In last week’s Watchtower Wednesday on the Reachout Facebook page we looked at a Watchtower article entitled, ‘Help Your Bible Students to Become Baptized Disciples.’ I wonder what people made of the Watchtower approach to making disciples? This is a key issue because it is where your journey of faith begins. If you start in the wrong place, proceed in the wrong way, you won’t end up at your intended destination.
I am reminded, reading the article, of Jesus' words for the Pharisees in Matthew's gospel, 'They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders...' (Mt.23:4)
The article begins with Pentecost, typically telling the story their way, not allowing the text to speak for itself. ‘What was a large crowd in the first century told to do?’ they ask. Not surprisingly, while they must acknowledge the gift of speaking in other languages (dialektos) they give no explanation for this remarkable gift. Salvation, they go on to say, is gained by ‘exercising faith in Jesus Christ.’ Here is that familiar ‘exercising’ they insert into the Bible (see John 3:36 where they use it while the ESV translates the Greek pusteō ‘believe’ meaning to trust.) The Christian believer’s trust is in Jesus while the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ trust is in the ‘exercising.’
A Gospel of Works
Here they begin to unpack a gospel of works, beginning with the words, ‘Before getting baptized, a Bible student must put into practice what the Bible teaches,’ citing Matthew 28:19,20:
‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you…’ (NWT, 2013)
Apart from the totally unjustifiable use of lower case for the Holy Spirit, I doubt any Christian would have an issue with this translation. It is what is done with it that is of concern. Quite remarkably, they contradict the very texts in both Acts and Matthew from which they are teaching. We will come to that.
Remember, ‘Before getting baptized, a Bible student must put into practice what the Bible teaches.’ This goal of baptism is attained by taking certain steps.
The first step is goal-setting; ‘...when a Bible student sets and reaches short-term goals, he will likely realize that the goal of baptism is within his reach.’
The second step is to, ‘Help your student make lifestyle changes,’ to, ‘strip off old habits and put on the new personality (Col.3:9,10)’
The third step is to, ‘Help your student come to love Jehovah.’ The student’s motivation to change will grow as his love for Jehovah deepens, we are told. Remember, this is all done in the student’s own strength, depending on his or her determination to make changes to come in line with Jehovah’s will.
The Tipping Point
There is a key paragraph at this point:
‘To progress to baptism, a Bible student will need to make sacrifices. Like the rich man mentioned earlier, some students may need to sacrifice material things. If their employment is not in harmony with Bible principles, they may even have to make a change. Many may have to leave behind friends who do not love Jehovah. Others may be abandoned by family members who dislike Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jesus acknowledged that it may be difficult for some people to make such sacrifices. But he promised that those who follow him will not be disappointed. They will be richly rewarded with a loving spiritual family.’
This is a tipping point in the test of a student’s faithfulness; will they sacrifice family and friends? Here is a most insidious process, creeping up on the unsuspecting student, drawing them in until they are committed to the kingdom hall above all else in their life. The Watchtower cites Mark 10:29,30 to justify this teaching, ‘Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get 100 times more now...and in the coming system of things, everlasting life.’
Jesus is not here insisting that disciples give up all these things. Rather, following the incident with the rich young ruler (17-22) Jesus is pointing out that the things of this world, wealth, money, even worldly loyalties, can be a hindrance to those who would enter the kingdom. It is a teaching on preparedness for sacrifice not a call to pointless abandonment of family responsibilities.
The next step in the process is to ‘introduce your student to fellow worshippers.’ This is their family now and you are not to let them forget it. You are encouraged to spend time with your student, invite different publishers to the Bible study, and invite your student to attend congregation meetings.
Remember, this student is not yet baptised as you are encouraged to help the student overcome their fears by having them share their newfound faith, as you take the next step, teaching them to trust Jehovah. It is this whole process that prepares them for Watchtower baptism.
Let’s look at two key texts again as we compare this with what the Bible tells us.
They began with Acts 2 where, in response to the cry of the crowd, ‘men, brothers what should we do,’ Peter responds, ‘do a Bible study, set goals, make lifestyle changes, come to love Jehovah, attend congregation meetings, share your faith, trust Jehovah, and you will be baptised.’ Of course, that isn’t at all what Peter said:
‘Now when they had heard this, they were stabbed to the heart, and they said to Peter and the apostles, ‘Men, brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit’ (Acts 2:37,38 NWT 2013) Break it down:
‘Men, brothers, what should we do?’
Repent and be baptized…’
What for?
‘For the forgiveness of your sins’
Then what happens?
‘You will receive the free gift of the holy ghost.’
It could not be ore straight forward. I am reminded of Paul and Silas’ conversation with the Philippian jailer in Acts 16. The jailer asks, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ to which they replied, ‘believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…’ (Acts 16:30) We don’t read this in the article.
Another key text is Matthew 28:19,20, where they focus very much on putting into practice what the student has learned, in preparation for their becoming ‘baptized disciples.’ But the order of the text is very clear:
‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit (sic), teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you…’ (NWT, 2013)
How are disciples made? By telling them the good news about Jesus as Peter and the others did, then inviting them to repent and be baptised. So, what is the order here in Matthew 28? Make disciples in that same way, baptise them in that same way, then teach them to obey in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Watchtower have smuggled in another gospel that starts, not with Jesus, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit, but with the organisation. If you want to join the organisation these are the hoops through which you must jump. This is the most blatant and deceptive twisting of the plain meaning of Scripture you will find.
‘Even though we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema).’ (Gal.1:8)
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