www.christian-apologetics.org/mcas/ | [email protected] a brief overview of...

www.christian-apologetics.org/mcas/ | [email protected]

A BRIEF overview of Jehovah’s Witnesses

- Will McGregor


Je·ho·vah's Witness

• n. A member of a religious denomination founded in the United States during the late 19th century in which active evangelism is practiced, the imminent approach of the millennium is preached, and war and organised governmental authority in matters of conscience are strongly opposed.


Statistics:

2005 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide • Jehovah’s Witnesses world-wide number 6,613,829• 13,427 are “kiwi”• Ratio: 1 Witness to 306 persons• Total hours preaching (NZ): 1,985,175


In understanding the difference between Jehovah's Witnesses and biblical

Christianity, we only have to look at where our final authority lies.

For the bible-believing Christian, his or her final authority is God as He has revealed

Himself in His Word and His incarnation. For many religious people, their authority and

dependence rests in another quarter - man-made religion and rules.


Jehovah's Witnesses claim to have a personal relationship with the God of the

universe. They claim to be God's sole channel of communication to this world.

They are led by an organisation called the ‘Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.’

Objectively examining their history, beliefs and teachings in light of Scripture, one can

easily see that this organisation is altogether mislead in it's understanding of biblical truth.


One of the defining features of a cult is dependence and trust in an individual or

group who has authority over the member's life and actions. For the JW, this authority is the Watchtower Bible And Tract Society that started with Charles Taze Russell in 1879.


Russell was raised in the Presbyterian church until, during his early years, his

family began to attend a Congregationalist church. Here he came to be very disturbed by the biblical concept of hell and eternal

punishment. It was when he was in his late teens, he rejected the doctrine of eternal

torment outright and left organised religion.


Russell developed a following as he emphasised that upon death, the individual

was unconscious in the grave, knowing neither heaven or hell... you're just... dead. Extinct. But then you're raised again in the next age! (a difficult process, surely!). Luke 16 answers a lot of those thoughts... also

Hebrews 9:27, "For it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment." There is no second probation after death as they

teach.


Russell also became very interested in the teachings of N.H. Barbour - Barbour (along with many others of the day) predicted the date of the actual, physical return of Christ.

Barbour's particular prediction was that Christ would return in 1874. Charles Russell

agreed with Barbour and the two began to work together.


Now even here, we can see that from the beginning, the foundation of the Jehovah's Witness movement wasn't built on the solid

rock of the Word of God - but rather the foolish speculations of men... Jesus was

clear about this in Matthew 24 - of that day - No one knows, not the angels, nor the Son -

but the Father alone! We also know from Acts 1, this same Jesus will return in like

manner as He left!


When Christ did not return in 1874, the two justified the false prophecy by saying, He did return - it was just invisible. But that was just

the start. They've continued to predict Christ's coming many times since!


Doctrines:

• Jehovah's Witnesses deny the Trinity, the deity of Christ - (He being God's Son - but not God, the Son). They actually teach that Jesus is Michael the Archangel - God's first creation thru' whom He created all "other" things.

• They deny the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit - He being described as merely an influence (or an "impersonal active force").


Doctrines:

Matthew 28:19... from the NWT (their own translation) tells us:

"Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.”

Now, does this make sense? “...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of Michael the Archangel and of the impersonal active force of God.”

That is exactly what you end up with when you substitute Watchtower teachings with that verse.


Doctrines:

• JW's refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the national anthem, celebrate Christmas or birthdays. They're not allowed to serve in the armed forces.

• They believe that all other religions, including Christianity, are in darkness and deceived - that only Jehovah’s Witnesses have a true understanding of God and salvation.


"So Jehovah's visible organization under Christ is a channel for bringing the divine interpretation of his word to his devoted people." (Watchtower Magazine, 1/6/1938 pg.169)

"Avoid independent thinking... questioning the counsel that is provided by God's visible organization... Fight against independent thinking." (Watchtower Magazine, 15/1/1983 pg. 22, 27)

Dissent and independent thinking are not permitted within the Watchtower organisation and following. A member need only to question the Society, and that member is "disfellowshipped" and other JW's are not allowed to make any contact with the offending party. This flies in the clear instruction of Scripture to "examine everything" and to "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1).


Changes in position…

• Resurrection of the Men of Sodom1879 - They will be resurrected1952 - They will not be resurrected1965 - They will be resurrected1988 - They will not be resurrected

• The 'Lord' in Romans 10:12-161903 - 'Lord' refers to Jesus1940 - 'Lord' refers to Jehovah1978 - 'Lord' refers to Jesus1980 - 'Lord' refers to Jehovah


Changes in position…

• 'Higher Powers' of Romans 13:11916 - 'Higher powers' refers to governments1943 - 'Higher powers' refers to Jehovah God & Jesus Christ1964 - 'Higher powers' refers to governments

• Separating 'sheep and goats' (Matt. 25:31-46)1919 - will take place after the time of tribulation1923 - is taking place now, before the tribulation1995 - will take place after the tribulation.


Malachi 3:6, "For I, the LORD, do not change." For an organisation to claim that it speaks for, and represents God in the world (a prophet), it would need to be consistent in it's teachings. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society claims to be just that organisation.

If the Watchtower holds that it receives it's revelation directly from God, the organisation should not contradict or change it's teachings over time because God is perfect and doesn't make mistakes.


Malachi 3:6, "For I, the LORD, do not change." “But the prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. And in case you should say in your heart: "How shall we not know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?" When the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak...” Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (NWT)


Witnessing to Jehovah’s WitnessesEncounters between Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses typically revolve around the discussion of deity - generally resulting in mutual frustration (bible ping-pong). To give any serious thought to your arguments in support of the Trinity is simply unthinkable to the Jehovah’s Witness, he would be sinning against Jehovah God to entertain such a thought.

Try to get the Jehovah's Witness to doubt the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society as “God’s channel of communication.” Until you do that the Jehovah's Witness will continue to see each scripture as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society interprets it. As long as the Jehovah's Witness believes the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is Gods channel of communication for mankind they will never see what the Bible says but will only see what the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society tells them it says.


Witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses

We're not out to win an argument, but rather to have a part in God's work of salvation.

Remember Jehovah's Witnesses are real people! … with real needs and real feelings. Speak the truth in love.


Final thoughts

For anyone wanting to learn what the average Jehovah's Witnesses believes, you don’t read the Bible, you read the Watchtower Magazine. This is because the Watchtower is the source of their theological beliefs, not the Bible.


Resources

• Reed, David A.- Answering Jehovah's Witnesses Subject By Subject

Baker Books 1996- Index of Watchtower Errors

Baker Books 1990

• Alpha and Omega Ministries (James White)www.aomin.org

• The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Official Website)www.watchtower.org

http://www.aomin.org/

http://www.watchtower.org/

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