JW says "how could anyone learn the truth with only a bible"

by clarity 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  clarity

  I would appreciate your help trying to explain to a JW, how someone could just read a bible on their own and understand what it is all about. Without an organization.

  Also, how could nonchristians or pagans etc find out about Christ without someone to teach them?

  After 45 years of using the bible, it is easy for me to say to Jesus question "who will you go away to?" ...only Christ, I'm sticking to Him!

  How would these others get to know? Or do they really have to?

  What did Jesus really have in mind in light of Matt28:18-20?

  Sooo need some help with this right now - thanks.

  clarity
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  Ding

  In the NT, people needed to hear about Jesus from others because the NT hadn't been written down yet.

  Now that it has been written, people who read it can understand the basics.

  In fact, the WTS actually hinders people from understanding the Bible by distracting them with endless books and magazines.

  As Ray Franz noted in CoC, one of the worst aspects of the WTS is that it claims to be the only way to God, that you can't find salvation in Jesus Christ without them to show the way. In so doing, they make their writings superior to the words of the Bible itself.

  1 John 2:26-27: "I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not
  need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-- just as it has taught you, remain in him."
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  Satanus

  If the jw did that, they would start disagreeing w the wt org teachings, thus cease being jw, getting dffed or leaving.

  S
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  jwfacts

  There is not much you can say to make a difference in a die hard JW, they will stick by the Watchtower no matter what. However, there are a couple of articles related to your question at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/organization.php, http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/faithful-discreet-slave.php and http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/preach.php

  JW's show a great lack of faith. At Luke 19:40 Jesus said “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

  He does not need an organisation to accomplish his works, he uses the holy spirit directly.

  John 16:12-13 "I have many things yet to say to YOU, but YOU are not able to bear them at present. 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."

  Matthew 18:20 "Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst!"

  Romans 15:19 "with the power of signs and portents, with the power of holy spirit; so that from Jerusalem and in a circuit as far as Illyricum I have thoroughly preached the good news about the Christ."

  Acts 4:31 "they were one and all filled with the holy spirit and were speaking the word of God with boldness."
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  3Mozzies

  I would simply ask:

  Do you speak/read English?

  If 'yes', then do you have an English bible?

  If 'yes', then go ahead and read it, take from it what you will.

  How can it be your faith if someone else needs to explain/tell you what to believe. It no longer becomes your belief but you are just following someone else's version of how they see/read it. What if they are wrong? You just followed someone to your detriment.

  3Mozzies
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  clarity

  Thanks Satanus, guess that's what happened to Ray Franz.

  "Now that it has been written, people who read it can understand the basics".

  Ding thanks, that makes sense for sure, but how would millions know to read it?
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  The_Present_Truth

  JWFacts you hit the nail on the head: JW's show a great lack of faith. Others may have said it in the past but you're the first one to make the comment that I've read. The JW's like to take it upon themselves to try to make things happen or take credit for things happening.

  Clarity ... A scripture that comes to mind is Acts 17:11,12:

  11 Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni´ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them became believers, and so did not a few of the reputable Greek women and of the men.

  A quote from an article published by the WTBTS:

  How can we do God’s will? We have to learn what is “fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God,” and then choose to act accordingly. (1 Timothy 2:3) That involves taking in accurate knowledge of God’s Word, the Bible. (John 17:3; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) More than just casual Bible reading is involved. We need to imitate the first-century Jews in Beroea who heard Paul’s preaching. Of them, we read: “They received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.”—Acts 17:11.

  The simple answer to the JW you're addressing is this: Christians in the first century ( as cited above in Scripture and acknowledged by the WTBTS) examined only the "scriptures" daily. They didn't have the WTBTS, they didn't examine the "Scriptures and the Watchtower with printed questions at the bottom of the page for each paragraph. The scriptures were sufficient.

  Not just a few became believers via this method - many. And that's how "anyone could learn the truth with only a Bible".

  Shocking huh?
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  clarity

  Very helpful link, JWfacts, I'll be able to use a lot from there. John16:12-13 rite on! thanks so much.

  Mozzels hi, thank you ...good point about making the 'truth' your own.

  The_Present_Truth, loved the scripture in Acts17. Good points ..no watchtower to examine, only scriptures! Thanks for helping.
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  Awakened at Gilead

  2 Tim 3:16,17 says the scriptures make you "completely equipped".

  Complete means you don't need anything else AKA WT mags
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  clarity

  Ok, thanks very much for your help, but I need to ask one more question if I may.

  The scripture that was thrown at me was ...Romans 10:14-15.

  ...."how will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard?

  How in turn will they hear without someone to preach?"

  So when you think about someone without a bible, in Korea or Pakistan for instance, how does this scripture not hold true? Will these ones still hear about Jesus or do they get brownie points because they didn't have a chance to know Him? Is this where the HS comes in?

  Hope you still with me..

  clarity