(Linda) “Jehovah's witnesses believe in and follow the
teaching of the bible. We worship Jehovah, the creator of the universe and we
acknowledge Jesus as our king and leader.”
(Cristoiglesia) As Christians we believe that God is the
creator of all things. I am aware that you deny the fundamental belief of
Christianity that Jesus is God and as a result deny the Gospel of our Lord and
Savior who came to save all men so that they can share in the beatific vision.
He was the perfect Lamb of God as prophesied by the prophets and fulfilled
every prophecy.
(Linda) “I do not understand when you speak of the
Watchtower contradicting the scriptures. The WT is a study aid and teaches only
what is in the bible. Almost every sentence in it is backed up with scripture.”
(Cristoiglesia) The Watchtower is much more than just a “study
aid”. It is the governing body of the JW sect. I will agree that it uses the
Bible to teach but it eisegetically uses the Bible to promote their man-made
doctrines.
The hermeneutic
principal I see used by Jehovah Witnesses time and time again is the proof text
method. In almost all cases that is a methodology that results in eisegesis and
not exegesis.
The proof text model employed in interpretation ignores
context and results in simply an anthology of verses that support unorthodox
doctrines like soul sleep, denial that Jesus is God, the Gospel and to a lesser
extent Sola Scriptura. Ignored is the fact that without their context they have
no meaning. In other words, one takes a theme to support and search for verses
with certain key words that epigrammatically coincide with the doctrine and not
for their contextual contribution to understanding. Consequently, as we see in
this use of Scriptures, there is an allegorization as an adjustment to the
plain meaning within context creating a usage of the text foreign to its
intended meaning. This almost always results in eisegesis.
Systematic theology deals with the teaching of the Bible
as a whole body of work instead of individual books or individual verses. This
is why one should consider not just those verses which support one’s views but
how one deals with those that are contradictory to one’s teaching or
understanding. Can the doctrine one believes pass the test or scrutiny of a
systematic study of the doctrine?
There seems to be an evolution of Catholic hermeneutics.
It started with the Alexandrian school and is apparent in the writings of St.
Titus Flavius Clement. He believed that the Scriptures hid the sense, and that
the holy mysteries and prophesies were hidden in parables. Origen was a
disciple of St. Clement and coined the threefold sense of Scripture: corporeal,
psychical and the spiritual in his work “On First Principles”. This was the
first written work on hermeneutics.
Around the end of the third century there was the
Antiochian school founded by Lucian of Samosata or Diodorus. It produced two of
the greatest theologians of the Church, Theodore of Mopsuestia and John
Chrysostom. This school expands the teaching of the Alexandrian school to
include “theoria” which comes from a Greek word meaning “to see”. This method
of interpretation contended that the spiritual sense is inseparable from the
literal sense. There was a concern in this school of being overly literalistic
or going too far in allegory as to lose the plain meaning of the Scripture. To
the Antiochians Scripture had only one meaning which possessed the attributes
of literal, spiritual, historical and typological. They believed that the aim
of exegesis involved spiritual as well as doctrinal enlightenment in
conjunction with historical and philological facts.
The third school in the patristic period was the Western
School which had elements of the two previous schools. This school included St.
Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose and St. Hilary. Most of what we know of this
school is contained in St. Augustine’s work ”De Doctrina Christiana”. St.
Augustine introduced the idea of “regula fidei” or the rule of faith which are
the collection of doctrines of the Church. The proper use of the regula fidei
presupposes that the meaning of Scripture has already been decided sufficiently
in order to recognize that the passage does belong to the doctrine being used
as a “rule of faith’ to measure it. Otherwise St. Augustine said that there was
an enormous chance of eisegesis. Eventually in the Western school there were
four terms that won out in their hermeneutical approach which were: literal,
allegorical, tropological, and analogical. This was illustrated in John
Cassian’s “Conferences:
Jerusalem literally means city of the Jews, allegorically
Jerusalem means Church, tropologically Jerusalem is the soul, and anagogically
Jerusalem is our heavenly home. He emphasized that the literal sense is always
the precedent.
(Linda) “What
would be the point of it teaching anything else when no witness would accept
that?”
(Cristoiglesia) The way the teaching is presented in the
Watchtower publications like “Awake” and “Watchtower” is to isolate proof texts
from their context to prove Watchtower doctrines. Using this method the
followers of the publishing company being predisposed to accept the teaching
and the authority of the publishing company accept the most implausible of
interpretations used to support their doctrines. It is in these incidents that
the Watchtower creates contradictions in the Scriptures by their implausible
conclusions and connections with Scriptures. The end result is that the “Witnesses”
do accept what would be incredulous to a Bible scholar.
(Linda) “All witnesses know the bible backward and
forward. They have to, to become a witness in the first place. If someone were
to tell us anything that was not in the bible we would know it. We would not be
deceived.”
(Cristoiglesia) That is not been my experience with
Jehovah Witnesses. What I have found is that they know these out of context
isolated verses that support their doctrines of devils. I have found that when
they are presented with contradictory Scripture teaching the opposite of their teaching that they
are dumbfounded and were obviously unaware of these contradictory teachings. It
seems to me that they are really quite easily deceived as they are lulled into
a mindset that regardless of any contradictions to the Watchtower doctrines
that the Watchtower must be right. So, I deduced from this that they must think
that the Watchtower has some teaching authority from some source and that is
why I ask questions of Jehovah Witnesses about where they get the authority to
teach anyone. From the Bible the only authority recorded was when Jesus gave
that authority to His Church. But it is that Church that you reject and Jehovah
Witnesses cannot endure the sound doctrines of the Church with that authority
from Christ. The only reason from Scriptures that I can think of to explain
this is that Jehovah Witnesses have decided individually and corporately to
follow false doctrines and teachers that satisfy their own itching ears for
such false teaching and prophecies. After all, the Bible prophesied such a departure
from orthodoxy. What greater heterodoxy
can be found but that among Jehovah Witnesses and the false teacher of the
Watchtower.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
King James Version (KJV)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables.
(Linda) As for the authority of the guidance of our
organization - you need to read the parable that Jesus taught at Matthew
24:45-47 or Luke 12:32-48.
(Cristoiglesia) Well, let us see what they say:
Matthew 24:45-47 (King James Version)
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord
hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh
shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler
over all his goods.
These verses teach us to be vigilant and in preparation for
the Parousia. Perhaps you could explain how this has anything to do with any
authority or guidance of the Watchtower. Where can the Watchtower be found in
these verses understood in context.
Luke 12:32-48 (King James Version)
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves
bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no
thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also.
35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights
burning;
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their
lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh,
they may open unto him immediately.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he
cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself,
and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in
the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had
known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have
suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh
at an hour when ye think not.
41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this
parable unto us, or even to all?
42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise
steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their
portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh
shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler
over all that he hath.
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord
delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and
to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he
looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in
sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and
prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with
many stripes.
Again Luke is speaking of being prepared for the Parousia
in which Jesus will come like a thief in the night and that no man will know
when this will be but that we must be prepared at every point in our life to do
the will of God and to protect our eternal souls from losing faith.
(Linda) When Jesus was crowned king of the kingdom of
heaven in 1914 (according to the bible) who did he find on earth dispensing
food at the proper time to his servants?
(Cristoiglesia) Jesus became the King when He instituted
His Kingdom from the cross when He drank the cup of consummation from the
cross. That was 2000 years ago and not in 1914.
(Linda) In other
words, who did he find teaching the truth of the bible? To answer that of
course, you would have to know the truth of the bible. Perhaps you don't. If
this is the case, then to have an answer to this question, you would have to
learn the truth.
(Cristoiglesia) I do not know of this so-called truth
which you claim. But I do know that the Bible teaches that His Kingdom was
established from the cross by His own words. He said that He would not drink again
the cup of consummation which was the last cup of the Passover until His
Kingdom come. From the cross the next day he said “I thirst” and was given the
sponge dipped in the sour wine and lifted to His lips by a hyssop branch which
was the same instrument that was used to spread the blood of the Lamb upon the
lintels of the Israelites to be passed over by the angel of death. When He
drank this cup of consummation, consummating the Old Covenant and instituting
the New Covenant and His Kingdom with the sacrifice of Himself to the Father as
the Lamb of God; this sacrifice replaced the imperfect sacrifice of the Temple.
This is the self-same sacrifice that we in the Church militant, suffering and
triumphant share with Him to the Father. We do this in anamnesis of Him as He
commanded His faithful to do. He said
the words “It is finished” meaning the Old Covenant and then completed His
divine mission of atoning for the sins of our original parents and allowing the
forgiveness of our actual sins.
(Linda) It was this group of people he put in charge of
all his possessions. The desirable things of the earth.
(Cristoiglesia) Nothing happened to give the Watchtower
any authority in 1914. His Kingdom came 2000 years previously on the cross of Calvary
at a place called Golgotha. His enduring Church remains as He promised to wait
anxiously for Him to come again and is still as the Bible promised “the pillar
and foundation of the truth”. (1 Tim. 3:15) Just as Jesus promised the “gates
of Hell” has not nor can it ever prevail against the Church.
Here is what is taught in Scriptures about the Authority
of the Catholic Church and its source:
[Isa. 35:8, 54:13-17 - this prophecy refers to the Church
as the Holy Way where sons will be taught by God and they will not err. The
Church has been given the gift of infallibility when teaching about faith and
morals, where her sons are taught directly by God and will not err. This gift
of infallibility means that the Church is prevented from teaching error by the
power of the Holy Spirit (it does not mean that Church leaders do not sin!)
Acts 9:2; 22:4; 24:14,22 - the early Church is identified
as the "Way" prophesied in Isaiah 35:8 where fools will not err
therein.
Matt. 10:20; Luke 12:12 - Jesus tells His apostles it is
not they who speak, but the Spirit of their Father speaking through them. If
the Spirit is the one speaking and leading the Church, the Church cannot err on
matters of faith and morals.
Matt. 16:18 - Jesus promises the gates of Hades would
never prevail against the Church. This requires that the Church teach
infallibly. If the Church did not have the gift of infallibility, the gates of
Hades and error would prevail. Also, since the Catholic Church was the only
Church that existed up until the Reformation, those who follow the Protestant
reformers call Christ a liar by saying that Hades did prevail.
Matt. 16:19 - for Jesus to give Peter and the apostles,
mere human beings, the authority to bind in heaven what they bound on earth
requires infallibility. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit and has nothing to do
with the holiness of the person receiving the gift.
Matt. 18:17-18 - the Church (not Scripture) is the final
authority on questions of the faith. This demands infallibility when teaching
the faith. She must be prevented from teaching error in order to lead her
members to the fullness of salvation.
Matt. 28:20 - Jesus promises that He will be with the
Church always. Jesus' presence in the Church assures infallible teaching on
faith and morals. With Jesus present, we can never be deceived.
Mark 8:33 - non-Catholics sometimes use this verse to
down play Peter's authority. This does not make sense. In this verse, Jesus
rebukes Peter to show the import of His Messianic role as the Savior of
humanity. Moreover, at this point, Peter was not yet the Pope with the keys,
and Jesus did not rebuke Peter for his teaching. Jesus rebuked Peter for his
lack of understanding.
Luke 10:16 - whoever hears you, hears me. Whoever rejects
you, rejects me. Jesus is very clear that the bishops of the Church speak with
Christ's infallible authority.
Luke 22:32 - Jesus prays for Peter, that his faith may
not fail. Jesus' prayer for Peter's faith is perfectly efficacious, and this
allows Peter to teach the faith without error (which means infallibly).
John 11:51-52 - some non-Catholics argue that sinners
cannot have the power to teach infallibly. But in this verse, God allows
Caiaphas to prophesy infallibly, even though he was evil and plotted Jesus'
death. God allows sinners to teach infallibly, just as He allows sinners to
become saints. As a loving Father, He exalts His children, and is bound by His
own justice to give His children a mechanism to know truth from error.
1 & 2 Peter - for example, Peter denied Christ, he
was rebuked by his greatest bishop (Paul), and yet he wrote two infallible
encyclicals. Further, if Peter could teach infallibly by writing, why could he
not also teach infallibly by preaching? And why couldn't his successors so
teach as well?
Gen. to Deut.; Psalms; Paul - Moses and maybe Paul were
murderers and David was an adulterer and murderer, but they also wrote
infallibly. God uses us sinful human beings because when they respond to His
grace and change their lives, we give God greater glory and His presence is
made more manifest in our sinful world.
John 14:16 - Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit would be
with the Church forever. The Spirit prevents the teaching of error on faith and
morals. It is guaranteed because the guarantee comes from God Himself who
cannot lie.
John 14:26 - Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit would
teach the Church (the apostles and successors) all things regarding the faith.
This means that the Church can teach us the right moral positions on such
things as in vitro fertilization, cloning and other issues that are not
addressed in the Bible. After all, these issues of morality are necessary for
our salvation, and God would not leave such important issues to be decided by
us sinners without His divine assistance.
John 16:12 - Jesus had many things to say but the
apostles couldn't bear them at that point. This demonstrates that the Church's
infallible doctrine develops over time. All public Revelation was completed
with the death of the last apostle, but the doctrine of God's Revelation
develops as our minds and hearts are able to welcome and understand it. God
teaches His children only as much as they can bear, for their own good.
John 16:13 - Jesus promises that the Spirit will
"guide" the Church into all truth. Our knowledge of the truth
develops as the Spirit guides the Church, and this happens over time.
1 Cor. 2:13 – Paul explains that what the ministers teach
is taught, not by human wisdom, but by the Spirit. The ministers are led to interpret and
understand the spiritual truths God gives them over time.
Eph. 4:13,15 – Paul indicates that attaining to the unity
of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood is a
process. We are to grow up in every way into Christ. Doctrine (which means
“teaching”) develops as we understand God’s Revelation.
Acts 15:27-28 - the apostles know that their teaching is
being guided by the Holy Spirit. He protects the Church from deception.
Gal. 2:11-14 - non-Catholics sometimes use this verse to
diminish Peter's evident authority over the Church. This is misguided. In this
verse, Paul does not oppose Peter's teaching, but his failure to live by it.
Infallibility (teaching without error) does not mean impeccability (living
without sinning). Peter was the one who taught infallibly on the Gentile's
salvation in Acts 10,11. With this rebuke, Paul is really saying "Peter,
you are our leader, you teach infallibly, and yet your conduct is inconsistent
with these facts. You of all people!" The verse really underscores, and
not diminishes, the importance of Peter's leadership in the Church.
Eph. 3:10 - the wisdom of God is known, even to the
intellectually superior angels, through the Church (not the Scriptures). This
is an incredible verse, for it tells us that God's infinite wisdom comes to us
through the Church. For that to happen, the Church must be protected from
teaching error on faith and morals (or she wouldn't be endowed with the wisdom
of God).
Eph. 3:9 - this, in fact, is a mystery hidden for all
ages - that God manifests His wisdom through one infallible Church for all
people.
Eph. 3:20 - God's glory is manifested in the Church by
the power of the Spirit that works within the Church's leaders. As a Father,
God exalts His children to roles of leadership within the body of Christ.
Eph. 5:23-27, Col. 1:18 - Christ is the head of the
Church, His Bride, for which He died to make it Holy and without blemish. There
is only one Church, just as Christ only has one Bride.
Eph. 5:32- Paul calls the Church a "mystery."
This means that the significance of the Church as the kingdom of God in our
midst cannot be understood by reason alone. Understanding the Church also
requires faith. "Church" does not mean a building of believers. That
is not a mystery. Non-Catholics often view church as mere community, but not
the supernatural mystery of Christ physically present among us.
1 Thess. 5:21 - Paul commands us to test everything. But
we must have something against which to test. This requires one infallible
guide that is available to us, and this guide is the Catholic Church, whose
teachings on faith and morals have never changed.
1 Tim. 3:15 - Paul says the apostolic Church (not
Scripture) is the pillar and foundation of the truth. But for the Church to be
the pinnacle and foundation of truth, she must be protected from teaching
error, or infallible. She also must be the Catholic Church, whose teachings on
faith and morals have not changed for 2,000 years. God loves us so much that He
gave us a Church that infallibly teaches the truth so that we have the fullness
of the means of salvation in His only begotten Son.
1 John 4:6 – John writes that whoever knows God “listens
to us” (the bishops and successors to the apostles). Then John writes “This is
the way we discern truth and error. John does not say “reading the Bible is the
way we discern truth and error.” But if listening to mere human beings helps us
discern truth and error, God would have had to endow his chosen leaders with
the special gift of infallibility, so that they would be prevented from
teaching error.
Matt. to Rev. - we must also note that not all Christian
doctrines are explicit in Scripture (for example, the dogma of the Blessed
Trinity). However, infallibility is strongly inferred from the foregoing
passages. Non-Catholic Christians should ask themselves why they accept the Church's
teaching on the three persons of the Trinity, the two natures of Christ in one
divine person, and the New Testament canon of Scripture (all defined by the
Catholic Church), but not other teachings regarding the Eucharist, Mary, the
saints, and purgatory? (http://www.scripturecatholic.com/the_church.html#the_church-II)]
God bless!
In Christ
Fr. Joseph
