Salvation only in The Watchtower?
The Governing Body continue to ratchet up the pressure upon Jehovah’s Witnesses to trust – nay, obey – them without question.
Failure to do so, failure to look to The Governing Body alone for direction, may result in a Jehovah’s Witness losing any chance of salvation.
Rather than Jesus alone being the way, the truth and the life, rather than Jesus being the bread of life, rather than Jesus being the lamb who takes away the sin of the world, rather than Jesus reconciling us with God, a Jehovah’s Witnesses needs to insert a man-made religious position known as “The Governing Body” into the salvation equation*.
The Governing Body, a concept and title not found in scripture, takes itself very seriously, likening itself to Moses.
Yes, rather than Moses prefiguring, in a small way, Jesus Christ, the Witnesses are taught (by The Governing Body) that Moses prefigures…The Governing Body. (See Hebrews 3:3)
However, Jesus perfectly fulfils the role of spiritual leader, thereby allowing us to eschew having to place our trust in imperfect men, unlike the Israelites who had to trust Moses.
The Governing Body have once again draped the mantle of “the greater Moses” upon themselves. Sadly for them, though, you can still see the cheap polyester business suits underneath.
You see, Moses ultimately did not make it into the promised land.
Why not?
Moses disobeyed a direct command from Jehovah. God had commanded Moses to speak to the rock. Instead, Moses struck the rock with his staff (Numbers 20:8-12).
Secondly, Moses took the credit for bringing forth the water.
I find the second of the two disobedient acts particularly interesting.
Do The Governing Body take credit away from Jesus Christ, the leader of the congregation, the perfect Lamb, the founder of our faith? Here are some examples from the above mentioned Study Edition Watchtower.
When faced with far-reaching decisions, we do not trust in our own wisdom but look to Jehovah and his organization for guidance. And just as a child seeks his parents’ protection when a storm rages, we seek protection in Jehovah’s organization when, like a thunderstorm, the problems of this world strike us. [Watchtower April 15 2011 page 4]
Notice how The Governing Body inserts the “organisation” into the equation.
While the Bible tells us the Jesus is King, Lord, Leader and has all authority in heaven and earth, The Governing Body manage to squeeze themselves into it.
In the above quote, if Jehovah is the Father to a Jehovah’s Witness? Who is Mother? Clearly The Governing Body intend Witnesses to attribute that title to the Watch Tower Society.
And if we’ve got the Father and Mother identified, who does that make Jesus?
Who needs Jesus when you have all these books?
Who needs Jesus when you have all these books?
Tacitly, The Governing Body places their mouthpiece – the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society – above Jesus Christ.
Moses disobeyed God and didn’t make it into the Promised Land. Yahweh used Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordon, not Moses. Rather, under Moses’ leadership the Israelites fell into unfaithfulness and ultimately wandered aimlessly for a generation.
Has The Governing Body remained faithful to Jehovah? Three examples which would suggest an emphatic no:
- dangerous flip-flop theology such as organ transplants being tantamount to cannibalism; how many lost their God-given life because of this teaching?
- falsely prophesying future events and doing so in God name: 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975, “this generation” etc
- being aligned with the United Nations in the capacity of an NGO and agreeing, per UN guidelines, to propagate UN ideals
Despite this unfaithfulness, The Governing Body continues to elevate itself:
Today, Jehovah’s steward class [identified as being The Governing Body] gives a clear signal whenever it is time to make a move. How does the steward do that? By means of articles in The Watchtower and Our Kingdom Ministry, new publications, and talks at assemblies and conventions. Instructions are also conveyed to the congregations through traveling overseers or through letters or training sessions attended by brothers having congregation responsibilities.
Do you clearly discern the evidence of divine guidance? Jehovah uses his organization to guide us, his people, through “the wilderness” during these last days of Satan’s wicked world. As a result, we enjoy unity, love, and security. [Ibid page 5]
How grand and important The Governing Body and Watch Tower Society are to a Jehovah’s Witness!
Notice how Jesus doesn’t even get a look in! All he’s good for is the following:
He has delegated some authority to a faithful slave class, made up of faithful spirit-anointed Christians. That slave class, in turn, appoints overseers in the Christian congregation.—Matt. 24:45-47; Titus 1:5-9. [Ibid page 4]
Who needs Jesus when I can use a highlighter on this magazine?
Who needs Jesus when I can use a highlighter on this magazine?
Isn’t it stunning that Matthew 24 does not identify the slave!
Yet The Governing Body never fails to miss a chance to gloriously apply this parable (which in reality is a rhetorical question) to itself.
Christians rely solely on the faithfulness of Jesus and the perfect atonement of his sacrifice (Romans 8:1), freeing them from the condemnation of sin, sin that would result in God’s perfect judgement against them.
As we’ve already learned, however, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a different sort of Christian, the sort of Christian uniquely identified as recognising the authority of The Governing Body.
And the April 15 2011 Study Edition Watchtower magazine leaves the reader in no doubt why it’s so important for a Jehovah’s Witnesses to recognise The Governing Body’s authority over every aspect of their life:
Likewise, God’s people today will without fail reach the promised new world. However, whether we personally will be there depends to no small degree on our humble willingness to follow God’s direction. Therefore, may we all keep on discerning the evidence of Jehovah’s guidance! [Ibid page 5]
A Jehovah’s Witness’s hope of salvation is not dependent on Jesus.
Instead, whether they personally reach the “promised new world” depends in “no small degree” upon their willingness to follow God’s direction, direction that can only be found – according to the previous 3 pages of rhetoric in the Watchtower article – via The Governing Body.
Yes, a Jehovah’s Witness must keep himself up to speed with:
The Watchtower and Our Kingdom Ministry, new publications, and talks at assemblies and conventions. Instructions are also conveyed to the congregations through traveling overseers or through letters or training sessions [Ibid page 5]
And these are only available from….The Governing Body.
Isn’t it obvious how vital The Governing Body has made itself to the heart and mind of a Jehovah’s Witness?
- If you want to hear Jehovah speak, listen to The Governing Body
- If you want to please Jehovah, obey The Governing Body
- If you want life, humbly and willingly follow – NOT JESUS – The Governing Body
Jehovah’s Witnesses, are you starting to see a pattern emerge from the teachings in the Watchtower magazine?
* Bible-believing Christians, what spirit creature doesn’t want humans to rely on Christ alone for salvation and life? Exactly.
May the love and grace of Christ Jesus touch your eyes and heart, opening them to the life and freedom that come from him alone and not from men on earth.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Mark, you are doing an excellent job in all of this research. May Christ be exalted and proclaimed!
I agree with Mike, what you say about the ‘governing body’ is right on. They have pretty much re-routed the sheep around the great shepherd and have led them onto a slippery cliff!
I like your illustration. I’m glad I no longer use a highlighter.
Great Post Mark! Thanks ~
I’d like to see one of their Watchtower articles prove their claim of being appointed over Christ’s belongings. What year did they say he appeared to them face to face?
They have no more proof than any other religious denomination. Why some of their JW doctrines are far worse than the church down the street, whom they say God is soon going to destroy!
['Other sheep doctrine ] [Heavenly door closed in 1935 doctrine] [Who belong to Christ doctrine]
[The Partaking of Christ's emblems doctrine] [blood doctrine] > see Hosea 6:6
Romans 2:1-
“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
When Christ returns will he commend them for a job well done?
I’ve studing with the Jehovah Witness hoping to get Baptize this July/2011
Hi Deborah, thanks for your comment.
Hopefully you’ve taken into account all the that The Governing Body says and the amount of influence it expects to have over your life. Bear in mind, too, that once you’re baptised you cannot openly question what The Governing Body says less face suspicion and possible interrogation by the elders.
Such a question is more powerfull than 1000 arguments. Off course they are false prophets and we must not fear them because they have not been sent by Jehovah. They operate by their own will and have no special authority over anyone exept those who are conned to believe otherwise.
Getting back to what I said in my previous post:
“I’d like to see one of their Watchtower articles prove their claim of being appointed over Christ’s belongings. ”
So who are Christ’s belongings anyway?, that is, who belong to Christ?
According to WT doctrine, the [other sheep class do not belong to Christ.
In light of this JW doctrine…..
the so called ‘faithful and discreet class are ‘now and forever will be appointed over themselves and will be ruling over themselves because the so called ‘other sheep class are not, according to WT teachings, I repeat, ARE NOT CHRIST’S BELONGINGS as they do not ‘belong to Christ~ LOL!
Does that make sense?
And so I ask, who gave them the authority to rule over so many millions of men women and children?
And so who has given them authority to instruct the many to put their faith in ‘ these self appointed men who make great claims about themselves with no sound proof?
This is not anything new, for the Apostle Paul corrected men who had already began ruling over their own brothers in the congregation.
1 Cor 4:8 -”Already are ye filled, already ye are become rich, ye have come to reign without us: yea and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.”
This is all very well to read IF one was ignorant, BUT come one Mark, it mentions “Jehovah God” and “Yahweh” taking Joshua into the promised land and Moses not getting there because he did not give praise to God when he changed the water coming out of the rock to sweeten it.
Read EXODUS 6v1-3 CORRECTLY PLEASE!
It says, by my name Jehovah I was NOT known to Abraham, Isaiac or Jacob whose name was changed to Israel, and this was the angel speaking not almighty God.
JEHOVAH WAS NOT THE GOD OF ISRAEL.
The covanant was made between Abraham and Almighty God and that is what is leagally binding.
The angel speaking to Moses in Ex 6v1-3 says “He appeared as almighty God to Abraham, not that he was almighty God, but he appeared to Abraham as almighty God, but by MY name Jehovah, (but by MY name, referring to himself) he did not make himself known, the angel’s name. THE LORD, translated Jehovah by JWs
But here we have in their bible in Gen 17v1 onwards, Jehovah appeared to Abraham and said he was almighty God, again, the name Jehovah had been inserted instead of LORD but we know Jesus states”no man has seen God at any time” so reading this correctly it would be “the lord appeared to Abraham and said he was almighty God”, WHY DIDN’T HE SAY HE WAS JEHOVAH GOD? instead of ALMIGHTY GOD?
Quite simply because he was NOT known by the name Jehovah.
THEY ARE REALLY MESSED UP PEOPLE.
Pitn,
It appears to me that you have studied the role of angels. I have come to realize that the highest angel ( archangel who always sees the face of God) is not Jehovah but stands and speaks as though he is. What are your thoughts?
When I listen to the things the angels speak, it is sometimes one will speak as himself, and in the next sentence, he will speak with all authority as though is is the ‘True GOD, Jehovah himself.
For instance, notice how the angel spoke to Hagar in the wilderness. This is a good example of what I am talking about. Somehow, God speaks through this angel but the angel never, himself, claims to be The God, the true one.
I wonder if that is what happened to Satan. He once worked as an arch angel, but he became vain and desired to be God, after all, he was acting as God. This desire lead to his downfall.
Just my thoughts..still working things out.
It is an insidious trap!”
I hope one day they will heed the call:
And “Come out of her, my people!” Rev 18:4
The yoke that is on them is a heavy burden. Acts 15:10 ; Gal 5:1
This yoke binds men’s minds from listening and truly following Christ. It is one thing to be reminded by an impostor that they follow Christ’ but as the Watchtower says:” Keep in step with Jehovah’s Organization. ”
Who says’ it’s Jehovah’s organization? Why, the impostor does!
They really don’t want their members to actually follow Christ, but they want them to think that they do, through their teachings. How dangerous it is! And cunning. ( Ps 57:6)
Instead, they continue saying,” Keep in step with Jehovah’s Organization”. The word “Christ” means: anointed. So since these men have anointed themselves, doesn’t that make them false ‘ Christs’? That is, false anointed? They’ve anointed themselves, playing the role as Christian teachers. But the scriptures are quite clear about the eventual slipping in of false shepherds, false teachers and false Christs!
They make disciples after their own selves. ( Acts 20:28-30)
Hello,
Its been awhile since a post was made. It is January 2013 and since this was written, the governing body has now opening usurped the term “mother” and applied to themselves. The term “mother” has already been used, by Scripture, to apply elsewhere.
The apostle Paul, at Galations 4:26, states, “But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our Mother”. The governing body and the rest of the organization, present as some “strange woman” seeking to spiritually kidnap the congregation and lead those they can into the lake of fire. That is where those who comprise the false prophet and the great harlot are going.
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