Mark 10:25
Mark 10:2525It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
("easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God") is sometimes cited in JW publications as a warning against materialism. The verse functions in JW commentary as a critique of secular wealth pursuit, not as a self-applied test of organisational finance. When televangelists are critiqued for private jets and mansions, this verse is the typical proof-text; the Watchtower's own real-estate holdings (Warwick complex, Bethel Brooklyn pre- sale) and the historical Beth Sarim mansion are not held up to the same standard.
Affirm what the Witness already affirms — the prosperity-gospel scandal really is a scandal, and Reformed and confessional Protestant Christianity has been saying so for decades (John MacArthur's "Ashamed of the Gospel," the Reformed critique of Word of Faith theology). Then apply the same standard consistently. Pair with and . Jesus's warning about wealth is a structural test that applies to any religious movement that accumulates resources through donations — the test does not depend on whether the recipients are paid clergy or unpaid elders. The Watchtower's September 2017 Governing Body letter encouraging Kingdom Halls to send excess funds to Warwick, the May 2015 Watchtower encouraging members to consider naming the organisation in their wills, and the historical Beth Sarim pattern all deserve examination by the same standard the JW rightly applies to Copeland.