Can Neo-Watchtower Apologists Live Their Religion?

There are several Jehovah's Witnesses on the internet now who are attempting to promote the unique doctrines of the Watchtower using standard (and some not-so-standard) New Testament Greek reference materials. I call these people the Neo-Watchtower Apologists. Since they do not cite Watchtower publications in their presentations, their argumentation on Greek grammar is not drawn from Watchtower materials. In fact, their arguments cannot be drawn from the Watchtower, since the Watchtower has never commented in its publications on significant portions of what the Neo-Watchtower Apologists are presenting. This fact raises a couple of important questions.

Official Position of the Watchtower?

First, can the arguments of the Neo-Watchtower Apologists be taken as representing official Watchtower position on a doctrine? Well, since they don't cite Watchtower publications, the answer is obviously no. The Neo-Watchtower Apologists do not represent the official position of the Watchtower Society. They are, in a sense, rogue Jehovah's Witnesses who are attempting to bolster the Watchtower religion independently of the Watchtower. Which brings us to our second question.

Truth Apart from the Watchtower?

The Neo-Watchtower Apologists frame their arguments in such a manner (intentionally or not) that it appears that someone could arrive at the same belief as official Watchtower doctrine through independent study. But is that possible? Is it possible to come to what the Watchtower calls "the truth" independently of the publications produced by the Watchtower? To ask it another way, from the Watchtower's official position, can the study of New Testament Greek grammar and syntax bring someone's beliefs in line with existing Watchtower doctrine? After examining several Watchtower publications, it would appear that it would be impossible for a person studying the Greek New Testament apart from Watchtower helps to come up with a faith that matches the Watchtower's "truth". Why? Well, the Watchtower claims that the Bible is a closed book to everyone but the "remnant" and that Scripture cannot be understood apart from their help. Here are some exact quotes taken directly from the Watchtower's books and magazines.

Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the Divine Plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the Scripture Studies aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years - if he lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the Scripture Studies with their references, and had not read a page of the Bible, as such, he would be in the light at the end of the two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures. (The Watchtower; 9/15/1910; pp. 298)

Anyone who would receive the riches of Jehovah God must gain a knowledge of the truth, and this can be gained only by a careful study of God's Word and the helps which he has provided to understand the same. (Riches; 1936; pp. 106)

But if each of us were left to himself just because he has a copy of the Bible and were to direct his movements independently as he thought he understood the Word, what? It is likely, or possible, that there would be a great deal of confusion or working in competition among us. Hence, besides individually possessing God's Word, we need a theocratic organization. Yes, besides having God's spirit of illumination, a Christian needs Jehovah's theocratic organization in order to understand the Bible. (The Watchtower; 6/15/1951; pp. 375)

To respond to this invitation to inquire of Jehovah the Creator, we must go to his written revelation, the Holy Bible, and study it with the help of his theocratic organization. (New Heavens And A New Earth; 1953; pp. 18)

The world is full of Bibles, which Book contains the commandments of God. Why, then, do the people not know which way to go? Because they do not also have the teaching or law of the mother, which is light. Jehovah God has provided his holy written Word for all mankind and it contains all the information that is needed for men in taking a course leading to life. But God has not arranged for that Word to speak independently or to shine forth life-giving truths by itself. His Word says: "Light is sown for the righteous." (Ps. 97:11) It is through his organization that God provides this light that the proverb says is the teaching or law of the mother. If we are to walk in the light of truth we must recognize not only Jehovah God as our Father but his organization as our mother. (The Watchtower; 5/1/1957; pp. 274)

Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible. For this reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization in mind. (The Watchtower; 10/1/1967; pp. 587)

Only this organization functions for Jehovah's purpose and to his praise. To it alone God's Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book. (The Watchtower; 7/1/1973; pp. 402)

No matter where we may live on earth, God's Word continues to serve as a light to our path and a lamp to our roadway as to our conduct and beliefs. (Ps. 119:105) 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. (The Watchtower; 12/1/1981; pp. 27)

We have the opportunity to show love for our brothers who take the lead in the congregation or in connection with Jehovah's visible organization worldwide. This includes being loyal to "the faithful and discreet slave." (Matthew 24:45-47) Let us face the fact that no matter how much Bible reading we have done, we would never have learned the truth on our own. (The Watchtower; 12/1/1990; pp. 19)

Channel to understanding the Bible... All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave. (The Watchtower; 10/1/1994; pp. 8)

Let us now unmistakably identify Jehovah's channel of communication for our day, that we may continue in his favor. ... It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the directions of the "slave" as we would to the voice of God, because it is his provision. (The Watchtower; 6/15/1957; pp. 370)

Since the Master Jesus Christ had appointed this "slave" class to be "over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time," the famine-relief spiritual food could come only though this one "channel," this appointed 'slave" class, the Elijah class. (Let Your Name Be Sanctified; 1961; pp. 302)

... a longtime Witness of Jehovah said: "If one thing has been most important to me, it has been the matter of keeping close to Jehovah's visible organization. My early experience taught me how unsound it is to rely on human reasoning. Once my mind had been resolved on that point, I determined to stay by the faithful organization. How else can one get Jehovah's favor and blessing?" There is nowhere else to go for divine favor and life eternal. (The Watchtower; 11/15/1992; pp. 21)

Undermining Their Own Religion

You see, then, that the Watchtower teaches that THE ORGANIZATION ALONE understands the Bible and THE ORGANIZATION ALONE dispenses the "truth". The Neo-Watchtower Apologists are opposing the Society on this (perhaps unknowingly) through the form of argumentation they employ. Ironically, the efforts of the Neo-Watchtower Apologists on behalf of the Watchtower actually result in undermining the authority of the religion they are trying to promote.

It is perfectly reasonable to ask the Neo-Watchtower Apologists for book and page of Watchtower publications for the analysis they are presenting of the Trinity or any other doctrine. The point being that they are using Greek grammars, lexicons, critical scholarship, etc., etc., etc., none of which has been produced by the Watchtower. They are not one of the "remnant" (at least I've never known them to present themselves as such), and the "remnant" has not produced any of the reference material they are using. So what is their justification for presenting their analysis as Watchtower theology?

Do you follow me here? How can we take the statements of one of the "great crowd" (not one of the "remnant" and not based on any of the publications produced by the "remnant") and accept those as authentic statements of Watchtower dogma? When they base all of their discussions on works apart from Watchtower publications, how can it be said that they are truly following the teachings of the "remnant", the only ones to whom the Bible is "not a sealed book" (their own words)?

The Neo-Watchtower Apologists will immediately cry "Foul!" when this question is raised. They will accuse me of ad hominem argumentation and skirting the issue by not dealing with their arguments directly, but rather raising doubts about the authoritativeness of their presentation. But this IS a fair question. After all, I'm not the one setting the rules for the Neo-Watchtower Apologists. They are the ones who have chosen to align themselves with the Watchtower. Can they work within the framework of the Watchtower authority structure?

Watchtower a Religion, Not Simply A Doctrine

I think it is incumbent upon the Neo-Watchtower Apologists at some point in the discussion to demonstrate conclusively that they are not a "loose cannon". This is not a false "ad hominem" attack. It is an attempt to make them operate within the structure of the religion they espouse. As many people have pointed out, religion is a "system", not merely disjointed individual doctrines that do not tie together. If the Neo-Watchtower Apologists want to promote the Watchtower's understanding of the Trinity, they should do so within the authority structure also promoted by the Watchtower.

A Question of Consistency

I'm not advocating ignoring their grammatical arguments concerning the Trinity and the Deity of Christ. They should and must be dealt with. This issue of authority is different than a discussion of the Trinity, but it is not less important. Authority is at the heart of the religion they are trying to promote. The Watchtower claims exclusive rights to "truth". Let the Neo-Watchtower Apologists bear the weight of documenting that they are, in fact, operating within the confines of their beloved organization.

Can They Live It?

I don't see how asking them this can be dismissed as the logical fallacy of ad hominem argumentation. It is a separate topic from their ongoing attacks on the Trinity. At issue is the authoritative claims of the Watchtower regarding their "truth". I'm simply asking the Neo-Watchtower apologists, "Can you consistently live under the authority of the religion that you profess?"