GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS – (w16 05 p. 9)


In their usual manner of attacking all other religion, and in their bid to boost the morale of JW worldwide to continue preaching, the watchtower article of w16 05 p. 10 par 3. said:

“Only Jehovah’s Witnesses have fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy that the good news would be preached worldwide. Why do we say that? In the United States, there are about 600,000 members of the clergy in Christendom, while there are some 1,200,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses preaching the good news in that country. Worldwide, there are about 400,000 Catholic priests, but there are more than 8 million of Jehovah’s Witnesses preaching the good news in 240 lands. Clearly, Jehovah’s Witnesses are preaching the good news worldwide, which brings honor and praise to Jehovah!—Psalm 34:1; 51:15. “ (w16 05 p. 10 par 14)

It is quite amazing and funny. 400,000 catholic priests, worldwide while you make all of your witnesses in 240 lands (worldwide) to carry out the preaching work, 8 million in all (notice that they didn’t mention how many appointed men they have, elders, circuit over or district overs which would have been an appropriate comparison to the priest of catholic churches). But, they also fail to recognize that with just 38,275 Catholic (religious order) Priest in the US alone, they made 69,470,686 followers, about 57 times more disciples made than the JW organization, within the same period, even with all the members of the JW organization taken into the field to make more disciples.

So, on the one hand, there are only 400,000 Catholic Priest “preaching”, (whether the claim is true or not), while they are 8 million witnesses trying to make disciples, but worldwide, there are also 1.254 billion Catholics while only 8 million witnesses exist at the same time.

That is to say, the catholic religious organization is making about 156 times more members than the Jehovah’s Witness Organization. So much for the returns on investment for the Lord Jesus.

I may ask, between the Witnesses and Catholic Church, in the same period of time, which religious organization is actually doing more business with the talent that their master, Jesus gave in Mt 25:14 – 30? It would appear that the Catholic Organization, who the watchtower organization keeps attacking, are really doing more business with the master’s talent, irrespective of their “methods of preaching” than the watchtower organization, even while pushing all their members out in the field.

PAID CLERGY?

It is curious to note that in w16 05 p. 10 par 11, the paragraph said:

“Do churches of Christendom preach the good news as Jesus did? Usually, paid clergy give a sermon to their members. These leaders do not make new disciples but simply try to keep the church members they already have. At times, they have tried to encourage their members to preach. For example, in the year 2001, Pope John Paul II said in a letter that church members should preach the Gospel and have the same zeal as the apostle Paul, who said: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.” The pope then said that this preaching work should be done not only by a few trained people but by all church members. However, few have followed that encouragement.”

They always emphasis on the word paid clergy , as if the priest in the days of the Israel were not taken care of specially or as if these ones that have devoted themselves to teaching God’s word should not be taken care of or as if it is a sin to do that. Besides, are those working in bethel, branch facilities not paid? Are they not fed by the other JW’s contribution and contributions received from preaching? Are the Governing Body members not being paid, clothed, fed, sheltered from contributions received from other JW’s contribution and those received from preaching? Are they (GB) not living in suites in the bethel facilities, with best facilities, air conditioned rooms and a standard living environment which other JWs will only dream of? Are they (GB) sharing rooms like the other bethel members?

Again, it is good to know that the watchtower organization recognizes that they are “a few trained people” that actually preach. For that to happen; having “a few trained people” (how many? They didn’t say) actually requires a good measure of organization and training. Or could it be that the Watchtower organization are not aware of the organization structure of other religion? Or must they conform their structure to the JW structure to be seen as good? Even if all of their members go from house to house, the Watchtower organization will still look for fault in other organization.


I mean, I can go on and on, but absolutely, there is no justification in always attacking another religion to look good whereas the Watchtower’s organizational Structure allows for those working inside bethel facilities not to have another source of livelihood but depend on what is being contributed and they are given the best care, even more than what other JWs outside gets. Or is it because it is called worldwide work?

METHOD: ORGANISED WAY OF PREACHING

The study article on page 12, paragraph 10, 11 said:

“Preaching from house to house was an organized way to reach all kinds of people. Do churches of Christendom preach the good news as Jesus did? Usually, paid clergy give a sermon to their members. These leaders do not make new disciples but simply try to keep the church members they already have. At times, they have tried to encourage their members to preach”

Why doesn’t watchtower simply tell these churches to turn over their members to them, so that they will be happy? You said they don’t preach, and then later, only a few trained are preaching, as if the few trained does not show an organized setting. Then you also said they do not try to make new disciples, but only try to maintain those they already have, but their members are growing at an alarming rate, at even a faster rate than yours. Before the watchtower organization started sending missionaries, the Catholic Church had been doing that for decades and is still doing so and yet, they are not organized.

I only blame the members that hardly research on anything; they will simply look at the study material and answer what they see there. What a manner of learning.
A JW once asked: Why the watchtower organization likes attacking Catholic Church. The answer is obvious, they are competitions. And, from recent statistics, they (the catholic) are doing more with the master’s talent, making more returns for the master and so, the watchtower organization will be Jealous.

METHOD OF PREACHING AND PARTICIPANTS

Most importantly, how many in the Christian congregation in the first century actually preached? I mean how many followed the apostles in preaching? Did the apostle, the leaders of the Christian congregation in the first century pushed all the members of the congregation to the field as the watchtower organization does today? I believe the watchtower organization should answer this question (even though they will have to manipulate the scriptures, and perhaps out rightly lie to get the answer).

Don’t get me wrong; telling others about God and his Kingdom is good. It is a responsibility of all Christians, but in the light of how it was done in the first century by the apostles and how many in the Christian congregation partake of the work, it is wrong, absolutely very wrong for the watchtower organization to keep attacking other religious organization based on man-made policy/standard of preaching God’s kingdom message when it is very clear that other religious organization have their own method of publishing the good news of God’s kingdom and preaching repentant and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

It also very wrong for the watchtower organization to keep emphasizing on the door to door ministry as an evidence of the genuineness of ones Christianity and the only acceptable method of reaching people with the good news about the Kingdom. Even when some other religion goes from house to house, the Watchtower organization will still look for fault in them.

Genuine Christians preach through different methods, but most importantly, where people can be found and how they can be met. Even in Jesus ministry and the ministry of the apostle Paul, it was more of other methods of reaching people with the Kingdom message than in house to house work. Most times, people came to Jesus or followed him, the method the watchtower organization accuses other religious organization of doing, and yet, they are making profits with the masters’ talent, or have they not been noticing?

In the words of Raymond Franz, former governing body member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he said: “I believe that a heavy responsibility accompanies the one-sided, slanted argumentation used to shore up the organizational claim that door-to-door activity is Biblically taught and advocated, and that it was a distinctive method of first-century witnessing. It is not a matter of mere academic discussion and debate over technical points. It has an impact on people’s lives, on the way they view themselves and view others.

The organizationally-promoted door-to-door method has clearly been converted into a standard by which the spirituality of others and their love of God is judged. Surely any teaching which carries that consequence deserves a more genuine argumentation than is to be found in the organization’s publications, a fuller, fairer consideration of the evidence and issues involved.”( In search of Christian Freedom, page 236 )

Below is a sample chat of the preaching ministry of Jesus Christ, a sample.

OAM4J, OAM4J,paulGrundy, JMAN05

^^ quite an interesting expose, you seem to have a first hand knowledge of society. Do you have a previous monicker in nairaland? Or a new handle?

paulGrundy:
^^ quite an interesting expose, you seem to have a first hand knowledge of society. Do you have a previous monicker in nairaland? Or a new handle?

I'm new. But I'm also good at the Web and search too