Only One Right Religion
“Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among you, but that you may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought. Does the Christ exist divided?”—1 Cor. 1:10, 13, NW.
1. What frauds illustrate the contamination of spiritual food supplies?
IF YOU pay for wheat will you settle for straw? If you buy wine will you accept water? Or if you thirst for water will you be satisfied with mud? What if someone came to prove that you were being defrauded in these ways? Would you be angry with him or with the one who was cheating you? Because you have regard for your money you would listen to the proof and put a stop to the swindling, despite the hurt it might give your pride to acknowledge you had been deceived. Under these symbolisms the Bible reveals that many persons who think they are getting nourishing spiritual provisions are actually receiving worthless adulterated supplies. If someone could prove you were being so defrauded would you listen or would you flare up in anger at him? Because you have a higher regard for your life than for your money you should all the more willingly heed the proof to halt the spiritual swindling, despite the hurt it might bring to your pride. Wise ones squelch such pride before it leads them to destruction.—Prov. 16:18.
2. How does the illustration of wheat and straw fit Christendom?
2 In ancient Israel the threshing floors were preferably on hilltops exposed to every wind, and there the farmers would bring their sheaves of grain to be trampled by oxen and then thrown high into the air with the winnowing shovel. The heavy kernels of wheat fell back onto the threshing floor, but the wind would catch and blow to one side the straw and chaff, where it could be burned if that were desired. (Matt. 3:12) False prophets dreamed up lies and told them in Jehovah’s name in an effort to discredit the truth, and these lying dreamers were likened to straw that was separated from the wheat of truth and burned: “The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat? saith Jehovah. Is not my word like fire? saith Jehovah.” (Jer. 23:28, 29, AS) Today the religions of Christendom mix into Jehovah’s Word the dreams of their false teachings, and the followers of and contributors to these religions consume, as it were, straw instead of spiritual wheat. If we examine religious teachings on a high plane of intelligence, above pride and prejudice and quarrelsomeness, the errors will be swept aside by Jehovah’s spirit and eliminated by his Word.—Acts 2:2-4.
3. How and why does Christendom adulterate the vine of Jehovah’s Word?
3 In ancient Israel dishonest wine merchants would add water to their wine to make it go farther and bring greater financial returns. Jehovah mentioned this when scoring Israel for its religious backsliding into false worship: “Thy wine merchants mix the wine with water.” (Isa. 1:22, LXX) The apostle Paul used this as a figure of religious leaders that mixed in with Jehovah’s Word ear-tickling philosophies and traditions in order to advance their own selfish ends: “We are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are.” Or, “We are not those who commercialize or make gain of the word of God.” Or, “We are not adulterators of the word of God.” Farther on Paul said: “We have renounced the underhanded things of which to be ashamed, not walking in craftiness neither adulterating the word of God, but by making the truth manifest recommending ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Cor. 2:17, margin; 2 Co 4:2, NW) Today Christendom’s religions mix in modern philosophies to make their preaching go farther, to make it gain a hearing among a wider, more varied audience, and thereby draw support from more persons. But you can recognize this as a spiritually fraudulent mixture when you taste in comparison the pure Word of God and experience the unadulterated joy that it brings.—Isa. 25:6.
4. What illustration shows how Christendom’s clergy cause disease and famine, spiritually speaking?
4 In ancient Israel shepherding was a principal occupation, and because of a general familiarity with flocks they were often used by Jehovah as symbols of people. The nation of Israel claimed to be God’s flock and looked to him as its Great Shepherd. But just as strong fat sheep might push and crowd out those that were diseased and lean, so Jehovah took note of the powerful religious leaders in Israel that abused and scattered those they caused to be spiritually diseased and undernourished. Of this Jehovah says, using sheep as a figure: “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must foul the rest with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have fouled with your feet?” (Ezek. 34:18, 19, RS) The religious leaders in Christendom today are in a strong position of power to determine what their flocks get in the way of spiritual food and drink. Yet after they trample the Bible with higher criticism and foul its clear waters of truth with pagan teachings there is little of value left for the supporters of these religious systems, and it is little wonder that they are spiritually diseased and famished. But if any yet in these systems are Jehovah’s other sheep they can turn to the Bible and settle out the muddying falsehoods and restore clarity and palatability to the Bible’s waters of truth.—Amos 8:11; Eph. 5:26; Rev. 22:1.
THE BAD SPOILS THE GOOD
5. What argument is false, and what examples demonstrate this?
5 But there is good in all religions and hence all have some value, it is argued. Would you like to eat bread that is full of straw, or sip wine that is adulterated with water, or drink water that has dirt mixed in? Does not the straw spoil good wheat, and the water ruin good wine, and the dirt muddy clear water? That is the force of these illustrations, that good is ruined when bad is added, and Jehovah’s Word uses them to show that good spiritual food is spoiled when mixed with falsehood. Some declare the truth that Jesus is the ransom, then nullify its requirements by preaching the lie of universal salvation. Others rightly speak of the hope of a resurrection to life, yet make it void by claiming each one has a soul that never dies. Some acknowledge Jehovah God as the Almighty, but spoil that truth by adding that two others are equal to him. Still others correctly quote that the wages of sin is death, then contradictingly teach that sinners will suffer eternal torment. Those are but a few of the many ways that fundamentalist religions in Christendom spoil Bible truth by adding pagan traditions, and thereby bring themselves within the censure of Jesus’ words: “Adroitly you set aside the commandment of God in order to retain your tradition.”—Mark 7:9, NW.
6. What scriptures warn against what practices of modernist religions?
6 Modernist religions are even more flagrant in setting aside the Bible by their flair for the scientific, the psychological, the philosophical. While occasionally giving a token recognition and lip service to the Bible, they replace the wisdom of God with philosophy, the peace of God with psychology, the creation of God with evolution. Infatuated with worldly wisdom, they are heedless of the divine warning: “Look out: perhaps there may be some man that will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ.” Blinded by showy knowledge, they are the victims of contradicting falsities: “Guard what is laid up in trust with you, turning away from the empty speeches that violate what is holy and from the contradictions of the falsely called ‘knowledge’. For making a show of such knowledge some have deviated from the faith.”—Col. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:20, 21, NW.
DOCTRINAL PURITY VITAL
7. What do both fundamentalist and modernist religions do to give a favor of truth to their lies?
7 In Jeremiah’s time false prophets appropriated Jehovah’s words to quote and mingle with their lies to impart a flavor of truth to their mixture, to further the acceptance of their falsehoods by tying in some truth. Jehovah disapproved: “Behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.” (Jer. 23:30, AS) Both fundamentalist and modernist religions of today do the same thing, slanting and bending certain texts seemingly to support their pagan teachings or philosophical theorizings. Thus they give a Scriptural flavor to the deceptive speeches by which they tickle the ears of those that do not actually want the unadulterated truth of Jehovah’s Word. This twisting of Scripture paves a broad way to destruction, as the apostle Peter said: “In them, however, are some things hard to understand, the meaning of which the untaught and unsteady are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Pet. 3:16, NW) The apostle Paul warned that in time the Christian flock would be split into many sects by those who would twist things to fit their private interpretations, and admonished responsible ones to guard against such sectarianism: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own [Son]. I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.”—Acts 20:28-30, NW.
8. What do champions of interfaith claim, but how does the Bible dispute them?
8 It was the introduction of various false doctrines that gave rise to many different sects and cults, each claiming to be the true faith. It will only be the removal of these falsehoods and the return to unadulterated Bible truth that can unite professing Christians. Because of the seeming impossibility to resolve these doctrinal differences, those championing interfaith today say there can be a uniting in an organizational way without agreement in beliefs. They contend that it is organizational oneness rather than doctrinal unity that counts. But the Bible differs with them. It stresses the need for accurate knowledge and purity of belief, and commands that there be no mixing of the true and the false. The true faith is to have no interfaith with false religions: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?” Jesus warned the disciples against the false teachings of the Jewish religionists and spoke of their doctrine as yeast. Hence the warning: “A little yeast ferments the whole lump.” (2 Cor. 6:14; Gal. 5:9; Matt. 16:5-12, NW) Zeal for God must be “according to accurate knowledge,” and without it Jehovah’s people are destroyed.—Rom. 10:2, NW; Hos. 4:6.
9. What will be overturned, what will collapse, but what will stand?
9 Though doctrines may have been entrenched beliefs for centuries, if they are in opposition to the Bible they must be overturned so that thinking can be brought into conformity with God and Christ: “The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things. For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ.” Any religion not solidly based on obedience to God’s Word will collapse, as Jesus illustrated: “Therefore everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them will be likened to a discreet man, who built his house upon the rock-mass. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded upon the rock-mass. Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house and it caved in, and its collapse was great.” Since knowledge must be accurate, free of polluting falsehoods, the counsel is: “Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching. Stay by these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.”—2 Cor. 10:4, 5; Matt. 7:24-27; 1 Tim. 4:16, NW.
“ONE FAITH”
10. Concerning the Bible and different religions, what is illogical and what is logical and Scriptural?
10 There are many different religions teaching many conflicting doctrines. Obviously not all of them are right. Only doctrine supported by God’s Word is true and harmonious. If a religion’s teachings are not built on Christ’s words they will collapse; if its reasonings are in opposition to God they will be overturned; if its tenets are a mixture of true and false the whole is spoiled. It is illogical to think that Jehovah’s unified Word supports many different and conflicting faiths; it is logical to believe it is the rock foundation for just one true faith. The Scriptures confirm this logical conclusion, limiting true worship to one faith instead of many: “One body there is, and one spirit, even as you were called in the one hope to which you were called; one Lord, ONE FAITH, one baptism; one God and Father of all persons, who is over all and through all and in all.” The way to life is a narrow road with room for but one faith, not a broad highway with many lanes for travel by many faiths of diverse views: “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.”—Eph. 4:4-6; Matt. 7:13, 14, NW.
11. What several scriptures rule out any divine approval for many faiths with conflicting doctrines?
11 True Christians have one mental attitude and speak as with one mouth: “Now may the God who supplies endurance and comfort grant you to have among yourselves the same mental attitude that Christ Jesus had, that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Does this not rule out many faiths with conflicting attitudes and expressions? Christ’s mind was not divided, his tongue did not utter contradicting words, nor is his one true church splintered with divisions: “Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among you, but that you may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought. Does the Christ exist divided?” Christians are told to avoid “those who create divisions” and to reject “a man that promotes a sect.” (Rom. 15:5, 6; 1 Cor. 1:10, 13; Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:10, NW) The many faiths of today came from those who created divisions and promoted sects, except the one that has held true to the early Christian teaching in the Bible. Now will Jehovah associate with the divisions he told Christians to avoid, or accept the sects he commanded Christians to reject? He is not so inconsistent! He does not change. He still holds to the one true faith established by his Son Christ Jesus and to its set of doctrines expounded in his Word, the Bible. How to identify that true faith from among the hundreds existing today is the undertaking of the article starting on the next page.
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WRONG RELIGION
RIGHT RELIGION
Bible
Wine
Holy Bible
Wine