When Jesus taught, his words were simplistically elegant. He taught to a crowd laden with the illiterate and dispossessed. He taught at their level. It was a new form of teaching and his passion moved people to follow and share their beliefs with others. As the believers grew in numbers, there arose the need for supervision, as the supervision grew, the need for the establishment of orthodoxy. As the orthodoxy became more defined, a need for a hierarchy to oversee the correct application of orthodoxy and to determine, typically by some supernatural ability, what should be considered , in fact, orthodoxy. As the hierarchy grew so did the need to address the material needs of the hierarchy, aka clergy. Afterall, how could they be expected to address their own material needs as they expounded SOOO much effort in taking care of the spiritual needs of the laity? That is how you form a religion.
Now, you many think, "he's talking about the Catholic Church." To which, I reply, "No, I am not." This same process can be found with any, I repeat, any religious order. For the JW's the evolution has been the same. Russel promotes a simplistic teaching standing on the shoulders of those who came before, promoting the gospel of Jesus as "new and improved" similar to Joseph Smith or the not-often- mentioned Mary Baker Eddy. He claims no supernatural ability at first, simply a preacher of the gospel. His simplistic foundation is taken up by JF Rutherford, who, as the believers grow, sees a need to establish more supervision to tote the party line, individuals loyal to the "cause of truth." As the supervision is established, so too, the establishment of orthodoxy. The infallibility of the organization is founded on the principal of "we are the select" of God, and make-or-break religious creed and dogma begin to take center stage, and subsequently, a movement is made to distinguish the organization among other organizations. With the established orthodoxy in place, from JF Rutherford to Knorr, and subsequently to the current GB, the hierarchy is defined. Status is commensurate with position which is commensurate with prestige which is commensurate with blessing and salvation. Now, the words of Jesus, "no one comes to the Father except through me" evolves to equate to the expression, "no one comes to the Father except through US.". THAT is the how and the WHY.
SOP