Jehovah's Witnesses

In this article we will examine the Jehovah’s Witnesses, their roots and doctrines, failed prophecies and New World translation of the Bible. The material for this article is taken from two of my university textbooks, Practical Systematic Theology and Religion: History and Mystery.

In order to understand why mainline Christian theologians consider the Jehovah's Witnesses to be a cult, we must take a step back into Church History. In the 2nd and 3rd century a theologian by the name of Origen (185-254) had a profound influence on what came to be known as the Arian Controversy. Origen believed that there was a distinction between the full Divinity of the Father and the lesser divinity of the Son Jesus Christ. This belief sparked one of the longest, most important, and most divisive debates of the 4th century Church.

I. The Arian Controversy

Arius (250-336), who followed Origen's views, believed that any scripture which pointed to Christ being equal to God was only a courtesy title. Christ was a creature like angels and humanity, but the most important and 'divine' of creatures. Passages such as Colossians 1:15, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation", were used to support this view - the idea that Christ was the Father's firstborn Son. Christ was created to be the Creator, but nonetheless, He was lower than God the Father.

Athanasius, a contemporary of Arius, opposed Arius' view passionately, arguing that the full divinity of Christ was essential for the Christian understanding of salvation (soteriology). This was a time when the nature of Christ was under enormous scrutiny, a time when theologians were trying to understand the Christian faith intellectually. The issue also went to the other extreme. Was Jesus fully human? If He was, then what kind of human nature did He have? Theologians from both Latin and Greek schools of thought wrestled with these questions for many years before a consensus of opinion was formed and the Councils of the Church created creeds which stated the official position.

In regards to the divinity of Christ, the question could be stated in the way that Athanasius argued.

1. Only God can save us.

2. Jesus is the Savior.

3. Jesus must be God in order to save.

Arius argued that Jesus was a created Savior, but Athanasius pointed out that Jesus could only lift humanity up towards God as far as He was Himself. Therefore, if Christ was not God, He could never 'divinize' humanity. In the same way, if Jesus was never fully human, He could never fully redeem humanity, as He could not be a real substitute for fallen man.   On the humanity of Jesus, Gregory of Nazianzus rightly stated that "whatever Christ did not 'assume' in His human nature, He also didn't save", meaning, whatever about Jesus Christ was not the same as us, that part could not be saved. Nazianzus made his case from this clear teaching of Hebrews 2:17 which states;

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

Arius' position on the divinity of Christ was found to be heretical, not simply from an intellectual viewpoint, but more importantly, from the many biblical passages that clearly state that Christ is God. Indeed, no matter how difficult or impossible it is to understand, the Bible states that Jesus was absolutely human in every way, and absolutely Divine, equal to and part of the Triune Godhead.

II. Jehovah's Witnesses’ Beliefs

Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) was a keen Bible scholar who formed an independent Bible study group in 1870. He adopted the same approach to the divinity of Christ as Arius had 1500 years earlier. Unfortunately, Russell had no formal theological education and never bothered to learn either Greek or Hebrew. Had he taken the time to learn New Testament Greek, he would not, in all honesty, have been able to hold the views he did, and would most likely have come to the same  conclusions as the early Church Fathers regarding the divinity of Christ.  Like Arius, Russell taught that Jesus was merely a created son, created to be a sacrifice for sin. Russell rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, as do many people who refuse to believe something which cannot be intellectually understood.

Once Trinitarian doctrine is rejected, questions arise about the nature of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) believe that God created the Arch Angel Michael, who is known as the Logos ('Word' of John 1:1), and that Michael became Jesus the man, an idea which has absolutely no foundation in Scripture. In a JW article entitled ‘Aid to Understanding the Bible’, it states;

Since actual conception took place, it appears that Jehovah God caused an ovum or egg in Mary's womb to become fertile, accomplishing this by the transfer of the life of his first born son (Michael) from the spirit realm to the earth. Marvelously, Jehovah transferred the life-force and the personality pattern of his first born heavenly son (Michael) to the womb of Mary. God's own active force, his holy spirit, safeguarded the development of the child in Mary's womb so that what was born was a perfect human.

(Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 920)

According to JW’s Jesus was not crucified on a Roman Cross but a 'torture stake'. Until 1931 JWs used the symbol of a cross on tombstones, but after this date rejected the cross as a pagan symbol.   

Russell taught that God must be addressed by His name, Jehovah, an English variant of the Tetragrammaton of the Hebrew Bible, YHWH. Jehovah is not omnipresent (everywhere) but dwells as a spirit person in His own kingdom. A person may have a relationship through prayer and service. Because Jehovah is merciful, He could never have created a hell where there is suffering; therefore, the traditional view of hell is also rejected. Alongside this, the idea of humans having an immortal soul is rejected. Only those who have been faithful as JWs will be resurrected from death; the rest simply stay dead.

JWs claim to believe that the Bible is inerrant and fundamental to their belief system. However, in order for this statement to be even close to accurate, they have created their own translation called The New World Translation (NWT) in an attempt to make the hundreds of verses which contradict their beliefs compatible. The following is a short review of the most problematic verses in Scripture for JW's beliefs, and some of the NWT's wording.

III. The Person of Jesus

John 1:1 states:

In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This is the NIV version, yet the original Greek is even more blatant in its word order, stating in the last line ‘and God was the Word’.

The NWT writes "and the Word was a god". This is an impossible translation from the Greek text. For a start, there is no indefinite article (a) in Greek; therefore, you can never translate as "a god". Secondly, the Greek text states emphatically that "God was the Word (Logos)". The NWT has completely contradicted this particular verse in order to make their version of the Logos a lesser god than God Himself. If Russell had even a basic knowledge of Greek, he would have known that this translation is utterly impossible and the real question would be whether or not he would be willing to admit he was wrong, or not.

Also, consider Jesus' own words in John 10:30, "I and the Father are one". The Pharisees understood Jesus' claim that He was equal to God and wanted to stone Him. The JWs say that Jesus tried to explain away this claim in the next verses, but the text doesn't support this view. 

In Hebrews 1:8-9 God calls Jesus, the Son, God. 

8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

There is no hint in these verses of Jesus being 'a god'. The Greek text uses the word 'theos', the main word for God, and this word is consistent throughout.

Jesus' disciples also struggled with Jesus' divinity in the beginning. For a Jewish man to worship anyone other than Jehovah was to break the commandments concerning idolatry. Throughout His ministry Jesus continually demonstrated His divinity, so much so that His disciples, for example, after seeing Him walking on the water, worshipped Him as God. After His resurrection many of the disciples continued to doubt. Thomas claimed that unless he put his fingers in the holes made by the nails and spear, he simply would not believe. When Jesus stood before him and Thomas saw the wounds, he fell before Jesus and proclaimed, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). One of the most powerful arguments for Jesus' full divinity is the testimony of His disciples. 

Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that Jesus is Jehovah's only creation and all else was created by Him. Russell claimed that Apollyon (Destroyer of Revelation), Michael the Arch Angel, and The Word all refer to Jesus. Jesus did not resurrect in a material, but spiritual body.

IV. Person of the Holy Spirit

The JWs claim that the Holy Spirit is only an 'active force' of Jehovah, a kind of emanated energy with no personality of His own; however, the Bible contradicts this view entirely. In John 14:16-17 Jesus speaks of 'another Counselor' who is 'with' the disciples and will be 'in them'. Jesus was acting as a counselor as He was speaking and He speaks of 'another'. If the Holy Spirit is not a person, then neither was Christ, for He is the 'other'. In Acts 5:3 Ananias is accused of having 'lied to the Holy Spirit'. Can someone lie to an active force?

In Acts 25:28 we read that the Holy Spirit speaks, not that Jehovah spoke independently with His 'active force'. In Ephesians 4:30 we read that the Holy Spirit can be grieved, a word meaning a person who can feel the emotion of godly grief and disappointment, and in John 14:26 Jesus refers to Him as the one who will teach the disciples and remind them of all that He said.

The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as a person who can be blasphemed, grieved, is a Counselor, teacher, and the one who anoints Christians with spiritual gifts. None of the verses which speak of Him can be diluted or changed to suggest that he is an impersonal energy. Throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit is always referred to as He and Him to identify Him as a person, and never ‘it’ as in some divine energy. Whenever a person rejects the Holy Spirit as a person and the divinity of Christ, it is a very certain sign that they have never experienced new birth, a fact also seen in the life of Arius.  

The Bible also powerfully implies that those who have not received the Holy Spirit cannot understand His work or the divinity of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit Himself who reveals the divinity of Christ to skeptics. If Jehovah's Witnesses deny the experience of being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, then biblically, they have denied the very experience which could give them the slightest possibility of having a relationship with Jesus Christ and knowing the Holy Spirit as an indwelling presence which makes them children of God, as stated in the book of Galatians.

V. Apocalyptic and Prophetic

Charles Russell began publishing what is known as the Watchtower magazine back in 1881. Russell was heavily influenced by Nelson Barbour, a man who prophesied that the rapture, an event in which the faithful will be taken up to meet Christ, would happen in April 1878. When the time came and went, Russell split with Barbour, but his enthusiasm for predicting future apocalyptic events was established and continued long after his death by the Governing Body of JW leaders. Watchtower has been justly criticized for the many prophecies it has made which have never eventuated.

Some of the most important are as follows:

1914. Christ's kingdom will rule the earth and the faithful be taken to heaven.

1916. World War 1 will end with Armageddon and the Rapture of the Saints.

1918. God will destroy the Christian churches and Christians in their millions. 

1925. Messiah's Kingdom will be established with Jerusalem as its capital. Patriarchs such as Noah, Abraham and the like will resurrect and be made rulers on the earth.

1938. Armageddon is too close for marriage or child bearing.

1941-43. Armageddon is upon us.

1966-67. The End Times are here...again.

1971-89. The end is here and young JWs should not bother to marry.

Satan

Satan is one of the first angels created by Michael (before he became Jesus). Satan rebelled and was cast down to earth in 1914, the time the Last Days began. All human governments are ruled by Satan, even though the Bible commands Christians to obey the governments. JW's refuse to honor certain governmental edicts.

Life after Death

The natural immortality of the soul is not a Biblical idea, but rather comes from the Greek philosopher Plato. JWs reject this doctrine which is held by many traditional churches. However, alongside this, they also reject any Biblical view of hell entirely. Hades and Sheol are merely words meaning 'common grave', and verses about Gehenna are simply ignored as analogies for death. Of those who are saved, there are 144,000 going to heaven and the rest of the Jehovah's Witness faithful will resurrect and live on the earth. During the Tribulation Period, which has past a few times already, some will become JWs and gain resurrection to life. All other people will simply die and rot as any other animal or creature.

Evangelism

JWs are renowned for their door-to-door evangelism. All adult baptized members are required to submit a monthly report on their evangelical activities. Good works are an essential part of JW beliefs about salvation. Salvation is not by grace alone, but must be earned by service to Jehovah. Those JWs who do not submit a report for six months are considered to be inactive and have forfeited their salvation until they repent and become active again.

VI. Other General Beliefs

JWs are expected to have high standards of ethics and morality, and to dress conservatively. Drunkenness, tobacco and gambling are forbidden. Like all cults, there are extremely strict rules which all must adhere to in order to be considered 'active'. Any JW who publicly disputes doctrines taught in Watchtower magazine, or continually disobeys the rules of conduct, may be 'disfellowshipped' - a word meaning to be shunned as wicked. Only family members living within the same house may associate with disfellowshipped JWs.

JWs refuse to have blood transfusions, based on Acts 15: 29, in which Christians are told to abstain from blood. It was common in the Roman world to drink blood as a tonic, and also to eat cooked blood. The blood was almost always collected at Roman temples, dedicated to pagan gods, and then sold in the markets.

VII. Conclusions

The fundamental and non-negotiable doctrines of the Christian faith, such as God as Trinity and the Divinity of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and being born again through the empowering activity of the Holy Spirit, are all denied by Jehovah's Witnesses. These denials alone separate them from Christianity in any traditional sense of the word.

On top of this, they portray many of the main characteristics of cults such as exclusivity of membership, shunning and excommunication of those who question the Governing Body, exclusivity of salvation, extreme adherence to rules, secondary sources of doctrine including their own translation of the Bible, false prophecies, and compulsory service as missionaries.

I have had many discussions with Jehovah’s Witnesses over the years, some of which were very revealing. On one occasion I had to call the father of a 15 yr old child who I found sheltering by the door of my workplace at night in the middle of winter. The father of the child was an elder in the JW’s and had discommunicated the child for breaking one of the group’s rules. This child was banned from any communication with the family or other JW’s and was thrown out with nothing but the clothes on her back.

Her father and the other elders agreed to meet with me after I challenged them that his actions were illegal, and that he was leading a cult. The man claimed to be a Greek scholar so I invited him to bring his own Greek books. After taking them through 1 John 1:1-2, all of these men admitted that their New World Translation was impossible and that the original Greek stated that Christ is God. I asked them if they would now start teaching the truth, and their reply was, ‘no, we will teach what we have always taught’.

That meeting opened my eyes to why Jesus had such harsh words to say to the Pharisees he encountered. These men knew the truth, but were so full of self-righteous pride, being convinced that their works saved them, and that they were so much more godly than everyone else, that no argument would ever break through that arrogance.

I have also patiently taken JW’s through the dozens of failed prophecies of Russell and other JW leaders. I have shown them the seriousness and condemnation of false prophets in Scripture and asked basic questions.

1. Did Russell make dozens of prophesies which were never fulfilled, prophecies which were even recorded in print? They will of course answer yes.

2. According to Scripture, does this make Russell a false prophet who is under the condemnation and judgment of God? At this point, the majority say that they were not real prophesies, or he made a mistake or some such excuse.

Those who are involved in a cult will almost never make any criticism of the cult leader. That person is idolized as a special messenger of God, and placed above any Scripture or evidence with proves them to be false. Furthermore, cults such as the JW’s are very ego-centric. When a person believes they are earning their salvation through keeping laws and active works of merit, their entire lives are always contrasted with those who do not act as they do. This is the very heart of the Pharisee mentality as seen in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14.

Spiritual pride is the most blinding of all sin and only the powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit can break through pride. Scripture states several times that God actively opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. If you are a Jehovah’s Witness watching this video, I challenge you to come humbly before God and ask Him to reveal your sin to you as He sees it. If you are sincere, He will extend grace and mercy, and if under that conviction you are willing to walk away from your cult trusting Christ for your future, you will experience new birth, freedom from works, be filled with the holy Spirit and love for Christ.

I pray this article has been enlightening for you.  The video series on World Religions and Cults can be viewed from my YouTube channel @stevecopland6001.

Steve Copland