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How should you worship God? You probably already have some thoughts running through your head. Perhaps this too? We should worship God „in spirit and truth“. That’s what it says in John 4:23, 24, and perhaps you’ve already asked yourself what that’s supposed to mean. Let’s first read the text and then look at the context:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23, 24 NIV

The context of John 4:23, 24 and the meaning in the Greek text

The context of this statement by Jesus according to the Gospel of John is clear from the context. A woman from Samaria had addressed him as follows:

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

John 4:19,20 NIV

In other words, she asks Jesus: As a prophet – someone who proclaims God’s messages – can you tell me which form of worship is the right one? It is not just about the place, but also the manner of worship. Jesus answers her as follows:

Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.

John 4:21, 22 NIV

Jesus announces a fundamental change in relation to worship. And then come verses 23 and 24, so what is it about Jesus then speaking of „spirit and truth“?

First of all, we note that the original text does not contain a definite article:

He therefore does not speak of „the spirit and the truth“, even if it is occasionally translated in this way. Some translate it as „truthfulness“ (v23 Neue Evangelistische Übersetzung). If you read through the various translations and commentaries, you will quickly realise that these brief words leave quite a lot of room for interpretation.

„Spirit“

Take Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example. In their New World Translation, the word explanations say:

Therefore, “worship with spirit” apparently refers to worship that is guided by God’s spirit, which would help an individual to be attuned to God’s thinking through study and application of His Word. So Jesus’ statement about worshipping God “with spirit” involves far more than being sincere and having a spirited, or enthusiastic, mental disposition about serving God.

New World Translation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Word explanations John 4:23, 24

Did you notice the word „apparently“? That is always used when they have no biblical evidence for such a claim. And the last sentence „so it’s about much more than serving God sincerely“ was only inserted because the text can certainly be understood in this sense. We will come back to this in a moment.

So does „spirit“ here really mean the „Holy spirit“? Is the Holy Spirit supposed to guide us? Then let’s take another look at verse 24 in the Greek:

At the beginning it says: „Spirit who is God“ and the same word Πνεῦμα (pneuma) is used as in the part „Spirit and truth“. So if it were so simple that „Spirit“ in this verse meant the „Holy Spirit“, then this would be a nice ‚proof text‘ for the Trinity, at least for the fact that God is the Holy Spirit. The authors of Jehovah’s Witnesses have probably also realised this and therefore mentioned it accordingly in their word explanations. HELPS Word-studies summarises:

4151 pneúma – properly, spirit (Spirit), wind, or breath. The most frequent meaning (translation) of 4151 (pneúma) in the NT is „spirit“ („Spirit“). Only the context however determines which sense(s) is meant.

HELPS Word-studies

If you consider the context of this statement by Jesus or the Gospel of John, then ’spirit‘ here stands in contrast to ‚this place or Jerusalem‘. And Jesus answers that no physical place is important for worship, but that this is a mental or spiritual thing.

In the text itself, however, there is even a direct indication that the Holy Spirit cannot be meant. Have you discovered it?

John 4:23 and the ‚guidance of the Holy Spirit‘

Let’s read the beginning of John 4:23 again carefully

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

John 4:23 NIV

So Jesus says that at that moment it is already the case that „people worship in spirit“. But wait a minute. The ‚Holy Spirit‘ was only poured out much later at Pentecost 33 AD! So this text John 4:23 has nothing to do with the idea that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples and that he guided the disciples to understand ‚the truth‘.

John 4:23,24 therefore says nothing about a connection between ‚holy spirit‘ and ‚truth‘ in the sense of ‚correct understanding of biblical truth‘, which one receives when one is guided by the holy spirit.

So isn’t it rather the case that „spirit“ here refers to the human spirit? A worship that is not associated with a place, a temple, with rituals, but refers to a spiritual level?

„Truth“

And does „truth“ in John 4:23, 24 mean something like „correct doctrine, beliefs, dogmas“? Anyone who knows Jehovah’s Witnesses knows that the phrase „being in the truth“ was and is common there for decades. So it is not just about what is written in the Bible (even if the word explanation in the New World Translation of Jehovah’s Witnesses mentions this), but about precisely the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. That only they recognise and „possess“ „the truth“. For example, in a recent article on the topic: Hold Fast to the Truth With Strong Conviction (German Are you convinced you have the truth?)

Jesus loved the truth, that is, the truth about God and His purposes. Jesus lived in harmony with that truth, and he made that truth known to others. (John 18:37) Jesus’ true followers also deeply loved the truth. (John 4:23, 24)

God’s people today do not claim to have perfect or complete knowledge of the truth.  … Jehovah reveals the truth gradually, and we must be willing to wait patiently for the light of truth to get brighter. (Prov. 4:18).

Watchtower 2021 October, p. 22, par. 11, 12, Hold Fast to the Truth With Strong Conviction (German Are you convinced you have the truth?)

There are many more quotes that show that ‚the truth‘ refers to the current teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Is this really what Jesus meant? Let’s look at the meaning of the word ἀληθείᾳ (alētheia) in Greek :

Truth, but not merely truth as spoken; truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straightforwardness.

Strong’s Greek 225

225 alḗtheia (from 227 /alēthḗs, „true to fact“) – properly, truth (true to fact), reality.

[In ancient Greek culture, 225 (alḗtheia) was synonymous for „reality“ as the opposite of illusion, i.e. fact.]

HELPS Word-studies

Now you can look at the 109 usages of this word in the New Testament. Surprisingly, there are only 7 uses in the synoptic gospels. After that there are many more, namely 24 in the Gospel of John. Luke, for example, also uses it in this way: „But in truth, I tell you, :“ (Luke 4:25 ESV) In John 8:44,45, truth is contrasted with lies. And of course there are also texts in which truth means „divine truth revealed to man“, which is one of the possible meanings given in Strong’s Greek Lexicon.

So once again, things are much more complicated than we perhaps thought.

And so we also need to look at the extent to which the Holy Spirit should play a role in understanding the gospel. We can only look at a few aspects here, but that alone will be revealing.

„The spirit of truth“

Let’s start with the words of Jesus according to the Gospel of John:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

John 16:12-15 NIV

We read here about the spirit of truth. The word Πνεῦμα (pneuma) is used for spirit. Exactly the word that was used for „God is a spirit“ and „in spirit and truth“ in John 4:23,24. However, the text is not that easy to understand, because the way Jesus speaks here of the Father and the Holy Spirit as a person is likely to irritate all those who doubt the doctrine of the Trinity. However, we had already noticed this in John 4:23 … but we are getting off the subject.

It is interesting that the part „he will guide you into all the truth“ is already quite freely translated. And there are also two different traditional formulations in the manuscripts!

But when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all the truth; [other manuscripts: guide in all truth]; (Elberfelder)

But when the Helper comes, the Spirit of Truth, he will lead you to the full understanding of the truth [Literally: „he will guide you in the whole“ ( aL(2) „into the whole“ ) truth.]. (NGÜ)

But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you in all truth; [Other textual tradition: „…, he will lead you into the whole truth; …“] (Züricher)

Johannes 16:13

So we cannot clearly decide here whether the Spirit will guide us to a full understanding of the truth, i.e. that we understand everything, or only guide us within the complete truth, i.e. there is no area that remains hidden to the Spirit. But we may not get all. If we look at the context in which Jesus says that everything belongs to him, there is a lot to be said in favour of the latter.

Let’s look at another verse on this topic.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13

Does 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 explain the text from John 16:12-15?

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 NASB 1995

Here, too, we must first of all make it clear that when we read of ‚us‘ and ‚we‘, it is first of all referring to Paul, who wrote the letter, and those in the church in Corinth in the 1st century. The fact that this also applies to us today must be biblically proven!

Can we deduce from this text that we receive the truth explained to us by the Holy Spirit when we read the Bible? Paul begins with the idea that he came to the Corinthians to „make known the mystery of God“ (v1, NET). But the message he came with did not fit in with any of the teachings of the known religions or philosophies. He arrived with something that no one would have thought of on their own: „For I had decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.“ (V2 NET). Now Paul did not simply speak to them and then the Holy Spirit explained everything to them. He says after verse 4: „My word and my preaching were not based on the persuasion of human wisdom, but on the demonstration of God’s Spirit and power.“ And how did others learn about the mystery of God? „No, we preach the mystery of God’s hidden wisdom. That this has now been revealed to us was ordained by God before all time, so that we might share in his glory.“ (v7 NET) So when Paul speaks of it being ‚revealed to us now‘, it does not mean that it was revealed to everyone by the Holy Spirit when they read the Scriptures. For some, like Paul, it may have been, but for most it was revealed through Paul’s preaching. So verse 10 is not to be understood as the Holy Spirit revealing the mysteries directly to everyone. This mostly happened indirectly through the teachings of Jesus, the preaching of Paul, etc.

The fact that the matter is more complicated is shown in the very first verse of the next chapter: „But I have not yet been able to speak to you, brothers, as I would to spirit-filled people. I had to treat you like children who follow their own desires rather than Christ.“ (1 Corinthians 3:1 NEV). Were the Corinthians not led by the Holy Spirit? Were they not anointed? Or not anymore? Or is the idea wrong that one is either guided by the Holy Spirit and deciphers and recognises the truth or not? Is this even an all-or-nothing thing?

1 John 2:27

Then we have 1 John 2:27. Perhaps you have already noticed how often we have ended up here with the Gospel according to John or John’s letters. It is strange that it is only emphasised so late in the scriptures and then only from one source. But that is another topic. So what does 1 John 2:27 say?

But Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit. Now the Spirit stays in you, and you don’t need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches you everything. So stay one in your heart with Christ, just as the Spirit has taught you to do.

1 John 2:27 Contemporary English Version

That’s what it says! „The Spirit teaches you everything“. Here too, of course, who is ‚you‘? Do you feel addressed? But the letter wasn’t addressed to you and me and others 2000 years later.

But the text contains another surprise. Many German translations render this verse is a similar war. But there is a footnote in the German translation Neue Evangelistische Übersetzung: „Literally: the anointing oil. See footnote to verse 20.“ And it says there:

Christ, the Holy One, has blessed you, and now all of you understand.

1 John 2:20 Contemporary English Version

Let’s compare with the German translation Neue Evangelistische Übersetzung:

But you have the Holy Spirit from the Holy One himself [Literally: the anointing oil or anointing. In the Old Testament, kings and priests were anointed at their appointment. This symbolism was intended to remind us that God had called them and equipped them for their mission. And through this anointing you know.

1 John 2:20 NEÜ

So there is nothing here about the Holy Spirit but about the anointing oil or anointing! The word used is χρῖσμα (chrisma) and it occurs exactly 3 times in the Bible – in these two verses! So what does that mean? Did the Holy Spirit whisper it to them?

So I am not writing to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it and know that no lie can come from the truth.

But you, hold on to the message that you have heard from the beginning! If you do this, you will remain united with the Son and the Father.

1 John 2:21, 24 NEÜ

So they had heard the truth as a message from the beginning when they believed and were anointed. If they held on to their anointing and this message, then of course they would not need anyone to teach them anything else. They had already recognised the ‚truth‘ back then.

Therefore, most English Bibles translate 1 John 2:27 like this:

As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 John 2:27 NIV

But somehow the Holy Spirit must have done something in the first century, didn’t he?

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-23 NIV

Were not all the prophetic utterances in the assembly good? Or were they not from the Holy Spirit? It seems to me that the Holy Spirit and the understanding of the Bible is more complicated than it may have seemed at first.

We could analyse other texts on this topic – and possibly experience further surprises. But I think these important examples are enough for now.

To what extent can we know God’s truths?

To what extent did the Holy Spirit explain the „deep things“ in the first century? What does Paul have to say about writing this thought in 1 Corinthians?

For we know in part and prophesy in part;

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. …

1 Corinthians 13:9, 12 NASB

So we should not expect too much. Even the first followers of Jesus should be aware of their limitations.

But perhaps that should change over time. Yes, but in this way:

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

… but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. [Others translate: „What remains until the time comes“. Literally: „But what remains now“. NGÜ].

1 Corinthians 13:8, 10, 13 NEÜ

St Paul says that in his day, despite the Holy Spirit and miraculous gifts, they only understood many things in fragments. And it would become less: „‚the gift of‘ knowledge will no longer exist“. That would change when the ‚whole‘ or ‚perfect‘ would be there. When would that be? And what would be until then? In verse 13, Paul emphasises what we can expect: Faith, hope and love.

If you believe that you are led by the Holy Spirit today, as mentioned in the 1st century scriptures, do you also accept that there are these other gifts of the Spirit? What else was there?

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

1. Korinther 12:8-11 NASB

Is this still promised for our time? Or during the past 2000 years? That’s not what this text says. It only says that it was like that back then. And if you believe that today you are guided by the Holy Spirit when reading the Bible in order to recognise the truth, what about these other gifts? How do you justify on the basis of the New Testament that these are no longer made possible by the Holy Spirit?

It would also be good to read these statements in the context of chapters 12-14. In it, Paul shows that not everyone had these gifts. Not even the ‚gift of knowledge‘. Did they then have to ask others about it when they heard what was read from the Scriptures or the new letters? Interestingly, Paul has this to say in chapter 14: „Did the word of God go out from you? Or did it only come to you?“ (NEÜ). Even if the disciples in Corinth had the Holy Spirit, he had not revealed the truth about the gospel to them independently. And it was no different in the other churches. Paul had preached the gospel to them – it was not revealed to everyone by the Holy Spirit as they read it.

Perhaps you are now confused or see a contradiction: has the Holy Spirit now caused the holy secrets of God, the truth, to be fully recognised or not? If all this has already become too much for you, then I would like to say this:

Important, central truths or secrets of God are not necessarily complicated. The good news that God, through the Messiah and the kingdom, restores the state of creation that he desires, that the Messiah had to die, that the Messiah’s death was not a defeat, but that through his resurrection all enemies and even the worst, death, were eliminated, that was a secret. Saving the world through the suffering and death of the Messiah – no one had even imagined that. But we can understand this – even without knowledge of the original languages, extensive studies, etc.. Just like those to whom Jesus, Paul and others preached.

However, there are also a lot of topics, details and connections that can only be recognised through painstaking, time-consuming Bible study, study of the language and context, etc. And the Holy Spirit is not a shortcut for this.

However, the idea that you only need to ask for the Holy Spirit when reading the Bible in order to understand the mysteries of God runs into problems in a completely different way.

What do you read when you read the Bible?

Most people will read the text of the Bible in their native language, i.e. not in the Greek, Aramaic or Hebrew of antiquity. Between the original text and us, therefore, lies the translation and the different context (see my series The Canon of the New Testament). Does the Holy Spirit supernaturally help you to correctly understand the meaning in the original text when you read a translation in your language? Or do we take falsified or forged Bible texts such as the Comma Johanneum? Would the Holy Spirit prevent you from understanding these Bible texts as „deep things of God“ in your translation? I think everyone can answer that for themselves and the answer is: No.

But what about those who painstakingly tracked down, organised, compared and translated the manuscripts? Did they only pretend to be guided by the Holy Spirit? Could the Holy Spirit not have helped them? Are there really only ‚two classes of Christians‘, as some say? Those who are led by the Holy Spirit and all others who are not led by the Holy Spirit? That is actually a somewhat unfortunate choice of words. In the past, for example, Jehovah’s Witnesses have spoken of „the class of the faithful and discreet slave“, the „class of the anointed“ or the „class of the other sheep“. It only served to differentiate between ‚us‘ and ‚them‘. Can we lump all Christians of one denomination together – or one class? Both those who define and preach the doctrines and the ‚laity‘ who may think quite differently. Just because the Trinity is taught in a church – and we consider this to be a false doctrine? That would mean that there is no one in any of these churches in whom God’s Holy Spirit can work. Shouldn’t we think more carefully about whether the Holy Spirit of God can work in someone to a certain extent? Let us assume that the Bible translators of Christianity did not have the Holy Spirit and that he did not support them, then they nevertheless contributed a lot – actually even everything – to the basis of today’s Bibles and found a lot of ‚correct‘ teachings. So the Holy Spirit would not have played such a decisive role in understanding the Bible after all, as the translator’s difficult task could have been accomplished without him?

So is it the case that someone has or does not have God’s spirit? This is perhaps a wrong formulation, because it sounds like possession. But the Holy Spirit ‚belongs‘ to God (or Jesus, depending on the text). Does the Spirit of God work in someone completely or not at all? That was already not the case in the Old Testament accounts. The temporal perspective is not even taken into account. The Spirit could work for a while and then no longer work. Take Solomon, for example. He had received God’s spirit in a special way. And according to the Bible, there are reports about him and wisdom from him in the Bible. But according to 1 Kings 11:4, this is what happened: „As he grew older, they made him worship other gods. Then his heart was no longer undividedly devoted to Yahweh his God, as was the heart of his father David.“ (NEV). Idolatry – that was the worst thing you could do in God’s eyes. Did he still have ‚God’s spirit‘? Did he allow himself to be led by God’s spirit? To what extent? Did God’s spirit still work in him? The results from the time before were nevertheless included in the biblical canon. And what about David, Abraham, Moses, the judges and the prophets?

So can we judge whether someone was guided – and supported – by God’s Spirit when he researched and wrote about a particular biblical topic? And if he or she also believed in a ‚false teaching‘? None of us can claim that he or she has ‚the whole truth‘. But is there such a thing as false doctrine that prevents someone from writing or saying something that we would accept as ‚biblical truth‘? If we consider the doctrine of the Trinity to be false, can someone who believes in a variant of this doctrine not recognise any other ‚biblical truths‘? And can they not be guided by the Holy Spirit? Perhaps years of indoctrination still unconsciously influence how we think about it. The New Testament rather gives the impression that the disciples had the Holy Spirit and yet still had quite different and also ‚wrong‘ ideas.

A word of caution

But how should we imagine it when someone says that they have God’s Spirit and reads the Bible? Something like this?

The Holy Spirit has helped us to understand previously unclear biblical truths. … Certainly it is not due to any human being that these „deep things of God“ can be discovered and explained. Paul wrote, „These things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit“ (1 Cor. 2:13).

Does that sound right to you? It has also been formulated like this: „If we have God’s breath in us, his Holy Spirit, then we will understand the secret and hidden wisdom of God.“

Now let’s compare the above formulation with the following text. I have emphasised what is identical to the previous formulation:

Signs of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has helped the Governing Body to understand previously unclear biblical truths. … Certainly it is not due to any human being that these „deep things of God“ can be discovered and explained. (Read 1 Corinthians 2:10.) The Governing Body feels as Paul did when he wrote, „These things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit“ (1 Cor. 2:13). Can the rapid increase in spiritual understanding since 1919 after centuries of apostasy and spiritual darkness be due to anything other than the Holy Spirit?

Watchtower 2017, February, p. 26-27, par. 13 Wer führt Gottes Volk heute? ,German (Who leads God’s people today?)

Whether it is Jehovah’s Witnesses as in this quote or any other group, it is truly no surprise that for two thousand years Christians have claimed that they are guided by the Holy Spirit and therefore understand the Bible and the ‚holy secrets of God‘. The question is: can anyone prove this? However, we would not have to answer this question if we could no longer expect the Holy Spirit to guide us in this way.

Can we simply apply these texts to ourselves?

We have already addressed this point twice. Can we always apply the texts of the New Testament to ourselves? When ‚we‘ and ‚you‘ are mentioned, does that also mean you and me?

Even in the first century, many people claimed to be led by God’s Spirit:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 John 4:1 ESV

Interestingly, we are asked to examine the source of the spirit. Belonging to a religion, church or group was not the criterion. Incidentally, in the next verse another criterion is given for recognising the work of the Holy Spirit:

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

1 John 4:2 ESV

An extraordinary announcement that would lead us right into the discussions among the Christians of the first centuries. But not now.

So let’s take a look at some of the texts that talk about the support of the Holy Spirit.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you [o. intercessor; o. helper; literally: the one called] and be with you forever [Greek: aeon] – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you..

John 14:16,17 NIV with comments from Elberfelder

Apart from the fact that aeon does not mean eternity but age, the paráklētos, the ‚helper‘, is mentioned here. Is this the ‚holy spirit‘? It says here: ‚Spirit of truth‘. We should not jump to conclusions here. And who does Jesus mean by ‚you‘? The context shows that the apostles are meant. Can we simply extend this to all followers of Jesus?

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

John 14:18, 19 NIV

Well, who has seen Jesus? You and me? No! The apostles he addressed in this passage. Many apply such texts to themselves without hesitation, but this should be biblically justified!

Just think back to 1 Corinthians 13:8, where Paul says that these special gifts will cease through the Holy Spirit. So before you tell yourself that you are guided by the Holy Spirit when reading the Bible, you should be able to prove from the Bible that this is still the case today! If you are now indignant in your conviction, then think about the millennia before Jesus Christ. Did the ‚Holy Spirit‘ help people to understand the ‚Bible‘ (what there was of it at all) in the way you assume? Think not only of an Abraham or Moses, but also of Hennoch or Job or those Israelites who tried their best? What if God and Jesus had not promised us that we would miraculously recognise ‚the truth‘ today through the Holy Spirit when reading the Bible? What if this had only been limited to the first century and a select few? What then?

To you, He’s explained it, O man…
All the things that are righteous.
And all that Yahweh requires
Is for you to be fair and love mercy,
And to be ready to walk with your God!

Micah 6:8 2001 Translation

The real challenge for disciples of Jesus is not an exact understanding of the ’secrets of God‘, which we can only gain through the Holy Spirit. It is to think, be and do in our daily lives what God has always wanted us to do.

Bible study and the Holy Spirit

Understanding the Bible better and better is indeed hard work. Genuine Bible study is far more than just reading. So when Bible scholars painstakingly and carefully compare texts from the Old and New Testaments or carefully study the meaning of terms in antiquity, they often discover profound things of God that we have never noticed before. Nor do those who are convinced that they are guided by the Holy Spirit when reading the Bible. Considering the work of such scholars does not mean following the teachings of men. They help us to gain a more precise, deeper access to the text.

I think the late scholar Dr Michel S. Heiser made a very important connection in his book The Bible Unfiltered: Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms, Dr Michel S. Heiser explained a very important connection:

One of my favorite scholarly quotations about the hard work of seriously engaging the biblical text—what we popularly call Bible study—is that of the renowned Greek lexicographer, Frederick W. Danker (the “D” in BDAG).1 Danker famously said that “scholars’ tasks are not for sissies.” He was right, and I’m grateful he was willing to say what needed to be said.

The truth about serious Bible study is that it isn’t easy. It takes sustained time and effort, often measured in days, weeks, and months, to really grasp what a passage means (or probably means) and why. If Bible study doesn’t seem like work to you, you aren’t really doing it.

All too often people who sincerely want the feeling of knowing Scripture aren’t willing to put in the time it takes to get there. Instead, they’ll take short cuts and then expect the Spirit to take up the slack. The assumption seems to be that the promise of the Spirit to guide us into truth means he’ll excuse a lack of effort and give us the answers we need. The third person of the Trinity isn’t the boy sitting next to you in high school that lets you cheat off his exam. Rather than substitute the Spirit for personal effort, ask the Spirit for insight to expose flawed thinking (your own and that of whomever you’re reading) when you’re engaged in Bible study. The more of God’s word you’ve devoted attention to, the more the Spirit has to work with.

Michael S. Heiser, The Bible Unfiltered: Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms, Chapter 1

Von Christian

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II can’t tell you how often I used to hear as a Jehovah’s Witness that I „must not miss a meeting“. As a former or active Jehovah’s Witness, I’m sure you can confirm that. I feel like I’ve heard and read this countless times. In the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY, I have already found 40 results for the German text „miss a meeting“ and 125 results for the German „miss meetings“. Then Hebrews 10:24, 25 is usually quoted (usually only excerpts) and Proverbs 18:1.

And this pattern is not only found among Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is therefore a good idea for everyone to take a closer look at the methodology, arguments and biblical texts.

I remember, for example, how the term ’Teffpunkt’ (‚meeting place‘), which was commonly used in German congregations, was no longer to be used, but the official term ‚meeting for the preaching service‘. A circuit overseer also emphasised this. After all, attending this ‚meeting‘ was compulsory! And that was exactly the point: Not loving care but compulsory attendance at meetings and conventions. Always coupled with the advice that otherwise you would become selfish and fall away from the faith, which of course scares you.

You don’t believe that? Here are a few quotes:

Isolating ourselves instead of enjoying regular Christian fellowship at meetings can be damaging to us. It can lead to our ‘seeking our own selfish longings.’ (Prov. 18:1) So we are wise to ask ourselves, ‘Is it my custom to attend all the meetings and benefit from them?’​—Heb. 10:24, 25.

Wachttower 2013 2/15 p. 23 Beware of the Intentions of the Heart

Peter showed genuine faith by gathering with his brothers despite his low spirits. When one is burdened by sadness or regret, isolation is tempting but dangerous. (Prov. 18:1) The wise course is to stay close to fellow believers and regain spiritual strength.​—Heb. 10:24, 25.

Imitate Their Faith p. 202 par. 20

True Christians are organized to support and encourage one another. A lone mountaineer can decide where he wants to climb, and he does not have to look after less experienced climbers. However, if he has an accident or gets into difficulty, he will be in serious danger, as there will be no one to assist him. Isolating oneself is truly unwise. (Proverbs 18:1) For Christians to carry out Jesus’ command, they must help and support one another. (Matthew 28:19, 20) The Christian congregation provides much-needed Biblical instruction, training, and encouragement for all to keep going and not to give up. Where would one go to be instructed in Jehovah’s ways if there were no organized Christian meetings for instruction and worship?​—Hebrews 10:24, 25.

Wachttower 2011 6/1 p. 14-15 Does God Have an Organization?

The last quote from the 2011 Watchtower is particularly interesting. The article is about God having an organisation. Why Proverbs 18:1 and Hebrews 10:24, 25 are applied in this way becomes clear from the concluding paragraph:

Genuine love for God and love for Bible truth have drawn millions to an organization that meets these and other Biblical criteria. As an organized and unified body of people, Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide endeavor to do God’s will. They are assured of his promise: “I shall reside among them and walk among them, and I shall be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16) This wonderful blessing can be yours too if you worship Jehovah God with his organization.

Wachttower 2011 6/1 p. 15 Does God Have an Organization?

So it is always about the fact that there is only one organisation that is from God. The message is: ‚All the others are not of God. And so you have to go to these meetings because otherwise you are not where ‚God is‘. And where else are you going to get ’spiritual food‘? It’s not wise and even dangerous if you don’t go. Then you are isolating yourself and that will end badly for you. Because you will only follow your desires and reject wisdom.

And this has been emphasised again and again for decades:

How, then, can we individually build to greater maturity and become effective teachers? In addition to personal study of the Bible we need the rich association of fellow Christians at all congregational meetings.

To profit regularly from the latest revealed truths from the Temple, flowing down through Jehovah’s channel-like organization, be sure to attend these meetings.

Yes, for compelling reasons we should form the good habit of regular meeting attendance, if we have not already done so.

Watchtower 1963 6/1 p. 336-337, par. 11

The intention is very clear: only those who can be indoctrinated several times a week in the meetings remain in line with the Watchtower organisation:

Do you ever feel spiritually weak? Examine yourself. Very likely you have not been going to meetings regularly. You lack association with your brothers. When one begins missing meetings one is withdrawing from Jehovah’s organization, and that is when one begins to become weak. He ceases to express himself or make a public declaration of his hope. In these last days of the Devil’s organization this is no time to take chances.

Watchtower 1955 1/1 p. 19 p. 7

Is this loving care or is a threatening backdrop being created here for other reasons? The answer is not difficult.

But enough quotes from the Watchtower for now. Is it even true what the Watchtower keeps writing? Are these two Bible texts even applied correctly?

Hebrews 10:24,25

In the context of the meetings, Hebrews 10:24, 25 is often introduced in a certain way:

In response to the Bible’s injunction [German Watchtower: biblical commandment] ‘not to forsake gathering together,’ the Witnesses came up with an ingenious solution​—Nicaragua’s first floating Kingdom Hall!​—Hebrews 10:25.

Watchtower 2009 9/1 p. 26

Now please read the verses and the chapter and ask yourself whether this is a commandment like the 10 commandments or the two that Jesus emphasised. No, of course it is not a biblical commandment. And apart from Hebrews 10:25, no other text is quoted. I wonder why?

By the way: Have you noticed the often omitted second part of the verse? „and all the more so as you see the day drawing near.“ it says. What day? When was the letter to the Hebrews written? By the way, its author is unknown and not Paul (see my video The Canon of the New Testament – Part 17: The Writers of the New Testament). There are various interpretations of what is meant by the day. The letter was probably written in the years before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. It is therefore worth thinking about whether the text was written for a specific time or is applicable to all times. In any case, it would be good to understand a text as a whole before applying it.

Incidentally, the Greek here stands for coming together, which only occurs exactly twice in the New Testament:

ἐπισυναγωγὴν (episynagōgēn) is also used in 2 Thessalonians 2:1

We read:

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered [ἐπισυναγωγῆς (episynagōgēs)] to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

2 Thessalonians 2:1,2 NIV

That’s interesting. The word is only used twice at all. In Hebrews 10:25, the reason for coming together is that they see the day approaching. And in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 the same word is used for the union with the Lord Jesus Christ at his return, with the warning in verse 2 that some claim that the day of the Lord is already here.

How should we understand Proverbs 18:1?

A few other quotes from the publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

We can regain the proper viewpoint by joining our brothers in worship instead of isolating ourselves (Ps 73:17; Pr 18:1; w20.12 19 ¶15-16)

Our Christian Life and Ministry—Meeting Workbook—2024, August 2024

Those three examples teach us another important lesson​—we should not isolate ourselves from Jehovah and his people. (Prov. 18:1)

Watchtower 2019, June p. 18, par. 16

But is Proverbs 18:1 really about attending meetings, whether of Jehovah’s Witnesses or any other groups and churches? We should not read anything into the Bible (eisegesis), but let the Bible speak for itself (exegesis).

However, this is not so easy with Proverbs 18:1, because the Hebrew text is short and quite obscure for us today. In fact, modern translators have always inserted words to make sense of the Hebrew. And since the King James Version, many have followed a rendering. This also suited all churches and is therefore still used.

Are there any ancient sources that can help us here? Yes, namely the Greek Septuagint and the Aramaic text. And what does the Septuagint and the Aramaic text say?

He who follows his desire separates himself, / he runs against all wisdom. (Einheitsübersetzung)

An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. (NIV)

In his idleness one meditates on lust and mocks at good instruction. (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

A man who wishes to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be liable to reproach.(Brenton Septuagint Translation und andere Übersetzungen der Septuaginta)

Those making excuses are rejected by friends,And they’ll always be spoken of poorly. (2001 Translation, takes into account the Septuagint)

Proverbs 18:1

The ancient translators were much closer to it and had a completely different understanding of Proverbs 18:1 than today’s translators of the Masoretic Hebrew text. You are probably as surprised as I am. But we wouldn’t have had to be if we had read all the texts compiled in Proverbs. Let’s read the first 4 in context:

Those who avoid other people think only of themselves and their own desires; they fiercely resist everything that is supposed to make them realise this.

A fool doesn’t even try to understand anything. He just wants to show everyone how clever he is.

Those who renounce God inevitably become guilty. But guilt brings shame and scorn.

A person’s words can be a source from which wisdom gushes forth constantly; inexhaustible and of profound truth.

Proverbs 18:1-4 Hoffnung für alle

So Proverbs 18 is not at all about meetings and fellowship with a particular church, group or whatever.

The application of Proverbs 18:1 by Jehovah’s Witnesses and others now not only appears to be questionable. It is wrong. And yet it is precisely this text that is used again and again. And no other text – also interesting, isn’t it?

And what did Jesus say?

Jesus also had something to say on the subject, but he is not quoted so often:

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst

Matthew 18:20 NASB

Incidentally, the text is only very rarely used in the Watchtower literature. Sometimes in connection with meetings with only a few people present. But I found this eisegesis surprising:

In context, this statement applies to Christian elders who are meeting to handle serious problems between individuals, but in principle, it also applies to our meetings. (Matthew 18:20)

Watchtower 2006 11/1 p. 28-29, par. 5

Can’t we get together with other Christians?

Of course, it also becomes problematic when people start to differentiate between Christians on the basis of their denomination. For example, if you deny that God’s Holy Spirit can work in them. Jehovah’s Witnesses sound like this:

Further, you learn that this [Christ’s ransom sacrifice] is not an isolated action on your part but that you must faithfully and regularly assemble with God’s people, “not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day [of the old world’s end] drawing near.” (Heb. 10:25, NW) Where can you assemble with such people to study such things? Certainly not in the majority of church organizations today where people have been members for forty or fifty years and still are unable to explain the elementary doctrines of Christianity. But you do meet people who can give you such encouragement, and you really do study God’s Word when you attend the regular meetings at the more than 14,000 Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the world.

Watchtower 1955 7/15 p. 423-424

Conclusion

If you once again hear the argument that you must obey the command in Hebrews 10:24,25 to attend the meetings because otherwise you are separating yourself according to Proverbs 18:1 just to follow your own desires and rejecting all wisdom, then remember our analysis of these Bible passages.