Why do Jehovah's Witnesses have to read the Watchtower?

Answer 1

Witnesses believe that it is not possible to understand The Bible without the aid of God's appointed channel on earth today, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose principal means of communication is the Watchtower.

''It is all-important to study the Bible, and since The Watchtower assists in understanding the Bible, its study is also essential.'' WT 1st Aug '53 p548

''It is through the columns of The Watchtower that Jehovah provides direction and constant Scriptural counsel to his people,.'' WT 1st May '64 p277

''It can be seen that Jehovah God caused the Bible to be written in such a way that one needs to come in touch with His human channel before one can fully and accurately understand it" WT 15th Feb '81 p17

''To help us to understand God's Word in these "last days," Jehovah God has lovingly provided a visible organization under Christ-the "faithful and discreet slave.'' WT 15th Feb '81 p17

"All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave." WT 1st Oct '94 p8

"Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible." WT 1st Oct '67 p587

"From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching ..." WT 15 Aug 1981 p29