GOOD NEWS FROM GOD! Not the WATCHTOWER! Part 2

In their brochure, Good News From God (GNFG), aimed at non-JW's (potential converts), the WT promotes learning about God by using the Bible (WT quotes are in BLUE). For example: Page 3, “We should learn about God from his Word, the Bible.” Page 4, “We can learn even more about God’s personality by reading the Bible.” Page 17, “We can choose God as our Ruler by seeking out and practicing true worship based on God’s Word, the Bible.” Page 30, “Studying God’s Word will help you to grow spiritually.” However, if the potential convert becomes a JW, reading only the Bible and learning only from the Bible is not allowed.*

When a Witness knocks on a person’s door and engages the homeowner in a conversation, it is with the hope that a ‘Bible study’ will be requested. If the homeowner takes the bait and requests a ‘Bible study’ then a switch will take place. On the day the study is to begin the Witness comes with a WT book (What Does the Bible Really Teach is currently being used) to be studied from cover to cover. Your Bible will be used as a reference book only to look up Bible verses mentioned in the WT book.

As you progress through the WT book page by page, the WT will tell you what the Bible teaches and then will direct you to read a verse that ‘proves’ what they have just told you. At the bottom of each page are some questions that you answer by re-reading the paragraphs. The Watchtower teaches by asking the questions and giving the answers. An example of this is: “Clifford is a small brown cat.” Question #1 “What is Clifford?” Answer = “A cat.” Next question: “What is the cat’s name?” Answer = “Clifford.” 3rd question: “What color is the cat?” Answer = “brown.” Last question, “What size is the cat?” Answer = “small.”  This question and answer method is designed to have you repeat what has just been read as if it is true. You do not discuss the material to determine if it is true (as you may know, if you have young children, Clifford is a big red dog.) You learn by repetition. After you have finished the WT book, you are very familiar with WT doctrine but not Bible doctrine.

The Books of the Bible, of both the Old and New Testament, were originally written as continuous text, without chapters and verses. The early Christians eventually assigned the text to chapters and verses, to make referencing easier. The Jews found this innovation useful and followed suit in the Hebrew Bible. To properly understand the Bible one needs to read it as it was written—as continuous text—not broken up into verses and parts of verses. The WT kind of study prevents one from reading the verse in its context. Why is context so important?

First, because a text (verse) taken out of context is a pretext to teach anything—no matter how un-Biblical. I remember this absurd example, but it shows the importance of reading and knowing the context of any Bible verse. If you read part of Matthew 27:5, Luke 10:37 and John 13:27 you get, “Judas hung himself—go and do likewise—whatever you do, do it quickly.” Is that what those verses teach? How would you prove otherwise? Simple! Read each book in which each verse is found—know the context.

Second, the context of a verse determines its meaning. As an example, what does the word “trunk” mean?—the rear of a car, the long nose of an elephant, a big container for old clothes or part of a tree. The correct meaning of “trunk” will only be known when you know the words around it, for the words around “trunk” give “trunk” its correct meaning. A verse in the Bible is the same. If you pull a single verse out of its context, you will likely not understand its correct meaning. A verse is given meaning only by the verses around it.

For JW's, the WTBTS says that you don’t even need your Bible for their kind of Bible study. But the WT has the potential convert use their Bible to give them the false idea that they are indeed studying the Bible—when in fact they are studying (from cover to cover) a WT publication.

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*Want to study the Bible? The WT answer for a JW, “Heavy research is not necessary. The Watch Tower has done it for you. The most beneficial study you can do is to read The Watchtower or Awake! or a new book by the organization.” The Watchtower, June 1, 1967, p. 338

Why do they believe that studying their WT material is better than studying the Bible? They believe that if a person “lays them (WT publications) aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, . . ., our (WT) experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the 'Scripture Studies' (WT material) with their references, and had not read a page of the Bible, as such, he would be in the light." (Zion’s Watchtower—later renamed The Watchtower) Sep. 15, 1910, p. 298.

“Jehovah caused the Bible to be written in such a way that you need his human channel (WTBTS) to understand it.” The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 17

“An individual must have The Watch Tower to understand the Bible.” 1983 Yearbook, p. 21

Part 3, Taking aim at some of the big lies in this WT publication is here.