When did it become a members' only group? If it was always a members' only group and you were never a member then.......you do not KNOW what they are posting.
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Watchtower Governing Body: Are They The Exclusive Channel For God??
- Thread starter katiemygirl
- Start date
OK! I must admit I did not do the work, but here it is.
It was not until 1956 that baptism by the Watchtower Society became mandatory.
"Yes, one must be baptized again. Obviously, by any of such religious systems one was never in reality baptized "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit," because had he been so baptized he would have appreciated the authority and office of such true Higher Powers." Watchtower 1956 Jul 1 p.406
The pre-baptismal process continued to become more rigid. Prior to baptism it became necessary for an interested person to answer 80 questions in front of 3 different elders.
"All who do get baptized are first given thorough instruction in basic Bible teachings, and thereafter (especially since 1967) elders in the congregation review such teachings with each baptismal candidate." Proclaimers p.186
An important comment was made in 1955, something significantly contradicted in the arrangement introduced in 1985.
"A Christian, therefore, cannot be baptized in the name of the one actually doing the immersing or in the name of any man, nor in the name of any organization, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit." Watchtower 1955 Jul 1 p.411"We do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organization. No, we dedicate ourselves to the Supreme Sovereign of the Universe, our Creator, Jehovah God himself. This makes dedication a very personal relationship between us and Jehovah." Watchtower 1966 Oct 1 pp.603-604
More unusual, the Watchtower 1956 December 15 p.763 made the qualification that only those who had been baptised after 1918 needed to be re-baptised. Apparently that was the date when Christendom was officially rejected by Jehovah.
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
Either that group only recently changed to members only or it was ones similar to it i visited. I have visited enough of them to know it is the same with all of them.
All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the “greatly diversified wisdom of God” can become known only through Jehovah’s channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave. (The Watchtower; 10/1/1994; pp. 8 )
No matter where we may live on earth, God’s Word continues to serve as a light to our path and a lamp to our roadway as to our conduct and beliefs. (Ps. 119:105
) But Jehovah God has also provided his visible organization, his “faithful and discreet slave,” made up of spirit anointed ones, to help Christians in all nations to understand and apply properly the Bible in their lives. Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do. (The Watchtower; 12/1/1981; pp. 27)
“Only Jehovah’s Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil.” Watchtower 1989 Sep 1 p.19
Read more at The Watchtower, God’s Sole Channel of Communication on Earth?...Help, advice, and answers to Questions for struggling Jehovah's Witnesses and Disfellowshipped ones
No matter where we may live on earth, God’s Word continues to serve as a light to our path and a lamp to our roadway as to our conduct and beliefs. (Ps. 119:105
) But Jehovah God has also provided his visible organization, his “faithful and discreet slave,” made up of spirit anointed ones, to help Christians in all nations to understand and apply properly the Bible in their lives. Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do. (The Watchtower; 12/1/1981; pp. 27)“Only Jehovah’s Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil.” Watchtower 1989 Sep 1 p.19
Read more at The Watchtower, God’s Sole Channel of Communication on Earth?...Help, advice, and answers to Questions for struggling Jehovah's Witnesses and Disfellowshipped ones
Listen to yourself! I hear you say "all former JWs are the same". Do you also say that all black people are the same? What about Jews? Are they all the same? Are all Muslims the same? Chinese? Women? How about people on welfare? Are they all the same too?
I was on a site of former JWs. I went in there as blind as blind could be and they beat me to a pulp. Do I hate them? No! They made me strong.
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
That is interesting. I would think they were meaning that if one had been baptized in another religion, then they must be baptized again.
But it could be that they baptized with John's baptism prior to 1956. If that were the case they would need to be re-baptized.
Many groups yet baptize with John's baptism, not realizing that only John himself was commissioned to baptize for forgiveness of sins against that Old Law Covenant as the precursor to Christ and the baptism in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Even back then in the first century some had to be re-baptized when they were found only to have been baptized with John's baptism.
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
I told you what I saw by way of observation.
Sorry if you wish to deny me the right to call something which looks like a duck, a duck.
And you have to know I spoke of the groups being all the same, not necessarily the individuals.
However, for any individual to desire to hang with such sites does not say much for them.
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
Back in post 918 I had edited and completed my comment as follows:
No, I was not. I have never been a member of their group though over the years I have known many of them, working with some and and even at times vacationing with some.
H, I am sorry, as it seems you meant that chat site. No, I browsed it more than a few times as a visitor, musing at how the spirit of bitterness takes over people. That type of pondering helps me to identify and eliminate like things in myself.
You can do that with your Bible, also, just looking up the things that "fill", "filled", or "full" a person up, taking the room up inside a man so that no place is left for the holy spirit to be able to enter.
I share that here again as I think my momentary confusion caused us to get our focuses crossed. In that first line I thought you were asking if i had ever been a JW.
I have no idea what that H, is at the start of the second line. LOL.
No, I was not. I have never been a member of their group though over the years I have known many of them, working with some and and even at times vacationing with some.
H, I am sorry, as it seems you meant that chat site. No, I browsed it more than a few times as a visitor, musing at how the spirit of bitterness takes over people. That type of pondering helps me to identify and eliminate like things in myself.
You can do that with your Bible, also, just looking up the things that "fill", "filled", or "full" a person up, taking the room up inside a man so that no place is left for the holy spirit to be able to enter.
I share that here again as I think my momentary confusion caused us to get our focuses crossed. In that first line I thought you were asking if i had ever been a JW.
I have no idea what that H, is at the start of the second line. LOL.
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I am not aware that those baptized by John were rebaptized. I guess I have some reading to do!
Do you understand that baptism by Holy Spirit isn't the same as water baptism? Of that I am sure.
After Jesus was baptized he said there was a baptism he was waiting for. I can look it up if you want me to.
NO! Sorry. If you have not been a member of a site to read it you can't say what you just did say.
If you are not a JW I might ask why you are not one. If they are right then to please God you must be with them. If they are wrong I wonder why you are defending them.
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
What do you mean I can't. I did.
I can use what is called discernment, to know that what is on that closed site is no different that what is on the similar open sites.
They are merely closed so that they can get away with their resentments and further poison people's mind unhindered.
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
I did not say they were right about everything nor that they have to be right about everything. That suites your point, not mine.
I know who I am and I know my relationship with and my responsibilities to God and the church of the firstborn at Hebrews 12:22-24. What more do you claim I need?
You say people who speak against the Jehovah's Witnesses poison people's minds.
WE say the Jehovah's Witnesses poison people's minds.
It is OK for you and them to say former JWs poison minds but it is not OK for former JWs to say they poison minds. WHY?
I am sure no apostate ever said they need to be right about everything. But I think they should be right about righteousness.
It seems to me you think I should be right about righteousness. You say I condemn them by disagreeing with them. That is how you come through. I want you to know that. Do you know that?
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
Because I am speaking of the poison of resentment and you are not speaking of that kind of poison. You are picking for other types of fault and swallowing down the camel by not steering clear of the fault of resentments.
The difference is in the peace of mind between the two approaches.
YOU are assuming I disagree with them because of resentment. You cannot see my heart. Then why do you say you CAN see people's hearts?
The JWs stand for righteousness. No one says they do that because of resentment.
I stand for righteousness, but everyone says I do so because of resentment.
Do YOU stand for righteousness because of resentment?
I stand for righteousness, but everyone says I do so because of resentment.
Do YOU stand for righteousness because of resentment?
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
Granted, that is true.
Only you really know the truth. But don't you also think that you might be wearing external signs of it?
Mountain_Climber
Active Member
Standing against men is not standing up for righteousness.
Being a peacemaker is standing up for righteousness.
James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.