Bridge of Reason

  How is a person made righteous before a Holy God? This was the big question at the time of the Reformation, and it continues to be the most important issue today. Let us consider how the Jehovah’s Witnesses might answer, as I continue to review the Convention address by Brother David Schafer. This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: “I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself, The One guiding you in the way you should walk. If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Isaiah 48:17-18 NWT Brother Schafer said that these verses from Isaiah teach us that imperfect human beings can have a righteous standing before God. He claimed that the peace that righteousness brings is achieved by obedience to Jehovah’s commandments. What he fails to mention is that these verses were given to the people of Israel and should be, at least in the ...

  As I continue to review the Jehovah’s Witness ‘Pursue Peace’ Convention, here we have Brother David Schafer who is described as a helper to the Teaching Committee. As I begin, it may be helpful to mention that this week I spoke to some Witnesses at their cart, and the ladies had clearly been listening to this talk, as they almost quoted verbatim some of the things here mentioned. Brother Schafer begins with a common Watchtower trick. He takes a verse completely out of its context, so that it will appear to support what he wants to teach. The verse in question was Isaiah 32 verse 17 in the New World Translation: The result of true righteousness will be peace, And the fruitage of true righteousness will be lasting tranquility and security. Firstly, let us consider the context of this verse. From chapter twenty-eight through to thirty-nine of Isaiah, we read that Jerusalem has been delivered with numerous warnings. The people are told that they shouldn’t be trusting foreign nations ...

  The text given for the convention is the latter part of Psalm 29 verse 11, which reads in the New World Translation as: ‘Jehovah will bless His people with peace.’ Because Jehovah’s Witnesses erroneously, but deliberately, translate the tetragram YHWH (LORD in most Bibles) as Jehovah, every verse that has that name appears to speak directly to them. So, in setting the stage for those virtually attending this convention, the verse clearly says to them that Jehovah will bless His people with peace. Who are His people? Of course, they believe it is them - Jehovah’s Witnesses. To reinforce the opening thought that Jehovah has a people, a musical presentation was shown with Witnesses from around the world singing in their own language. The message is loud and clear. Jehovah has a people, and they are happy, united, and blessed. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are back out in force with their carts, and I recently spoke to an elderly couple of witnesses about the Lord Jesus and the way of salv...