A former Jehovah's Witness (JW) elder, Don Cameron1, says that the Witnesses are 'captives of a concept': JWs believe that they are connected to the only organisation in this world chosen by God to speak for him!
Is this not a preposterous claim! It's not only a highly inflated view, it's false.
But, to testify adequately to JWs, evangelicals need to know that Witnesses believe this lie about the Watchtower Society (WtS) itself because all JWs receive their doctrine and teaching from the Society.
But, how did the WtS come by this preeminence in God's plan you will surely ask?
JWs are told that from 1914 to 1918 Jesus evaluated all the religions/denominations/religious groups on earth and in 1919 only the WtS's Governing Body passed Jesus' test!! All the rest, including 'wicked' Christendom, were judged unfit to be God's earthly organisation.
The Biblical authority allegedly pointing to this assessment by God's Son is drawn from Matthew 24.45-47.
Their own translation of Matt 24.45-47 reads:
This passage, says the Society, teaches that the WtS was the 'faithful and discreet slave' who was appointed over God's household or 'domestics' (JWs) to give them 'food at the proper time'.
However, this effort by the WtS' to put forward its vaunted claim runs into a difficult snag.
No less than 48 doctrines can be identified that were being taught by the WtS up to 1918 that are now repudiated by the WtS.
But then, how could that possibly be the case if the Society fulfilled the criterion of 'food at the proper time' in Matthew 24.45-47? Obviously, it was providing wrong doctrine which it is never the 'proper time' to provide.
Please note, that this argument uses the WtS's early history (1879-1918) against itself with reference to the 1919 judgement of Jesus Christ. We don't have to argue that any particular doctrine is wrong or right as such. All that has to be shown is that pre-1919 teachings are inconsistent with post-1919 teachings.
These differences show that the WtS cannot claim that Jesus Christ could give it the title of the 'faithful and discreet slave' who is given rulership 'over all his [Christ's] belongings' for at least two reasons.
1. Either the pre-1919 doctrine was correct and the changed post-1919 doctrine was incorrect which means that the WtS is now apostate or,
2. The pre-1919 doctrine was incorrect and the WtS could not have passed 'inspection' as God's 'faithful and discreet slave'.
For example, up to 1919 and beyond the WtS taught that Christians should worship Jesus Christ. Now they don't teach that practice but have 'translated' those Bible passages ascribing worship to Christ with words suggesting lesser forms of obeisance and honour.
Next time, we will look at more examples of this same inconsistency.
* NWT marginal note gives 'wise' as an alternative translation for 'discreet'.
1. Cameron, D. (2005). Captives of a concept. (Anatomy of an illusion.) Morrisville, NC: Lulu.
Is this not a preposterous claim! It's not only a highly inflated view, it's false.
But, to testify adequately to JWs, evangelicals need to know that Witnesses believe this lie about the Watchtower Society (WtS) itself because all JWs receive their doctrine and teaching from the Society.
But, how did the WtS come by this preeminence in God's plan you will surely ask?
JWs are told that from 1914 to 1918 Jesus evaluated all the religions/denominations/religious groups on earth and in 1919 only the WtS's Governing Body passed Jesus' test!! All the rest, including 'wicked' Christendom, were judged unfit to be God's earthly organisation.
The Biblical authority allegedly pointing to this assessment by God's Son is drawn from Matthew 24.45-47.
Their own translation of Matt 24.45-47 reads:
45 Who really is the faithful and discreet* slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! 47 Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings (New World Translation, 2013).According to Cameron, these verse are the most important ones for the Watchtower's claim to being the one and only mouthpiece of God on earth.
This passage, says the Society, teaches that the WtS was the 'faithful and discreet slave' who was appointed over God's household or 'domestics' (JWs) to give them 'food at the proper time'.
However, this effort by the WtS' to put forward its vaunted claim runs into a difficult snag.
No less than 48 doctrines can be identified that were being taught by the WtS up to 1918 that are now repudiated by the WtS.
But then, how could that possibly be the case if the Society fulfilled the criterion of 'food at the proper time' in Matthew 24.45-47? Obviously, it was providing wrong doctrine which it is never the 'proper time' to provide.
Please note, that this argument uses the WtS's early history (1879-1918) against itself with reference to the 1919 judgement of Jesus Christ. We don't have to argue that any particular doctrine is wrong or right as such. All that has to be shown is that pre-1919 teachings are inconsistent with post-1919 teachings.
These differences show that the WtS cannot claim that Jesus Christ could give it the title of the 'faithful and discreet slave' who is given rulership 'over all his [Christ's] belongings' for at least two reasons.
1. Either the pre-1919 doctrine was correct and the changed post-1919 doctrine was incorrect which means that the WtS is now apostate or,
2. The pre-1919 doctrine was incorrect and the WtS could not have passed 'inspection' as God's 'faithful and discreet slave'.
For example, up to 1919 and beyond the WtS taught that Christians should worship Jesus Christ. Now they don't teach that practice but have 'translated' those Bible passages ascribing worship to Christ with words suggesting lesser forms of obeisance and honour.
Next time, we will look at more examples of this same inconsistency.
* NWT marginal note gives 'wise' as an alternative translation for 'discreet'.
1. Cameron, D. (2005). Captives of a concept. (Anatomy of an illusion.) Morrisville, NC: Lulu.
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