Somebody Always Wants Control

I Timothy 4:1-6

In the book, Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave, the author describes how the Jehovah’s Witnesses became the organization we know today. It bears a great deal of similarity to the way kids who ignore their parents wishes by having a party when their folks are gone frequently have them taken over by Drug dealers or other groups.

Initially, the Jehovah’s witnesses were seemingly a fairly scriptural bible study group. That had become fairly wide spread. They had produced a number of study guides and helps that were widely accepted, and had developed a strong mission organization to reach around the world. Their legal advisor was a Judge Rutherford.

When the founder died, no provision had been made to identify a successor, and Rutherford took over. Because of his role as legal counsel, his assumption of leadership was accepted without much question. No one checked his doctrinal position or his personal life, assuming that the founder had done so.

Within a few months, all of the older administrators had been replaced with younger, more exciting speakers and new policies were adopted. Suddenly books and pamphlets became the focus, rather than the Bible. The names of the various publications were retained, but a new editorial staff changed the content to suit Rutherford’s agenda. Witnesses were required to sell a certain number of books each day, and to distribute a certain number of pamphlets. Those who failed to meet the quota were portrayed as not really loving God. New witnesses were not allowed to be married for several years because marital responsibilities would hinder their freedom to distribute literature and sell books. Rather than providing the literature freely, witnesses were obligated to purchase it.

At first many witnesses were unaware of the doctrinal changes. Later, they continued out of loyalty to the founder or an unwillingness to admit the organization was no longer biblical. New recruits had no reason to question whether the new doctrine or practices were different, so the organization continued to grow, greatly enriching Rutherford and his family, while impoverishing their workers. Finally the prohibition on marriage was dropped in order to reach out to married people as well. Today, most groups refer the Jehovah’s witnesses as a cult.

Any organization which attains even a modest level of success becomes desirable to those who are looking to a short cut to success. Corporate raiders regularly take over businesses on wall street. Dictators seize power in governments. Lawyers force out their partners to gain control of the business. Many times those seizing control are only interested in what they can get out of the organization. The Enron scandal is an example of this, in which Ken Leigh and his cohorts stripped Enron of its assets, then left the investors with the bills.

Churches are just as susceptible to such attempts to take over as any other organization. The book of Galatians was written to prevent just such a takeover attempt. Acts 15 describes a similar attempt in the church at Antioch. One of the reasons Paul has left Timothy to finish the job is to enable the church to resist such attempts. After more than forty years involved with the ministry, the problem is as bad as ever. There is still less risk of failure in taking over a going church than starting from scratch, and few are willing to try starting their own.

Peter describes these teachers as using the church as a commodity to be used to obtain money or power in II Peter 2:1-4. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:” Their doctrine has more to do with self benefit than with Christ, but they draw a lot of followers. Paul gives specific examples of their doctrine to illustrate what their teaching may sound like.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (I Timothy 4:1-5)

They follow misleading and even Satanic teachings, often knowing that what they are teaching is not right, even, as Peter says, to the point of denying Christ. The things they teach may appear to be sanctioned by scripture or beneficial. In Colossians 2:23, Paul talked about the same subject and stated, “Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body,” but as he said earlier in the chapter, dependence on them could deprive us of what we already earned.

Their teachings are often in direct contradiction to scripture, such as prohibitions on marriage, or food restrictions. I Corinthians 6-11 demonstrates the Spiritual approach to many such teachings. Warning people of such teachings and of the danger of such teachers is a major responsibility of church leaders.

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” (I Timothy 4:6)