|
Is the
Jehovah's Witnesses Organization
the "faithful and discreet slave"?
"Watch therefore: for ye know not what
hour your Lord doth come. 43But know this, that if the goodman
of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have
watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44Therefore
be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man
cometh. 45Who then is a faithful and wise [NWT = discreet]
servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them
meat in due season? 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord
when he cometh shall find so doing," (Matt. 24:42-46).
The
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, commonly known as the Jehovah's Witnesses, claims to be the faithful
and discreet slave spoken of in Matt. 24:42-46,
-
"Jesus foretold that among his people there would be a "faithful
and discreet slave" class who would be providing the spiritual food to
God's family of devoted servants on earth, acting as his channel of
communication and overseeing the carrying out of the Kingdom interests
world wide. (Matt.
24:45-47)
These anointed overseers serve as though being guided in their
activities by the right hand of Christ." (Watchtower 1/15/1969, pages 51)
- 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; 10/1/94; p. 8).
- "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, 2/15/81, page 19.)
As "The
faithful and discreet slave" it claims
that only its organization is capable of rightly understanding God's word:
"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.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are certainly zealous for their
beliefs, but they are misguided in those beliefs. The Watchtower Organization,
including all the Jehovah's Witnesses, is not the faithful and discreet
slave spoken of by Jesus in Matt. 24:42-46. The faithful and discreet slave
is simply all who are true Christians.
A faithful slave of God
does not make false prophecies
Dismantling the Watchtower claim that it is the faithful and discreet slave
is easy. All we need to do is look at the track record of the
Watchtower as an organization and see if it has been faithful.
Consider the following false prophecies made by the Watchtower Bible and
Tract Society over the years.
- 1899
"...the ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Revelation 16:14),
which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present
rulership, is already commenced." (The Time Is at Hand, page 101 - 1908
edition).
- 1918 "Therefore we may
confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle
in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection." (Millions Now Living
Will Never Die, page 89.)
- 1922 "The date 1925 is even more
distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914." (The Watchtower 9/1/22,
page 262.)
- 1923 "Our thought is, that 1925
is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has
much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had upon which to base
his faith in a coming deluge." (The Watchtower, PAGE 106 4/1/23.)
- 1931 "There was a measure of
disappointment on the part of Jehovah's faithful ones on earth concerning
the years 1917, 1918, and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a
time...and they also learned to quit fixing dates." (Vindication, page
338.)
- 1941 "Receiving the gift, the
marching children clasped it to them, not a toy or plaything for idle
pleasure, but the Lord's provided instrument for most effective work in
the remaining months before Armageddon." (The Watchtower, 9/15/41, page
288.)
- 1968 "True, there have been those
in times past who predicted an ‘end to the world', even announcing a
specific date. Yet nothing happened. The ‘end' did not come. They were
guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing?...Missing from such
people were God's truths and evidence that he was using and guiding them."
(Awake, 10/8/68.)
I agree with the
final quote in the Awake magazine. The previous false prophecies of
the Watchtower organization demonstrate that it is lacking God's truths.
If it is, then it is not the faithful and discreet slave.
Charles Taze Russell was
called the Faithful and Discreet Slave
Apparently,
Charles Taze Russell the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses was called the
"faithful and discreet slave."
Thousands of the readers of Pastor
Russell's writings believe that he filled the office of 'that faithful and
wise servant,' and that his great work was giving to the household of
faith meat in due season. His modesty and humility precluded him from
openly claiming this title, but he admitted as much in private
conversation, Watchtower
12/1/1916, page. 357.
Which
is it? Is the Watchtower right or wrong about Russell? Given
that it has made many errors in the past in its prophecies which proves it
does not speak for God, it seems clear that the Watchtower Organization is
clearly not the "faithful and discreet slave" mentioned by Jesus. A
slave of God would not go around changing its doctrines, making false
prophecies, or attempt to control the thinking of
its people. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is not the
faithful and discreet slave.
Return to the
Jehovah's Witness Page
|