JEHOVAH’S WAY OF HELPING SINNERS — THE ALTERNATIVE TO COMMITTEES OF JUDGES

“CONFESS YOUR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER”

How can we know whom James is addressing when he encourages the confession of sins to “one another”? In 1:1 we learn to whom the epistle is addressed:

 ¹ James, a slave of God and of [the] Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are scattered about: Greetings!

The “twelve tribes” could refer to fleshly Israel or to spiritual Israel. (Revelation 7:4.8) Because James speaks of “the older men of the congregation,” the reference must be to all the anointed Christians, men and women, who are members of spiritual Israel. The style of James shows that the reference in 5:16 also is to all anointed Christians of spiritual Israel, men and women. In 5:16, both verbs are 2nd plural present middle imperative, and below is a list of verbs in 2nd plural imperative in the letter of James, all referring to the members of spiritual Israel:

Table 1.1. Verbs in 2 plural imperative

1:2	Consider it all joy, my brothers, when YOU meet with various trials.
1:16	Do not be misled, my beloved brothers.
1:19	Know this, my beloved brothers. Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath.
1:21	Hence put away all filthiness and that superfluous thing, badness, and accept with mildness the implanting of the word which is able to save YOUR souls.
1:22	However, become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning.
2:1	My brothers, YOU are not holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, our glory, with acts of favoritism, are YOU?
2:5	Listen, my beloved brothers. God chose the ones who are poor respecting the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him, did he not?
2:12	Keep on speaking in such a way and keep on doing in such a way as those do who are going to be judged by the law of a free people.
2:16	Yet a certain one of YOU says to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but YOU do not give them the necessities for [their] body, of what benefit is it?
2:24	YOU see that a man is to be declared righteous by works, and not by faith alone.
3:1	Not many of YOU should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment.
3:14	But if YOU have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in YOUR hearts, do not be bragging and lying against the truth.
4:7	Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from YOU.
4:8	Draw close to God, and he will draw close to YOU. Cleanse YOUR hands, YOU sinners, and purify YOUR hearts, YOU indecisive ones.
4:9	Give way to misery and mourn and weep. Let YOUR laughter be turned into mourning, and [YOUR] joy into dejection.
4:10	Humble yourselves in the eyes of Jehovah, and he will exalt YOU.
4:11	Quit speaking against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against law and judges law. Now if you judge law, you are, not a doer of law, but a judge.
5:1	Come, now, YOU rich [men], weep, howling over YOUR miseries that are coming upon YOU.
5:7	Exercise patience, therefore, brothers, until the presence of the Lord. Look! The farmer keeps waiting for the precious fruit of the earth, exercising patience over it until he gets the early rain and the late rain.
5:8	YOU too exercise patience; make YOUR hearts firm, because the presence of the Lord has drawn close.
5:9	Do not heave sighs against one another, brothers, so that YOU do not get judged. Look! The Judge is standing before the doors.
5:10	Brothers, take as a pattern of the suffering of evil and the exercising of patience the prophets, who spoke in the name of Jehovah.
5:12	Above all things, though, my brothers, stop swearing, yes, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let YOUR Yes mean Yes, and YOUR No, No, so that YOU do not fall under judgment.
5:16	Therefore openly confess YOUR sins to one another and pray for one another, that YOU may get healed. A righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.

The list contains 36 examples of verbs in 2nd person plural imperative. All these verbs are addressed to the same group: those called “my brothers” in 1:2. No word for “sisters” is normally used in letters and epistles to Christians. But the word “brothers” includes both men and women, all the anointed members of spiritual Israel. This means that the words in 5:16, “openly confess your sins to one another,” do not refer to the elders that are mentioned in verses 14 and 15.

If the exhortations of all 34 verbs are addressed both to men and women, is James saying that Christians should confess their sins to women as well as to men? The answer is clearly: Yes. In 1979, Jehovah’s Witnesses published the book Commentary on the Letter of James. I will quote the comments on verse 16 in this book from pages 206 and 207:

This confessing is not like a “confessional” arrangement where one is viewed as obligated to appear and confess all sins in order to obtain absolution from guilt in the eyes of God. Although James had previously made specific mention of the congregation elders with regard to sick ones needing aid, he here says to “confess your sins to one another,” not limiting the matter to certain ones within the congregation. While this is so, it is reasonable that the one confessing his sins would seek a person who could be of real help to him in a spiritual way. Along with the desire to unburden himself, he doubtless desires the counsel and prayer of another. Galatians 6:1, 2 speaks of the readjusting of one who takes a false step and shows that it is those “who have spiritual qualifications” who are in a position to do this. Elders should have such qualifications, and others in the congregation may also have these. A woman, for example, may seek the help of a Christian sister, possibly someone older than she is, as is indicated by Paul’s counsel at Titus 2:3-5. Thus the source of the help is not limited to a certain few; the important thing is that the person have “spiritual qualifications.” James shows that the object and result of this humble seeking for help should be a brotherly (or a sisterly) interest manifested in prayer to Jehovah on behalf of the one confessing the fault.

The expression “to one another” is most appropriate since all must honestly recognize their own sinful nature, thereby eliminating any basis for pride or superiority in responding to the needs of the erring one. (Compare Luke 18:9-14; 1 John 1:8-10.) Rather than superiority, there obviously should be a sense of mutual compassion, all having their own particular faults and weaknesses. The one extending help now should realize that he may someday need help himself. Along with calling for humility, such open confessing of faults can also serve as a restraint toward sinning. It leads away from a secretive course of life that deprives one of the balancing effect that the counsel of others can provide.

These are excellent comments, and the author shows that:

• The words “openly confess YOUR sins to one another” can apply to anyone in the congregation, not only the elders.
• Sins can be confessed to both men and women.
• The words “one another” indicate that the one to whom a sin is confessed must behave humbly because he or she may at one time also need help.

These comments contradict the previous and present views of the members of the Governing Body. According to James 5:16, the confession of sins should be made to the elders, not to the members of the congregation, including women, according to The Watchtower of August 1, 1963, page 474, and July 15, 1991, page 6. This is also the present view of the members of the Governing Body, as seen in The Watchtower of March 15, 1991, page 6 (above) and September 2010, pages 22, 23 (below):

So, then, when is it appropriate for Christians to confess sins to one another? In the case of serious sin (not every little failing), an individual should confess to responsible overseers of the congregation.

Confession of sins remained a requirement by God in the Christian congregation in the first century of our Common Era. James, the half brother of Jesus and one of the principal men of the congregation in Jerusalem, urged fellow Christians: “Openly confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may get healed.” (James 5:16) What, then, are Christians required to confess, and to whom?…

Recall the words of the disciple James that we referred to earlier: “Openly confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may get healed.” To those words, James added: “A righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.” (James 5:16) The ‘righteous man’ can be one of “the older men of the congregation,” whom James mentioned in verse 14. In the Christian congregation, there are spiritually “older men,” or elders, appointed to assist those who want to gain God’s forgiveness. No, such “older men” cannot absolve anyone of sins, for no man is authorized to forgive a fellow human for a wrong against God. However, they are spiritually qualified to reprove and readjust a person guilty of a serious sin, helping him to recognize the gravity of his sin and the need to repent.​—Galatians 6:1.

As I have shown above in connection with James’ use of verbs, those to whom one should confess one’s sins were members of the congregation, men and women. So, the author of the book is correct, and the present members of the Governing Body are wrong.

The author of the book was disfellowshipped shortly after writing it. The book has been removed from the books available on jw.org. In the Index 1930-1985, there are many references to the book. But you cannot click these references to see what the book says, as with most other references. The only way to know what the book says is to have a printed copy. So, the content of this book is something that the members of the Governing Body evidently want to hide from others.

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION

It is clear that only men should be teachers in the congregation. (1. Timothy 2:11, 12) But women had important roles in the Christian community, including being teachers. The author of The Commentary on the Epistle of James referred to Galatians 1:2:

¹ Brothers, even though a man takes some false step before he is aware of it, YOU who have spiritual qualifications try to readjust such a man in a spirit of mildness, as you each keep an eye on yourself, for fear you also may be tempted.

The letter to the Galatians was written to “the congregations in Galatia” (1:2), which included both men and women. As in other letters and epistles, the word “brothers” in 6:1 includes both men and women. So, we have the same situation as in James 5:16: Both men and women could hear confessions of sin, and both men and women with spiritual qualifications could help a Christian who had taken a false step before he was aware of it.

James showed that the approach to a sinner should be one of love, not judgment. Paul shows that a sinner’s readjustment should be in a spirit of mildness.

In connection with the role of women, the author of the book of James also referred to Titus 2:3-5:

 ³ Likewise let the aged women (presbytis) be reverent in behavior, not slanderous, neither enslaved to a lot of wine, teachers of what is good (kaldidaskalos); ⁴ that they may recall (sōfronizō) the young women to their senses to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sound in mind, chaste, workers at home, good, subjecting themselves to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be spoken of abusively.

I will first look at the meaning of different words. In 1 Peter 5:1, Peter speaks of himself and others as “older men” (presbyteros), which primarily refers to men advanced in age. However, in the Christian Greek Scriptures, this word has the technical meaning of “overseer.” Titus 2:3 speaks about “older women” (presbytis). This could mean that some women, not necessarily very old, had a particular position in the congregation. But this is not clearly stated. In any case, these older women should “be teachers of what is good (kaldidaskalos)”. The Greek word didaskalos means “teacher,” and kalos means “good.” The word sōfronoizō means “to instruct someone to behave in a wise and becoming manner” (Louw and Nida). So, “the teachers of what is good” would instruct other women to behave wisely.

One woman who filled a particular position in the congregation was Phoebe, and we read in Romans 16:1, 2:

¹ I recommend to YOU Phoeʹbe our sister, who is a minister (diakonos) of the congregation that is in Cenʹchre·ae, ² that YOU may welcome her in [the] Lord in a way worthy of the holy ones, and that YOU may assist her in any matter where she may need YOU, for she herself also proved to be a defender (prostatis) of many, yes, of me myself.

The Greek word diakonos (“ministerial servant”) has the meaning, “one who renders service to another; an attendant, servant.” (Mounce) So the word can refer to any kind of service someone provides. Does this word, in connection with Phoebe, show that she was “a ministerial servant”? There are reasons to answer: Yes.

The feminine noun corresponding to the masculine noun diakonos is diakonia with the meaning “to render assistance or help by performing certain duties, often of a humble or menial nature.” (Louw and Nida). The noun diakonia occurs in three places, in Romans: 11:13 (above), 12:6, 7 (middle), 15:31 (below):

¹³ Now I speak to YOU who are people of the nations. Forasmuch as I am, in reality, an apostle to the nations, I glorify my ministry (diakonia).

⁶ Since, then, we have gifts differing according to the undeserved kindness given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the faith proportioned [to us]; ⁷ or a ministry (diakonia), [let us be] at this ministry (diakonia); or he that teaches, [let him be] at his teaching

³¹ that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Ju·deʹa and that my ministry (diakonia) which is for Jerusalem may prove to be acceptable to the holy ones.

The difference is that diakonia describes what someone is doing (a service), while diakonos describes someone’s position and what he or she is (a servant).

The fact that Phoebe was a servant (diakonos) “of the congregation in Cenchreae” points to a position, not a kind of service. There is also another Greek word that shows her position: the noun prostasis. The masculine noun prostatēs has the meaning “defender; guardian,” and the feminine form prostatis has the meaning protectress, patroness; helper.” (Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich) The meaning of the English word “patroness” is “a woman who protects, supports, or sponsors someone or something.” Exactly how the word prostatis was used in the first congregations we do not know. But this was her position as diakonos, and she had even been a prostatis for Paul himself.

The words in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 may also illuminate the issue:

⁸ Ministerial servants (diakonos) should likewise be serious, not double-tongued, not giving themselves to a lot of wine, not greedy of dishonest gain,⁹ holding the sacred secret of the faith with a clean conscience. ¹⁰ Also, let these be tested as to fitness first, then let them serve as ministers, as they are free from accusation. ¹¹ Women (gynē) should likewise be serious, not slanderous, moderate in habits, faithful in all things. ¹² Let ministerial servants (diakonios) be husbands of one wife, presiding in a fine manner over children and their own households. ¹³ For the men who minister in a fine manner are acquiring for themselves a fine standing and great freeness of speech in the faith in connection with Christ Jesus.

Paul mentions the qualifications of overseers (episkopos) in verses 2-7. Then he gives the qualifications of ministerial servants in verses 8-10, 12, and in verse 11 he lists the qualifications of women.[1] Because the qualifications of women are written between the qualifications of ministerial servants, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that Paul lists the qualifications of women who will be appointed as ministerial servants.

The purpose of this section is to show that confession of sins can be made to women as well as to men. And the information suggesting that women could be ministerial servants in the first Christian congregation indicates that women also could have spiritual qualities that could be helpful in connection with confessions of sins.

Women among Jehovah’s Witnesses today are neither discriminated against nor suppressed in any way. Women are highly valued, and more women preach the good news of the Kingdom than men. In my experience, the principle of headship is generally treated in a balanced way. And most women have no problems with the situation that only men are teachers in the congregations. Women can serve Jehovah in many different ways that give them satisfaction.

However, the passages showing that women could be ministerial servants in the first Christian congregations and that sins could be confessed to them suggest that a resource could have been used much better way —women should have been given more responsibility and taught to take it.

In 1966, I was the circuit overseer in a circuit in northern Norway. In the congregation of Stokmarknes, the woman, Anna Ramberg, was the congregation servant (corresponding to the later term “presiding overseer.”) Before I married my wife, she started as a full-time preacher in the congregation of Molde, on the western coast of Norway, in 1965. She was also appointed as a ministerial servant in the congregation. The reason why these two sisters were appointed servants was that there were no qualified brothers. But this would not have happened today.

According to James 5:13-20, serious sins can be confessed to any member in the congregation that we trust, both men and women. There is no need for a committee of elders to consider serious sins.

“CALL THE OLDER MEN OF THE CONGREGATION TO HIM, AND LET THEM PRAY OVER HIM”

The elders play a role in James’s discussion of helping sinners. I quote James 5:14, 15

¹⁴ Is there anyone sick (astheneō) among YOU? Let him call the older men of the congregation to [him], and let them pray over him, greasing [him] with oil in the name of Jehovah. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will make the indisposed (kamnō) one well (sōzō), and Jehovah will raise him up. Also, if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.

The Watchtower literature shows that members of the Governing Body believe all sins must be confessed to the elders, except minor or petty sins. I have shown above that the sins James mentions are serious, and these sins should be “confessed to one another,” to the members of the congregation. James does not speak of a committee of elders with the power to remove one from the congregation, whi are those who will deal with these serious sins. But he shows how the elders can help Christians who are spiritually sick and who have committed serious sins to regain their spirituality. The Commentary on the Epistle of James also presents a true picture of this situation. We read on page 204:

How encouraging toward ‘openly confessing sins to one another’ if the sincerely repentant wrongdoer knows that those to whom he confesses are primarily interested in helping him ‘get healed’ of his spiritual sickness! However, if such a repentant one felt that the elders would automatically deal with him as one meriting a reprimand before the whole congregation as a ‘practicer of sin,’ the effect would be quite different. Such a feeling could create a barrier between the congregational shepherds and those sorely needing their help to overcome a drift into continued wrongdoing. On the other hand, where confidence existed that the elders would take into account one’s sincerity in wanting to turn away from the wrong course or attitude, being desirous of never going back to it, this would surely be an encouragement to call upon the older men for assistance, and to respond to their help as would an ailing sheep to that of its conscientious shepherd.-Contrast Psalm 23:1-5 with Ezekiel 34:4.

It is true that the new instruction in Shepherd the Flock of God (2025) is that the committee should work hard to help the sinner to repent. But the instruction on how to find the facts of the situation and how elders can know whether a sinner has repented in “Shepherd the Flock of God” (2022) remains valid. This means elders must ask several questions about what happened and about the sinner’s view. So, a committee meeting with a congregation member is not a pleasant experience for him or her.

The situation James describes is not a committee meeting to which a congregation member has been summoned. But a member of the congregation has called the elders because he is so weak and wearied down that he is not able to pray to Jehovah for forgiveness. This is how Jehovah wants serious sins treated, not by committee meetings.

IN ORDER TO FOLLOW THE SCRIPTURES, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE DONE: ALL THE 44 DISFELLOWSHIPPING OFFENSES INVENTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY SHOULD BE DISCARDED.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS SHOULD ONLY OCCUR WHEN A MEMBER OF THE CONGREGATION IS PERMEATED BY AND HAS PRACTICED ONE OF THE 11 DISFELLOWSHIPPING OFFENSES DESCRIBED IN THE CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES, AND HE REFUSES TO STOP HIS PRACTICE.

[1]. The NIV renders gynē as “their wives” in 1 Timothy 3:11. It is true that gynē can refer to a wife, as it does in verse 12. But in this verse, we find heis gynē (“one woman”) in the genitive followed by anēr (“man”) in accusative plural. Literally, the clause can be translated as “one woman’s men” (= “men of one woman (wife)”). At the beginning of verse 12, gynē is not connected with the word “man.” But it stands alone in the accusative plural just as diakonos (“ministerial servant”) stands alone in the accusative plural in verse 8. So, there is neither a linguistic nor a contextual reason to take gynē in verse 11 as “wife.” And the pronoun “their” used by NIV is not found in the Greek text.

STRONG AND CLEAN CONGREGATIONS WITHOUT THE GOVERNING BODY

But if we take away the 44 disfellowshipping offenses created by the members of the Governing Body and all other 200+ laws and regulations they have invented that are not based on the Bible, will not that lower the morale of the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses with the result that wrongdoing will occur?

The historical answer is: No! Between 1938 and 1948, the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses increased by 500%. There were no arrangements for disfellowshipping at this time,[1] and none of the present laws introduced by the Governing Body existed. The Bible was followed, and morals were high.

Disfellowshipping was introduced in the congregations in 1952. The book Questions Regarding the Ministry of the Kingdom (1961), which I received in 1965 when I started as a circuit servant (overseer), contained seven disfellowshipping offenses. I continued as circuit servant until 1971, when the Governing Body was created. I confirm that in these years, when there was no Governing Body, the 44 disfellowshipping offenses and the 200+ other laws created by the members of the Governing Body did not exist; Jehovah’s Witnesses followed the Bible, and the morale in the congregations was high.

History shows that the Governing Body is a superfluous appendix that we do not need. The Governing Body was created in 1971, and in the years before the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses were clean  and functioned according to the laws and principles in The Christian Greek Scriptures. The congregations had a high spiritual condition; there were little wrongdoing;  and the members of the congregations preached the good news of the kingdom with zeal.

THE GOVERNING BODY HAS CAUSED MANY PROBLEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL WITNESSES

I have shown that the prophecy in Daniel 8:12, 13 about the holy place being brought in its right condition was fulfilled between 1944 and 1971. But the behavior of the members of the Governing Body from 1971 onward destroyed the right condition.[2]

A worldwide organization needs leaders who can make decisions and organize the organization’s business. Members must follow the decisions made by these leaders. This is also the situation for the people of God in the time of the end. The problem with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that the members have not only made decisions in practical organizational questions. But they have played God and have made 200+ laws and regulations in addition to the Bible that are binding for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

I will not question the sincerity of the members of the Governing Body because I do not know them. But they have led Jehovah’s Witnesses in a direction away from Jehovah God, and they have caused harm to tens of thousands of Witnesses and even deaths for many. I give three examples:

BLOOD

Infusion of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and blood plasma have been prohibited for more than 60 years. But in September 2026, the prohibition was revoked. Because there are effective bloodless treatments in critical situations, there have been few deaths because of this prohibition. With the Norwegian statistics as a point of departure, I calculated that 3,000 Witnesses worldwide died because of the prohibition between 1990 and 2010.

However, because of the refusal of the four main blood components, Witnesses have not received the best medical treatment in connection with chemotherapy and major operations. This means that the lives of tens of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been shortened because of the prohibition of the four blood components.

DRUGS

Witnesses are strongly against the use of narcotic drugs. But for different reasons, a number of Witnesses have become hooked and become drug addicts. Many of these have wanted to stop their abuse. But it is extremely difficult to come clean from hard drugs like heroin and fentanyl without help from others.

Three sources of help are necessary: Continuous support from family, continuous support from friends, and the medicine Methadone. Because drug abusers are disfellowshipped, family and friends are forbidden to support them. The medicine Methadone was forbidden for 40 years, from 1973 to 2013. The membersof the Governing Body have prevented thousands of drug abusers from receiving the needed help, and a number of these have died. A drug abuser I helped to come clean died; his death could have been prevented if he could have used Methadone.

SHUNNING DISFELLOWSHIPPED ONES

Shunning, in the sense of losing all contact, has no basis in the Bible. During the 21st century, more than 1.5 million Jehovah’s Witnesses have been disfellowshipped. If the Bible had been followed, more than 90% of these should not have been disfellowshipped. Because of the demands of the Governing Body for total isolation, tens of thousands of families have been ruined, and men, women, and children have suffered.

The members of the Governing Body function as a government for Jehovah’s Witnesses, and there is no basis in the Bible for this. In my view, the Governing Body should be dissolved, and another group of Witnesses should take the lead and follow Bible principles. A suggestion of such a new group of leaders is found in my book, My Beloved Religion — and the Governing Body, pages 435-437.

[1]. In 1939, Olin R. Moyle was the counsel of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and after a conflict with J.F. Rutherford he was disfellowshipped. This is a rare case, and I am not aware of other similar cases.

[2]. “The holy place being brought into its right condition.” (https://mybelovedreligion.no/2026/11/04/the-holy-place-being-brought-into-its-right-condition/)

“The right condition of the holy place between 1944 and 1971” (https://mybelovedreligion.no/2026/11/05/the-right-condition-of-the-holy-place-between-1944-and-1971/)

“The destruction of the right condition of the holy place.” (https://mybelovedreligion.no/2026/11/05/the-destruction-of-the-right-condition-of-the-holy-place/)

THE RESTORATION OF THE ORGANIZATION TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THE GOVERNING BODY WAS CREATED

If it is true what the Watchtower of December 1, 1971, claims, that the right condition of the holy place was restored in 1944, in which I agree, the situation among Jehovah’s Witnesses before the Governing Body was created is the situation that God wants to exist among his people. How can this situation be restored? I mention three important areas.

DEEP INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDY

I was baptized in 1961, and based on literature published by the Watchtower Society in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, I learned how to do deep interactive Bible study and learned to love the Bible.

Since the 1870s, when the Bible Students started their activity, and until 1988, the Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses have believed in the full inspiration of the Bible. This means they believed:

• that every word in the Bible is inspired by God, though chosen by his secretaries.
• that every account is included with a particular purpose and has a particular meaning.
• that all the nuances and subtleties in the original text are important.

The present members of the Governing Body no longer believe points 2) and 3). Therefore, we can rightly say that they no longer believe in the Bible’s full inspiration, even though they claim to do so.

The quality of the Watchtower literature in the 21st century is much inferior to the quality of the literature published before 1971 and during most of the 21st century. Deep Bible study is occasionally mentioned but not really encouraged, and absolutely not taught, as it previously was.

I reviewed the 720 articles published in the Watchtower between 2015 and 2026 and found only 12 articles (1.66%) with textual analyses of Bible verses.

RESTORATION 1: A great part of the literature should be studies of passages in the Bible. All witnesses should be taught how to do interactive Bible.

REMOVING ALL HUMAN COMMANDMENTS

In his speech where Geoffrey Jackson revoked the prohibition against red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, he said:

However, since the scriptures don’t comment on the various products that may be derived from blood, we recognize that in harmony with 1 Corinthians 4 verse 6, we are not authorized to go beyond the things that are written.

The principle that Jackson stated is true. Neither the members of the Governing Body nor anyone else has the right to make laws or rules “beyond the things that are written.

RESTORATION 2: Revoke the 44 disfellowshipping offenses invented by the Governing Body and all other laws and procedures that are not directly based on the Bible.

LET EACH WITNESS ANSWER FOR HIMSELF BEFORE JEHOVAH

The members of the Governing Body have, to a great extent, positioned themselves between the individual Witnesses and God and played the role of mediators. This must end.

I bring two old quotes from The Watchtower that show the right Christian viewpoint on how each Witness must answer for himself before God, without any mediator. I quote The Watchtower of 1942, page 206 (above) and September 15, 1951, page 574 (below):

To be sure, the Society has no power or authority or desire to say that a person who wishes to use tobacco may not do so. Nor can it say, “You may not witness for the Kingdom.”

As to other forms of activity or work [apart from preaching the good news] the Society has no specific recommendation to make…So let each one accept his own responsibility and answer to his own conscience, not criticizing others or being criticized by them, when individual consciences allow different decisions on the same matter.

To be sure, The Watchtower Society, the Governing Body, or any elder has no right to make a rule that is binding for others. The Witnesses are obliged to follow only laws and rules that are directly based on the Bible.

That does not mean that the Watchtower Society cannot write articles discussing issues from the Bible and daily life and give suggestions and advice to the Witnesses. On the contrary. I have criticized that the Watchtower, between 2015 and 2026, had almost no articles discussing texts from the Bible. But among the 720 articles are many good articles containing suggestions, advice, and exhortations that help the Witnesses lead good Christian lives.

However, the view of the members of the Governing Body that they are governing the Witnesses also shines through some of these articles. In other words, the authors present their personal view of a situation as if it were the biblical view. This has had a negative influence on many Witnesses who have been wearied down by a heavy sense of guilt.

I give one example of how articles with personal opinions can wear down members of the congregation to the point where they feel that everything is hopeless or even leave their congregation.  I refer to articles on masturbation.

MASTURBATION IS NOT CONDEMNED IN THE BIBLE[1]

From the age of about 11 years, boys and girls start to mature sexually, and particularly many boys get a strong sexual drive.[2] Because of this, particularly boys in families of Jehovah’s Witnesses start masturbating, and because of this, they are subject to strong pressure. They know how clearly the literature of Jehovah’s Witnesses condemns masturbation, and they feel ashamed. They feel that they are sinning against Jehovah and that they do not have his approval. They have tried many times to stop masturbating, but they always fall back and start again.

They are so ashamed of their habit that they do not disclose their problems to their parents or the elders. Because of the unbalanced and inappropriate demands from members of the Governing Body, they carry a heavy burden of guilt and feel that they have failed and are not worth anything.

This is really psychological terror.

During the many years I have served as an elder in different congregations, only a few youngsters have told me about their masturbation problems. I can provide the description above because I have spoken with many adult members of congregations who grew up in Jehovah’s Witnesses families. They have told me of the extreme pressure they have felt from masturbating, and of being alone with their huge load of guilt, with no one to speak to and no one to give help.

Below is a very bad example of an article about masturbation. I quote The Watchtower of June 1, 1983, page 27:

Jesus taught: “Everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) A masturbator often has such kinds of passionate thoughts, fantasizing about having sexual relations. Such a person is certainly not living in accordance with Christ’s teaching. There can be no question that these who feed their sexual appetite by masturbating are violating God’s instructions to DEADEN their sexual appetite.

But how can a person deaden his sexual appetite and keep from masturbating? True, for people who have practiced this type of self-abuse, it can be a real fight to stop it. But one should not give up in the fight! With Jehovah’s help, a person can succeed. He should first develop a hatred for the practice. (Psalm 97:10)

This article misleads the readers:

The words “DEADEN their sexual appetite” refer to Colossians 3:5 with the Greek word pathos, with the meaning “suffering; an affection, passion, especially sexual” (Mounce). The rendering “sexual desire” is tendentious, because the Greek word has a wide meaning, including “affection” and “passion.” The NIV and several other translations have the rendering “lust,” which can refer both to a strong sexual desire and to a desire for power, wealth, and experiences. This word, with a general meaning, cannot be used as evidence that masturbation is wrong.

Matthew 5:27, 28 says:

²⁷ “YOU heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery (moikheuō).’ ²⁸ But I say to YOU that everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery (moikheuō) with her in his heart.

Using these words to show that masturbation is wrong is particularly misleading. Jesus speaks of adultery, and his point is that adultery starts in a person’s heart, with his emotions. The only thing we can construe from Jesus’ words is that if a married man is looking at a woman other than his wife, he is doing something wrong.

There is no passage in the Bible saying directly or indirectly that masturbation is wrong. But there is one place where masturbation is referred to without condemning it. That is 1 Corinthians 7:1-9:

¹ Now concerning the things about which YOU wrote, it is well for a man not to touch a woman; ² yet, because of prevalence of fornication (porneia), let each man have his own wife and each woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband render to [his] wife her due; but let the wife also do likewise to [her] husband. ⁴ The wife does not exercise authority over her own body, but her husband does; likewise, also, the husband does not exercise authority over his own body, but his wife does. ⁵ Do not be depriving each other [of it], except by mutual consent for an appointed time, that YOU may devote time to prayer and may come together again, that Satan may not keep tempting YOU for YOUR lack of self-regulation (akrasia). ⁶ However, I say this by way of concession, not in the way of a command. ⁷ But I wish all men were as I myself am. Nevertheless, each one has his own gift from God, one in this way, another in that way. ⁸ Now I say to the unmarried persons and the widows, it is well for them that they remain even as I am. ⁹ But if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to be inflamed [with passion]. (My translation: “to experience intense sexual desire (pyroomai).”

The first important word to note is pyroomai in verse 9. The meaning of this Greek word is “to experience intense sexual desire.” (Louw and Nida) By using this word, Paul shows that Christians may have a very strong sexual drive, and how this strong sexual drive must be dealt with is the main point in these seven verses.

In 7:32-35, Paul shows that being unmarried gives more opportunities to serve God than being married. In 7:1, he shows that it is good for a man not to have a wife. But in verse 2, he shows that because of the strong sexual drive, it is good to marry. In verses 3-5, the strong sexual drive again sets the stage.

I will now take a closer look at verse 5, where Paul uses the word akrasia. The meaning of akrasia is “fail to exercise self-control.” (Louw and Nida) Paul realizes that the sexual drive is strong, and therefore, he tells married couples not to deprive each other of sexual relations. If they do that, one or both may be tempted to perform porneia (“illicit sexual intercourse”). Avoiding porneia is one reason people should marry, according to verse 2.

Then Paul turns his attention to unmarried Christians. He has already stated that it is better not to marry. But in the case of deciding whether to marry or not, the strong sexual drive must be taken into consideration. Verse 9 is particularly important in our context, and I translate this verse in the following way:

But if they are unable to continue restraining themselves (egkrateuomai), they should marry. It is better to marry than to experience intense sexual desire (pyroomai).

The words egkrateuomai has the meaning “to exercise complete control over one’s desires and actions,” and pyroomai has the meaning “to experience intense sexual desire.” (Louw and Nida)

Paul mentions in verse 9 that “some experience intense sexual desire (pyroomai),” and the result of this is that they are “unable to restrain themselves (krateuomai).” If this is the case with a Christian, he or she should marry, according to Paul. But what does it mean “to be unable to restrain themselves” because they “experience intense sexual desire”?

This must refer to actions a Christian does because he is unable “to continue restraining himself.” It cannot refer to porneia because avoiding porneia is one reason why a Christian who is “unable to continue restraining himself” should marry. The only other action that the words “being unable to continue restraining themselves” because of “intense sexual desire” refer to is masturbation.

The important point is that Paul realizes that unmarried persons can have “an intense sexual desire” and be unable “to continue restraining themselves,” But he does not condemn this. This means that masturbation does occur, but he does not condemn it.

James showed that some Christians could wear down and be spiritually sick, to the point where they were not able to pray to Jehovah. In that case, they could call the elders for help.

This situation may be because the Christian has committed serious sins, but it may also be because elders, by their words or writings, place an enormous measure of guilt on the shoulders of individual Christians.

One such situation is masturbation, and because this is a strictly personal matter, and the Christian often sees no way out, he or she usually does not call the elders for help. This situation has for many Witnesses, particularly young ones, led to spiritual ruin.

I am not defending or excusing masturbation. But I am neither condemning it because the Scriptures never condemn it. My suggestion is that an article about masturbation should follow the outline presented below.

It is their intense sexual desire that causes people to masturbate when they cannot satisfy this God-given sexual drive within marriage. This strong sexual drive, with the desire to have sexual relations with a woman, is given by God and is not wrong. Whether masturbation, which is caused by this strong sexual drive, when a person does not have a wife, is right or wrong, the Bible does not tell. Paul mentions masturbation in 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 without naming it, and he does not condemn it, as he so often does with the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) This means that we must apply the kind of advice given in The Watchtower of September 15, 1951, to masturbation. The Watchtower said: As to other forms of activity or work [than preaching the good news] the Society has no specific recommendation to make. The Society’s silence on this matter is not to be viewed as giving consent, nor is it to be viewed as a condemnation we do not wish to openly express. It means that we think it is the individual’s responsibility to choose, not ours. Applied to masturbation, we would read: Regarding masturbation, the Society has no specific recommendation to make. The Society’s silence on this matter is not to be viewed as giving consent, nor is it to be viewed as a condemnation we do not wish to openly express. It means that we think it is the individual’s responsibility to choose, not ours.

CONCLUSION

The most important thing we have learned from the words of James is that committees of elders to treat serious sins should almost never be formed. Only when a member of the congregation is permeated by one of the 11 disfellowshipping offenses mentioned in the Christian Greek Scriptures should a committee be formed. Brothers and sisters can deal with serious sins.

We have also seen that the congregations before the Governing Body was formed in 1971 prospered spiritually with few problems. This is historical evidence that we do not need the Governing Body.

Instead of forming committees, men and women in the congregation, including elders, can deal with serious sins. Each Witness must answer for himself before Jehovah and not with the members of the Governing Body as mediators.

 

 

 

APPENDIX

SHUNNING

Some merchant in ancient Israel cheated their customers by using a lighter weight when they bought something and a heavier weight when they sold something. Proverbs 20:10 says:

¹⁰ Two sorts of weights and two sorts of eʹphah measures—they are both of them together something detestable to Jehovah.

In connection with the total isolation of Witnesses that the members of the Governing Body demand, two sorts of weights are used. The key word is the Greek word synanamignymi, with the basic meaning “mix together.” This word occurs only in 1 Corinthians 5:9, 11, and in Galatians 3:14. The members of the Governing Body apply one meaning to this word in 1 Corinthians and another meaning in Galatians.

I quote 1 Corinthians 5:11 (above) and Galatians 3:14, 15 (below):

¹¹ But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company (synanamignymi) with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man.

¹⁴ But if anyone is not obedient to our word through this letter, keep this one marked, stop associating (synanamignymi) with him, that he may become ashamed. ¹⁵ And yet do not be considering him as an enemy, but continue admonishing him as a brother.

Christians must love their neighbor as themselves, including their brothers and sisters in the Christian faith. However, in the congregations in Galatia, some Christians had not followed Paul’s counsel in his first letter. Because Paul’s letters were inspired by God, this was a serious situation that could destroy the unity in the Galatian congregations.

Therefore, Paul wrote that the members of the congregation should “mark” (take notice of) such persons, show them that this behavior was unacceptable, and “stop associating (synanamignymi) with him.” What this meant is seen by the words that the members of the congregation should view such a person as a brother and not as an enemy, and that they should “continue admonishing him.” This instruction showed that “stop associating with him” only referred to social contact with him in their spare time. In all other situations, they should treat him normally, as they always had done.

The members of the Governing Body use another weight in 1 Corinthians 5:11. In this verse, the words “stop associating (synanamignymi) with him” mean total isolation in all situations by the congregation members and his family, no association with the wrongdoer, except possibly in rare situations.

A Greek word can have different meanings. But this is only the case when the context clearly shows that. In the case of synanamignymi there is nothing in the contexts showing a different meaning in 1 Corinthians and 2 Thessalonians.  And the two NWT84 renderings, “quit mixing company with” and “stop associating with,” are quite similar in meaning.

If we see this situation in the light of our knowledge of God, we understand how bad it is to use two different weights. Jehovah God would never pressure his sons and daughters to repent by totally isolating them from their family and friends. But he could use the refusal of social interaction to emphasize that one of his children had to change course.[3]

 

[1]. See the article, “The governing Body making the divine gift of sex filthy (I) masturbation.” (https://mybelovedreligion.no/2026/02/16/the-governing-body-making-the-divine-gift-of-sex-filthy-i-masturbation/)

[2]. Research has shown that 74% of men and 48% of women report that they have masturbated during their lives.

[3]. See the article, “How to treat disfellowshipped persons (II) Treating them in the biblical way.” (https://mybelovedreligion.no/2025/04/12/how-to-treat-disfellowshipped-persons-ii-treating-them-in-the-biblical-way/)

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OVERSKRIFT 3

Dette er en eksempeltekst til nettsiden. Når du skriver tekst til nettsiden så er det viktig å huske på at det både er en potensiell kunde som leser dette, men også Google skal «lese» denne teksten. Prøv å skriv innhold som er informativ for det produktet eller den tjenesten du tilbyr, der søkeord, fraser og setninger flettes inn på en naturlig og lettleselig måte.

CONCLUSION

Dette er en eksempeltekst til nettsiden. Når du skriver tekst til nettsiden så er det viktig å huske på at det både er en potensiell kunde som leser dette, men også Google skal «lese» denne teksten. Prøv å skriv innhold som er informativ for det produktet eller den tjenesten du tilbyr, der søkeord, fraser og setninger flettes inn på en naturlig og lettleselig måte.