Jesus told the religious leaders of his day the following “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses. 3 Therefore all the things they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but do not perform. 4 They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger. (Matt. 23:2-4 NWT)

It is interesting that Jesus lets us know that the Pharisees and scribes weren’t in their prominent position by an appointment by God. No, he says that they “have seated themselves” in that position of authority. They believed they were the great guardians of truth. When they based their teaching on truth it would be safe to listen to them, but many times they taught but did not practice. They also created a hedge of rules and laws around the Mosaic Law so as to help, in their opinion, the ordinary Jew from coming close to breaking one of God’s Laws. All these regulations became a burden, and took away the people’s joy from serving Jehovah.

The Pharisees presumed much. However, there must have been ones who loved righteousness among them since some came to be Christians, including Paul. But because of presumptuously pushing ahead of God and their self-exaltation, Jesus condemned them.

Do we recognize any similarities with the Governing Body? Have they also presumptuously sat themselves in a prominent position? The Pharisees sat themselves in Moses’ seat. In many ways the Governing Body has gone a step further and sat themselves in Jesus’ seat. They claim they have received from Jesus all his belongings and cares here upon the earth. While we know Jesus is the only savior, they say “Not so fast, any who want to be saved not only have to come through Jesus, they also have to come to us!”  We know Jesus is our only Mediator between us and Jehovah. The Governing Body says “Not so, only a few thousand of us have Jesus as our Mediator, if you want to have any hope of surviving Armageddon you must stick close to us, obey us and consider us as the way to God”. Is there any claim in the history of mankind that has been greater than the claim made by the “faithful and discreet slave” and its Governing Body. They not only say they speak for God, but that they are God’s only channel. Even the faithful prophets of old who truly spoke God’s pronouncements did not claim that they were the only ones doing so. Since the claim the Governing Body so presumptuously makes is so awesomely huge, the proof that is required to believe that claim should equally be awesomely huge.

The Governing Body also says but doesn’t perform. For instance, in many articles designed for the public they encourage people to have an open mind, and to put to the test their religious beliefs. This however is denied to the members of Jehovahs Witnesses. If they try to do what the Governing Body encourages people of other religions to do, they will be disfellowshipped. Also, the Governing Body demands tolerance of their beliefs from the world at large, while at the same time being very intolerant of those that question their authority. They criticize the Catholic church for their authoritarian ways, but the Governing Body exercises way more authority in their sphere of influence than the Vatican does in it’s own. The Governing Body criticizes the churches for their lack of love saying that only among the JWs can true love be found in abundance. But the truth is that in most congregations there is a real lack of love shown. Yes, just like the Pharisees the Governing Body says but doesn’t perform.

Also just like the Pharisees the Governing Body has built up a huge tradition of “theocratic” law. There are endless rules and “counsel” on almost every conceivable subject or situation. Many time the “counsel” isn’t just counsel. For if one doesn’t follow that “counsel” immediately he is considered a spiritually weak or rebellious person. I won’t go into detail about all the non-biblical rules there are as I believe most readers are well aware of them. The Governing Body also ties up heavy loads upon the shoulders of the Witnesses. They make all the works they set before them as something obligatory. This is especially true with all the heavy loads that they give the elders. They try to motivate the brothers by using guilt. The publications are filled with experiences that they say are supposed to be “encouraging”. You know the one where the single mother with 6 children under the age of 10 who regular pioneers, or the brother who walks through the jungle and  alligator infested rivers for 30 miles each way so as to attend a meeting. While these experiences could be encouraging more often than not they incite guilt. They seem to say “If that person can pioneer in her circumstances, why can’t you? You have no excuse.” My question is, why does the title of pioneer even exist? Why is it required to hand in a field service report? All these things are part of the “heavy load” that is placed upon the shoulders of the publishers. What has been the result of these loads? A lack of joy that is pervasive in the organization. That lack of joy can lead to a lack of love for our brother.

Are there righteous ones among the Governing Body? I don’t know, but there were honorable ones among the Pharisees. It is not up to us to judge individually the members of the Governing Body and other leaders of the organization. They will be the ones who will render account to Jesus for their own actions.

Many JWs who have come to recognize these things become spiritually disorientated. A vast number of people who were formally JWs have now become atheists. How sad. Why is this happening? Of course the organization must bear much blame for making false claims. However the individual is the one who is principally at fault. Notice Jesus words at Matt. 7:24-27 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

The ex-JWs who are now atheists or agnostics built their belief on the sand of the organization. Therefore when that sand was washed away there was nothing holding up their “house”. They allowed men to control their relationship with Jehovah and Jesus. Let us build on the rock which is Jesus.

 

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11 Comments on Presumptuousness and the Governing Body

  1. greybeard says:

    Bravo Andrew!

    I love how you used Matt. 7:24-27 and said to build our house on the rock Jesus. I never looked at it that way. Great example! I agree with everything you said in this post. Great job! Keep up the good work!!!

    Your brother,
    Greybeard

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  2. serein says:

    its true i always felt i wasnt doing enough or that i wasnt good enough cos i wasnt out on min most of the time, i also have 8 children but they arnt all under ten but 5 are under 11, 3 above 18, and im telling u its very hard especialy if u are a single parent and also if u dont have other family in the jws to help out,i never read about the sis with the 6 kids but did she take em all out or were they all in school wile she was on min,did she get some help, i never did,i was a single parent with 5 kids for many years and i found it hard,alsp iv now come to the conclusion that if u dont fully know the truth and the scriptures u shouldnt be going out and teaching anyone else em,and thats what the jws expect from new timers befor baptism and then after as much as pos,i found it very hard were i live to go on min theres lots of nasty people and alot of em i grew up around and i was always diff and none of em liked me, cos i dint wana be like everyone else they said i thought i was sumat special, i dint thoe, but if i went to anyones door i felt dead uncomfortable, i can remeber about 6 years back i got hit in street in middle of day by a woman druggy who said i thought i was better than everyone and i dint even no her so being diff deff stands out and for me going on mn made me very uneasy, i think we should just tell people if they ask and that we should always have a good manner be a good example uprite and honest and thats a wit in its self so i dont think we arte suposed to go out door to door at all, and i deff think puting reports in is wrong and make people feel they have to like its looked down upon if u dont i can even rem lieing once cos i felt bad for not going on min not cos i felt bad cos i dint do gods work but cos i dint want to be looked down upon,

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    • Amos says:

      I remember very well the slogan of many talks & demo’s at conventions & assemblies during the 1950s & 60s being; “Is your best good enough?” or similar.
      It was pointed out on many occasions that our best was NEVER good enough, because we could always improve in some way or other. Rather than being encouraging, this was just the opposite, extermely negative, with many of the brethren getting discouraged & some giving up entirely.

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  3. Alden says:

    Thank you for your observations, Andrew, which greatly coincide with my own. It’s amazing how there can be similar conclusions coming from people all over the world.
    The GB overstepping their authority is a big issue. Look at the supposed “governing” body of the first century. Did anyone die because of the question of circumcision, which was raised in Acts 15? Most assuredly not. Has anyone died because of the decision rendered by the “governing” body of today regarding Acts 15? The answer is painfully obvious. The GB of today, therefore, would assume an even more ponderous authority over people’s lives than the original GB, composed of the direct apostles and disciples of Jesus, taking upon themselves a terrible liability for the consequences! Does anyone follow what I’m saying?

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    • greybeard says:

      Yes Alden, I understand what you are saying and you make a good point. At Matthew 10:21-22 Jesus said, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

      Do we see this happening in a literal sense? I have not however it truly does happen in a spiritual sense. When one stops bowing to another’s Idol like the GB or Catholic church what do they do? They kill you by disfellowshipping you. JW’s are the worst at this and they enforce it all the way just like many cults do.

      Jesus said this would happen because of his name. When following Christ you refuse all other idols and false gods thus they kill you.

      As far as a “original GB” I don’t believe there was one. The apostle Paul was appointed by Christ and not man. He never went to Jerusalem for 3 years after and when he finally did he called them “super fine apostles” and he disciplined Peter before them all. (Galatians)

      Each congregation stood on it’s own before Christ. Jesus was the head not a governing body. They were directed by holy spirit. 1 John 2:26-27.

      Your brother in Christ,
      Greybeard

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  4. Alden says:

    Yes, brother Greybeard, I don’t think of the first apostolic council as a “governing” body placed in command of the early Christians. They were brothers who understood their sheparding responsibilities and wanted to bring peace into the congregations, which had been disrupted by this heated dispute. They acted as “older brothers” (not as Big Brother in the Orwell sense) to build up the brotherhood and to point them to the Christ as their newly found head. The so-called GB of today usurps that authority by butting in with their man-made regulations, thereby coming between the relationship of man with his head, Christ Jesus. A very grave mistake in my opinion. How will we ever stand before the judgement seat of God if we depend on an organisation to do our thinking for us?

    Of course, I don’t disagree with everything they say, just as even the Pope can say a few good words or two. We just have to draw our own personal conclusions for which we alone bear the responsibility before our Eternal Father. We have to mature, while the WTS seems to want us to stay eternally babes.

    With high esteem,
    Alden

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  5. JWB says:

    Here is a link to a post that I think might be of great interest to many visiting this site. I believe it answers the question as to “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave?” in connection with JWs. This is right from “the horses mouth” so to speak and shows, to me anyway, that any appointment as a steward was made by themselves.

    http://jwbaptism.blogspot.com/.....eward.html

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  6. JWB says:

    Sorry for the double post. In my first post I forgot to put the name and other details in before submitting a reply.

    Who REALLY is ‘the faithful and discreet slave/steward’ from a legal point of view? Here is a clue: Look inside any modern day official publication of JWs and see who owns the copyright to the ‘spiritual food’. Now, if you have not already done so, please follow the above link for evidence from what the Society has revealed in its own documents, even if they deny such a legal entity exists. It goes to show that the appointment of the ‘servant/steward’ was really of an earthly source, and a self-appointment at that!

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  7. Victor says:

    I see what your saying, however I never feel guilty for my service. I do believe that people use those examples you speak of to mercilessly judge others.

    Nobody but Jesus is my master. If the Governing Body ever reads this post I would like to refer you to 2 Corinthians 1:24. I would also like the GB to know that you are the ones responsible for any JW of the other sheep to be judged a goat for you encourage the judging and mistreatment of the least of Christ’s brothers. Matthew 25:31-46. Also refer you GB members to Romans 8:33. Who are you to file accusation against someone that partakes at the memorial, professing to be anointed. How do you know if someone is Legite? Principally speaking Matt. 22:11-13.
    I believe Jehovah Himself throws the person outside.

    Victor.

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    • Victor says:

      After further review my thought on Matt. 22:11-13 is probably in the future during the GT. I think the context before it as well as the parable of the wheat and the weeds and the dragnet are related and the same. Also Romans 9:21 and 2 Tim 2:20,21.
      I believe also that Daniel 12:2 is probably referring to this as well. How can you go from the GT in verse 1 to 1919 or whatever in verse 2 when the context appears to be continuous from verse 1 to verse 2. I guess this means that I believe that weeds are amongst us. Probably at Bethel at that. Which seems to agree with the fact that the OS will be judged at the end of the GT.

      I also agree with someone, I forget now that the GB wants to keep us as babes even though the purpose of the older men in the 1st place is to help everyone reach the full stature and maturity of the Christ. Eph. 4:11-14.

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  8. Willie says:

    Here is a quote from The Watch Tower (Feb. 15. 1914) which I think that Serein might appreciate. It is a quote by Charles T. Russell on the Golden Text of that issue–Michah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
    Bro. Russell’s comment was, “What doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God? At first one might be inclined to say, Why, that is different! There is nothing in the text of Scripture to say that in order to be an heir of the kingdom one must take up his cross, deny himself and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, self-sacrificingly!
    “This is true; but we should notice that the one is a requirement and the other a privilege. God does not require sacrifice. What he requires is loyalty and obedience, but not sacrifice. Whatever is sacrificial is so much more than the divine law requires. Thus in the case of Jesus, the divine law could not require him to do more than to obey it–to love God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself. But could not all this have been done by Jesus without the laying down of his life at all? Surely! Hence the Scriptures represent that when Jesus presented himself at Jordan, he consecrated all that he had to do the Father’s will, even unto death–not merely to keep the law. He delighted to do the Father’s will, even beyond what the Father demanded in the law. (Hebrews 10:5-7) And so must it be with all who would be acceptable footstep followers of Jesus and attain with him glory, honor and immortality on the Heavenly plane.”
    I hope that this doesn’t give the impression that Jesus didn’t know that he would die as a ransom for Adam for, in my humble opinion, he did know. The point is that he did it willingly–in effect, he volunteered. He became the ransom SACRIFICE.
    Since Pentecost the holy Spirit leads the spirit-begotten ones in paths of righteousness. Such a one is not to be dictated to by any man or by any orginization of men as to the works that he should exhibit as the evidence of his (or her) faith. Salvation is not of WORKS lest any man should BOAST; it is the GIFT OF GOD.

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