Congregation "Bible Study" Comments - Week Commencing 2 November 2009

*** lv chap. 12 pp. 133-143 Speak What "Is Good for Building Up" ***

"Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth, but whatever saying is good for building up."-EPHESIANS 4:29.

Q1-3. (a) What is one gift that Jehovah has given us, and how can it be misused? (b) To remain in God's love, how do we need to use the gift of speech?
IF YOU were to give a loved one a gift, how would you feel if he deliberately misused it? Say that you gave him a car, and you later learned that he drove it recklessly, causing injury to others. Would you not be disappointed?

How many JW's can relate to this illustration? How many of them can afford to gift somebody a car?? Obviously the WTS doesn't understand the predicament of the rank and file who struggle to update and drive decent cars, because the "worldwide brotherhood" is paying for the lease, fuel, registration and servicing of their new vehicle fleet.

2 The ability to utter intelligible speech is a gift from Jehovah, the Giver of "every good gift and every perfect present." (James 1:17) This gift, which sets the human family apart from the animal creation, enables us to convey not just our thoughts but also our feelings to others. Like a motor vehicle, however, the gift of speech can be misused. How it must disappoint Jehovah when speech is used recklessly, causing heartache and pain to others!

Intelligible speech? Would you describe this WTS doctrine of Daniel's 2300 days intelligent?

***dp chap. 10 pp. 177-179 Who Can Stand Against the Prince of Princes? ***

"26 For "the holy place" to be "brought," or restored, to what it should be, the 2,300 days must have begun when it previously was in the "right condition" from God's standpoint. At the earliest, this was on June 1, 1938, when The Watchtower published part 1 of the article "Organization." Part 2 appeared in the issue of June 15, 1938. Counting 2,300 days (6 years, 4 months, and 20 days on the Hebrew calendar) from June 1 or 15, 1938, brings us to October 8 or 22, 1944. On the first day of a special assembly held at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., on September 30 and October 1, 1944, the Watch Tower Society's president spoke on the subject "The Theocratic Alignment Today." At the annual corporate meeting on October 2, the Society's charter was amended in an effort to bring it as close to a theocratic arrangement as the law would allow. With the publication of clarified Biblical requirements, theocratic organization was soon more fully installed in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses.

27 While the 2,300 days ran their course during World War II, which began in 1939, the offering of "the constant feature" at God's sanctuary was severely restricted because of persecution. In 1938 the Watch Tower Society had 39 branches supervising the work of the Witnesses worldwide, but by 1943 there were only 21. Increases in the number of Kingdom proclaimers were also small during that period.

28 As we have noted, during the closing months of World War II, Jehovah's Witnesses reaffirmed their determination to magnify God's rulership by serving him as a theocratic organization. It was with this objective that the rearrangement of their work and governing structure was initiated in 1944. In fact, The Watchtower of October 15, 1944, contained an article entitled "Organized for Final Work." It and other service-oriented articles of the same period indicated that the 2,300 days had ended and that "the holy place" was again in its "right condition."  

3 To remain in God's love, we need to use the gift of speech as the Giver intended. Jehovah leaves no doubt about the kind of speech that pleases him. His Word says: "Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth, but whatever saying is good for building up as the need may be, that it may impart what is favorable to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29) Let us discuss why we need to keep on guard when it comes to speech, what speech we should avoid, and how we can utter speech that "is good for building up."

"...whatever saying is good for building up"? How up building are their words at meetings and in their publications to constantly make people feel guilty for not doing enough? How up building was it for them to have published and promoted this false prophecy?

"Today, a small percentage of mankind can still recall the dramatic events of 1914. Will that elderly generation pass away before God saves the earth from ruin? Not according to Bible prophecy. 'When you see all these things,' Jesus promised, 'know that he is near at the doors. Truly I say to you that this  generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.' - Matthew 24:33, 34." (Watchtower May 1, 1992 page 3: The Year That Shocked The World)

WHY WE NEED TO GUARD OUR SPEECH

Q4, 5. How do some Bible proverbs describe the power of words?
4 One important reason to guard our speech is that words have power. Proverbs 15:4 says: "The calmness of the tongue is a tree of life, but distortion in it means a breaking down in the spirit." Even as water revives a thirsty tree, so the calm speech of a soothing tongue can refresh the spirit of those hearing it. In contrast, the twisted words of a perverse tongue can crush the spirit of others. Indeed, the words we speak have the power to injure or to heal.-Proverbs 18:21.

"words have power" especially if you convince people that you speak for God. How many people have been injured some crushed by the WTS? How many have died unecessaraly because of their twisting of the scriptures?

5 Vividly describing the power of words, another proverb says: "There exists the one speaking thoughtlessly as with the stabs of a sword." (Proverbs 12:18) Thoughtless words said in haste can cause deep emotional wounds and destroy relationships. Has your heart ever been pierced by the thrusts of a verbal sword? On the positive side, the same proverb says: "The tongue of the wise ones is a healing." Thoughtful words from one who manifests godly wisdom can mend an aching heart and restore relationships. Can you recall an occasion when you experienced the healing power of kind words? (Proverbs 16:24) Recognizing that spoken words have power, we certainly want to use our speech to heal others, not to hurt them.

How many were "pierced by the thrusts of" this "verbal sword" after the elders parroted this admonition to a marriage mate that wanted to end their marriage:

"...While both homosexuality and bestiality are disgusting perversions, in the case of neither one is the marriage tie broken. It is broken only by acts that make an individual "one flesh" with a person of the opposite sex other than his or her legal marriage mate." W72 1/1 p.31:

Q6. Why is it a real struggle to control our tongue?
6 No matter how hard we try, we cannot completely control our tongue. Here, then, is a second reason why we need to keep on guard respecting our speech: Sin and imperfection incline us toward misusing our tongue. Words are a product of our heart, and "the inclination of the heart of man is bad." (Genesis 8:21; Luke 6:45) Bridling our tongue is therefore a real struggle. (James 3:2-4) Although we cannot gain perfect control of our tongue, we can keep working at making improvement in how we use it. Just as a swimmer trying to swim upstream has to keep fighting the current, so we have to keep fighting the sinful tendency to misuse our tongue.

How hypocritical for them to counsel others on the misuse of the tongue considering they have a 120 year history of misusing their tongue in the name of God. Here is an example of elevating their man made doctrine to the same level as the Bible:

"Our coming to know "the truth" - the entire body of Christian teachings that has become part of the Bible - and adhering to it are essential for our salvation. - Watchtower December 15 2008, pg 28.

Q7, 8. To what extent does Jehovah hold us accountable for our words?
7 A third reason to guard our speech is that Jehovah holds us accountable for our words. The way we use our tongue affects not only our relationship with fellow humans but also our standing with Jehovah. James 1:26 says: "If any man seems to himself to be a formal worshiper and yet does not bridle his tongue, but goes on deceiving his own heart, this man's form of worship is futile." As we saw in the preceding chapter, our speech is not independent of our worship. If our tongue is unbridled-spewing out hurtful, poisonous speech-all of our Christian works could be rendered worthless in God's eyes. Is that not a sobering thought?-James 3:8-10.

"...Jehovah holds us accountable for our words" Wow - just as Jesus said:

"Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother's eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Allow me to extract the straw from your own eye'; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother's eye." - Matthew 7: 3-5 NWT.

8 It is clear that we have strong reasons to guard against misusing the gift of speech. Before we consider wholesome forms of speech that build up, let us discuss speech that certainly has no place in the life of a true Christian.

Egads......

Speak What "Is Good for Building Up".........real world translation: Tow the WTS partyline, none of that 'independent thinking'

I see myself sneaking in some earbuds into the second school room Tuesday!

(March ain't coming soon enough!)

Thanks Lulkewarm!!!

"Jehovah holds us accountable for our words"

I wonder if he'll hold the WT$ accountable for these words:

Jehovah's prophetic word through Jesus Christ is: 'This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.'

the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away

Thanks Lukewarm , If I do decide to go tonight I'll have some interesting answers to give.

CL

Why don't they call it misuse of "speech" to tell everyone that the end was coming in 1975, tell everyone to sell out, and then tell them it was their fault for taking too much into it when 1976 came?  Any time you set up many people to sell out, and then blame them when your prediction fails, you are misusing this "gift of speech" in a way that is far worse than any of the gossip that spreads through the Kingdumb Hell.

Additionally, there is plenty of gossip and slander running through the Kingdumb Hell, and much of it is started by the hounders.  In my former congregation, someone got in trouble for being defrauded of a tidy sum of money, because the lead hounder wanted him out.  When it was reduced to a public reproof, there was subsequent slander (I think this same hounder started it) that he had been disfellowshipped--I heard it from other "friends(??)", when all I heard from the platform was the reproof (and even that had to be taken down later).  At that time, I was attending pretty much all the boasting sessions, so I would not have missed the announcement.

What if I were to take account of each and every time the "gift of speech" (including writing) was misused to initiate the use of force, threats of force, and/or fraud against other people or their property and nothing gets done about it?  I bet I would have enough material to throw this article right back in their faces.