At Matthew 24:45-51, Jesus describes two types of slaves (or servants) who were put in charge of their master’s belongings while their master was away. One slave was found “faithful and discreet” (New World Translation – NWT) upon his master’s return and was thus rewarded by being appointed over “all” of his master’s possessions. The other slave proved unfaithful in his tasks and when his master arrived, he was thrown out with the hypocrites.
While there is nothing in this passage to indicate that this passage is describing a religious organization, Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that this passage is prophetically speaking of the Watchtower organization. They claim their organization was appointed by Jehovah God to give spiritual food to God’s people in the last days through the publication of its many books and magazines.
Does the “spiritual food” the Watchtower dispense in its literature prove that it qualifies to be God’s “faithful and discreet” slave, His “channel of communication” to mankind? Let’s review the record and see what it shows.
1. DISTORTING GOD’S WORD (Proverbs 30:6): The Watchtower claims that the translators of their New World Translation remained anonymous, but when research uncovered who the translators were, it was discovered that most of the translators were on the Watchtower Governing Body and all of them lacked the necessary education needed to produce an accurate translation. Greek Scholars have consistently found it to be a biased translation by distorting verses to fit Watchtower doctrine and adding to God’s Word by inserting “Jehovah” in the Christian Greek Scriptures against all Christian Greek manuscripts. Would Jehovah be behind an organization that “adds” and “takes away” from His Word?
2. LYING IN ITS LITERATURE (Titus 1:2): The Watchtower denied that they published Russell’s Biography because they did not want people to know that early Jehovah’s Witnesses “worshipped” Russell. They covered up with excuses their history of quoting books connected with the “spirit world” of Satan, and they lied about the true teachings of the early Church Fathers in order to support their belief that the Trinity doctrine was derived from paganism. Would Jehovah who is the God of “truth” be behind a dishonest organization?
3. VIOLATING THE PRINCIPLES OF NEUTRALITY (John 18:36): While claiming that the United Nations represents the “Wild Beast” of Revelation 17, the Watchtower associated with the United Nations for 10-years. They also claim that they were “neutral” during World War II, but in a letter to Hitler in 1933, they admitted to him that they supported the “principles” of his regime. Is this true neutrality or compromise?
4. FALSE PROPHESYING (Deuteronomy 18:20-22): While proclaiming to be “God’s Prophet” and speaking “in the name of Jehovah,” the Watchtower announced several false dates for the end of the world and even proclaimed that Christ’s presence had began in 1874. This false proclamation of Christ’s presence is the precise warning that Jesus gave to His followers when He said that “false prophets” would proclaim this in the last days! (See Matthew 24:11, 23-24) Why would Jehovah appoint a group to represent Him that was doing the very thing Jesus warned “false prophets” would do in the last days?
5. BLOOD GUILTY ACTIONS (Jeremiah 22:17): The Watchtower has misinterpreted God’s Law on Blood and this misinterpretation of God’s Word has lead to the innocent deaths of countless children. Jehovah’s Witnesses have perished, not only by the Watchtower Society’s current rejection of all blood transfusions, but by its earlier rejection of hemophiliac preparations, vaccinations and organ transplants — all of which it now accepts as no longer violating God’s Blood Law! Did the people who died under the Watchtower’s misapplication of God’s Blood Law, die in vain?
When we consider the fact that the Watchtower organization is guilty of violating God’s Word (the Bible) in these ways, one has to ask, “How can this organization truly qualify to be God’s representative on earth?”
CHANGES IN WATCHTOWER “TRUTH”:
The Watchtower admits it is a “serious matter” to reverse one’s teaching on key doctrines of religious faith. They state, “It is a serious matter to represent God and Christ in one way, then find that our understanding of the major teachings and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures was in error, and then after that, to go back to the very doctrines that, by years of study, we had thoroughly determined to be in error. Christians cannot be vacillating— ‘wishy-washy’ — about such fundamental teachings. What confidence can one put in the sincerity or judgment of such persons?” —The Watchtower, May 15, 1976, p. 298
The Watchtower claims that the teaching it promotes in its literature is “the Truth.” Yet, since its inception in 1879, the Watchtower has reversed its position on a number of key doctrines as the following chart demonstrates:
|
DOCTRINE |
FIRST |
SECOND |
THIRD |
FOURTH |
| Will Sodom be resurrected? | ||||
| Identity of the “Superior authorities” of Romans 13:1 | ||||
| Identity of the “Faithful and Wise servant” of Matt. 24 | ||||
|
Michael the Archangel |
||||
| Should Jesus be “worshipped”? | ||||
| Jesus referred to what when he said “this is my body”? | ||||
| Date for the Beginning of Christ’s “invisible” presence | ||||
| Jesus died on a cross or a torture stake? | ||||
| Are Organ Transplants permissible for Jehovah’s Witnesses | ||||
| Celebrating Christmas and birthdays | ||||
|
Supporting War and Politics |
||||
|
Great Pyramid in Egypt |
Given the evidence of significant changes in Watchtower “truth,” as the May 15, 1976 Watchtower article admits, “What confidence can one put in the sincerity or judgment” of Watchtower leadership?
Testimony of Fred W. Franz of the Watchtower Society at a 1954 Trial in Scotland:
QUESTION: So that what is published as the truth today by the Society may have to be admitted to be wrong in a few years?
ANSWER: We have to wait and see.
QUESTION: And in the meantime the body of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been following error?
ANSWER: They have been following misconstructions on the Scriptures.
QUESTION: Error?
ANSWER: Well. error.”—Douglas Walsh Trial, 1954, p. 114EPHESIANS 4:14-15: “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, and craftiness in deceitful scheming…”
In His parable at Matthew 24:45-51, far from speaking of a religious organization, Jesus was speaking of individual Christians who would prove faithful or unfaithful to Him by the way they live their lives. This parable was no different than any other parable Jesus gave concerning faithful and unfaithful slaves. The point of Jesus’ parable at Matthew 24:45-51 is that every Christian is to strive to be a “faithful” to the Lord so that when he comes for His people, He will find these Christians “faithful” and reward them with more authority and responsibility. Just as any individual can become part of the evil “slave” group by being unfaithful to God, so anyone can become part of the faithful “slave” group by being faithful in the tasks given by the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, we place our souls in great peril if we entrust our eternal destiny to the hands of human leaders for spiritual security. The Bible says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength.” (Jeremiah 17:5). The only One we are to look to for eternal life and spiritual Truth is Jesus Christ. He declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)
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