After reading the July 15, 2013 watchtower magazine, I've decided to compare the "new view" with the events that take place in the bible book of Matthew, chapter 24. The JWs have changed some of their views, and I am wondering how this lines up now.....or if it lines up at all. Let's begin.
First of all, let's check out the three verses from which this doctrine originated.
Matt. 24:45-47: "Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings."
From this, we can discern that there is a slave that is being given a responsibility by his master. To feed the master's domestics at the proper time. And this was to occur while the master was gone. Then when the master returns and finds the slave doing as he had asked, he rewards the slave by appointing him over all of his belongings.
Not that difficult to figure out. But now let's check out how the Watchtower Society has interpreted this.
The faithful and discreet slave have been identified as the Governing Body, a small group of anointed brothers, that are directly involved in the preparing and dispensing of spiritual food during Christ's presence. Jesus, of course, is the master. The appointing over the master's domestics occurred in 1919. And finally, the appointing over all of the master's belongings is described as those who make up the composite slave will get this appointment when they receive their heavenly reward. Along with the rest of the 144,000, they will share Christ's vast heavenly authority.
This interpretation produces a number of inconsistencies.
1) When was the slave appointed over the master's domestics? The bible indicates that this happened when the master had left. But the Watchtower says that this happened during the master's presence. If the master was present, why would he even need to appoint the slave in the first place?
2) If the master was already present during this time, how would it be possible for him to "return to find the slave doing as he had asked?" In other words, what they are saying is that the master was in two places at one time.
3) The appointing over all of the master's belongings happens once the master returns and finds the slave doing as he was asked. But the Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus returned in 1914. If he returned in 1914, that means that the slave would have had to be appointed before then. Jesus left in the first century. Yet the Watchtower says that slave was appointed over his domestics in 1919.
Ah, what a tangled web they weave. You want to know the real truth?
The original teaching failed and needed to be updated. But by doing so, their interpretation of Matthew 24 has become glaringly inconsistent. And this throws a wave of inconsistencies through many of their teachings. For example, the claim that there was a Governing Body in the first century. This was made to strengthen the original view of the faithful and discreet slave teaching. However, if there was a Governing Body in the first century, why didn't Jesus appoint them back then.....when he actually left? At least that made more sense. It also fogs over the generation teaching. Now they can continuously keep this claim vague.
This new interpretation makes me wonder how long it will be before they begin including Dr. Seuss books as approved new light literature. Unfortunately, the blind rank and file will continue to feed off of the green eggs and ham that the current slave is feeding them. Not a very proper time, if you ask me.
