Gilead Grad talk 59th class by Frederick W. Franz

[The Librarian]

Gilead Grad talk 59th class by Frederick W. Franz - Downloadable PowerPoint presentation with Audio (moved here from another page so as not to lose the audio)

Frederick W. Franz then Vice President of the Watchtower Society and foremost scholar in JW history.

Sept 7 1975. Location: 44-17 Greenpoint Ave, Sunnyside, NY 11104 (Thanks to @JW Insider’s comment below).

His comments reflect his views toward forming a Governing Body at that time (which would be implemented months later anyway)

See also:

Presentation Transcript

Slide 1: 

September 7 th , Graduation day for the 59 th class of Gilead This is the Voice of Brother Nathan H. Knorr introducing brother F.W. Franz who was then Vice President of the Society and principal Bible Scholar

 

Slide 2: 

“It is a privilege that is to be esteemed for anyone to give a talk to a class of missionaries attending the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead

 

Slide 3: 

and it is my privilege this morning to take advantage of my first opportunity to speak to this graduating class, number 59.

 

Slide 4: 

Now this class is being sent forth in collaboration with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York incorporated by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.

 

Slide 5: 

Now, the question may be raised today: what right does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society have to send missionaries out into the field?

 

Slide 6: 

Or evangelizers? The American Translation renders the word evangelizer: Missionary.

 

Slide 7: 

Who authorized the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania to send missionaries all around the globe?

 

Slide 8: 

Now such challenging questions may be also raised with an earlier circumstance

 

Slide 9: 

and that is based on the fact that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was founded by a man who became an evangelizer of world note

 

Slide 10: 

one of the most imminent evangelizers of this 20 th century

 

Slide 11: 

and especially attaining global fame when he made his trip around the world in the year 1912.

 

Slide 12: 

That man was Charles Taze Russell of Allegheny Pennsylvania. Now, I’ve often wondered about this matter, and maybe you have too.

 

Slide 13: 

Just how did Russell become an evangelizer – who made him an evangelizer?

 

Slide 14: 

At the time that he lived, this professed Christian organization that was symbolized in Jesus’ parable by the dragnet

 

Slide 15: 

that gathered in fish suitable and unsuitable for orthodox Jews to eat

 

Slide 16: 

this professed Christian organization was still in operation and was gathering in these different qualities of symbolic fish.

 

Slide 17: 

That meant that the various religious establishments of Christendom were in operation.

 

Slide 18: 

For instance, there was the Anglican Church with its ruling body and the Protestant Episcopal Church with its ruling body

 

Slide 19: 

there was the Methodist Church with its conference, there was also the Presbyterian Church to which Russell used to belong with its synod.

 

Slide 20: 

There was also the Congregational Church which Russell joined with its central congregation, but by none of these controlling organizations of this dragnet organization was Russell made an evangelizer or a missionary.

 

Slide 21: 

Well now, since Russell broke away from all these religious institutions of Christendom they didn’t recognize him and he became known as Pastor Russell

 

Slide 22: 

and I remember how the clergy would raise the question: Who made him a Pastor?

 

Slide 23: 

So the validity of his ministry was questioned and challenged by the clergy of this dragnet organization about which the Lord Jesus Christ spoke in the 13 th chapter of Matthew.

 

Slide 24: 

So, in view of those things I often wondered now, how did Russell become what he did become, and maybe you’ve wondered about the matter too.

 

Slide 25: 

So I just began to think about the 1 st Century when this Christian evangelistic work or missionary work was first started.

 

Slide 26: 

Now, the word evangelizer, or evangelizers is a rare word in the Bible, it occurs only three times – twice evangelizer and once evangelizers.

 

Slide 27: 

Now we remember how Jesus sent forth his twelve Apostles, and then he sent afterwards seventy disciples of his to go out preaching the good news of the Kingdom

 

Slide 28: 

and these 70 disciples are generally differentiated from the 12 Apostles by being called evangelists or evangelizers.

 

Slide 29: 

And so there were 70 of these evangelizers that the Lord Jesus Christ sent forth. Now the record says that he sent them forth by two’s.

 

Slide 30: 

Now we’re not to imagine that by sending these 70 evangelizers – if we’re allowed to use that term – because they did preach the evangel of the good news of the Kingdom

 

Slide 31: 

by sending them forth by two’s, the Lord Jesus Christ was not creating each two a committee, so that for the 70 evangelizers there were 35 committees of two.

 

Slide 32: 

Well, you Missionaries, you’re being sent forth today after your graduation as missionaries…the last telegram we heard was about two being sent to Bolivia

 

Slide 33: 

then there are others who are being sent, maybe four or six or eight to a different country as assignment for work.

 

Slide 34: 

Now don’t you missionaries think because you are being sent forth two together or maybe four or six or maybe 8, that you are being sent forth as a committee to take over the work in the land to which you are assigned.

 

Slide 35: 

No such thing. You are being sent forth as individual missionaries to cooperate together, and to cooperate with the branch of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society

 

Slide 36: 

which is operating and directing the work in the land to which you are assigned to act as an evangelizer.

 

Slide 37: 

So don’t get this committee idea in to your head because you are being sent out in groups to a special land.

 

Slide 38: 

Now, Jesus Christ finished his course as the greatest evangelizer of all, and then time moves on, and there is a man who comes on the scene, and he is the only one who is directly called an evangelizer.

 

Slide 39: 

That’s his personal title. We find it in Acts chapter 21 verse 8, and that is Philip of Caesarea.

 

Slide 40: 

And when Paul visited him on his stop-over there at Caesarea, why, he was called Philip the evangelizer. He’s the only one

 

Slide 41: 

Paul told Timothy in his final letter, 2 Timothy 4:5 that he should do the work of an evangelizer but Phillip is the one who is directly, and the only one thus called personally an evangelizer

 

Slide 42: 

but of course we know there were other evangelizers. Now how did this man come on the scene, and who made him an evangelizer or missionary? Now that’s the point to observe.

 

Slide 43: 

Well, we remember how the scripture in Ephesians 4, verse 11 tells us how the Lord Jesus Christ ascended on high and led a body of captives and how he gave gifts in the form of men.

 

Slide 44: 

Verse 11 says he gave some as Apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelizers and some as shepherds and teachers.

 

Slide 45: 

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Congregation, He gave not only apostles, not only prophets, but also evangelizers.

 

Slide 46: 

Now how did this Philip become an evangelizer of note; of special mention in the Bible? Well you know how he came on the scene.

 

Slide 47: 

Trouble arose in the Jerusalem congregation which was expanding and embracing Greek speaking Jews as well as the Hebrew speaking Jews

 

Slide 48: 

and there was complaint made because evidently there was prejudice against the non-Hebrew speaking Jews; against the widows who spoke the Greek language which was the universal language of the day

 

Slide 49: 

but yet there was some sort of prejudice against these foreign language talkers among the disciples. They weren’t receiving their allowance of food to their satisfaction

 

Slide 50: 

and the problem came up before the Apostles of Jesus Christ, and what did they do?

 

Slide 51: 

Well they told the whole congregation to recommend 7 men who were really spiritual characters who they the apostles might approve over this business.

 

Slide 52: 

And so there were 7 who were recommended and the first two were Stephen and also this Philip, and then others.

 

Slide 53: 

And the apostles appointed them to be over this business. Well now, if you look up the McClintock and Strong’s encyclopedia of religious knowledge

 

Slide 54: 

you find that the work that the Apostles assigned to these 7 men is called a semi-secular work. But the Apostles didn’t want that semi-secular work.

 

Slide 55: 

They unloaded it off on to these seven men and said “you take care of that”. Well, they said “we’re going to specialize on prayers and teaching”

 

Slide 56: 

Now, were these 12 Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, by unloading this responsibility for taking care of tables, were they making of themselves really figure heads in the congregation of God and of Jesus Christ?

 

Slide 57: 

They certainly were not making themselves figure heads because they specialized on spiritual things. They were more active at the spiritual end of the matter than at the semi-secular end of the matter.

 

Slide 58: 

So things prospered when they did that; when they rendered the things to which they had not been appointed by Jesus Christ as Apostles to take care of as his witnesses to all the congregation.

 

Slide 59: 

And they specialized on preaching, and the Lord God blessed them. Now we find with regard to this Philip that he left this job of taking care of tables at Jerusalem. Did you know that?

 

Slide 60: 

He left that Job, and he went down to Samaria, and when he was down there in Samaria he did a preaching work and performed many signs and wonders

 

Slide 61: 

and it was because of the work that he did down there and afterwards that he became an evangelist. Now who made Philip an evangelist or evangelizer?

 

Slide 62: 

Oh, you say “the Apostles ! The body of Apostles! Of course; it couldn’t be any other way”.

 

Slide 63: 

But was it? We read the account; let the Bible speak for itself.

 

Slide 64: 

It was because of the persecution that was stirred up by Saul of Tarsus that the record says that all the disciples; all of the members of the Jewish congregation were scattered from the Sea except the 12 apostles

 

Slide 65: 

and so Philip , as one of the refugees, or the fugitives he went down to Samaria and he preached just as the Bible says all the others who were scattered went preaching and Jehovah was especially with Philip

 

Slide 66: 

and he established a congregation there, and it was only later when the Apostles heard about this; what was going on down there

 

Slide 67: 

that they dispatched two members of the Apostolic body to go down there and see that they had the Holy spirit of God imparted to them. And then after that what happened?

 

Slide 68: 

Why, God Jehovah’s angel talks to Philip and say’s now YOU go, this is the assignment to YOU from Jehovah’s angel, you go down to the road that leads southward from Jerusalem to Gaza.

 

Slide 69: 

And he went down there on that assignment from Jehovah’s angel! And then is when he had the encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch

 

Slide 70: 

and he baptized him and after the baptism, why, he was quickly caught away, or led away by Gods Spirit, and he went down there to the Philistine seacoast

 

Slide 71: 

and up the coast of Caesarea where he settled down and they had four daughters, and he was there as an evangelist when the apostle Paul came on that boat trip back to the Holy land.

 

Slide 72: 

So that’s what happened with Philip; how he became an evangelizer. Now these are things to note friends!

 

Slide 73: 

Then something happened right after that and the Lord Jesus Christ took action, and he took DIRECT ACTION WITHOUT CONSULTING ANY MAN OR BODY OF MEN ON EARTH!

 

Slide 74: 

And that’s when He , the Head of the congregation met Saul of Tarsus the persecutor there in the road leading to Damascus.

 

Slide 75: 

He stopped him and He said; now this is a chosen vessel under me. I’m choosing him as the Head of the church WITHOUT CONSULTING ANY PEOPLE ON EARTH.

 

Slide 76: 

And He chose Saul to be an evangelizer to carry the message not only to the Jews but also to all the Gentile nations. Well, What about Jerusalem and the body down there?

 

Slide 77: 

Later on the account tells us that Barnabas took Paul, or Saul of Tarsus down to Jerusalem, but they were all afraid of him.

 

Slide 78: 

And Saul of Tarsus or Paul tells us that when they went up there to Jerusalem he saw none of the Apostles , except Peter with whom he spent 15 days, and also the apostle James.

 

Slide 79: 

Those are the only two! Then he went back to Tarsus and he continued on in his labors.

 

Slide 80: 

Well, later on, why, Barnabas was sent down there to Antioch and he ended up – Saul brought him there, and they taught in Antioch for quite a while.

 

Slide 81: 

Paul became a member of the Antioch congregation, and he was one of the prophets there in that congregation specially mentioned.

 

Slide 82: 

And then, all of a sudden as he was serving there in Antioch – in Syria NOT IN ISREAEL BUT IN SYRIA

 

Slide 83: 

why, God’s Spirit spoke to that congregation there in Antioch and said now, of all things you set aside – this congregation in Antioch, YOU set aside these two men

 

Slide 84: 

namely Barnabas and Saul for the work for which I have commissioned them, and so the Antioch congregation did that.

 

Slide 85: 

And they laid their hands upon Paul or Saul and Barnabas and sent them forth , as a number of translations read, sent em forth!

 

Slide 86: 

And then they went forth by the Holy Spirit operating through the Antioch congregation and they went out on their first missionary assignment.

 

Slide 87: 

So you see, the Lord Jesus Christ was acting as the Head of the congregation and taking action DIRECTLY; WITHOUT CONSULTING ANY BODY HERE ON EARTH WHAT HE COULD DO OR WHAT HE COULD NOT DO!

 

Slide 88: 

And he acted in that way with regard to Saul and Barnabas, and they were both Apostles of the Antioch congregation, and so they went out to the work and had great success.

 

Slide 89: 

And in the course of time they completed their first missionary tour, and where did they go? WHERE DID THEY REPORT? (To a Jerusalem-based governing body perhaps?)

 

Slide 90: 

Well there’s a record, you read it for yourself in the closing verses of the 14 th Chapter of Acts. THEY WENT BACK TO ANTIOCH, to the congregation there

 

Slide 91: 

and the account says, “They related things in detail to them, to this congregation that had committed them to the undeserved kindness of God for the work that they had performed”.

 

Slide 92: 

So there’s where they reported! So, the record also says, now they stayed in Antioch “not a little time”. Well note what happened.

 

Slide 93: 

All of a sudden something occurs and Paul and Barnabas they go up to Jerusalem. Well, what’s the matter? What brings them up to Jerusalem?

 

Slide 94: 

Well, is it the body of the Apostles and the other elders of the Jerusalem congregation that have summoned them up there and said, look here!

 

Slide 95: 

We have heard that you two men have gone out on a missionary tour and you’ve finished it and you haven’t come up here to Jerusalem to report to us! DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE? We’re the council of Jerusalem!

 

Slide 96: 

Don’t you recognize the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ? If you don’t come on up here in a hurry we’re going to take disciplinary action against you!

 

Slide 97: 

Is that what the account says?

 

Slide 98: 

Well if they had acted that way toward Paul and Barnabas because they reported to the congregation by means of which the Holy Spirit had sent them out,

 

Slide 99: 

then this council of Jerusalem of apostles and other elders of the Jewish Congregation WOULD HAVE PUT THEMSELVES ABOVE THE HEADSHIP OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

 

Slide 100: 

But that isn’t what occurred. You know what happened; how Jews came down from Jerusalem and stirred up the matter of circumcision and it troubled the congregation there in Antioch so much

 

Slide 101: 

that the ANTIOCH CONGREGATION SENT PAUL AND BARNABAS UP TO JERUSALEM to have the council settle the issue, and of course being sent by the congregation of Antioch

 

Slide 102: 

they had to come back and report and advise the congregation of the settlement of the question of the decision that was made by the council there at Jerusalem.

 

Slide 103: 

And THEN IT WAS when they were arguing in favor of Christians from the gentiles not having to be circumcised like Jews

 

Slide 104: 

it was THEN that Paul and Barnabas told what God had done by means of them in the Gentile world. And THEN it was that the council got the report.

 

Slide 105: 

Then they went back to Antioch, which had sent them forth to make known the decision and the Jerusalem council, why, sent along two men Judas and Silas with them.

 

Slide 106: 

And so they delivered the report from the council, and there was great rejoicing among the Gentile believers. Now time passes, and Paul and Barnabas are at Antioch.

 

Slide 107: 

And what occurs now? Well, do they receive an assignment from somewhere on their next move?

 

Slide 108: 

The account says that the two men, Paul and Barnabas, Paul said to him, he said, “Of all things let us go and visit the congregations that we have established”

 

Slide 109: 

and they were agreed on this matter, and then the matter of accompanying them came up. Who was going to go with them? And Barnabas was in favor of Mark - young Mark.

 

Slide 110: 

But Paul didn’t want him because he had left them in Pamphyl′ia in Asia Minor and had not gone along with them to the finish of the first missionary tour.

 

Slide 111: 

So Paul didn’t have any confidence in Mark for the time being. And they had a great altercation, as you know and it resulted in a split

 

Slide 112: 

and Barnabas took along Mark. And it proved to be a good choice because afterwards Paul appreciated now the faithfulness of Mark and said, he is a useful servant even to me.

 

Slide 113: 

But what about Paul? Well, he chose Silas or Silvanus as his companion in his missionary tour.

 

Slide 114: 

And here’s one thing we must note again - now this happened up in Antioch - towards the close of the 15 th chapter of Acts, it says that after Paul and Barnabas had

 

Slide 115: 

been commended by the brothers of the Antioch congregation to the underserved Kindness of God that they went forth on the second missionary tour of the apostle Paul.

 

Slide 116: 

So again, the Antioch congregation is being used to send out missionaries of great eminence in Bible history.

 

Slide 117: 

Then later on, after completing the second missionary tour the apostle Paul finally returns to Antioch, and then Acts 18:23 tells us that after he had spent some time in Antioch in Syria, then he started out on his 3 rd missionary tour.

 

Slide 118: 

And he was a man who wanted to break fresh ground; he didn’t like to build on another man’s foundation. When another man had pioneered the way as an evangelizer, but he wanted to break new ground – and that’s what he did.

 

Slide 119: 

And so, as we examine this account of these two most outstanding among the missionaries recorded in Bible history, we find that they were sent off specially by the Lord Jesus Christ – the Head of the Church.

 

Slide 120: 

A fact which the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has upheld and accepted ever since the society was formed.

 

Slide 121: 

So we see how the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church has the right to act direct without any other organizations in view no matter who we are

 

Slide 122: 

He is the Head of the Church, and we can’t challenge what HE does”.