Jehovah's Witnesses only!?

Question

Can the Bible be interpreted correctly only by the
Watchtower?

What method does the Watchtower use to interpret Scripture?

Does a person have to be part of the Watchtower organization to be saved?

What does the Watchtower consider as proof that they are the real Christians? Are these marks exclusive to the Watchtower, or are they shared by other religions?

Can you come to Christ as your mediator?

Does the organization or leadership claim to be a prophet of God?

Has the organization made prophecies that have not come true?

Does the leadership claim special direction from God that others cannot receive directly from God?

1-Acts 17:11; 1 John 2:26,27 "Yes" answer contradicts Scripture, "No" answer contradicts Watchtower GB 166, 167, 171)
2-They say that they just accept it literally, and interpret symbolic passages by other passages that bear on the discussion; Reasoning, p. 204, 205. Yet they break this rule continually, often opting for a "symbolic" understanding of something that they cannot accept literally due to their preconceived theology. Example: John 3:3,5,7; Matt. 24:26-30; John 1:1; Rev. 1:7.
3-("Yes" answer cannot be supported by Scripture (Mark 9:37-41). "No" answer contradicts the Watchtower. GB 52, 53, 163, 164

4-They will give certain standards based on outward appearance rather than heart factors; their "love" is not unconditional love (Matt. 5:43-48), but is dependent upon obedience to the organization; they substitute friendship based on common doctrinal positions for friendship based on the love of Christ
5-True Christianity has Christ as its mediator, for ALL.
6-They have plainly said they are a prophet of God just like Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Compare Deut. 18:20-22. GB 58, 59, 61)
7-Jesus warns us against those who claim to be prophets, yet whose prophecies go unfulfilled.
8-They claim the "faithful and discreet slave" is a channel through which the truth flows from Jehovah down to the average Witness. GB 61, Mark 9:38-42)

*Should interpret the Bible using sound, scholarly methods involving the examination of context, language and history.

* That no other book but the Bible should be necessary (2 Tim. 3:16), and no special man or group of men should be needed to interpret it, as 1 John 2:27 tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things.

* Christianity has been around for 2000 years, and we can trace all the way back to its origins.

* The church is to be supported by collections and offerings, and ministers have the right to be paid. (1 Tim. 5:17,18; 1 Cor. 9:14; 16:2)

* True Christianity has Christ as its mediator, for ALL.

* Jesus warns us against those who claim to be prophets, yet whose prophecies go unfulfilled.

* All Christians have access to the same truths.

* Truth is not afraid of error, nor the devil. Only the devil runs from the truth.

Answer 1

I keep checking for an answer, cause im not even sure if JW's use the internet..

Answer 2

I'm not a Witness, but have read a lot about them as a friend of mine became one a few years ago.

They believe that they have a unique insight into the Bible, and that it is impossible to understand the Scriptures without using their publications.

If you ask a JW if you need to be in their organisation to be saved, they will likely tell you that Jehovah is the judge, not them, but much of their literature makes it quite clear that you have to be one of them to be saved.

They use the fact that they are obeying Jesus command at Matthew 28:19

Go therefore[c] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you

as proof that they are Christians. Their leaders claim to be the faithful and wise servant spoken of at Matthew 24:45.

JWs believe that only 144,000 go to heaven, and Christ is the mediator for only them.

The Watchtower has prophesied that the world will end several times, in 1914,1915,1918,1925,1975, and have admitted to making false prophecy in a court of law, see this link

http://www.quotes-watchtower.co.uk/false_prophecy_admitted.html

Their leaders claim to have been appointed by God as his only channel of communication with mankind.

Watchtower 2001 August 1 How to Make Your Advancement Manifest

First, since "oneness" is to be observed, a mature Christian must be in unity and full harmony with fellow believers as far as faith and knowledge are concerned. He does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus Christ, and "the faithful and discreet slave."

http://www.quotes-watchtower.co.uk/god_s_channel.html

Answer 3

properly an identical way that we've a private call and can desire to be talked approximately as via our call rather of guy, lady, Boy & so forth is an identical way that God feels. Psalms 80 3:18 says "might human beings comprehend which you, whose call is Jehovah,You by myself are the main severe over each and all of the earth." the undeniable fact that his call is suggested interior the Bible shows God needs his call to be prevalent & considering that we are his witnesses or followers, we are talked approximately as Jehovah's Witnesses.

Answer 4

1 & 9) "Jehovah's organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by God's holy spirit or active force. Only this organization functions for Jehovah's purpose and to his praise. To it alone God's Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book." (The Watchtower 1 July 1973 p 402)

2) "Direction by God's spirit enables Jehovah's servants to have divine light in a world of spiritual darkness... the organization... aids us to understand God's provisions for blessing obedient ones, and then to bring our lives into harmony with the divine will... Furthermore, this organization alone is supplied with 'gifts in men' such as evangelizers, shepherds and teachers, who serve God's purpose in connection with the spiritual development and welfare of his people." (Ibid)

3) "Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect." (The Watchtower 1 October 1967 p 591)

4) "Only one body of true Christians walks unitedly with God on the road of true worship" (The Watchtower 1 March 2007 p 7) [and it's only Jehovah's Witnesses.]

5) "Q [from Reader] Is Jesus the 'mediator' only for anointed Christians? [i.e. the 144,000] A ...So in this strict Biblical sense Jesus is the 'mediator' only for anointed Christians... The 'great crowd' of 'other sheep' that is forming today is not in that new covenant.' (The Watchtower 1 April 1979 p 31)

6) "So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet?... It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses." (The Watchtower 1 April 1972 p 197)

8) 1975 as being the start of Christ's sabbath-like Millennial rule over earth. (And a host of earlier dates, too many to detail here.)

9) "...a servant today must likewise look to God's visible organization for spiritual food... The truths we are to publish are the ones provided through the discreet-slave organization, not some personal opinions contrary to what the slave has provided as timely food. Jehovah and Christ direct and correct the slave as needed, not we as individuals." (The Watchtower 1 Feb 1952 p 79)

All of those answers except No. 8 are the words of the JW faithful slave-class itself. They will NEVER admit to having made any false prophecies, however.

Answer 5

From time to time, it seems that a questioner has newly discovered the anti-Witness writings of those who mistakenly purport to represent the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Perhaps any refutation should begin by differentiating between "The Watchtower" (which is the name of a magazine published by Jehovah's Witnesses) and the religion formally known as "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". When a person refuses to even use the proper name of a religion, it would seem he wears his bigotry on his sleeve, as it were. Of course, "CCJW", "Jehovah's Witnesses", "JWs", and "Witnesses" are all acceptable short names for the religion.

Answer 6

The one doing the will of my Father who is in heaven will, (get life). There are some Jehovah's Witnesses that will die in God's war. Deliberate wrongdoing, lying, and crime is not tolerated. J.W. sometimes start to lord it over others, and that is wrong motive leading to their everlasting death...thank goodness.

Answer 7

Any organization that makes money in exchange for the Truth has MONEY as their God.

Interpret the bible yourself. It's been translated into English, modern English too!

Answer 8

So many questions pumped into one!

1. Genesis 40:8b- “Do not interpretations belong to God?”

Daniel 2:22b- He (God) is revealing the deep things and the concealed things

Amos 3:7- 7 For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets
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***2. How do Jehovah’s Witnesses arrive at their explanation of the Bible?

A key factor is that the Witnesses really believe that the Bible is God’s Word and that what it contains is there for our instruction. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11) So they do not resort to philosophical arguments to evade its clear statements of truth or to justify the way of life of people who have abandoned its moral standards.

In pointing out the meaning of symbolic language in the Bible, they let the Bible provide its own explanation, instead of giving their theories as to its significance. (1 Cor. 2:13) Indications as to the meaning of symbolic terms are usually found in other parts of the Bible. (As an example, see Revelation 21:1; then, regarding the meaning of “sea,” read Isaiah 57:20. To identify “the Lamb” referred to in Revelation 14:1, see John 1:29 and 1 Peter 1:19.)

As for fulfillment of prophecy, they apply what Jesus said about being alert to events that correspond to what was foretold. (Luke 21:29-31; compare 2 Peter 1:16-19.) Conscientiously they point out those events and draw attention to what the Bible indicates they mean.

Jesus said that he would have on earth a “faithful and discreet slave” (his anointed followers viewed as a group), through which agency he would provide spiritual food to those making up the household of faith. (Matt. 24:45-47) Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize that arrangement. As was true of first-century Christians, they look to the governing body of that “slave” class to resolve difficult questions—not on the basis of human wisdom, but by drawing on their knowledge of God’s Word and his dealings with his servants, and with the help of God’s spirit, for which they earnestly pray.—Acts 15:1-29; 16:4, 5.

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3. Do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that their religion is the only right one?

The Bible does not agree with the modern view that there are many acceptable ways to worship God. Ephesians 4:5 says there is “one Lord, one faith.” Jesus stated: “Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it. . . . Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.”—Matt. 7:13, 14, 21; see also 1 Corinthians 1:10.

Repeatedly the Scriptures refer to the body of true Christian teachings as “the truth,” and Christianity is spoken of as “the way of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:15; 2 John 1; 2 Pet. 2:2) Because Jehovah’s Witnesses base all of their beliefs, their standards for conduct, and organizational procedures on the Bible, their faith in the Bible itself as God’s Word gives them the conviction that what they have is indeed the truth. So their position is not egotistical but demonstrates their confidence that the Bible is the right standard against which to measure one’s religion. They are not self-centered but are eager to share their beliefs with others.

Do not other religions also follow the Bible?

Many use it to some extent. But do they really teach and practice what it contains? Consider: (1) From most of their Bible translations they have removed the name of the true God thousands of times. (2) The Trinity doctrine, their concept of God himself, is borrowed from pagan sources and was developed in its present form centuries after Bible writing was completed. (3) Their belief in immortality of the human soul as the basis for continued life is not taken from the Bible; it has roots in ancient Babylon. (4) The theme of Jesus’ preaching was the Kingdom of God, and he sent his disciples out to talk personally to others about it; but the churches today seldom mention that Kingdom and their members are not doing the work of preaching “this good news of the kingdom.” (Matt. 24:14) (5) Jesus said that his true followers could be readily identified by their self-sacrificing love for one another. Is that true of the religions of Christendom when the nations go to war? (6) The Bible says that Christ’s disciples would be no part of the world, and it warns that whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God; but the churches of Christendom and their members are deeply involved in the political affairs of the nations. (Jas. 4:4) In view of such a record, can it honestly be said that they really adhere to the Bible?

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4. What beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses set them apart as different from other religions?

(1) Bible: Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God, and instead of adhering to a creed based on human tradition, they hold to the Bible as the standard for all their beliefs.

(2) God: They worship Jehovah as the only true God and freely speak to others about him and his loving purposes toward mankind. Anyone who publicly witnesses about Jehovah is usually identified as belonging to the one group—“Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

(3) Jesus Christ: They believe, not that Jesus Christ is part of a Trinity, but that, as the Bible says, he is the Son of God, the first of God’s creations; that he had a prehuman existence and that his life was transferred from heaven to the womb of a virgin, Mary; that his perfect human life laid down in sacrifice makes possible salvation to eternal life for those who exercise faith; that Christ is actively ruling as King, with God-given authority over all the earth since 1914.

(4) God’s Kingdom: They believe that God’s Kingdom is the only hope for mankind; that it is a real government; that it will soon destroy the present wicked system of things, including all human governments, and that it will produce a new system in which righteousness will prevail.

(5) Heavenly life: They believe that 144,000 spirit-anointed Christians will share with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom, ruling as kings with him. They do not believe that heaven is the reward for everyone who is “good.”

(6) The earth: They believe that God’s original purpose for the earth will be fulfilled; that the earth will be completely populated by worshipers of Jehovah and that these will be able to enjoy eternal life in human perfection; that even the dead will be raised to an opportunity to share in these blessings.

(7) Death: They believe that the dead are conscious of absolutely nothing; that they are experiencing neither pain nor pleasure in some spirit realm; that they do not exist except in God’s memory, so hope for their future life lies in a resurrection from the dead.

(8) Last days: They believe that we are living now, since 1914, in the last days of this wicked system of things; that some who saw the events of 1914 will also see the complete destruction of the present wicked world; that lovers of righteousness will survive into a cleansed earth.

(9) Separate from the world: They earnestly endeavor to be no part of the world, as Jesus said would be true of his followers. They show genuine Christian love for their neighbors, but they do not share in the politics or the wars of any nation. They provide for the material needs of their families but shun the world’s avid pursuit of material things and personal fame and its excessive indulgence in pleasure.

(10) Apply Bible counsel: They believe that it is important to apply the counsel of God’s Word in everyday life now—at home, in school, in business, in their congregation. Regardless of a person’s past way of life, he may become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses if he abandons practices condemned by God’s Word and applies its godly counsel. But if anyone thereafter makes a practice of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, drug abuse, drunkenness, lying, or stealing, he will be disfellowshipped from the organization.

(The above list briefly states some outstanding beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses but by no means all the points on which their beliefs are different from those of other groups)

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5. Yes
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6 &7 Have not Jehovah’s Witnesses made errors in their teachings?

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not claim to be inspired prophets. They have made mistakes. Like the apostles of Jesus Christ, they have at times had some wrong expectations.—Luke 19:11; Acts 1:6.

The Scriptures provide time elements related to Christ’s presence, and Jehovah’s Witnesses have studied these with keen interest. (Luke 21:24; Dan. 4:10-17) Jesus also described a many-featured sign that would tie in with the fulfillment of time prophecies to identify the generation that would live to see the end of Satan’s wicked system of things. (Luke 21:7-36) Jehovah’s Witnesses have pointed to evidence in fulfillment of this sign. It is true that the Witnesses have made mistakes in their understanding of what would occur at the end of certain time periods, but they have not made the mistake of losing faith or ceasing to be watchful as to fulfillment of Jehovah’s purposes. They have continued to keep to the fore in their thinking the counsel given by Jesus: “Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”—Matt. 24:42.

Matters on which corrections of viewpoint have been needed have been relatively minor when compared with the vital Bible truths that they have discerned and publicized. Among these are the following: Jehovah is the only true God. Jesus Christ is not part of a Trinitarian godhead but is the only-begotten Son of God. Redemption from sin is possible only through faith in Christ’s ransom sacrifice. The holy spirit is not a person but is Jehovah’s active force, and its fruitage must be evident in the lives of true worshipers. The human soul is not immortal, as the ancient pagans claimed; it dies, and the hope for future life is in the resurrection. God’s permission of wickedness has been because of the issue of universal sovereignty. God’s Kingdom is the only hope for mankind. Since 1914 we have been living in the last days of the global wicked system of things. Only 144,000 faithful Christians will be kings and priests with Christ in heaven, whereas the rest of obedient mankind will receive eternal life on a paradise earth.

Another factor to consider regarding the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses is this: Have these truly uplifted people morally? Are those who adhere to these teachings outstanding in their communities because of their honesty? Is their family life beneficially influenced by applying these teachings? Jesus said that his disciples would be readily identified because of having love among themselves. (John 13:35) Is this quality outstanding among Jehovah’s Witnesses? We let the facts speak for themselves.

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Hope that helps. Whew!