True or false? Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the Bible can only be interpreted by the Watchtower ...?

Organization, and no individual can learn the truth apart from them?True or false? Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the Bible can only be interpreted by the Watchtower ...?
The Governing Body of the Watch Tower Bible %26amp; Tract Society teach all JWs the following (as found in their 'Watchtower' magazines):





'Consider, too, the fact that Jehovah's organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by God's holy spirit... 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. Many persons of the world are very intelligent, capable of understanding complex matters. They can read the Holy Scriptures but they cannot understand their deep meaning. Yet God's people can comprehend such spiritual things... How very much true Christians appreciate associating with the only organization on earth that understands the deep things of God... this organization alone is supplied with 'gifts in men'.' (1 July 1973 p402)





A diagram in the 1 Jan 1977 Wt. mag had Jehovah God at the top, linked to Jesus Christ, linked to 'Faithful %26amp; Discreet Slave' Class which contained within that box the Governing Body. Then came 6 mini-boxes coming from the Governing Body to various Wt.Soc committees, including the Writing Committee. (p16)





'Jehovah and Christ direct and correct the slave as needed, not we as individuals.' (1 Feb 1952 p79)





'We should meekly go along with the Lord's theocratic organization and wait for further clarifcation... Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord's visible organization and not be so foolish as to pit against Jehovah's channel their own human reasoning...' (1 Feb 1952 p80)





So, there you have it. JWs MUST go to the Governing Body (the self-proclaimed 'slave' class) for correct teaching which is not to be found in any other religion in the entire world.





This compares starkly with myriad Christian denominations that have their distinctives but openly proclaim saved Christians abound in all the other bona fide denominations. There may be more of a dispute about that between some Protestants and some Catholics, but there are few boundaries. There is great freedom to cross over into another denomination without the slighest recrimination or criticism. The Wt.Soc, however, warns JWs that if they leave 'the organization', they go into Satan's camp, whether they join another religion or not. But those who DO join a Christian faith are called 'apostates'! Such ones are to be treated as lepers. It's so obvious what's going on here, but the poor JWs just cannot see it. Pray for them, please.True or false? Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the Bible can only be interpreted by the Watchtower ...?
False.


We obey God as ruler rather than men.


God's Word is truth.


Jehovah's Witness since Aug. 1996.





Even in this troubled world, you can gain happiness from accurate Bible knowledge of God, his Kingdom, and his wonderful purpose for mankind.https://watch002.securesites.net/contact…
Absolutely true..I am tired now and going to bed, but tomorrow I will go and get their material and paste for you where they say just that.
--FALSE, the Bible interprets itself , the watchtower just puts down the correct scriptures that interpret themselves!





--THE BIBLE states ';All Scripture is inspired of God....'; not all watchtowers or any other publication!





--WE HAVE NO PRIVATE INTERPRETATION:


(2 Peter 1:20-21) “20 For YOU know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. 21 For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.”





--JEROME the Roman historian called the Bible---


';THE DIVINE LIBRARY';--thus as the most perfect library in the world it , unlike any library with contradictory books of all kinds, it has clear interpretation within the 66 ';little books';





UPDATE # 1





--TO ILLUSTRATE HOW the Watchtower or any of publications function in behalf of the Bible:


***OUR EYES can be compared to the Bible and nothing can take the place of our eyes!


*****OUR GLASSES, CONTACTS, can be compared to ANY TRUTHFUL , focused material that clearly zeros into the Bible teachings, prophecies, etc. to provide accurate information!


I HAVE FOUND after 40 years of research that there is no better prescription than what Jehovah's witnesses have to SIMPLY cross-reference the clear cut teachings of the ';DIVINE LIBRARY';





--NOTHING AMAZINING, no inspiration, no special dreams, no WORSHIPPED hierarcy, ETC.


---- just the honesty of an imperfect organization , ESPECIALLY IN focusing into the ALREADY interpreted Bible within its OWN LIBRARY!
Who would you prefer?





Satan said we can choose for ourselves what to believe.





Eve stole from Jehovah the right to decide what is best.





Where in the bible does it say we can believe whatever we want?





Where in the bible does it say we can worship God anyway we want?





It is an individual's choice to worship God or not.





It is God's choice on how we are to worship him acceptable.





Who do you believe is the faithful slave who has been appointed over all of Christ's belongings?





The fact that Christendom is so scattered as to 'what is truth' is proof that many are on the large road leading to distruction.





.
i wouldnt doubt it
True.





It's also true that, unlike the majority of other bible publishers, they do not release the names of the people who have translated their version of the bible.
False.








Jehovah's Witnesses understand the bible to be the only inspired infallible means of knowing God's will and purposes. They never pretend that bible study aids are more important than the bible itself.





Each congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses schedules five congregation meetings each week, typically at its Kingdom Hall. Two of those five meetings consider a bible-based lesson from The Watchtower or another publication, but the other three meetings are bible-based talks presented by congregation members. Speakers MUST use the BIBLE as the foundation of their talks, but it is true that speakers may include reference material from any responsible source (including The Watchtower, of course).





Jehovah's Witnesses unceasingly admonish their adherents to read, study, and meditate on the bible itself at their own homes with their own families. The Witnesses have long cited three INDISPENSABLE actions by true Christians:


1. Pray


2. Read bible


3. Preach





Those who attend the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses will likely note that nearly everyone (adult and child) can comfortably and quickly locate each referenced Scripture during the talk. Other bible-study aids may be used by the audience during the meetings, but never even approaching the ubiquity of the bible among Jehovah's Witnesses.





Learn more:


http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20000622/


http://watchtower.co.uk/archives/index.h…


http://watchtower.co.uk/e/dg/index.htm?a…


http://watchtower.co.uk/e/rq/index.htm?a…


http://watchtower.co.uk/e/lmn/index.htm?…


http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/index.htm?a…
No, on a number of levels. For one thing ';the Watchtower'; is a magazine, not a person. Also before there even was a magazine called ';the Watchtower'; many came to know Jehovah's teachings.





Do we believe that we are interpereting the scriptures correctly?? Yes, otherwise we wouldn't be Witnesses would we??





As for the person above me who mentioned the ';no windows thing'; (sigh) not sure how this rumor stays alive on here. Some have windows, some don't. Why do some offices have no windows?? Cost, Crime, etc.
The Bible is interpreted by every persons individual religion in a diff way which is why there are sooo many diff christian sects. What is the point of being in an organized religion if you dont believe in their interpretations of the Bible?





If they believe that their interpretations of the bible are true then wouldnt they naturally believe that in order to get all the truth they would have to believe only in what they interpret the Bible to be true? Isnt that really how all christian sects work?





I never understood people that would say they are baptist or catholic or whatever religion they claim and that they go to church but they dont believe in all the teachings of that church. Or you ask them to explain something and they say well my church teaches this, but I dont know if I believe that completely. Why be in that particular religious sect then???? I know I wouldnt be devoting as much time and effort into my faith and my religion if I didnt believe in all of it as the absolute truth.
lol...they used to come to my house..
It's true. Just go to the web. All their material is out there to read.
There wouldn't be much point in having your own denomination if you have no claim to truth that isn't already accepted. You have to be different somehow.





Then, of course, it naturally follows that everybody else is off the mark because they differ from you. It's a self-serving deception to make you feel exclusive.





I mean, wouldn't it be boring if there was just ONE version of Christianity and NO denominations? Everybody running around believing the same exact thing? Yawn . . .





http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Rational-D…
False, Jehovah's Witnesses ';do not teach'; that the bible can only be interpreted by the Watchtower. Also worth noting is that the Watchtower is not a person.
If no induvidual can learn the truth from studying the Word...why was it ever written to be read?





Besides...JW's are weirdies. No holidays? No celebration of the birth of the Jehovah they name themselves after? I mean seriously...if you really sit down and think about it...





Cult...all the way.





And whats with the no windows thing in all their buildings?





Yeah. No.
hi no it is false as a jw the watchtower is there to help us understand the bible more in a more simple way for us to understand


and we also go door to door to tell every one the truth thats how others learn the truth.
True.








Structural Authority





Structural Authority


At first glance, Jehovah's Witnesses seem to be the model of religious democracy. In their informational booklet What Does God Require of Us? congregational leaders are described: ';These men are not elevated above the rest of the congregation. (Matt 23:8-10) They are not given special titles. (2 Cor 1:24) They do not dress differently from others. Neither are they paid for their work.';


However, in reality the Watchtower Society is an absolute autocracy. All authority is vested in the Governing Body, including the authority to understand and teach the Bible.





So Jehovah's visible organization under Christ is a channel for bringing the divine interpretation of his word to his devoted people. We acknowledge as the visible organization of Jehovah on earth the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and recognize the Society as the channel or instrument through which Jehovah and Christ Jesus give instruction and meat in due season to the household of faith. If we are to walk in the light of truth we must recognize not only Jehovah God as our father but his organization as our ';mother.'; 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. They [Witnesses] must adhere absolutely to the decisions and scriptural understanding of the Society because God has given it this authority over his people. Avoid independent thinking ... questioning the counsel that is provided by God's visible organization. ... Fight against independent thinking. To receive everlasting life in the earthly Paradise we must identify that organization and serve God as part of it.








Dissent is not permitted and, if discovered, is punished swiftly and completely. Jehovah's Witnesses are excluded from membership or disfellowshipped not merely for gross, unrepentant immorality or heresy but also for questioning the teachings and authority of the Society. Should a Witness be disfellowshipped, he learns firsthand what it means to be shunned by the very people he once considered his friends, family, and brothers and sisters in Christ. Witnesses are taught,





A disfellowshipped person is cut off from the congregation, and the congregation has nothing to do with him. Those in the congregation will not extend the hand of fellowship to this one, nor will they so much as say ';hello'; or ';good-bye'; to him. ... [The congregation members] will not converse with such a one or show him recognition in any way. If the disfellowshipped person attempts to talk to others in the congregation, they should walk away from him. In this way he will feel the full power of his sin. ... The disfellowshipped person who wants to do what is right should inform any approaching him that he is disfellowshipped and they should not be conversing with him. What if a person cut off from God's congregation unexpectedly visits dedicated [Witness] relatives? What should the [Jehovah's Witness] Christian do then? If this is the first occurrence of such a visit, the dedicated Christian can, if his conscience permits, carry on family courtesies on that particular occasion. However, if his conscience does not permit, he is under no obligation to do so. If courtesies are extended, though, the Christian should make it clear that this will not be made a regular practice. ... The excommunicated relative should be made to realize that his visits are not now welcomed as they were previously when he was walking correctly with Jehovah.








Witnesses are not only to isolate themselves from those who were once Witnesses and have been disfellowshipped or disassociated but also from anyone who is not a Witness and who attempts to present a view contrary to the Watchtower. No Witness is allowed to read dissenting material, whether it is written by a disgruntled Jehovah's Witness, a disfellowshipped or disassociated Witness, or someone who has never been a Witness:


Have no dealings with apostates. ... For example, what will you do if you receive a letter or some literature, open it, and see right away that it is from an apostate? Will curiosity cause you to read it, just to see what he has to say? You may even reason: ';It won't affect me; I'm too strong in the truth. And besides, if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear. The truth will stand the test.'; In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious questioning and doubt.





(from Kingdom of the Cults, Copyright © 1997 The Estate of Walter Martin.)
Careful JW's! This is a true/false yes/no question!





But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matt. 5:37





JR


You dodged everything I pointed out to you and you spun your answers and Scriptures so much that I got dizzy. Not to mention you tried to sidetrack me with coptic scripture...and other deceptive tactics.
As an ex JW of 15 years time served and author of a book ';THE LOOSE PLANKS OF JEHOVAHS WITNESS DOCTRINE'; in the course of my research on the Faithfull and discreet slave class, I can assure you that such a view as you have asked is indeed correct. It is part of their deception for while they will concede along with many other denominations that the bible is infallable as the word of Jehovah insofar as it is translated correctly they go further and teach that the authority to INTERPRET scripture has been given soley to them.


firstly, CT Russell taught that he had been chosen as the '; Watchman '; to all Christendom, and that to refuse to listen to him was tantamount to ignoring Christ himself. later the organisation under Rutherford in his book ';VINDICATION'; called Russell the minister to the ';Laodicean'; church of the last days, Russell having been chosen by the Lord in 1881.


then in 1931 Rutherford in his re-writting of history claimed that the society and not Russell personally to be the Faithfull and discreet slave. under Rutherford the Society were identified as being the prophetic '; Man with the writers inkhorn'; and they also quite unashamedly echoed the words of Cyprian saying that ';he that was outside of the Organisation was outside the ark of salvation';. The Organisation has apropriated to herself the Authority for being a Divinely led teaching magesterium for the whole world even to the point of saying that '; the bible does not belong to individuals but to the congregation'; they go further again when it comes to those of us who question the Organisation and who then wish to leave, - the classic arguement put foward is this :


Jesus was confronted by the same problem when some of his Disciples found his words hard to accept, and so when some of them departed from his company He turned to Peter and said ';Do you not want to go also? they answered sir to whom will we go, you are the one who has sayings of eternal life'; yet they will twist this scripture out of its context and apply it to themselves Organisationally, in other words if you leave the saftey zone of God's Organisation Where will you go to to get the sayings of eternal life that you have gotten from us!! you see the bottom line is that the Organisation Claim to be Spirit led while the rank and file membership are not, that is why the light for intepretation is not an individually given gift to one and all who ask of it, that is why at JW Baptisms the second question asked of all Candidates is


'; Do you understand that your baptism IDENTIFIES you as a JEHOVAHS WITNESS in association with God's SPIRIT DIRECTED ORGANISATION';. The Organisation whilst claiming that Christianity went astray by introducing a Clergy - Laity divide sees no wrong in its own division of the body of Jehovahs Witnesses into a Annionted - Great Crowd divide.


on another point - my mother and two sisters are baptised and still active in the Organisation my mother and I get on well, but my sisters consider me Apostate even thought i belong to no other denomination yet i still love fondly the people i once called brother and sister





please respond if you like me to mail you all the sources I have


best recommend read '; Crisis of Conscience'; and ';In search of Christian Freedom'; by Raymond Franz ex member of the Governing Body of the JW
Yeah, same as all other Christian denominations...nothing special about them...
True, if you mean the organization teaching you the Bible.





Not by reading the Watchtower magazines, but the organization is the only one that teaches the Bible truth.








The thing about Christendom is that they do not teach bible truths, not do the clergy. Jehovah's name was REMOVED from the bible to help bolster the Trinity doctrine, and to take the meaning away of Jesus' message. Jesus always praised the Father, and told us to do that same thing, but Christendom does not do that.





Thats basically what the trinity doctrine is for, to reject the deity of the Father.





Christian Soldier


I tried to discuss the bible with you, but you had no clue what the scriptures I showed you were talking about. I guess thats why you never sent me any more messages.