I am more stubborn than they are

God’s Word gives specific advice concerning the types of unrighteousness that Christians must renounce or reject. For instance, in the immediate context of 2 Timothy 2:19, we find that Paul tells Timothy “not to fight about words” and to “reject empty speeches.” Some members of the congregation were promoting apostate teachings. Today, Jehovah’s people are not often confronted with apostasy within the congregation. Still, when exposed to unscriptural teachings, regardless of the source, we must decisively reject them. It would be unwise to engage in debates with apostates, whether in person, by responding to their blogs, or by any other form of communication. Even when the intention is to help the individual, such conversation would be contrary to the Scriptural direction we are given. Rather, as Jehovah’s people, we completely avoid, yes reject, apostasy.

COMMENTARY

Today’s text warning JW’s not to comment on apostate blogs is nothing new. Back about 10 years ago it was brought to my attention by someone who had attended a circuit assembly that either a circuit or district overseer (I can’t remember which) gave a talk warning the brothers and sisters about a specific fellow on the Internet —at the time deemed to be the most ‘dangerous apostate in America’ — who pretended to be a faithful brother by answering Bible questions related to the faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Obviously referring to e-Watchman and the Mailbag, which has been a feature of this site since virtually the beginning. The overseer went on to describe e-Watchman as a spider who spins an intricate web in order to catch his prey.

It was gratifying to know that I had made my presence felt after only being online for just a short while. Maybe they assumed I would burn out and go away, like so many other ex-JW’s have. Little do they realize, though, I am not opposed to the faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I am, in fact, a staunch advocate of the truth. I am only opposed to the dishonesty and treachery among the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I ascribe to the words of Paul in the last chapter of 2 Corinthians: “Now we pray to God that you may do nothing wrong, not that we may appear approved, but that you may do what is fine, even if we may appear disapproved. For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.”

About that same time, I decided to take the fight to leadership. So, I purchased a mailing list of every kingdom hall in the United States and hired a professional mass mailing company to blast out an eight page letter to every kingdom hall in America. (not every congregation, since most halls host more than one) I also followed up by sending the same letter to every kingdom hall in Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia and handed a copy to my own elders as well. That initial letter was followed up by an open letter directed to Bethel and the New York City area calling for a judicial inquiry into those responsible for leading the organization into apostasy in connection with the Watchtower’s secret partnership with the United Nations.

Naturally, the result was that I was brought to stand before a judicial committee and ultimately disfellowshipped. Of course, I well knew beforehand that Bethel would never humble itself or allow any mere human to call it to account. Humorously, the only tangible result of that initial mailing is that subsequent mailing campaigns found a significant number of kingdom halls in the United States had removed their mailboxes, evidenced by a much greater percentage of letters being returned to sender for lack of a mail receptacle on kingdom hall premises. Apparently, to insulate the elders from any more judgment messages congregations are being advised to have all mail directed to the private homes of elders.

But now more than 10 years after that original exposé I am still standing my post. I sense, as was the case with Ezekiel —Jehovah’s appointed watchman prior to the fall of Jerusalem —God has made my forehead harder than theirs. Here is what God said to his ancient watchman: “You are not being sent to many peoples speaking an unintelligible language or an unknown tongue, whose words you cannot understand. If I would send you to them, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will refuse to listen to you, for they do not want to listen to me. All those of the house of Israel are hardheaded and hardhearted. Look! I have made your face exactly as hard as their faces and your forehead exactly as hard as their foreheads. I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or be terrified by their faces, for they are a rebellious house.”

Like Ezekiel in relation to the house of Israel, the Watchtower and I speak the same language —so-to-speak. I thoroughly understand their teachings, but I am not bound by their interpretations. The Watchtower does not own God’s word. Nor do they measure out the spirit of Jehovah. Although they may not accept it, Jehovah has made me more stubborn than they are.

In the same third chapter of Ezekiel Jehovah went on to say to the prophet: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and tie you with them so that you cannot go out among them. And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will become mute, unable to reprove them, because they are a rebellious house.”

Presently the Watchtower has seemingly, successfully marginalized me by disfellowshipping and repeatedly warning JW’s to beware of apostates on the Internet. But Ezekiel was not permanently muted, as the next verse indicates. In time Jehovah caused him to open his mouth and his message could no longer be ignored. I expect the same outcome.

Just as a great storm came out of the north upon Jerusalem in the form of Babylon’s hordes, a global storm is about to descend upon the world. It is the very tempest of Jehovah. Then Christ will reveal where the real apostles reside. Then “the tyrant will be no more, the boaster will come to his finish, and all those keeping alert to do harm will be destroyed, those who with a false word make others guilty, who lay traps for the defender in the city gate, and who with empty arguments deny justice to the righteous one.” —Isaiah 29