Debate with Jehovah's Witnesses   First Meeting: 1. On Tradition and Scripture Orthodox : I am glad that you have agreed to this meeting. The Scriptures say: "Those who were here were more gracious than those of Thessalonica: they received the word with all diligence, examining the Scriptures daily, whether it was so" (Acts 17:11). Indeed, it is very important to study the biblical texts to clarify this or that issue.

I propose that the first topic be to consider the question of what is the main criterion for us: Scripture or Tradition?   Sectarian: The Bible is a precious gift from God. It teaches the truth about Jehovah, who he is, and what his standards and purposes are. Only the Bible can teach us how to please God , Jehovah. It is said: "Thus says the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is profitable, who leads you in the way in which you must go. Oh, that thou wouldst hearken unto my commandments!

then your peace would be like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea" (Isaiah 48:17-18). The author of the "Hebrew" and "Greek" Scriptures of the Bible is not a man, but God living in heaven. I will read: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16); and again: "Knowing first of all that no prophecy in the Scriptures can be resolved by itself.

For prophecy was never uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:20-21).   Orthodox: I would like to draw your attention to the text from the Epistles of the Apostle Peter: "And consider the patience of our Lord to be salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, as he says about it and in all the Epistles, in which there is something incomprehensible, which the ignorant and unconfirmed, like the rest of the Scriptures, turn to their own destruction" (2 Pet. 3:3). 15-16).

Here it is said that there are two categories of people who "turn to their own destruction, like the rest of the Scriptures" – these are the "ignorant and unapproved". The ignorant are people who have been baptized, but have not been taught the faith. The unconfirmed are those who do not belong to the Church, who are not baptized and who have not been taught. Each of these two groups of people, when reading the Bible, communicates not with the Word of God, but with their own subjective understanding of this Book.

Scripture needs to be interpreted correctly. Of the Jews who did not believe in Christ the Lord Jesus, it is said: "But their minds are blinded: for the same veil remains unremoved to this day in the reading of the Old Testament, because it is removed by Christ. To this day, when they read Moses, the veil lies over their hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:14-15). The eunuch of the queen of Ethiopia, when he was reading the prophet Isaiah, to the question of the Apostle Philip: "Do you understand what you are reading?

" — answered: "How can I understand, if someone does not instruct me? and he asked Philip to go up and sit down with him" (Acts 8:30-31). Scripture is always in need of interpretation. In the biblical book of Nehemiah it is said: "And they read from the book, from the law of God, distinctly, and added the interpretation, and the people understood what they read" (Neh. 8:8).   Sectarian: All of our meetings are organized in this way: they together form a single worldwide assembly, the leading core of which is the anointed members of the "Governing Body."

The "World Headquarters" is located in New York (Brooklyn). The role of the worldwide management of our organization is foretold in the Bible: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts: It shall come to pass in those days, ten men out of all the nations of many tongues, shall take hold of the hem of Judah, and shall say, We will go with thee, for we have heard that God is with you" (Zech. 8:23). Unity is achieved by the fact that everyone loyally submits to the organized channel of communication, the "faithful and discreet slave."

Jesus said that the "slave" should distribute food at the right time and take care of all his "possessions," his Kingdom interests on earth. Let us read: "Who then is the faithful and discreet servant whom his master has set over his servants, to give them food at the right time? Blessed is the servant whom his master finds, when he comes, doing so; verily I say unto you, that he shall set it over all his possessions" (Matt. 24:45-47).

This "faithful slave" is not an individual Christian, but there is a "remnant" of the 144,000 anointed followers of Christ who are still on earth, walking in his footsteps. Today, they are part of spiritual Israel, anointed with the spirit of God's congregation. "To those who walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and unto the Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16)

; compare: "And my witnesses, saith the Lord, are ye and my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe me, and understand that it is I: before me there was no God, neither shall there be after me" (Isaiah 43:10). This remnant faithfully fulfills the duty of a "slave" in this time of the end by taking the lead in preaching the good news of the Kingdom and by distributing spiritual food to the household of faith in a timely manner.

See what is said: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14). You have read the text about the veil of ignorance, but you have not read it completely. See: "But when they turn to the Lord, then this veil is taken off. The Lord is Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Christ is the "head" of the church of the anointed congregation of 144,000, and through them he provides the right instruction in the faith to the "great crowd." And who in your Orthodoxy provides believers with the correct understanding (interpretation) of biblical truths?   Orthodox: Many of the issues that you outlined in your sermon we will consider when we talk about the Church.