JOHN BUTLER

Cool your jets a bit.
John 2:19-22 -  Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
The Body of Christ = the temple
Matt 16:18 - And I tell you that you are Peter ( for rock), and on this rock ("large rock", "a mass of stones") I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Church:  ἐκκλησία ekklēsía, ek-klay-see'-ah; from a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):—assembly, church.
Would he build his “church” from those who were not ‘called out’, as the apostles were?  Jesus laid the foundation as the chief cornerstone of the new Temple/Body.  The foundation stones were the apostles and prophets. 
All who were called out are considered “stones”/”rock”. 
Rom 1:1 - Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
Rom 1:7 - To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 4:4 - There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling
Rev 17:14 - They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
This is the “144,000” priests/kings of God. The anointed ones.
1 Pet 2:5,9 - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ("I will build my church")
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
The “spiritual house” built of stones is the Temple of God. It is the church/Body.
You, are adding those to the “church” who are not “living stones” of the Body of Christ.
It is clear in scripture that the anointed are this “church” – “spiritual house” – TEMPLE of God.
2 Cor 6:16 - What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Again, the temple is built of “stones”, and the stones are the royal priesthood, which comprise the Body of Christ.
1 Cor 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your bodyand in your spirit, which are God’s.
The royal priesthood is God’s “spiritual house”, His dwelling place. ("I will walk among them")
1 Cor 3:16,17 - Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Eph 2:19-22 - Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. ("I will build my church")
The “saints” are built on Christ’s Body, creating a Temple of “living stones”. 
The purpose?  To serve the rest of the children in God’s Kingdom.  So, step back and take a look at what God is building.  He is refining and forming a people for Himself to serve the greater needs of His children to come.  They must prove themselves worthy enough to be be found faithful and able to serve as God's priests; who, in the early temple arrangement, always served and taught the people of Israel.  Mal 2:7  Yes, they will be Christ’s “kings” – righteous kings, who direct and teach God’s children in love, just as their High Priest/King/Head of the Body.  
Romans 12 describes the anointed as individual members of Christ’s Body.    
As does 1 Cor 12:
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 1 Cor 12:12,13
What did Jesus say his Body was? 
John 2:21 - But the temple he had spoken of was his body
It is the Temple of “living stones” – the royal priesthood.
“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.  Isa 43:10
 
 
 
 
 

@TrueTomHarley  I remember a case of a brother being reproved from the platform, and as it happens he had previously visited my wife and I, with his wife, to tell us that he was about to be reproved. He had been out with a group of brothers, one of them being an elder, they had gone into Exeter and he had got drunk and been sick on the train home, as he wasn't used to 'going out drinking'.
One almost funny point though not important, the elder was on holiday overseas when this brother was reproved, so the elder was well out of the way and not involved. But my point is that only a few of us in the congregation knew why this brother was being reproved. 
The point of that article is that, most people in a congregation DO NOT KNOW WHY THE PERSON IS REPROVED...
Therefore it is not a protection to those who do not know the 'sin committed'. 
I remember a tiny bit of scripture whereby the apostle Paul is counselling congregation because a member of said congregation was  having sex with his father's wife. 1 Corinthians 5 v1 & 2
Actually sexual immorality is reported among you, and such immorality as is not even found among the nations—of a man living with his father’s wife. And are you proud of it? Should you not rather mourn, so that the man who committed this deed should be taken away from your midst?  
If Paul wasn't frightened to mention the deed and the man then why should the Org be frightened of it ? 
I fully agree with @James Thomas Rook Jr. when he says :-
" Having the very best of intentions, and being righteously inclined DOES NOT COUNT if the administrators are policy wonks who are also clueless and self-serving.
and. "Policy is one thing ..... reality is quite another." 
I cannot understand why the GB /Org does not announce fully the reason for reproval and reason for disfellowshipping alongwith the person's name.. 
It would seem worse to me to reprove a person and not give a reason as then the congregants are left being suspicious of the person that was reproved. 
Tom, you and Space Merchant and a few others seem to believe that just because a 'policy' is written down, that it will always be adhered to. Let's hear it again JTR Jr
"Policy is one thing ..... reality is quite another."

It was a printers’ error. I meant it to say “TrueTom vs the Misunderstood Guys”
Having used the A-word a few times prominently, the book mostly discards it in favor of the verses I quoted above,
One place that I do not is an early chapter with the title Who Are the Apostates?
https://www.tomsheepandgoats.com/2019/01/who-are-the-apostates.html
 

I've often thought of this point of reproof from the platform. It does nothing positive at all, it just leaves people wondering why the person was reproved.
And it certainly does not protect the congregation.  
2019 “Shepherd the Flock of God”: The Problem With Public Reproofs for Child Sex Abuse
by Alexandra James In January of 2019, elders in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses were issued a new version of their confidential handbook, "Shepherd the Flock of God." This handbook covers, among other topics, when a person should be "reproved."
For those unfamiliar with the their practices, Jehovah's Witness elders might determine that someone guilty of a serious sin is repentant and will be "reproved" rather than disfellowshipped [excommunicated]. This reproof might be administered privately, or it might include a very brief announcement to the congregation.
Public Reproofs Are Not a Protection
The "Shepherd" book makes the claim that a public reproof serves as a "protection" to the congregation against certain dangerous behaviors, such as child sexual abuse; note this statement from chapter 14, "Child Abuse::

However, this announcement of reproof includes no information about the person's "sinful" behavior, as instructed in chapter 16, "Procedure for Judicial Hearings":

The "Shepherd" book even outright instructs that a person's sinful acts should not be connected to their reproof, such as when a "warning" talk is given regarding their behavior; also from chapter 16:

This statement alone demonstrates that the entire "public reproof" arrangement protects no one from congregation members who might pose a danger to others, including children. Simply stating that someone has "been reproved" doesn't warn a congregant of that person's specific behavior, and especially when there is a long list of reasons why someone might be publicly reproved, including:
Smoking Fornication, adultery Theft Lying, slander Various forms of "apostasy" Severe fits of temper, fighting Drunkenness Using narcotics Taking up boxing After hearing a rather generic announcement that someone has been "reproved," without knowing the actual reason for that reproof, how would congregants know to keep their children away from them? Another congregant might assume that a person being reproved was caught smoking or fornicating with an adult; child sexual abuse might be the last thing they would consider when they hear of someone having been reproved!
Your Conscience Shouldn't Be Clean
This begs the question of why Jehovah's Witnesses think that their consciences can be clean in these cases. Elders honestly think that making an announcement of so-and-so having been "reproved" protects the congregation and so they've done their job of keeping people and children safe?
Nothing can be further from the truth, especially when it comes to child sexual abuse. This "public reproof" arrangement purposely conceals the action that warranted the reproof, so it warns no one about a congregant who might be a danger to their children.
This announcement does not take away from an elder's complicity in hiding allegations of abuse. Any elder who hears of such a credible allegation and doesn't notify authorities, cooperate with their investigations fully, and then do everything possible to keep a potentially dangerous person away from children shares guilt and blame if that person goes on to molest another child.

The bottom line is that Jehovah's Witnesses and elders especially have no problem lying to themselves and to the general public about their supposed "protections" for congregants. They shield alleged molesters by purposely ensuring that no information about a particular act is associated with "reproved" persons, and then tell themselves that this passive-aggressive "hinting around" is going to somehow alert congregants to the need to keep their child away from him or her.
While the authors of these practices and the elders charged with enforcing them might go to bed with a clean conscience, remember it's not them who suffer the consequences of their actions; the elders are not being raped and abused, the men who wrote this "Shepherd" book are not the ones who will be the next victims of these "reproved" persons.
Their complicity in this horrific act is bad enough, but their smug self-righteousness in thinking that they've somehow done enough to protect children with a generic "reproof" is just another slap across the face of those same children.

According to scripture, what is the Body of Christ - who comprise it?

Well the Watchtower / GB / JW Org certainly do the equivalent of offering children in the fire to Molech, with their protection of pedophiles in the Org.  
And the GB / Org do put the Elders in place of the Anointed. So yes Billy your Watchtower Society do worship false gods and you worship the Watchtower.  

I've often thought of this point of reproof from the platform. It does nothing positive at all, it just leaves people wondering why the person was reproved.
And it certainly does not protect the congregation.  
2019 “Shepherd the Flock of God”: The Problem With Public Reproofs for Child Sex Abuse
by Alexandra James In January of 2019, elders in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses were issued a new version of their confidential handbook, "Shepherd the Flock of God." This handbook covers, among other topics, when a person should be "reproved."
For those unfamiliar with the their practices, Jehovah's Witness elders might determine that someone guilty of a serious sin is repentant and will be "reproved" rather than disfellowshipped [excommunicated]. This reproof might be administered privately, or it might include a very brief announcement to the congregation.
Public Reproofs Are Not a Protection
The "Shepherd" book makes the claim that a public reproof serves as a "protection" to the congregation against certain dangerous behaviors, such as child sexual abuse; note this statement from chapter 14, "Child Abuse::

However, this announcement of reproof includes no information about the person's "sinful" behavior, as instructed in chapter 16, "Procedure for Judicial Hearings":

The "Shepherd" book even outright instructs that a person's sinful acts should not be connected to their reproof, such as when a "warning" talk is given regarding their behavior; also from chapter 16:

This statement alone demonstrates that the entire "public reproof" arrangement protects no one from congregation members who might pose a danger to others, including children. Simply stating that someone has "been reproved" doesn't warn a congregant of that person's specific behavior, and especially when there is a long list of reasons why someone might be publicly reproved, including:
Smoking Fornication, adultery Theft Lying, slander Various forms of "apostasy" Severe fits of temper, fighting Drunkenness Using narcotics Taking up boxing After hearing a rather generic announcement that someone has been "reproved," without knowing the actual reason for that reproof, how would congregants know to keep their children away from them? Another congregant might assume that a person being reproved was caught smoking or fornicating with an adult; child sexual abuse might be the last thing they would consider when they hear of someone having been reproved!
Your Conscience Shouldn't Be Clean
This begs the question of why Jehovah's Witnesses think that their consciences can be clean in these cases. Elders honestly think that making an announcement of so-and-so having been "reproved" protects the congregation and so they've done their job of keeping people and children safe?
Nothing can be further from the truth, especially when it comes to child sexual abuse. This "public reproof" arrangement purposely conceals the action that warranted the reproof, so it warns no one about a congregant who might be a danger to their children.
This announcement does not take away from an elder's complicity in hiding allegations of abuse. Any elder who hears of such a credible allegation and doesn't notify authorities, cooperate with their investigations fully, and then do everything possible to keep a potentially dangerous person away from children shares guilt and blame if that person goes on to molest another child.

The bottom line is that Jehovah's Witnesses and elders especially have no problem lying to themselves and to the general public about their supposed "protections" for congregants. They shield alleged molesters by purposely ensuring that no information about a particular act is associated with "reproved" persons, and then tell themselves that this passive-aggressive "hinting around" is going to somehow alert congregants to the need to keep their child away from him or her.
While the authors of these practices and the elders charged with enforcing them might go to bed with a clean conscience, remember it's not them who suffer the consequences of their actions; the elders are not being raped and abused, the men who wrote this "Shepherd" book are not the ones who will be the next victims of these "reproved" persons.
Their complicity in this horrific act is bad enough, but their smug self-righteousness in thinking that they've somehow done enough to protect children with a generic "reproof" is just another slap across the face of those same children.

Well the Watchtower / GB / JW Org certainly do the equivalent of offering children in the fire to Molech, with their protection of pedophiles in the Org.  
And the GB / Org do put the Elders in place of the Anointed. So yes Billy your Watchtower Society do worship false gods and you worship the Watchtower.  

Jeremiah 5:6, "Therefore a lion from the forest will slay them. A wolf of the deserts will destroy them.  A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are numerous."  
Zephaniah 1:4-6 "So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, And the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. "And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, And those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom, And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him."

Tell me TTH, what do you regard as genuine ‘apostasy,’ ?
Are you one of those that believes that if a person leaves the JW Org they become a non believer in God ?
What is an apostate in your viewpoint.  It is a person that turns away from a former religion ? Or is it a person that turns away from God ? 

It's great to read some humour from Billy the child, on here. He is sooo funny. For instance and I quote  :-
" The Watchtower reverted to being like the first-century apostles with scriptural understanding. The Watchtower in itself is by far the only organization that is keeping Christ commandments. "
I would really like to know exactly whom Billy means by 'the Watchtower'. He never gives me a straight answer when i ask him.
To me the Watchtower is a magazine. Yes also the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society. 
But, who exactly is Billy referring to when he says "The Watchtower reverted to being like the first-century apostles with scriptural understanding" ? Does Billy mean the GB ? or the Writing Department ? Or whom ?  Who knows.
Anyway this Watchtower society which was formed in 1881 as Zion's Watchtower and renamed in 1896, has made so many blunders that it is completely inadequate for spiritual guidance as it cannot be trusted to provide true facts. It shows itself as not having any guidance from God or by Holy Spirit. 
If Billy wants to serve an idol, 'The Watchtower', that is of course his choice. However, as Srecko mentioned, serving Almighty God through Jesus Christ, is the correct way to do it. 
Billy ends his comment with a belter :-
"  Either you obey Gods laws and commandments, or you don't. It's that simple. How will false religion (false Christendom) accomplish that? "
Um Billy, I think you have such a bad memory or you just cannot bring yourself to acknowledge the failure of that Society / Organisation which you worship. The Watchtower and it's JW Org do not serve God properly and because they are not chosen by God, they cannot supply the 'right food at the proper time'.  Everything they do is guesswork and when they get it wrong they simply guess again, and get it wrong again. 
Scripture 'This generation will by no means pass away.' How many times have they changed the meaning of this one ? 
'The superior authorities'. How many times did they change the meaning of this one and WHY ? 
Billy the proof is there before your eyes. The Watchtower / GB / JW Org / Society, have no idea of truth and are not guided by God or by holy spirit. 

I see Billy continues to amuse us. Poor Billy forgets, or wants to hide the facts that the GB / JW Org / Watchtower twists the meanings of scripture to suit their own ends..
This generation will not pass away, twisted how many times ? What is it now a generation on top of a generation possibly maybe ? Oh dear. 
Superior authorities scripture changed how many times ?  Of course it was changed to give power to the society when they wanted more power over people and it took away the idea of people having their own conscience.
But of course Billy doesn't want to know that. 
And of course we have the terrible misuse of the Two Witness rule, just to hide Pedophiles in the JW Org and to pretend the Org is clean. 
Come on Billy, there are the things Jesus condemned the Pharisees for.  
And the point where you pretend to be a JW but will not use the NWT, well I think that speaks for itself. If you were a true JW then I'm sure you would support the Org's translation of the Holy Scriptures. 
Have a good day Billy, but you do seem so confused  

There is no better way to make the medicine go down that comedy. After all, if you bury the most brilliant counsel in the more repellent package, how many are going to ponder it?
It works for genuine ‘apostasy,’ too. The best way to dispose of much of it is with comedy. It must be done sparingly and without losing empathy, but comedy is often the way to go.

An admission of idolatry.  

Billy, dear Billy .... even in simple stating your position as believer, you alone put yourself in negative context. 
Is it some typing error?  Or you purposely wrote how you  obeying God almighty through the Watchtower ?  It would be more better to say... (political correctness :))))))...  through Jesus .  And all would end there. Bible not endorse no one else as Mediator but Jesus Christ.  

Wow this is all so funny. Billy thinks it is ok for a Witness to use things that seem to pretend they are scripture when those people whom he serves (the GB and it's Writing department) say those things are not scripture.  So then billy thinks that makes him "more of a witness" by using 'fake scripture'. 
Oh dear, when we think on scripture it should make us humble not 'exalt ourselves'. (Matt 23 v 12 )
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
I think Billy is showing his true colours now. 

Wow this is all so funny. Billy thinks it is ok for a Witness to use things that seem to pretend they are scripture when those people whom he serves (the GB and it's Writing department) say those things are not scripture.  So then billy thinks that makes him "more of a witness" by using 'fake scripture'. 
Oh dear, when we think on scripture it should make us humble not 'exalt ourselves'. (Matt 23 v 12 )
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
I think Billy is showing his true colours now. 

Wow this is all so funny. Billy thinks it is ok for a Witness to use things that seem to pretend they are scripture when those people whom he serves (the GB and it's Writing department) say those things are not scripture.  So then billy thinks that makes him "more of a witness" by using 'fake scripture'. 
Oh dear, when we think on scripture it should make us humble not 'exalt ourselves'. (Matt 23 v 12 )
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
I think Billy is showing his true colours now. 

We have always used the Bible as the sole authority for our beliefs, so we have adjusted our beliefs as our understanding of the Scriptures has been clarified. - source JWorg
Here we have maneuver by JW Clergy Leaders who try to justify, by Bible, how they have made/making changes of Organizational doctrines and beliefs, because they have not understand the Scriptures before (and today too). In meantime, while they were not been aware of false and wrong in own doctrines, they continued to force and run wrong laws inside JW congregations. 
Exactly this and that WTJWORG mandate beliefs, are what can be called by name you used in comment - provisional laws. With time passing, WT Leaders changed doctrines which they presented as Bible Truths and God's Word. After some time they made new doctrines out of old doctrines, and again they called such modified rules-doctrines-laws as Bible Truths and God's Word. They using lexical terminology such as;  adjusted our beliefs .....Scriptures has been clarified.
Well, we have different wording but same package of meanings and results: 
Provisional Laws ........ Adjusted our beliefs ...... Scriptures has been clarified. 
 

I agree .... but the reason you "save" stuff like this is because there are people who are agenda driven in their reasoning abilities, and believe with their whole hearts that it is a service to God to suppress, hide, and deny that stuff like this ever happened ... imagining that they are preventing the Truth from being spoken against abusively, and will deny over time that anything not as pure as the wind driven snow ever happened.
Over 50 years I have seen a LOT of "revisionist history", where misguided theocratically inclined people have tried to hide or deny the past, in order to change how people act and believe now.
This was a running theme in the book 1984, by George Orwell, who explained "He who controls the past, controls the present.  He that controls the present, controls the future."
The reason we try to secure the past from ERASURE by well intentioned but misguided zealots .. is because if they can ...
.... they will.
Already this has been actively suppressed by Watchtower lawyers from YouTube, and Rutube, and I would guess that NO ONE at most Kingdom Halls even knows of the existance of this set of videos, and the cringeworthy, creepy insanity they portray.
Too late ... there are perhaps a hundred thousand copies to replace what they suppress.
This has been on many comedy shows all over the Internet, and we have become the laughing stock of the world, thanks to this and other madness like this.
As Pogo once said "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

Thanks, but I don't want to watch it again. (I already have it saved, no idea why though, since I don't want to watch it again...)

I mentioned this same fact a long time ago but folks turned against me on it, saying it was me that was obsessed with it..
 However I'm glad you have reintroduced the point.
Thank you JTR Jr.
 

How many times has scripture been misapplied here?
Not as many times as it has been misapplied by the Society, GB and Writing dept' of the JW Org. 

I mentioned this same fact a long time ago but folks turned against me on it, saying it was me that was obsessed with it..
 However I'm glad you have reintroduced the point.
Thank you JTR Jr.
 

I would have thought with sex education in schools as it is, JW's would not need the deep precise details that the GB loves going into. The scriptures you quoted do the job just fine on their own. 
It seems the GB even go OTT by saying if a man and a woman are alone in a house together, they must be having sex. No 'two witnesses' needed. 
But they don't seem to say if two brothers or two sisters are in a house together that they are having sex, i wonder why ?
Well it was you that mentioned Sodom and Gommora.