Jahovah witnesses vs christian belief system

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Permalink Reply by Carla on June 16, 2009 at 8:45pm

Hi Maggie,

I found this on www.gotquestions.org hopefully this helps..
Blessings, Carla

Question: "Who are the Jehovah's Witnesses and what are their beliefs?"

Answer: The sect known today as the Jehovah's Witnesses started out in Pennsylvania in 1870 as a Bible class led by Charles Taze Russell. Russell named his group the “Millennial Dawn Bible Study.” Charles T. Russell began writing a series of books he called “The Millennial Dawn,” which stretched to six volumes before his death and contained much of the theology Jehovah’s Witnesses now hold. After Russell's death in 1916, Judge J. F. Rutherford, Russell's friend and successor, wrote the seventh and final volume of the “Millennial Dawn” series, “The Finished Mystery,” in 1917. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was founded in 1886 and quickly became the vehicle through which the “Millennial Dawn” movement began distributing their views to others. The group was known as the “Russellites” until 1931 when, due to a split in the organization, it was renamed the “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The group from which it split became known as the “Bible students.”

What do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe? Close scrutiny of their doctrinal position on such subjects as the deity of Christ, salvation, the trinity, the Holy Spirit, and the atonement shows beyond a doubt that they do not hold to orthodox Christian positions on these subjects. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is Michael the archangel, the highest created being. This contradicts many Scriptures which clearly declare Jesus to be God (John 1:1,14, 8:58, 10:30). Jehovah’s Witnesses believe salvation is obtained by a combination of faith, good works, and obedience. This contradicts countless scriptures which declare salvation to be received by grace through faith (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the Trinity, believing Jesus to be a created being and the Holy Spirit to essentially be the inanimate power of God. Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the concept of Christ’s substitutionary atonement and instead hold to a ransom theory, that Jesus’ death was a ransom payment for Adam’s sin.

How do the Jehovah’s Witnesses justify these unbiblical doctrines? First, they claim that the church has corrupted the Bible over the centuries; thus, they have re-translated the Bible into what they call the New World Translation. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society altered the text of the Bible to make it fit their false doctrine, rather than basing their doctrine on what the Bible actually teaches. The New World Translation has gone through numerous editions, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses discover more and more Scriptures that contradict their doctrines.

The Watchtower bases its beliefs and doctrines on the original and expanded teachings of Charles Taze Russell, Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford, and their successors. The governing body of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the only body in the cult that claims authority to interpret Scripture. In other words, what the governing body says concerning any scriptural passage is viewed as the last word, and independent thinking is strongly discouraged. This is in direct opposition to Paul's admonition to Timothy (and to us as well) to study to be approved by God, so that we need not be ashamed as we correctly handle the Word of God. This admonition, found in 2 Timothy 2:15, is a clear instruction from God to each of His children to be like the Berean Christians, who searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things they were being taught lined up with the Word.

There is probably no religious group that is more faithful than the Jehovah’s Witnesses at getting their message out. Unfortunately, the message is full of distortions, deceptions, and false doctrine. May God open the eyes of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to the truth of the gospel and the true teaching of God’s Word.

Recommended Resource: Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses by Ron Rhodes.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on June 16, 2009 at 9:09pm

Maggie,

In addition to what Carla said: They preach a different message and believe in a different Jesus. The Word speaks to this in the following verses:

GAL 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

2CO 11:1 I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. 5 But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles." 6 I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

When trying to determine whether a person or group is Christian always research what they believe about Jesus. If they preach a different Jesus, have nothing to do with them, unless they are open to the truth about Jesus. They are not Christian, based on what the Bible says it takes. The Bible says we must be born-again..

Regarding the spirit you say you see:
2CO 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

LT

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Permalink Reply by maggie hancox on June 16, 2009 at 9:43pm

Wow LT, that was interesting.

"unless they are open to the truth about Jesus. They are not Christian"

there is the issue with the Jahovah witnesses i talk to, of wanting to prove I am wrong, and teach me in a very deep 'study' kind of way.

I don't like to learn that way at any cost because i need time to digest what i have read, to analyze it and test it against wether it feels like my Fathers nature or not.
So am I to understand that to this end I have been right to hold up my desire to learn in this way after all?

No wonder I have reluctance to sink deep into a format of bible learning how they want to present it.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on June 17, 2009 at 4:23am

Maggie,

Slight adjustment to how you understood what I said. They are not Christian if they have not been born-again, and they cannot be born again if their hope is in the false Christ taught by the J.W.s. The openess to the gospel determines whether we are to have any contact with them. If your firends are dedicated to the J.W.s they will evangelize you continually in an attempt to wear you down and convert you and in the process confuse you. You are a mark on their road to salvation and a means to a better life in heaven.

Do not be fooled and pulled in to a Bible study with them, unless you are prepared to lead the study and seek to draw them out of the organization, which, if they are good J.W.s, they will not allow you to lead the study and insist that you use their corrupted version of the Bible. Be aware that not all of their teachings are wrong. There is enough truth to make them look Christian on the surface, but once again, wrong Christ, no Christ at all. This goes back to what Jesus said about the yeast and the teaching of the Pharisees.

MT 16:5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." ... MT 16:5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

GAL 5:7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

LT

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Permalink Reply by Sharon on January 5, 2011 at 12:08pm

Jehovahs witnesses once a year have what they call a memorial of Jesus death they actively discourage people from taking communion as they believe that only 144000 people will go to heaven. They are therefore going against what Jesus said at the last supper. So for 17 years while I was involved with this group I had no relationship with Jesus as my lord and savior. They also take bible scriptures out of context and do not believe in the saving grace of God and believe that only through their preaching work will they be given a chance of eternal life. Their baptism is not Christian either as the do not baptize in the name of father son and holy spirit but rather by father son and spirit anointed organization. They discourage independent bible study and believe that the bible is an organizational book and can only be understood by the governing body in their headquaters which essentially makes the governing body their pope and any interpretation the make must not be questioned even if after years that interpreting changes which it frequently does. My advice is to pray that they one day will find the saving grace of Jesus Christ and be free of false teachings of men. For 17 years I was made mesierable by the false teachings of this group. I hope this was helpful. From sharon

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Permalink Reply by maggie hancox on June 17, 2009 at 12:04am

no I don't judge them, I dearly love one of them as my freind.

It is not them i am judging but the cult like need to hold onto that way of teaching for dear life,as though it is the salvation.
They seem so much to want me to have it, as though it will be my salvation.

I think now I understsand the difference clearly, oh that saddens me!
The freedom I have in the love and secure knowledge that my saviour paid it all! I did not have to earn it NOR LEARN IT, it was given me freely and undeservedly.
He shared with me his secrets, he revealed to me his truths and he does so so often for me and for those of us who seek him.
I can't imagine feeling like I had to save myself by learning hard.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on June 17, 2009 at 4:09am

LeBrock,

If a person denies the true, only Jesus, and follows another Jesus that man has made up, we are not judging them, but affirming that they are still lost. There are only two types of people in the J.W.s. They are either a Christian, who came to Christ before entering into their religion and now is being deceived, or they are not a Christian and lost. There can be a third, one who found Christ through the true gospel while being a J.W. and are now being led out by the Holy Spirit as they break loose of the lies they have been taught. One cannot find salvation through the Jesus they preach, for He is not the Christ, the Lamb of God, the true Son of God. Michael the archangel, neither can any created being, save us from our sins. Only throught he blood of Jesus can one be washed and eternally saved.

LT

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Permalink Reply by IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA on June 17, 2009 at 11:03am

In addition to what have been said on this point I want to add that according to 1 John 4:3 (New King James Version)

"and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

that the Jehova witness indirectly does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh if they do not believe his finished work of salvation. They do not believe that one can be saved or born again.
I once had a relationship with them when I was in the University but I had to dissassociate myself with them when they implied that I can not be born again and everyone that claims to be born again is simply deceiving him/herself.

That was an eye opener to me about their belief because they were contracdicting what I have not only believed but experienced and was steadily growing in. To me that was a clear indication that the spirit operating in them was a contrary spirit. If they are of God then there has to be an agreement not only with the spirit of true believers but with the stand of the bible on issues like trinity, salvation and some many others.

We are saved by grace and not works. Any sect that emphasizes work, indirectly does not believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh.

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Pike on August 7, 2010 at 7:33pm

Good evening. I recently came across a website called www.towerwatch.com. The website was made by a ex Jehovah Witness that was one for 35 years. You can find a lot of good information on this website telling you about the Jehovah Witness and the differences between them and Christians. There is also another website www.4jehovah.org that also tells you things that Jehovah Witness would not normally tell a person about their beliefs and their religion. I hope this helps. Take care and God bless you.

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