Do Jehovah's Witnesses interpret the Bible properly?

by Vanderhoven7 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Vanderhoven7

  Do Jehovah's Witnesses interpret the Bible properly?

  
  

  No.

  
  

  Jehovah's Witnesses see the Bible as an organizational book which only the Faithful and Discreet Slave (currently 8 men headquartered in Warwick New York) can interpret properly.

  
  

  The Faithful Slave was first appointed in Brooklyn in 1919 and given the exclusive right and ability to understand and teach the Bible properly. This mandate and ability was passed on to all subsequent Watchtower Society leaders

  
  

  Now they have made interpretive errors in the past because they are imperfect men, but the light gets brighter and brighter for them. And so at this time only Jehovah's Witnesses can say they alone have the truth that leads to eternal life.

  
  

  So the question is: Does the Faithful Slave interpret the Bible properly? And the answer to that question is:

  
  

  No.

  
  
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  EverApostate

  What is Prophecy? Foretelling of future events.

  In my opinion, none have the Ability to foretell the future. If so, the 2004 Tsumani that killed 200K would have been averted.

  What ever is termed as prophecy - by any religion - is a fraud. Because it’s only people who write those religious texts, claiming to have come from god.

  And interpreting that fraud is fraud based on fraud.
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  Vanderhoven7

  Ok... what I am getting at is methodology. Can Jehovah's Witnesses recognize interpretive abuse? For example, can they distinguish between exegesis and eisegesis?

  Here is a question to ask any JW.

  What's wrong with the following interpretation of the parable of the treasure in the field.?

  Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hidden in a field; the which when a man has found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Mt.13:44

  
  Joseph Smith discovered a treasure in gold plates while walking in a field in Up State NY in the year 1823. He immediately buried/hid these plates, but three and a half years (1260 days) later, after fully dedicating himself to God's kingdom, he returned to unearth them. These plates were then translated into what we know today as The Book of Mormon. Compare Mt. 13:44 with Eze. 37:16 regarding the stick/book of Joseph.

  What do you think is wrong with the methodology used to derive this interpretation?

  How would you have responded when you were pimi JW?
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  Beth Sarim

  They hardly interpret it right at all.

  Especially when I was PIMI. I could never defend the 2 class ''hope system''. Time and time again I would lose discussions to 'other denominations' when pointed to Eph. 4:4 about 1 hope. All you have to do is read in Revelation about the 'great crowd in heaven' to debunk such a ''2class system''.

  Winston always does an outstanding job debunking the Borg's ridiculous doctrines.
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  Vanderhoven7

  @Beth Sarim

  Winston is great.

  Yes, the 2 Class system is unsupported in scripture. I ask Witnesses to show me where the New Testament talks about Christians who are not indwelt by the Spirit, not sons of God, not in the New Covenant, and do not have a heavemly hope. Revelation 7 does not support the 2 class system invented by the Watchtower Society.
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  Ding

  How could "the faithful and discreet slave" have been interpreting things properly? According to current WT doctrine, the people who thought they were "the faithful and discreet slave" from Russell's day until just a few years ago were wrong.

  Most of my life, the organization taught that the FDS was all of the "anointed remnant." "New light" says only the GB is the FDS.

  If they were wrong about who the FDS is (and that's a major and distinctive teaching of the WT religion), how could they get anything else right?

  Of course, the whole FDS teaching is a misinterpretation turning a parable into a prophecy anyway.
  
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  JeffT

  I had never heard the term "hermeneutics" -- the theory and methodology of Biblical interpretation, and "exegesis" -- critical interpretation and explanation until I left the JW's.

  There is a simple explanation why JW's don't talk about these words: they don't do that. The Watchtower has no consistent, logical and rational approach to interpreting the Bible. They ignore such factors as who was writing a particular book, the intended audience, and the relevant history and issues current at the time the book was written. For the Watchtower, all Bible verses are equal.
  
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  Vanderhoven7

  Right on Jeff. But here is the real truth.

  Jesus appointed our 12 church leaders to be his Faithful Slave in 1933 in Montreal Quebec Canada. This is fully Bible-based whereas New York is not Bible based. That was the same year Jesus returned invisibly and started ruling which the second world war, affirms. Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BCE + 2520 years = 1933. It’s all in the Bible and if you don’t believe in our leadership you will die at Armageddon. Plain and simple.

  And no; we have not made any false prophecies or handed out millions in child sex abuse cases. And we never banned blood fractions or alternate service or vaccinations or organ transplants. We are the only true channel. Come to our victorious organization for salvation before it’s too late..
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  Vanderhoven7

  Anyone can add their church history onto scripture and claim that it is Bible-based. However it us not biblical; it is speculation based and therefore unworthy of consideration.
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  Beth Sarim

  If they did interpret properly they wouldn't have to change their version of it or change their doctrines like the faithful and discreet slave so often.