When did the WTS begin to require baptismal candidates to answer 2 questions. What were they? (page 2)

AndersonsInfo

Pete Zahut, here are the questions for baptism from 1966 onward which include the questions you would have responded to in 1974 that were listed in the May 1, 1973 Watchtower:

Baptismal questions from the August 1, 1966 Watchtower, p. 465:

(1) Have you recognized yourself before Jehovah God as a sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?

Baptismal questions from the May 15, 1970 Watchtower, p. 309:

(1) Have you recognized yourself as a sinner and needing salvation from Jehovah God? And have you acknowledged that this salvation proceeds from him and through his ransomer, Christ Jesus?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for redemption have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to Jehovah God, to do his will henceforth as that will is revealed to you through Christ Jesus and through God's Word as his holy spirit makes it plain?

Baptismal questions from the May 1, 1973 Watchtower, p. 280:

(1) Have you repented of your sins and turned around, recognizing yourself before Jehovah God as a condemned sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?

The newest baptismal questions, from the June 1, 1985 Watchtower:

(1) On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?

(2) Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization?

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/baptism.php

AndersonsInfo

In answer to your question, Compound Complex, I went to Bethel in 1982 and was assigned to the Shipping Department where we shipped out the then newly published book, Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry.

Atlantis: Thank you for providing for download the July 1, 1956 Watchtower article, Why One Must be Baptized.

Pete Zahut

Baptismal questions from the May 1, 1973 Watchtower, p. 280:

(1) Have you repented of your sins and turned around, recognizing yourself before Jehovah God as a condemned sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?

Thanks people.....sounds like I can still live up to my dedication to God without specifically having to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I walked away a few years ago and have had people indicate that I have turned my back on Jehovah or that I was reneging on my promise to him. It's nice to be able to quote these open ended questions now and prove that isn't the case. (no wonder they changed question #2....they needed to close that little loophole)

Pete, (love your last name) They may have changed the word God to Jehovah. I don't remember but until the big change in the 80's the vows were pretty much the same.

Pizza Hut®

Pete Zahut

Lightgrowsbrighter

With the recent WT video of young children being encouraged to get baptized, I thought it would be appropriate bump this thread. The changes to the 2 baptism questions in 1985 were mainly a legal issue. Anyone being baptized now recognized the total authority of the WT organization. Keep in mind this took place only a few short years after the purging of true balanced Christians like Ray Franz from the organization as 'apostates'. The 1985 change to question 2 now made it legally binding to DF someone for disagreeing with any opinion of the WT organization as they had taken a vow that it was 'God's spirit directed organization'. There is no doubt in my mind that the recent 'encouragement' from the WT leadership to baptize young children is a calculated control move. If these poor kids do anything outside of the WT parameters, they can be threatened with or actually DF'd. Hard to scripturally justify as Jesus Christ himself was 30 years old- a legal Jewish adult- before he presented himself for baptism.

Old Goat

I was baptized in 1948. The questions as presented in the 1942 Watchtower, page 302, they were:

1. Do you believe in Jehovah God the Father, that “salvation belongeth unto Jehovah,” and that Christ Jesus is his Son in whose blood your sis are washed away and by whom salvation comes to you from God?

2. Have you therefore confessed your sins to God and asked for cleansing by Christ Jesus and therefore turned away from sin and the world, and consecrated yourself without reservation to God to do his will?

As I recall it, these were similar to the questions asked at my baptism in March 1948

bafh

It seems to me, that even though the questions have moved to include the identification with the organization as a primary feature of the baptism process - that in the WT they proclaim our dedication is and should be to Jehovah and not to any organization. Therefore, if we leave the organization because it offends our conscience, we can still say we have not abandoned our commitment to Jehovah - if we were so inclined.

How would JWs respond to THAT?

Vidiot

bafh - "How would JWs respond to THAT?"

Like this:

leaving_quietly

Duplicate of Old Goat's comment. Here's the snippet:

The full 1942 WT volume can be viewed here: http://www.youblisher.com/p/98718-Watchtower-year-1942

When did the WTS begin to require baptismal candidates to answer 2 questions. What were they?

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