Is the governing body now saying they are APOSTLES?

I thought I read here that the GB as a group is saying that individually they are modern day apostles.

Can someone please confirm and give references.

Thank you in advance.

yesidid 

Apostles of Crap peddlers maybe!

The Church of Rome believes in Apostalic Succession and even the Eastern Orthodox draw historical links. Witnesses Ecclesiology tries to make a similar connection through their 1919 doctrine and self appointment.

Well there are 12 of them, which speaks for itself! I know it sounds stupid, but i never noticed the significance of the fact there are 12 members of the GB until recently.

Hell no.  They equate themselves with God himself. 

The GB follow the same dictum used by the College of Cardinals of the RCC- extra ecclesium nulla salus

There are only nine of them BH.

I doubt that they would lower themselves to the level of Apostles.

Some are confusing the WTS with the LDS when you think the GB consists of 12 members; there have been as many as 18 and as few as 10.  The LDS has 12 members on their controlling body and they call them apostles.

Here is a quote that seems to indicate that the WTS does not consider current GB members to be apostles.

*** w71 12/15 p. 761 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***Dedicated, baptized, anointed Christians became associated with that Society at headquarters in Pennsylvania. Whether on the Board of Directors or not, they rendered themselves available for special work of the "faithful and discreet slave" class. They aided in the feeding and directing of the slave class, and thus a governing body made its appearance. This was evidently under the guidance of Jehovah’s invisible active force or holy spirit. Also, under the direction of the Head of the Christian congregation, Jesus Christ the Son of God. True, the members of that governing body were not directly appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. For that matter, not all the members of the governing body associated with the Jerusalem congregation in the first century were thus directly appointed. How, then, were those "elders" of the Jerusalem congregation who were not numbered among the twelve apostles made members of the governing body? Evidently by appointment of the original twelve apostles, acting under the guidance of Jehovah’s holy spirit.

This is illustrated by the action of those twelve apostles when appointing Stephen and Philip and five other men to take care of certain business of the Jerusalem congregation. (Acts 6:1-8) Also, the apostle Paul pointed out in his remarks to the elders of the Ephesus congregation that the overseers of God’s flock of spiritual sheep were appointed by God’s holy spirit. (Acts 20:28) Thus, too, even though there were no apostles of Christ on hand in the nineteenth century, God’s holy spirit must have been operative toward the formation of the governing body for his anointed remnant of the "faithful and discreet slave" class. The facts speak for themselves. There came on the scene a body of anointed Christians who accepted and undertook the responsibilities of governing the affairs of Jehovah’s dedicated, baptized, anointed people who were following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and endeavoring to fulfill the work stated in Jesus’ prophecy at Matthew 24:45-47. Facts speak louder than words. The governing body is there. Thankfully Jehovah’s Christian witnesses know and assert that this is no one-man religious organization, but that it has a governing body of spirit-anointed Christians.

IOW- they are not saying that they are apostles, they are saying that some of the apostles were the governing body.

IOW- they are not saying that they are apostles, they are saying that some of the apostles were the governing body.

Thanks Black Sheep, ooer - dunno why i thought there were 12

The book, "The Nations Shall Know that I Am Jehovah - How?" published in 1971 by the Watchtower Society, Chapter 4, "Commissioned to Speak in the Divine Name" the organization characterizes themselves as a modern day Ezekiel "prophet class" equal to the original Ezekiel.  It is in this chapter that the organization clearly and unquestionably stakes their claim as having divine appointment.  However, they have never claimed to be Apostles - yet.  Their number of the Governing Body is currently not 12, but has varied from 9 to 18. There is no correlation to the 12 Apostles except by coincidence.  Whereas the Mormons call their body the 12 Apostles for the deliberate reason to associate themselves with similar commissioned authority from God.

What Blondie quotes is a great example of their gobble-dee-gook dangerous mind-control writings.

It is a way to put the Governing Body ahead of the rest of the anointed in importance.

"Whether on the Board of Directors or not..." means that anointed on the board had more service to Jehovah than anointed not on the board.

"They aided in the feeding and directing of the slave class, and thus a governing body made its appearance. This was evidently under the guidance of Jehovah’s invisible active force or holy spirit."  This reminds the members that they so nicely fulfill prophecy uttered in a parable, so the parable must have been pointing to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.  PROOF OF THEIR IMPORTANCE.

"True, the members of that governing body were not directly appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. For that matter, not all the members of the governing body associated with the Jerusalem congregation in the first century were thus directly appointed." While it is true that some can say that Jesus Christ did not DIRECTLY appoint today's GB, the same can always be said for the GB.  Two things- they make the members feel that there was a 1st century Governing Body doing the same thing that the 21st century Governing Body does, and they can make members think that they have to look at "evidence" of Godly direction in both cases then they describe the evidence.

"Thus, too, even though there were no apostles of Christ on hand in the nineteenth century, God’s holy spirit must have been operative toward the formation of the governing body for his anointed remnant of the "faithful and discreet slave" class. The facts speak for themselves."  Here is the kicker, the GB was never made up of Apostles once they were gone, so the WTS is reserving that title for those appointed directly by Jesus, thereby removing any need for questioning the title being applied to today's GB.  NO, they are not apostles, but none of them were after a bit.  Thus, they are just as important as apostles without the title.

"Thankfully Jehovah’s Christian witnesses know and assert that this is no one-man religious organization, but that it has a governing body of spirit-anointed Christians."  Just self-serving words to deny that the Witnesses were ever Russellites or Rutherfordites.  This is a re-write of their past, a denial of actuality. 

Mary-Hell no.  They equate themselves with God himself. 

I agree, they exalt themselves to take the place of Jesus.

Anyhow, don't be surprised if they change their view on this in the future and declare apostles within their ranks.

The real church has not only woken up to the gifts of the Holy Spirit but the whole of the ministry gifts too.

1 Corinthians 12:28 (New International Version)

Apostle (Christian) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All the best,

Stephen

"The facts speak for themselves. There came on the scene a body of anointed Christians who accepted and undertook the responsibilities of governing the affairs of Jehovah’s dedicated, baptized, anointed people who were following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and endeavoring to fulfill the work stated in Jesus’ prophecy at Matthew 24:45-47. Facts speak louder than words. The governing body is there."

What a bunch of blowhards.  I can see their heads getting bigger as they read and approve this article.  The facts do speak for themselves and that is why they spend so much time trying to keep witnesses from looking at them.  They might not use the word apostle when speaking of themselves but they do consider themselves a step above it.

Thank you all for your replies.

I agree it is has not been a teaching in the past, however I thought I read that

it was spoken of at this years DC.

Maybe I just imagined it.

Thanks anyway.

yesidid

There was a discussion here a few months ago with recent WT quotes indicating that they are indeed toying more and more with the practical equation of "apostles" and "governing body". Unfortunately I can't find it.

When you think of it, claiming some kind of apostleship (collective and "antitypical") is about the only way they have got to justify their authority over JWs. The old but still official doctrinal scheme (in 1919 Jesus approved the collective "Faithful and Discreet Slave" comprised of all the anointed associated with the Watchtower and then the FDS is represented by the GB) is way too complicated and farfetched to be understood, let alone believed and explained, by the average Witness. Forsaking the doctrine of the "end of the anointed call" in 1935, and at the same time denying the growing number of "anointed" any claim to authority (or even "spiritual insights") undermines the whole idea of the GB deriving its authority from the anointed. Admitting that the 1919 story is little more than a "good guess" doesn't help but is unavoidable (how many JWs can justify this date anyway?). Their practical authority rests on the unofficial but widespread equation in most JW minds: FDS = GB = WT. Although the GB may not officially identify themselves as apostles, they are bound to rely more and more on direct "apostolic" parallels to validate their leadership. And this is indeed what they seem to be doing lately.

Yes indeed, who knows what they will say in the future. In the past they have kept a rather low profile in a personal sense. Always written affirmation of their importance but low profile personally. All of a sudden the feigned humility seems to be maybe diminishing. Notice the fact that a picture of their smiling faces is included in the new book. They may be feeling "hurt" because of a less than stellar obedience of late, and feel that they must up the anti so to speak.

Another follow-up question might be: " Are the Elders and publishers now saying the GB are APOSTLES"? Those are the ones in front of the curtain ...

 Notice the fact that a picture of their smiling faces is included in the new book. They may be feeling "hurt" because of a less than stellar obedience of late, and feel that they must up the anti so to speak.

Yes booby, to the best of my knowledge this is the first time they have felt it necessary to put their combined photo's in a non historical book.  I aggree they are upping the anti, but have they actually claimed to be modern "Apostles"?

Narkissos, I agree with your thinking (which is normal), they have, in some way to stand apart from, and above, the now very fuzzy FDS.

But have they at the last DC claimed to be "Apostles".

I guess even if they have done so, we will have to wait 'till the Watchtower reviews come out to have it in print.