Why do you use the expression: 'the friends'?

[Ahuvah]

12 minutes ago, Stormswift said:

I think it's the difference too, between sentiments and habits of speech. Neither terms are incorrect by any means. And both 'brothers and sisters versus 'The Friends' are endearing speech to those of the organization we love dearly.

 

It's just whether that term is used or not used in your area really. I took particular note last night as to whether this term is being used and I've missed it - so far definitely not used - but that doesn't mean what is conveyed has a different meaning than those who use the term.

Heh Guri - your confused icon - I meant the words of that song even though 'friends' aren't in it - its saying the same thing.

[jwhess]

I guess, I will say that God will never call me brother. I am not anointed so Jesus will never call me brother.  But I trust Jehovah thinks of me as his friend.  Jesus said we are not just "slaves" but he call us his friend.  Friends of Peace...a friend sticking closer than a brother.  Whatever you call me, I hope it isn't late to Armageddon...❤️

[Omoyeme]

On 11/11/2019 at 5:49 PM, Stormswift said:

Just different cultures really that's all.

 

23 hours ago, Maʹher-shalʹal-hash-baz said:

I think the term is a cultural thing

 

20 hours ago, Rose94 said:

but I guess it is a cultural thing.

 

6 hours ago, Stormswift said:

It's just whether that term is used or not used in your area really

 

As the old adage goes: when in Rome... 

 

[Paradise-Lover]

6 hours ago, jwhess said:

I guess, I will say that God will never call me brother. I am not anointed so Jesus will never call me brother.  But I trust Jehovah thinks of me as his friend.  Jesus said we are not just "slaves" but he call us his friend.  Friends of Peace...a friend sticking closer than a brother.  Whatever you call me, I hope it isn't late to Armageddon...❤️

And I'd rather have Jehovah think of me as his "friend" than his Son's "brother", because that would be too much of a "borrowed" robe for little me. 😁

[Paradise-Lover]

7 hours ago, Guri said:

I could not find the word "friends" in these words. Have I missed it? 

Well, if you take a closer look, you'll notice it's hidden in the word "more".

[Luigi62]

call me whatever you want, just don't call me late for dinner. 

[Guri]

7 hours ago, jwhess said:

I guess, I will say that God will never call me brother. I am not anointed so Jesus will never call me brother.  But I trust Jehovah thinks of me as his friend.  Jesus said we are not just "slaves" but he call us his friend.  Friends of Peace...a friend sticking closer than a brother.  Whatever you call me, I hope it isn't late to Armageddon...❤️

 

I was wondering, has any Bible writer (who wrote parts of the Christian Greek Scriptures) ever addressed to the brothers and sisters as "friends" in their letters? Do we have such instances? 

 

Paul addressed his brothers and sisters by the word "brothers" when he wrote his letter to the Colossians for instance: 

 

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through God’s will, and Timothy our brother,

2 to the holy ones and faithful brothers in union with Christ at Co·losʹsae:

May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father.

 

Same situation we have with Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians and so on. 

 

Again, I do not have any issue if you call me your friend. 

[Luigi62]

6 minutes ago, Guri said:

 

I was wondering, has any Bible writer (who wrote parts of the Christian Greek Scriptures) ever addressed to the brothers and sisters as "friends" in their letters? Do we have such instances? 

 

Paul addressed his brothers and sisters by the word "brothers" when he wrote his letter to the Colossians for instance: 

 

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through God’s will, and Timothy our brother,

2 to the holy ones and faithful brothers in union with Christ at Co·losʹsae:

May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father.

 

Same situation we have with Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians and so on. 

 

Again, I do not have any issue if you call me your friend. 

John wrote in his letters "To the friends"

 

people are different.

[Ahuvah]

2 hours ago, Chuka said:

And I'd rather have Jehovah think of me as his "friend" than his Son's "brother", because that would be too much of a "borrowed" robe for little me. 😁

But aren't we more talking about calling each other 'the friends' rather than how Jehovah refers to us? 

[Paradise-Lover]

19 minutes ago, Stormswift said:

But aren't we more talking about calling each other 'the friends' rather than how Jehovah refers to us? 

Sorry about the slight deviation. That was just to express my personal preference in sync with Br  John's two cents (Post #52).

[Guri]

1 hour ago, Luigi62 said:

John wrote in his letters "To the friends"

 

people are different.

According to the book “All Scriptures” the apostle John wrote his third inspired letter to a Christian man called Gaʹius and whom he commended for walking in the truth and, with reference to his hospitality, for his faithful work and his love. At the end of his letter to Gaius apostle John sent regards to his friends via Gaius. I’m sure and it is obvious that apostle John too had some friends as we in congregations.   

We don’t see in the scriptures that the writers would address brothers and sisters as friends. 

[Luigi62]

3 John 14 🤔

 

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

3 John 3-5,10

Just Older

[Luigi62]

this is tricky one. 🤷‍♂️

[Guri]

1 hour ago, Luigi62 said:

3 John 14 🤔

 

Yes, it was a personal letter to Gaius, there for, at the END of his letter he said to Gaius “I am hoping to see you soon, and we will speak face-to-face. May you have peace. The friends send you their greetings. Give my greetings to the friends by name.”

 

John did not wrote his letter to the congregation. He wrote to Gaius and sent him regards from his friends and asked him to give his regards to the friends. 

[Eejay]

I have only heard folk from US using this expression " The Friends" to refer to Witnesses as a group with any consistency. I don't see the Biblical examples cited as providing a basis for thinking the term was used in any formal context in the 1st Century.

 

However, it would seem more plausible that the use of it as a  term among American Bible Students early on, and more lately Jehovah's Witnesses a a group, expecially by those from the US, might more likely owe  roots to the custom of the religious group commonly known as "Quakers", or "The Religious Society of Friends". They do refer to to themselves formally as "Friends".

In view of the fact that in 1681, King Charles II gave William Penn, a wealthy English Quaker, a large land grant in America to pay off a debt owed to his family,  Penn, who had been jailed multiple times for his Quaker beliefs, went on to found Pennsylvania as a sanctuary for religious freedom and tolerance. This resulted in a consederable influx of Quakers from the UK where they had experienced considerable intolerance and persecution. Quaker customs may well have had an influence on the general vocabulary of religious movements of the 19th Century in that area, especially those that broke ties with more well established groups, as Quakers had done some two centuries earlier.

Who knows?

[Thesauron]

Yes, it was a personal letter to Gaius, there for, at the END of his letter he said to Gaius “I am hoping to see you soon, and we will speak face-to-face. May you have peace. The friends send you their greetings. Give my greetings to the friends by name.”
 
John did not wrote his letter to the congregation. He wrote to Gaius and sent him regards from his friends and asked him to give his regards to the friends. 

You’re right. “Friends” is a bit less formal and the GB would not address their letters to “Dear friends”, but rather “Dear brothers”. However, on a less formal basis, they have been known to use the expression “friends” informally when talking about the members of the congregation.

Ask yourself, can you see if God approves of considering the brothers and sisters in the congregation your dear friends?

[Guri]

18 minutes ago, Thesauron said:

Ask yourself, can you see if God approves of considering the brothers and sisters in the congregation your dear friends?

To avoid assumptions,

I would answer on your question on the basis of the Scriptures (in other words having the Scriptures in mind). God doesn’t call and doesn’t consider every human being on the planet earth to be his friend. He encourages us to imitate him. Now you have my answer on your question. 
 

Having said that I also tell you that I do have true friends in the congregation. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by Guri
Clarification

[Thesauron]

To avoid assumptions,

I would answer on your question on the basis of the Scriptures (in other words having the Scriptures in mind). God doesn’t call and doesn’t consider every human being on the planet earth to be his friend. He encourages us to imitate him. Now you have my answer on your question. 

 

Having said that I also tell you that I do have true friends in the congregation. 

No, not everyone on earth, but surely most everyone who is in the congregation. Especially so when they do their best to imitate him and nurture fine qualities.

 

When you said “Having said that I also tell you that I do have true friends in the congregation” you made a distinction between brothers and sister who are your friends, and faithful brothers and sisters who are not, right?

 

What I’m trying to say is that we are all friends, even though we might consider some closer friends. After all, we are prepared to die for one another. It takes a special kind of friendship for us humans to do that, doesn’t it?

[Zephyr]

Did somebody mention “why not Beards”?

 

[Tortuga]

"Friends" is often used to refer to a group of brothers and/or sisters here. I have never heard it used to describe or refer to an individual,  it is only used to refer to groups such as "the friends on the forum", "the friends in Australia"...

[Guri]

1 hour ago, Thesauron said:

When you said “Having said that I also tell you that I do have true friends in the congregation” you made a distinction between brothers and sister who are your friends, and faithful brothers and sisters who are not, right?

Thesauron,

 

From my Bible based perspective, it is only Jehovah and Jesus who truly knows who is faithful inside or outside the congregation. The Bible tells us (also the publications) that not all are spiritual in the congregations (some of them may even be "marked" [2Thes. 3:14]) and not all tries their best to do Jehovah's will. (Comp. Johne 15:14). I am not the one who can define/judge others; I also believe there is no human being on this planet who can know what is in man's heart.  So those people  (young or old, man or woman) who attend the meetings and conventions I view as my dear brothers and sisters but not all of them are my friends.  

 

I can't be more clear on this subject and I think if we continue going on the circle we will be doing this:  

[Omoyeme]

Or somewhat akin to this...

 

[Tortuga]

1 minute ago, Omoyeme said:

Or somewhat akin to this...

 

7....    

[Thesauron]

Thesauron,
 
From my Bible based perspective, it is only Jehovah and Jesus who truly knows who is faithful inside or outside the congregation. The Bible tells us (also the publications) that not all are spiritual in the congregations (some of them may even be "marked" [2Thes. 3:14]) and not all tries their best to do Jehovah's will. (Comp. Johne 15:14). I am not the one who can define/judge others; I also believe there is no human being on this planet who can know what is in man's heart.  So those people  (young or old, man or woman) who attend the meetings and conventions I view as my dear brothers and sisters but not all of them are my friends.  
 
I can't be more clear on this subject and I think if we continue going on the circle we will be doing this:  

So you don’t see why a lot of people, including the Governing Body, chose to address the members of the congregation as friends? Because they’re not your friends in your opinion?