Jehovahs Witnesses: A Bible Study

An encounter with jehovahs witnesses Aretha Graham-Caley APOL 500-B08 October 10, 2014 Introduction Although seen by many throughout the world as a pseudo-Christian cult, Jehovahs Witnesses also known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, identifies themselves as the only authentic followers of Jehovah. Christian scholars and apologists however continue to disprove their claim due to the multitude of pseudo-doctrines, which are clearly outside of orthodox Christianity. Charles Russell founded this movement in Pennsylvania as a Bible Study group in 1872. He had difficulty accepting the idea of hell and therefore came to deny its existence and from then on attacked core elements of Christianity such as the Trinity using his personal interpretations
of the Bible. Even after his death in 1916, his work continued and currently has over 4 million members worldwide, who are falsely indoctrinated. Jehovahs Witnesses have been described by Ron Carlson, as a theology of denial. Jehovahs Witnesses have changed every doctrine of critical importance. This paper will identify some of those teachings and seek to show how biblical Christians can address them when faced on ones porch with an encounter with a Jehovah Witness. Outline The target audience for this paper are Jehovahs Witnesses. The Jehovahs witnesses have several worldviews which are directly contrary to that of Christendom. I. Introduction How Christianity Addresses the Jehovahs Witnesses Worldviews II. Jehovahs Witnesses Worldviews Rejection of the Trinity Jesus is a single person. Biblical response. B. Jesus is the Co-Eternal Son of God the Father 1. The Father alone is God. 2. Biblical response C. The soul is not immortal 1. Death is final. 2. Biblical response. D. The existence of hell 1. There is no eternal torment. 2. Biblical response E. Religious leaders 1. Those who take the lead in religious activities should not have titles that elevate them above others. 2. Biblical response. F. Gods Kingdom 1. God Kingdom is a real government, not just a condition of the heart. 2. Biblical response. G. Only the select few will get to Heaven 1. Only 144,000 will get to heaven. 2. Biblical response. III. Conclusion Gods word and the Christian faith prevails. How Christianity Addresses the JWs Worldview. There are several ways that Christianity can address Jehovahs Witnesses Worldviews. Scriptural references, which address the flaws in their belief system, must certainly be a part of any outreach to Jehovahs Witnesses. However, the best way to begin a ministry to Jehovahs Witnesses is to use the biblical test for a prophetic organization and expose them as being a false prophetic organization. Jehovahs Witnesses are primarily taught from the New World Translation, which is their doctored version of the Bible this means that by enlightening them with the full word of God, it will open up avenues to show truth. An apologist can also incorporate Negative Apologetics which defends Christianity in two ways, from an offensive and defensive approach. If another worldview such as JWs proclaims superiority to Christianity, that worldview is evaluated against the appropriate criteria in order to reveal that it is logically incorrect, in relation to Christianity. This is the offensive approach. When used defensively however, negative apologetics encourages a direct rebuttal to a direct objection or attack on Christianity. The Obstacle or roadblock to faith should be removed through argument. There are seven criterias of measurement. By measuring Jehovahs Witnesses worldview against only the first four criteria, 1)It explains what it ought to explain, 2) It is internally consistent,3) Coherent and 4) Factuallyadequate, one can immediately see the errancy of the Jehovah Witnesses claims. Rejection of the Trinity The Jehovahs Witness theology states that God is a single person, not a Trinity. According to the Watchtower, they boldly state, Our readers are aware that while we believe in Jehovah and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, we reject as totally unscriptural, the teaching that these are three Gods in one person or, as some put it, one God in three persons. It is somewhat baffling that this is a legitimate claim. They site Deuteronomy 64, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah as their scriptural foundation for holding this doctrine as their only truth. While they ignore 1 John 57 which states, For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one. Douglas Groothuis also goes on to state, Jesus initimated the notion of one God as triune when he authorized his disciples to baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 2819). Jesus prays to God the Father, speaks of the Holy Spirit in ontlologically exalted terms (John 1426), and affirms his own equality with God (John 858) all without ever speaking of more than one God. Once again, for the JWs to state that the Trinity is totally unscriptural, points to their flawed doctrine when compared to scripture. Jesus is the Co-Eternal Son of God the Father In David Reeds Answering Jehovahs Witnesses, JWs believe, The Father alone is God. Witnesses are taught that Jesus Christ was merely a manifestation of Michael the archangel in human form not God but a mere created being. To successfully address the Jehovahs Witness claim that Jesus is not the co-eternal son of God the Father, the conversation must begin with Jesus miraculous conception. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost, Matthew 118. This miraculous conception has direct bearing on Philippians 26-8, which states, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. In spite of this scriptural evidence, Jehovah Witnesses continue to proclaim we take Jesus at his word when he said The Father is greater than I am. John 1428. This claim is in direct defiance to Mattew 316-17, when Jesus was to be baptized. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Once again, it is evident that Jehovahs Witnesses choose to twist the scriptures to suit their needs. The Soul is Immortal Christianity teaches that those who die in Christ do not permanently cease to exist upon death. The Bible repeatedly refers to life after death, for the soul of man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 1550,53. The Existence of Hell Jehovahs Witnesses do not believe in the existence of hell. As stated earlier they believe that the final resting place for mankind is in the grave. They continuously quote Ezekiel 184, 20, The soul that sinneth, it shall die... yet ignore several other scriptures which not only support that sinners will die but points to hell as a real destination. Revelation 218 clearly states But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death. The scriptures acknowledge that everyone will die but it also explicitly expresses the final resting place. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works HYPERLINK http//www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Revelation-20-13/ o Revelation 2013 Revelation 2013. Religious Leaders Religious leaders within the Jehovah Witnesses organization do not have titles that will elevate them above others. JWs speak expressly against titles such as Reverend, Bishop, Lord and Father, among others. According to JWs, the word reverend used once in the Bible in Psalms 1119, is in direct reference to Jehovah He sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever holy and reverend is his name. Therefore, JWs do not believe reverend is a title that ought to be utilized by mere humans. The objection to the word Bishop on the other hand is because early Christians did not adhere to its usage. If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work, wrote Paul to Timothy. ( HYPERLINK http//www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/books/1-timothy/3/ l v54003001 t _blank 1Timothy 31, KJ) However, according to The New Jerusalem Bible, the verse reads To want to be a presiding elder is to desire a noble task. Early Christians with responsible duties were referred to as elders and overseers. Were those terms used as titles No. Such men were never called Bishop Peter or Elder James. That is why mature Christian men among Jehovahs Witnesses who serve the congregation as elders never use the term elder as a title. The terms elder and overseer (bishop) apply to those holding a position of authority and responsibility. The terms also describe the qualifications of the men appointed and the work that they do. The term Lord and Father are also rejected by Jehovahs Witnesses because according to scripture these titles should be reserved for Jehovah. While Orthodox Christianity do not use the term Lord or Father to refer to those who are in religious offices, the use of Bishop or Reverend is. Ephesians 411,12, state, And he gave some, apostles and some, prophets and some, evangelists and some, pastors and teachers For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. The Bible goes on to acknowledge leadership and encourages the body of Christ to know who are in leadership and to esteem them highly. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. And be at peace among yourselves (1 Thess. 512, 13). Gods Kingdom JWs believe that Gods Kingdom is similar to the earthly set up of government. They believe that God appointed Jesus as ruler because he has already proven himself reliable and compassionate. In addition, Under Gods direction, Jesus has selected persons from all nations who will rule as kings over the earth with him in heaven. Luke 1720,21 states, And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation Neither shall they say, Lo here or, lo there for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. The Kingdom of God is in the acceptance of Christ.
Gods Kingdom is within. When believers work for Gods Kingdom , it simply means, bringing others to the saving knowledge of Christ. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 146). Therefore, the JWs claim that there will be a selection of persons to rule with Christ is false. JWs also claim that, Anyone who does what God requires can be a subject of Gods Kingdom, without regard for ancestry or birthplace. This too is false. Matthew 721 places this statement into perspective,Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Everyone must be born again in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. Only the Select Few Will Get to Heaven One of the foundational teachings of the Watchtower is that only 144,000 people will go to heaven. This 144,000 however were chosen in 1935 when according to the JWs teachings all true Christians were selected to go to heaven. Most Jehovahs Witnesses are not considered part of the 144,000 and do not expect to go to heaven. Rather, they believe themselves part of HYPERLINK http//www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/great-crowd-other-sheep.php the Great Crowd that
will never die, but rather reside forever on earth. Revelations 73,4, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel and Revelations 141, 4-5 are the only two scriptural references to the number 144,000. What is odd about this doctrine is the discrepancy in who can go to heaven. In 1935 all JWs had the opportunity, however since then, only an earthly reign is available. This is where Christianity and the gospel of Christ differ. Everyone has the opportunity to go to Heaven. The only criteria is to accept Christ and believe. Mark 1615,16, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned. Conclusion The test of a prophet or an alleged prophetic organization is that their prophecies must come true. Deuteronomy 18 20-22 states, But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously thou shalt not be afraid of him. It is evident that when the test referenced in Deuteronomy is used on the Jehovah Witnesses Religious Organization and their doctrines, it proves that it is not of God. The years of 1874, 1914, 1918, 1925, and 1975 were all earmarked, to a greater or lesser extent, as times of the Second Coming of Christ, yet all brought bitter disappointment and persistent prophecy failure. In spite of this knowledge, JWs still claim to be Christians. They are indoctrinated on a weekly basis according to their translation of the Bible, the New World Translation published by the Watchtower Society. In addition to the test of a prophet, to effectively refute the claims of JWs, scriptural references which gives the full picture of their partial truth, must be utilized. Their rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity, Jesus as the co-eternal son of God the Father, denial of the human soul as immortal and the existence of hell all have scriptural references throughout this paper that will cause a JW to pause. In addition, their refusal to give titles to religious leaders, the belief that God Kingdom is a real government, not just a condition of the heart and that only 144,000 will get to heaven are all false doctrines which have also been addressed scripturally throughout this paper. Christianity has been tested and proves that the doctrine of Jesus Christ is true and when any believer encounters a JW they need not fear, just simply stand on the word of God. Bibliography Awake. Should Christians Use Religious Titles 1992, http//www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g19920808/should-christians-use-religious- titles/insightsearch_id9fd9c4b1-365c-4fab-a5c6- db1855d2fcebinsightsearch_result_index1 (accessed October 10, 2014) Carson, Ron. What do Jehovahs Witnesses Believe http//www.christianministriesintl.org/videos/CMIC5RCJW1.php (accessed September 13, 2014) Groothuis, Douglas. Christian Apologetics(Illinois Intervarsity Press, 2011) Holden, Andrew. Jehovahs Witnesses Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement. London Routeledge, 2002. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed August 28, 2014) Jehovahs Witnesses Facts Website. 144,000 http//www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/144000.php (accessed October 10, 2014) Jehovahs Witnesses Official Website. http//www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/are- jehovahs-witnesses-christians/ (accessed August 28th, 2014) Jehovahs Witnesses Official Website. What is the Kingdom of God http//www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-is-gods- kingdom/insightsearch_idcc05dca8-3d3b-4a04-b80f- d9fd3a15dc17insightsearch_result_index12 (accessed October 10, 2014). Land, Gary. (2010). HYPERLINK http//literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu2048/content/entry/sharpecw/jehovah_s_witnesses/0 Jehovahs Witnesses. In Robert Chapman (Ed.), Culture wars An encyclopedia of issues, viewpoints, and voices. Retrieved from http//www.liberty.edu2048/loginurlhttp//literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty. edu2048/content/entry/sharpecw/jehovah_s_witnesses/0 Martin, Walter Ralston, Hanegraaff, Hank. The kingdom of the cults. Minneapolis, Minn Bethany House, 1997. Reed, David. Answering Jehovahs Witnesses. Subject by Subject. Michigan Baker Book House Publishing, 1996 Slick, Matt. Jehovahs Witnesses Beliefs, 2014, http//carm.org/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs (accessed September 12, 2014). Watchtower. Consider The End Afterward. 2008, http//www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/contentLanguageFilterenpubFilterwp yearFilter2008 (accessed September 13, 2014). Watchtower. The Soul is Immortal. 2009, http//wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009801 (accessed October 7, 2014) What Does The Bible Really Teach. The Ransom Gods Greatest Gift. 2014, http//www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/the-ransom-gods-greatest-gift/ (Accessed September 13, 2014) Ch 5 Zions Watchtower. What We Believe God is Not a Trinity. 1882 http//www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/contentLanguageFilterenpubFilterwp yearFilter2008 Zions Watchtower. The Wages of Sin is Death. 1882 http//www.jw.org/en/jehovahs- witnesses/faq/changed-bible-beliefs/ Ron Carson. 2014. What Do Jehovahs Witnesses Believe http//www.christianministriesintl.org/videos/CMIC5RCJW1.php (accessed September 13, 2014) Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics(Illinois Intervarsity Press, 2011), 52 Jehovahs Witnesses Official Website. http//www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/are- jehovahs-witnesses- christians/ (Accessed August 28th, 2014) 4 Watchtower. Consider The End Afterward. 2008, http//www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/contentLanguageFilterenpubFilterwp yearFilter2008 (accessed September 13, 2014). 5 Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics(Illinois Intervarsity Press, 2011), 483 6 David Reed. Answering Jehovahs Witnesses. Subject by Subject. (Michigan Baker Book House Publishing, 1996), 13 Jehovahs Witnesses Official Website. http//www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/are- jehovahs-witnesses- christians/ (Accessed August 28th, 2014) Watchtower. The Soul is Immortal. 2009, http//wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009801 (accessed October 7, 2014) Awake. Should Christians Use Religious Titles 1992, http//www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g19920808/should-christians-use-religious-titles/insightsearch_id9fd9c4b1-365c-4fab-a5c6-db1855d2fcebinsightsearch_result_index1 (accessed October 10, 2014) 10 Ibid., Awake. 1992 Jehovahs Witnesses Official Website. What is the Kingdom of God http//www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-is-gods- kingdom/insightsearch_idcc05dca8-3d3b-4a04-b80f-d9fd3a15dc17insightsearch_result_index12 (accessed October 10, 2014). 12 Ibid., Jehvahs Witnesses Official Website Jehovahs Witnesses Facts Website. 144,000 http//www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/144000.php (accessed October 10, 2014) Andrew Holden. Jehovahs Witnesses Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement. London Routeledge, 2002. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed August 28, 2014) Page PAGE 14 APOL 500 Y, dXiJ(x(I_TS1EZBmU/xYy5g/GMGeD3Vqq8K)fw9 xrxwrTZaGy8IjbRcXI u3KGnD1NIBs
RuKV.ELM2fiVvlu8zH
(W )6-rCSj id DAIqbJx6kASht(QpmcaSlXP1Mh9MVdDAaVBfJP8AVf 6Q