The WTS has always had a problem with the NT teaching of "Justification" [or "being declared righteous"], and had for years, and certainly throughout all the time I was in the WT movement [57-83], denied the posibility of this teaching to the Great Crowd.
For instance, back in 1966, while serving as a book study conductor, I was confronted with this seemingly dogmatic statement from jhoovers personal "oracle", Freddy the Franz: "The Great Crowd will not be justified, or declared righteous, either now or then as the 144k have been justified" [ "Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God" pg 391]
At about the time I left, in 1983, a whole generation of WTS followers also broke free frm WT bondage, and thanks be to God, found freedom in Christ, and True Christianity. When we went to our Bibles and discovered its teachings anew, we were astonished to find that that which the WTS was denying its followers, like the Pharisees of the 1st C, [Cf Matt 23:13] was indeed avilable to all, as a free gift, based on this marvelous quality of Deity which the NT calls "Grace" God's grace has opened the way for all who desire it, to be justified in His sight.
But why the problem for the WTS?
They are prisoners of their own theology. They have arbitrarily decided that heaven's gates are only for the 144k There are two things to be said for "justification" in the NT: 1 It is always applied in the past tense 2 It always makes some sort of divine reference, even as far as implying a heavenly abode. For instance, Tit 3:7 says: "Being justified [past tense] by His grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" As far as the WTS Pharisee-leadership is concerned, this "we" only applies to the 144k. Yeah right. The next verse says that it simply refers to "those who believed God" By some mysterious process of divination, this "we" =144k in vs 7, but = the "great Crowd" in vs 8, 9, 10, 11 etc.
According to ex-WT follower, David Reed, [Answering JWs Subject by Subject pg149] it was only when we as ex-WT followers began to publish our findings in print, and in the electronic media, that the WTS leadership was finally forced to react.
In Dec 1 1985, they published a WT in which two study articles were featured. These were a potential bombshell, and forced them to admit that "justification" was open to all.
Well, almost.
Forcing a difference into the NT where there is no distinction, the WTS revealed that there were in fact two different "justifications"
1 A justification "for" life [only for the 144k]
2 A justification as a "friend" of God not a son, [hence for the Great Crowd]
1 Lets take a look at the first bit. And tell me if you can see the corrosive, satanic deception that the WTS leadership is trying to pull. In order to justify their view, they turn to Rom 5:18 which Freddy the wunderkind had the conteptable gall to "translate" as: "Through one act of justification, the result to men of all sorts is a declaring of them righteous for life" Simple, right? Here Paul is saying that some persons [called "men of all sorts"] are justified for life [thus implying that Paul was making reference to the 144k].
WRONG!! Paul NEVER EVER SAID suchnonsense.
And do know whats wrong? No not the "men of all sorts" bit. That is rubbish, I know, but that is not it.
Can you believe that the fault lies with this small three letter word: FOR?
I have 114 NT translations in my personal library, both print and electronic, and NOT ONE says "justified FOR life"
They all say "OF life"
In fact, I defy any WT follower to read his own copy of KIT at this verse!!!
No one is justified "for" life. But justification is indeed the means OF life. By translating as "for" Freddy gives us the impression that God makes justification a future possibilty only for "men of all sorts" [Actually, when you read that article, on pg 12, the anonymous writer[s] imply that the RSV agrees with the NWT by translating it too, as "for" Baloney. The "for" in the RSV refers to the noun "men" not "life" RSV says: "justification leads to life FOR ALL MEN"
When a person is justified, he/she has a justification of life [past tense] not "for" life [future tense]
I have always told my students, when studying the NWT, dont sweat the big stuff, but concentrate on the little bits. Words like "to" "for" "at" "in" "as" can so easily be twisted to yield a meaning at variance with recorded scripture. It is so easy to be corrupt when corruption is a way of life.
2 Lets take a look at no 2. At Jas 2:23, the WTS points out that Abraham, by his works was "justified and he was called a friend of God" By this they then infer that he was'nt regarded as a "son of God" only a friend. The problem with WT theology here is that nowhere is "justification" ever revealed as the means by which believers become "sons of God". There is only one way that a believer becomes part of the "sons of God" Paul calls this "adoption" and John calls it "being born again"
The expression "sons of God" when applied to believers occurs 15 times in the NT: Ro 8:14, 15, 19, 23, 9:4, 26, 2Cor 6:18, Gal 3:26, 4:5, 6, Eph 1:5, Heb 2:10, 12:05, 07, 08. Read these verses for yourself and tell me how many times "declared righteous" or justification occurs there. Then write down the number of times that "adoption" is mentioned.
Justification does indeed make one a "friend of God", it does not however, make him/her a son/daughter of God. That is a different, though not necessarily unrelated, teaching.
So, as "friends of God" ALL believers have a justification "of life"
The pity about the vacuous reaction of the R&F of the WT to the NT is that they know so little about it. They are so busy being self-righteous at not believing in the cross, and not celebrating Easter, that they have only the vaguest notions of what the NT REALLY says.
And what their Saviour desires for them.
Cheers