Matthew 15:9
Matthew 15:99They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”
The Watchtower frequently cites this verse against mainstream Christianity, arguing that doctrines such as the Trinity, hellfire, and the immortality of the soul are "commands of men" absorbed from pagan philosophy. It appears prominently in JW literature as proof that Christendom has departed from pure worship. However, the verse is never applied reflexively: the Watchtower's own history of imposing and reversing extra-biblical rules — organ transplant bans (banned 1967, permitted 1980), vaccination prohibitions (condemned 1920s-30s, permitted 1952), beard bans (enforced ~1950s-2023, reversed October 2023) — is not acknowledged as fitting the same pattern.
Jesus quotes to condemn worship rendered meaningless by the substitution of human traditions for divine commands. The principle is diagnostic: any rule that (a) lacks scriptural warrant, (b) is imposed as binding, and (c) is later reversed by the same authority reveals itself as a command of men, not of God. The Watchtower's track record fits this diagnosis precisely. Doctrines presented as "Jehovah's will" one decade are quietly retired the next under the banner of "new light." The beard ban, enforced for approximately sixty years and costing brothers pioneering privileges and service opportunities, was reversed in October 2023 with no apology or acknowledgement of the harm caused. reinforces the point: rules like "do not handle, do not taste, do not touch" have "an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed worship" but no genuine spiritual value. The Berean test () and ("do not go beyond the things that are written") provide the positive standard. Scripture makes the man of God "fully competent, completely equipped" (, NWT). Whatever an organisation adds beyond Scripture falls under the warning of .