About Janko Expertise I am a qualified minister of Jehovah`s Witnesses and fully capable of answering any or all questions on our faith as well as others too, and the correct understanding of the Bible,which is God`s Word.
Experience My experience with our faith is quite substantial and was introduced to it in the 1960's as a child.
Question Thanks Janko for replying to my question timely. I really appreciate your taking your time. As u may imagine, this is not the first time i have asked this question. Indeed I have the "Proclaimers" book and i have read it all several times over. That is the reason why i didn't want you to refer me to it, but rather to give me your own understanding of how the faith and diceet slave works. I also do not want you to think that i am in any way doubting to validity of the information that the faithful and dicreet slave has passed through over the years. I believe most of it is true and I believe there is no other church or organization with a message that is truer.
My question to you is whether you know, actually, how it all works. You say in you reply they are not in actual direct communication with Jehovah i.e the way Jehovah communicated the 10 commndments to Moses. You also say they are not in any way like the Prophets of the Old, who used to receive messages from angels, or who used to dream, or see things in some kind of supernatural way. forexample in the way that some in the evangelical and pentecostal world believe they can be possesed with the holy spirit or they possess some kind of supernatural insight. Ok
Now that we have established that they are not any of the above. HOW THEN DO THEY GET THIS INFORMATION? Do they go into a library and study the scripures and are somehow brighter than everyone else in the way they understand the bible?
Do they hold debates among themselves and reach some kind of consesus?
Are they just like you and me? Does the holy spirit use them in the same way it uses you and me when we are in field ministry? [The difference being that you and me do not come up with these teachings, they are passed on to us we learn them and then impart them to others] Or are they in some way special, or do they have some kind of special insight. i don't know if you understand my question. Put simply my question is What is the authority of their word. How different is it from...say forexample a yours or mine if we prayed for the holy spirit guidence before we read he bible.
If you don't know the answer to this, or if u can't expain furthur beyond quoting from the "Proclaimers" book it's ok i understand.
I asked the same question to another expert here..called Brenda Martin..this was her reply:
Answer:
Hi Stanley, just a quick note as not feeling too well, it is a question I have never asked myself, I am content in knowing I have the truth and am part of the only true faith,how Jehovah does what he does makes no odds to me, I just know that what we get is from Jehovah.
I will have a think when I feel better
all the best
Brenda
brenda martin
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Dear Janko..
I was born in the TRUTH and I have been a Jehovah's Witness for more than 17years. I am a young man..have just completed my PHd in Computer science at the University of London here in the United Kingdom. Although i have been a witness for so long, i have taken it upon myself to study other religions and faiths in order for me to be better equiped to answer my critics. I have even studied theology at university and as you might expect, with my background I excelled at it. I have done thousands of bible studies over the years once i volunteered to work at bethel for a year.
There is one question that i have always wondered to myself and tried to find a proper ansewr for for many years. I remember as a young boy asking my parents this questions and having fumbled answers. i remember how i once asked a visiting circuit overseer, who plainly confessed that he didnt know. i also remember how i have tried to get an answer from an elder, who accused me of being too inquisitive. Basically many people held the view that my attaining a high level of academic success was leading me astray. I hope you dont think the same and I hope you are not intimidated by it.
the reson why i'm one of the Jehova's witnesses is not becuase i was born in a family of jehova's witnesses. the reaon is because i believe that the teachings I got are true and they can stand up to scrutiny. i beilive it is jehova's organisation and I have experienced works and blessings in my life.
Sorry for the long intro: my question is:
You know the "Faithful Discreet Slave", the one that is responsible for the passing of the "food"[Information and teachings of the jehovah's Witnesses] that is given at the right time to the flock...as the scriptures say. HOW DOES "HE" WORK or operate.? How does he get this information that is later on passed to the witnesses world wide. how does he recieve this information. Does he have some kind of direct comunication with God Jehovah or Jesus Christ.?If he does how does the communication work, Does he hear voices like Moses did when he was given the 10 commandments. Does he dream or see visions like the prophets of the Old, Visionaries and Seers. Or does he just go into a Library and study the scriptures, in the same way that I do and somehow get more clear understanding that say..and ordinary wit ness would.
If it is the case that somehow they get devine inspiration, what qualifies them to get it, more than the rest of the Witnesses. Also if it is devine inspiration that they get, How does it happen. Does it happen in the same way that it does to the so called Evangelical Pastors of the Pentecostal world, who claim to receive direct information from the holy spirit through prophecying and speaking in tongues. If this is so, how different is "HE" from "THEM"
If it is the case that they just go into the library and study the scriptures, how different is their undertand of the scriptures from everyone else's. If it's not, then what qualifies them to do their Job.
I know this goes to the heart of the funcntion of Jehovah's Witnesses..so if you don't know i would understand. Please don't refer me to a book, or past publication coz i have read many and never quite understood. just give me your bible trained conscience and understanding of how this works.tahnk you. My email is ralph_zz@yahoo.com
Answer -
Hello Stanley,
My Bible trained conscience is my guide to all my answers
to the questions I recieve here. I know you mentioned not
to go to books or literature for your answer,but I have to admit that the best answer to your particular question can
be found in"Proclaimers of God's Kingdom"book,which is a complete history of Jehovah's Witnesses;the organization,
governing body,faithful&discreet slave class and everything you would ever want to know is in this book.To put it quite simply,the faithful slave class was appointed by Jesus Christ to be chosen to give spiritual food at the proper time for all true Christians in the time of the end,and not the false Christians mentioned in the"wheat and weeds" parable by Jesus.These annointed ones of the slave class are
very old now as are all in the governing body too.They are directed by God's Holy spirit,but not by actual personal
communication with Jehovah the way Moses and others were
spoken to.You have to remember this class was given their
assignment by Jesus Christ in fulfillment of prophecy and not by some miraculous gift like speaking in tongues or any
other supernatural wonder,as you know the Bible says that these will cease,all of them,after the apostles died.So you can say that we both have gotten our spritual food from the
same place,or we would'nt know what we know to be the truth.
All of God's visible organization is directed by His Holy Spirit,and down through the channels it reaches us,and that is where the word faith comes in,then loyalty and as integrity keepers for all eternity.I have this article that will shed a little more light on this subject,so Stanley please say a prayer and ask Jehovah for help to understand
this question of yours before you read this article.Thank you for your question.Christian love,Janko
“Faithful and Discreet Slave”
“Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings.”—Matt. 24:45-47.
TODAY it is openly admitted by shrewd observers of world conditions that 1914 marked a great turning point in earth's affairs. A professor of world history, Arnold J. Toynbee of London, writes: “For nearly a quarter of a millennium down to the outbreak of the first World War in 1914 the West enjoyed an unchallengeable ascendancy in the world. Since 1914, however, the situation has changed. Within these last forty-two years, the West has lost its previous ascendancy in the world, and at the same time it has lost its previous confidence in itself.” (Collier's magazine, March 30, 1956, pp. 76, 78) While this true observation is not identical with the Biblical significance of 1914, that of the legal ending of the “times of the nations,” yet there is agreement that it turned out to be a date of dangerous forebodings not only for Christendom's West but, as we now know, for all mankind.
2 One might ask, Were any world watchmen awake to sound out the warning before 1914 of this pending time of global trouble? If there were, then such alert watchmen must now know more about these times since 1914 than any others on earth. Such watchmen should be sought out for guidance and counsel in these increasingly perilous times. They may be able to show inquiring persons where the course of safety lies.
3 Would one have found such awake watchmen among the Catholic clergy? Not likely! History shows they were too busy before 1914 and since with their church rituals and engaging in world politics to have been alert to the signs of these times. Perhaps the many Protestant groups were tipped off and kept awake. No! Their clergy were too engrossed before 1914 with their higher criticism of the Bible and with what they call modernism. But how about the Jewish sages and rabbis? Again no! Before 1914 they were fully occupied with materialism and busy advocating Zionism for a re-established dream state in Palestine. How about the farsighted world politicians and financiers? Maybe they knew what was coming. Very definitely no! They were up to their necks in preparing for war and raking in its profits. All these proved to be sleepy “watchmen” in Christian name only. Isaiah describes them well: “His watchmen are blind. None of them have taken note. All of them are speechless dogs; they are not able to bark, panting, lying down, loving to slumber.”—Isa. 56:10.
4 Then, was the world left without advance warning by alert watchmen? Not at all! There still is one more group to check on, that of the Watch Tower Society of Jehovah's witnesses. History records a resounding “yes” as to their being awake. True to their name as witnesses they were world-wide watchmen up on their figurative “watchtower,” sounding forth the warning to the peoples of Christendom. But Christendom's multitudes for the most part paid little attention. Jeremiah accurately foretold this with these words of God: “‘I raised up over you people watchmen: “Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!'” But they kept saying: ‘We are not going to pay attention.'”—Jer. 6:17.
5 Yes, as far back as the year 1877, two years before their significantly named magazine, the Watch Tower, appeared, these modern witnesses of Jehovah heralded the truth that the Gentile times would end in 1914. During the thirty-seven years that followed, these witnesses energetically pressed forward with a world campaign to notify the nations that their lease of power without divine interruption would run out A.D. 1914.—See “The Climactic Approach to 1914” in Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, pp. 47 to 58.
6 A leading New York newspaper, The World, in its Sunday magazine section, August 30, 1914, in a feature article, historically adds to the much documentation available for world history as to the record of these Bible witnesses of Jehovah. At that time they were also known by their British corporation name, the International Bible Students Association. In part the article reports:
7 “The terrific war outbreak in Europe has fulfilled an extraordinary prophecy. For a quarter of a century past, through preachers and through press, the ‘International Bible Students,' best known as ‘Millennial Dawners,' have been proclaiming to the world that the Day of Wrath prophesied in the Bible would dawn in 1914. ‘Look out for 1914!' has been the cry of the hundreds of traveling evangelists who, representing this strange creed, have gone up and down the country enunciating the doctrine that “the Kingdom of God is at hand.'”—Ibidem, p. 54.
BIBLICAL CONNECTIONS
8 Since history confirms that Jehovah's witnesses were the only Christian group found awake as to 1914 and the ensuing “last days,” does this situation have any Biblical connection? Do these witnesses have any Scriptural credentials to offer the millions today sitting in world darkness who are looking for divinely directed leadership? Consider the following for the answer.
9 Earth's greatest prophet, Jesus Christ, prophesied that there would be an awake group of Christians on the world scene before and during the “time of the end.” On the Mount of Olives shortly before his impalement four of Jesus' disciples, namely, Peter, James, John and Andrew, privately asked him for precise evidence about the last days, when he would be returning invisibly to direct the affairs of his servants on earth. Jesus' remarkably detailed reply is preserved for us in the Bible accounts written by Matthew, Mark and Luke, chapters 24, 13 and 21, respectively.—Mark 13:3.
10 In reply Jesus said: “Keep on the watch, therefore, because you [plural, hence collectively] do not know on what day your [plural] Master is coming [Jesus' second presence]. But know one thing, that 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. On this account you [plural, collectively], too, prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that you [plural] do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming.” (Matt. 24:42-44) Note that Jesus here encourages his group of disciples to be alert as an awake “householder.” This is not unusual for Jesus to refer to the operations of his collective group of disciples by an illustration in the singular. They are collectively so referred to similarly in the Bible as a “bride,” a “house,” and a “temple.”—John 3:29; Heb. 3:6; 2 Cor. 6:16.
11 Does Jesus here imply that some of that awake “householder” group present with him on the Mount of Olives would live on to the time of his second presence at the end of the “times of the nations” in 1914? This could hardly be, since it appears that none of the four disciples lived beyond A.D. 100. Jesus foreknew that these four apostles as well as eight others would become secondary foundations of an organized group of disciples, which, after Pentecost, A.D. 33, would become known as the Christian congregation of which Jesus himself would be the primary rock foundation. (Eph. 2:20; Matt. 16:18) Therefore it would be the awake congregation, not the four individuals, that Jesus meant would survive down through the centuries, even though at times the line of disciples would be obscure from historic view.
12 Such future anointed disciples beyond the days of the apostles were not excluded from the thinking and pronouncements of Jesus. For example, in his last recorded prayer, at John 17:1-26, Jesus prayed to Jehovah: “I make request, not concerning these only [the apostles present with him], but also concerning those putting faith in me through their word.” (Verse 20) It is not strange, therefore, that future members of the congregation are involved in the full applications of Jesus' illustrations and utterances.
13 Let us consider what Jesus said further to his four disciples on that occasion when he was seated with them on the Mount of Olives. “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics to give them their food at the proper time?” (Matt. 24:45) Note that now Jesus refers to the collective group as a “faithful and discreet slave,” the figure “slave” appropriately being in the singular. He says the “slave” must feed the “domestics,” the latter being in the plural. How was this done? Before his ascension into heaven Jesus emphasized to Peter such a feeding service three times: “Feed my young lambs. . . . Shepherd my little sheep. . . . Feed my little sheep.” (John 21:15-17) The sheep in Peter's day were those of the “little flock” of anointed Christians who were eventually to number 144,000. (Luke 12:32) Here, then, we have the “domestics” or individuals who were faithfully fed by the congregation or slavelike organization through its overseers. Many years later Peter reminds the overseers that they must “shepherd the flock of God.”—1 Pet. 5:2.
14 Down through the years the slavelike congregation has been feeding its true members faithfully and discreetly. From Pentecost, A.D. 33, up to this very present hour this has been lovingly and carefully performed. Yes, and these “domestics” have been fed on progressive spiritual food that keeps them abreast of the “bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” (Prov. 4:18) All this has proved to be “food at the proper time,” as stated by Jesus.
15 While Jesus, like a sower of seed, had richly planted the “domestics” as wheat under a shepherding organization, the congregation, history also records in another place, in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy, that Satan would oversow the field with weeds in an effort to choke out the thinning line of true wheatlike followers. (Matt. 13:25, 37, 38) Would Satan entirely succeed, with no “wheat” left after the Master's absence of nearly 1,900 years? Jesus himself put that question this way: “When the Son of man arrives, will he really find this faith on the earth?”—Luke 18:8.
16 Jesus confidently answers that question in the above-referred-to illustration of the sower by saying: “Just as the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be in the consummation of the system of things. At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matt. 13:40, 43) So it was indicated that many of the “wheat” class of righteous ones, anointed ones, would survive here on earth up to and during the “time of the end.” For this reason Jesus went on to say, at Matthew 24:46: “Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so.” How does history confirm that sure expectation of Jesus?
17 From the 1870's onward the thin line of true Christians began to come to historic view again as in the days of the first century. A decided move was made by many of the “wheat” group to disassociate themselves from the many weedlike sects of Christendom. This gathered group of Christians from many parts of the earth formed a new association that later came to be known as Jehovah's witnesses. From 1879 the Watch Tower magazine was used by this collective group to dispense spiritual food regularly to those of the anointed “little flock.” Yes, the “domestics,” or individual anointed ones, were being spiritually revived with increasing restored light of Bible truth by the collective “slave” group. In 1884 this “slave” group formed a legal servant, a corporation, called Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society, now known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
18 Under the direction of this religious corporation the great world-wide campaign to announce the 1914 end of the “times of the nations” was undertaken, as mentioned earlier. The Watch Tower witnesses of Jehovah proved to be awake spiritual watchmen. But the Scriptures describe them as having unclean garments because of their long association with Christian apostasy. (Zech. 3:3, 4) They had many practices, characteristics and beliefs similar to the weedlike sects of Christendom. So from 1914 to 1918 a period of fiery testing came upon them, not unlike the ancient period of Babylonish captivity of the Jews back in 607-537 B.C.
19 In the same prophecy of Matthew (24:7, 9) Jesus says: “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom [as occurred in 1914] . . . Then people will deliver you [plural, collectively] up to tribulation and will kill you [some of you, not all], and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name.” All this came to pass in connection with transgression on their part in having the fear of man, not conducting themselves in a strictly neutral way during the war years and being tainted with many religiously unclean practices. Jehovah and Jesus Christ permitted these witnesses to be reproached, persecuted, banned and their officers imprisoned by the nations of this old world. By the summer of 1918 the strong organized voice of the Watch Tower witnesses had been silenced, killed collectively as prophesied in Revelation 11:7, 8. Notice, however, that this watchman's voice was not stilled until they had completed their pre-1914 phenomenal work of warning the peoples of the nations. For the complete facts see chapters entitled “Let Go into Captivity” and “Release from Babylonish Captivity” in the book Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, pp. 74 to 90.
20 As we now know, this watchman class of the “faithful and discreet slave” was being cleansed for still greater watchman service in the turbulent years to follow their restoration in 1919. Previously, in the spring of 1918, Jehovah came to his temple of earthly Christian servants for inspection and cleansing. (Mal. 3:1-3) The many bad ones were disfellowshiped by Him and sent away. A loyal remnant were permitted to go through the fiery test where Jehovah and his Messenger, Christ Jesus, (1) tested them by organization arrangements on their loyalty to Jehovah's organization rather than to human leaders, (2) tested them by service instructions and provisions as to their zeal and devotion to Jehovah's worship and witness work, and (3) tested them by revealed truth as to their love of it. What a fiery time it was!—See You May Survive Armageddon into God's New World, pp. 303 to 305.
21 A faithful remnant of some thousands of the “domestics” of the “faithful and discreet slave” class survived this time of testing. From the spring of 1919 forward they began to rise from the dust of inactivity to their new lofty service as watchmen to the world. (Dan. 12:2; Rev. 11:11, 12) The Scriptures also describe them as being clothed with new garments of clean identification to represent Jehovah's interests in the earth.—Zech. 3:4, 5; see the book Preparation, pp. 55 to 58.
22 Now that the long-expected Kingdom had become an established reality in heaven, surely its growing interests in the earth after 1919 would not be left in the hands of a novice organization of spiritual babes. And that proved to be true. It was the 1900-year-old “faithful and discreet slave,” the old Christian congregation, that was entrusted with this precious Kingdom service. Rich in its loyalty and integrity, long in its patient suffering of persecution, strong in its ancient faith in Jehovah's precious promises, confident in the leadership of its invisible Lord, Jesus Christ, obedient in its centuries-old commission to be witnesses in the earth, finally cleansed by a fiery test by 1918, the matured “slave” as represented by a remnant now stood ready for new assignments of service.
23 Of all the so-called Christian groups following World War I, only the awake witnesses of Jehovah were prepared to undertake the heavy global commission to preach the final witness. Fittingly Jesus said: “He that has endured to the finish is the one that will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come.”—Matt. 24:13, 14.
24 Properly, then, to this 1900-year-old “faithful and discreet slave” with its thousands of cleansed “domestics” Jesus next says: “Truly I say to you [plural, collectively], He will appoint him over all his belongings.” (Matt. 24:47) Those belongings are the interests of Christ's kingdom on earth. With practical wisdom Jesus entrusts these Kingdom interests to his veteran, proved “slave” class. Thus from 1919 forward this “slave” class, using the Watch Tower Society, has found itself in the unique position of responsibility and leadership concerning this kingdom, which it had previously heralded as to its coming, for over thirty years prior to 1914.
OVERWHELMING CREDENTIALS
25 Does the “faithful and discreet slave” class have any more credentials? Yes, an abundance of them! A partial list shows that the Christian remnant today since 1919 are referred to or represented in more than eighty Scriptural and prophetic designations. With more than eighty strokes by the finger of Biblical prophecy, the God of heaven has painted a vividly accurate portrait of his official servant class on earth. The reality of this portrait in all its divinely foreordained details stands out on the world stage for all to see. The credentials are established beyond a shadow of doubt. In fact the credentials are so numerous, all pointing to the one wide-awake “faithful and discreet slave” class, that it is impossible for the great deceiver, Satan, to produce a fake organization to meet all these eighty Scriptural aspects.
26 In view of these clear facts the Bible further indicates that lovers of righteousness all over the earth would get to see and would heartily respond to the leadership of the organization that was holding these amazing credentials. “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men [persons of good will from all the earth] shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew [singular, the ‘faithful and discreet slave'], saying, We will go with you [plural], for we have heard that God is with you [plural].” (Zech. 8:23, AS) By this year 1960 more than 850,000 have actively associated themselves as preaching ministers under the leadership of the “slave” class.
27 Regularly and progressively such a great crowd are receiving their spiritual food through the columns of the eighty-one-year-old instrument in the hands of the “slave” class, The Watchtower, the religious magazine with the largest circulation in the world. Surely Jehovah and Jesus Christ have supplied no hasty, expedient form of leadership for the great crowd of true worshipers. Yes, beyond doubt the old but awake “faithful and discreet slave” stands today as a wonder watchman to the peoples of the nations. Just as their Master, Jesus Christ, stood for the rise and fall of many in Israel in the first century of the Christian Era, so now before the whole world the anointed witnesses stand as a guide to survival for a minority of mankind but prove to be an occasion for stumbling into Armageddon destruction for the rest.—Luke 2:34.
Answer Hi again Stanley,
My own personal understanding on this subject is based on a matter of faith with no second guessing as you seem to be doing,which could be a stumbling block for you.The"faithful and discreet slave" is just as it is,faithful and discreet
and not the"evil slave" as is Babylon the Great.Jesus Christ said that there would be this faithful slave on His returning in 1914 with spiritual food for His flock,and as you know there is not another slave class on earth at that time doing so except those faithful anointed brothers,so Jesus appointed them to do the feeding till the conclusion of this system of things,and these ones were and are of the Heavenly calling,"little flock"That is the difference between them and me,not because I might have the same knowledge they do or not,but I am part of the"great crowd"and not anointed like those who were a long time ago and up until today.We got the truth from them and that is all that matters to me and we have something no other religion has,a spiritual paradise to live in while we are temporary residents of this wicked world.Well I have no doubts as to who's who in our organization and I don't think you should either.Continue to pray to our God and Father Jehovah for guidance and direction and ask to remove all reasons for doubt,because nothing pleases the Devil more than a doubter,and he won't leave you alone until you do.We have to be thankful for the slave class who prepares
our spritual food in an orderly way,just as Jehovah is a God of order.Thank you once again for your question. Janko
