The study article of “Rejoice In The Knowledge Of Jehovah” stresses the importance and benefit of God’s word that is found in the Bible. In deed, if Jehovah’s Witnesses are doing anything right, it is the fact that they are turning people’s attention towards the Bible and the rewards and treasures that can be had when applying its wise counsel.
If the matter had stopped here, then all is well. But that is not the case.
Starting in paragraph 7, under the subtitle “The Light Becomes Brighter” the writer points to Jesus’ efforts in combating Jewish traditions and describes how the Gospels were added. Then he goes on to say that “These writings, combined with the Hebrew Scriptures, completed the Bible canon. With the help of the inspired library, Christians could “grasp mentally with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth” of the truth. They could have “the mind of Christ””.
Apparently, this is all lacking from the WTS perspective, for they go on quoting Paul’s words “At present we see in hazy outline by means of a metal mirror” to highlight that early Christians did not see the whole picture.
Something else was needed.
Glad tidings, here comes the WTS to the rescue with much light to bear on the Bible. On page 9 there is a picture of an open Bible with the words: “In our day, Jehovah has shed light on his Word” to emphasize the point.
Since the Bible contains the inspired Word of Jehovah, and now Jehovah has seen fit to shed light on his Word by means of the publications of the WTS, then would it not make sense that these publications be added to the canon of the Bible in order to have the complete abridged Word of God at the disposal of the faithful?
To that end, can we safely add “The Time is At Hand” or the “Finished Mystery” book right after the books of Ezekiel and Revelations? Can we safely add any of Russell’s books? How about the “Let Your Will Be Done” right after the book of Daniel. Better still, can we sort the complete Watchtower volumes by topic and scripture and insert them throughout the Bible pages? Granted, going out in service would not be the same when hauling our Bibles in half ton trucks. But, we would be fully equipped to handle the Word of God aright. What about the Awake volumes, where do we add them in the canon?. How about Rutherford’s and Fred Franz’s many books, where do these go?
I cannot understand how they can presume that the teachings of 1799, 1874, 1914, 1918, 1919, Pyramids, 1920, 1925, “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”, 1935, “Armageddon is at Hand”, “Within months” “Soon”, “Around the corner”, “Much sooner than you expect”, “Real soon now”, “ 1975, ‘Months not years”, “Separation of Sheep and Goats”, “This Generation…”, “Within our 20th century”… can all be considered as shed light from Jehovah?
How they can compare the inspired writings of much of what is written in the Bible, which has stood the test of time, with the ever changing doctrines of the WTS? “Months not years” Is the only slogan that WTS got it right, but it pertained to the validity of their teachings more so than the time of the end.
In paragraph 9 they go on to say that “Jehovah the Great Communicator, has helped honesthearted ones to grasp the meaning of his Word. Multitudes of people now understand that Christ was enthroned in the invisible heavens in 1914…. This important aspect of the Kingdom good news is now being preached throughout the earth. – Matthew 24:14.
This is by far the fundamental and gravest flaw of the teachings of the WTS. They are preaching a different version or aspect of the good news than what Christ and his apostles had preached.
While the WTS preaches “1914”, “parousia”, “invisible presence”, “end real soon now”, ‘physical paradise on earth”, “two hopes”, none of which was ever taught by Christ or his apostles. Instead, we read things like:
Colossians 1:27 "It Is Christ in union with you, the hope of [his] glory. He is the one we are publicizing.”
Colossians 3:2 “Keep YOUR minds fixed on the things above, not on the things upon the earth.”
Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 5 made us alive together with the Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses-by undeserved kindness YOU have been saved- 6 and he raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus,”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “By this undeserved kindness, indeed, YOU have been saved through faith; and this not owing to YOU, it is God's gift. 9 No, it is not owing to works, in order that no man should have ground for boasting”
and many more scriptures.
In fact, reading any of Paul’s letters one would be hard pressed to find any similarity between his teachings and those of the WTS.
On page 10, the writer highlights the point of “Think of the blessing that we have in our multicultural Brotherhood!”. While it is definitely a neat thing to have multicultural Brotherhood, but how does that compare to the blessings that Paul spoke about in Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in union with Christ”?
For those that appreciate spiritual blessings, what better news can be had than those recorded in Romans 8:31-39 “If God is for us, who will be against us? 32 He who did not even spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all. Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? To the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through him that loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers 39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God's love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”