Relationship With "faithful and Discreet Slave"
Until late 2012, the Governing Body described itself as the representative and "spokesman" for God's "faithful and discreet slave class" (the approximately 11,800 remaining anointed Jehovah's Witnesses) who are collectively said to be God's "prophet" and "channel for new spiritual light". At the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Watch Tower Society, the "faithful and discreet slave" was defined as referring to the Governing Body only and the terms are now synonymous. The Governing Body is said to provide "spiritual food" for Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide.
The Governing Body does not consult with other anointed Witnesses when formulating policy and doctrines or approving material for publications and conventions, and interprets the authority exercised by the older men of Jerusalem in cases such as the first-century circumcision issue as validation for its authority. In 2009, The Watchtower indicated that the dissemination of "new spiritual light" is the responsibility of only "a limited number" of the "slave class", asking: "Are all these anointed ones throughout the earth part of a global network that is somehow involved in revealing new spiritual truths? No." In 2010 the society explained that "deep truths" were discerned by "responsible representatives" of the "faithful and discreet slave class" at the religion's headquarters; those views are then considered by the entire Governing Body before it makes doctrinal decisions. In August 2011, the Governing Body cast doubt on other members' claims of being anointed, stating that "A number of factors—including past religious beliefs or even mental or emotional imbalance—might cause some to assume mistakenly that they have the heavenly calling." The Governing Body also stated that "we have no way of knowing the exact number of anointed ones on earth; nor do we need to know", and that it "does not maintain a global network of anointed ones."
The vast majority of Witnesses who profess to be anointed have no authority to contribute to the development or change of doctrines. Anointed Witnesses are instructed to remain modest and avoid "wildly speculating about things that are still unclear," instead waiting for God to reveal his purposes in The Watchtower.
Read more about this topic: Governing Body Of Jehovah's Witnesses
Famous quotes containing the words relationship with, relationship, faithful, discreet and/or slave:
“Some [adolescent] girls are depressed because they have lost their warm, open relationship with their parents. They have loved and been loved by people whom they now must betray to fit into peer culture. Furthermore, they are discouraged by peers from expressing sadness at the loss of family relationships—even to say they are sad is to admit weakness and dependency.”
—Mary Pipher (20th century)
“Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“Is not prayer also a study of truth,—a sally of the soul into the unfound infinite? No man ever prayed heartily, without learning something. But when a faithful thinker, resolute to detach every object from personal relations, and see it in the light of thought, shall, at the same time, kindle science with the fire of the holiest affections, then will God go forth anew into creation.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The difference between a photograph and even the most realistic painting—say, one of Courbet’s landscapes—is that in the latter there has been selection, emphasis and some discreet distortion. The painter’s deep instinctive feeling for mass and force has rearranged everything.”
—Gerald Branan (1894–1987)
“It’s fine to be a great democrat when you’ve a slave to rub your boots on.”
—Christina Stead (1902–1983)