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What does

the Bible say?

 

2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”

This first passage shows that to be “approved unto God”, we need to "study" the Word of God.  It also indicates “rightly handling the word of truth."  This shows the importance of making the effort to correctly understand God’s word, not coming to it with our minds already made up as to what it teaches.  We need to let the Bible be the teacher so that we can accurately learn its wisdom and truth. 

 

The verse commands us to “Study”.  Since there wasn't any other works, references, or the Studies in the Scriptures for almost 2 thousand years after the Bible was completed, (see the William F. Albright quote below), this command can only mean that we need to study the Bible itself, without the need for other works.  This contradicts the Jehovah’s Witness teaching that anyone who lays aside the Watchtower Society and Studies in the Scriptures “goes into darkness”.

As seen in the section on the Bible, the manuscript evidence of the Bible shows its accuracy and trustworthyness.

"According to archaeological evidence there is "no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80."

William F. Albright was the world's foremost biblical archaeologist.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”

This second passage emphasizes that “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful”.  It does not indicate “Most Scripture “or “Some Scripture”, and it doesn’t mention any work other than Scripture.  It states that “All Scripture is God-breathed”, which means it is from God and not man.  We can have confidence that God has provided us with the Bible because of its confirmation by the volume of evidences shown earlier in the Bible sub-section.  This verse shows that all Scripture “is useful for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness.”  It also states the reason this is important.  It is so “the person of God will be equipped for every good work”.  Notice that it indicates “every good work” not “equipped for some/many/most good works”.

Think again about what I wrote about the Bible earlier in this guide.  It is foolish to think that this God who is outside of time, who has created 100 billion galaxies out of nothing, who knows everything, etc. would have left anything necessary for us out of the book which He has intended and provided for us.

I wasn’t able to find references as to Jehovah’s’ Witnesses holding the Watchtower and Awake magazines as inspired as they do the New World Translation Bible.  Both publications do present teachings of the Jehovah’s Witness organization.  You can view back issues of the Watchtower magazines online from year 2000 to present on the Jehovah’s Witness website, at:

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/11891

I found another official link to earlier editions:

Watchtower Magazines online – 1950 to Present

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/21311

You also may be able to find scans of specific issues by performing a Bing or Google Image search using the date as well as the term Watchtower. In the search field.  Example: Watchtower Sept 15, 1910

As indicated by the quotes in the quote from the Sept. 15, 1910 Watchtower magazine, Jehovah’s Witnesses are instructed that studying the Bible without the Studies In The Scriptures one “goes into darkness”.  As you can see by these quotes, the method of Bible Study indicated by the Bible is to study the Bible, without relying on any other reference for understanding. 

Again, Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”

It is interesting that the Jehovah’s Witness claim indicates that without the Scriptural Studies everyone “goes into darkness”.   Remember the Berean Jews in Acts?

Acts 17:11 "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

Did the Berean Jews have the Studies in the Scriptures? How were these Jews able to accurately compare the teachings of the scriptures to what was being preached since the Studies in the Scriptures wouldn't be written for almost two thousand years?  And how was Charles Taze Russell able to put together the Studies in the Scriptures, without the benefit of the Studies in the Scriptures?  Shouldn’t he have gone into darkness as he claimed would happen to those who do not keep using his Studies in the Scriptures?

 

This claim by Charles Taze Russell is self-contradictory being similar to the Universe bringing itself into existence.  It also contradicts God’s recommendation.  Again, Timothy 3:16-17:

Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”   

Notice that the verse doesn't indicate some/many/most good works, but "every" good work".

Could the Jehovah’s Witness Scriptural Studies be something that is added as is commanded against in the Bible?

Revelation 22:18-19 “For I testify together to everyone who hears the Words of the prophecy of this Book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add on him the plagues that have been written in this Book. And if anyone takes away from the Words of the Book of this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which have been written in this Book.”

In the next section we'll look at some of the teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses as compared to the Essentials of Christianity.

Next Page:  Jehovah's Witness Teachings On God

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