Chairman’s Address: How We Know God’s Word Is Truth.

The Chairman’s address is the first talk convention attendees hear.  I would think they would want to start the program with a bang, and fire up the audience about what they will learn over the next three days.

I’ve tried three times to listen to this talk, I managed to do get through it only by fast-forwarding in places.  It is insipid, uninspiring, shallow, and illogical, dull as dishwater.  I know, that’s a cliché, but it’s difficult to explain how boring this speech is. 

According to the speaker, the Truth is immutable, it does not change. There can be only one truth. The speaker points out many books claim to be the inspired word of God, to be “the Truth.”  He sets out to prove the Bible is the only book that correctly makes that claim.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have a problem in this discussion, the innumerable times they have changed doctrine and prophetic interpretation.  They try to explain this with the idea of “progressive interpretation,” the truth does not change; our understanding of it does.  Scriptural support for this idea is based on Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.” (New World Translation)

I have been unable to find any nonWatchtower commentary that supports the Jehovah’s Witness interpretation of this scripture.  Witnesses believe this verse supports the idea that God will reveal “new light,” new interpretations of scripture as it suits Him.  All other commentators, reading the verse in context say it describes the growth of an individual, not organizational changes.

Given the Watchtowers habit of altering its interpretations, it needs some a scriptural fig leaf to cover its errors.    

After skating past the Watchtower Society abysmal track record on advancing “truth that does not change” the speaker lists several “proofs” the Bible is “the truth.”  This part of the talk sounds like something written by an earnest sixth grader.  Among these proofs are:

-   The Bible describes the earth as a sphere long before astronauts went to space and saw this. 

-   A prophecy that the city of Babylon would never be rebuilt has proven true.

-   The Bible predicts that Satan would kill Jesus and sure enough, he did.

This talk does not merit more attention, and I could not bring myself to listen to more of it.  I am formulating a theory about the current state of the Watchtower.  This talk supports my ideas, which will be presented in due time.

I have been away from this blog.  I did not intend to take this much time between posts.  However, I was working hard on a special project – editing a manuscript in preparation for submission to a publisher.  Looking at every single work in four hundred seventy page manuscript occupied my full attention.  You’ll hear more about that project at the appropriate time.