Judicial Procedure

Brother Truthful explains how Jehovah’s Witnesses should deal with gross sin according to their own policy and the Bible principles they claim to follow.

Basic principle required for any  a group, club or religion to work:

When Sister Honesty and I were part of the Jehovah’s Witnesses we understood that we had to follow the rules. This is a basic principle of any organisation, club, or institution that anyone might be a member of.

For this principle to work, all members need to have a copy of the rules and it would be correct to expect all members to follow such without favour or prejudice.

Members of an organisation are also expected to give loyalty and respect to its leaders, In return leaders should follow the same rules and judge all judicial matters fairly and with honesty. With that principle in mind let’s now look at the judicial system that Jehovah’s Witnesses have.

Judicial Procedure:

For gross sin requiring judicial action possibly ex-communication, they should follow the instruction outlined in Matthew 18:15–17 (ESV) “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Let’s break that instruction down verse by verse and see if Elder David Deceitful and his fellow elders followed that principle

verse 15 (“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”)

This makes sense go to the person first and see if you can establish the facts and reconcile matters. Did they do this? No never.

verse 16 (But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.) Again this makes sense if the person lies about the matter take along your witnesses or evidence to show you are not mistaken. Did they do this? No, never

In fact, on this point let’s look at the book of Acts to see how the Apostle Paul explained the problem.

Acts 25:5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

Acts 25:7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.

Acts 25:27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

Or see the account of Jesus how he condemned his accusers when they brought baseless charges.

John 18:20–21  Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.”

John 18:23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?”

Elders know what the rules are they know how they should act and yet they don’t. Why did they choose not to bring the charges to Brother Truthful and Sister Honesty directly? That’s simple to answer they didn’t have anything truthful to say it was all baseless lies.

The last verse of the direction in Mathew 18 is this.

(17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.)

 So finally if you do have witnesses and evidence of a gross sin someone has committed there is provision to discipline them. But that discipline goes only as far as individual members choosing to limit association with that person to treat them as a Tax collector or Gentile. A Jew of Jesus day understood what this included they would limit association but not go further than that. They certainly would not follow Jehovah’s Witnesses rules that are to totally shun that individual refusing to even say hello or goodbye. Jehovah’s Witnesses also instruct family members including children to disown parents or parents to disown children see this link for more

How do we know what they do is wrong? well, Jesus set us a good example of how to treat people. He frequently ate and conversed with tax collectors in fact the verses you just read are recorded by Matthew a tax collector.

Matthew 10:3 (ESV) Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

Examples of how to treat people:

Matthew 11:19 (ESV) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Mark 2:15 (ESV) And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

Luke 18:13–14 (ESV)  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 19:2–5 (ESV) And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

Conclusion:

In Conclusion, do you think Jehovah’s Witnesses follow Jesus example the Bible or even a basic principle of fairness?

If you conclude as we do that the answer is No then this makes them a non-Christian organisation regardless of how much they protest otherwise.