Reports are emerging of an announcement at the 128th Annual Meeting of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania that the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses now considers itself to be the Faithful and Discreet Slave Class of Matthew 24:45 in its entirety.
Previously it was understood that the Governing Body were merely humble “representatives” of the “Slave Class”, which comprised the 12,000 or more anointed remnant of Christians with a heavenly calling still on earth. Despite claiming to be “representatives” of this group of people, suspicions were raised in the minds of many thinking Witnesses after reading articles such as the Questions From Readers of the August 15th 2011 Watchtower, where it was admitted that the Governing Body has no actual communication with memorial partakers (the “anointed”) and even feels that some of these ones may be mentally imbalanced. (see w11 8/15 p. 22)
Many have predicted that, at some point in the future, the Governing Body would end this confusion by claiming that they themselves are the Faithful and Discreet Slave, with the anointed remnant playing no special role. According to numerous reports this has finally happened. However, this remarkable claim opens a labyrinth of fresh doctrinal puzzles that future publications must now attempt to explain.
The Annual Meeting at which this “new light” was revealed was held at Jersey Assembly Hall (The Stanley Theater), New Jersey on October 6th – the same day that a sensitive Watchtower letter was leaked on the internet.
Although I previously reported in this article that the meeting was NOT broadcast to other locations, this appears to be untrue. The meeting had a total audience of 15,514 including those watching via video link from Brooklyn, Patterson, Walkill and Canada. Some in attendance took notes of what was said during the meeting, and have leaked this extaordinary new information online, so the news is gradually spreading around the world even though this “new light” has not yet been presented officially in the publications as it normally would be. (Update: to read about the printed explanation of the “new light” in the July 15 2013 Watchtower, please click here)
Anointed demoted – Governing Body promoted
The new understanding was explained over a series of six talks delivered by various Governing Body members over a two-hour period. The purpose of the talks was to impart the following adjustments:
- The Faithful and Discreet Slave was NOT appointed at Pentecost 33CE, meaning that there has not been a continuous line of members of the Slave Class on the earth down through the ages. The Slave Class was only appointed for the first time by Christ in 1919.
- The Faithful and Discreet Slave is a small group of anointed brothers during Jesus’ presence serving at Watchtower Headquarters who are directly involved in the preparing and dispensing of spiritual food. The individual members of the Governing Body are not the Faithful and Discreet Slave. They only act as the Faithful and Discreet Slave when they are working as a collective body in making decisions regarding the dispensing of spiritual food.
- The “domestics” of Matthew 24:45 are all those who are fed spiritually by the Governing Body, whether of the anointed or “other sheep”. This includes individual members of the Governing Body when they partake of spiritual food.
- The events described in Matthew 24:46,47 now refer to Jesus coming during the Great Tribulation and giving the Governing Body their reward in heaven along with the rest of the anointed.
- The “belongings” of Matthew 24:47 refer to all of Christ’s heavenly and earthly interests.
- Despite founding the Watch Tower Society, Charles Taze Russell was not part of the Slave Class because he was not alive and serving at Headquarters when Christ made his selection in 1919. The work of Russell and his associates was like that of the “messenger” in Malachi 3:1.
- The cleansing of God’s people is ongoing because, apparently, the bible gives two accounts of Christ doing a “cleansing” work, once at the start and once at the end of his ministry
In addition to the doctrinal changes, it was also explained that:
- The Governing Body members now make decisions based on a total majority, meaning that if a doctrinal understanding does not have full agreement by all Governing Body members, it is “shelved” until a future date.
- The lecture for Gilead and Branch Schools about the Faithful and Discreet Slave being 1,900 years old has now been deleted.
It is understood that the above doctrinal changes will be explained in further detail in future Watchtower articles. However, it could potentially be months before these articles are published and then studied at congregation meetings. Reports on Annual Meetings are not normally published until the August 15th Watchtower is released in April of each year. In the meantime, many brothers will likely be confused and bewildered that the Governing Body has made such a radical departure from their previous understanding of Matthew 24:45. Still more will wonder why these dramatic adjustments were not first published in a Watchtower article so that they could be simultaneously disseminated throughout the entire organization rather than announced to a select few at a New York corporate meeting.
Anointed Christians who entertain a heavenly hope will feel particularly aggrieved at this latest humiliation. As memorial partakers they had already suffered the indignity of being labelled as potentially “mentally or emotionally imbalanced” in the aforementioned Questions From Readers article of the August 15th, 2011 Watchtower. In the same article, the Governing Body bluntly dismissed the suggestion that there was any requirement on their part to contact such ones when deciding over doctrinal matters.
Now the 12,000+ crowd of anointed spread throughout the earth has suffered the final insult of being demoted as members of the Faithful and Discreet Slave in favor of eight men in New York who have deemed themselves the only ones worthy of this title. When it comes to teaching Christ’s followers, the anointed must now share equal standing with the millions of the Great Crowd as Christ’s “domestics”, even though they are supposed to rule over such ones as kings and priests with Christ at some future date.
A subtle use of words
It is noteworthy that this “new light” stops short of expressly naming “the Governing Body” as the Faithful Slave – rather a “group” of anointed brothers serving at Watchtower headquarters, which can only be applied to the Governing Body in our present day. This distinction is significant, because it acknowledges that there was no Governing Body as we know it prior to 1971 – only the Watch Tower Society Board of Directors who, as I have explained in a previous article, were informally described as a “governing body” (lower case) only from 1944 onwards.
The significance of this is that, if Christ had come to inspect the organization and appoint the Governing Body as his Faithful Slave in 1919 he would have been disappointed, because this entity would not exist as a collective decision-making body for another 52 years! However, if Christ was less specific and instead chose “a group of anointed men at Headquarters” at that time, then Rutherford as Watch Tower President and his board of subordinate directors were available to be chosen collectively as the Faithful Slave. Even if you are prepared to accept this rather bewildering explanation of Matthew 24:45 (a scripture that most people regard as a mere parable), there is one particularly problematic doctrinal flaw that the Society will need to address.
No scriptural precedent for apostolic succession
If Rutherford and his anointed associates were selected in 1919, then on what scriptural basis can it be automatically assumed that their roles as the Faithful and Discreet Slave were transferable, or could be “inherited”, by successive generations of the Board of Directors of the Watch Tower Society – which, after all, is merely a legal entity?
Part of the basis of this new understanding appears to be that Jehovah has always used a small group of people to teach and dispense spiritual food to the many, and that in the First Century it was the apostles and older men who were given this role by Christ. However, the bible provides no example of how those appointed by God to be his representatives may pass their duties on to someone else in the event of their death without God’s clear and unambiguous approval. (Numbers 27:18-20) The idea of someone inheriting someone else’s position because they have died is clearly a fleshly concept rather than a spiritual one.
True, the Kings of Israel and Judea were succeeded by their male offspring, but they played no distinct role in instructing the people. Most importantly, the arrangement of kings in Israel was not favored by God, but rather instituted to placate the Israelites who demanded a king to serve under in the same way as the nations around them. (1 Samuel 8:5-8, 19) It’s therefore inconceivable that a monarchic arrangement in which those appointed by God may choose their own successors would be a feature of “Spiritual Israel” – an institution that is not subject to the whims of humans but is of purely divine origin.
In the case of the twelve apostles appointed by Christ, once these died off they were not replaced by successors. Matthias was the only apostle “of the twelve” who wasn’t appointed directly by Jesus, but he was only appointed as a replacement of unfaithful Judas by the casting of lots. (Acts 1:23-26) The Society themselves admit that the reason for the appointment of Matthias in this manner was due to the unfaithfulness of Judas, rather than as a response to Judas’ death. As further evidence, when faithful apostle James died (as with the rest of the apostles) there is no record of any concern over whether a replacement should be appointed. Consider the following quote from the Insight book…
“Sometime during the ten days between Jesus’ ascension and the day of Pentecost it was viewed as necessary that another be selected to fill the vacancy left by Judas, not simply on the basis of his death but, rather, on the basis of his wicked defection, as the Scriptures quoted by Peter indicate. (Ac 1:15-22; Ps 69:25; 109:8; compare Re 3:11.) Thus, by contrast, when the faithful apostle James was put to death, there is no record of any concern to appoint anyone to succeed him in his position of apostle.—Ac 12:2.” – Insight On The Scriptures, Volume 1, Page 129
The Governing Body has long pointed to Christ’s apostles as a divinely approved model for their collective authority, but they have never once explained how Christ has any involvement in their individual appointment. They are now asking us to believe that Christ directly chose Joseph Rutherford and his anointed associates as his modern-day “apostles”, or Faithful and Discreet Slave, in 1919 – but they will never be able to satisfactorily explain how, once Rutherford and his associates died, the divinely appointed authority of these ones was conferred to successive generations of Watchtower leaders.
In the past, the Society was able to evade this issue with comparative ease, because they could point to the Faithful and Discreet Slave CLASS as being ever-present throughout history from Pentecost 33CE onwards (i.e. individual anointed ones were not “succeeded” by anyone on their death), with the Governing Body assuming an albeit self-appointed and symbolic role as representatives of these ones in recent times.
Now, the Society has effectively scrapped the idea of the Faithful and Discreet Slave as a “class”, and now insists that the office of the Faithful Slave was bestowed by Christ on the shoulders of Rutherford and his associates in 1919, and this office was somehow passed down to successive members of the Watch Tower Society Board of Directors until the Governing Body arrangement was introduced in 1971. Thereafter, they insist that this “succession” continued as Governing Body members died and were replaced until we arrive today at a situation where eight individuals, none of whom had even been born in 1919, are now Christ’s “Faithful and Discreet Slave”. Not only does this sound incredibly implausible – most significantly there is absolutely no scriptural precedent for things to be done by God in this manner whatsoever.
In the bible, God’s favored way of doing things has always been to appoint either an individual or group of individuals to lead his people, and once these ones died their office (or position) died with them – unless God made clear that he was handing it to somebody else. In other words, God appoints people according to their individual merits, not based on who has gone before them. There is no reason to believe that God or Christ would do a complete U-turn and now do things entirely differently, especially during times such as these when the Earth is supposed to be on the brink of falling under Christ’s millennial rule, and divinely appointed direction is said to be needed more than ever by God’s people deep in these “last days”.
It is also interesting to note that, according to reports, the Governing Body is now insisting that the organization has been in an ongoing period of “cleansing” since 1919. Whether this will be somehow used to explain the idea of succession remains to be seen. The Governing Body may try to claim that part of this ongoing “cleansing” involves Christ appointing new members of the Faithful Slave. Regardless of how they try to explain it, thinking Witnesses will wonder why Jesus Christ needs 93 years and counting, not to mention successive generations of Watchtower leaders, to cleanse his organization and impart divine truth.
A talk by Samuel Herd apparently attempted to reinforce the link between the Apostles and the Governing Body, but admitted that once these Apostles died the “restraint” was removed allowing apostasy to set in. As I have already asked in this article, how can the Governing Body justify likening themselves to every feature of the First Century apostles apart from the key characteristic whereby no apostles were replaced once they had died?
A poor choice of slave
Not only is the “successor” element of the Governing Body’s new teaching highly suspect, but prior to this new teaching questions were already being raised as to how Christ could possibly have chosen Joseph Rutherford and his associates as his approved earthly organization in 1919. There are two main reasons for this…
Spiritual Food – I have already published an article detailing how the publications of the Bible Students in circulation between 1918 and 1919 were not just partially inaccurate – they were shockingly misleading and downright fanciful in their application of scripture. There are few more obvious examples of this than the Finished Mystery, which spoke of the distance between the place where it was written and the place where it was printed as having prophetic significance, and described Charles Taze Russell as speaking from beyond the grave through its pages and supervising the “harvest work” even after his death!
In another of my articles, on InsideTheWatchtower.com, I have presented evidence of racist bigotry in the pages of early Watchtower publications both before, during and after Christ’s supposed inspection. Rutherford in particular described black men and women as a cursed “race of servants” in a Golden Age article ten years after Christ’s inspection was supposed to have taken place (see The Golden Age, July 24th 1929, page 702). Bear in mind that the Golden Age, the forerunner of today’s Awake! magazine, is still considered a vehicle of spiritual food just like any other Watchtower publication.
In summarizing the publications of the Bible Students that were in circulation during the period of Christ’s inspection in 1919, nobody put it better than former Governing Body member Raymond Franz when he said…
“A direct investigation of the publications of the Watch Tower organization in the years from 1914 to 1919 reveals none of the prudent discretion that causes a man to ‘keep his lips in check’. It would be an insult to Christ Jesus to say that he selected this organization on the basis of what it was teaching, uniquely and distinctively, as of 1919.” (Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, page 145)
The personal character of Rutherford – I am still relatively recent in my “awakening” from the indoctrination of my upbringing as a Witness. Throughout my young life “Judge” Joseph Rutherford was frequently held aloft as a shining example of a humble servant of God, and to this day he is lauded by the Watch Tower Society as a man of great wisdom and courage. Such a depiction of him features prominently in the recent Faith In Action DVD series. Even so, the more I read about “Judge” Joseph Rutherford, the more I realize what a monstrous and vile man he truly was.
The Society’s problem with Rutherford is that, try as they may, they cannot prevent documented evidence of his questionable character from surfacing – especially since the internet has made it easier than ever before to share such information that would otherwise be hard to obtain. For example, I will shortly be publishing an article that will attempt to pull together some of the documented evidence of Rutherford’s temperament – in particular that which came to light during the libel lawsuit with Watchtower lawyer Olin Moyle between 1939 and 1940.
I will go into these matters in greater detail in my future article. However, suffice to say there is documented evidence connected with the lawsuit to suggest that:
- Rutherford allowed an atmosphere of alcoholism to prevail at Brooklyn Bethel, to the point where Bethel family members who decided to abstain from alcohol were ostracized and ridiculed.
- Rutherford was a bully, and used rude, abusive and patronizing words to humiliate Bethel workers that he disapproved of.
- Rutherford afforded himself a life of luxury with multiple residences across the United States while ordinary Bethel workers lived in cramped and squalid conditions.
- Rutherford was discriminatory in allowing one sister to get married and live in Bethel with her husband even though he had forced another brother to leave Bethel in disgrace because he chose to marry.
Added to what I have already mentioned about the racist material that was printed in Watchtower publications under Rutherford’s presidency, it seems inconceivable that Christ, who favored no race above another and encouraged his followers to be meek and humble, would choose a man of Rutherford’s bigoted and contemptible character to form part of his “original” Faithful and Discreet Slave. (Mark 9:35; 19:14) Even so, with this latest change of understanding, we are now being asked to believe that Christ not only approved Rutherford’s character, but found him and his associates the only worthy candidates out of all the humans on Earth at that time to form part of his “faithful and discreet slave”.
Fast forward to the 21st Century, and similarly we have a group of men who, despite having nowhere near as bad a reputation as Rutherford, still leave much to be desired in both humility and intelligence. As I have explained in another article, I recently started uploading videos to YouTube that focus on the words spoken from the platform by various Governing Body members.
One such Governing Body member, Anthony Morris III, boasts of disobeying orders from a superior during the Vietnam War, and even routinely calls himself “the Shoemaker” – insinuating that the guidance in his talks originates from his own wisdom rather than God’s. Anthony also uses a “monarchical ordinal” (a roman numeral) after his name to distinguish himself and honor his ancestors. Is this really one of the eight most humble men available on the Earth today for Jesus to appoint as part of his Faithful Slave?
Outstanding intelligence has never been a prerequisite for those who are used by Jehovah. Moses was not a fluent speaker, being “slow of mouth and slow of tongue”. (Exodus 4:10) Jesus’ followers were said to be unlettered and ordinary. (Acts 4:13) Even so, in an era where the ability to communicate effectively is so important, it is surprising to observe the lack of basic knowledge in certain Governing Body members.
In one talk, Anthony Morris III coined the term “thinkingest” to describe Jehovah’s people, and in another talk Stephen Lett felt compelled to explain to his audience that God’s “express will” has nothing to do with express trains, or “expresso” coffee, but simply means God’s clearly stated will. The fact that Stephen saw the need to explain this simple term, or research it for his talk, raises serious questions as to his intellectual credentials as one who is called upon to teach millions of God’s people around the world. Again, would Jesus select men who fall so desperately short with even their basic knowledge of words to communicate globally with his people (or “domestics”) out of the billions of potential candidates at his disposal?
A Predictable Change
I’ve already mentioned that some have long predicted this new change in understanding. I myself considered the possibility a few times, but I felt it would be some time before I would see the teaching actually introduced.
Interestingly, some time ago we ran a mini-survey on this website asking “Who is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?”, and 15% of the 530 who voted said they thought the term referred to the Governing Body. This well-illustrates that a good number of Witnesses are already oblivious to the matter. It also gives evidence of the cunning way in which the Society has incrementally slipped suggestions of this teaching into its publications over some time in readiness for the change.
As an example, at the 2012 Safeguard Your Heart District Convention a new brochure was released entitled Who Are Doing Jehovah’s Will Today? Page 22 of this brochure carried the heading “Who Is the Faithful and Discreet Slave Class?”, and answered the question (in part) as follows…
“They are genuine, spirit-anointed followers of Jesus. The ‘slave’ dispenses timely spiritual food to fellow worshippers of Jehovah. We are dependant upon this faithful slave class to keep giving us our ‘measure of food supplies at the proper time.'” – Luke 12:42 (Who Are Doing Jehovah’s Will Today?, p. 22)
Most people reading this paragraph before being told of the new “understanding” would fail to spot that the word “all” is crucially missing after “they are” and before “spirit-anointed followers of Jesus” in the first sentence in bold. Whether the omission of this word was deliberate is, I suppose, a matter of conjecture – but it seems more than a coincidence that, just a few months after printing this brochure, it was announced that NOT “all” spirit-anointed followers of Jesus are to be considered part of the Faithful and Discreet Slave. Supposedly, only eight individuals in Brooklyn now have this special role in God’s purpose.
What this change means
All of this is first-and-foremost about increasing power and control. By claiming that they are now the Faithful and Discreet Slave in its entirety, the Governing Body reinforces their authority over the organization and their influence over millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world. Rather than, in the minds of many Witnesses, being theoretically answerable to a larger group of thousands of anointed fellow worshippers who they claim to serve as “representatives”, they are now answerable to nobody but Christ. Nobody can question their position because, just as with the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, they can now claim their authority has been granted to them directly by God through Jesus.
Even though I understand their reasons for making this change, I believe it will cause more problems for the Governing Body than it will solve. Not only have they opened up an entirely new Pandora’s Box of doctrinal issues in their need to explain plausibly how the 1919 Faithful and Discreet Slave has magically become the Governing Body of today – there is something even more troubling that they should concern themselves with.
Many Witnesses were already baffled by the total authority assumed by the Governing Body, and how they have wielded this authority as representatives of the Slave Class without any communication with their anointed fellow christians. This was indeed a major source of doubt for me, and one of the many things that led to my eventually “awakening” from my indoctrination. The obvious disparity gave me the courage I needed to research my beliefs more objectively.
Now that the Governing Body has so brazenly swept aside their anointed colleagues and stripped them of any significance whatsoever in the dissemination of truth to God’s people, I feel there may be a backlash from thinking Jehovah’s Witnesses who were already harboring serious doubts but who will now feel “enough is enough”.
There are only so many lies and deceptions that you can load up on an intelligent human being and ask them to take seriously and base their entire life upon before something snaps. Eventually these falsehoods become too numerous and too hard to believe, and (as happened in my case) an individual will finally decide they have had enough. I believe this may happen on a considerable scale with Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world once this new teaching becomes widely known.
Added to the already considerable downsizing in the organization caused by a slowdown in global growth, it may be that before long we will start to see the number of publishers enter negative growth as those who are already mentally on the fringes start to leave the organization in droves. Only time will tell whether the new teaching will play a significant role in this likely exodus, but the downsizing of the organization has already begun, and I certainly don’t believe this new teaching will improve matters for the Society.
Over the years the Governing Body has grown increasingly arrogant and out-of-touch. You can only hide those sorts of attributes for so long before they become plain for all to see. For a while I entertained thoughts of new brothers being gradually added to the Governing Body who would see through the lies and do the honest and humble thing by admitting that they do not enjoy God’s blessing and eventually dissolving the organization – thereby setting millions of misguided worshippers mentally free. However, the more I observe the frequency with which the Governing Body is making mistakes both doctrinally and procedurally (particularly in relation to handling child abuse), the more I feel that the future of the organization will be irretrievably jeopardized far more quickly and effectively if the existing members are allowed to continue undisturbed in their obvious self-importance and ineptitude.
Summaries of this article are available in the following languages: Hungarian | German.
A PDF of notes taken at the Annual Meeting is now available, and can be downloaded by clicking here.
Please read my follow-up article by clicking here.
Thanks Cedars. I wander if another reason for starting the slave from 1919 is to distance themselves from all the mistakes and rubbish that Charles Russell spoke. They still have to deal with Rutherford, but by taking Russell out of the equation they can limit the damage the internet has done which has been showing Russell’s many errors.
Alan, then it will simply focus on Rutherford because he is all over the net as well. As I have predicted, the JW religion will shrink as time goes by. Many thousands will leave and force this business corporation to change, again, it’s core doctrines and financial strategies to keep current members from leaving and attract new converts. When you awaken the “giant” of the masses, I don’t care how big your bank account is or how long one has been in business, in one day, it can all come crashing down.
I was wondering if its too much of a ‘co-incidence’, the timing of the 1 October Elders letter re child sexual abuse’s responsibility for reporting now being dealt with by the Bethel branch and this socalled ‘new light’ of the GB themselves being the FDS? Aren’t they opening themselves up to even more legal liability regarding child protection policies especially after the Candace Conti legal victory over WTBTS in June?
It doesn’t make sense to me.
Excellent info! I was just at the WY HQ yesterday Oct 8th. Didn’t know what they were doing inside. I should have rang their bell and spew out nonsense like they do when they come to MY door! LOL!!!
This is only ackowledging what the reality has been since the death of Freddy Franz. The GB (and previous Presidents) have acted independently of the supposed FDS class and never acted as their representatives. It is also significant that we return to the supposed 1919 choosing by Christ, a long perpetuated myth. Don Cameron in his book Captives of a Concept blows this myth apart and subsequently any claim of supposed representatives of a FDS class or a GB to have divinely given authority over the current 7 million witness is baseless.
I too think they want to distance themselves from the WTS eyebrow raising beginings and Russell’s quirky and embarrassing ideas and relegate him to place they keep people like George Storrs, Tyndale et al-people who were searching for the truth but had not yet been chosen by Jesus who came invisibly in 1918.
Regarding Rutherford,they have to come up with something else, another new understanding of something LOL.
Now that we know the identity of the FDS, does this mean that the GB can be sued for their policies that have destroyed the lives of thousands of childrens ?-Can the Australian case Uthank vs WTS be re-opened?
The Watchtower has no idea of what they are even talking about.
Isn’t Satan the god of confusion !.
How in the world could they be faithful,
John sees the Lamb of God with the 144,000 who were bought from the earth as virgins to co-rule with Christ.
,How in the world could they be virgins when they , were sleeping with the enemy ( The United Nations ) for almost 10 years.
Oh I they probably will say , this group is a new batch , since that NGO adulteress affair.
Well then they had better awaken because the Watchtower representatives are still engaged to another sister branch of the NGO called OSCE. Barbara Anderson posted that finding.
So they are still hanging out with the coming eighth king ( The UN ) .
Really makes one wonder ,how in the world could they be faithful. Just where do they put our King Jesus Christ IN THEIR LIVES ???
If their claim is that NOW ,as the governing body they are also the anointed Faithful slave, then they have a serious problem.
which god anointed them, not the almighty God that we know.
Friendship with the world makes , THEM A ENEMY OF GOD.
This is utterly amazing. This might be the straw that breaks the camel back…one can only hope. Thank you for sharing.
I find this article on point. The “new light” does no surprise me. I saw it coming after these recent years, the WTS has presumptuously placed itself as mediator between Christ and his followers, uninvited by Christ to replace him as the mediator. It was a slow change, and they are indeed becoming ‘pope-like’ – the parallel between Orwell’s 1985 and the thought crimes we thinkers are guilty of is staggering.
I will be honest – I hope this conceit will be noted by honest JWs. As an Atheist, it is easier for me to take this – but where will the ones holding on to faith go? It will take a lot of courage for those who will stand up for Christ instead of man. I wish them well – or may reason bless them.
Another great article! I know you have to put in a lot of time and energy into this site and you are doing an excellent job of keeping us informed on all of the latest information, thanks again Cedars! I know there are those out there who want reform but it is so corrupt from the top with too many false teachings and mind control. It just makes me sick how much of my life was waisted with this mess of a religion. I keep hoping a huge amount of people will see the “real truth” and leave in droves and stop giving their hard earned money to the org. I am newly out and still going through the angry stage. I feel for those that are still in and have no idea what the real truth is. I hope this “new light” will make people question and start searching and studying the vast amount of information out there that will give them the “real truth” or TTAT!! Keep up the good work!
Coming out with new light at the annual meeting is not surprising. They hold the corporate part separately and have always used this meeting as a special assembly. Many things that have been released as new light in articles were talks from the annual meeting.
Thanks Eliza. I am aware that Annual Meetings have been used in the past to reveal “new light” on occasion, however I struggle to think of a doctrinal change of such magnitude that has been disclosed at such a meeting in recent decades – unless you can think of some examples? Of course, it may be the Governing Body are hoping to sneak this “adjustment” in without too many people causing a fuss. Perhaps their disclosing it in such a manner reveals their assumption that people have already drawn this conclusion for themselves.
Thanks everyone for all the kind comments. I have barely stepped away from the keyboard this weekend and I can’t remember doing this much typing in a long while – but hopefully it was all worth it! When the news comes in, you need to be on your toes…
Cedars, thanks for your efforts. This is a thought provoking article.
On the jw.net website, someone posted an announcement on one of the JW pages on FB regarding new light on the FDS and new understanding on Matt 24:45-47.
Cedars, have you seen this on facebook(am not on facebook, so I cannot verify)
Here is an excerpt:
***
“What about verses 46 and 47? It says, happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you he will appoint him over all his belongings. Vs 46 mentions Jesus arriving. This is not in 1919 when he appointed the FDS but when Jesus comes during the Great Tribulation. This is based on the fact that the Greek word for ‘arriving’ is similar to those in vs 30 and vs 42 that mention Jesus ‘coming’.
So what are the ‘belongings’? Previously it was thought that dealt with the earth only. But the scriputre is not that specific. So the belongings include the heavenly and earthly interests. The authority over the belongings will be given after the annointed receive their reward in heaven. So, all of the annointed will eventually be given this authority.”
***
If the FB announcement is legitimate and the contents of the excerpt are true, then the WTS is going beyond the things that are written. They admit that the scripture is not specific and then go on to explain what the ‘belongings’ are.
Hello Saritaj, thanks for your kind words! Yes, I was shown this information at the same time as it was posted on facebook. Some of the information was used in my article. I haven’t gone into the same amount of detail as the person who took the notes because I don’t want to quote extensively from something that hasn’t come directly to me from the Society, but I have provided the general gist of the notes in the bullet points near the beginning of the article.
This is very interesting news (and an excellent writeup as usual, Cedars).
However, I have no illusions that this will change much for the rank & file. They’ve swallowed a lot of quite significant doctrinal changes in the past decades without difficulty, and in this case it’s a change that actually removes (or plasters over) a glaring inconsistency in their teachings.
In my experience, most JWs have two approaches for dealing with a seemingly disruptive doctrinal change: one, they simply believe it because it comes from the F&DS, even welcoming it as “new light”. Two, they brush it off as something that is not really significant, because all in all it’s still the best religion there is, and where else should we go? Case closed.
dubless, thanks for your comments! I agree to an extent, although I think it’s possible for us to become quite jaded once we “awaken” ourselves. We sometimes fall into thinking that NOTHING will awaken a JW no matter how shocking or ludicrous it is, and we forget what it was like for us when we were first doubting. However, there are many inside harboring doubts (I would argue the majority of intelligent JWs), and I believe something as ridiculous as this will, given time, push a good number over the edge. The disappointment levels could prove to be similar to when 1975 came and went. We will have to wait and see.
Great article! Your journalistic writing is really improving.
One thing I noticed. You wrote, “… the Society has effectively scrapped the idea of the Faithful and Discreet Slave as a “class”.
Today’s WT Study article on page page 14, paragraph 10 stated, “For decades, the faithful slave class has
warned us about such sites.”
Interestingly, in each of the next four paragraphs was the phrase “faithful slave”.
For the last few years, there has been MUCH discussion and debate on the sites regarding this subject. Many XJW’s have made the claim the GB has already taken this position by their ‘subtle’ comments. (Perhaps to soften up the field of understanding for the coming change) Only to be villified by debating JW’s for being so wrong. “They would NEVER take that position!.” Well, there are quite a few certain argueing JW’s that must feel abit humiliated right now. I wonder if this will cause them to awaken?
You’re probably right. Let me put it like this: I think this will be yet another issue that might drive some already doubting JWs over the edge, but it’s not going to be the silver bullet that kills the organisation as we know it. That didn’t even happen with the 1975 fiasco, let alone the “generation” thing in the mid-1990s, or anything else since then. I think ex-JWs tend to be a bit optimistic (or pessimistic, depending on viewpoint) in this regard.
I think it’s one of the paradoxes of sects/cults/high-control-groups that doctrine is constantly emphasised, but has in fact relatively little effect on whether people stay in or not.
So, I wonder, if we need spirituall food, then we need to go on this site.
Hi Fred, yes it’s interesting that you’re now finding out about new light off the internet, purely because the Society chose to talk about it infront of a select few at a corporate meeting rather than waiting for it to be released globally simultaneously in the literature. I’m not sure this was the wisest or most “discreet” decision on their part, but then who am I to question God’s appointed spokesman?!
I bet you’re looking forward to my Rutherford article. I know it’s a topic that’s close to your heart! ;-)
Very well written post Cedars! Keep up the good work exposing this CULT for what it is.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are quick to see themselves in the scriptures when they want to, but refuse to see themselves portrayed negatively. They are like the man described in James 1:22-24. They humbly say that they are disciplined by the scriptures, but in reality they look at themselves and then go off and immediately forget what sort of men they are.
When it comes to verses of scripture describing the last days, they take delight in seeing themselves as the only ones fulfilling Matthew 24:14, but they refuse to acknowledge that they are just as guilty of fulfilling Luke 21:8, “Many will come on the basis of my name and say ‘I am he,’ and ‘The due time has approached.’ Do not go after them.”
They point out the fulfillment of 2 Timothy 3:1-5 as happening today, but fail to see themselves as the ones spoken about in verses 6 and 7, “For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.”
Well, as it says in verse 9, “Nevertheless, they will make no further progress, for their madness will be very plain to all.”
Change to the understanding that 1935 marked the end of the gathering of the anointed was based on appearance. Questions from Readers in the May 1, 2007 Watchtower stated, “as time has gone by, some Christians baptized after 1935 have had witness borne to them that they have the heavenly hope. (Romans 8:16, 17) Thus, it appears that we cannot set a specific date for when the calling of Christians to the heavenly hope ends.” It begs the question whether scriptural understanding comes from holy spirit or “Oh look, it appears…” And, of course, from this evidence came the notorious overlapping generation theory.
This change to the understanding of the faithful and discreet slave will be a god-awful mess. What does it mean for the same observation found at Luke 12:41-48? Who are the other slaves mentioned in these verses? If the FDS are only the Governing Body who now make up the slave that thinks his master is delaying? Who constitutes the evil slave? In Matthew chapter 25, who are the foolish virgins?
What with this and the overlapping generation theory, they are getting themselves completely tangled up in their own scriptural misunderstandings, and their madness is becoming very plain for all to see.
How do they get 1919 anyways? I don’t know if this is the current explanation. Once I read that you have to count 3 years and a half from October 1914. You get those 3 years and a half cause Jesus was death 3 days and a half, so you have to count 1 year for one day. And that is how they get it. So by that time (1919), Rutherford and all others got out of prison and started preaching again. So that was the sign that they had been appointed? And they never knew that they had been appointed? In the Proclaimers book it says that in the year 1943 they had to change Jesus’ arrival to 1914. I wonder when they started to make up 1919…
Hello Spanish bro, thanks for your comment. I may produce an article on this at a later stage, because it’s quite interesting. To summarize, the “three and a half year” period (Rev 11:2,3) is from December 1914 to June 1918, which is when the Society Board of Directors received their jail sentences. There was then, based on Rev 11:9-11, to be a period of “three and a half DAYS” of spiritual inactivity over which period the temple was to be cleansed with Christ finally approving the organization. Interestingly, the jail term lasted 9 months, but the Society still insists that this 9 months was the “three and a half days” because it was a relatively short period of time. Then, when Rutherford and his associates were released in 1919, Christ chose them as his organization. So 1919 is based on no scripture whatsoever – purely the length of the jail term.
I find this all quite amusing. The FDS are the ones providing spiritual food at the ‘supposed’ proper time & seeings as though we are soo close to the end this spiritual food should be now 100% accurate and actually no longer subject to change. Yet they still see the need to refine their teachings & serve up what can only be described as dog food. Clear to anyone actually listening they aren’t divinely inspired..
In my JW days I would simply have been a nodding dog & have accepted everything that was told me.. A good few will be rocked by this change and will actually start to wake up, but more than a good many won’t….
This is just about having total control, and effectively dealing with the increasing number of partakers…unfortunately,most JWs are too indoctrinated to notice. .hopefully, it just might trigger some into awakening.
To illustrate how much of a shock to the system this will be for some…
I spoke to my Dad and asked him, “If there was new light and it was announced that the Governing Body is now the Faithful and Discreet Slave, and not all of the anointed, what would be your reaction?” He prevaricated quite a bit, but his answer was essentially that there would need to be “very good reasoning behind it” for him to accept such an understanding. I know full well that he will accept it anyway, but it’s still interesting to hear his reaction before he gets brainwashed into accepting it. He will also, hopefully, remember our conversation once that happens.
1914,1919… “operation of error” doctrine promulgated from the man of lawlessness who have sat in the “Temple of God” – above all anointed ones – The false presence as warned by Paul in 2 Thess 2:1-12
1914 is a deception: exatoverdade.blogspot.com.br/2012/10/the-kingdom-of-heaven-belongs-to-jesus.html
More Contradictory and doubled standard teachings:
What about all that history that the Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15) was a “proof” that there was a “Governing Body” during the first century????
Get out of her My People!!
Ahh…they indeed claim now they are 2.0 GB (FDS feature added) …old ones were 1.0 GB version
When i read the part about the on going ‘cleansing’ the very first thing this brought to my mind was a back handed way of pre-explaining why there will be many people who leave after hearing this. They will say the cleansing is still going on today, and that those who cannot or refuse to keep up with Jehovah’s fast moving spiritual chariot will be left behind.
Pure evil. They are bring themselves ever closer to being a mirror image of the pope. Next they’re going to ask us to kneel down in their presence.
It seems that the Governing Body has for some time been sneaking in little clues that it would go in this direction. When I attended a local district convention last June, much of the closing session was filled with statements like “we must obey the Faithful and Discreet Slave” and “the Faithful and Discreet Slave decides what is best for us” – clearly implying that it was the Governing Body acting in that capacity. I have been surprised that only 15% of the mini-survey answers indicated that the GB was the FS.
I recently received a comment from a reader of one of my websites who reported that he was publicly dressed down by a Circuit Overseer after a Watchtower Study. His mistake? While answering a question during the meeting he happened to use the phrase “the Governing Body, being the ‘faithful slave,’ directs and provides us with the knowledge we need.” The CO told him directly that the Governing Body and The Faithful Slave WERE NOT SYNONYMOUS and that such a statement “had obvious roots in apostate writings.” He was told to be very careful about what he said during the meetings and that he should “stick to what is written in the paragraphs.”
Yes John. I’ve been looking at some of the more recent publications, and nearly all of those touching on this subject appear to have been worded in such a way as to not contradict this “new light” in the future, thus minimizing the number of publications that will need to be “updated” and sneaking the teaching in gradually. Very clever indeed.
Wow! That’s just incredible. It really is
Still have to wait for official letter or article on this, hope it is true though will help many with doubts to wake up.
As Cedars pointed out already, the whole idea of ‘Old Light’ and ‘New light’ is controversial. Suppose You got sick after eating at some restaurant because the food obviously was old (out-dated). Are You likely to ever returning to that restaurant and what will happen to all other guests having been potentially poisened by the ‘old Light’ (sorry, – food).
Even though it is written that ‘insight’ would be provided on a bit-by-bit basis, there must be a significant difference between NOT providing detailed information (since it is yet unkown) and providing FALSE information for a long time. This simply cannot be in the mind of a loving Good. Sorry to admit but the whole thing makes me wonder if the GB is under devine control. However, I might have missed something important.
I hope my words are understandable since my English is not too god.
Greetings from Sweden
Fluently written but doesn’t focus enough on the scriptural perspective, particularly an honest examination of what Matt 24:45-47 actually means. Those scriptures were not even quoted, which is poor. Also doesn’t explain why we can confidently say that a FDS must have existed before 1919, such as C T Russell. Instead the article quickly resorts to ad hominem attacks and shallow character assassinations of Judge Rutherford and the current GB. Rather disappointing article.
Wombledin, rather than resorting to your own “ad hominem” attack on my article, perhaps you could specify exactly what your own reaction to this “new light” is. Are you in agreement that the Governing Body should now be considered second only to Christ?
Also, I expressed in the article that Matthew 24:45-47 is “a scripture that most people regard as a mere parable”, which is a viewpoint I share. I therefore didn’t see the need to go into a laborious examination of a scripture that is being entirely mis-used in the first place.
Cedars
With regard to the so called spiritual food being dispensed in 1919 besides the main culprit of false teachings and prophecies The Finished Mystery, the false Millions Now Living Will Never Die public lectures were being given. The first of these was given by Rutherford in Los Angeles on Feb 24, 1918. Although the Millions booklet was not published until 1920 the lectures and articles in the Watchtower and Golden age from 1918 falsly prophecied 1925 as the date for the begining of the renewal and start of Christ’s millenium reign. It was claimed that this was a God given date. This is yet another reason why the 1919 claim to divine appointment is a lie, unless we are to believe God and Christ deliberately impart incorrect information which they then later correct through imparting “New Light”. A useful video on the Millions material can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k24y40r2edY
Why do you waste your time with a religion that your not part of anymore. You people seem to be paranoid of how this organizatin of JEHOVAHS WITNESSES operate and etc. You show extreme WEAKNESS buy being complainers like Satan. Have you people here partner up with Satan as his new personal co-pilot in bashing this religion who you just cant seem to let go from within your mind?! WHAT A BUNCH OF WEAK FOOLS YOU REALLY ARE!
We learnt how to do that when we were active JWs and were regularly shown how to slag off other religions.
We were well taught wern’t we.
Thanks Steve for your warm-hearted and christian response! Was there something specific about the article that you didn’t like, or are you just frustrated and feel the need to rant at a bunch of people you don’t know?! It’s interesting how you allude to Satan in your comment. Isn’t he supposed to be the “father of the lie”? So, when we uncover lies in JW teachings, who should we attribute these to?
Hello Steve. I agree with your intention but disagree with your perceived lack of insight into the bigger picture. Some of us former members of the WBTS still have family members within this organization. So, what we do here may involve personal matters and concern for our loved ones. Look at it this way: If I was your loved one, asleep in a burning building, becoming overcome by smoke, and you drove by and saw the flames leaping from the roof, wouldn’t you do all you could to alert me? Same with the perception factor of being inside the WBTS organization and being outside the WBTS organization. While in, I could not perceive the simple idea that Father is all I really needed, not the deceit of the organization. Now, from a different vantage point, outside the organization, the deceit can be acknowledged and an alert may be sounded. Will you even partially relate to what I’m saying? Thanks in advance for making time to learn of a different point of view.
This latest lunacy doesn’t surprise me at all. But there is something different now, then when I left in 1979. The ‘urgency’ of Armageddon no longer is the big drawing card anymore. Also, so many have left who have begun websites to help JW’s and exJW’s who are leaving or have left. My wife remains a JW, and I really am praying that she can survive when things fall apart for the WT Society. I am now a Christian and this is really the only true healing for those who suffer such a bitter pill to know that they (I, etc.) were taken for a ride. The bitterness and anger are intense, as I had after leaving. But, as Christ is my Saviour, I do not have that feeling anymore. I am a member of a Presbyterian church and serve as an Elder. I never would have believed I would ever want to serve in any capacity again. But, when you know Jesus loves you and has forgiven all your sins, and thus, you love Him, well, that has made all the difference in the world for me. -Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28 -Ernie
Hello Ernie. I relate in some areas with you about the leaving process. I was disfellowshipped in 2001 for unrepentant adultery and drug abuse. I was told by my wife of the time I would wouldn’t survive “in the world”. In 2004 I learned what perfect love is when Father sat me under a bridge for two weeks and allowed me to know Him, as my discipline. I eventually ended up in psyche ward in 2004 after making the statement, “I refuse to go back to serving the Devil”. I even attempted reinstatement into the WBTS, then realized there is hope apart from the WBTS. Since that season of my life I’ve come to realize Father is all I need and the Bible is the only book I need to read. I still have six siblings three children within the society who will have nothing to do with me.
Not only this site Fred , But Jehovah has opened the whole internet to us. But you want to be selective .
What other reason would the Watchtower, keep one from wondering into our land of freedom . : )
Stop and ponder for a minute, When was the last good spiritual meal anyone recieved from within the Watchtower. The governing body have been flip flopping back and forth for years about being the FDS.
When Jesus does arrieve, just who do you think will be appointed ? Certainly no one from with in the watchtower, they have already proven unfaithful. So the question still remains
Who is the faithful and discreet Slave ?
I believe one key to this is what this ‘slave’ does: “to give them meat in due season” (Matthew 24:45 King James Version) The church in the Apostles’ day already had clearly outlined what we would call ‘officer’ in a church: Pastors, Elders, Deacons. It would fall to the Pastor, or the Minister in a church to ‘feed’ or teach and preach God’s Word faithfully. Each person in a church is ‘called’ to a service in a church. The confusion is that after leaving JW’s we really have no concept that a church, or any church would have the right idea on who should preach the gospel as an ordained Minister. We all share in preaching and sharing the gospel, but in a church, one man is called and ordained to be a Minister of the Word, a teaching Elder. See 1 Peter 5:1-3 which shows that Peter called himself an “Elder” and that Elders were to feed the flock, which shows this Elder to be a Minister. The idea of ‘callings’ has never been really taught Biblically to us as JW’s and the Biblical idea of a ‘faithful and wise servant’ never meant an elite group who rule over everyone. The Bible concept of Church government is a Teaching Elder (Minister), Elders who govern with the Ministerin oversight in a church, and Deacons, who provide service and physical help to people. Each Church is to be ‘governed’ this way. I know after leaving JW’s, I didn’t want to be ‘governed’ by anyone! But, in time, as I read the Bible and heard sermons on this subject, I could see that my stumbling block was really the abuse of power by JW leaders or th governing body. We often confuse what the governing body did to us and carry it over to churches and life outside the organization. It takes time to get our thinking straight! It takes time to trust any lawful authority over us again! I know. I’ve been through the journey and I’m ok now, thanks to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I also serve as an Elder in my church! So, ‘what hath the Lord wrought?’ in me? He healed my anger and bitterness to go on with my life in serving others in a faithful church. A long journey. A painful journey, but, worth every painful step!
“Papal Authority”
As head of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope is the supreme spiritual leader of the Church and controls the church doctrine. With over a billion followers, the pope’s decisions impact societies and governments all over the world.
“Governing Body Authority”
As head of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the G.B is the supreme spiritual leader of the organization and controls all doctrine. With over 7 million followers, the G.B.’s decisions impact followers and their families all over the world.
I can’t see any difference here other than size? Where is the relevance in either example to what our true “head” left for our posterity through the words of himself and his apostles? John 14:6, Matthew 23:10, John 15:26, 1Cor 11:3