The Watchtower Society of Jehovah's Witnesses

[Elijah John]

How can Jehovah's Witnesses be the "one true church" if they themselves make mistakes and revise their doctrine, dogma and practices?

Exhibit a) before the NWT (New World Translation) of the Bible was published, Jehovah's Witnesses used the American Standard Version (ASV). Both translations honor the name of Jehovah but there are stark differences.

The NWT is the only translation (that I know of) which has Jesus "impaled on a stake" instead of crucified on a cross, as virtually every other translation posits.

The first volume of the NWT was originally released in 1950.

How can JWs be the "only true church" if it was evolving, fallible and subject to revision?

And exhibit b) how can JWs be the only true church with dimly supported and strange doctrines such as the belief that Jesus was Michael the Archangel before the Nativity?

Exhibit c) How can the JWs be the only true church if they falsely predicted that Jesus would return in 1914?

And when that return did not materialized, they revised their prediction and now conveniently claim his return was "invisible".

"One true Church" or fringe sect?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 19 by 2timothy316]
What then? Would it be rightous of God to bring a true represetitive into disrepute

Yes it would be righteous for God to correct one His representatives.

"For those whom Jehovah loves he reproves." Proverbs 3:12

I trust what Solomon wrote here in Proverbs despite his faults.

You and others here seem to be seeking perfection from those that followed God. There was only one that did that. The Bible says it was Jesus.

or insist that people must obey false doctrine or lose their salvation?

There is no record in the Bible of God insisting that people obey a false doctrine. Only that if a Christian brother does error that they be forgiven. For example, one principle to remember is what Jesus said: “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.� Recall, too, that when Peter asked whether we should forgive “up to seven times,� Jesus replied: “I say to you, not up to seven times, but up to 77 times.� Clearly, Jesus meant that we should always be willing to forgive; this should be our first and predominant leaning.—Matt. 6:14, 15; 18:21, 22.

Do you forgive this way? Or is it once someone errors that's it, you're done with them.

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 19 by 2timothy316]

So how do you prove that JW's are "God's people" then? And that others are not.

Wouldn't it be more accurate to claim that the "righteous" the sheep and not the goats are "God's people" as Jesus suggests?

Whether or not they exclaim "Lord Lord" in the "proper" way or loudly enough?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 22 by Elijah John]

I'd use the thing that so few want to accept. The Bible. Because the first thing that must be agreed on is what are God's laws. Those must be known before they can be obeyed.

[postroad]

[Replying to post 21 by 2timothy316] If God does not insist that people follow false doctrine why is it that your orginization insist it's members uphold without question the instructions of the GB or face being disfellowshipped. Do you still believe those disfellowshipped will be destroyed?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 21 by 2timothy316] If God does not insist that people follow false doctrine why is it that your orginization insist it's members uphold without question the instructions of the GB or face being disfellowshipped.

Because they use the Bible in their instructions and they never give instructions that are not Bible based. Even disfellowshipping is Bible based.

Do you still believe those disfellowshipped will be destroyed?

We don't know who is going to be destroyed for sure. The Bible is clear though that those that have accurate knowledge of what is right and wrong, also are in opposition of God are certainly not safe. “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and there is a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition.� (Hebrews 10:26, 27)

Note I'm not quoting a Watchtower article.

[postroad]

[Replying to post 23 by 2timothy316] I hope we don't have to trust the word of uninspired, fallible men on this?

[postroad]

[Replying to post 25 by 2timothy316]What makes your fallible, uninspired and mistaken orginization the ultimate authority on biblical interpretation?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 26 by postroad]

Well if you are only trusting yourself then that is exactly what you're doing, is it not? So much for God's Chosen People. Because if His laws can't be known and therefore can't be obeyed, then no one can be God's people. That would mean mankind is going to be wiped from the Earth.

[postroad]

[Replying to post 28 by 2timothy316]
Or perhaps we can roll back this fallible uninspired mistaken concept back to Moses and conclude the whole ridiculous concept is the imagination of men?

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 25 by 2timothy316]What makes your fallible, uninspired and mistaken orginization the ultimate authority on biblical interpretation?

Not everyone looked into JWs for the same reason. For me personally it was because of their complete trust in the Bible. They also own their mistakes. They have learned it is better to say, 'we don't know' until more evidence presents itself. They seek truth above all else. That is what attracts me even though they are fallible, uninspired and even mistaken. After all, I am all of those things too. But like me they are willing to do better and improve their knowledge of truth. Jesus said God's people will be sanctified by truth, "Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth." John 17:17. What is truth? His Word is truth and His Word is the Bible. No one I have ever met studies the Bible like the JWs do.