In the final talk of the Saturday afternoon session of the 2021 “Powerful By Faith” Regional Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, David Splane makes a desperate attempt at convincing his audience that only loyal witnesses can be trusted. According to him, if you disagree with the governing body in any way you are lying. If you believe any negative report you are naive but if you believe everything he says without checking the facts you are not. In his talk he contradicted his own publications twice. Once with his application of Job 12:11 and secondly with Matthew 5:25,26. This is a member of the governing body. One of eight men that serve as God’s channel of communication to all humans on earth today. Yet he demonstrates that he is either a very poor researcher of the Scriptures and his own literature or he is being deliberately deceptive and counting on his audience to not check the facts.
While there is much to say about the contents of this talk I just had to share my thoughts on what I consider to be one of the most obvious misapplications of scripture by this man since his redefining of what Jesus meant by “this generation“.
Does testing out words mean to consider the source? Not only did Job make this expression. The young man Elihu said something very similar in chapter 34. Note the context:
34 So E·liʹhu continued to say in reply: 2 “Listen to my words, you who are wise; Hear me, you who know so much. 3 For the ear tests words Just as the tongue tastes food. 4 Let us evaluate for ourselves what is right; Let us decide among ourselves what is good. (Job 34:1-4)
Was Elihu asking Job and his false comforters to consider the source? Clearly not. His first words were “Listen to my words”.
`Interestingly this verse was commented on in the Awake magazine:
“The Bible encourages us to test out what people say rather than just blindly accept everything we hear. “The ear itself makes a test of words, just as the palate tastes when eating,” it says. (Job 34:3) Isn’t that true? Don’t we usually taste food before we swallow it? We should also make a test of people’s words and actions before we swallow them. No one who is genuine will take offense if we check his credentials. That we should check to see that something is genuine is supported by the Scottish proverb that says: “He that deceives me once, shame fall him; if he deceives me twice, shame fall me.”
The apostle Paul advised: “Put all things to the test.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, Today’s English Version) The word used by the apostle Paul for “test” was also used in connection with testing precious metals to see if they were genuine. A prudent person always tested to see if what he was buying was genuine. Otherwise he might have ended up with what was called fool’s gold—something that looked like gold but that was, in fact, worthless. (Awake February 8, 1996 pg. 6)
A search of Job 12:11 in the Watchtower library does not produce this article. Is that the reason this particular verse was chosen and not Job 34:3? Notice that, as the article points out, Elihu compares words with food which must be tasted. He does not say the food is poisonous and should be avoided as Splane would have his audience believe. Either he is deceptively manipulating the scripture to make his point or, due to lack of understanding, he is unable to correctly apply the proverbial saying.
Like a thorn plant that comes into the hand of a drunkard, So is a proverb in the mouth of stupid people. (Proverbs 26:9)
Actually I was unable to find one single instance in the entire Bible showing that putting something or someone to the test involves anything other than a careful scrutiny of their claims.
What does the apostle John mean when he admonishes Christians to test the inspired expressions? (1 John 4:1)
What was Jesus commending those in the congregation of Ephesus for when they “put those to the test” who said they were apostles but found them liars? (Rev. 2:2)
Actually if you wanted to prove that negative talk should be completely avoided, why would the book of Job be your choice? Consider. In the first chapter Jehovah invites Satan to speak and does not shield an assembly of all the angels from hearing him raise questions about man’s integrity and God’s way of ruling, requesting that God remove his protection so that he could be allowed to test Job. God permits this and all the angels curiously watch what the outcome would be. During the ensuing lengthy discussion, Job listens and responds to negative, critical, even demon inspired talk. Neither did Jehovah nor the young man Elihu discourage Job from listening. At the conclusion, rather than being reproved by Jehovah for listening, Job is commended for speaking what is truthful about God. Not only that, the writer, Moses, is inspired by God’s holy spirit to include this as part of the sacred scriptures from which we today learn the valuable role we can have in giving Jehovah a means to reply to the one taunting him. (Pr. 27:11)
