Note: The text below is taken from a PDF article I recently wrote to a dear friend. It is mostly made up of small quotes from Watchtower publications, with some comments interspersed. It is reproduced below. Perhaps it will assist some that you know. I pray that it does have a positive effect on the many faithful ones among us that have been mislead and are worshiping a “golden calf” without even knowing it.

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HOW THE GOVERNING BODY VIEWS ITSELF IN MODERN TIMES:

*** WT 1981 12/1 p. 27 par. 4 The Path of the Righteous Does Keep Getting Brighter ***

But Jehovah God has also provided his visible organization, his “faithful and discreet slave,” made up of spirit-anointed ones, to help Christians in all nations to understand and apply properly the Bible in their lives. Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do.—Compare Acts 8:30-40.

*** WT 1983 1/15 p. 27 par. 20 Armed for the Fight Against Wicked Spirits ***

Really, can we get along without the direction of God’s organization? No, we cannot!

*** WT 2010 9/15 p. 13 par. 8 Unity Identifies True Worship ***

A Governing Body composed of spirit-anointed Christians contributes to the unity of the worldwide congregation. The Governing Body publishes spiritually encouraging literature in many languages. This spiritual food is based on God’s Word. Thus, what is taught is not from men but from Jehovah.—Isa. 54:13.

*** WT 1959 5/1 p. 269 par. 7 Attain Completeness in the New World Society ***

To hold to the headship of Christ, it is therefore necessary to obey the organization that he is personally directing. Doing what the organization says is to do what he says. Resisting the organization is to resist him.

*** WT 1981 11/15 p. 21 par. 18 ‘Stay Awake and Keep Your Senses’ ***

And while now the witness yet includes the invitation to come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation, the time no doubt will come when the message takes on a harder tone, like a “great war cry.”

*** WT 1956 6/1 p. 346 par. 11 Keep Pace by Conforming to Theocratic Requirements ***

Since the “faithful and discreet slave” has been entrusted with all the Master’s goods, then let us view with proper mental perception that whatever the ‘faithful slave’ does is for our good. The slave is thereby fulfilling its own obligation before Jehovah in getting His work done. Therefore the slave’s will is Jehovah’s will. Rebellion against the slave is rebellion against God. A proper mental attitude toward the slave’s direction is a part of keeping pace with the New World society.

*** WT 1981 2/15 p. 19 Do We Need Help to Understand the Bible? ***

OUR VIEW OF THE “SLAVE”

We can benefit from this consideration. If we have once established what instrument God is using as his “slave” to dispense spiritual food to his people, surely Jehovah is not pleased if we receive that food as though it might contain something harmful. We should have confidence in the channel God is using. At the Brooklyn headquarters from which the Bible publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses emanate there are more mature Christian elders, both of the “remnant” and of the “other sheep,” than anywhere else upon earth.

*** WT 1950 6/1 p. 176 *** The ark of salvation that we enter is not a literal ark but is God’s organization

*** km 11/1990 p. 1 par. 1 Directing Bible Students to Jehovah’s Organization ***

Bible students need to get acquainted with the organization of the “one flock” Jesus spoke about at John 10:16. They must appreciate that identifying themselves with Jehovah’s organization is essential to their salvation. (Rev. 7:9, 10, 15) Therefore, we should start directing our Bible students to the organization as soon as a Bible study is established.

*** WT 1952 10/1 p. 603 par. 22 A Strong Refuge Today ***

Those desiring salvation must make for God’s organization, and find entrance into it and remain there permanently

*** WT 1998 3/15 p. 19 par. 4 Living Up to Christian Dedication in Freedom ***

In order to avoid misunderstandings, Jehovah’s Witnesses try to be careful about how they express themselves. Instead of saying, “the Society teaches,” many Witnesses prefer to use such expressions as, “the Bible says” or, “I understand the Bible to teach.” In this way they emphasize the personal decision that each Witness has made in accepting Bible teachings and also avoid giving the false impression that Witnesses are somehow bound to the dictates of some religious sect.

*** km 9/2002 p. 8 par. 5 Avoid the Pursuit of “Valueless Things” ***

God’s Appointed Channel: Bear in mind that our heavenly Father has an appointed channel of communication, “the faithful and discreet slave.” That “slave” has the responsibility to determine what information is made available to the household of faith, as well as “the proper time” for it to be dispensed. This spiritual food is available only through the theocratic organization.

*** WT 1960 7/15 p. 439 par. 2 Staying Awake with the “Faithful and Discreet Slave” ***

The “slave” class has served as God’s sole collective channel for the flow of Biblical truth to men on earth. Just as the early Christian congregation collectively served as the channel of communication from heaven to earth, so in our time. (Eph. 3:10) Abundant spiritual food and amazing details as to the doing of God’s will have been flowing through this unique channel actually as a miraculous evidence of the operation of holy spirit.

*** WT 1988 3/15 p. 18 Serving as Jehovah’s Trusting Fellow Workers ***

Peter knew that there was nowhere else to go because Jesus had “sayings of everlasting life.” Are you as determined to remain loyal to Jehovah’s organization?

*** WT 2007 4/1 p. 24 par. 12 Loyal to Christ and His Faithful Slave ***

When we loyally submit to the direction of the faithful slave and its Governing Body, we are submitting to Christ, the slave’s Master. Our showing due respect for the instrument Christ is using to manage his earthly belongings is one way in which we “openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”—Philippians 2:11.

*** WT 2000 1/1 p. 30 We Need Jehovah’s Organization ***

We Need Jehovah’s Organization: What does the Bible say? Does God want Christians to be associated with an organization?

*** WT 1977 12/15 p. 751 par. 15 Fighters Against God Losing the Battle ***

Their faithfulness and spiritual wisdom in the Master’s service determines their worthiness to be put in charge of all the earthly belongings of their Master. Also, since our times correspond with the days of Jehovah’s prophet Jeremiah, it is logical that there should be a class like Jeremiah today, coming in Jehovah’s name. There is such! It is composed of the approved remnant of the “slave” class.

*** WT 1952 2/1 p. 80 par. 11 Jehovah’s Theocratic Organization Today ***

We should meekly go along with the Lord’s theocratic organization

*** WT 98 3/15 p. 21 pars. 11-14 Living Up to Christian Dedication in Freedom ***

The Witnesses gladly look to the mature brothers of the Governing Body for Bible-based direction and guidance in matters of worship. Though members of the Governing Body are slaves of Jehovah and of Christ, as are their fellow Christians, the Bible instructs us: “Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will render an account; that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to you.”—Hebrews 13:17.

12 Does the position of oversight that the Scriptures assign the Governing Body mean that each of Jehovah’s Witnesses must render to it an account of his works? Not according to Paul’s words to Christians in Rome: “Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God . . . Each of us will render an account for himself to God.”  …The Governing Body is a loving provision and an example of faith worthy of imitation.

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When a person is baptized they are asked two yes-or-no questions. It is interesting to note that if a person was baptized prior to 1985, the second question of the Society’s baptismal vows had them promise and answer ‘Yes’ to this question:

“Have you dedicated yourself to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit?” (Baptismal question #2)

This is an entirely appropriate question to ask of the baptismal candidate. This well-written quotation nicely articulates it:

We do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organization. No, we dedicate ourselves to the Supreme Sovereign of the Universe, our Creator, Jehovah God himself.  (WT 1966 10/1 pp. 603-604 par. 15)

Unfortunately this Biblical sentiment was replaced with a vow of allegiance to the Watchtower Society in 1985. The Governing Body removed the references to “Jesus Christ,”  “the Holy Spirit”, “God,” and “the Bible” from this second question.  Newly baptized persons are now asked:

“Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?” (Baptismal question #2, revised)

This tells us what the Governing Body has believed for many years- that a baptized Witness belongs to them.   They are your spiritual head. But it was not always this way- consider these quotes from past Watchtower publications found below.

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Beware of ‘organization.’ It is wholly un-necessary. The Bible will be the only rules you need. Do not seek to bind other consciences, and do not permit others to bind yours. Believe and obey so far as you can understand God’s word today, and so continue to growing in grace and knowledge day by day. (Zion’s Watch Tower, Sept. 15, 1895, p. 216.)

The claim of any individual or religious organization to be the interpreter of Gods sacred Word is false and misleading. No creature or organization on earth can truly presume to sit as the supreme tribunal of interpretation of the holy bible…Jehovah God is therefore the only Supreme Court of Interpretation of His inspired Word. (Watchtower, July 1, 1943, p. 202)

Q. Could not an earnest, aggressive organization (or sect), built upon Scriptural lines, be the best means of spreading and publish the real good tidings?

A. We believe that a visible organization and the adopting of some particular name would tend to increase the numbers and make us appear more respectable in the estimation of the world. The natural man can see that a visibly organized body, with a definite purpose, is a thing of more or less power. But the natural man cannot understand how a company of people, with no organization which they can see, is ever going to accomplish anything.  (Zion’s Watch Tower, 1883, page 6.)

It is plain that the forming of a visible organization of such gathered out ones would be out of harmony with the spirit of the divine plan; and, it done, would seem to indicate on the part of the Church a desire to conform to the now popular idea of organization or confederacy.  (Zion’s Watch Tower, 1894, p. 384)

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We are now left in the place where 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 does not fully apply- The man of God is NOT completely equipped for every good work without a panel of men dictating and shaping a kind of “enforced unity of thought” among Jehovah’s people. The headship principle states that “the head of every man is the Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3) but that is not really so among most of Jehovah’s Witnesses today. They are required and for the most part willingly look to their head, a “governing body”, composed of a small group of imperfect men. This term does not even appear in the New World Translation of the Bible! The notion of a small apostle-like group of men exists nowhere in the Acts of the Apostles or any other book of the Greek Scriptures.

As a final reference and definitive comment upon this topic, about half of a page from the Watchtower of 1946 11/1 p330 is quoted below. This was written by Fred Franz, past president of the Society. This unfortunately, is no longer the position of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (See In Search of Christian Freedom, page 36) Please consider this final passage carefully:

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The written  Word  of  God,  therefore,  does  not need the  addition  of  traditions  which are  the  private interpretations of  men and of  religious  organizations…Had the  oral  traditions  of  religious  men been necessary  to  complement  the  canon of  the  Bible, Paul  would  not  have  said  that  the  inspired  Holy Scriptures  were profitable  to  the  point  of making  the men  of  God  perfect  in  faith  and devotion  to  God. It would have been inadequate and would have left the plan of God unperfected.  But with Timothy’s full maturity  as  a  Christian  in  view,  Paul  instructed  him to  take  pains  to  deal  with  the  Bible  and handle  it aright,  saying:  “Carefully  study  to  present  thyself approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that  needeth  not  to be ashamed,  rightly  handling  the  word of  truth.” (2 Tim. 2:  15, Douay)

Now  a  final  argument  is  shot  at  us  by  those  who uphold  an ecclesiastical  or  hierarchical  organization. They say:  ’Even doing  away with  religious  traditions,  the  Bible  cannot  be  left  for  each  reader  to interpret  for  himself ;  we  still  need the  visible  organization  of  the  faithful  to  act  as  a  “living  magisterium”  or  teaching  power in  order  to  interpret  the Bible  and make  plain  the  will  of  God  from  it.  Look at  how  the Bible,  left  to  each one’s individual  interpretation,  has  resulted  in  the  religiously  divided condition  of  Protestantism.’  To this  we say,  Protestantism’s  multitude  of  sects  and cults  is  no proof that  the Bible is  a divisive  force to  those who  take  it, and it  alone,  as  adequate. The Bible is  not  a divisive Book, for  it  is  harmonious from cover  to  cover  and agrees  with  itself,  in  all  its  canonical  books.  The divisive  force  among  the  Catholic  and  Protestant religionists  of  Christendom  is  the  religious  traditions  which  they  follow.  The truth of the Bible is a unifying power.  After  Christ  Jesus  prayed:  “Sanctify  them through  thy  word:  thy  word  is  truth,”  he immediately  prayed  that  all  his  believers,  those then  following  him and  those  yet  due  to  believe, should be united  in  one,  just  as  he  and his  heavenly Father  are  one.  (John  17:17-23)

How is this?  How  is  disunity  over  each  one’s individual  interpretation  of  the  Holy Scriptures now overcome or  avoided?  Is  it  because  they  are united  around  a  visible  human organization  or around  a  visible  human  leader? The answer is No. It  is  because  they  recognize  Jehovah  God  and Christ Jesus  as  The  Higher  Powers  to  whom  every  Christian  soul  must be subject  for  conscience’  sake. It  is,  too,  because  they  recognize  Jehovah God as  the  living,  ever-present  Teacher  of  His church on earth,  and that  he  teaches  the  “church of God”  through  her  Head, Christ  Jesus.–Isa.  54:  13; John  6 :  45.

Hence  Jehovah’s  Witnesses  do  not  claim  the church to  be what  the  religious  Hierarchy claim  their religious  organization  to  be,  namely,  the  one holding the  magisterium  or  teaching  office  and hence  “the divinely  appointed  Custodian  and Interpreter  of  the Bible” and  whose “office  of  infallible  Guide were superfluous  if  each  individual  could  interpret  the Bible  for  himself”. (Cardinal  Gibbons,  in  The  Faith  of  Our  Fathers,  chapter  VIII)  Rather  than  take  this  religious tradition  of  the  Hierarchy,  those  who  recognize  the higher  authority  of  Jehovah  God and  Christ  Jesus will  take  the  inspired  and infallible  statement of  the apostle  to  Timothy  regarding  the  church.  This reads:  “Thou  mayest  know how thou  oughtest  to behave  thyself  in  the  house  of  God, which  is  the church  of  the  living  God, the  pillar  and ground of the  truth.”–1 Tim. 3:  15, Douay.  (Watchtower of 1946 11/1 p330)

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7 Comments on How The Governing Body Views Itself

  1. Greybeard says:

    Awesome JJ,

    I think this is one of my favorite posts so far if not my favorite! I gave it a 5 vote. I couldn’t keep myself from bursting out in laughter many times reading it. It could be posted on a humor page it’s that funny. True it is sad that we once believed this way as former JW”s but looking back on this is laughable to say the least. I for one am very thankful that Jehovah is as forgiving as he is. Look how he forgave Aaron for building the golden calf and probably many who bowed to it. Keep up the good work brother!

    Your bro,
    Greybeard

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  2. Dennis says:

    Great quotes JJ. Thanks for compiling them for us. This is another article that will go in my Evernote library. If I wanted to make this work available on my website would you have any objections?

    D

    P.S. Hello G.B.

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  3. Amos says:

    JJ, Thanks for your time & effort in compiling this article.

    How could we have believed them for so long???

    It’s no wonder that they label any one who point out any of their errors as apostate, this then stops the truth from being spoken freely among the flock.

    Well done.

    Amos

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  4. lurk says:

    Thanks for the research.
    Now my question, who goes and reads WT from the 40s ?
    Good job!

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  5. serein says:

    the problem is there is jws who remember and also still have on there shelves the watch towers from back then and still cant seem to see the changes and the reality of it all, my ex mother inlaw for one,when my son told her i was dissing myself and why she said so shes rite and everyone else is wrong i told my son he should have said so the same could be said about the jws and everyone else, so severel million are rite and several billion are all wrong,she became very ofensive about me for no reason and has been made to be that way by the org jws are narow minded and dare not look side ways incase they fall and be for ever doomed to death its a cult sistem and needs to be seen for what it is, they follow the gb and look apon it as gods leader in this world and that not following them is closing the door on jehovah they are scared and to me that means they arnt true folowers of god they truly dont want to do what god wants as if they did they would see the wrongs and be sure of all things, they only follow god most of them becose they are scared not out of true love for him or else theyd get out and not follow man

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  6. serein says:

    i think i sound a bit harsh on that last post sos everyone hope i havnt ofended anyone,i think im so mad with myself for not seeing the reality of it all sooner i blow sometimes,

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  7. wonderful article and all the quotes, Serein – do not concern yourself with the frustration as I think perhaps we all are thus frustrated with ourselves, hahaha; yes we have all been in the same situation for varying amounts of time. Christian love to all M-007

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