Whether You Know realizes it or not, he has just shown that one of the major teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses is in error. JWs teach that during the lifetime of the apostles the Christian congregations were substantially different than today's Churches. And that only after their deaths did a corruption of Christianity take place. But as you know has shown, that is not the case. The fact is, the few true Christians in the Corinthian congregation which You Know mentioned by staying in their troubled congregations helped to fulfill Christ's prophecy of "the wheat and the weeds." For, as You Know has shown, they truly were "wheat" in a field of "weeds." (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43)
The fact is, the "Churches of Christendom" which exist in our day, congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses included among them, are no different than the congregations that existed in the first century during the lifetime of the apostles. Just read what Jesus Christ Himself told John to write to seven churches in Revelation chapters two and three. Christ had much to rebuke some members of those churches for, such as tolerating sexual immorality, idolatry and false teachings, as all churches do today. (For JWs that means tolerating child molesters, governing body worship, and I'll let You Know fill in the false teachings.) But Christ also commended other members of those same seven churches for things such as showing love to others and maintaining their faith in Him under very difficult circumstances. Christ did not tell His faithful servants to "get out" of those largely corrupt churches. He commended them for the good work they were able to do for Him and for their fellow believers, despite the fact that they had so many "weeds" around them.
Jehovah's Witnesses tell us things are different today. They say that the "churches of Christendom" are much worse than the churches of the first century. And they say God has now branded them as "Babylon the Great" and tells us to "get out of her." They say God has now provided a safe haven for true Christians to run to. They say that safe haven is your local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, that is not what Jesus said. Jesus said that the wheat and the weeds should grow together until the time of the harvest. He said they should not be removed from the weedy field anytime sooner. And He told us the harvest was the time when the weeds will be pulled out of the field and destroyed.
Does this mean that all Christians are required to stay in whatever church group they first joined? No, it does not. But it does mean Christians should be willing to do as much good as they can among a body of professed believers which they can see contains both true and false Christians, a body they believe they themselves can help, without having their own relationship with God ruined.
So what does Revelation mean when it says to "Get out" of "Babylon the Great"? (Rev. 18) To answer this question we have to first identify "Babylon the Great." Revelation is a book of symbolisms which are interpreted by different people in different ways. JWs tell us "Babylon the Great" represents "the world empire of false religion" as it now exists. However, I believe they are wrong. Babylon was a nation that was filled with false religious practices and which also, at one time, enslaved God's people. Today God's people are Christians. Who enslaves Christians today? Legalistic churches. Jehovah's Witnesses are certainly among this group. For Christian freedom is almost nonexistent among JWs. You can't do this. You must do this. You can't do this. You must do this. You can't do this. You get the picture.
But how can JWs be a part of Babylon the Great? Doesn't she "commit fornication with the kings of the earth?" Yes, she does. And don't JWs, for the most part, avoid political involvements? Yes, they do. But that is now. Who says "Babylon the Great" now exists? Revelation indicates "Babylon the Great" will exist at the time of Christ's return when He executes judgment against her. We have no idea if she will exist much sooner than that time. That being the case, JWs may yet choose to "commit fornication with the kings of the earth" in God's eyes shortly before Christ's return. Which would not be surprising considering what they were already willing to do just to gain access to the U.N. library. And when and if they do, they will become a part of "Babylon the Great" just as surely as all the other Christian churches which then choose to support world governments as they take a stand against God. JWs are already one step ahead of many Christian churches in becoming a part of "Babylon the Great." For they now have the "enslaving God's people" part down better than anyone else.
