Where do the Society's leaders claim to get their authority to oversee the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses? The answer is found in their interpretation of Matthew 24:45, which reads, " Who is the faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over His household, to give them meat in due season?" (KJV)
They interpret this passage by claiming that Jesus predicted that God would establish a special "Servant" on the earth having the sole spiritual authority to represent Him. The Servant would act as the sole interpreter of His Word. The following 4 points summarize the basis of the Watchtower Society's current teaching about this servant:
A. The Servant is a class of people - 144,000 Anointed Ones (also called the Body of Christ, Christian Congregation, Little Flock, or Spirit-Begotten Ones). This class has been expanding to its full number since the days of Jesus, especially since the year 1914. Most of them have died and now reign in heaven with Jesus. In 1919, this class was appointed by Jesus over all His spiritual belongings.
B. While the Witnesses are taught that The Servant class has been serving "spiritual food" since A.D. 33, the modern Servant class conveys spiritual knowledge through the publications (and official representatives) of the Watchtower Society, beginning with the first issue of Zion's Watchtower magazine in 1879.
C. Naturally, the Watchtower leaders claim membership in the Faithful and Wise Servant class. In this way, they can maintain control, acting as the communicator of God's will to all the Witnesses. The Society's leadership claims to be the "governing body" for the larger Servant class and the millions of other Witnesses worldwide.
D. Since the Servant class is God's sole means of communication, Witnesses must be in total agreement with its teachings. They must submit and conform to all the instruction of the Servant class. Jehovah's Witnesses must believe what the Servant class teaches through The Watchtower magazine.
Below is a revealing historical account of the Society's teachings about the identity of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave."
1. WT 1-15-69 p.51
The Faithful and Wise Servant was to be a class, acting as Jesus' channel of
communication:
"Jesus foretold that among his people there
would be a "faithful and discreet slave" class who would be providing the spiritual food to God's family of devoted servants on earth,
acting as his channel of communication..."
2. "God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached," 1973, pp. 345,346
The Society's founder and first President, Charles Taze Russell, is quoted in the November 1881
issue of The Watchtower as having said that he believed that "every member of the body of
Christ is engaged in the blessed work." After citing this quote, the Society makes the statement that Russell "disavowed any claim to
being individually, in his person, that 'faithful and wise servant. He never did claim to be such."
"From this it is clearly seen that the editor
and publisher of Zion's Watch Tower disavowed any claim to being individually, in his person, that "faithful and wise servant." He
never did claim to be such."
3. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, p.69
This page from the Society's original history book says that the view of the Servant as being a
class changed to the view that Russell himself was "that Servant."
"In course of time this view was lost sight
of and attention was focused more upon an individual man. The view generally held that Pastor Russell himself was the "faithful and
wise servant" of Matthew 25: 45-47."
The reader is then advised in a footnote to refer to three Watchtower publications that
promoted this new view:
(1) The Battle of Armageddon, 1897, p.613
(2) The Finished Mystery, 1917, p.53
(3) WT 3-1-23 pp. 67,68
(They are listed below.)
4. The Battle of Armageddon, 1897, p.613
This book was published by Charles Russell as part of his series called
"Studies in the Scriptures." We can see by reading this page that Russell considered the
Servant to be an individual, by the repeated use of the words "he" and "his."
5. Foreword of 1911 Convention Report
The society acknowledges that Pastor Russell was "that Servant:"
"[The Lord] has placed Pastor Russell in
charge of the work this side of the veil. We are glad, therefore, to recognize him as "that servant..."
6. The Finished Mystery, 1917, p.5
"..."that wise and faithful servant" of the
Lord - CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL."
7. The Finished Mystery, 1917, p.53
This book, the last volume of the series "Studies in the
Scriptures," was published the year after Russell died. It claimed that "he privately admitted his belief that he
was chosen to be the special messenger to the Church:"
"The special messenger to the last Age of
the Church was Charles T. Russell. He has privately admitted his belief that he was chosen for his great work from before his
birth."
8. Watchtower 3-1-23, p.68
Even in 1923, seven years after Russell's death, the Society was still claiming that Russell was
the special Servant who "ruled" over the Lord's goods:
"Often when asked by others, Who is that
faithful and wise servant - Brother Russell would reply: "Some say I am; while others say the Society is." Both statements were true,
for Brother Russell was in fact the Society in a most absolute sense, in this, that he directed the policy and course of the Society
without regard to any other person on earth."
9. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, p.69
The present-day Society feels that the view that Russell was that Servant was a dangerous view
that led many to "creature worship:"
"The insistence that Russell had been "that
servant" led many to regard Russell in what amounted actually to creature worship."
10. God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached, 1973, p.347
The Society blames the People's Pulpit Association for publishing the view that established "a
religious sect centered around a man." The book that the Association published was The Finished Mystery. Who was the
"People's Pulpit Association?"
11. Qualified to be Ministers, 1967, p.309
The People's Pulpit Association was the previous name for the Watchtower Society! So THEY
promoted 'creature worship!'
"Such a corporation came into legal
existence February 23, 1909, and was named People's Pulpit Association. Thirty years later, in 1939, the name was changed to its
present one, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc."
12. God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached, 1973, p.347
The Society claims that "creature worship" was stopped in 1927 when the Society began to teach
that the Servant was NOT an individual, but a "composite" class. The Society stated that also in 1927 any of Russell's books from
"Studies in the Scriptures" were "disposed of among the public:"
"Later in the year 1927 any remaining
stocks of the six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures by Russell and of The Finished
Mystery were disposed of among the public."
13. Watchtower 11-1-29 p.322
In 1929 we find that the Society is STILL selling those same books written by Russell:
""The Society has decided to designate the
week beginning November 10 as a special drive week for the sale of Studies in the
Scriptures."
14. Bulletin 12-1-32 p.1
Even FOUR years after 1927 we find the Watchtower STILL selling "Studies
in the Scriptures." This Bulletin boasts that over 100,000 books were sold in 193!:
"...during 1931 over 100,000
Studies in the Scriptures were included in the total..."
15. Cost List, 1962, p.12
In this cost list from 1962, the Society lists volumes 3,4 and 6 from "Studies
in the Scriptures" for sale. This included The Battle of Armageddon which claimed that the "Servant"
was an individual. So for several decades after they claimed to have disposed of "any" remaining books, they were STILL selling
Russell's books!
16. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, p.63
The Society has said that "honor and credit" should not be given to Russell and claimed that
they never published a biography of him:
Q. "Is it true you have never published a
biography of Pastor Russell?"
A. "That's right."
17. The Divine Plan of the Ages, - (Special Editions)
A biography of Pastor Russell WAS published by the Society in the years 1923, 1924, 1925,
1926 and 1927. The Society is not telling the truth about its own history. What is it that they are trying to hide?
[Shown are the opening pages of Russell's biography]
18. The Divine Plan of the Ages, 1886, 1927 edition, p.7
The Society has good reason for denying the publication of the "Biography of Pastor Russell."
What is found here on page 7 of the biography is an admission that in private conversation, Russell DID claim to be the
"Servant:"
"His modesty and humility precluded him
from openly proclaiming this title, but he admitted as much in private conversation."
19. God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached, 1973, p.346
(Returning to the quote in #2.) The Watchtower Society says that "the editor and publisher of
Zion's Watch Tower disavowed any claim to being individually, in his person, that "faithful
and wise servant."
Do you think that the Society is telling the truth?
20. Watchtower, 2-15-18 p.51
It seems that one reason for the Society's cover-up of the truth about Russell's claim is
because:
(a) If Russell himself believed that Servant was an individual and
(b) if the Society during Russell's life for 20 years and for 10 years after his death accepted this view and believed that Russell was
that Servant
(c) then to later deny him as that Servant equaled going against that Servant's interpretation of Truth
(d) and to go against that Servant is to go against their own claim that God APPOINTED Russell to interpret truth.
After his death, a "safe rule" was established. The Society's leaders broke this "safe rule" by
changing the identity of that Servant from an individual to a class, of which they were a key part.
21. Watchtower 1-15-74 p.35
The Watchtower Society has made a statement about covering up the facts which seems
appropriate to this examination. It is important that we expose this cover-up because it is our "moral responsibility" to expose
religious dishonesty:
"What happens when a lie is let
go unchallenged? Does not silence help the lie to pass as truth, to have freer sway to influence many,
perhaps to their serious harm? When persons are in great danger from a source that they do not suspect
or are being misled by those they consider their friends, is it an unkindness to war them? They may
prefer not to believe the warning. They may even resent it. But does that free one from the moral
responsibility to give that warning?"
22. Is This Life All There Is?, 1974, p.46
Would you want to be even associated with a religion that had not been honest with you?:
"Knowing these things, what will you do?
It is obvious that the true God, who is himself "the God of truth" and who hates lies, will not look with favor on persons who cling to
organizations that teach falsehood. And, really, would you want to be even associated with a religion that had not been honest with
you?"