what Witnesses say

~ 732 B.C.E.

“You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah,
“Yes, my servant whom I have chosen”

Isaiah 43:10

what Jehovah says

~ 44 C.E.

“it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians”

Acts 11:26 Acts 26:28 Isaiah 62:2 Isaiah 65:15

“In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian”

 

~ 732 B.C.E.   >>>   witnesses
~ 44 C.E.   >>>   Christians

 

“as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but let him keep on glorifying God while bearing this name”

1 Peter 4:16 Jacob 2:7

“the fine name by which you were called”

 

Christians are God’s people.

“For you were once not a people, but now you are God’s people”

1 Peter 2:10

how Witnesses baptize

1955 - 1985

To father Jehovah, son Jesus Christ and the holy spirit.

 

“A Christian, therefore, cannot be baptized in the name of the one actually doing the immersing or in the name of any man, nor in the name of any organization, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit”

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1985 - 2019

To father Jehovah, son Jesus Christ and in association with God’s spirit-directed organization.

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2019 -

To Jehovah, Jesus Christ and in association with Jehovah’s organization.

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“Do you believe that the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is ‘the faithful and discreet slave’ appointed by Jesus?”

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Baptism is impossible without an affirmative answer to this question.

  • Does this requirement have a biblical foundation?
  • Have the first disciples of the Christ were baptized this way?
  • Where did the holy spirit disappear from the previously used baptismal formula?

what Jehovah says

in the name of Jesus Christ

All who recognized the truth of the words of Jesus and his apostles were baptized “without delay” (Acts 16:33).
Notice that there were no courses that people had to take or questions that they had to answer before they could be baptized.

 

“Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins”

Acts 2:38 Acts 8:16

“they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”

“he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ”

Acts 10:48 Acts 19:5

“On hearing this, they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”

“And now why are you delaying? Rise, get baptized, and wash your sins away by your calling on his name”

Acts 22:16 Galatians 3:27

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”

“all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death”

Romans 6:3

what Jehovah says to Jehovah's Witnesses

“Is the Christ divided?

Paul [= Organization] was not executed on the stake for you, was he?

Or were you baptized in the name of Paul [= Organization]?”

1 Corinthians 1:13

Matthew 28:19-20

Until the 19th century, this text, together with 1 John 5:7, was used to prove the trinitarian formula. After the interpolation was discovered and removed, the text of Matthew 28:19-20 was left alone.

This is the only text of the Christian scriptures that says otherwise about Christian dipping. This text contradicts absolutely all other verses in which the dipping was ONLY in the name of Jesus the Anointed One.

At the moment, Christians do not have the manuscript of Matthew earlier than the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which would prove the interpolation into the original text.

However, we have 3 indirect arguments:

1. The Hebrew text of Matthew copied by the 14th-century Jewish physician Shem-Tob ben Isaac Ibn Shaprut.

«Go»
(Matthew 28:19)

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2. The Roman historian Eusebius of Caesarea in his work “Church History” (“Ecclesiastical History”), written before 325 AD, refers to Matthew 28:19:

“had said to them, ‘Go and make disciples of all the nations [heathen] in my name’”
(book 3, chapter 5, paragraph 2 / page 987)

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3. In addition, Eusebius in his work “Demonstratio evangelica” (“Proof of the gospel”), written also before 325 AD, refers to Matthew 28:19 thrice:

“Go, and make disciples of all nations in my name”
(book 3, chapter 6, paragraph 132 / page 203, paragraph 136 / page 209)
(book 9, chapter 11, paragraph 445 / page 615)

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why people get baptized

what Witnesses say

“When you get baptized, it shows others that you really want to be God’s friend and to serve him”

 

“Another important step you need to take before getting baptized is to dedicate yourself to Jehovah”

 

“The baptism will show to everyone that you have dedicated yourself to Jehovah and are now one of Jehovah’s Witnesses”

 

“Baptism represents something very important […] You have dedicated your life to Jehovah”

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what Jehovah says

Acts 2:38: “Peter said to them: ‘Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit’”

Acts 22:16: “And now why are you delaying? Rise, get baptized, and wash your sins away by your calling on his name [the Anointed Jesus]”

Romans 6:3-5: “Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? So we were buried with him through our baptism into his death, in order that just as the Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in a newness of life. If we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection”

1 Corinthians 12:13: “For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit”

Galatians 3:27-29: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise”

Colossians 2:12: “For you were buried with him in his baptism, and by your relationship with him you were also raised up together through your faith in the powerful work of God, who raised him up from the dead”

1 Peter 3:21: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, is also now saving you (not by the removing of the filth of the flesh, but by the request to God for a good conscience), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”

John 3:5: “Jesus answered: ‘Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God’”

People get dipped for these reasons:

1. To show that they had repented, and for their past sins to be forgiven (Acts 2:38, 22:16).

2. To show that they had agreed to follow a new way of life (Romans 6:3-5).

3. To ask Jehovah God for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21).

4. To receive the gift of the holy spirit (Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Acts 8:14-17).

5. In acceptance of the fact that they may also have to share in Jesus’ death (Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12).

6. To enter God’s kingdom (John 3:5).

7. To become part of Jesus’ body (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27-29).

what Witnesses say

“Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings”

Matthew 24:45-47

 

“Jehovah has entrusted the responsibility of providing spiritual food to ‘the faithful and discreet slave’ alone.

[…]

By directing interested people to our official websites, we are connecting them with the one true source of spiritual food, ‘the faithful and discreet slave’”

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and in what contradict themselves

“With the death of John, the last apostle, this reliable chain of divinely inspired men came to an end”

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“The Governing Body is neither inspired nor infallible. Therefore, it can err in doctrinal matters or in organizational direction”

…but at the same time…

“The holy spirit has helped the Governing Body to grasp Scriptural truths not previously understood”

“has likewise been possible only with superhuman assistance”

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what Jehovah says

Uninspired “spiritual food”?
This is a lie.
Neither Jehovah nor Jesus has commanded that.

 

“All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 1 Corinthians 11:3

“But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ”

 

Without other intermediaries.

Without slaves.

Without organizations or modern churches.

Without governing body.

 

“anyone who was called when a freeman is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; stop becoming slaves of men”

1 Corinthians 7:22-23 1 Timothy 2:5

“For there is […] one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus”

what Jehovah says

Matthew 24:45-47

45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?

46 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so!

47 Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.

Luke 12:41-44

41 Then Peter said: “Lord, are you telling this illustration just to us or also to everyone?”

42 And the Lord said: “Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time?

43 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so!

44 I tell you truthfully, he will appoint him over all his belongings.

Matthew 24:48-51

48 “But if ever that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’

49 and he starts to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards,

50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know,

51 and he will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his place with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.

Luke 12:45-48

45 But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk,

46 the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting him and at an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones.

47 Then that slave who understood the will of his master but did not get ready or do what he asked will be beaten with many strokes.

48 But the one who did not understand and yet did things deserving of strokes will be beaten with few. Indeed, everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him, and the one who was put in charge of much will have more than usual demanded of him.

Matthew 24:45-51  =  Luke 12:41-48

Simply the parable, illustration.

Not a prophecy, not a prediction.

There is no word in these verses
that Jesus Christ has appointed someone over the Christian congregation.

what Witnesses say

“All the material on our websites is copyrighted”

“No one may post our copyrighted publications on other Internet sites”

“By securing copyright and trademark protection, we have a legal basis to prevent such misuse”

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“Unless otherwise indicated, all text and other information on this website are the intellectual property of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (“Watch Tower”)”

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what Jehovah says

“Spiritual food” under human copyright?

The good news and the Bible are public domain.

The author of the good news and the Bible is Jehovah God.
He did not allow anyone to put the copyright on the good news and the Bible or profit from it.

 

“You received free, give free”

Matthew 10:8 2 Corinthians 2:17

“we are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are, but we speak in all sincerity as sent from God, yes, in the sight of God and in company with Christ”

what Witnesses say

“If you disagree […],
you must not use this website [jw.org]”

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what Jehovah says

“Come, now, and let us set matters straight between us,” says Jehovah. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be made as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson cloth, they will become like wool”

Isaiah 1:18 Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you”