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Doctrine changes · Claim record

The organisation's account of the Bible's central subject changed: God's chief purpose was restated as the vindication of his sovereignty rather than the salvation of people, and the main theme as the Kingdom rather than the ransom.

Claim ID claim-doctrine-chg-chief-purposeConcerns 1 January 1932Later reinterpretation
Later reinterpretation · 1 January 1932 Supported

The organisation's account of the Bible's central subject changed: God's chief purpose was restated as the vindication of his sovereignty rather than the salvation of people, and the main theme as the Kingdom rather than the ransom. The Watchtower, 15 May 1995

The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation adds that after this change “Dedicated Christians were no longer primarily concerned with their getting to heaven.”

Show the evidence (1 source)
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Part 1—Flashes of Light—Great and Small”

15 May 1995 · p.20 · par. 17 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“In time, flashes of light revealed that Jehovah’s chief purpose was, not the salvation of creatures, but the vindication of his sovereignty. The most important theme of the Bible was seen to be, not the ransom, but the Kingdom, for it will vindicate Jehovah’s sovereignty.”

The paragraph records a change in the organisation's account of what the Bible is chiefly about, and adds that “Dedicated Christians were no longer primarily concerned with their getting to heaven.”

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Document opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026; the wording was read in full and the page number taken from the library's own page markers.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-chg-d-w-1995-0515-p1-chief-purpose

Claim page

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