AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
WITH
"GOD’S CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION"
The following is a mock-interview. It is not meant to be taken as a scholarly treatise on Watchtower theology. Its purpose is to creatively demonstrate the fluidity and elasticity of Watchtower "truth." While these quotes are of necessity taken out of context and placed into a conversational format, they do accurately represent the changing views of Jehovah’s Witnesses over the years.
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PART 1
Interviewer : I’m honored that you consented to grant us this interview. Seeing that you are a fledgling Bible movement, kindly tell us your thoughts as regards building a religious organization and the future prospect of taking on a unique name so as to distinguish yourselves from other denominations.
God's Channel: "We believe that a visible organization, and the adopting of some particular name, would tend to increase our numbers and make us more respectable to the world. But we always refused to be called by any other name than that of our head-Christians." (WT 3/1883, p. 458)
Interviewer : It is quite admirable that you’re not aspiring to impress the world. What exactly is your belief however in terms of "visible organizations," do you believe that God uses one or perhaps several to accomplish his divine will?
God's Channel : "A visible organization is out of harmony with God’s divine plan." (WT 12/1/1894, p. 1743)
Interviewer : What about those religious organizations that claim to have "special" authority?
God's Channel : "There is no organization today clothed with authority." (WT 9/1/1893 p. 1573)
Interviewer : If as you claim a visible organization is "out of harmony" with the will of God, and "no organization today is clothed with authority," what pattern do you follow to establish creeds or maintain control of the flock?
God's Channel : "But says one: Must I not join some organization on earth, assent to some creed and have my name written on earth? No, remember that Jesus is your pattern and teacher, and neither in his words nor acts will you find any authority for binding yourselves with creeds and traditions of the elders, which all seem to make the word of God of none effect." (WT 1881 "The Ekklesia")
Interviewer : History testifies that there have been religious fellowships that have started out with similarly noble intentions and yet with the passing of time have resorted to controlling their flocks much like the religious systems they had abandoned. Some have strong-armed their flocks to the point of demanding that they agree with their every word and dictate even when such went beyond the express will of God or the conscience of the individual. What are your thoughts on religious tyranny and the recurring pattern of imposed conformity?
God's Channel : "The endeavor to compel all men to think alike on all subjects, culminated in the great apostasy and the development of the great papal system…" (WT 9/1/1893, p.572)
Interviewer : Some would say that your concept of fellowship would lead to spiritual anarchy and the insidious contamination of the congregation. How do you ferret out the bad and preserve the good without a creed to act as a fence?
God's Channel : "We have no creed (fence) to bind us together or keep others out of our company, The Bible is our only standard, and its teaching our only creed" (WT 1882, Q&A)
Interviewer : Establishing fellowship must be difficult without an aggressive organization or an elaborate doctrinal structure. How do you recognize a true Christian?
God's Channel : "We are in fellowship with all Christians in whom we can recognize the spirit of Christ, and especially those who recognize the Bible as the only standard." (WT 1882, Q&A)
Interviewer : What if other believers in Christ hold the Bible as the only standard but don’t exactly see things the way you do, do you accept such ones as Christians, or must all "march in step" with your beliefs?
God's Channel : "We do not require therefore that all shall see just as we do in order in order to be called Christians; realizing that growth in both grace and knowledge is a gradual process." (WT 1882, Q&A)
Interviewer : Pardon my disbelief, but you must have some doctrinal criteria.
God's Channel : "We call ourselves simply Christians and we raise no fence to separate from us any who believe in the foundation stone of our building mentioned by Paul: "That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures"; and those for whom this is not broad enough have no right to the name Christian." (WT 2/1884)
Interviewer : So believing in the death of Jesus and its covering of our sins is the only required belief. Excuse me as I return to that unsavory term, "organization." The Bible has been interpreted in several ways, by various religious organizations. Who among your brotherhood establishes what is true, and when it is once established is everyone obliged to agree with the interpretation offered?
God's Channel : "Beware of "organization." It is wholly unnecessary. The Bible rules will be the only rules you will need. Do not seek to bind others consciences, and do not permit others to bind yours. Believe and obey so far as you can understand God’s Word today, and so continue growing in grace and knowledge and love day by day." (WT 9/1895)
Interviewer : You seem to display genuine Christian humility. Some religious leaders "preach" humility but do not exemplify it themselves. In fact by making the rejection of their man-made organizations and uninspired writings tantamount to rejecting God, some have exalted themselves in effect to the very status of God, Christ, and the Bible. Still others in their arrogance have claimed to be modern-day counter-parts to the great bible prophets Moses, Ezekiel Jeremiah, and even the apostle John. Yet invariably such ones exempt themselves from the responsibility and accountability of their claim.
IN THE MEAN TIME
"THE LIGHT GREW BRIGHTER"
PART TWO
Interviewer : So you were saying that belief in Christ’s sacrificial death is the only necessity of faith, and "those for whom this is not broad enough have no right to the name Christian."
God's Channel : "Russell held the position of steward; we hold this as a fact and a necessity of faith" (WT 12/15/1922 p. 396)
Interviewer : 1Corinthians 3:5 says: "what is Apollos? What is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe." If that could be said of the apostle Paul who penned more than two thirds of the New Testament, couldn’t one by extension say the same of Russell?
God's Channel : "…Those in the truth got there by the ministry of Pastor Russell. To repudiate his work is equivalent to a repudiation of the Lord." (WT 5/1/1922, p. 132)
Interviewer : With all respect to Mr. Russell and his books, 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is inspired. In fact it assures us that the scriptures can make one "fully equipped for every good work." Don’t you believe that scripture itself is capable of that?
God's Channel : " Not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, if anyone lays the SCRIPTURE STUDIES aside, even after he has used them…If he lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness" (WT 15/1910 p.4685)
Interviewer : If we follow such an argument to its logical conclusion, one would be better off with just Watchtower publications then the Bible, because the Bible on its own invariably leads to darkness. In other words we need uninspired writings of men to understand the inspired Bible. This begs the following questions: Why did God inspire the Bible in the first place, and how were people saved before the Watchtower came on the scene in 1879 if they couldn’t understand their Bibles? Are you sure you believe that?
God's Channel : "If he had merely read the SCRIPTURE STUDIES with their references, and had not read a page of the Bible he would be in the light at the end of two years, because he would have the light of the scriptures." (WT 15/1910 p. 4685)
Interviewer : Oh yes I’m familiar with the "the light" of the SCRIPTURE STUDIES. They taught that the last days started in 1799, and that Jesus returned invisibly in 1874, and that he took kingdom power in 1878, which was the same year the millennium was said to have begun. They also revealed a host of things for 1914. That year would see the end of the preaching work, Jews would all convert to Christianity en masse in their reestablished city of Palestine, the Church would be raptured, and all the kingdoms the of earth would fall. Worthy of mention is the "light" that the great pyramid of Gizeh was "God’s stone Bible." Imagine conversely if one had laid the SCRIPTURE STUDIES aside and ignored them, and went to the Bible alone? (Isaiah 5:20) What about the Catholic Church, are you aware that they hold to a similar position as regards Bible interpretation.
God's Channel : "The Vatican belittles Bible study by claiming it is the only organization authorized and qualified to interpret the Bible." (WT 7/1/1943, p. 201)
Interviewer : But If the Vatican "belittles Bible study" by seeing itself as the sole organization to interpret scripture, what is it then that you are saying?
God's Channel : "The Bible is organization-minded and it cannot be fully understood without our having the theocratic organization in mind." (WT 9/1/1954, p. 529)
Interviewer : Next topic. What about sonship? In Romans 8:15 Paul clearly teaches that those who believe in Christ are sons of God and he is our Father or "Abba." There is no mention of an organization there.
God's Channel : "…We must recognize not only Jehovah God as our Father but his organization as our Mother." (WT 5/1/1957, p. 274)
Interviewer : Yes, Catholics who you criticize so bitterly say the same of their Church, they refer to her as "Mother Church." No doubt Jesus gave us the gift of "the Church" or "Christian congregation." It provides us wonderful opportunities to enjoy the fellowship of other believers and to build each other up. While we can learn from others in the congregation, Jesus didn’t promise us an organization to understand God’s Word, he promised us the Holy Spirit, who would teach us "all things." Don’t you agree?
God's Channel : "He does not impart his Holy Spirit and an understanding and appreciation of his Word apart from his visible organization." (WT 7/1/1965 p. 391)
Interviewer : So your organization even acts as a "funnel" for The Holy Spirit! But that leads to a curious question. Russell was "God’s mouthpiece" and was anti-organization, you are God’s channel of communication today and believe God deals with mankind solely through an organization. These are diametrically opposite beliefs. Doesn’t that make God seem self-contradicting in communicating his will? Both teachings can’t be true, one has to be utterly false. Isn’t it really just men’s opinions?
God's Channel : "God uses the Watchtower to communicate to his people; it does not consist of men’s opinions." (WT 1/1/1942, p.5)
Interviewer : So which position do you sustain to be true?
God's Channel : "Jehovah’s organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by Holy Spirit or God’s active force." (WT 7/1/1973, p. 402)
Interviewer : By making the way one views the leaders of your organization the deciding factor, you have in effect inserted yourselves into the very equation of salvation and eternal life, isn’t that so?
God's Channel : "Your attitude toward the anointed is the determining factor whether you go into everlasting cutting off or everlasting life." (WT 8/1/1981, p. 26)
Interviewer : The Bible teaches that all Christians are anointed, and we are to submit to no one but Christ, who is the head of every man. Who are you really referring to when you say "the anointed"?
God's Channel : "… Recognition of that governing body and its place in God’s theocratic arrangement of things is necessary for the submission of headship to God’s Son" (WT 12/15/1972, p. 755)
Interviewer : The Bible unequivocally teaches that it is not our affiliation with a religious organization that determines our eternal future, but our relationship with Christ.
God's Channel : "Those who desire life in the New Order must come into a right relationship with the organization." (WT 11/15/1981, pp. 16-17)
Interviewer : A relationship with an organization? How does one have a " relationship" with a legal corporation? Let me see if I understand you. You profess belief in God, the sin atoning death of Christ, and the work of The Holy Spirit, yet you consider them all inaccessible outside the parameters of your organization. You have if I understand correctly a "spiritual monopoly" on all the blessings and promises of God. You also claim faith in God’s inspired word the Bible. As the motto goes:
"Read God’s Word the Bible Daily."
However, at the same time you contend that God’s word, even if read "daily" is ultimately blurred, leads to darkness, and is incapable in and of itself, of furnishing saving knowledge which leads to eternal life. One needs uninspired Watchtower publications for such knowledge. Is that right?
God's Channel : "Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do." (WT 12/1/1981, p.27)
Interviewer : Yes, bible reading, you mentioned that people mysteriously go into "darkness" when they put down Watchtower literature and devote themselves solely to Bible reading. Have you noticed any other particular patterns?
God's Channel : "…from among the ranks of Jehovah’s people…Haughty ones… say it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that the commentaries of Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago…" (WT 8/15/1981, pp. 28-29)
Interviewer : So one who chooses to study only the Bible is haughty? It sounds like you have it backwards. Aren’t the "haughty ones" those who undermine the Bible and insist that you study and accept their writings in order to "progress along the road to life"? What could be haughtier than that? The point you’re making however is worthy of examination. Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have decided to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home, "strangely" arrive at the same conclusions that Bible commentaries taught 100 years ago. In other words they don’t need to actually read bible commentaries or go to Church, nor do they have to go to 5 hours of meetings a week to be convinced of such things. They "strangely" come to believe these doctrines by simply reading the Bible. That is indeed a thought- provoking coincidence. Equally bizarre is the fact that no one in the history of the Christian Church by reading just the Bible has ever arrived at the conclusions of the Watchtower Society.
So to summarize, God has revealed that no organization today is clothed with authority and that a religious organization is wholly unnecessary and out of harmony with his divine plan. God says that compelling people to believe the same thing on all subjects led to the great apostasy. God also has revealed that the Bible alone is sufficient and the only standard and that the belief that Christ died for our sins is the only belief necessary to be a true Christian.
The same God revealed that he only deals with mankind through an exclusive organization. He communicated that no matter how much Bible reading we do, if we do it without uninspired Watchtower publications it will inevitably lead to darkness. (Not to mention the embracing of apostate doctrines) Perhaps God’s most important revelation is that the simple Bible message of redemption, which Christians have believed for two thousand years (Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ) has been revised. The updated version of "the gospel of our salvation" shows that it is not one’s faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary that determines our everlasting life, it’s our attitude toward the governing body in Brooklyn and our "relationship" with their organization that is the "determining factor whether we go into ever lasting cutting off or everlasting life."
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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. Do not be carried away with various and strange teachings. -Hebrews 13: 8-9 NWT
"READ GOD’S WORD THE BIBLE DAILY"