Expert: Robert Jones - 6/22/2009

Question
QUESTION: "Hello brother!
First of all thank you for taking time to answer questions on your faith.  I
appreciate the time you take to provide a resource for people trying to
understand your faith.

So my question is on communion.  I am not a JW but studied with some for 6
months.  Some of what i learned seemed to make sense, but the thing i never
understood was why ALL JW's don't partake in the Lord's Evening Meal.  I
know that once a year you all attend a service for the Lord's Supper, but no
one actually eats of the bread or drinks of the cup that is passed UNLESS that
person feels they are part of the spirit anointed 144,000.  But why not?

1)In Luke 22:19, Jesus told his disciples regarding Communion to "do this in
remembrance of Me".

2)Also in 1st Corinthians 11:17-26, if you read the passage Paul is correcting
the Corinthians on their conduct at the Lords Evening Meal.  Their
congregation would all come together for Communion, but some wouldn't be
able to partake because there were some who would eat and
drink the elements in excess, not leaving enough for those at the end.  Paul
encouraged them to eat at their homes if they were hungry so that when it
was time to celebrate the Lord's Evening Meal, ALL would be able to partake.
Now either this ENTIRE congregation was part of the 144,000, or Paul was
indeed telling us that ALL believers should eat the bread and drink of the
cup.

3)Finally, again in 1st Corinthians, 10:16-17 Paul mentions the elements of
Communion and says that although "we are many, we are one bread and one
body, and WE ALL PARTAKE of that one bread".

I'm sure you are familiar with these portions of scripture and probably have
been presented with these verses accompanied by the same questions I'm
asking!  But nonetheless i still would like to hear what you have to say on this
issue.

Do you eat of the bread and drink of the cup when it is passed to you?
If you do not, why don't you?

I look forward to hearing your response as i have never heard from a JW the
reasoning based on scripture for this.  GOD bless you brother!"



ANSWER: Hi John,

You raise some interesting questions on why most Jehovah's Witnesses do not partake of the bread and wine at the memorial of Christ's death. (Jehovah's Witnesses do not use the term communion. It's more semantical distinction than anything else. It is still eating the bread and drinking the wine, no matter the term used.)

"once a year you all attend a service for the Lord's Supper, but no one actually eats of the bread or drinks of the cup that is passed UNLESS that person feels they are part of the spirit anointed 144,000. But why not?"
When a person is first witnessed to by one of Jehovah's Witnesses they are told about a paradise earth that all mankind are to enjoy and how wonderful that will be. If the person continues with the discussions, called Bible studies as you once had, they are eventually taught that the "144,000 anointed ones" have already been chosen and that the hope for heavenly life is generally closed and that the hope for those who accept the truth at this late date is the paradise earth, not heaven. If this person continues and becomes one of Jehovah's Witnesses, they do so with the newly-taught hope of life on earth. Furthermore, they are taught that the New Testament verses, such as Luke 22, 1 Corinthians 10 and 11 that you mention, are written to the anointed ones, not to those with the earthly hope. So the new JW views the verses as not applying directly to themselves, only to the anointed remnant. Similarly, where Jesus says unless you partake you have no share in me, this is taught as applying to the anointed, not to those who will inherit life on earth.

So, whether a JW is to partake, is not based on the person's faith in Christ's sacrifice, but based on the destination where the person believes their reward will be. If the reward is to be on earth, as almost all JWs now believe, then they do not partake, no matter how devoted or faithful a life they have lived. If their belief is that they are among the rare 144,000 since the beginning of Christianity, then they partake, to the amazement of other Jehovah's Witnesses.

I tried to answer "why" in plain laymen's terms rather getting into a lengthy scriptural point-counterpoint discussion. I hope this is helpful in understanding why most Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they should not partake.
Robert Jones

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your response!  Again i appreciate your time!

My understanding has been broadened on this issue due to your response.  I
now see that JW's say that certain scriptures that encourage the partaking of
the bread and wine are meant only for the 144,000.  Thank you again.

But i am still confused as to WHY JW's have this teaching.  I know that they
say that you shouldn't partake of the bread and wine unless you are one of
the 144,000 but where in scripture do they get that point of view from? Is
there some portion of scripture that leads one to believe this?  Also, were all
of the Corinthians mentioned in 1st Cor 11 part of the 144,000, because Paul
wants them ALL to partake of the Evening Meal.

Finally are you a JW and do you eat of the bread and drink of the wine?

GOD bless and take care!!

Answer
My dear friend John,

WHAT is far easier to answer than WHY. Explaining WHY Jehovah's Witnesses believe as they do about partaking of the bread and wine would require a small book rather than a few sentences here. But I will try. This is the condensed reason why.

At a 1935 District Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Hawaii, the president of the Watchtower Society, JF Rutherford, gave a surprise speech about "the great crowd" of "other sheep" who would inherit a paradise earth. In the speech, he connected Rev. 7:9,10 "the great crowd" with John 10:16 "other sheep" and announced that they are an earthly group of faithful Jehovah's Witnesses already among us. This was viewed as new light, a new understanding revealed by Jehovah to the anointed remnant at just the right time. Jehovah's Witnesses were growing in numbers and it was becoming difficult to reconcile so many with the small number of 144,000 since the beginning of Christianity. It was further explained that only the "bride of Christ", the anointed were entitled to symbolically partake of the body of Christ by eating the bread and drinking the wine. And so, the two-class distinction was later published in The Watchtower magazine and became a firm teaching. The little flock of anointed partakers, and the great crowd who are not the bride of Christ do not partake.

Does the Bible say that partaking of the bread and wine is in symbol of one's destiny (whether heaven or earth)? No.
Does the Bible say that "other sheep" at John 10:16 are an earthly group? No.
Does the Bible say that "a great crowd" at Rev. 7:9,10 are an earthly group? No.

These are considered by Jehovah's Witnesses to be "understandings" from The Faithful and Discreet Slave (class) in Brooklyn, NY. The Faithful and Discreet Slave are entrusted with all Christ's belongings and receive revelation of "current" truth at the proper time. Faithful Jehovah's Witnesses do not question such teachings as this is going against Jehovah's organization.

I eat the bread and drink the wine. Were you ever a JW after your 6 months of studying?
Robert Jones