Tuesday, December 8
Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life. —John 6:68.
Some today have been stumbled by an adjusted understanding of a Bible passage. Others have taken sides with apostates and other opposers who misrepresent our beliefs. As a result, some have deliberately begun “drawing away” from Jehovah and the congregation. (Heb. 3:12-14) How much better it would have been if they had maintained their faith and kept their confidence in Jesus, as the apostle Peter did! Others have left the truth gradually, perhaps without even noticing what was happening. A person who gradually leaves the truth is like a boat that slowly slips away from the riverbank. The Bible describes such a slow change as ‘drifting away.’ (Heb. 2:1) Unlike one who intentionally draws away from the truth, one who drifts away does not do so deliberately. However, such a person strains his relationship with Jehovah and is in danger of losing it. w18.11 9 ¶5-
No doubt some have probably stumbled because of some trivial adjustment of a Watchtower teaching. However, far more have been stumbled by the Watchtower’s brazen hypocrisy —especially on display in the callous way the Watchtower’s lawyers have persecuted child abuse victims and denied having any responsibility in their abuse.
No doubt governmental authorities who have been directly involved in sorting out the pedophile coverup among Jehovah’s Witnesses are considered “opposers” who misrepresent WT beliefs. According to the Governing Body, any JW who sides with child advocates has abandoned their faith.
How much better it would be if the Governing Body would simply admit to their sin and beg for forgiveness from the brothers and sisters and especially the tens of thousands of victims. Of course, that will never happen. The leadership has committed themselves to a lie and they are destined to stay with it to the bitter end. They have made a covenant with death and expect to be spared from the flood that is about to be unleashed.
Keep in mind, though, that the real apostates are those who preside over God’s people, not those who are stumbled and leave in disgust. In ancient times it was the kings and priests who fomented apostasy. It is the same now.
If the Watchtower is really concerned about JW’s losing faith they would make every effort to open up the kingdom halls. People need face-to-face interaction. And ministers need to see who they are ministering to. Surely the GB are aware of the fading movement taking place, which involves a deliberate, gradual fading away. The Watchtower’s virtual Zoom worship must greatly facilitate the fading. Or are they blind? If the GB does not resume the formal meeting together and public ministry soon they may find that they are presiding over an empty sheep pen. Maybe that is the intention of some —to subtly abandon and slaughter the flock.
The prophecy in Zechariah comes to mind: “For I am letting a shepherd rise up in the land. He will not take care of the sheep that are perishing; he will not seek out the young or heal the injured or feed those able to stand. Instead, he devours the flesh of the fat one and tears off the hooves of the sheep. Woe to my worthless shepherd, who is abandoning the flock! A sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will wither completely, and his right eye will go completely blind.” (11:16-17)
Fortunately, the Watchtower does not possess the sayings of everlasting life. Jehovah does. Like the Jewish system of old that was a temporary caretaker of God’s word, the Watchtower has only been entrusted with overseeing the preaching work and feeding Christ’s sheep, for which they will be required to make an accounting. They should not presume they are going to hear the Master say to them: “Well done.”