Hebrews 4:16
Hebrews 4:1616Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The Watchtower restricts direct approach to God through the Faithful and Discreet Slave / Governing Body channel: "Come to Jehovah's organization for salvation" (The Watchtower, November 15, 1981, p. 212). 's invitation to "approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech" is read as applying primarily to the 144,000 anointed who are parties of the new covenant; the great crowd's access is mediated through the organisation's published direction rather than through immediate prayer to God in Christ.
is the throne-room invitation that is unconditional on organisational status. The "us" of 4:16 is the same "us" of 4:14 ("we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God") — every reader who confesses Jesus. There is no two-tier access in the verse and no qualifying membership in any subset. Pair with ("come to ME"), (vine and branches with no organisational trunk between), and (the believer's "Abba, Father" cry). If Jesus invites you directly, an institution standing between you and his throne stands where places nothing.
The NWT renders charis as "undeserved kindness" in both 1984 and 2013 here ("the throne of undeserved kindness"), consistent with its systematic treatment of grace-language across the New Testament. The phrase is documented at ("you have been saved by undeserved kindness"), , and . The semantic narrowing shifts the focus from the gift's character (gratuitous favour, the gospel's free basis) to the recipient's unworthiness — and the throne becomes a throne of pity for unworthy persons rather than a throne of freely-given righteousness in Christ. Standard English translations (ESV, NIV, NASB, KJV) read "throne of grace."