STUDY ARTICLE
JEHOVAH LEADS HIS PEOPLE (23RD April 24, 2017)

NOTE:ISSUES ARE UNDERLINED. QUOTATIONS FROM WATCHTOWER PUBLICATIONS ARE IN BLUE.


Leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses: As usual, watchtower begins with the wrong question which will only lead to a wrong, preconceived conclusion. The idea is to pattern the thinking and reasoning of the audience to think and reason the way they want them, to divert attention from the real issue or question, in this case.

PARAGRAPH 1, PAGE 14: PEOPLE often ask Jehovah’s Witnesses, “Who is your leader?” They wonder about this because many religions have a man or woman who is their leader. However, we are proud to say that our Leader is not an imperfect human. Instead, our Leader is Jesus Christ! And he obeys his Father and Leader, Jehovah. —Matthew 23:10.

Remark: PEOPLE don’t ask “Who is your leader”. They ask “Who is your visible human leader?” “Who runs the show?” “who decides the policies and doctrines that govern your activities”.

All Christian religious organization, I know of, in no uncertain terms claim Jesus Christ to be their invisible leader. However, they also acknowledge a visible human leader that decides their doctrines, policies, teaches. In the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses, that visible human leader is a group of men called “the governing body”, taking upon themselves the title, “the faithful and discreet slave”. They decide the doctrines, policies, teaches, construction of Jehovah’s witnesses worldwide. They cannot claim that their directions come from Jesus through some form of inspiration. Jesus didn’t form the doctrines of 1914, 1919, mediator for 144,000 people only, vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty or the billions of dollars spent in building places of worship worldwide.

These decisions came from a group of men that directs and leads the Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. And in all sense of the words, though laying claim to Jesus’ leadership, they are the visible human leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

However, it has not always been a group of men leading the activities of Jehovah’s witnesses.
The vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses have no access to the records of the past and no personal knowledge of the events relating to the organization’s development. The operations of the central authority structure or of the men forming that inner authority structure are likewise unknown to them. They are thus essentially at the mercy of the editors of the watchtower publication’s.

Russel was their first leader and teacher, followed by J. F. Rutherford, then Nathan H. Knorr with Fred Franz as Vice President (known among the governing body of that time as “the oracle of the organization”, who himself later became the President of watchtower). It was during the time of President Knorr did the governing body, for all intent and purposes, as known today came into existence in 1976, with full control over the organization structure of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

C.T. Russel exerted authoritarian role over the bible student, as Jehovah’s witnesses was known then. He personally started the watch tower as his own magazine, was it sole editor. During his life time, all associated with the watch tower society accepted Russel as their one and only Pastor. 7 years after Russel’s death, the watchtower of March 1, 1923, page 68 said of him: ‘Often when asked by others, who is the faithful and wise servant? – Brother Russel would reply: “some say I am; while others say, the society is”’. It continues, ‘Both statements were true; for Brother Russel was in fact the society in a most absolute sense, in this, that he directed the policy and course of the society without regard to any other person on earth.’


Russell prepared a “Last Will and Testament” which was published in the December 1, 1916 Watch Tower magazine following his death in that year. The content of the Will clearly illustrate the total control Charles Russel exercised over the watch tower magazine, part of the text of the Will said: “However, in view of the fact that in donating the journal ZION’S WATCH TOWER, THE OLD THEOLOGY QUARTERLY and the copyrights of the MILLENNIAL DAWN SCRIPTURES STUDIES books and various other booklets, hymm-books, etc, to the explicit understanding that I should have full control of all the interests for these publications during my life time, and that after my decease they should be conducted according to my wishes. I now herewith set forth the said wishes-my Will respecting the same-as follows”

Yes, Russel did consider his works as God’s works. But he clearly considered the watch tower his magazine, to be published according to his will even after his death. He directed that, upon his death, an Editorial Committee of five men, personally selected and named by him, should have entire editorial charge of the Watch Tower magazine. Russel did not list Rutherford among these five but placed in a second group who might serve as replacements if occasion required. In his own right, Russel was the visible human leader of the bible student, as Jehovah’s Witnesses was then known.

Rutherford was the second President of Watch Tower Society, assuming full control and direction, without consulting with anyone, as Russel had. This include what to published and teach. For example, in Crisis of Conscience, page 66, Fred Franz related that the Judged (as Rutherford was called) “later in his presidency made it a firm policy that the Watch Tower magazine would carry only articles that stress prophecy or the preaching work. For that reason, a period of years passed in which articles on subjects such as love, kindness, mercy, longsuffering and other similar qualities simply did not appear in the magazine.”

The point is, these men, during the nearly sixty-year period of their presidency, exerted their authority over the Watch Tower Society. Each man acted according to his own prerogative in exercising his presidential authority. They were the visible human leaders of the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses, while at the same time laying claim to Jesus invisible leadership.

As is seen in posters of different religion today, with their leaders glazing the billboard, so it was in the days of Pastor Russel and Judge Rutherford. The pictures below, clearly illustrate more the reality.

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It is interesting to see that recent reference to Russel and Rutherford, these men are simply identified as brothers, to imply how humble and meek they were. The watchtower even claim that “they did not want to be given any special titles” (See the watchtower, February 2017, page 23, par. 9), but the reality is far different, these men conferred in themselves their full title. Russel conferred in himself the title of Pastor Russel, while Rutherford took up the title, Judge Rutherford, having serve as a temporary judge for about four times.

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In 1975, during the presidency of Nathan H. Knorr, after the internal upheaval in the world headquarters of Jehovah’s witnesses and the subsequent forceful takeover of power from the society’s president, the control of the organization, was taken from the full control of one man to the control of a collective body of men. The complete restructuring of the top level of the organization’s central administration, monarchical control by a corporation president was replaced with control by a collective body, simply the dividing up and sharing of power, with a group of men acting as one man had done before.

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Who are the leaders of Jehovah’s witnesses today?

Just like every other religious organization that lay claim to Jesus’ leader, while having visible human leaders, Jehovah’s witnesses are led today by the group called, the governing body. They determine doctrines, policies, teachings.

Or could it be that “leading” is the wrong word to describe these men? Maybe they just don’t lead, since leaders are servant, they govern, exercising their full authority and power on Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide. Below is a picture of the visible human leaders of Jehovah's Witnesses.

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PARAGRAPH 14, PAGE 17: Not all the kings who ruled God’s people followed God’s instructions. Those unfaithful kings refused to follow the guidance of God’s holy spirit, his angels, and his Word. In some cases, Jehovah disciplined or replaced those leaders. (1 Samuel 13:13, 14) Later, Jehovah appointed someone who would be a perfect leader.

As I had written sometimes ago, event of recent years, taking place within the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses-child abuse cover up, millions of dollars paid as compensation to victims of child sexual abuse cover up by the organization, wrong teachings that many witnesses are becoming aware of (failed prophecy of ‘this generation’ leading to ‘overlapping generation’, first century governing body, cross, 1914, Jesus mediator-ship etc.)-the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses needed to reinforce loyal to themselves, to re-ascertain their authority, to remind Jehovah’s Witnesses why they should be happy that God had chosen them.

The idea inserted that “Jehovah appointed someone who would be a perfect leader” is a red herring, meant to strengthen the idea created in paragraph 1 that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have a human leader. Is also meant to invalidate in the minds of Witnesses Jesus words in Mt 24:48 that, the slave can be unfaithful and rejected. The idea behind it is, since Jesus is the perfect leader, then the governing body running the show and affairs of Jehovah’s witnesses cannot be said to be leaders, they simply following Jesus leading. However, the problem is, the idea stops there, the reasoning doesn’t go deep. If Jesus had appointed the faithful and discreet slave to lead and feed, and the governing body represent the slave and are spokesman of the slave or closely associated, are the governing body not LEADERS?

STUDY ARTICLE
WHO IS LEADING GOD’S PEOPLE TODAY (30TH APRIL, 2017)


The stage having being set in the previous article of 23rd April, 2017, the watchtower article of 30th April, 2017 will then be used to certify the authority of the governing body. However, my concern is mainly to point the errors, misinformation, misleading statement and falsehood contained in the article.

PARAGRAPH 4, PAGE 21: … And they sent experienced Christians to preach in new territories. (Acts 8:14, 15) Later, other anointed elders joined the apostles in taking the lead in the congregation. As a governing body, they gave direction to all the congregations. —Acts 15:2.

REMARK: Let me just say this halfway…the arraignment of the first century governing body, the watchtower refers to, simply isn’t true and simply didn’t exist. The apostles stayed in Jerusalem and true, men were made as elders, but nowhere in the scriptures is it indicated that those elders and the apostle formed a governing body, the term, ‘governing body’ does NOT even exist in the bible (Of course, except in the NWT 2013). Yes, they did take the lead in the congregation in Jerusalem, but each congregation were independent of each other, and independent of the control from a centralized ‘governing body’, which NEVER existed. The apostle led the congregation that was in Jerusalem, which had been newly form, they taught, prayed and controlled the money, in Jerusalem. But that was as far as it went, only in Jerusalem. After the death of Stephen, then the persecution that arose and the Christians in Jerusalem scattered around, they were going about preaching and forming congregations, without the direction of the apostle. (compare Acts

However, for the sake if this analysis, let’s just believe a centralized authority, ‘the governing body’, existed in Jerusalem and directed the affairs of the congregations of the first century Christians. Let’s just allow it to exist and see how their role fit into the narrative in the study article.

As done today by the governing body to send Jehovah's Witnesses missionaries, Paragraph 4, draws on the idea of the ‘governing body’ of the first century, sending experienced Christians to preach. However, what does the referred passage of the scriptures show? Reading through the context of Acts chapter 8 and reaching verses 14 and 15, it would be clear the idea of the apostles sending out experienced Christians to preach is simple an insertion. Remember, the persecution had scattered the Christians in all direction (throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria- verse 1) and they were declaring the good news of the word (verse 4). Verse 4 also showed that Philip went down to Samaria and “began to preach the Christ to them”. Phillip went his own, he preached, baptized, performed without the direction of the apostles in Jerusalem (the supposed governing body).

Just like everyone else in Jerusalem, the apostles heard Samaria had accepted God’s word, they sent out Peter and John (experienced Christians) to them. Why? To preach in new territories? To form congregation? No, for the scripture says to “pray for them to get the holy spirit”. What else does the scriptures indicate? Verse 26 says “Jehovah’s angel spoke directly to Phillip”, giving him direction on new territories to preach. This, as previously, was done without the knowledge or decision of the apostles, the supposed Jerusalem based governing body.

The same can be seen in the case of Saul, were Jesus choose the disciple Ananias in Damascus, to lay his hand on Saul for him to receive sight and holy spirit. On the part of Saul, when he recovers his sight, the scriptures said he “immediately in the synagogue … began to preach about Jesus” (Acts 9:20), without any direction from the supposed Jerusalem based governing body.

The simple truth is, Jesus, the head of the Christian congregation didn’t rely on the Jerusalem based apostle to carry out his will. He simple use anyone he wanted and used him. The whole idea of the Jerusalem based ‘governing body’ directing the affairs of the first century Christians, sending missionaries out to preach simply isn’t true, and simply isn’t supported in the scriptures, as more evident will be seen.

PARAGRAPH 5, PAGE 21: Christians in the first century knew that Jehovah was directing the governing body through Jesus. How could they be sure? First, holy spirit empowered the governing body. (John 16:13) All anointed Christians received holy spirit, but it specifically empowered the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem to carry out their role as overseers. For example, in the year 49, holy spirit guided the governing body to make a decision about circumcision. The congregations followed that direction. As a result, they “continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number day by day.” (Acts 16:4, 5) From the letter to the congregations about circumcision, we can see that the governing body had God’s spirit and showed qualities such as love and faith.

REMARK: If Jesus statement about “the spirit of the truth” which would guide his disciples “into all the truth” in John 16:13 referred to only the apostles as the ‘governing body’, then how did Phillip, who was not a member of the apostle have the “spirit of the truth” to declare the truth about Christ to the Samarians, the Ethiopian eunuch for them to understand the things about Christ and his kingdom, accepted Christ and became baptized? Also, when the apostle Paul (former Saul) became a believer, Jesus Christ sent a disciple named Ananias, to pray for Paul to and became filled with holy spirit, something previously done by the Jerusalem based apostle by laying of the hands. (Compare Acts 9:17 with Acts 8:14,15) Now, how did the apostle Paul, who at the time never met or nor conferred with the Jerusalem based apostle, ‘the governing body’ have the spirit of the truth to preach about Jesus, proving logically that Jesus was the Christ.

The simple truth is, “the spirit of the truth” Jesus promised was a free gift to all Christians, not to a selected apostle as the watchtower would want us to believe in order to arrive at the conclusion that the spirit help the governing body. Yes, God’s spirit help and directed the apostles, but it is also true with as many Christians in the first century, without the consulting the apostolic body in Jerusalem, without asking for the direction or oversight of the supposed ‘governing body’.

If the apostles and some elders appointed had formed the governing body and Jesus was using them to direct the congregations of the first century, recognizing them as the appointed channel of communication of spiritual food, then it certainly would have been wrong for Jesus, using the likes of Phillip, Apostle Paul, Ananias to act unilaterally, under the direction of God’s spirit and angels, without first looking to coordinate their activities and works with the supposed ‘christ-appointed’ governing body. To fail to concert their activity with, and submit to the direction of, a Christ-appointed “governing body” would have shown a grave “lack of respect for Theocratic order.”

But that simply was not the case.

Also, from the Apostle Paul’s blunt, forceful statements in his letter to the Galatians (compare Ga 1:16 – 20, 2:1,2), it was clear that he did not consider the apostles in Jerusalem to be the divinely appointed administrative center for all congregational activities earth-wide, as the watchtower want us to believe.

Then, on the matter of the council of 49 C.E., which is the single, most primary source of the watchtower’s teachings of the governing body existence, time and space would not allow for the full discussion of the events and those involved, but I will quickly say here that the picture created by the organization, of some governing body, made of (the apostles and some added elders, a handful of men, as depicted below) meeting in Jerusalem to discuss the important issues of circumcision, is simply not true and unsupported by scriptural evidence.



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REASON THIS:
The account of Acts chapter 15 indicates that the elders as a whole were present at the council held and not just “a number” of them, for it consistently speaks of the “apostles and the elders” with no limitations implied. Some 3,000 persons had been baptized at Pentecost and not long after the number of believers is given as “about five thousand.” (Acts 2:41; 4:4) That was evidently in the year 33 A.D. How reasonable is it to believe that 16 years later, in 49 A.D., there were only a handful of elders in Jerusalem? Precisely in Acts 15:22, it says that “the apostles and the elders, together with the whole congregation decided to send chosen men from among Antioch”. Surely the number of those in the council of 49 A.D. would have packed out the room depicted in the Watchtower’s above. But this would not fit the concept of a “small number of men” forming a governing body, such as the few men who currently form the Brooklyn-based Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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The picture above, likewise totally misrepresents the real situation regarding administrative control existing in the 1950s. The picture on top, referred to as “the governing body, 1950” are those of the board of directors between 1944 and 1971. Left to Right: Lyman Swingle, Thomas J. Sullivan, Grant Suiter, Hugo Reimer, Nathan H. Knorr (President), Fred W. Franz (Vice President) and Milton G. Henshel.

Until 1971, the term governing body was spelt with a small g and b, as a description of the operational function the board played. In the watchtower of 1971 December 15, the term was capitalized as the “Governing Body” of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and explained to be the group leading the religion. However, their power was still limited until 1st January, 1976 when authority to direct, control and oversee the activities of Jehovah’s witnesses worldwide was shifted from the President to operating committees comprised of Governing Body members. (See the distinction between the capitalization of Governing Body in the watchtower 2001, January 15, pp. 28-29) It would seem that the writer of this Watchtower articles is either ignorant of the facts or is guilty of deliberate fabrication.

PARAGRAPH 6, PAGE 22: Second, angels helped the governing body. For example, an angel told Cornelius to find the apostle Peter. After Peter preached to Cornelius and his relatives, they received holy spirit, even though the men had not been circumcised. Cornelius thus became the first uncircumcised Gentile to become a Christian. When the apostles and other brothers heard about this, they accepted God’s will and welcomed uncircumcised Gentiles into the Christian congregation. (Acts 11:13-18) From this, we can see that angels actively supported the preaching work that the governing body was directing. (Acts 5:19, 20) Third, God’s Word guided the governing body. Those men used the Scriptures to help them make important decisions about Christian beliefs and to direct the congregations. —Acts 1:20-22; 15:15-20

REMARK: The problem is with the forced conclusion drawn from the scriptures to arrive at a preconceived thesis. The concept of the angel helping the governing body simple isn’t correct. Just as Jesus had acted directly with individual Christians, without consulting the supposed ‘governing body’ of Jerusalem, Jesus through a vision had revealed to Peter of uncircumcised gentiles becoming believers and also at the same time using an angel to send messengers to Peter. Peter, also responded without consulting a ‘supposed governing body’ and when Peter explained the event, he did so to the brothers in Jerusalem, not to some governing body in a governing body session, so that ‘probably decide on how to present the matter to the other brothers.’

Again, on the issue on the important decisions on circumcision in Acts 15, the scripture shows that the decision was sent to the mainly to the gentile Christians in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, and not to the “congregations” as being conveyed by the watchtower that “Those men used the Scriptures to help them make important decisions about Christian beliefs and to direct the congregations.” The story is simply not true and in line with God’s word.

PARAGRAPH 7, PAGE 22: Even though the governing body had authority in the congregation, its members understood that Jesus Christ was their Leader. How do we know that? The apostle Paul said that it was Christ who appointed “some as apostles.” He also said that Christ was “the head,” or Leader, of the congregation.

REMARK: Any careful consideration of watchtower publications will indicate clearly that in past writings, the Apostle Paul was never considered as a member of the ‘supposed Jerusalem based governing body’. It was in September, 2014 that the watchtower started floating the idea subtly. (See the watchtower 2014, September 15 page 14 par. 12). Even in the said article, there was not real assertion, as the word “likely” was used. However, in the above referred paragraph, the watchtower has succeeded in its slow, subtle introduction of the idea that the Apostle Paul was indeed a member of the Jerusalem based governing body. However, truth will always remain truth, no matter the sophistry.

Let me quickly add, I sometimes admired and respect whoever prepares those publications, they are smart. I mean, really smart, and sometimes confusingly cunny. To see a typical example of how watchtower ease in drastic changes subtly and slowly, please read this www.avoidjw.org/2015/12/revisions-faithful-discreet-slave

PARAGRAPH 9, PAGE 23: Brother Russell did not want any special attention from people. In 1896, he wrote that he and other responsible men did not want to be honored at all. They did not want to be given any special titles, and they did not want any group to be called by their name. He later said: “This is not man’s work.”

REMARK: Paragraph 9 is simply not true. It is either the writer of this watchtower article does not know the history of the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses, or is simply deliberately dishonesty. “Brother Russel” as referred to in current watchtower writings, was known as Pastor Russel, based on their recognizing him as the “faithful and wise servant”, foretold in scripture, whom the make would make “ruler over his household”. Pastor Russel was honored and written about, even after his death by Judge Rutherford, his writings considered to be central to God’s will that all bible student must adhere to or be guilty of disregarding God’s will. Just like today’s Pastors have their pictures and names written in their bill board where they are making public discourse, so it was with Pastor Russel. The same was true of J. F. Rutherford, as I had already written above. The pictures below clearly illustrate the points.

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