It’s very difficult for the Governing Body to hide the fact that they have drastically changed their definition of The Faithful and Discreet Slave within their bible encyclopedia, Insight on the Scriptures Vol.1. After all, half of the text has changed!
Firstly, the Governing Body has discreetly removed any reference to the “evil slave” talked about in Jesus’ parable. The phrases removed are:
… an “evil slave”
and
… the figure of the unfaithful “evil slave” could apply to a collective group in the same way …
In the verses in Matthew 24, it is clear that the evil slave is directly related to the faithful and discreet slave. If the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that they are the Faithful & Discreet Slave, then they must also acknowledge that they risk being an evil slave if they do not fulfill their duties. You cannot be one without risking being the other. Evidently, all reference to the evil slave has been removed to make sure that Jehovah’s Witnesses’ adherents are completely and utterly focused one just one slave referenced in Jesus’ parable: the faithful & discreet slave. Removing any reference to the evil slave ensures that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not grasp that the evil slave can also refer to the Governing Body as equally as the faithful & discreet slave can.
Secondly, the wording at the end of the first paragraph has discreetly changed. It originally read:
… the master’s entire property.
Now it reads:
… all the master’s belongings.
Evidently, the Governing Body has decided to be faithful to the wording found in their own bibles at Matthew 24:47.
Thirdly, the Governing Body has discreetly removed the unsubstantiated statement of commentators’ view of the “faithful & discreet slave”:
Commentators often view this as a general exhortation to any and all who have individual positions of responsibility in the Christian congregation. The requirement of faithfulness in discharging responsibility clearly applies to all such. (Compare Mt 25:14-30; Tit 1:7-9)
Furthermore, they removed the sentence that many people being placed over the master’s belongings at the same time was an impossibility:
Yet, the impossibility of each and every one of these individuals being placed over “all” his master’s belongings at the same time, the time of the master’s arrival, is obvious.
What is obvious here is that their reasoning was flawed. At the time of the writing of the Insight Book in 1988, all the anointed believed they were The Faithful & Discreet Slave. If it was impossible for many people in congregations to be placed over all his master’s belongings at the same time, how did they reason that all the anointed, who were found in congregations all over the world, were able to fulfill the role at the same time? So what they were saying in 1988 is that it was impossible for others but not for them. Indeed, the last paragraph in the print edition of the Insight Book, reinforced the commentators’ views that individuals in congregations could most definitely be considered as faithful and discreet slaves. Really, to be faithful to a singular entity known as the Governing Body and to avoid any further embarrassment in relation to their reasoning, it was important for them to replace all this text with the simple words “”Slave” is in the singular.” See also Legally Establishing Watchtower Assets.
Fourthly, although they state that “slave” is in the singular, they have introduced a new term “composite slave”:
… the “slave” is composite. It was to be appointed in the time of the end as a channel to give out spiritual “food at the proper time.” (Mt 24:3, 45; Lu 12:42) In the first century, Jesus set a pattern for how spiritual food would be dispensed in the Christian congregation. Just as he had distributed literal food to the crowds through the hands of a few disciples, spiritual food was to be provided through the hands of a few. (Mt 14:19; Mk 6:41; Lu 9:16)
The term “composite slave” has no biblical foundation. The bible doesn’t talk about a “composite slave” – it talks about two types of slaves only: a faithful and discreet slave and an evil slave. This term was discreetly invented by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses to ensure that their adherents remain faithful to them alone, a singular body, a composite slave of numerous men. Yet, their new reasoning is still laughable. They state that spiritual food is to be dispensed by just a few and attempt to back this up with scripture. However, the scriptures quoted, namely Matthew 14:19; Mark 6:41; and Luke 9:16, do not provide any support to their reasoning. Those verses simply relate the story about Jesus feeding thousands with a few loaves and fishes!
Fifthly, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses attempts to prove that there was a governing body of Christians in the First Century. But was there?
Jesus trained the apostles for the role they would have after Pentecost 33 C.E. as a channel in dispensing spiritual food. They were later joined by other elders to serve as a governing body in order to settle issues and to direct the preaching and teaching of the Kingdom good news. (Ac 2:42; 8:14; 15:1, 2, 6-29; 22:17-19) After the death of the apostles, a great apostasy set in. But in the time of the end—in keeping with the pattern he set in the first century of feeding many through the hands of a few—Jesus selected a small group of spirit-anointed men to serve as “the faithful and discreet slave,” to prepare and dispense spiritual food during his presence.
Acts 2:42 talks about Christians devoting themselves to the Apostles. Acts 8:14 talks about the apostles dispatching Christians to Samaria. Acts 15:1,2, 6-29 talks about men having a dispute and agreeing to having it resolved by the apostles. Acts 22:17-19 talks about Paul being in a trance. There is no mention of a governing body of Christians in the First Century. Indeed, the scriptures quotes were all from the Acts of the Apostles. There is no evidence that the Apostles were a governing body that would be replaced by another set of men who would be apostles. There was only 12 apostles. When they died, there is no indication in scripture that those men were replaced. Therefore, there is nothing in scripture supporting the Governing Body’s audacious claim that “in the time of the end … Jesus selected a small group of spirit-anointed men to serve as the faithful and discreet slave”. It’s a complete fabrication to justify their purpose.
Finally, in the last paragraph found on the CD-ROM, the Governing Body states that the faithful slave will receive expanded responsibility in heaven as co-rulers with Christ, along with the rest of the 144,000. Read that again. In fact, read the paragraph again:
The domestics are all those who belong to the Christian congregation, both the anointed and the “other sheep,” who are fed spiritual food. (Joh 10:16) This includes the individual members making up “the faithful and discreet slave,” since they too are recipients of the food dispensed. Those who make up the faithful slave will receive expanded responsibility if they are found faithful at the master’s promised arrival. When they receive their heavenly reward and become corulers with Christ, he will appoint them over “all his belongings.” Along with the rest of the 144,000, they will share Christ’s vast heavenly authority.—Mt 24:46, 47; Lu 12:43, 44.
Despite the Governing Body’s new light redefining the “faithful and discreet slave”, as detailed in the The Watchtower July 15 2013, p. 21 paragraph 10, the reward for the Faithful & Discreet Slave and the rest of the 144,000 Anointed is IDENTICAL: to become corulers with Christ.
This raises some important questions:
- Who REALLY is the Faithful & Discreet Slave?
- If the reward for the Faithful & Discreet slave is to rule as Kings with Christ in Heaven, how could the “slave” be restricted to just the Governing Body, when there are 144000 who will have the same reward?
- Would this not mean that all who have a reward of becoming corulers with Christ in heaven would need to show that they too were a faithful and discreet slave?
The truth of the matter is that the Faithful & Discreet Slave, as defined and changed by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is a flawed entity that has no support in scripture. Jehovah’s Witnesses have taken one of Jesus’ simple parables and made a complicated mess of it. Why? For legal reasons. See Legally Establishing Watchtower Assets. Clearly, this is another reason to Avoid Jehovah’s Witnesses (Revelation 18:4).