Before you go to your next meeting at the Kingdom Hall, take a few minutes to consider one teaching of those who gather there.
This teaching was discussed and plainly stated in The Watchtower of March 1, 1979:
Is there any cause for us to lose faith in Jehovah's visible organisation because of mounting difficulties in this world?............Our unswerving faith will be rewarded with victory and the crown of life! (page 12, paragraph 23)
More recently this has been re-stated in the Knowledge book:
Jehovah deals with his people through an organized body (page 161)
Baptism 'in the name of the holy spirit' signifies that the baptismal candidate recognizes Jehovah's holy spirit, or active force, as God's instrument for carrying out His purposes and for empowering His servants to do His righteous will in association with His spirit-directed organization. (p.176)
This teaching makes plain that the Witnesses hold that only they will gain salvation i.e. be saved at Armageddon.
Over the years this fundamental Witness teaching has been often found in the pages of The Watchtower. Here is a selection:
Jehovah God deals with his people as a servant class.....God interprets and teaches, through Christ the Chief Servant, who in turn uses the discreet slave as a visible channel, the visible theocratic organization...Jehovah and Christ direct and correct the slave as needed, not we as individuals... (February 1, 1952 pp79-80)
If we are to walk in the light of truth we must recognize not only Jehovah God as our Father but his organization as our mother. (May 1, 1957 p.274)
Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization.......For this reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization in mind. (October 1, 1967, page 587)
Consider, too, the fact that Jehovah's organization alone in all the earth, is directed by God's holy spirit or active force......To it alone God's Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book. (July 1, 1973 page 402)
Really, can we get along without the direction of God's organization? No we cannot! (January 15, 1983 page 27)
How does this affect the way you are to view those not assembling at the Kingdom Hall? Take a look around the Kingdom Hall. There will not be a great number of people there, certainly not a "great crowd". Do you really consider all those persons NOT in the Kingdom Hall to be "the unsaved", destined for eternal destruction if they don't come in before the final end? Well, do you? If you have a twinge of doubt, then you are not in agreement with the WTS.
Yet you are in agreement with God's Word, which states: "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, that we have put our hope in the LIVING GOD, who is the Saviour of all men, and especially of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:9,10 (NIV)
"Jesus said, "Exercise faith in GOD, exercise faith also in ME." John 14:1 (NWT)
"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our LORD JESUS." Acts 20:21 (NIV)
In the Knowledge book, it likens the organization to the ark of Noah's day, into which it's necessary to come in order to be saved.(page 180) Interestingly, those of Noah's family attained their salvation when they came out of the ark onto a cleansed earth. The WTS, of course, does not suggest that anyone leave the organization in order to gain salvation!!!!
Something to ponder as you look around your local Kingdom Hall.
Cheers, OzzieEdited by - ozziepost on 3 August 2002 9:28:18