In July 2013 The Watchtower replaced the long-standing teaching that the 'faithful and discreet slave' is all anointed Christians since 33 CE with the teaching that it is 'a small group of anointed brothers' appointed in 1919 — the Governing Body — and called it the 'channel' on which members' 'spiritual health and … relationship with God depend'.
Claim ID claim-authority-2013-faithful-slave-redefined-as-governing-bodyConcerns 15 July 2013Explicit statement
In July 2013 The Watchtower replaced the long-standing teaching that the 'faithful and discreet slave' is all anointed Christians since 33 CE with the teaching that it is 'a small group of anointed brothers' appointed in 1919 — the Governing Body — and called it the 'channel' on which members' 'spiritual health and … relationship with God depend'. Source: The Watchtower (study edition), 15 July 2013Source: The Watchtower, 1 March 1981
The organisation’s position or later explanation: The article frames the change as a clarification reached through 'further careful study and prayerful meditation' (Prov. 4:18) (, par. 3).
15 July 2013 · pp.20-25 · par. 3 (p. 20); par. 10 (p. 22); pars. 12-13 (p. 23) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“that slave is made up of a small group of anointed brothers who are directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food during Christ's presence. … In 1919, a time of spiritual revival, Jesus selected capable anointed brothers from among them to be the faithful and discreet slave and appointed them over his domestics.”
Par. 3 states the former understanding: 'At Pentecost 33 C.E., Jesus appointed the faithful slave over his domestics. The slave represents all anointed Christians on earth as a group at any one time since then. The domestics refer to the same anointed ones as individuals.' Par. 13: 'Early in the last days, the domestics were all anointed ones. Later, the domestics came to include the great crowd of other sheep.'
1 March 1981 · pp.24-27 · p. 24 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Indeed, this “slave,” or spirit-anointed congregation, is the one approved channel representing God’s kingdom on earth in the “time of the end.” … Witnesses of Jehovah understand that the “slave” is comprised of all anointed Christians as a group on earth at any given time”
The pre-2013 teaching: the slave = all anointed Christians. Useful side by side with the 2013 change.
A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-authority-2013-faithful-slave-redefined-as-governing-body/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.