Can You Understand the Bible?
Note: the following quotations from Watchtower Bible and Tract Society materials were taken from the following brief article found here. I have not personally checked them, seeing as how I don't have a stockpile of hundreds of Watchtower magazines, but I have no doubt about their credibility and accuracy. Please refer to the original article at CARM for further comments. The comments I have below are meant to look at what the Watchtower teaches regarding the sufficiency of Scripture and the place of individuals learning how to study the Bible and understand it for themselves.
(Note: There is some ambiguity about what is meant by the "faithful and discreet slave." Historically, the meaning has changed since the inception of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the late 19th century. Today, and since the 1950's especially, it seems that the phrase "faithful and discreet" slave often refers to the "remnant" class, the 144,000 who are alone born-again and have the ability to understand the Bible and teach it. However, as one can see from the quotations above, the phrase is also used in reference to the organization as a whole, with an emphasis on the Biblical understanding and teaching aspects. For the purposes of this brief article, the term "Watchtower" will henceforth be used to refer to the whole in the same fashion. Click here to view an image of the structure of the "Theocratic Organization of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses" from the December 15, 1971 issue of Watchtower.)
It seems that the Watchtower asserts quite clearly that they, "Jehovah's channel of communication, the "discreet slave", are the required hand to guide people in a true understanding of the Bible. It is "only through" them that people can and should understand the Bible, and we should listen to them without challenge.
But from where would you get such an idea? Can it be proven, from Scripture alone, that the Watchtower is God's "discreet slave"? Can it be proven, from Scripture alone, that they alone have been given the ability to understand the Scriptures? Can it be proven, from Scripture alone, that they are charged by YHWH God to be the sole "organization" which can faithfully represent and teach the Bible? No. See, once you buy into this thinking, you have already departed from Scripture.
Let the true student of God's Word recognize this folly. To say that you seek to understand and believe the Scriptures as God's Word and then embrace an institution that places themselves on par with Scripture, claiming a role and an authority that is not Scripturally given and renders the Scripture insufficient on its own, is thoroughly inconsistent. This is much like the problem we find with Roman Catholicism. They affirm the authority of the Bible, but in practice they subjugate it to their own authority since they alone are the ones who hold the proper authority and ability to interpret it and teach it correctly. We find the same kind of thing with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Not only do they create their own translation of the Bible that suits their theological persuasion, but they also hold that to those outside the "theocratic organization" the Bible is a "sealed book", meaning that only they can rightly understand it and therefore teach it.
Notice what has happened. First, the Bible is no longer sufficient for doctrine and instruction in godliness (against the witness of such passages as 2 Tim 3:16). Something additional, the "theocratic organization", the self-proclaimed "channel" of God, is needed with Scripture.
Second, they presuppose an authority, themselves, that is self-recognized. They refer to themselves as being spoken of in the Scriptures as the "faithful and discreet slave" (Matthew 24:45), yet from where does this understanding come from? Does it actually identify the Watchtower? No. This is no better than saying, "I am God's faithful and discreet slave spoken of in Matthew 24 because I have the authority and ability to understand the Bible, because, after all, I am God's faithful and discreet slave." Their authority, no matter how you slice it, is presupposed, not derived from Scripture.
Third, this presupposed authority places them above correction by the Scriptures. For it matters not how many people should come against them, armed with the truth of God's Word, because if only the Watchtower can understand the Scriptures rightly, then these people must be wrong and all of their claims can be dismissed without a glance. If the Watchtower alone can understand the Scriptures correctly then it doesn't matter how many passages of Scripture we bring against them. We are, by default, wrong in our understanding of the very passages we are trying to use! Whether or not they claim to be infallible is a separate issue. The point is that no one else can even presume to understand Scripture and thereby invalidate or disprove their claims.
Friends, this is how a cult works. You can't interpret the Bible, only we can, so let us tell you what the Bible says, let us tell you what to believe, and remember... if you truly love God you won't question us or disagree with us -all the while you keep on believing that you are getting your information straight from the Bible. They ever so carefully exalt themselves, pretending humility, and insert themselves between God's Holy Word and the individual.
This last statement is quite telling:
"Sufficient to read the Bible exclusively?" Heaven forbid! :) This statement pretty much underscores what we have seen unfolding throughout this brief post. It seems that this quotation is somewhat sarcastic. It seems to be accusing those who claim it is "sufficient to read the Bible exclusively" of getting their understanding from "commentaries by Christendom's clergy" rather than the Bible exclusively. In other words, it accuses these people of being hypocrites. It seems to say that this isn't really "Bible reading," or at least they question the sincerity of it. Sounds more like sour grapes, to me. Notice how these people are described... like Satan, independent and fault-finding, etc. There is a great irony in this, of course, since the Watchtower believes that one can only understand the Bible through them and their materials.
Nobody denies that aids can be helpful. One can still maintain that the Scriptures are sufficient alone, and yet seek help from teachers and others whom God has blessed his people with through the ages. The difference is that I can pick up a commentary by John Calvin, for example, evaluate his thoughts, and dismiss what, in my studying, doesn't comport with what the Scriptures say. The Scripture is always, always the final authority. But see, for the Watchtower, I shouldn't do that with that they teach. I should be patient and just swallow it wholesale because, after all, they are Jehovah's channel of commnication, right? Says who, again?
What I find interesting is how this quotation above remarks that those who "say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively" have "reverted" back to those "apostate doctrines" of Christendom. Perhaps this is because when you read the Bible on its own terms, with it as the ultimate authority to weigh what others say, including the Watchtower teachings, you actually come to see that those "apostate doctrines" are true!
As twisted as this is way of thinking is, I can see the logic behind it. How can you maintain your own self-proclaimed authority and unity within your ranks if people within start recognizing and pointing out all of the differences between what you teach and what the Bible teaches? :) However, I have a better idea. Believe God's Living Word to be sufficient, like it says (2 Tim 3:16), and study it -subjecting everything, I mean everything and everyone, to its authoritative words.
If you are a Jehovah's Witness, I really encourage you to not be afraid to truly and, as objectively as you can, allow God's Word to speak. Study it, consider opposing viewpoints, pray about it, seek God's face, and see what the Word says. And then, have the courage to follow God's Word rather than a self-proclaimed human authority, such as this organization.
"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; July 1, 1973, pp. 402.
"Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible." The Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967. p. 587.
"We should eat and digest and assimilate what is set before us, without shying away from parts of the food because it may not suit the fancy of our mental taste...We should meekly go along with the Lord's theocratic organization and wait for further clarification, rather than balk at the first mention of a thought unpalatable to us and proceed to quibble and mouth our criticisms and opinions as though they were worth more than the slave's provision of spiritual food. Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord's visible organization and not be so foolish as to put against Jehovah's channel their own human reasoning and sentiment and personal feelings." The Watchtower, February 1, 1952, pp. 79-80.
"We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the ‘faithful and discreet slave' organization." (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981.)
"We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his word and channel of communication." The Watchtower, October 1, 1967, p. 591.
All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave. The Watchtower; 10/1/1994; p. 8.
(Note: There is some ambiguity about what is meant by the "faithful and discreet slave." Historically, the meaning has changed since the inception of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the late 19th century. Today, and since the 1950's especially, it seems that the phrase "faithful and discreet" slave often refers to the "remnant" class, the 144,000 who are alone born-again and have the ability to understand the Bible and teach it. However, as one can see from the quotations above, the phrase is also used in reference to the organization as a whole, with an emphasis on the Biblical understanding and teaching aspects. For the purposes of this brief article, the term "Watchtower" will henceforth be used to refer to the whole in the same fashion. Click here to view an image of the structure of the "Theocratic Organization of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses" from the December 15, 1971 issue of Watchtower.)
It seems that the Watchtower asserts quite clearly that they, "Jehovah's channel of communication, the "discreet slave", are the required hand to guide people in a true understanding of the Bible. It is "only through" them that people can and should understand the Bible, and we should listen to them without challenge.
But from where would you get such an idea? Can it be proven, from Scripture alone, that the Watchtower is God's "discreet slave"? Can it be proven, from Scripture alone, that they alone have been given the ability to understand the Scriptures? Can it be proven, from Scripture alone, that they are charged by YHWH God to be the sole "organization" which can faithfully represent and teach the Bible? No. See, once you buy into this thinking, you have already departed from Scripture.
Let the true student of God's Word recognize this folly. To say that you seek to understand and believe the Scriptures as God's Word and then embrace an institution that places themselves on par with Scripture, claiming a role and an authority that is not Scripturally given and renders the Scripture insufficient on its own, is thoroughly inconsistent. This is much like the problem we find with Roman Catholicism. They affirm the authority of the Bible, but in practice they subjugate it to their own authority since they alone are the ones who hold the proper authority and ability to interpret it and teach it correctly. We find the same kind of thing with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Not only do they create their own translation of the Bible that suits their theological persuasion, but they also hold that to those outside the "theocratic organization" the Bible is a "sealed book", meaning that only they can rightly understand it and therefore teach it.
Notice what has happened. First, the Bible is no longer sufficient for doctrine and instruction in godliness (against the witness of such passages as 2 Tim 3:16). Something additional, the "theocratic organization", the self-proclaimed "channel" of God, is needed with Scripture.
Second, they presuppose an authority, themselves, that is self-recognized. They refer to themselves as being spoken of in the Scriptures as the "faithful and discreet slave" (Matthew 24:45), yet from where does this understanding come from? Does it actually identify the Watchtower? No. This is no better than saying, "I am God's faithful and discreet slave spoken of in Matthew 24 because I have the authority and ability to understand the Bible, because, after all, I am God's faithful and discreet slave." Their authority, no matter how you slice it, is presupposed, not derived from Scripture.
Third, this presupposed authority places them above correction by the Scriptures. For it matters not how many people should come against them, armed with the truth of God's Word, because if only the Watchtower can understand the Scriptures rightly, then these people must be wrong and all of their claims can be dismissed without a glance. If the Watchtower alone can understand the Scriptures correctly then it doesn't matter how many passages of Scripture we bring against them. We are, by default, wrong in our understanding of the very passages we are trying to use! Whether or not they claim to be infallible is a separate issue. The point is that no one else can even presume to understand Scripture and thereby invalidate or disprove their claims.
Friends, this is how a cult works. You can't interpret the Bible, only we can, so let us tell you what the Bible says, let us tell you what to believe, and remember... if you truly love God you won't question us or disagree with us -all the while you keep on believing that you are getting your information straight from the Bible. They ever so carefully exalt themselves, pretending humility, and insert themselves between God's Holy Word and the individual.
This last statement is quite telling:
"From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding
attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago..." The Watchtower, August 15, 1981.
"Sufficient to read the Bible exclusively?" Heaven forbid! :) This statement pretty much underscores what we have seen unfolding throughout this brief post. It seems that this quotation is somewhat sarcastic. It seems to be accusing those who claim it is "sufficient to read the Bible exclusively" of getting their understanding from "commentaries by Christendom's clergy" rather than the Bible exclusively. In other words, it accuses these people of being hypocrites. It seems to say that this isn't really "Bible reading," or at least they question the sincerity of it. Sounds more like sour grapes, to me. Notice how these people are described... like Satan, independent and fault-finding, etc. There is a great irony in this, of course, since the Watchtower believes that one can only understand the Bible through them and their materials.
Nobody denies that aids can be helpful. One can still maintain that the Scriptures are sufficient alone, and yet seek help from teachers and others whom God has blessed his people with through the ages. The difference is that I can pick up a commentary by John Calvin, for example, evaluate his thoughts, and dismiss what, in my studying, doesn't comport with what the Scriptures say. The Scripture is always, always the final authority. But see, for the Watchtower, I shouldn't do that with that they teach. I should be patient and just swallow it wholesale because, after all, they are Jehovah's channel of commnication, right? Says who, again?
What I find interesting is how this quotation above remarks that those who "say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively" have "reverted" back to those "apostate doctrines" of Christendom. Perhaps this is because when you read the Bible on its own terms, with it as the ultimate authority to weigh what others say, including the Watchtower teachings, you actually come to see that those "apostate doctrines" are true!
As twisted as this is way of thinking is, I can see the logic behind it. How can you maintain your own self-proclaimed authority and unity within your ranks if people within start recognizing and pointing out all of the differences between what you teach and what the Bible teaches? :) However, I have a better idea. Believe God's Living Word to be sufficient, like it says (2 Tim 3:16), and study it -subjecting everything, I mean everything and everyone, to its authoritative words.
If you are a Jehovah's Witness, I really encourage you to not be afraid to truly and, as objectively as you can, allow God's Word to speak. Study it, consider opposing viewpoints, pray about it, seek God's face, and see what the Word says. And then, have the courage to follow God's Word rather than a self-proclaimed human authority, such as this organization.
posted by Mathetes | [quick link]
2 Comments:
Which part did you not understand? I may have been being sarcastic. I added a note here and there to make it more clear.
I'm saying that the Witnesses are a cult because they reject the sufficiency of Scripture and place the authority, which God gives only to Scripture, in an organization that sets itself above the Bible.
I made a few revisions, including the removal of the overtly sarcastic remarks -those are not acceptable and detract from the content being presented.
Post a Comment
<< Home