Jehovah Witnesses

• Founded by Charles Russell/Joseph Rutherford in 1879 in America.

Writings

ORGANISATIONAL

Meet on Sundays in “Kingdom

Halls.”

Jehovah Witnesses Do Not:• Observe holidays• Observe birthdays• Vote• Join the armed forces• Salute the flag of the country• Accept blood transfusions

Jehovah Witnesses

• Will be sincere in what they believe.• Will distribute JW literature.• Will be baptised into their faith. • Will not mix with other faiths.

What do J.W’s Believe?

The Watchtower Teaches Watchtower Support Biblical Response

Only the Watchtower Society can interpret the Bible. Individuals cannot.

"...the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible...the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization in mind" (Watchtower, October 1, 1997, p. 587).

Ephesians 1:17, 18 states that the Spirit will provide wisdom and illumination to the revelation of God in the Bible. According to the belief espoused by Witnesses', all people that lived until the Witnesses were Founded by Charles Russell must have been doomed to failure, not being able interpret the Bible.

The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is the best translation of the Bible, and should be used over any other version.

"Outstanding among Bibles is the New World

Translation of the Christian Greek

Scriptures...Accuracy, uniformity, clarity, and

up-to-date language mark this excellent

work. Bible study aids without equal make this an indispensable help to

sincere searching students of God's Word" (What Has Religion Done For

Mankind, 1951, p. 351.

The Witness Bible contains quite a number of errors. Greek scholar Bruce Metzger said that "the Jehovah's Witnesses have incorporated in their translation of the New Testament several quite erroneous renderings of the Greek."

The Trinity does not exist, and is an evil doctrine that teaches the existence of 3 gods.

"Never was there a more deceptive doctrine advanced than that of the trinity" (Reconciliation, 1928 )

Many religions have difficulty with an infinite God, and try to put Him in a box - to define Him in terms they can understand. While the word "trinity" does not appear in the Bible as a description of God, the scriptures definitely indicate one God with a triune nature - existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

"...sincere persons who want to know the true God and serve him find it a bit difficult to love and worship a complicated, freakish-looking, three-headed God" (Let God Be True, 1946)

 

"Satan is the originator of the trinity doctrine" (Ibid.)

Jesus is "a god", and lesser than Jehovah God.

In the Witness version of the Bible, John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was a god." [emphasis added] "...that is the Word was a powerful godlike one. Clearly, Jesus is not Almighty God." (Ibid., p. 40).

The Witness Bible did not provide an accurate or legitimate translation of this verse.

Salvation must be earned through works

"To get one's name written in that book of life will depend on

one's works, whether they are in fulfilment of God's will and approved by his Judge and

King." (Watchtower, August 15, 1972).

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

There are two classes of Christians: A "little flock" who are born-again children of God, and the "great crowd" or "other sheep", who will live in "Paradise" on earth after the destruction of the unbelievers. Only the "little flock" will go to heaven.

"The Bible shows that only a limited number of persons, a 'little flock,' will go to heaven...The

rest of faithful humankind will live

on earth as the subjects of these

rulers" (Watchtower, February 15, 1984)

There is not a caste system in Christianity. All are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28). The "other sheep" Jesus referred to are Gentile believers who will one day join Jewish believers to form one body of Christians.

There is no eternal hell for the wicked. All "unbelievers" will be annihilated, and simply cease to exist.

"The fiendish concepts

associated with a hell of torment

slander God and originate with the chief slanderer of God (the Devil)" (Reasoning from the Scriptures,

1985).

(Matthew 25:46, Revelations 14:11, 19:20, and 20:10).

Bible is God's Word NWT The human soul ceases to exist at death

God's name is Jehovah Hell is mankind's common grave

Christ is God's Son but inferior to Him Only a little flock of 144,000 go to heaven and rule with Christ

Christ died on a stake, not a cross The 144,000 are born again as spiritual sons of God

Christ's human life was paid as a ransom for obedient humans

A Christian ought to have no part in interfaith movements

Christ was raised from the dead as an immortal spirit person

A Christian should keep separate from world

Kingdom under Christ will rule earth in righteousness and peace

Obey human laws that do not conflict with God's laws

Kingdom will bring ideal living conditions to earth

Taking blood into body through mouth or veins violates God's laws

Earth will never be destroyed or depopulated

Sabbath observance was given only to Israel and ended with Mosaic Law

Wicked will be eternally destroyed A clergy class and special titles are improper

• (1) Their denial of the deity of Christ is based on Scripture which shows the true humanity of Christ. They will focus on Jesus as a son of God. Remember, Jesus humbled himself when He came to the earth, taking the very nature of a servant, even though His nature is God (Phil. 2:5-8).

• (2) New World Translation (NWT), wrongly translated the Greek word which shows that Jesus received worship. NWT, Jesus is said to have received "obeisance" and not "worship.”

• (3) Another striking characteristic of the NWT is their usage of "Jehovah." They have done this over 6,000 times in their Bible! But in other literature that they have published, they have gone on record as stating that Yahweh is "the more correct way" to render God's name!

• (4) Another unique characteristic of the JW's belief system is their strange view that only 144,000 will enter Heaven. Please know that the 12,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel (equaling 144,000) as mentioned in Rev. 7:4-8 and 14:1-3 does not state that they will be the only ones that will enter Heaven!

• (6) So what do JW's want from you and what do they believe about salvation? Own literature answer this: Do not conclude that there are different roads, or ways, that you can follow to gain life in God's new system. There is only one. There was just the one ark that survived the Flood, not a number of boats. And there will be only one organization—God's visible organization—that will survive the fast-approaching "great tribulation." It is simply not true that all religions lead to the same goal. (Matthew 7:21-23; 24:21) You must be part of Jehovah's organization, doing God's will, in order to receive his blessing of everlasting life.—Psalm 133:1-3. (You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, 1982, p. 255.)

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