Jehovah’s
Witnesses And What they Believe
The name, “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” is a misnomer.
They are not the witnesses of Jehovah: far from it. They are not
something special. They are just lost sinners who have been
blinded by their willful unbelief. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “In
whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Anytime someone refuses to believe the truth that
they have received, it blinds them. Every time a sinner hears the
Gospel, it either draws him closer to salvation or blinds him,
driving him farther away. Rejection of the truth has a blinding
effect, and the heart is hardened.
Though the title, “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” is
inaccurate, we will use it -trusting you, the reader, to
understand that we are well aware that they are Satan’s witnesses,
not Jehovah’s.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are best known for their
door-to-door witnessing. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE NEW TESTAMENT
MESSAGE, BUT THEY DO HAVE THE NEW TESTAMENT METHOD. The METHOD in
the New Testament was to go to every house preaching the Gospel.
Every time we think of door-to-door visitation, we think of the
Jehovah Witnesses.
The headquarters of this cult is in Brooklyn, New
York. In that city, their armies are out in numbers on the streets
of Brooklyn. I have knocked on doors in soul winning in that city;
my experience has been that when someone answers the door they
will automatically think you are a Jehovah’s witness. You cannot
convince them that you are not, even if you show them some proper
literature identifying you with a Baptist church - you will still
be thought a part of the Jehovah’s Witness cult.
The cult is best known for its ardent door-to-door
witnessing. That is not a bad thing to be known for; it wouldn’t
hurt us (fundamental Baptists) to be known for that.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are instilled with
missionary zeal and urgency. Their motive is different than ours,
but they do have a missionary zeal. Our motive would be to please
the Lord and keep sinners out of Hell. Their motive for missionary
work is, eternal reward. They measure faithfulness by door-to-door
canvassing.
History of Jehovah Witnesses
The Jehovah’s witnesses are very similar to
the Seventh Day Adventist in many ways. In fact, they are started
by a man that had been a Seventh Day Adventist, but pulled out of
Adventism. They will deny any connection, claiming to go back to
biblical times. However, that is far from the truth.
The founder of the Jehovah’s Witness cult was a
man named, CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL(1852-1916). Today, Jehovah’s
Witnesses deny any connection with this man; however, history
proves that he is the official founder, at least one of the two
major founders.
Russell was raised in Allegheny, Pennsylvania,
where he had been indoctrinated by the Congregational
denomination. They have some fundamental doctrines of
Christianity, but they are not fundamentalist. Back in the late
1800’s they were much more fundamental than they are now. (The
author‘s grandfather on his mother‘s side was a Congregational
preacher in England.)
Charles Russell was a layman; he was not a
minister all his life. He managed several clothing stores in
northern Pittsburgh, PA. He learned under the Congregational
movement that he was going to go o Hell, and it scared him. He had
a strong fear of the doctrine of Hell. That is a good thing, but
he did not respond to that fear; he reacted to it, and ran from
it.
Later, Russell abandoned the teaching of Hell
altogether. Anytime you do not want to admit you are going to such
a place, the thing to do is abandon the teaching altogether. At
least that will help salve the conscience and calm the fears. That
is exactly what Russell did.
Charles Russell got involved in the Seventh Day
Adventists. He even taught Bible classes for them, writing many
books and pamphlets; he was strongly influenced by the SDA cult.
He was especially influenced by them with reference to the
doctrines of Hell and the Second Coming of Christ. Thus, he left
the Congregationalists, and became a Seventh Day Adventist, and
was strongly indoctrinated by them.
However, he began to differ with the SDA on
several points, especially on the doctrine of the atonement. He
thus launched his own magazine called, Zion’s Watchtower and
Herald of Christ’s Presence. The Jehovah’s witnesses still
call their group, “the Watch tower Bible and Tract Society.” that
is the name of their publishing ministry, which he founded in
1894. In 1908 he moved that society to their present location in
Brooklyn. The most important work ever written by Russell is a
work called, Studies in The Scriptures.
Charles Taze Russell’s last years were spent in
extensive travel and speaking engagements. He traveled everywhere
speaking publicly and indoctrinating people in the doctrines that
he had formed as a result of his background and
training.
RUSSELL’S CHARACTER (or lack thereof) - one of the
best ways to gain a good understanding of any movement is to take
a good look at it’s founders. For instance, the founder of every
false religion is dead and in the grave. However, the Founder of
Christianity, the Lord Jesus Christ, is alive and well in heaven.
The only religion whose founder has ever arisen from the dead is
Christianity. That alone ought to say something. It can be
historically and scientifically proven that Christ arose from the
dead. The feasibility of the bodily resurrection of Christ is not
up to question.
The Founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, is the
only founder of any religion or movement who was anywhere near
perfect. All the rest were egotistical and publicly far from
perfect.
Charles Taze Russell was very EGOTISTICAL, making
numerous absurd claims in his writings. To him, his writing stood
above the Bible (just like Ellen G. White). In essence, whether he
ever used the word or not, he believed his believed his writings
were just as good as the Bible, and just as inspired.
Russell allowed his followers to classify him with
the Apostle Paul, John Wycliffe, and Martin Luther the Reformer. A
humble man would have refused to be classified alongside of great
men of God.
He claimed that PEOPLE WOULD BE BETTER OFF READING
HIS WRITINGS RATHER THAN ONLY THE BIBLE. In essence, he said that
if you have a Bible and you have his works, if you could only have
one or the other, you would be better off reading his works and
leaving the Bible out. He did say that it is better to have both,
but he claimed his own writings were more beneficial to read than
the very Word of God. That reminds us of Roman Catholicism, at
lest until recent years.
Russell’s wife divorced him in 1913. Her grounds
for divorce were ADULTERY, CONCIET, EGOTISM, AND DOMINATION. This
is all in the divorce record in the courts.
He PERSONALLY CONTROLLED THE FINANCES of the
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. In fact, out of the 1,000
shares of stock they owned, he owned 990 of them. He was in strong
control. In the Brooklyn Daily Eagle he was charged with
FRAUD.
When he went to court, he PERJURED himself by
testifying under oath that he knew the Greek language and that he
could quote the Greek alphabet. However, when he was asked to do
it, he backed down and admitted he had lied. This is the character
of the man who founded the Jehovah’s Witness cult.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses disclaim any connection
with Russell. However, the facts of history prove he was their
founder and organizer. One cannot argue with history. History is
history.
In 1917 Russell was succeeded as president of the
foundation by a man named JOSEPH FRANKLIN RUTHERFORD. Thus, when
you hear about “Russell and Rutherford,” you are hearing about the
two founders of the Watchtower cult, Jehovah’s
Witnesses.
Rutherford was a lawyer, and eventually became an
assistant judge in Booneville, MO, moving later to New York. Soon
after he became president, several people left and formed many
splits off the movement. He warned them that if they left that
they would suffer destruction; he threatened them.
Eventually Rutherford increased in power and
influence, until he had UNQUESTIONED AUTHORITY. The Bible condemns
that kind of authority. It does say in the New Testament that a
pastor is the ”ruler” of the flock, but he is not to be a “lord”
over them. He is not t be a dictator: he is a leader.
In Revelation, when Jesus wrote to one of the
churches of Asia minor, he warned them about the Nicolaitins. They
are the ones who take the clergy and place them above the laity,
and claim that their authority is never to be
questioned.
In 1931, Rutherford changed the name of the
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” He
wanted to eliminate any connection to Russell. He based this
separation and the name change on Isaiah 43:10, which says, “Ye
are my witnesses, saith the Lord (Jehovah), and my servant
whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and
understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed,
neither shall there be after me.” From this verse, Rutherford
called his cult, “Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
If you will examine the context, however, you will
find that God is talking to Israel, the Jews, not the Jehovah’s
Witnesses. Rutherford took this verse out of context to get their
name. He took that title, though, in an attempt to eliminate any
connection with Russell in the minds of the people.
Rutherford also began to SCATHINGLY DENOUNCE all
other religions. One major characteristic of every cult is, they
believe they are the only ones. Nobody has the truth but them;
everybody is wrong but them. Whenever you find a group that
believes that, mark it down, they are cultist.
Eventually Rutherford began to exemplify UNMIGATED
HOSTILITY TOWARD ALL CHRISTIAN CHRUCHES. Today Jehovah’s Witnesses
believe and teach that all “churches” are “of the
devil.”
In 1942, NATHAN HOMER KNORR became their third
president. Now, all Jehovah’s witnesses are trained to become
ordained ministers at the Gilead Missionary Training School in
South Lansing, New York. Every trained minister of theirs has to
go to that school.
All LAYMEN are trained on Saturdays in “KINGDOM
HALLS,” and they go out and conduct other studies in homes during
the week.
Jehovah’s Witnesses Major
Doctrine
The only reason that we call this cult, “Jehovah’s
Witnesses,” is because they call themselves that. It is a title
that they have claimed for themselves. (Baptists are called
“Baptists” because of what others have decided to call us - it is
not a designation that we chose for ourselves, although it is not
a bad one.) however “Jehovah’s Witnesses” would be mo0re
accurately called, “Satan’s Witnesses.” they could be called “The
Watchtower Cult,” or any other number of names. However,
“Jehovah’s Witnesses” is what they are commonly known by; thus, we
will use that title, with tongue in cheek, in this
discussion.
This cult is one of the most damnable cults to hit
the scene. They are best known, as has already been noted, for
their door-to-door witnessing. They have a tremendous zeal and
sense of urgency that has instilled them with missionary vision.
The problem is: their doctrine is Satanic; it does not even
resemble biblical doctrine.
We will take the time in this section to study
many scripture passages. It is not only important to know what
this cult believes, but it is also important to know WHY they
believe it, and WHY, it is wrong. You cannot refute a false
doctrine, nor witness to a false prophet effectively, unless you
can show him why his belief is wrong.
THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR PLACING
REASON ABOVE THE BIBLE. When they discover a biblical passage, if
they cannot explain it by human logic and reason, they simply
ignore it. They reject anything in the Scripture that is beyond
human understanding. That is why they REJECT THE DOCTRINE OF HELL;
because we cannot understand how a person can be cast body, soul,
and spirit into a fire, and not be consumed. It is difficult to
reconcile that with belief in a loving God.
They also reject the doctrine of the TRINITY OF
GOD, for the same reason - it is beyond human comprehension. The
doctrine of the trinity states that God the Father is 100% God,
all by Himself; God the Son is 100% God, all Himself; God the Holy
Ghost is 100% God all by Himself - and yet there is only one God!
1 John 5:7 says and they have marked this verse completely out of
their bible, “ For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:
and these three are one.”
THIS CULT DENIES THE TRINITY; THEY DENY THE
DIETY OF CHRIST; THEY DENY THE DEITY AND PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT; THEY DENY THE BODILY RESSURECTION OF CHRIST; AND THEY DENY
THE LITERAL SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
The major doctrine that they deny, their
denial sending them to Hell, is the DOCTRINE OF THE DEITY OF THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST. You cannot be saved and deny that Jesus is God.
Jesus said in John 8:24, “… if ye believe not that I am he, ye
shall die in your sins.” The word, “he,” is in italics;
Christ was saying, then, that “if ye believe not that I am the
I AM, ye shall die in your sins.” The “I AM” is
Jehovah, according to Exodus 3.
Thus, when witnessing to a Jehovah’s Witness, your
major goal should be to steer them toward the deity of Jesus
Christ. That is the primary doctrine on which they miss salvation
altogether. The other doctrines are not near as important, with
reference to salvation, as this one. The deity of Jesus Christ is
foundational, basic, and necessary to the doctrine of salvation.
The real authority of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is
their official system of interpretation. It is not the Bible; it
is the official Watchtower-stamped, approved, system of
interpretation that is their authority. That system states that if
you cannot understand a doctrine, then you deny it. Thus, they
literally take hundreds of passages of Scripture out of context in
order to try to prove their point.
No Jehovah’s Witness has the right to his own
inductive judgment. That means that the Watchtower Society does
not allow their adherents to question or make up their own mind
about a doctrine in the
Bible. To be a Jehovah’s Witness you must accept
the official teaching of that cult, or you cannot belong to
them.
The official Bible of the Jehovah Witness movement
is: THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION. We know that the King James Bible
is the preserved Word of God for the English-speaking world of
today. It is the only major English translation that is translated
strictly from the Received Text. That can be proven historically.
(For a complete study of the history of our English Bible, See Dr.
Tully’s book, HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE, available from
Heartland Bible Institute in Piedmont, MO.)
The official Bible of the Watchtower movement,
THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION, is translated from the corrupted
1881 Westcott and Horte text. Their translation of the Bible makes
a number of major translations that are not only faulty, they are
blasphemous.
For instance, John 1:1 “ In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.”
In the New World Translation that verse
reads, “…and the word was a god.” However, there is no indefinite
article (“a“) in the Greek; it is always supplied by the
translators, based on the surrounding text and context. Thus, to
say “a god” in the Greek is a misnomer. Not only that, the
grammatical construction of that verse does not allow an
indefinite article.
Jehovah’s Witnesses call God’s name, “Jehovah.” We
often refer to Jehovah God; however, the correct pronunciation is
probably closer. To “YAHWEH.” the Hebrew language contains no
vowels; the title of God is spelled in the Old Testament language,
“YHVH.” We do not know for sure how that word is pronounced. The
reason being, when the scribes and copyist were reading the Bible
they would refuse to pronounce the name of God; they feared that
they might mispronounce it, and insult Him. As a result we do not
have the foggiest clue how God’s personal name is supposed to be
pronounced.
We do know this, the word “Jehovah” is not used
anywhere in any Greek manuscript. Thus, to place so much
importance on the name “Jehovah,” is unfounded.
The New World Translation also adds obvious
word that are not found anywhere in the manuscripts. For instance,
Colossians !:16 says, “For by him (Christ) were all
things created….”
The New World Translation adds the word
“other,” and reads, “for by him were all other things created….”
They did that because they believe that Jesus Christ was created
by God, just like all of God’s other creation. Therefore, they add
the word “other,” “for by him were all other things
created….”
Their translation also distorts Greek pronouns by
always calling the Holy Spirit, “it.” They do this because they
deny that the Holy Spirit is a real person. They think he is just
a wind, a breath, or an influence that God chooses to
use.
Let us examine their more important doctrines, and
do a Biblical comparison.
1. CHRIST IS A CREATED BEING - HE WAS MICHAEL THE
ARCHANGEL, AND HE BECAME A MAN WHEN JESUS WAS BORN
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God created
Jesus, just like he did the angels; and they teach that Christ was
Michael the archangel, and that Michael became human when Christ
was born. Where did they get that?
Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Jehovah’s
Witness cult, said, “Our redeemer existed s a spirit being before
he was made flesh and dwelt amongst men. At that time, as well as
subsequently, he was properly known as ‘a god’ - a mighty one. As
chief of the angels and next to the Father, he was known as the
archangel Michael. As he was the highest of all Jehovah’s
creation, so also he was the first, the direct creation of God,
the ‘only begotten‘….”
Notice, this cult admits a form of deity; they
believe that Christ was divine (like God), but they do not believe
that he was deity (is God).
Notice also that they say that Christ was the
first creation of God - thus, Jesus was a created
being.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Romans 9:5, “Whose are the fathers, and
of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God
blessed for ever. Amen.” Paul called Jesus, “God,” and said He
is “blessed forever.”
1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the
Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we
may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in
his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
John teaches here that Jesus is, and always has been, “true
God.”
Isaiah 6:1-3 says, “In the year that
king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the
seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face,
and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And
one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD
(Jehovah) of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Comparing that with John 12:41, John said,
“These things said Esaias, when he saw his (Christ’s)
glory, and spake of him.” He was saying that when Isaiah
saw Jehovah, he saw Christ.
John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.”
Revelation 19:13 reveals who “the Word if
God” is. It says, “(Christ’s) name is, The word of God.”
Thus, John said, “In the beginning was
(Christ), and (Christ) was with God, and
(Christ) was God.”
In verse 14 he said, “And the Word (God)
was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace
and truth.” Jesus Christ IS God incarnate in human
flesh.
Hebrews 1:8 records the words of god the Father to
Jesus Christ, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.”
Notice that God the Father called Jesus, “God.”
Isaiah 9:6, written nearly 750 years prior to the
birth of Christ, says, “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah here
calls Christ, “The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father.”
Isaiah 7:14 calls the coming Christ,
“Emmanuel,” which means, “God with us.” Christ on
earth was “God” and He was “with us.”
The serious student of the Bible cannot deny that
Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Jesus Himself taught the
disciples that He was God. In John 14:7-9 we read, “ If ye had
known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth
ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew
us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I
been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest
thou then, Shew us the Father?”
Notice a number of things about this conversation.
Jesus said to Thomas, “If ye had known me, ye should have known
my Father also: and…ye have seen him.” Christ is obviously
pointing to Himself as God, whom they had “known” and
“seen.”
Philip requested of Jesus, “Lord, Shew us the
Father…”
Jesus answered his request by saying, “If ye
had known ME, ye should have known my Father also: and from
henceforth ye know him, and HAVE SEEN HIM.”
Jesus claimed to be God. He placed Himself equal
with the Father. He said, “he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father.” You can’t get any plainer than that: JESUS IS
GOD.
It is a serious crime to deny the deity of Christ.
Jesus said is John 8:24, “…if ye believe not that I am he, ye
shall die in your sins.” Thus, this is the most important
doctrine that the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny: the deity of
Christ.
2. JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES DENY THE DOCTRINE OF THE
TRINITY OF GOD
Jehovah’s Witnesses completely deny the
doctrine of the Trinity, not because it is unbiblical, nor even
ambiguous; they deny it simply because it cannot be understood,
nor reasoned out by human logic.
People say all the time, “Well, I just don’t
understand God.” I wouldn’t want a God I could understand. If I
could understand Him, He wouldn’t be a god.
There are some things in the Bible about God that
we do not understand; one of those things is, the Trinity. It is
impossible to understand how God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Spirit can each be 100% God all by Himself - and yet
there is only one God. We do not understand that; however, what we
cannot comprehend, we can still understand.
What does the Bible say about the Trinity? 1 John
5:7 says “ For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses will tell you that this verse does not
belong in the Bible. However, that is false. this verse is found
in the Textus Receptus. Historically, it has always been a part of
the Word of God all along.
The greatest proof text in the Bible of the
doctrine of the Trinity is Deuteronomy 6:4. It says, “Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”
in the English language we have singular, meaning
one, and plural meaning two or more. However, not so in the Hebrew
language. In the Hebrew they have singular - meaning one, dual -
meaning two, and compound - meaning three or more. In Hebrew every
word is either singular (1), dual (2), or compund (3 or
more).
In Deuteronomy 6:4, “LORD” is a singular
word (1), and “God” is a compound word (3 or more). Thus,
the Trinity. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD (singular) our
God (compound) is one LORD.”
Matthew 28:19-20 contains the first mention in the
New Testament of the Great Commission. In the wording of the Great
Commission, Christ provided a tremendous illustration of the
Trinity. He said that converts to Christ are to be baptized “in
the name (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.” “in the name” is singular; which one he was
talking about - “the Father,” “the son,” or “the Holy
Spirit?” Notice: one “name,” but all three
mentioned.
John 1:1 (cf.v.14) calls Jesus, “God.” Acts 5:1-3
calls the Holy Spirit “God.” “The Father” is also called
“God” throughout Scripture. Thus, one “God,” yet
three Persons in the Godhead. God the Father is 100% God all by
Himself; God the Son is 100% God all by Himself; God the Holy
Spirit is 100% God all by Himself - and yet there is only one
God.
There are numerous illustrations throughout the
Old and New Testaments of the Trinity. (See Dr. Tully’s book on
What the Bible Teaches, Theology Proper, for an in depth
study of the Trinity of the Godhead.) The Jehovah’s Witnesses deny
this doctrine.
3. JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES DENY THE BIBLE DOCTRINE OF
THE ATONEMENT
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the atonement
consists of two parts. They do believe that Jesus provides the
atonement, but that it is not complete until man comes to
God.
It is true that in order for the atonement to be
efficacious, the sinner must come to God through Christ; but they
do not believe that Christ completed the work of atonement on
Calvary. However, when Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is
finished,” the work of atonement was done.
John 1:29 states, “ Behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” It is as “the
Lamb of God,” dying on the cross, that our sins are atoned
for.
In essence, Jehovah’s Witnesses are saying that
man earns his own atonement by coming to God.
However, Romans 5:8 says, “But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.”
in verses 10 and 11 of the same chapter Paul
continued, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall
be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the
atonement.” The atonement is solely the work of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:3 says that Christ, “by
himself purged our sins.” It is not Christ and someone else.
It is Christ alone. ’Jesus paid it all; all to him I owe. Sin had
left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.’
2 Corinthians 5:21 says,
“For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him.” Notice that it is Christ who was “made sin
for us.” He IS our atonement.
1 Timothy 2:6 says Christ “gave himself
a RANSOM for all….” Christ IS our ransom, our atonement.
Thus, the Jehovah’s Witness doctrine that Christ
provides part and man provides the other part blatantly
unscriptural.
4. JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES BELIEVE THAT SALVATION IS
EARNED BY MAN
Charles Russell quotes from Romans and says, “For
as though the disobedience of one man (Adam) many were made
sinners (all who were in him), so by the obedience of one man
(Jesus) many (all who ultimately shall avail themselves of the
privilege and opportunities of the New Covenant) shall be
constituted righteous.”
He also stated, “….this offer of salvation….should
be promptly accepted and….it terms are but a reasonable
service.”
What he is saying is that man acts first, and God
accepts man’s efforts as payment for salvation.
All who are familiar with Scripture know that this
is erroneous. John 6:44 states, “No man can come to me, except
the Father which hath sent me draw him….” Who acts first in
this verse? God acts first by drawing man; man acts second by
responding.
John 3:7 states that man
must be “born again” in order to enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
Galatians 2:16 says, “Knowing that a man
is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the
law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Paul made it pretty plain here that no amount of works, and no
kind of works, can ever save a soul.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 the apostle made it very
clear, “ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast.” Notice that salvation is only “by
grace….through faith….and ….not of yourselves….it is the gift of
god: not of works….” how plainer can it be stated?
Titus 3:5 says, “ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Paul reiterates
here to Titus that salvation is “Not by works of righteousness
which we have done….”
5. JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES DENY COMPLETELY THE
BIBLE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL RETRIBUTION
these cultist make a very emphatic point of
their denial of any idea that a loving God could possibly send a
sinner to Hell. They say that this would be beyond comprehension,
absurd.
However, what does the Bible say?
Luke 16:19-31 clearly gives the story of a
man who died without Christ and went to Hell, and “in Hell he lift
up his eyes, being in torments.” Jesus Christ vividly describes
this man’s punishment and torment in this account.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses say that this story is a
“parable.” However, that cannot be. A parable always has two
characteristics: (1) a parable never mentions the name of a person
or place; however, two persons are named in this story (Lazarus
and Abraham); and (2) parables are always introduced by statements
similar to, “Then spake he unto them in parables, saying…”
or “The kingdom of heaven was likened unto….” However,
this story is not introduced with any indication that it is a
parable. It simply begins with, “There was a certain rich man
which was clothed in fine linen….”
Thus, this story is not a parable. It is a literal
and historical account of two men, oe of whom died and went to
“Abraham’s Bosom” and the other died and went to
“Hell.”
Mark 9:44, 46, and 48 all say the same
identical thing about Hell, “Where the worm dieth not, and the
fire is not quenched.”
Revelation 14:10,11 describes Hell this
way: “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his
indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in
the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and
they have no rest day nor night….” Quite a description for a
place that does not exist!
Revelation 1:18 reveals Jesus Christ as the
one having “the keys of hell and of death.” However,
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in “death,” but they deny the
existence of “hell.”
Revelation 20:14, 15 says, “And death
(where the body goes) and hell (where the soul goes)
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
the lake of fire.” The context reveals that this is the
ultimate sentence passed on all who reject the Christ of the
Bible.
Jehovah’s Witnesses will tell you that when Jesus
said “hell” He meant, “grave,” and when he uses the word
“fire” to describe Hell He really meant, “dust.” If that is
the case, then why didn’t He use those words? He used them often
in other conversation. Was He trying to deceive the people? NO, He
meant what He said and He said what He meant.
The Watchtower cultist will tell you that the
Greek and Hebrew words for “hell” really mean: destruction,
annihilation. However, that is not true. There are three words in
the Bible languages for “Hell,” where sinners will spend
eternity.
(1) Sheol (Hebrew, Old
Testament), always referring to a state of separation.
(2) Gehenna (Greek, New Testament),
always referring to “Hell.”
(3) Hades (Greek, New Testament), always
referring to a state of separation; this word in the New Testament
equivalent for the Hebrew, Sheol.
Thus, Bible language bears out the existence of a
place of eternal separation from God, called “Hell,” where
sinners will spend eternity.
BIBLE FACTS ABOUT HELL:
A. Hell is Down - in the
center of the earth; Job 17:6; 33:24; Psalm 28:1; 55:15; Proverbs
7:27; Isaiah 14 :15; Ezekiel 31:165; 32:27; Matthew 7:19; Luke
10:15; 2 Peter 2:4. All of these passages use the word “down”
to describe the location of Hell, or the directions to
Hell.
B. Hell is described as a
“bottomless pit” in Revelation 9:1; 11:17; 17:8; 20:1, 2. A
“bottomless pit” is a place where the inhabitants experience the
everlasting sensation of hopelessly helplessly falling. In the
center of the earth, where the gravitational pull is of equal
force from every direction, there is no gravity; one in that place
would experience the same sensation - that of falling and floating
for eternity.
C. The center of the earth
is a place of fire and sulfur, which is the bible word for
“brimstone.” Hell the bible says, is a place of “fire
and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8).
D. Hell is a place of eternal conscious
existence:
1. Body, soul, and spirit in Hell - Luke 16
:19-32
2. Intellect, emotions, and will in Hell - Luke 16
:19-32
3. Five senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing,
smell) in Hell - Luke 16 :19-32
4. Revelation 14:11; Luke 9:44, 46, 48.
E. Hell is a place of literal, physical
flame of fire: Matthew 15:22; 18:8, 9; 25:41; Mark 9:43, 44, 46,
48; Luke 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; James 3:6; 2 Peter 3:7; Jude7;
Revelation 14:10.
F. Hell is a place of eternal physical
torment: Luke 16:24; Revelation 14:10. The New Testament often
refers to “weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth” in
Hell.
G. Hell is a place of
eternal darkness: 2 Samuel 2:9; Matthew 8:12; 2 peter 2:4; Jude 6,
13. The Jehovah’s Witnesses will say that it is absurd to think
that fire and darkness can abide in the same place. However, that
is not so. A flame only produces light on it’s immediate exterior.
Inside the flame, where there is no oxygen, there is no
light.
Scientists tell us that they measure the intensity
of the heat of a flame by it’s color. The coolest flame that a man
can produce is a yellow flame; then, as it gets hotter, it turns
from yellow to orange, from orange to ed, from red to green, from
green to blue, and then from blue to the hottest flame man can
produce, and that is a white flame. If you will mix a solution of
these colors in equal amounts, you will end up with a solution
that is pitch black.
We are now told that if a man could produce a
flame that is hotter than a white flame, that it would be a black
flame.
H. Hell is a place of eternal memory: In
like 16:25 the rich man in Hell was exhorted, “Son,
remember…..”
I. Hell is a place of eternal burden for
loved ones still unsaved on earth: When the rich man in Hell
realized that his condition was hopeless and helpless, he then
pleaded for someone to go to his five brothers on earth, “lest
they also come to this place of torment” (Luke
16:27-28).
J. Hell is a place of eternally fixed
character : Revelation 22:11, 15.
We have simply listed the verse in this section
for the sake of time and space. The serious student will look up
each verse, commit many of them to memory, and use them when
witnessing to a Jehovah’s Witness cultist.
BIBLICAL EVALUATION OF THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESS
CULT
It is important to evaluate every system of
doctrine by the Word of God. Thus, the following:
1. The theology of Jehovah’s Witnesses denies or
distorts almost every significant Biblical truth. All error that
claims to be Christian is nothing more than a distortion or denial
of Biblical truth.
2. The Jehovah’s Witnesses arrived at their
position by imposing a false system of doctrine on the Bible. That
false system of doctrine is traceable back to Charles Taze
Russell.
3. This cult violates every sound principle of the
Biblical interpretation to support it’s teachings. This violation
includes, but is not limited to, ignoring some Scripture passages
entirely, taking others out of context, and even changing the
meaning of the Bible words to make them more comprehendible with
their doctrine.
4. The Watchtower movement is just another works
system, as it minimizes the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ
for our redemption.
IMPORTANT FACTS TO REMEMBER
1. JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES ARE IMPELLED WITH A GREAT
SENSE OF URGENCY, WHICH MAKES THEM BOLD AND AGGRESSIVE.
Never in our day has there been a group so set on
evangelizing and proselytizing others into their movement. They
put true Biblical Christians to shame in their door-to-door
efforts.
2.THEIR ONLY TEST OF “FAITHFULNESS” IS THE DEGREE
TO WHICH THEY CANVASS NEIGHBORHOODS AND PROMOTE THEIR SYSTEM.
This is their great motive.
3. UNINFORMED CHRISTIANS ARE EASY PREY FOR
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES.
This author has met many Jehovah’s Witnesses who
say, “I used to be Baptist.” That tells me one of two things:
either that individual was never saved, and thus does not have the
witness of the Holy Spirit to discern false doctrine from true
doctrine; or, this young Christian was uninformed, not detruncated
thoroughly.
4. WE MUST CHALLENGE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TO BE
WILLING TO GO BY THE BIBLE, REGARDLESS OF THE OFFICIAL TEACHINGS
OF THEIR MOVEMENT.
The Bible must become their sole authority of
faith and practice, regardless of what their cult
teaches.
5. THE CENTRAL ISSUE IN WITNESSING TO JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES MUST BE: THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST (JOHN
8:24).
6. AN UNINFORMED CHRISTIAN WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO
SIMPLY GIVE THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESS HIS TESTIMONY AND SEND HIM ON
HIS WAY.
If you do not know the Word of God, and do not
have a basic knowledge of their doctrine, they will confuse you;
they are taught how to argue effectively. They are masters at
argument. Thus, learn to give your own personal salvation
experience testimony in a few minutes of less; then give them a
good gospel tract and send them on their way. Better yet, become
informed - study this chapter over and over until you are
confidently familiar with their history and doctrine, and with the
Scriptures you need to witness to them, then go aggressively after
winning Jehovah’s Witnesses to Christ.
By Dr. Andrew Tully