JW work-based doctrine, interesting on who you're actually serving.
- C.Aamold
- Nov 3, 2024
- 16 min read
Updated: Aug 27
NOTE: I do not subscribe to any religion. I once believed in Masoretic Text translations until I dug deeper and came to a different conclusion during my search through Christian denominational teachings, their leaders, and the roots of how they started, while reading the Bible itself verse by verse a few times (many translations) or more to match up their beliefs to the spiritual book they claim to follow and believe in themselves. If you ask me what I believe, I would say what the scholarly census has agreed upon, even if the decision board doesn't agree with them because they're worried about the faith of humanity for what they were taught to believe despite it contradicting evidence. Anything I've studied, watched, read is added here to help you see how I got to this point to help others who are curious too.
(most of their own material and videos, important points red highlighted, my raw notes are in blue)
What they tell people outside.
Salvation. Deliverance from sin and death is possible through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. (Matthew 20:28; Acts 4:12) To benefit from that sacrifice, people must not only exercise faith in Jesus but also change their course of life and get baptized. (Matthew 28:19, 20; John 3:16; Acts 3:19, 20) A person’s works prove that his faith is alive. (James 2:24, 26) However, salvation cannot be earned—it comes through “the undeserved kindness of God.”—Galatians 2:16, 21.
When everything turned into a business of works.
Following Rutherford's death in 1942, Nathan H. Knorr became president of the Watch Tower Society, and subsequently introduced further changes to the role of the society. At a series of talks given in Pittsburgh on September 30, 1944, coinciding with the society's annual meeting, it was announced that changes would be made to the 1884 charter to bring it into "closer harmony with theocratic principles". The amendments, most of which were passed unanimously,[51] significantly altered the terms of membership and stated for the first time that the society's purposes included preaching about God's kingdom, acting as a servant and governing agency of Jehovah's Witnesses, and sending missionaries and teachers for the public worship of God and Jesus Christ. The new charter, which took effect from January 1, 1945, included the following changes:
An altered and expanded explanation of article II, detailing the purpose of the Watch Tower Society. This included the preaching of the gospel of God's kingdom to all nations; to print and distribute Bibles and disseminate Bible truths with literature explaining Bible truths and prophecy concerning the establishment of God's kingdom; to authorize and appoint agents, servants, employees, teachers evangelists, missionaries, ministers and others "to go all the world publicly and from house to house to preach Bible truths to persons willing to listen by leaving with such persons said literature and by conducting Bible studies thereon"; to improve people mentally and morally by instruction "on the Bible and incidental scientific, historical and literary subjects"; to establish and maintain Bible schools and classes; to "teach, train, prepare and equip men and women as ministers, missionaries, evangelists, preachers, teachers and instructors in the Bible and Bible literature, and for public Christian worship of Almighty God and Jesus Christ" and "to arrange for and hold local and worldwide assemblies for such worship".
An amendment to article V, detailing the qualifications for membership of the Watch Tower Society. Each donation of $10 to the society funds had formerly entitled the contributor to one voting share; the amendment limited membership to "only men who are mature, active and faithful witnesses of Jehovah devoting full time to performance of one or more of its chartered purposes... or such men who are devoting part time as active presiding ministers or servants of congregations of Jehovah's witnesses". The amended article stipulated that "a man who is found to be in harmony with the purposes of the Society and who possesses the above qualifications may be elected as a member upon being nominated by a member, director or officer, or upon written application to the president or secretary. Such members shall be elected upon a finding by the Board of Directors that he possesses the necessary qualifications and by receiving a majority vote of the members." The amendment limited membership at any one time to between 300 and 500, including approximately seven residents of each of the 48 states of the US. It also introduced a clause providing for the suspension or expulsion of a member for willfully violating the society's rules, or "becoming out of harmony with any of the Society's purposes or any of its work or for willful conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Society and contrary to his duties as a member, or upon ceasing to be a full-time servant of the Society or a part-time servant of a congregation of Jehovah's witnesses".
An amendment to article VII, dealing with the governance of the Watch Tower Society by its board of directors. The amendment deleted reference to adherence to the constitution and laws of Pennsylvania of the US. It also specified powers of the board, including matters of finance and property.
An amendment to article VIII, detailing the office holders of the Watch Tower Society and the terms of office and method of appointment of officers and directors. A clause stating that board members would hold office for life was deleted. The new clause provided for board membership for a maximum of three years, with directors qualifying for re-election at the expiration of their term.[52]
Based off of works to be promoted, not character.
Who they think they are
(below some articles are scriptures I found for a rebuttal as well)
They say only they will survive, and the greater crowd serve the chosen…. among other stuff.
11 In contrast with the symbolic goats, the sheeplike ones unmistakably show that they stand for the Kingdom. How? By deeds, not mere words. Because of the King’s invisibility in the heavens, they cannot do good directly to him in support of his Kingdom. So they do good to his spiritual brothers yet on earth. Although this incurs hatred, opposition, and persecution on the part of the goats, for such doing of good, the sheep are told by the King that they are ‘blessed by his Father.’
That’s bold, they can't please Jesus down here because he's up there? What did the apostles and disciples do this whole time while he was at the side of God (per Stephens vision before dying to him)?
What are their "anointed ones" doing while here? Nothing?
6 The Bible describes Jehovah as the Source of righteousness. For that reason, he is called “the dwelling place of righteousness.” (Jer. 50:7) As the Creator, Jehovah is the only one who can properly set the standards for what is right and what is wrong. Because Jehovah is perfect, his sense of what is right and what is wrong is far above our own view, which is often influenced by our imperfection and sin. (Prov. 14:12; read Isaiah 55:8, 9.) However, because we are made in God’s image, we are able to live by his standards of righteousness. (Gen. 1:27) And we love to do so. Our love for our Father moves us to imitate him to the best of our ability.—Eph. 5:1.
We cannot do anything without Christ, we are unable to live by his standards… the whole reason Jesus came, only one man can fill that.
2 Today, Jehovah guides his people by means of the Bible, his holy spirit, and the congregation. (Acts 9:31; 15:28; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17) The guidance that we receive from him is so clear that it is as if ‘our own ears hear a word behind us saying: “This is the way. Walk in it.”’ (Isa. 30:21) In effect, Jesus also conveys Jehovah’s voice to us as he directs the congregation through “the faithful and discreet slave.” (Matt. 24:45) We need to take this guidance and direction seriously, for our everlasting life depends on our obedience.—Heb. 5:9.
They are putting GB (their "faithful slave") into the position of God and to be obedient to, pretty sure there are outright scriptures to not do that (in fact there is, check doctrine blog post).
Your service to them (men), is life depending.
1Jn 1:10 - 2:12
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, to walk just as He walked. Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says that he is in the Light and yet hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name.
We should love like him and do our best, but if we sin, we have an advocate, Jesus, who has done an act to forgive our sins on account of his name. This is why we need Jesus for our transgression.
Rom 6:19-23
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your body’s parts as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 3:5-30
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.) Far from it! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? And why not say (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let’s do evil that good may come of it”? Their condemnation is deserved. What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written: “THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD; THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME CORRUPT; THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE VENOM OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; “THEIR MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE WAY OF PEACE.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
13 Step 2: Work at developing love for righteousness day by day. We can develop love for Jehovah’s standards of righteousness in much the same way that we strengthen a muscle—through regular, steady effort. This is work that you can do on a daily basis. Jehovah is reasonable, and he never expects us to do more than what we can. (Ps. 103:14) He assures us that “he loves the one who pursues righteousness.” (Read Proverbs 15:9.) If we are pursuing a specific goal in Jehovah’s service, we keep putting forth effort to reach it. The same is true when we pursue righteousness. And Jehovah will patiently help us to make progress, to improve steadily over time.—Ps. 84:5, 7.
It's not a gift to them, it’s you have to earn it.
To earn anything God gives is to humble yourself to him and repent and confess your sins (take accountability and be responsible for your unlovingness and selfishness toward images of God).
Rom 4:1-25
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.“BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.” Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written: “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.
Rom 8:1-17
Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
One of their daily devotions.
Wednesday, February 28,2024 (breakdown)
This means everlasting life.—John 17:3.Jehovah promises that those who obey him will have “everlasting life.”
Joh 17:1-3
Jesus spoke these things, and raising his eyes to heaven, he said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son so that your son may glorify you, just as you have given him authority over all flesh, so that he may give everlasting life to all those whom you have given to him.
This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
That is everlasting life, to know God and Jesus, because with the authority given to Jesus, he able to give everlasting life to the children God gave him. They cherry pick hardcore.
Rom 6:23
For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.
Who?
Rom 6:7
For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin.
So will he only rez you if you die faithful (by doing works to "obey" the governing body's law, I mean... God). I'd read the whole chapter.
When we meditate on what Jehovah is offering us, our love for him certainly grows stronger. Just think: Our heavenly Father loves us so deeply that we will never be separated from him. God’s promise of everlasting life helps us to endure our current trials. Even when our enemies threaten us with death, we will not compromise. Why? In part because we know that if we die faithful to Jehovah, he will raise us from the dead with the prospect of never dying. (John 5:28, 29 Heb. 2:15)
Joh 5:28-29
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.
Those who practiced what?
1Co 15:55-58
"Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?" The sting producing death is sin, and the power for sin is the Law. But thanks to God, for he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in connection with the Lord.
No mention of Jesus though, nor the fact that putting law on people is the power of sin.
We know that Jehovah is able to keep us alive forever because he is the Source of life and he lives forever. (Ps. 36:9) The Bible confirms that Jehovah has always existed and will always exist.—Ps. 90:2; 102:12, 24, 27. w22.12 2 ¶1-3
I believe they've mentioned before in one of these many articles, that the only people with everlasting life are the anointed. So why even discuss this with your rank and file?
Other scriptures fine.
Jesus died for our personal sins not just Adams sin. Paul taught the good news as Jesus death ,resurrection, and kingdom.
1 Cor. 15:1-4
And I make known to you, brothers, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you also received, in which you also have stood, through which you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word—what I proclaimed as good news to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Writings, and that He was buried, and that He has risen on the third day according to the Writings,
Gal.1:3,4
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father
Rom 6:7
for he who has died has been set free from sin
Changed to make it sounds like our death pays for sins ("acquitted") instead of Jesus sacrifice paying for our sins.
1 Tim. 2:6
who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all - this is what is to be witnessed to in its own due time.
"Corresponding ransom" used in NWT and is not in the Greek.
Acts 22:14-16
And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
The name that came in the name of all names, that will set you free, freely.
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