If You're Studying the Bible, Why Call it "Watchtower Study"?

Jehovah's Witnesses spend over 1 hour per week in a Kingdom Hall studying the Watchtower magazine via a question and answer format. The printed paragraph is read aloud by a pre-assigned reader (always a man) and the "Watchtower Overseer" asks the printed question. Answers are provided by the Jehovah's Witnesses (or guests) in attendance, invariably recycling what's just be read from the printed paragraph.

However, even though to outsiders this format is little more than recited printed information from the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah's Witnesses colloquially refer to this as their "main spiritual meal of the week". It's also referred to, officially, as Bible study.

In the October 15th Study Edition of the Watchtower, the following statement is made on page 21, par 5 (available as a PDF download from here);

5 Starting with the first study edition of The Watchtower, the January 15, 2008, issue, a significant detail was included on the front cover. Did you notice it? Take a good look at the cover of the magazine you are holding. There, at the base of the tower, you will note an open Bible. That added feature under- scores the reason why we have the Watchtower Study. It is to study the Bible with the help of this magazine. Yes, at our weekly Watchtower Study, God’s Word is “being expounded,” and just as in the time of Nehemiah of old, there is “a putting of meaning into it.”—Neh. 8:8; Isa. 54:13.

Here's the image being referred to.

It's interesting that the tower literally towers over, or dominates, the Bible. Which is perhaps exactly the point, as is borne out by the above quote;

That added feature under- scores the reason why we have the Watch- tower Study. It is to study the Bible with the help of this magazine. Yes, at our weekly Watchtower Study (emphasis added)

 Which is it? A Bible study or a Watchtower Study? Well, the Witnesses are indoctrinated to argue that it's a "study of the Bible with the aid of the Watchtower magazine". But let's face it, as the quoted paragraph affirms, it's a Watchtower study.

Jehovah's Witnesses, if you want to study the Bible, study the Bible. Pick it up, open it, pray, then read it. Then pray again. It's really simple. And you'll be amazed at what Jehovah God says to you when you do this, how you'll hear his voice and receive his direction free from any additives.

And remember, the Governing Body (or the "faithful and discreet slave" class) don't have any more insight or Holy Spirit than you do**, so by their own admission, they are no more 'qualified' to explain or expound the Bible than you.

** "However, genuine anointed Christians do not demand special attention. They do not believe that their being of the anointed gives them special "insights," beyond what even some experienced members of the great crowd may have." - Watchtower, May 1, 2007 Question Box

The Problems with the New World Translation - YouTube video

StandFirm Continues to Wilfully Miss the Point on 237.

StandFirm has replied to my questions on his justification of the Governing Body adding Jehovah 237 times to the Greek scriptures;

No need to justify what is accepted practice.

By 'Hebrew Translations' I was referring to translations of the New Testament from Greek into Hebrew, and I have clarified the original post.

My entire point is that what we did is standard practice. Are you willing to admit that the New World Translation is not 'apostate' for doing this? Are you?

So let me understand this, the basis for inserting YHWH (transliterated into the erroneous Jehovah) is by looking at Hebrew versions of the Greek manuscripts, rather than looking at the actual extant Greek manuscripts themselves?

In other words, the Greek manuscripts (from which the New Testament is translated into, let's say, English) don't contain YHWH, but the Hebrew translations of the Greek do? Therefore by referencing translations of the original manuscripts, the NWT is somehow accurate?

Can you cite these Hebrew translations of the Greek scriptures, please? Are you sure you aren't confusing them with the Jesuit translations into Hebrew of the Greek scriptures, translations that date from around the 1300s?

If these Hebrew translations added YHWH where it isn't found in the extant Greek manuscripts then, yes, they are apostate. And so is the NWT for relying on them.

The rest of your argument is one big red herring, I'm afraid; the issue is whether the name Jehovah (I'll even grant you the possible full YHWH) is found in the extant Greek manuscripts, not whether other versions of the Bible add Jehovah to the Hebrew scriptures or use paraphrasing rather than word-for-word translation techniques.

I have to say, I'm really disappointed that this is your justification for the Governing Body sanctioning the insertion of a false name for God 237 times into the Christian Greek scriptures.

It seems that StandFirm is of the opinion that many other Bible translations have added Jehovah into the Christian Greek scriptures. Yet, he fails to cite one example of this taking place. And even if he were to have such an example (or examples), would its (their) existence suddenly make the practise of adding words to the extant Greek manuscripts justified?

Question for Jehovah's Witnesses: Sola Scripture?

Jehovah's Witnesses are 'encouraged' to study the publications of the Watch Tower Society. It's been observed at some meetings where the Witnesses study the Watchtower magazine, that many Witnesses do not actually have a Bible open in their hand, but rather have a Watchtower magazine in one hand and a sheet with decontexualised scripture references printed in the other.

One Jehovah's Witness apologist made the following comment in reference to the Watch Tower Society publication "Keep Yourself in God's Love";

So we can clearly see-and my opponent agrees [2]-that it is important to live our lives in a Christian way. The book's purpose is to help us to do that.

As Christian I was under the impression that the Bible was the only book needed to help us live our lives in a "Christian way".

Hence my question for Jehovah's Witnesses; is the Bible enough for you to know how to love and serve Jehovah?