Examing Watchtower Basic Teaching - #2 The Bible - a Book from God

What Does the Bible Really Teach? (according to Jehovah's Witnesses)

Chapter  2 -- The Bible -- a Book from God -- tells us: 

The Bible is a gift from God and is the world’s best-selling book. It tells us things we could not otherwise know. Although it was written by men, they were inspired by God to write the things they did. The Bible is harmonious, historically reliable, scientifically accurate and full of practical wisdom for work, family life and other relationships. It is full of prophecy, “many of which have already been fulfilled”. Examples are given. “Show your gratitude for this divine gift by continuing to peer into it“.

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Firstly, I do not recommend any particular Bible translation, but an excellent resource is www.biblegateway.com which provides many translations. This allows for comparison. You will notice that the Watchtower's New World Translation is not included because it is not recognized as a Bible, but rather, a version of the Bible, written to promote the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Before their NWT was published in the 1950s, the Watchtower used the New American Version and the King James Version for most of their quotations.
Looking now at the teaching book, it is a matter of opinion and faith whether the Bible is from God. Many people would disagree. Since we cannot know about certain things, we have to take the Bible writers’ word for it. 

While the Bible mentions the fall of Babylon and Jerusalem, many other accounts which Jehovah’s Witnesses call “historical” cannot be verified. In this case, Jehovah’s Witnesses (and some Christians) prefer to believe the Bible in preference to historians, scientists or archaeologists. However, when “worldly scholars“ agree with them, confirming their biases, the Watchtower leaders will gladly quote them. 

Bible accounts, particularly in the OT, are sketchy, repetitive and have the sound of folklore, rather than historical fact. The Witnesses accept the Bible as literal truth, whereas many Christians believe that some accounts are clearly allegorical or myths. This does not diminish the truth of the Bible for Christians or its usefulness for teaching us many important things, just as we can find many useful lessons in fiction or fables. 

After reading the OT, decide for yourself if the stories of Genesis and Exodus are intended to be read literally.

As for its scientific accuracy, many people would question the Creation account and the possibility of a flood and its survival, as described in Genesis. The Witnesses insist that this flood was not local, but global. Notice that there are several flood accounts which pre-date the biblical flood of Genesis – e.g. the Gilgamesh Epic.

The fact that Jesus Christ referred to these, does not prove that they literally happened. It simply means that he knew the stories. He understood that lessons could be learned from them. While reading these stories yourself, it would be a good place to ask questions! 

As for Bible prophecies, many people question their veracity. Predictions of the future are usually obscure and ambiguous and sometimes, prophecy is written after the event, which is a convenient way to guarantee accuracy! 

Most of the OT was written hundreds of years after the events while the Jews were in captive exile in Babylon and the NT was written about 50 years after the events described.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have had an unfortunate record of predicting the “end of the world” on several occasions. As you will have observed, “the end” did not come. 

This matter of false predictions by Jehovah’s Witnesses is one of those details that you might never learn about, until you are well along in your relationship with the Watchtower organisation. 

You will see a serious example of deceit in Chapter 4.


Further reading:
The Bible -- a Biography and A Short History of Myth : both by Karen Armstrong

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