The Cult of the Jehovah's Witnesses
Although the JW's roots only go back to the early 1870s to its founder Charles Taze Russel, they will often respond that theirs is the most ancient religious group, older than Catholic and Protestant churches. In fact, they assert that "Jehovah's witnesses have a history almost 6,000 years long, beginning while the first man, Adam, was still alive," that Adam's son Abel was "the first of an unbroken line of Witnesses," and that "Jesus' disciples were all Jehovah's witnesses [sic] too." (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose , pp. 8-9).
An outsider listening to such claims can quickly realize, of course, that the sect has simply appropriated for itself all the characters named in the Bible as faithful witnesses of God. By such extrapolation, the denomination is able to stretch its history back to the beginnings of the human family, at least in the eyes of adherents who are willing to accept such arguments. But outside observers generally dismiss this sort of rhetoric and instead reckon the Witnesses as dating back, as I've already stated, only to Charles Taze Russell, who was born on
An outsider listening to such claims can quickly realize, of course, that the sect has simply appropriated for itself all the characters named in the Bible as faithful witnesses of God. By such extrapolation, the denomination is able to stretch its history back to the beginnings of the human family, at least in the eyes of adherents who are willing to accept such arguments. But outside observers generally dismiss this sort of rhetoric and instead reckon the Witnesses as dating back, as I've already stated, only to Charles Taze Russell, who was born on
Their Beliefs:
· 1. They believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead.
Russell says His body either dissolved into gases or is still preserved
somewhere.
This is shown as heresy through scriptures
like Luke 24:39, John 20:9, Acts 1:22, Acts 17:3, Acts 26:23, Rom 6:4-5, 1 Cor
15:12-20
· 2. They believe that God is not triune (i.e., Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost).
· 3. They believe the Holy Ghost is not a person of the Godhead,
just a "life force" of God.
· 4. They believe Jesus is just an agent of God, nothing
more.
· 5. They believe Jesus is the archangel Michael - Jesus is
a created being.
JW's believe that the Trinity is
unbiblical because the word does not appear in Scripture, and that the Bible
emphasizes that there is only one God. While this is true, and all Trinitarians
believe in the one God as we see in the OT (Isa 44:6, 45:18, 46:9) and in the
NT (John 5:44, 1 Cor 8:4 and James 2:19), we also see that three persons are
called God in Scripture; The Father (1 Pet 1:2), Jesus (John 1:1-3 and verse
14, John 20:28, Heb 1:8), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).
Each of these three possesses the
attributes of deity - including omnipresence; (Ps 139:7, Jer 23:23-24, Matt
28:20), omniscience; (Ps 147:5, John 16:30, 1 Cor 2:10-11), omnipotence (Jer 32:17,
John 2:1-11, Rom 15:19), and eternality (Ps 90:2, Heb 9:14, Rev 22:13). Still
further, each of the three is involved in doing the works of deity, such as
creating the universe; the Father (Gen 1:1, Ps 102:25), the Son (John 1:3, Col
1:16, Heb 1:1) and the Holy Spirit (Gen 1:2, Job 33:4, Ps 104:30).
The Bible indicates that there is
three-in-oneness in the godhead (Matt 28:19, 2 Cor 13:14), thus doctrinal
support for the Trinity is overwhelming.
· 6. They believe that Jesus’ birth was no
incarnation. They believe that when He was born on earth, He was a mere human
being and not God in the flesh.
This violates the Biblical teaching
that in the incarnate Jesus “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col
2:9, Phil 2:6-7) The Greek word for ‘fullness’ (Gk. plērōma) carries the idea of the sum total. ‘Deity’ (Gk. theotēs) refers
to the nature, being, and attributes of
God. Therefore, the incarnate Jesus was the sum total of the nature, being,
and attributes of God in bodily form. Indeed, Jesus was Immanuel, or “God with
us” (Matt 1:23; Isa 7:14; 9:6, John 1:1,14,18; 10:30; 14:9-10)
· 7. They believe that Christ did not die on the cross, but
that He died at a stake.
They teach that the cross is a pagan symbol of sex
worship and that all buildings or persons displaying the cross are likewise
pagan.
1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Php 3:18 For many, of whom I have often told you and
now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Heb 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
· 8. They believe that there is no such thing as a hell of
everlasting torment. Hell is just the grave. The wicked are simply annihilated.
Mat 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry
with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will
be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the
hell of fire.
Mat 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are
you to escape being sentenced to hell?
2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they
sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness
to be kept until the judgment;
Rev 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the
false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those
who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These
two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
Rev 20:10 and the devil who had deceived them was
thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet
were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown
into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15 And if
anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the
lake of fire.
Jud 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the
surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued
unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal
fire.
· 9. They believe that man has no immaterial soul/spirit.
Gen 35:18 And as her soul was departing (for she was
dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
1Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you
completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of
spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of
the heart.
· 10. They exercise mind control over members.
· 11. They believe that man must work to be part of
"God's system of things".
· 12. They believe that only the 144,000 mentioned in the
book of Revelation will live in heaven with God.
Therefore no one goes to heaven but 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses,
and they are the only people who must be born again. They also teach that Christ
is the mediator for only the 144,000, not the average Jehovah's Witness or
anybody else, as only those who belong to the JW church can ever be saved.
· 13. They believe all dead people will have a second chance
for eternal life at the millennium. If you do not prove worthiness at this
time, you'll be destroyed.
Heb 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die ONCE,
and after that comes judgment,
· 14. They believe the blood of Christ does not forgive
sins, it gives us a "chance" to live again. They have NO assurance of
salvation as Jehovah's Witnesses who supposedly know the truth.
1John 1:7 But if we walk
in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and
the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
· 15. They believe that Jesus' second coming occurred
invisibly in 1874. Russell's successor, Rutherford, says this was confirmed by
the creation of the first labour organization in 1874.
·
They believed Russell when he said that in 1914 the
millennium would occur and righteousness would be restored to the earth.
As 1914 approached,
he, and his successor, changed the date to 1915, 1916, 1924, 1928, and on and
on to the present day! When you ask a Jehovah's Witness about this, they'll
give you the party line, "Well, the Watchtower is reaching different
levels of enlightenment."
Some more interesting facts about the JW’s:
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob etc.
were to be back on earth as perfect humans in 1925. The Society built a
palatial home called "Beth Sarim" for them BUT
when the patriarchs failed to show up, the President of the Society moved
in.
- Their light gets "brighter
and brighter," allowing for many changes and "about
faces" on their doctrines. Yesterday's error is
today's "truth." Often the "light" bounces
back and forth from old to new views and back again! (Might we call this
discarded truth… "black Light?")
- Blood transfusions are
rejected and if a Witness receives one willingly, it results in his
eternal death. However, their society allows Hemophiliacs to consume blood
for medical purposes to save their life.
- To salute the flag is an act
of idolatry.
- Participation in any civil holidays,
mother’s day, birthdays brings condemnation from God.
- Only persons who use the true
name of God, Jehovah, will have their prayers heard by God. No salvation
is possible without using the name "Jehovah."
Jehovah's
Witnesses believe the Watchtower organization is God's "spirit-led" spokesman:
Regardless
of what Bible verses you show them that contradicts their beliefs, they place
their confidence in their magazines and books.
The idea
that the "organization" is a prophet is hidden from
prospects and new converts. But if you ask the right questions you can get them
to admit it, unless they feel you are not "mature enough" to
accept it yet.
Getting them to admit this is a good place to start when
studying with them:
- Do you believe the Watchtower
organization was prophesied in Matthew 24:45?
- If so, doesn't that mean that
they are directly guided by God what to publish?
- If the Watchtower is a "Spirit-led
prophet" of God doesn't that make it equally authoritative
and infallible as the Bible?
- Can you think of any examples
of a prophet who was not inspired?
Another point
to start with is their translation of John 1. It reads:
1.In the
beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was a god. 2.This one was in the beginning with
God. 3.All things came into
existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into
existence.
Now,
they do agree that all things came into existence through Jesus. Yet they say
that He himself is a created being? This is where their logic trips them up.
GOD
So this circle represents
EVERYTHING ever created as per verse 3, with GOD outside the circle, because He
is not created, right? Now the question:
Where do they put Jesus in light of
verse 3?
None of
them has ever been able to answer me.
Jehovah's
Witnesses are eventually taught the Watchtower was prophesied by Jesus in
Matthew 24:45
- Watchtower organization =
"faithful & sensible slave whom God put in charge"
- Jehovah's Witnesses = "of
his household"
- Watchtower magazine =
"food at the proper time."
- Weekly Watchtower study:
Every church worldwide studies the same thing, at the same time
- Informed Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the
Watchtower magazine claims inspiration by God in its teachings.
Now you
understand why they are always asking you to buy their Watchtower magazine when
they come door to door? It is the Jehovah's Witnesses creed book & primary
Bible.
So, in conclusion of this brief summation of the chief
heresies of this cult, I can say with conviction that the JW’s are NOT a
Christian denomination, they do NOT worship the same Jesus we do, they preach a
different gospel, and therefore, in the words of the apostle Paul, let them be
anathema.
Grace to you
