Mediator
Cults commonly claim the leaders of the organization mediate for the followers. In
Combating Cult Mind Control p.202 Steven Hassan warns “Mystical manipulation can take on a special quality in these cults because the leaders become mediators for God. The God-centered principles can be put forcibly and claimed exclusively, so that the cult and its beliefs become the only true path to salvation.”
With this in mind it is important to understand the Watchtower Doctrine on the Mediator.
In Christianity Jesus is the mediator through which all mankind have freedom to approach God. Paul simply states at 1 Tim.2:5,6;
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all”
Jesus alone is our mediator and Paul does not limit who this opportunity is available to. Cult leaders disregard this concept by assuming the role of mediator upon themselves in order to heighten their own authority. A range of explanations have been devised to undermine Paul’s statement in order to claim the title of mediator for themselves.
Who is the mediator for Jehovah's Witnesses? Not Jesus! Though rarely mentioned, Jesus is not mediator to the Great Crowd of Jehovah’s Witnesses or for the rest of mankind.
Worldwide Security Under the “Prince of Peace” pp. 10-11 “Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members.”
If Jesus is only mediator for the few thousand remaining remnant on earth, who is mediator for the millions of Jehovah's Witnesses that do not form part of the 144,000?
Watchtower 1979 April 1 p.31
“Is Jesus the “mediator” only for anointed Christians?
… So in this strict Biblical sense Jesus is the “mediator” only for anointed Christians.
…The “great crowd” of “other sheep” that is forming today is not in that new covenant. However, by their associating with the “little flock” of those yet in that covenant they come under benefits that flow from that new covenant.”
Watchtower 1979 November 15 p.27 Benefiting from “One Mediator Between God and Men”
“They recognize that they are not spiritual Israelites in the new covenant mediated by Jesus Christ, nor part of the “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.”—1 Pet. 2:9.
24 Yet they do benefit from the operation of the new covenant. They benefit from this just as, in ancient Israel, the “alien resident” benefited from residing in among the Israelites who were in the Law covenant.—Ex. 20:10; Lev. 19:10, 33, 34; Rev. 7:9-15.
25 To keep in relationship with “our Savior, God,” the “great crowd” needs to remain united with the remnant of spiritual Israelites.”
Most congregations no longer have any of the “little flock” to associate with and the reality for a Jehovah's Witnesses is that salvation comes from following the Governing Body, the leaders of the Organization. Jesus role as mediator for the anointed alone underpins the concept that following the directions of a “Faithful and Discreet Slave” is necessary for salvation.
What the Bible Says
The underlying Watchtower reason for Jesus mediating only for the Anointed is that the Bible shows that the New Covenant gives access to a heavenly resurrection. As the Watchtower Society claims only 144,000 go to heaven they are in a bind to say it can only apply to them. (See
Great Crowd to understand why this doctrine is wrong.) The Bible says something quite different, showing Jesus offers to be mediator for all "mankind".
The Law Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant for forgiveness of sins.
Watchtower 1980 November 1 p.31
“Jehovah provided Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice to take away sins. This is a specific provision of the “new covenant.””
As with the Law Covenant, the New Covenant is a requirement for forgiveness of sins and is open to all. Being better than the Law Covenant the New Covenant makes possible and is necessary for everlasting life.
The following scriptures discuss the requirement for all to have forgiveness of sins and make no mention that the covenant is limited to just the priests but is available to all.
Acts 13:38-39
“Let it therefore be known to YOU, brothers, that through this One a forgiveness of sins is being published to YOU; 39 and that from all the things from which YOU could not be declared guiltless by means of the law of Moses, everyone who believes is declared guiltless by means of this One.”
Hebrews 9:15, 28
“So that is why he is a mediator of a new covenant, … 28so also the Christ was offered once for all time to bear the sins of many; and the second time that he appears it will be apart from sin and to those earnestly looking for him for [their] salvation.”
Romans 3:21-30
“But now apart from law God’s righteousness has been made manifest, as it is borne witness to by the Law and the Prophets; 22 yes, God’s righteousness through the faith in Jesus Christ, for all those having faith. For there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom [paid] by Christ Jesus. … 29 Or is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of people of the nations? Yes, of people of the nations also…”
Ephesians 1:7
“By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of [our] trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness.”
Romans 6:23
“For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Hebrews 7:25
“Consequently he is able also to save completely those who are approaching God through him, because he is always alive to plead for them.”
Hebrews 8:10-12
“‘For this is the covenant that I shall covenant with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I shall write them. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people. 11 “‘And they will by no means teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying: “Know Jehovah!” For they will all know me, from [the] least one to [the] greatest one of them. 12 For I shall be merciful to their unrighteous deeds, and I shall by no means call their sins to mind anymore.’”
In the Scriptures the term mediator is applied to Moses and Jesus, the mediators respectively of the Law Covenant and the New Covenant.” Matthew 26:27-28 states that forgiveness of sins comes from the New Covenant;
“Also, he took a cup and, having given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: “Drink out of it, all of YOU; 28 for this means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.”
Jesus mediates on behalf of all humankind because the new covenant exists for “forgiveness of sins”.
Jesus is Mediator and High Priest of the New Covenant. All people can avail themselves of forgiveness of sins through the new Covenant and thus have Jesus as their Mediator and High Priest. The New Covenant can only be applied to mankind by Jesus, not by any other humans. (1 Tim 2:5) The Watchtower contains an inconsistent view of the mediator. Christians generally believe that Jesus sacrifice for forgiveness of sins is offered to all mankind, and comes from his role as both Mediator and High Priest of the New Covenant. However the Watchtower view is quite unique in that it separates Jesus role for different classes;
- Mediator only for the 144,000
- High Priest on behalf of all
There is no scriptural precedent to support the idea that the Mediator can be for a different group than that of the High Priest, or that the High Priest atoned for people not under covenant. This doctrine was not introduced until the 1930's by Rutherford.
Watchtower 1934 April 1 p.104
“Christ Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant toward his own brethren, that is to say, spiritual Israel, during the period of time God is taking out from the nations a people for his name.”
The introduction of these teachings was a critical turning point for the Watchtower Society. Rutherford was able to introduce the concept of narrow salvation. Russell’s idea that the majority of mankind were to survive Armageddon could be extinguished. Salvation became dependant solely on belonging to the Watchtower Society. This use of control has continued ever since. From that time forward the leaders of the Watchtower Society, as part of Spiritual Israel, could demand unquestioning obedience from the secondary class of other sheep.
Watchtower 2002 February 1 p. 23
“All of this should impress upon the minds of the other sheep why the Christian Greek Scriptures focus so much attention on Christ and his anointed brothers and their central role in the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes. The other sheep therefore consider it a privilege to support in every way possible the anointed slave class while awaiting “the revealing of the sons of God” at Armageddon and during the Millennium. They can look forward to being “set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.”—Romans 8:19-21.”
Survival into a New Earth p.96
“But that does not necessarily mean that they are marked for survival. They must be marked by the ‘man with the secretary’s inkhorn.’ The facts show that “the faithful and discreet slave” class is doing that marking work today.—Matthew 24:45-47. All who want to be marked as having God’s approval must accept the instruction that Jehovah is providing through that “slave” class and become true worshipers of Jehovah.”
In the opening quote Lifton warned that the leaders of a cult invariably place themselves as mediators for God. The resultant conclusion of Watchtower doctrine is that the Governing Body have elevated their role to that of mediators themselves.
Survival into a New Earth p. 65
“With Christ they make up the agency by means of which blessings will be extended to all other obedient ones among mankind. Appreciation of this is a key to understanding the Bible.”
Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2 p.363 Mediator
“Being made kings and priests by reason of the new covenant that he mediated, they will share in administering the blessings of Jesus’ sacrifice and of his Kingdom rule to all the nations of the earth. Christ’s mediatorship, having accomplished its purpose by bringing “the Israel of God” into this position, thus results in benefits and blessings to all mankind.”
Conclusion
Jesus is mediator to all mankind. No man is our head; every man should answer only to Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:3
“But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ”
There is no intermediary between us and Christ; Jesus is both our Mediator and High Priest.
The Watchtower teaches that only 144,000 people make up the New Covenant, and that Jesus is mediator for them alone. Of the billions of people that have ever lived the New Covenant is only open to 144,000 people, around 50,000 of which lived in the first half on the 1900’s.
By saying that Jehovah's Witnesses can only have a relationship with their Saviour if they are united with the Slave Class, Rutherford transferred tremendous power to himself and the following leaders of the Watchtower Organisation, effectively creating the structure necessary for and indicative of a cult.
