Will only Jehovah's Witnesses have eternal life?

Question

There is a certain ubiquitous Jehovah's Witness poster on Yahoo! Answers who claims you don't have be one to have eternal life. However, I found this printed in a Watchtower magazine:

"A third requirement is that we be associated with God’s channel, his organization. God has always used an organization. For example, only those in the ark in Noah’s day survived the Flood, and only those associated with the Christian congregation in the first century had God’s favor. (Acts 4:12) Similarly, Jehovah is using only one organization today to accomplish his will. To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it." —Feb. 15, 1983, p. 12

Did the Watchtower change its teaching, or is this 1983 quote still applicable today?

Answer 1

True Christians (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) should have no trouble accepting that Almighty God really does have a theocratic organization. The Scriptures quite plainly make this point.

(Ephesians 1:9-10, NWT) It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth.
...(Ephesians 1:9-10, NASB) His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.


It seems rather obvious that God's organization is largely invisible, being administered by angels. Would the questioner suggest that true worship is possible without cooperation among true worshippers (earthly and heavenly)?


Incidentally, this questioner seems resolved to ignore the plain language of the official website for Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information:

http://jw-media.org/beliefs/beliefsfaq.htm
[quote]
Do you believe that you are the only ones who will be
saved? No. Many millions who have lived in centuries
past and who were not Jehovah's Witnesses will come
back in a resurrection and have an opportunity for
life. Many now living may yet take a stand for truth
and righteousness before God's time of judgment, and
they will gain salvation. Moreover, Jesus said that we
should not be judging one another. Humans look at the
outward appearance; God looks at the heart. He sees
accurately and judges mercifully. God has committed
judgment into Jesus' hands, not ours.—Matthew 7:1-5;
John 5:22, 27.
[unquote]

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20060115/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_07.htm

Answer 2

According to the Johovah Witnesses' bible they will. They say the narrow path mentioned in the bible will contain only those who call God by His given name, Johovah, and follow the Jehovah path. I studied with a Jehovah Witness in the late 1990's for about a year and a half and they still believe and follow as they did in 1983. She was very upset I didn't chose their path and she's now has no doubt I'll be going to hell! Fortunately for me, I don't believe in hell! lol!

Answer 3

Only God knows who will have eternal life. One faith does not have a corner on who God chooses. There will be a lot of surprised Jehovah's Witness, Baptist, Catholic when we all get together in God's kingdom.

Answer 4

Yes. If Jehovah’s witnesses thought someone else had the true faith, they would preach that. There is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” said the apostle Paul. (Eph. 4:5) Jehovah’s witnesses do not believe that there is more than one way to gain salvation, or that the majority of people meet the strict requirements of true faith. Jesus showed that only a minority would be right. He said: “Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.” (Matt. 7:13, 14) The outcome of the Flood proved that Noah and his family were the only ones who had the right religion. History shows that Jesus and his disciples were the only ones in their day practicing right religion. And a study of the Bible will prove the same about Jehovah’s witnesses today.

Answer 5

No, please show me where it states in the bible that a people that would have god's name wrong would be the only ones to receive everlasting life, doesn't the bible speak about ALL mankind. read Romans 8; 15, for as many as are led by the spirit of god, these are sons of God, where did it say Jehovah's witnesses!

Answer 6

What many seem apparently unaware of is that Jehovah's judgment upon each individual is largely determined by what people do during the hour of judgment. (Rev 14:7)

Of course, what we do now will have a great bearing upon how we react during the critical last hour. Those who have taken the time to build their faith and confidence in Jehovah will be the only ones really equipped to pass the tests that lay ahead. Those who have neglected to do so will find that they are unprepared to face the fiery trials foretold in prophecy.

When it come to God's war of Armageddon, though, we should not imagine that Jehovah just instantly obliterates an unsuspecting world with no extraordinary provocation. God's Word foretells the critical circumstances that lead up to his judgment. Once the world is faced with the terrifying phenomenon of its own collapse, people will be desperate for any sort of solution.

Unfortunately, when people are terrified they usually make very poor decisions. During that period, too, a demonically-driven flood of persecution is going to sweep the planet. Habakkuk 3:14 speaks of the glee of those who seek to annihilate Jehovah's anointed ones. It reads: "With his own rods you (Jehovah) pierced the head of his warriors when they moved tempestuously to scatter me. Their high glee was as of those bent on devouring an afflicted one in a place of concealment."

So, during that time Jehovah will be fully justified in bringing destruction upon a world that seeks to devour his people and no one will have any basis for questioning why Jehovah does so.

Answer 7

Do we believe the "True Church" exists today? For me, I doubt it. Jesus is going all over the earth now searching people's hearts. The 2nd. greatest commandment that is written in the Bible is "LOVE". The greatest (1st., Uno) gift in the Bible is "LOVE".
Matthew 16: 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
This scripture describes the "True Church" 100%. Tell me now, name me that Church that Satan has not touched? Is all the member's pure in the 10 Commandments? Not one member of that church committed any sins that are written down in the Ten Commandments? I can't think of one church or religion that has not broken the laws. I can't think of not one religion that has the heart of gold for everyone; an example of Jesus. "Love one another as I loved you." When Jesus gather's all this people in His church built on Peter's rock, no one will be sinful (cleansed and made pure; past sins is are forgiven done and gone for good). Only the pure heart of Love will Jesus pick to be in this Holy Çhurch of his. If the JW's can claim that no one has sinned while being a member of their church than they can say they are the "True and Righteous". If the JW's can say that all member's have a pure heart of Love (just like Jesus 100%), they can then claim they are the "True and Righteous". If not, they have no claim on it.
Not even the gate of Hades will be able touch it. Remember that.

Answer 8

I maybe wrong but I think the fact that your quoting from a relatively older publication means:

1.You are an apostate just looking for some comfort from fellow apostates, to justify why, YOU, turned your back on Jehovah. I hope that's not the case or:(

2.You obviously have access to JW's and the publications. In which you should be getting information from them. Because asking a question like that(unless your sincere in the question) will only bring more nay-sayers than factual answers.

Answer 9

The teaching hasn't changed, but there are some Witnesses who apparently realize the arrogance of such a teaching, and try to modify it for the benefit of non-Witnesses.

In answer to TeeM's questions, may I say that

1. The difference between the sheep and the goats is that the sheep responded to the "least" of their fellow humans - those who were in need of help . Notice that while verse 40 says the "least of my brothers", verse 45 simply says "least ones" - not "brothers".

2. Jesus said that the one who does the will of God is his brother (Mark 3:35)

3. The faithful slave is any slave who is deemed by Jesus to be faithful to him. Matt 25 points out that some slaves would be faithful, others not

Answer 10

This religion is flawed, just like the Roman Catholic Church, they claim to be the only true religion, they are both wrong.