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The Memorial

Each spring Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world gather in Kingdom Halls for the Memorial, their annual commemoration of Christ’s death.  The WT extends an open invitation to the Memorial.  But if an outsider accepts this invitation, he will be puzzled that hardly anyone partakes of the bread and the wine passed from person to person.  Of nearly 13 million in attendance worldwide at last year’s Memorial, less than 1% partook of the body and blood of Christ.  Why?


Two classes

The answer lies with the Watchtower’s two-class system; the first being the 144,000 (also called the Anointed, the Elect, or the Little Flock), the second being the rest of Jehovah’s Witnesses, (called the Great Crowd, or the Other Sheep).  Before 1935 the WT taught that all Jehovah’s Witnesses were of the 144,000.  When their number outgrew 144,000 the WT had to announce the new 2-class teaching.  The WT attempts to justify this change in chapter 12 of their Proclaimers book. Today only a tiny fraction of the original class of Jehovah’s Witnesses are alive. The great majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses are classed as the “Great Crowd”.

According to the WT those who are of the new class (the “Great Crowd”) cannot

·         partake of the Memorial

·         go to heaven

·         be born again

·         have Jesus as Mediator

·         be in the New Covenant

·         have Jehovah as their Father

·         etc.                            

 And, according to the WT, most of the Greek Scriptures do not apply to them.

          

Robbery!

The WT’s evolving reasoning has robbed the Great Crowd of many promises that are for all believers. 

Does the Bible support the WT’s two-class teaching?

 

Let the Bible speak!

By forcing a connection between John 10:16 and the two verses in the book of Revelation on the 144,000 the WT fabricated its false teaching.  But there is no connection between John 10:16 and the 144,000!

John 10:16 reads “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd”.  This addresses the same subject as Eph. 2:11-22 where Paul clarifies what Jesus says in John 10:16, that believing Jews and Gentiles would be one flock. Speaking to the Gentiles, Paul says they were at one time without Christ, alienated from Israel, strangers to the Covenants, without hope, etc.  But by the blood of Christ the two parties became one, the wall between them was destroyed, and they were reconciled into one body.  Clearly, the “other sheep” that  Jesus said he “must bring”, in John 10:16, were the Gentiles who, together with the Jews, became one flock.  Read carefully John 10:16 with Eph. 2:11-22. 

Do not let the WT rob you of God’s promises.  The bread and wine (Christ’s body and blood) were intended for all who believe.

 

Written by Greta Olsoe

www.soundwitness.org

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