WHY I COULD NOT BE A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

BACKGROUND
        Members of the Watchtower Society, Jehovah's Witnesses, consider themselves to be Christians. Many Jehovah's Witnesses (J.W.'s) lead good moral lives.  They make good neighbors and they work hard at their religion.  They profess to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior (l) [this is an end note] and the Bible is their only canonized scripture. Is this enough to categorize Jehovah's Witnesses as Christians?

THE PROBLEM
        This question will be answered by examining some of the key doctrinal teachings and claims of the Watchtower Society and comparing these teachings to the Bible and history. In addition, we will examine what they believe about Jesus Christ and who He is. A Christian writer said: "Many so called Christian groups claim to have Jesus as their Savior.  Mormons believe in Christ, as do the Moonies, the Way International and historical Christianity (both Catholics and Protestants).  The fact that we believe in a ‘Christ' however is not the important issue since so many groups say they do.  It is what we believe about Christ and who He is that is crucial."(2)

Which Bible Is Reliable?
1. The Watchtower Society has rejected all of the standard translations of the Bible in favor of it's own called the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. This translation was released in sections from 1950 to 1960. (3) While Jehovah's Witnesses will use other Bibles, the New World Translation is the standard they fall back on to support their teachings.  The translators of the New World Translation have not been identified (4) so it is not possible to check their scholarly and spiritual qualifications. Because of this alone I reject the use of this Bible for my personal use, but I will use it to illustrate the teachings of the Watchtower Society.
      In John 1:1 of the New World Translation, we find "In [the] beginning, the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god." Most Greek scholars reject this translation as incorrect. "...the Word was God" is the correct translation.(5) Christians know that Jesus Christ is God (6), is the creator (7) and is one of the three persons of the Trinity. While the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, the concept is. The use of a word in the Bible is not the critical thing, what is important is the thought or concept portrayed by it.

Jesus is "a god"?
2. The Watchtower Society not only teaches that Jesus is "a god" but that prior to coming to earth as a man He was Michael the Archangel (8), as in Jude 1:9. This also means, per the Watchtower Society, that Jesus before coming to earth, was the first spirit son God created. (9) The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus has always been God. (10)

What Kind Of A Body Was Jesus Resurrected With?
3. The Watchtower Society also teaches that Jesus was raised from the dead as an immortal spirit person. (11) As a spirit person he returned to heaven and in 1914 set up his kingdom in heaven and became ruler of mankind.(12) The Bible is very clear that Jesus was resurrected with a body of flesh and bones and that he will come again as he went, so everyone will know! (13) He did not come in secret as the Watchtower would have us believe. In addition we know that Jesus has already set up His kingdom on the first Pentecost. He has been on His throne for more than nineteen hundred years.(14)

On Cross Or On A Stake?
4. Did Jesus die with both of His hands nailed together above His head onto a single pole? The Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus did not die an a cross but on a single pole or stake. (15) The Bible and history clearly contradict this.(16)

Holy Spirit Not God, Just An Active Force?
5. The Watchtower Society teaches that the Holy Spirit is not God and not one of the three persons of the Trinity, but is only God's active force.(17) Again it is clear that the Watchtower Society is incorrectly reading Bible scriptures to support it's doctrine. The Holy Spirit, per the Bible, is clearly God and one of three persons of the Trinity!(18)

Who Is Jehovah?
6. The Watchtower Society teaches that God the Father's name is Jehovah and is the only true God. (19) Jesus Christ is his first creation. (20) The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is Jehovah and has always been God, see Isaiah 9:6, 44:6, 8, 24; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalms 90:3. In these note that the Hebrew word written as Lord is Yahweh, (Jehovah). Also see John 1:1, 20:28; 1 John 5:20.

Blood Transfusion Prohibited?
7. The  Watchtower Society prohibits the use of blood transfusions by Jehovah's Witnesses.(21)  J.W.'s that take a blood transfusion, even to save their lives,   are considered gross sinners and are excommunicated. It is true that the Bible prohibits the eating of blood, but nothing is said about transfusions.  It is very clear in the Bible that Jesus put a priority on doing good and saving lives, even animals and even on the sabbath day. (22)

False Prophecy and Changed Teachings
8. The Watchtower Society for many years has prophesied the end of the world as we know it now and the start of a new world in the Kingdom of God.  This was to have happened in 1914, during World War 1, in 1925, during World War II and in 1975. (23) Obviously nothing has happened. When the 1914 date proved false they then taught that Jesus Christ started his rule in heaven in 1914. In Deuteronomy 18:20-22, we learn that we don't have to be afraid of false prophets.
        An example of a recent change to a major teaching is illustrated in the following quotes from Watchtower Society publications.

Let us now see how this last phrase from the Awake now reads in following editions. Compare these last two quotes and notice how the "Creator's promise" has been changed. They no longer are saying that the generation that saw the event of 1914, the time Jesus Christ began his rule in heaven, (24) would not all die until Armageddon and the new earth. They have changed the "Creator's promise" and the idea of what a generation is (25).

SUMMARY
        It should now be obvious from the above reasons why I could not be a member of the Watchtower Society, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and yet have the Biblical Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. The teachings of the Watchtower Society are not from God as they claim. Jehovah's Witnesses by accepting the teachings of the Watchtower Society are not Christians, no matter what they claim, because too much of their doctrine is not supported by the Bible.
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 END NOTES

1. Reasoning from the Scriptures (Reasoning) published by the Watchtower Society (W.T.S.), p.219, 413; Aid to Bible Understanding (Aid); published by the W.T.S., p. 1455.
2. The Berean Report, Vol. 2, page 5, by Ross Amico, published by Berean Christian Min.
3. Reasoning, p.276.
4. Reasoning, p. 277.
5. Apostles of Denial, by Edmond C. Gruss; p.115-119 and 191-214.
6. John 1:1, 14; 5:18; 20:28, 4:42; Matt. 1:23; 2 Peter 1:1; Acts 4:24; Luke 2:11; Isaiah 43:3, 10, 11; Phil. 2:4-8; Col 1:19, 2:3, 8-9; Heb 13:8.
7. Col 1:16; Neh 9:6; Is 44:24; John 1:3; Eph 3:9; Ps 90:2, 33:6.
8. Reasoning, p.218. Aid p.1152.
9. You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, published by the Watchtower Society; p.58; Aid. p.391.
10. Isaiah 43:10-11; John 1:1, 2, 14; Hebrews 1:10-12, 13:8; Revelations 1:8; Revelations 22:13 with Isaiah 44:6; Revelations 19:13-17 with Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalms 90:2 along with note #6 above; Isaiah 40:3 says, "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." and from Matthew 3:3 we find who this is, "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."; Jesus is God and He is eternal.
11. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Twentieth Century, published by the Watchtower Society, p.13; Reasoning, p.217, 218.
12. Reasoning, p.95-97; You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, pages 139-141.
13. Luke 24:30, 43 Jesus eats; John 20:20-29 Thomas feels Jesus' body; Luke 24:36-40 Jesus said a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.  I believe what Jesus said, why does the Watchtower say Jesus lied?  Revelations 1:7 says that every eye shall see Jesus when He returns; Colossians 3:4 says He shall appear; I Thessalonians 4:16 says He shall appear with a shout.
14. Mark 1:15; 9:1; Matthew 3:2; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 30-36.
15. Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, published by the WTS, 1995, page 67; You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, page 170
16. John 20:25 , Thomas asked to see the prints of the nails (plural) in Jesus' hands. According to the Watchtower, only one nail was used in Jesus' hands.  For a detailed review of the subject see Refuting Jehovah's Witnesses, by Randall Walters, p.40.
17. Aid, p.1542-1548; Reasoning p.380, 381.
18. The Holy Ghost is God, is equated with God or the Lord, has the attributes of God and is a person (he) -Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16 with I Corinthians 6:19; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Hebrews 9:14; Psalms 139:1-10; Luke 1:35; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; Isaiah 40:13-14; John 14:16-17, 15:26-27, 16:7-15.  For a detailed review see Refuting Jehovah's Witnesses, p.69-78; and Apostles of Denial, p.105-134.
19. Reasoning, pages 150,  191-193; Aid, page 882.
20. Aid, page 918.
21. Reasoning, p.72-76.
22. Matthew 12:1-13; Luke 6:1-5; 14:1-6.  For a detailed review see Apostles of Denial, p.183-I89, and Refuting Jehovah's Witnesses" p. 13-19.
23. Copies from Watchtower publications showing these prophecies can be found in The Watchtower Files, by Duane Magnani,  pages 63-99 (published by Bethany House) and Dialogue, by Duane Magnani and Arthur Barrett, pages 453-550.
24. You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, pages 136-138, 149.
25. The Watchtower, Nov. 1, 1995, page 17, 19.

John Farkas
Berean Christian Ministries; P.O. Box 1091; Webster, NY 14580

E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net
Web page: http://www.bcmmin.org

jw/notbejw1,    revised 2-18-98