Magyar Egyház, 1972 (51. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1972-12-01 / 12. szám

14

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

Who Are Jehovah’s Witnesses?

For about sixty centuries Jehovah God has had his witnesses on earth. Today as we see and hear things about “Jehovah’s Witnesses” — we ask ourselves, who they are, — what they are representing? How we should take them in our Christian way of thinking?

Here I have a few answers, which I found out concerning this organization. These men constitute a body or group of persons dedicated to God’s will under the leadership of His Chief Witness, Jesus Christ. They have drawn together for the purpose of declaring that Jehovah is the universal sovereign and that He is the author and creator of the heavenly government of righteousness for the coming of which Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Here is how they drew together for organized work, world-wide.

In 1872 at Allegheny near Pittsburgh, Pa., Charles Taze Russel began a Bible class that studied the Scriptures about Jehovah’s Kingdom and the second coming of Christ Jesus. Later similar groups were formed throughout the United States and also in other countries. Jehovah’s witnesses ever since then have been an international organization.

Since the beginning the organization have been called various names. They were called by people Russellites — by their founder, Millennial Dawnites, Rutherfordites, etc. In 1931 their representatives from many countries assembled in convention at Columbus, Ohio, and resolved, that they desire to be known, and be called by the name •— Jehovah’s Witnesses. Taking the right from the Gospel — Isaiah 43:10.

In the nineteenth century C. T. Russel and J. F. Rutherford took a prominent part in witnessing, even as in ancient days, Christ Jesus, Paul, Peter, John the Baptist. Yet it is scripturally clear that only God Himself founded or ordained and continues to ordain his witnesses, and in proof of this he gives them his name. (Jeremiah 15:16)

How and according to whose example do Jehovah’s Witnesses preach?

The method of teaching and preaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses is very primitive. They use the original method of preaching initiated by Christ Jesus. He and His Apostles preached publicly and from house to house. (Acts 20:20) They do not waste time and money — they say — building large churches, because as they say — all people cannot be reached that way — but they pass printed forms to the people as they walk on the streets or visit them in their homes.

Each Jehovah’s Witnesses is a minister of the Gospel. One who does not preach the Gospel is not

one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We could say, that it is a group of evangelists, all being ministers, just as those in the first congregation of Apostles and Disciples of Christ Jesus were ministers, each and all. (Acts 2:44-47 - 5:42)

These men — ministers of the Gospel — as they call themselves — do not attend theological Seminaries or religious universities — but neither did Jesus or his disciples. Today of course, they receive a course of instructions and training before being ordained ministers of Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. Their main textbook is the Bible. In every case, before the ordination, the student must show, that he lias dedicated himself to Jehovah to do his will under Christ’s leadership, and that he is eligible to teach and preach. They do not keep membership, yet a record is kept of the preaching activity of all Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Another very interesting thing about Jehovah’s Witnesses is that not all witness expect to go to heaven, only a small proportion, a “Little flock” (Luke 12:32) Almighty God who sets all members in his organization as it pleases Him, has limited to

144,000 the number of the body of Christ, whose members will reign with Christ Jesus in God’s heavenly Kingdom. An unnumbered crowd as Jehovah’s Witnesses are sometimes called the “Other Sheep” or “Jonadabs” (Read John 10:16; II Kings 10:15-28; Jeremiah 35:8, 18, 19) They do not expect to go to heaven, because they have been promised everlasting life on earth if they, as Jehovah’s Witnesses, prove their faithfulness to him before His war of Armageddon.

Those who associate with these men — Jehovah’s Witnesses — or become members can not and do not expect to receive any selfish benefit. They do not privately profit according to worldly standards of finance or social prestige upon becoming members. Indeed they must divorce themselves from all such standards and worldly ambitions in order to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and to grow in favor with Almighty God.

I think, that this very complicated and very different denomination among the churches of Christ, can help us out in our seeking after God, but all the churches do the same thing. And we must be satisfied with the knowledge that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, as our personal Savior can direct our thoughts and lead our lives to the Heavenly Kingdom — or to the Kingdom of God — and if you want to look for that — you will never find it outside of yourself — because the Kingdom of God is within YOU.

Stephen Török