Q:
My issue is
concerning baptism. Though I'm greatly aware of all the issues that are
currently surrounding the Organization, it has not discouraged me as a
Witnesses or a Christian nor my want to get baptized. I've come to the
realization though that in order to get on the 'list' and get their
approval, I was going to have to lie about some of the questions they are
going to ask me, ie 1914 and the faithful and discreet slave because I know
they're not Biblical teachings. [A
brother with whom I have been in touch]
stated that "slipping" myself into the baptismal questions, as he puts it,
would be deceitful. He said it's better to be upfront and direct with this
approach. [He]
also suggested that the elders that I were to speak to may not have an issue
with my disagreement with the 1914 doctrine. Though I believe he's being
unrealistic. That's something brothers and sisters get disfellowshipped
about.
Please I sincerely need help with this issue. Any suggestions or
thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
_________________________
A:
Jehovah's people never ever have to lie in order to obey God. I am happy to see
that you have not been discouraged by the issues within the organization that
have already stumbled countless of our brothers and sisters, and that are being
widely debated on the Internet. If we are truly taught by holy spirit then we
will know the truth, and recognize that the truth should never be a cause for
stumbling. (2 Thess. 2:10) The apostle John cautions us not to believe
everything that is being taught in God's name, for "many false prophets have
gone forth into the world"
—
but rather that we must
“test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God." God’s
holy spirit helps us to understand “even the deep things of God,” enabling us to
distinguish between the “inspired expression of truth” and the “inspired
expression of error.” (1 John 4:1, 6; 1 Cor. 2:10, 14) Never would God's spirit
discourage or hinder anyone from obeying God's commandments! Baptism is one such
command.
I am glad that you recognize baptism to be a requirement from Jehovah. (Matt.
28:19,20) As such it cannot be controlled, regulated, or legislated by any man
or group of men. No man has the authority to attach any other conditions or
requirements to baptism beyond what we are told in the Scriptures; otherwise we
would be in danger of making God’s Word invalid. (Matt. 15:6-9) Also, no one has
the right to prevent anyone from being baptized. As you may already know from
your study of the Scriptures, baptism is about “forgiveness of sins,” and has
nothing to do with any dedication on our part. (Acts 2:37,38; 3:19; 22:16; 1
Cor. 6:11; Heb. 10:22; Ezek. 36:25-27; Please see the article on
Baptism and Dedication for details.)
Since the command to be baptized originates with Jehovah (for it is at the
moment of a person’s baptism that the benefits of Jesus’ ransom are applied to
the person, and his sins are forgiven), no one needs to seek the approval of
another person in order to get baptized. (Would you actually ask an elder for
his permission before you can exercise faith in Jesus?) If you want to get
baptized, and an elder tries to prevent that, then your stand is the same as
that of the apostles when they said: “We must obey God as ruler rather than
men.” (Acts 5:29; 4:19) Anyone who hinders you from serving Jehovah, or obeying
him even in the least amount, is taking a stand in opposition to God, and he
will have to answer for his error. (2 Thess. 2:4, 8-12)
Jehovah does not require anyone who wants to be baptized to meet with anyone
else to ascertain whether or not he is “qualified” to be baptized. Neither does
Jehovah require us to answer a number of questions in order to prove our loyalty
to the organization, thus secularizing the baptism. (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 35-39;
10:47,48; 16:15, 32,33) In the way of example, many have done as I did in 1961,
when I was baptized at the International Convention. I simply took my bathing
trunks and towel to the convention site and sat among the baptismal candidates,
and then went with them to the baptism site on the charter buses. (There were
606 of us.) I did not meet or consult with any of the elders (congregation
servants) at that time. Immediately after my baptism Jehovah bore witness with
me that he had accepted my baptism. Neither do you need to wait
for the occasion of an Assembly to be baptized. Any baptized and spiritually
clean brother has the authority from God to do baptizing. (Num. 19:19; James
1:27) If you know such a brother, one who is agreeable with your understanding
of the Scriptures, having himself been taught by the holy spirit, you may go
together to a beach, or river, or swimming pool, and be baptized by him. It is
not as though you are being rebellious against the organization or God, for it
never belonged to the secular Society to exercise control over our baptism.
If you decide that you must submit to your elders for whatever reason, then you
can also expect the accompanying questions and possible problems that you
mention in your letter. Please bear in mind that that will not be God’s fault,
for he has told us what he requires of us. If we choose to go beyond that, then
we are responsible for ourselves and what we bring upon ourselves. For example,
many of the brothers who have come to disagree with the publications on certain
teachings, such as 1914 as you mentioned, have written the Society, or talked to
their elders about it, and subsequently some have been disfellowshiped because
of it. Jehovah has not required us to correct everything that is crooked within
his household; but if we decide to take it upon ourselves to do that then we
must also accept the consequences and not blame Jehovah. The prophet Amos wrote:
"Therefore the very one having insight will in that time keep silent, for it
will be a calamitous time." (Amos 5:13; Rev. 2:24,25; 1 Cor. 4:5) Jesus tells us
to be “cautious as serpents yet innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16,17) If we are
taught by Jehovah then we will know what to do; and we will be blessed for our
faithfulness!
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