jehovah witnesses

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Jehovah's Witnesses

Authority

The Jehovah's witnesses was founded by Charles Tate Russell. He predicted that Christ would return invisibly in 1914. He founded in 1879 the Zion's Watchtower and herald of Christ's return in which he published his unique interpretation of the bible. After his death he was succeeded by Joseph Rutherford who led the Watchtower society, he gave them the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931. He gave the year 1918 as Christ's judgement on Christianity meaning that there was one organisation designated to represent Christ on earth, the watchtower society. He divided the witnesses into two groups (the 144,000 the elect, and the great crowd the unelect with life everlasting on earth. The Watchtower organisation runs like Jehovah at the top, with Christ beneath him, and the governing body under Christ, these are also called the faithful and discreet slave class, and all earthly direction is under them. There is elders in the congregation, and ministerial servants directly under the governing body. The organisation plays such an important part in the lives of the witnesses that they refer to it as their mother. The governing body is considered to be the only channel of truth for the earth today. THE BIBLE IS READ ONLY AS OUTLINED BY THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY: ( God has not arranged for that word to speak independently or to shine forth life giving truths by itself, it is through his organisation (watchtower) God provides this light) (watchtower magazine may 1st 1957 page 274) Jesus was supposed to have chosen the watchtower society as his only representative on earth, excluding all Christian denominations, he was supposed to come in 1918 to God's spiritual temple to judge men, and Christianity was rejected.

In refuting this so called teaching lets go to what the bible says:

The concept that the Jehovah's witnesses are the only true representatives of Christianity on earth is foreign to the bible. Nowhere in the bible is there a judgement of organisations on earth to determine the real one. Jesus had always known who his people are for he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me) (John 10:3,&27) Matthew 13 has two parables that Jesus gave on how he will separate the true Christians from the false ones,( the parable of the weeds , and the parable of the net) show that the judgement will be between members in the same field, and net, not organisations, and this is Christ's judgement at the end of this age. Also the Christian church will not fail to exist, ( Consequently you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people, and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.) (Ephesians 2:19&20) The Church of Christ will remain until his coming, ( And the gates of Hades (hell) will not overcome it.) (Matthew 16:18b) and will continue to be here throughout the ages. (to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever Amen.) (Ephesians 3:21)

In 1 Corinthians 11:26 (For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.) The witnesses contradict themselves in their memorial service, since they say that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914 they have denied the statement "until he comes". The observance of the Lord's supper was only until he returns, But their books say he returned in 1914 and their memorial service which they observe says he hasn't returned. As we have seen the authority of the Jehovah's witnesses is not the bible though they will say it is, but the Watchtower society magazine, and through this only is the true interpretation of the bible. They deny all the major doctrines of Christianity, namely, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and eternal punishment of the wicked. Russell's writings on bible study" The Millennial Dawn" later called "Studies in the Scriptures" consisting of seven volumes, the witnesses believe, is the only way to understand the bible. They believe that no one can see the divine plan by reading the bible itself.

The Jehovah's Witnesses Bible

In 1961 The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society published the New World Translation (NWT) of the Holy Scriptures, the translators of this version have just tried to justify some of their non biblical doctrines. A few examples of this is:

1. The Greek word en meaning in as found several times in John 15. Jesus is saying the Christian is IN me (en emoi) is paraphrased by the translators of the (NWT) as( in union with me) thus the relationship of the Christian being in Christ is replaced by him working along side of Christ.

2. There are several verses where the (NWT) has inserted words to change the meaning. There is no foundation for this in the Greek manuscripts e. g.

3. In John 1:1 the meaning was changed by inserting the indefinite article "a" before the word God. So there verse reads "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was "a" god. (NWT) instead of the word was God, thus they destroy what the bible says concerning the deity of Christ, that Jesus is God come in the flesh.

4. In Colossians 1:16&17 the (NWT) has inserted the word "other" to change the meaning of the verse completely, the verse reads like this: "For by him all "other" things were created and all "other" things were created by him and for him" verse 17 states " He is before all "other" things and in him all "other" things hold together" the purpose of this is to make Jesus a created being therefore saying he is not the creator God, but the true reading of the bible verse 16 " For by him ALL things were created, which states plainly that Jesus is God. Verse 17 " He is before ALL things, and in him ALL things hold together. " this truly states that Christ is God.

5. In John 8:58 the (NWT) states " Before Abraham was born" I have been " This change makes Jesus a pre-existent and created being, again they destroy what the bible is teaching concerning his deity, the true reading is "Before Abraham was born" I AM " this statement by Jesus the Jews knew that he was calling himself God, the I AM of the Old Testament ( Exodus 3:14)

6. In Colossians 2:9 the (NWT) omits the word "Deity" and inserts the word "divine quality" so there reading is " For in Christ all the fullness of "divine quality" lives in bodily form." again ruling out what the bible is saying about the Deity of Christ. It should read " For in Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." The bible's teaching concerning the person of Christ is that he is fully human and fully God. The (NWT) denies major Christian doctrines some of these are denial of Christ's Deity, Resurrection, Atonement, Salvation by grace, through faith, Eternal punishment< Christ's death on the cross was not enough to save us, the Deity of the Holy Spirit.

God does not make mistakes in his communication to man. The apostle Paul in his writings relied upon the accuracy of the Hebrew text, whether words were singular, or plural, had definite or indefinite articles in other words he took the Old Testament as God's true word to man. And was inspired by God to write books of the New Testament in Greek with the same reliability, an example of this is Galatians 3:16 when he writes of "seed " (Singular) not (Plural) there is a grammar by Paul, good eh!! Paul wrote fully inspired by God, there are no mistakes in the bible. When a group like the Jehovah's Witnesses willingly disrupt the word of God by changing its meaning they have no respect for God or his word. God warns such people in his word ( And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book ) (Revelation 22:19) again Solomon writes in (Proverbs 30:6) ( Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and call you a liar.)

Theology

The theology of the Jehovah's Witnesses is older than the Watchtower Society itself, it can be traced to the fourth century A.D. it is basically the teaching of Arius of Alexandria, who taught that Jesus Christ was a created being, and not God eternal. Arianism has surfaced over the centuries, and has been adopted as the teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses, who are really modern Arians.

The Trinity

The Jehovah's Witnesses define the doctrine of the trinity as three gods in one. They reject the doctrine altogether. They misunderstand the meaning completely. The doctrine is that there is one God in three persons. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is plainly shown in the bible.

The Deity of Christ

On the Person of Christ they teach what Arian of Alexandria taught in the 4th century A.D. that Christ is a created being, they claim the Father is greater and older than the Son. Therefore they state that Jesus is not God. There actual teaching on the Person of Christ is that Jesus is Michael the archangel, they indicate that Michael was the name of God's son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ, and again when he returned to heaven so Michael is the son of God. (aid to bible understanding page 1152) Therefore in John 1:1 they deny the deity of Christ and call him a lesser god, they state the word is not God, or the God, but is the son of God, and hence is a god. ( page 775). The bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God come in the flesh, John 1:1&14, Colossians 1:15&16)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is not God according to their teaching. They deny the deity of the Holy Spirit. they refer to the Holy Spirit as a force rather than a person, a force not like a hurricane, lightening, and the like, but rather to a radar beam as such (The Watchtower July 15th 1957 pages 431-435) The true teaching on the Holy Spirit is that He is God, and a person, not a radar beam.

The Atonement

The Atonement is viewed by the Jehovah's Witnesses as a ransom, and only a ransom. Although the word ransom is used in the New Testament, its meaning is completely different than the way the Christian views it. They call it a corresponding ransom, in which they mean that, Adam the perfect man sinned, and so had lost for his offspring human perfection and its privileges, Jesus must likewise be humanly perfect, to correspond with the sinless Adam in Eden. In that way he could offer a ransom that exactly corresponded in value with what the sinner Adam lost for his descendants. This requirement of divine justice did not allow for Jesus to be more than a perfect man. (Things in which it is impossible for God to lie, Brooklyn:Watchtower,1965, page 232)

What is missing here is the work of Christ on the cross, his substitutionary atonement for our sins, and that the justice of God was fully satisfied in the atonement of Jesus. It was paid at the cross, Jesus suffered and died as a substitute for us, completely satisfying the justice of God. This is what they deny, which is really the Gospel of Christ. They believe the justice of God for Adam's fall was death to the human race, justice was satisfied in mankind's suffering death, the just penalty for sin. So the ransom is an expression of God's mercy, his undeserved kindness toward mankind.( Rutherford Let God be True, Brooklyn, Watchtower 1946 page 115) Since Adam in their view lost perfect human life and its earthly prospects, the redemption by Christ was nothing more than a ransom paid to Jehovah God to recover the rights and prospects again for the human race. That which is redeemed or bought back, is that which was lost, namely, perfect human life with its rights and earthly prospects. The true teaching of the bible is that Christ bought us back with his shed blood to bring us to God, and by believing on him we will be saved. Praise the Lord! (And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.) ( 1 Corinthians 6:11) and also ( Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.) (1 Corinthians 6:19&20)

The Resurrection of Christ

The Jehovah's Witnesses deny the bodily resurrection of Christ, they say whether it was dissolved into gasses, or has been preserved somewhere as a grand memorial of God's love, of Christ's obedience, and of our redemption, no one knows. (Studies in the Scriptures, volume 2, page 129) other theories of what became of the body of Christ are according to the Watchtower Society that, it was disposed of by Jehovah God, dissolved into its constituent elements or atoms. ( The Watchtower, September 1st, 1953, page 518) they believe that Jesus was put to death in the flesh, and was raised an invisible spirit creature. ( Let God be True page 122) When Jesus appeared to his disciples following his death and resurrection, the Watchtower claims that he materialised His body so that they would believe, but it is not the same body that hung on the cross. They relate it this way, Jesus resurrection was not of the same body, He materialised flesh and blood to be seen and believed. (Make Sure of all Things, Brooklyn, Watchtower, 1953, page 314.) They also state that He was re-created as a divine spirit creature ( Let God be True, page, 116) The bible teaches that Christ was resurrected in his own body, in fact Jesus himself said He would raise it up, again this is a statement by Jesus stating that He was God, only God can raise the dead.( The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again.) ( John 10:17) and again ( Jesus said, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. The Jews replied, it has taken forty six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days. But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken.) ( John 2:19-22)

Salvation

Russell taught that works were necessary for salvation, these can be outlined as follows, Jesus Christ identified a first requirement, taking in knowledge, of God's purposes regarding the earth and of Christ's role as earth's new King. many have found the second requirement more difficult which is to obey God's laws, a third requirement is that we be associated with God's channel, His organisation, the fourth requirement is connected with loyalty, God requires that perspective subjects of His Kingdom support His government while loyally advocating His Kingdom rule to others. ( The Watchtower, February 15, 1983, page 12) Again the Watchtower Society declared: Jehovah God will justify, declare righteous, on the basis of their own merit, all perfected humans who have withstood that final decisive test of mankind. he will adopt and acknowledge them as his sons through Jesus Christ . ( Life Everlasting , Brooklyn, Watchtower, 1966, page 400) Another teaching of the Watchtower Society is that only 144,000 will be born again. The born again class ceased having members in the 1930's. The second class in the Watchtower society, is the other sheep or" jonadabs " who are not looking forward to heavenly existence, but look forward to eternal life in a paradise on earth.( Let God be True page 231) We know that Salvation is a free gift from God, it is God's grace through faith that we are saved from eternal damnation, Christ paid for us, in that he was a substitute to die in our place on the cross, God was satisfied with his death, and through his death we are brought to God, by believing on Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit, being born again, living a new life with Christ. Salvation has been achieved by the death and resurrection of Christ, there is nothing we can do to get to heaven on our own merit. ( For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast) ( Ephesians 2:8&9) and again in Corinthians ( Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands) ( 2 Corinthians 5:1) this says that believers in Christ will be in Heaven when they die, not just 144,000, and we don't work for our salvation, Christ has paid the penalty.

Jesus and The Holy Spirit are Jehovah

The Christian believes that the bible reveals that there is one Jehovah in three persons. Deuteronomy 6:4 states (Hear o' Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!) The word Lord in this text is the word Jehovah or Yahweh in the Hebrew text. There is one Jehovah. In addition we find that Jehovah is referred to the person of the Father in( Psalm 103:13) (As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him) Jehovah is also referred to Jesus Christ when we cross-reference Old Testament quotes about Jehovah with New Testament fulfilments in Christ. (Isaiah 35:4-6a, states that ( say to those with faithful hearts, be strong do not fear, your God will come, he will come with vengeance, with divine retribution he will come to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy) Jesus quoted these verses concerning himself, when the disciples of John the Baptist came to him and asked if he were the one to come, or should they expect another.( Matthew 11:2-5) thus Jesus was saying he was Jehovah in the flesh.

Another verse is (Zechariah 12:10) which states that Jehovah will be pierced for our sins. (And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for an only son.) and this verse also quoted in (John 19:37) was fulfilled when Jesus was pierced for our sins on the cross. Jesus is truly Jehovah.

In the book of Joel a verse very familiar to most Jews during the days of Christ concerning the redemption of Israel was ( Joel 2:32) which says ( And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jehovah) will be saved) this was quoted twice in the New Testament in fulfilment of the work of Christ, Luke quotes it from Peter's sermon in ( Acts 2:21) and Paul quotes it in ( Romans 10:9-13) The New Testament believers saw Jesus as Jehovah who would deliver and save them.

Philippians 2:10&11 is taken from the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah, concerning Jehovah, and applied to the New Testament to Jesus. ( That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.) and in (Isaiah 45:23) ( By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow, by me every tongue will swear) again a verse stating that Jesus is Jehovah.

1 Peter 2:8 is also a quotation from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, and applied to Jesus in the New Testament.( And, a stone that causes men to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall. Jehovah states this concerning Himself in (Isaiah 8:14b) This shows that Jesus and Jehovah are one being.

Jesus said of himself in (Revelation 2:23 ) ( I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds) (Jeremiah 17:10 )spoken by Jehovah states ( I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.) again we have Jesus and Jehovah as the persons who can search the heart and mind and give rewards according to our deeds. The New Testament writers declared Jesus was Jehovah, through Old Testament passages to his person, nature, and work.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as Jehovah also, in ( Hebrews 3:7-11) ( So the Holy Spirit says, Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways. So I declared on oath in my anger, they shall never enter my rest.) This verse is spoken by the Holy Spirit. And in ( Psalm 95:7-11 is spoken by Jehovah.

Again in ( Hebrews 10:15-17) (The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: This is the covenant I will make with them after that time says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. Then he adds: Their sins and lawless acts, I will remember no more.) This is taken from the Old Testament in ( Jeremiah 31:33&34) and Jehovah was the speaker. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit is claimed as the originator of the words, showing that the Holy Spirit and Jehovah are one being.

Another quotation from ( Acts 28:25b-27) which states (The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: Go to this people and say, you will be ever hearing but never understanding, you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused, they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.) The originator of the words is Jehovah in ( Isaiah 6:8-10) but in Acts its the Holy Spirit's words. We must conclude that the Holy Spirit is Jehovah. In this short outline we must see clearly that the bible teaches that there is one God (Jehovah) who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three divine persons making the one God.

Jesus and Jehovah

Here are just a few parallels of attributes between Jesus and Jehovah. ( Isaiah 42:8 reads ( I am the Lord, that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.) In ( John 17:5 Jesus says ( And now Father glorify me, in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.) Jesus is claiming glory with the Father and only Jehovah has the glory, since before the world began.

Psalm 27:1 reads ( The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear.) In John 1:9 which says ( The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.) Jesus has this attribute too!.

Jeremiah 10:10a says ( But the Lord is the true God he is the living God, the eternal King.) This verse is saying that Jehovah is King. Deuteronomy 10:17 says he is Lord of Lords ( For the Lord your God is God of gods and lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.) In Revelation 17:14a says ( They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords, and King of kings.) Since the bible teaches that there is one Lord ( Ephesians 4:5) then we find that Jesus is Jehovah, Jesus is Lord and King.

Isaiah 43:11 says ( I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no saviour.) In the New Testament Jesus is declared the saviour ( Acts 4:12) ( 1 John 4:14) again Jesus must be Jehovah. Just a little note on the Trinity, the Jehovah's Witnesses are confused with this doctrine, they understand it to mean that three Persons make the one Person. We mean it as it is revealed in the bible that Three Persons make the one God.

The Watchtower will use some Scriptures to say that Jesus cannot be equal to God or be Jehovah, one example is ( John 14:28b) ( If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.) This verse is referring to the voluntary subordination of Jesus during his earthly life, when he willingly placed in subordination to the Father. It says nothing about his nature, only about his temporary rank on earth. The quote "greater" refers to his position rather than his person.

Jehovah's Witnesses also use certain Scriptures to show that Jesus was created ( as Michael the archangel) They use two basic verses to show this:

1. Proverbs 8:22&23 ( The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old, I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning , before the world began) The words "brought forth" in this passage make the Jehovah's Witnesses think that there was a day when Jesus was created as Michael the archangel. However the verse is not speaking about creation but about wisdom, and that wisdom is older than all creation. However God's wisdom is as eternal as he is, since there has never been a time when God has lacked wisdom.

2. Colossians 1:15 ( He is the image of the invisible god, the firstborn over all creation.) The Watchtower take this to mean that Jesus was the first one created. However the word firstborn here refers to to his pre-eminent position not that he is Jehovah's first creation. The term firstborn can mean one of two things: (1) the first one born, or (2) he who has first position. The context of this verse puts Jesus as first position, look at verse 18.( And He is the head of the body, the church, He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. ( pre-eminence, first position.) An illustration of the contrast between firstborn meaning the right of first place, and the one who is literally born first is found in Exodus 4:22&23 ( Then say to Pharaoh, This is what the lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you let my son go, so he may worship me. But you refused to let him go, so I will kill your firstborn son.) Israel as a nation, is called God's firstborn, ( first position) but God said to Moses in verse 23 that he would kill Pharaoh's firstborn, meaning the first son born to Pharaoh. What the verse in Colossians 1:15 is saying is that Jesus, being the firstborn of all creation, is the originator of all creation. Is a matter of fact if you read the next verse, Colossians 1:16 it says that Jesus created all things, stating that he is God the Creator. They will use firstborn, and beginning, to show that Jesus was created, however a close examination of the verses will show that it is stating either first position, or the source of, as the meaning of the verse. Remember the Watchtower do not believe in the atonement they teach that Christ's sacrifice on the cross, was only a ransom to buy back our perfect human life, earthly rights and prospects. The atonement of Christ is more than a ransom, its a result of God's love for us, it cancels out our sins, leaving us with no condemnation, turning away God's wrath, and showing us mercy, giving us a new life with Christ, and changing us to the likeness of Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!

Just another note concerning the teaching of the Watchtower. They deny the doctrine of eternal punishment. They believe those who do not have salvation, are annihilated. Thus Christ is not really the saviour, but they are, by their works, and good deeds etc. The bible teaches that we are all going to be judged, and we either spend eternity with God, if we repent and trust in Christ, or to a place of punishment with suffering and without God. ( Matthew 25:31-46) is a passage about Jesus coming to judge the people at the end of the age, verse 46 says it all ( Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous,( those in Christ) to eternal life. John 3:16 is another verse, which is the gospel message, and says that those who believe will not perish. To not perish is saying not to go to eternal punishment. Jesus has won our salvation by his sacrifice on the cross, He alone is our saviour, there is no other, and we cannot save ourselves by whatever righteous deeds we do. We need Christ's Righteousness, which is imputed to us, when we give our life to Him.

I do hope this information has helped you. Remember you only have to tell The Jehovah's Witnesses the gospel message, the Holy Spirit will do the rest. It doesn't rely on how much you know about their beliefs, or how intelligent you are, you cannot save anyone, if that were so, you would be the saviour, and we know that the only saviour is Jesus Christ. I will leave you with Romans 1:16&17 ( I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, the righteous will live by faith.)

Yours in Christ!

David Victory