(Luke 5:39) No one that has drunk old wine wants new; for he says, 'The old is nice.'"
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, certain Bible Students who were excellent public speakers felt that they could best carry out the commission to preach by delivering well-prepared talks to appreciative audiences.
They enjoyed public speaking, and some of them fairly basked in the warm adulation of their listeners. However, it later became evident that Jehovah desires his people to get busy in a variety of forms of preaching, including the house to house work. Some accomplished public speakers flatly refused to try anything new. Outwardly, they appeared to be spiritual men, fully devoted to the Lord. However, when faced with clear evidence of God's purpose regarding the preaching work, their real thoughts, intentions, and motives became manifest. How did Jehovah feel about them? He did not bless them. They left the organization.
(Acts 5:42) And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.
(Acts 20:20) while I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.
This should not trouble us; it should bolster our confidence in the faithful and discreet slave class. When representative members of the "slave" discern that our viewpoint on some point of truth needs to be clarified or corrected, they do not hold back from making the adjustment. The slave class is more interested in cooperating with God's unfolding purpose than in shielding itself from criticism over an adjusted understanding. How do you react when an adjustment in our understanding of the Scriptures is presented?
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, certain Bible Students who were excellent public speakers felt that they could best carry out the commission to preach by delivering well-prepared talks to appreciative audiences.
They enjoyed public speaking, and some of them fairly basked in the warm adulation of their listeners. However, it later became evident that Jehovah desires his people to get busy in a variety of forms of preaching, including the house to house work. Some accomplished public speakers flatly refused to try anything new. Outwardly, they appeared to be spiritual men, fully devoted to the Lord. However, when faced with clear evidence of God's purpose regarding the preaching work, their real thoughts, intentions, and motives became manifest. How did Jehovah feel about them? He did not bless them. They left the organization.
(Acts 5:42) And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.
(Acts 20:20) while I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.
This should not trouble us; it should bolster our confidence in the faithful and discreet slave class. When representative members of the "slave" discern that our viewpoint on some point of truth needs to be clarified or corrected, they do not hold back from making the adjustment. The slave class is more interested in cooperating with God's unfolding purpose than in shielding itself from criticism over an adjusted understanding. How do you react when an adjustment in our understanding of the Scriptures is presented?