David2002,
I already cited several WT sources that clearly state that the WTS is not infallible, that they are prone to make mistakes, and that they are not inspired like the prophets or the apostles.
I am impressed that you are even discussing the issue. However, it seems you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what defines someone as a prophet. Surely you agree that the Jews used the definition found in the Hebrew Scriptures of what a prophet and false prophet are/were, don't you?
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 — ‘However, the prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. 21 And in case you should say in your heart: “How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?” 22 when the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak. With presumptuousness the prophet spoke it. You must not get frightened at him.’
There are only two kinds of prophets; there are true prophets and false prophets. We see here the method for determing which someone is.
Please point to the section that (1) says the person must declare themselves a prophet to be put to this test, that (2) says the person must claim to be inspired of God to be put to this test, or that (3) says the person must lay claim to infallibility to be put to this test.
You have cited sources that show they DENY being prophets, DENY inspiration from God, and DENY infallibility. But Deuteronomy 18:20-22 says the way to tell if someone is a true or false prophet is from what they claim to DO, not from what they DENY being able to do.
*** w72 4/1 p. 197 ‘They Shall Know that a Prophet Was Among Them’ ***
IDENTIFYING THE “PROPHET”
These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? The clergy of the so-called “Christian” nations hold themselves before the people as being the ones commissioned to speak for God. But, as pointed out in the previous issue of this magazine, they have failed God and failed as proclaimers of his kingdom by approving a man-made political organization, the League of Nations (now the United Nations), as “the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth.”
However, Jehovah did not let the people of Christendom, as led by the clergy, go without being warned that the League was a counterfeit substitute for the real kingdom of God. He had a “prophet” to warn them. This “prophet” was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. They are still proclaiming a warning, and have been joined and assisted in their commissioned work by hundreds of thousands of persons who have listened to their message with belief.
Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a “prophet” of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record. What does it show?
They invited such an examination of their record before 1975.
I submit that they misunderstood the League of Nations, they misidentified its representation in Revelation, they have slandered wiithout warrant both that organization and the United Nations, and this was yet another example of their fallibility.
I further submit that they are wrong about 1914 and that, in fact, they have misidentified the times we are living in. They are holding out false hope to people all over the world, since they have misidentified the Great Crowd and have also misidentified the other sheep. But that is not surprising, since they are fallible.
I further submit that they call the elder arrangement a loving arrangement provided by God and that they are much mistaken in doing so. The modern JW elder arrangement is patterned more nearly after the Judaic system than the Christian system of oversight and judgeship. But it is more draconian even than the Judaic system in some respects, because in this modern system there are no scribes or witnesses allowed to observe or record the proceedings. Not even the Judaic system was so unloving.
You may disagree and that is certainly your right. However, since you admit they are fallible you must also admit that there is a possibility that what I submit is correct. In other words, if they are fallible, are not inspired of God, are prone to error, and are not prophets—then they are no more likely to be right than I am or you are. WHY would anyone trust what they say about ANYTHING?
Psalm 146:3 — Do not put YOUR trust in nobles, Nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.
You have been misled into trusting a group of men. Do you think that was a wise choice? Really?
Jesus, on the other hand, points to something else; toward something we SHOULD put trust in.
John 3:31-36 — He that comes from above is over all others. He that is from the earth is from the earth and speaks of things of the earth. He that comes from heaven is over all others. 32 What he has seen and heard, of this he bears witness, but no man is accepting his witness. 33 He that has accepted his witness has put his seal to it that God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent forth speaks the sayings of God, for he does not give the spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; he that disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
John 4:19-26 — The woman said to him: “Sir, I perceive you are a prophet. 20 Our forefathers worshiped in this mountain; but YOU people say that in Jerusalem is the place where persons ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her: “Believe me, woman, The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will YOU people worship the Father. 22 YOU worship what YOU do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation originates with the Jews. 23 Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him: “I know that Mes·si´ah is coming, who is called Christ. Whenever that one arrives, he will declare all things to us openly.” 26 Jesus said to her: “I who am speaking to you am he.”
John 6:60-65 — Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: “Does this stumble YOU? 62 What, therefore, if YOU should behold the Son of man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that is life-giving; the flesh is of no use at all. The sayings that I have spoken to YOU are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of YOU that do not believe.” For from [the] beginning Jesus knew who were the ones not believing and who was the one that would betray him. 65 So he went on to say: “This is why I have said to YOU, No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
John 14:15-17 — "If YOU love me, YOU will observe my commandments; 16 and I will request the Father and he will give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, 17 the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU."
John 14:25-26 — "While remaining with YOU I have spoken these things to YOU. 26 But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach YOU all things and bring back to YOUR minds all the things I told YOU."
John 15:26-27 — "When the helper arrives that I will send YOU from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me; 27 and YOU, in turn, are to bear witness, because YOU have been with me from when I began."
John 16:12-14 — "I have many things yet to say to YOU, but YOU are not able to bear them at present. 13 However, when that one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he will guide YOU into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to YOU the things coming. 14 That one will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and will declare it to YOU."
You bring to me quotes from books written by men. I do not credit them as having any authority, since the men admit that the spirit did not inspire the writings. They are opinions, nothing more. And history has proven those opinions horribly flawed.
Those God sends as spokesmen are inspired. They cannot lie. What they say comes to pass. They do not deny the power of the holy spirit or claim it is given "in measure" so that they are not powerfully led by it. They do not at once claim to be a source of divine truth and add a disclaimer that they might be wrong.
Instead, God's spokesmen follow Jesus footsteps. They are led about by spirit. They are inspired. They speak truth. I believe that you have been misled. I believe these Scriptures prove it.
If you would like to discuss Scriptures, I will be happy to oblige you.
Respectfully,
AuldSoul