up for lost (so far as I have not heard a word from them now for I think three years). The reason why is they know I won't believe in the governing body. So they are looking for people who will believe in the governing body. I never did, but I did not know that is what they are doing. When I discovered that is what they are doing, I left. I am happy now. Aren't you glad for me?
Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
hence my comment, 'you must recognize the avenue he is using' because whether you like it or not, the GB are the avenue he uses. And if you dont agree with that then its your loss.
Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
anyone who thinks they should be paid for serving God dont deserve to serve him.
It says nowhere in the Word of God that He will use them at all. Please point to a verse, and I'll show you where you are mistaken.
psychoslice
Veteran Member
And yet this is what most religions do, especially Christianity.
averageJOE
zombie
Which is exactly my point. How you feel about them (believing they are actually anointed by god himself) is a critical key to getting baptized within the JW organization. Loving god and Jesus and being true to them isn't enough. You have to submit to the Governing Body and never sway from them even a little. As it's happened thousands of times, people love Jehovah, love Jesus with all their hearts, but no longer believe in the Governing Body and they are disfellowshipped, labeled apostates, and are talked about being "wicked", "have become demonized", and "have poisonous thinking".
So don't try and say things like "whatever you feel about the elders or the GB is irrelevant".
JayJayDee
Avid JW Bible Student
Hebrews 13:7, 17...."Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith......Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you." (NET)
Who are those whom "we" recognized as "our" leaders? For JW's it is our govening body. No one is forced to believe that....Jehovah's Witnesses accept it. You cannot be baptised as a JW unless you accept that. Why would you even want to be baptised as a JW with no confidence in their teachers? That hardly makes any sense.
We are told to obey them and to submit to them as those who will answer to God for how they lead us. We are told not to cause them to complain...and why would we, if we believe that they are appointed by Jesus himself? (Matt 24:45) I have been a JW for over 40 years and I have not had a single complaint about the brothers who have been appointed to feed us our "food at the proper time". I don't expect them to be perfect, just as they do not expect me to be perfect.
Jehovah has always had an organized people. Since the formation of the nation of Israel he has used human representatives to guide and direct his people as a single organization with the same beliefs and the same rules and regulations for all. We choose to worship Jehovah as part of his 'nation'. No one could worship Jehovah in the days of ancient Israel unless they became part of that nation and abided by his laws. We see no difference today.
Who are those whom "we" recognized as "our" leaders? For JW's it is our govening body. No one is forced to believe that....Jehovah's Witnesses accept it. You cannot be baptised as a JW unless you accept that. Why would you even want to be baptised as a JW with no confidence in their teachers? That hardly makes any sense.
We are told to obey them and to submit to them as those who will answer to God for how they lead us. We are told not to cause them to complain...and why would we, if we believe that they are appointed by Jesus himself? (Matt 24:45) I have been a JW for over 40 years and I have not had a single complaint about the brothers who have been appointed to feed us our "food at the proper time". I don't expect them to be perfect, just as they do not expect me to be perfect.
Jehovah has always had an organized people. Since the formation of the nation of Israel he has used human representatives to guide and direct his people as a single organization with the same beliefs and the same rules and regulations for all. We choose to worship Jehovah as part of his 'nation'. No one could worship Jehovah in the days of ancient Israel unless they became part of that nation and abided by his laws. We see no difference today.
Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
thats very true. They made it into a very lucrative business.
Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
Thats true. If you dont believe the GB are Jehovahs representatives on earth, then you can't be baptised....and why would anyone want to be if they dont believe the organisation is Gods representative on earth??? I wouldnt!
Thats the peculiar thing with religion and is the case with EVERY religion. Submission to the authority is a prerequisite and expectation of everyone. Its nothing new.
The Isrealites were told by Moses: Deut 27:1 "Then Moses together with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying: “Observe every commandment that I am giving you today".
If you go on the attack, which is what apostates do, then why wouldnt we view them in a negative way? Our elders protect the congregations from bad influences inside and outside the congregations. Thats the job of a shepherd.... they keep the wolves away.
averageJOE
zombie
Your telling me all this like I don't know what JW beliefs are.
You were just trying to say that how one feels about the GB is irrelevant for getting baptized, and I was telling you that that's not true.
averageJOE
zombie
Are you trying to convince me of this?
Why not remind one or your elders of this? After all, the organization you made a lifetime vow to has a net worth of $950 million.
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
Even in the Old Testament she (Jerusalem) is referred to as a woman. This has to do with how she was contractually tied to God and so obligated to certain requirements of faithfulness as the wife of one husband.
This has been a spiritual picture from the moment the Jerusalem of the flesh was born. Speaking of the flesh and blood woman likened to the anti typical Hagar, she, like any seed, must be planted, must die, and give way to something new and greater than she was. And that something greater has no physical boundaries of limitation.
james2ko
Well-Known Member
I agree. Within the context of differentiating between literalism and symbolism , a city (Jerusalem) being a physical woman is an absurdity, hence a figurative interpretation is in order. The passages describing the descension of the returning Christ and His feet touching the Mount of Olives and subsequently ruling and dwelling in Jerusalem is not an absurdity.
Thus a literal interpretation should be employed. The issue then becomes one of timing. An in depth study of scripture and history will offer significant evidence as to whether an event took place or is yet future.
Pegg
Jehovah our God is One
Our elders are not paid...so I dont have any concerns there.
The money we donate to our organsiation is for the printing and distributing of bibles and literature around the globe. The fact that we distribute and teach in over 2000 languages is evidence enough that our money is going toward the work that we put it to.