Patiently waiting for Truth

Yes, I agree. But it is inevitable that the "truth" will come out over time. When that happens, you are either shocked and stumbled right out (of the truth) because you cannot believe that someone who was held up as almost perfect is not, and therefore cannot be from God. Or you are realistic, you see through the "demeanor preservation", you know that those providing the lead are imperfect as any of us, and that mistakes will be made, including obfuscation and lack of transparency. So when something does come out, you will not be shocked or stumbled. You are not going to leave. You are going to put your trust in Jehovah....He will never disappoint, and he sees everything. So stay calm and carry on 🙂

"A man has made great progress in cunning when he does not seem too clever to others." ~ Jean de la Bruyere
2 Cor 11:13

@4Jah2me Essentially what JWI stated. The thing is, a translations that is as close to the original source is often the one that is best to use, be it if you can read it as is and or in modern language. Not a fan of the KJV Bible however, and I have my reasons.

If one is already very familiar with a very literal translation, that stays close and consistent to the original Hebrew and Greek tenses and expressions, then almost any translation in more modern or flowing language will work.
I like the original NWT for a very literal translation because I'm familiar with it. The Hebrew Scriptures are a bit "stilted" and not very flexible, but that can be good for a literal translation. The Greek is very good and more readable even for a literal translation. You should already be familiar with all the controversial portions of the translation to make up your own mind on stauros, parousia, synteleia, etc.
Other good literal translations include the New Jerusalem Bible (Catholic) which also has excellent footnotes. I have not found it available online. The ASV and RSV and YLT are good for this too.
After the literal, then you are ready for almost anything. The NWT 2013 is a good compromise between literal and simple ease of reading. But just about anything will work as the second translation you read, even another literal.
 

Quote TTH. He is the worst enemy of blacks because they will take the hit for his misdeeds
It doesn't seem to be about black people, it seems to be about all working class / lower class Americans. Have you taken sides with the Police on this issue then ?
'We are no part of the world' remember.  Jesus wasn't interested in politics or protests of His time. We all know that only God through Christ will remove this 'world' and solve the Earth's problems. However it is a shame that so many people Earthwide are suffering in so many ways. 

No religious institution has ever stopped. Regardless, the people are the church, not the building.
That being said, people have been preaching the gospel still, including me, although I cannot go to Africa and the like or even my own country, but I connect with those I speak with. Likewise, with the children who look up to me and others, we are still in communication with them, and by means of example they apply and they teach.

Not anytime soon. Hence, they will most likely commit to their activities within the confines of their homes and or if any of who they minster to allows them to visit.
The end is not here yet, so the gospel is still ongoing, for Jesus spoke about the Commission.

True. We do not take sides. Only government under christ can restore the earth to it's original purpose...... and it is a shame that so many people have lost their jobs and  many children will suffer....... We must therefore get ready to help teach those who have realized from this lockdown that things are not kosher. It's time for them to learn about jehovah.

Just for "fun" I did a comparison by flipping through three major cable networks last night while also doing a deep dive into twitter videos from several different perspectives on the issue.
CNN for several hours focused on Trump's photo op that was evidently driven by his anger over it being made known that he had been taken to a bunker, so that he needed an outside appearance to make up for it. To set this up he and his entourage ran over to the partly burnt church across from the White House. To make his paths straight and smooth, he ordered the clearing of the streets where protests had been perfectly peaceful for 8 hours. With a few minutes to go before they had to all clear, the police formed a riot wall to begin pushing them violently, and exploding tear gas in their faces. As two were knocked over by one of the policemen, one got up to help the person who fell with him, and the police knocked him down again so he couldn't reach the other person. They were pushed quickly so that a lot of teargas and slamming by the police knocked some others down, or made them trip. Most of the protesters were white. Trump made it to the church, among a very disorganized entourage of old white men (and Ivanka, who smartly held back from the photo op, almost hiding behind everyone). Someone handed Trump a Bible as he stood in front of the church, and he hardly knew how to hold it. He mostly held it up as if showing it off or waving it menacingly. With hardly any speech or response to reporters, Trump then leaves with no church-related message, just the picture, and walks back. CNN pointed out that Trump was hypocritically declaring his support for peaceful protest at the exact same time he had ordered them the one in his way to be violently broken up so he could make this photo op quick.
MSNBC spent a little more time interviewing local mayors and governors of the states where rioting issues were occurring. This tended to make for a more newsworthy discussion that touched on many of the subjects that had come up or were important through the day. Of course, MSNBC tends to look for supportive persons to interview, otherwise they can't control the narrative.
FOXNEWS was spending a lot of time just making fun of statements or condemning the most outrageous of the statements made by certain governors or mayors that appeared to be supportive of protestors instead of being supportive of ALL persons.
TWITTER/INSTAGRAM was overloaded with videos:
videos of white persons looting, videos of white persons looting with black persons trying to stop them -even making human chains in front of businesses to protect them from both white and black looters, videos of white persons bringing trucks or cars full of expensive new bricks and dropping them off in the middle of downtown areas videos of the same where black persons were pleading with one white driver not to bring the bricks into her neighborhood a video of two white women coming out from looting a fairly ritzy store as if they had treated it like shopping, but who dropped their bags and ran when they saw police. The DW (Deutsche Welle) news team where the spokesperson was shot with a rubber bullet while live on TV. (This gave credence to the CNN story of one of their journalists being arrested. Not that it didn't happen but that it could have been staged for attention from higher ups so that the persons it was happening to wouldn't have known it was staged.) Other videos were confusing enough to make one think this is all about someone paying for riots to help Trump win on a law and order ballot, or to try to do the same but in the hopes it would backfire on Trump, or to purposely destroy neighborhoods of color, or to take advantage of Covid-19 pent up energy for any of a dozen nefarious purposes. 

*** bold from me.
Does this spirit and historical context of the times have something with flood of various information from ex-JW's and other people? With so much video materials and WT historical publications, books on internet? With JW's members who came to inside state of more cautious - more open perception on themselves and Organization?
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And few more words about "higher education", and that would be all in this topic about education, from me. WTJWorg warning continuously ONLY about "higher education". According to strong and frequent warning ONLY about that, it seems how other parts of "Worldly educational system" are all right with JW's. Kindergarten, Elementary and High school are not under WTJWorg "attack". I don't recall any article that giving warning about dangerous in this levels of education, and or how JW parents are warned how it will be wise to not send their children to such education.
I would like to ask JW members and JW parents, why they think how children of age 3,4 to 7 or from 7 to 14 or from 14-18 are not in such dangerous of "devil's" influence..... but young people from 18-24 are ??

A laughing emoji! 
I already had to send myself back to Bible 101 on account of this fellow. I fear that upon graduation, I will have to take the course all over again. He is both hateful and stupid. I can deal with one or the other, but the combination......

@JW Insider calls it an “intangible spiritual sheen” that the GB is shedding. @Anna calls it “revealing the man behind the curtain” I won’t go so far as to say it is deliberate, but they surely see it happening and make no effort to stop it. One brother said of JW Broadcasting—it makes perfectly clear that we don’t rely upon paid actors. “Image?—What’s that?” they all but say.
As in keeping with this thread about scholarship, it’s well to point out that at least two of them freely reveal themselves to be among the least scholarly persons on earth. I say, “I have no problem at all with this”—after I got over the problem I had with it—after I got my head around it. It is for honest-hearted persons to get their heads around their course. It is not for they to get their heads around the facades and pretentious doings of those who like to think—they love ‘scholarship’—but as to deeds?-forget about it! 
“How can you believe, when you are accepting glory from one another...” Jesus says. That’s what scholars (as a class) do, and one of their first initial practical deeds is to say they will not declare the good news publicly as Jesus did because that will surely detract from their scholarly reputation. Not to diss scholarship—far from it that I should do this—but it needs to be knocked down a peg or two. It is not the be-all and end-all. Doing God’s will is what counts. 
Accordingly, the record of the GB members is life-long full-time service, door-to-door with the Kingdom good news, motivated by love of God and neighbor. It is humble work if there ever was one, and it is ‘doubling down’ on the humility in that a large portion of it has been in developing lands. They’re not blue-bloods born to privilege, as that obnoxious self-described Norwegian apostate (not Rolf—the guy from a neighboring congregation) seems to think they should be, as he sneers—just like Celsus did—about how they were once “window-cleaners” God! The pretentions of these people! Look at the world that your “scholarship” has collectively built before you ridicule those who have by-passed it—when it goes down in the giant flush, hold aloft your degrees for special consideration.
I was surprised to find that JWI had a different take on the “superfine” apostles of 2 Corinthians 11. Chalk it up to a gentleman’s disagreement—but I still think he is all wet. Paul did the work. They wanted the credit. They were comfortable men—perhaps they thought themselves ‘scholars’—comfortably ensconced in their home congregations. Paul was so outraged at this ‘power grab’ that he “declared like a mad man, I am more outstandingly [an apostle of Christ]” And what was their [probable] response? “See, he admits that he is mad. Not us, though. We are smart and ‘balanced.’”
If GB members reveal the “man behind the curtain” and shed their “intangible spiritual sheen” now, why didn’t they do it before? Here, @Arauna comes to the rescue with the common-sense point that the geniuses completely ignore—everything must be judged in the historical context of its time. Was FDR a liar for not ‘outing himself’ as crippled by polio? Were the press liars for not reporting it?—for they all knew. Obviously not—for the good of the country it was thought necessary to convey strength. 
It is the same with the sexual immorality of which numerous presidents have been guilty. Of one, it is written that he made a whorehouse out of the White House. The press knew. Why did they not out him? Again, it is the completely understandable urge to preserve demeanor for those providing the lead. Today, “grab them by the p***y” makes headlines. It has not historically been that way.
So the GB’s reluctance to acknowledge human imperfection is completely within the spirt of the times. They are the last ones to accede to the new model that ‘leaders should spill’ because they are ‘no part of the world’ and it takes a while for it to register with them what has long since been normalized outside. 
The response to CSA accusations may be the prime example of this. When it turns out that instances of CSA can be found in the ranks of congregation members, they do not run to the press and say, “Us, too! We have some of that!” They have concern with reputation—JWI puts it well when he muses that they do not want to derail or sabotage the beneficial work they oversee. Was that wrong? It is being slogged out in the courts today, along with the ‘sins’ of every other person on the planet, as tort lawyers oversee the most massive transfer of funds in our age—with themselves netting a third.
Surely it is worth a comparison with Peter in the first century. Was he wrong to chum with the Gentile Christians, then flagrantly avoid them when the “men from James” (Jewish Christians) came around? It is an incredible record of cowardice for one in position of leadership!  And he had a track record! Wasn’t he the one who fell all over himself to swear that he didn’t know the Lord from a bag of beans? Was he removed? This is why it is so hypocritical to call for the head of GB members when they so much as hiccup. Arauna is very kind when she refers to the ones doing so as suffering from OCD.
 

@Srecko Sostar In a sense, Higher Education can be used as a tool by the Devil. This is why people nowadays are starting to see this, that is, if they carefully see the things unfold in front of them and trend their path within the education institutional spectrum with caution.
That being said, there are a lot of Millennials like me, as is with Generation Z, and the soon to come, Alpha, who are taking different paths, and most are not going towards the default. In a sense, think of it this way, in every video game regardless of genre, there is always a default setting set by the programmer and or developer, the player can change said settings and do not have to submit to the default, some do, some do not. Likewise with higher education, the default path is set before such folks, but that is not always the 100% path. Plus as said before, there is a danger in higher education, I need not have to post, link and cite examples and articles on the matter, nor do I need to speak on my own experience.

It’s amazing how many WT publications are written to warn of apostasy and bad influence within the congregation itself, fake brothers, elders and fake apostles who are like wolves, ...... but completely rule out the possibility of GB + Helpers being in that category.
Cognitive Dissonance or OCD sleeps in WT articles ? :)))

No, sorry. We need to separate education as knowledge about life and nature, and "education" as tool for directing people to particular ideology aka manipulation.
Let say this: All science and people lived in knowledge how sun turns around the Earth, for very long time. Perhaps old Jew's as God's nation did the same. This knowledge we would normally call was part of educational system in past times. Later, some individuals and science said opposite. Well, now we have educational system that teaches differently about this.
Both was sort of knowledge. On first part, we can agree how general "knowledge" does earth turns or sun turns is of less or even non influence on daily human activity. But, if you had lived then and said you didn’t believe in a geocentric system, they would have burned you at the stake. That is point when "education and knowledge" is not just educational system. It is ideology... that can you cost your health and life if Inquisition found how you are "apostate". 
When WTJWorg and GB+Helpers using own system of "(higher) spiritual education" and "persecute" all who don't agree with their "education" about this and that. Such (religious) "educational system" is not part of mere knowledge, true or false, but part of IDEOLOGY that is ready to shun and dfd all those who reject their "higher" educational system. 

No prob.  I prefer to talk to you when you show some  kindness - even if it is to stand up for shrecko. While you openly call GB dictators, bad insinuations can also  come out as accusations.... referring to Mr shrek. 
If jehovah had to judge all of us on our actions in our youth or the past - none would qualify as servants.  Some people are very judgmental on others'  past or their performance ....but they themselves would have done worse if they were in their  shoes..... such as filling GB shoes.  It is so easy to judge. I always ask myself what I would do if I were in their shoes. 
If you live in the past one can never heal...... yet people walk around with baggage forever! They cannot move forward!  They keep renewing the old baggage by referring to it and mulling it in the brain.  The brain keeps making new emotional connections which are detrimental to themselves! 
The translation for Kurdish is done in Germany and printed.....there.  This is one example of rare language done in Germany.
The watchtower in every language is the same..... so the source is the same for unity and uniformity.  So is the other meeting.  JWs have a similar life outlook..... jehovah comes first in our lives. 
To me it is a miracle that we all view ourselves as one nation....... despite a world that is wracked by divisions and hate.   They shall identify us by the love amongst us. 

The idea that it is found in Matt 24 which also involves the situation at the time of the END is clearly a much better reason to highlight a special meaning to these verses. (The verses about the differences between the persons who would prove themselves to be an unfaithful and indiscreet slave as opposed to the persons who would prove themselves to be a faithful and discreet slave.)
But, of course, it's not in Luke 21. It's in Luke 12. Luke tends to spread out a lot of the things that Matthew has Jesus saying in Matthew 24, and puts those words in slightly different contexts as found in Luke 12, Luke 13, Luke 17, Luke 19, Luke 21. The differences between Luke 12 and Matthew 24 are also of interest:
(Luke 12:35-48) 35 “Be dressed and ready and have your lamps burning, 36 and you should be like men waiting for their master to return from the marriage, so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him. 37 Happy are those slaves whom the master on coming finds watching! Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. 38 And if he comes in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them ready, happy are they! 39But know this, if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.” 41 Then Peter said: “Lord, are you telling this illustration just to us or also to everyone?” 42 And the Lord said: “Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time? 43 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! 44 I tell you truthfully, he will appoint him over all his belongings. 45 But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting him and at an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones. 47 Then that slave who understood the will of his master but did not get ready or do what he asked will be beaten with many strokes. 48 But the one who did not understand and yet did things deserving of strokes will be beaten with few. Indeed, everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him, and the one who was put in charge of much will have more than usual demanded of him.
(Matthew 24:41-25:1) . . .. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it. 45“Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! 47 Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings. 48 “But if ever that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and he starts to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his place with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be. 25 “Then the Kingdom of the heavens may be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. [etc, virgins, bridegroom, midnight call, lamp oil, marriage feast.]
Both versions of the illustration spend more time discussing what would constitute an UNFAITHFUL and INDISCREET slave. Luke takes it even further and presents Jesus' discussing varying levels of unfaithfulness and indiscretion. Perhaps this is one reason that Luke's version is rarely ever discussed in the publications compared to Matthew's?

To me this serves as good reason to think 24:45-47 is as the brothers say it is. Matt 24 and 25–both chapters devoted to end-time prophesy in which conditions will get really terrifying—and right in the midst of it is some nice little sappy story the moral of which is ‘always do your best?’ I think not.
We lean into punches when we could just as easily duck them—and then the big slob’s own momentum would send him hurling over the edge. I don’t know why we do this.
When confronted with a charge that this new teaching is not the same as an old, say, “Oh, we changed that.” I see no reason why not. It is only opponents who think this not permissible—we don’t say it (nor do reasonable people) What is “the light that gets brighter” and “tacking” if not an admission that things change? They are not the essential things, is the point, the core beliefs that everyone who became a Witness did so on that account, and the core beliefs—that distinguish us from any other religion—that opposers forget all about, and thus reveal they haven’t a spiritual bone in their bodies, as they harp on trivial matters of human imperfection, and imagine that Santa Claus should be running the show—showering presents on everyone and asking nothing more than a vague ‘be nice,’—which people define any way they like.
The trick also is not to sanitize the present. It is to de-sanitize the past. It is to say, if opposers think they have caught someone in a ‘gotcha’, “So what’s new?” Show them all the crazy things done in Bible times.
We don’t desantize the past nearly enough, I think. If we did, it would make it so easy to deal with faux pas of the present. Instead we chastise Dinah for hanging out with the riff raff and dismiss her brother’s retribution as ‘just one of those things.‘ To be sure, Jacob was displeased. But Eli was also displeased with his louts of sons and it turned out differently for him.

I think how original text in English is Centralized! :)) Translations committees in each country make own translation in particular language or languages. And then thy sending this text somewhere to print. They have few printing facilities around the world. I believe German stayed to be one of them.

@Arauna  Firstly.  Quote :-
So the man who says the GB are dictators now wishes to interpret this word as a single person
Are you getting @Srecko Sostar mixed up with me ? (note this is a question) It's me that calls the GB dictators. Do they not dictate to the congregants ? Make rules and give orders.
Secondly. Quote:-
now wishes to interpret this word as a single person who will be giving all his fellow slaves food at proper time.
Srecko asked it as a question, not a statement. So the idea of 'now wishes to interpret' is false. Please do not become like Mr Harley, who twists things to his own advantage. 
Thirdly. :-
Since many of our teachings have changed...... why hang onto the past? 
'By their works you will know them'.  Works, references. Do you trust people that you do not know and that you know nothing about ? Surely if a family was thinking about joining the CCJW it would be wise for them to do some research into the background of this religion. Therefore the past would be relevant. 
Fourthly. Quote :-
We have enough detractors or hate-OCDs to keep referring to our past....
I notice that you cannot keep away from those three letters. 
Fifth. Quote :-
For this one needs a central dispensary which is efficient and quick!  
The last information I had was that the magazines are printed in Germany. (If my info is correct) So not exactly central to where the information comes from.
Sixth. Quote :- 
Jehovah used a nation in time of Israel. He used congregations under direction of apostles and elders in time of the first spread of christianity and now has a world-wide nation kept together by the same teachings.
Please note that the Apostle Paul was NOT one of those in Jerusalem, not one of the 12. BUT God used PAUL to write the letters to the congregations. Jesus guided Paul directly, not through any organisation. 
And, I'm not saying that an organisation is wrong, but it has to be run properly. 
Have a good day. Sorry this is so long. 

The simple answer is No. Granted, that some would just see such and such as providing tools for them and nothing more, and with said tools they can go on their own to some level and or degree despite being in the community itself.
As for the latter, the pastor did not take up the non-Restorationist view, especially the concept of some teachings of that time, hence why met up with others and the Restorationist Christian group was formed, aka The Bible Students. This was by no means of schism and or a split, just the fact that the mainstream ideas were not as accurate vs. the legitimate ideas concerning God. The other part, you have it backwards, Bible Students have split on their own prior to becoming JWs if I am not mistaken and only a few of them continue with their own following, for this is something not too common.
More so, some followings have deviated into teachings of Scripture that is vastly different. For instance, there are certain things that one Biblical Unitarian believes vs. the other Biblical Unitarian, for information 4Jah2me posted, that Unitarian in question has a vastly different view from me. Or, we can take up our last discussion, for I do not believe in a Romanic practice for good reason, but you openly defend it.
That being said, it all comes down to of WHO, be it group or individual, is applying what the early church has done.
History repeats itself and the battle of the 4th century is still ongoing.

I recall same in Zagreb (Croatia) congregations. Here was situations that in some congregations elders made agreement to not wear jacket on stage, but it must be a long-sleeved shirt and tie. In other cong. elders body have different rule and allowed short-sleeved shirt. In third cong,, jacket was obligation. Fourth picture was when CO  visiting cong. In that case he made a rule. This all was very actual in before air-conditions age. After, air-condition was helpful to get headache and a cold, and some people fled from one chair to another where was less windy :))) 

Gnosticism is a religious concept and or idea, which various quote differently from Christianity. It has been around for some time after Christianity as well. It was well established in the Mediterranean until about the 2nd century when the Fathers of the early church viewed this Christological theology a heresy. The reason I've mentioned them is due to the fact in The Chosen, they had Nicodemus quote and or paraphrase apocalyptic text, which is something that MANY Christians take issue with.
That is why I mentioned the disclaimer prior to pointing out Non-Bible canons, however, to the common viewer, they see these canons as truth, so it is our duty, you, me, even everyone here, to speak the truth of the matter should the situation calls for it.
Sad for speaking what is indeed true? Should I allow the onlooker to believe that this is what is in the Bible?
That is agreeable. But remember, you should always be ready to explain the truth about the Christ if the situation calls for it. So regarding Nicodemus, you should be ready and willing to speak the truth should someone take up the Gnostic view of his words in the film.
Remember, as Christians, we speak nothing but the truth, and evade misconceptions and falsehood. The truth and the facts in this matter is absolute.
 

Of course ! And there are many chapters in the bible dealing with unselfish and principled Christian love. We must be prepared to give our lives for each other - like jesus.
But Luke 21 and Math 24 deals with the time of END of Jewish system and the greater end. It talks about preaching in the entire inhabited earth! So this slave will feed fellow believers all over the earth with proper food at right time.  For this one needs a central dispensary which is efficient and quick!  

The generic degrees, to just produce degreed people, is the problem. One cannot get a decent job with them. (Generic degrees pushed by UN).  Degrees are no longer value for money. Integrity of universities is lost. Many department are funded by organizations which influence the "studies" and foreign governments such as China, Qatar etc are influencing policy etc.
Lol. Since many of our teachings have changed...... why hang onto the past? Move on to the future!  The future is much more fun and gives us hope because the kingdom-government is our focus! 
We have enough detractors or hate-OCDs to keep referring to our past..... you know....... like a nagging wife!  We need not go search out the past - the nagging wives bring it up all the time!