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Doctrine/Belief |
JW Support |
Christian Response |
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Only the
Watchtower Society can interpret the Bible. Individuals cannot. |
"...the Bible is
an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as
an organization, not to individuals, regardless or how sincerely
they may believe that they can interpret the Bible...the Bible
cannot be properly understood without Jehovah's visible organization
in mind" (Watchtower, October 1, 1997, p. 587). |
Ephesians 1:17,
18 states that the Spirit will provide wisdom and illumination to
the revelation of God in the Bible. According to the belief
espoused by JW's, all people that lived until the JWs were Founded
by Charles Russell must have been doomed to failure, not being able
interpret the Bible. |
|
The New
World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (the JW Bible version)
is the best translation of the Bible, and should be used over any
other version. |
"Outstanding
among Bibles is the New World Translation of the Christian Greek
Scriptures...Accuracy, uniformity, clarity, and up-to-date language
mark this excellent work. Bible study aids without equal make this
an indispensable help to sincere searching students of God's Word" (What
Has Religion Done For Mankind, 1951, p. 351. |
The JW Bible
actually is plagued with errors. Greek scholar Bruce Metzger said
that "the Jehovah's Witnesses have incorporated in their translation
of the New Testament several quite erroneous renderings of the
Greek." ("Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ," Theology Today,
April, 1953). |
|
The Trinity
does not exist, and is an evil doctrine that teaches the existence
of 3 gods. |
"Never was there
a more deceptive doctrine advanced than that of the trinity" (Reconciliation,
1928 )
"...sincere
persons who want to know the true God and serve him find it a bit
difficult to love and worship a complicated, freakish-looking,
three-headed God" (Let God Be True, 1946)
"Satan is the
originator of the trinity doctrine" (Ibid.) |
Many religions
have difficulty with an infinite God, and try to put Him in a box -
to define Him in terms they can understand. While the word
"trinity" does not appear in the Bible as a description of God, the
scriptures definitely indicate one God with a triune nature -
existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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Jesus Christ
was Michael the Archangel before becoming a man. |
"...the Son of
God was known as Michael before he came to earth" (Reasoning from
the Scriptures, p. 218). |
There is no
basis for this anywhere in the Bible. |
|
After Jesus
died, he was resurrected with His original identity as Michael the
Archangel. |
"Read carefully
the following Bible account: 'War broke out in heaven: Michael [who
is the resurrected Jesus Christ] and his angels battled with the
dragon'" (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p.
21). |
Michael, on his
own, could not rebuke Satan (Jude 1:9), yet in Mark 9:25 Jesus
Himself rebukes Satan. Hebrews 2:5 says an angel can't rule the
world, but Luke 1:32-33 and Revelation 19:16 show Jesus Christ to be
the one who will reign. Therefore, Jesus and Michael can't be one
and the same. |
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Jesus is "a
god", and lesser than Jehovah God. |
In the JW
version of the Bible, John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the
Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was a god."
[emphasis added] "...that is the Word was a powerful godlike one.
Clearly, Jesus is not Almighty God." (Ibid., p. 40). |
The JW Bible did
not provide an accurate or legitimate translation of this verse.
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|
Salvation
must be earned through works |
"To get one's
name written in that book of life will depend on one's works,
whether they are in fulfillment of God's will and approved by his
Judge and King." (Watchtower, August 15, 1972). |
"For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no
one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV) (Emphasis added). |
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There are two
classes of Christians: A "little flock" who are born-again children
of God, and the "great crowd" or "other sheep", who will live in
"Paradise" on earth after the destruction of the unbelievers. Only
the "little flock" will go to heaven.
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"The Bible shows
that only a limited number of persons, a 'little flock,' will go to
heaven...The rest of faithful humankind will live on earth as the
subjects of these rulers" (Watchtower, February 15, 1984)
|
There is not a
caste system in Christianity. All are one in Christ (Galatians
3:28). The "other sheep" Jesus referred to are Gentile believers
who will one day join Jewish believers to form one body of
Christians. |
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We will be
gods when we join Christ in heaven. |
"...we are
begotten of a divine nature...Jehovah is thus our father...we are
divine beings - hence all such are Gods...Now we appear like men,
and all die naturally as men, but in the resurrection we will rise
in our true character as Gods" (Watchtower, December 1881,
1919 repr.). |
This obviously
flies in the face of the JW claim that they are monotheistic.
Isaiah 43:10 and 1 Timothy 2:5 are but two of many verses that
confirm there is only One God. To claim we will become gods is
blasphemy. |
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There is no
eternal hell for the wicked. All "unbelievers" will be annihilated,
and simply cease to exist. |
"The fiendish
concepts associated with a hell of torment slander God and originate
with the chief slanderer of God (the Devil)" (Reasoning from the
Scriptures, 1985). |
Oops! The
"fiendish" concept of hell actually comes from the Bible, not from a
slanderer. (Matthew 25:46, Revelations 14:11, 19:20, and 20:10). |
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JW's are
forbidden from saluting the flag or engaging in political activities |
"..we view the
flag salute as an act of worship" (School and Jehovah's Witnesses,
1983)
"...Jehovah's
Witnesses take no part whatsoever in political activities" (United
in Worship of the Only True God, 1983). |
There is nothing
in the Bible to keep us from being politically active or saluting
our flag. In fact, the Bible commands us to have respect and
reverence for the government because it is an authority that God has
allowed to be placed over us (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2:13-14) |
|
JW's do not
celebrate birthday parties, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's
Day, or other unbiblical celebrations. Even Christmas and Easter
are not celebrated as they are pagan holidays. |
"...birthday
celebrations tend to give excessive importance to an
individual...Jehovah's Witnesses do not share in birthday
festivities (parties, singing, gift giving, and so forth)...." (School
and Jehovah's Witnesses, 1983).
"...nowhere
in the Bible do we find that parents are to be worshiped, or that
there should be a Father's Day and a Mother's Day kept in their
honor." (Awake!, May 8, 1956).
"Christendom's chief holiday, Easter, therefore finds no support at
all in the Bible. It is of pagan origin." (The Truth that Leads
to Eternal Life, 1968). |
These
celebrations are harmless, and not contrary to Biblical
Christianity. To say that Mother's Day or Father's Day is a worship
of parents is absurd. It is a show of respect and appreciation.
The Christmas
and Easter holidays are very Christian holidays that coincide with
pagan holidays. They were set on these dates to divert attention
from the pagan holidays to the truths of God. |
|
Blood
transfusions are strictly prohibited. |
Reasoning
from the Scriptures, 1985, and Blood, Medicine and the Law of
God, 1961, claim Acts 15:29 as a prohibition against receiving
blood transfusions. |
Acts 15:28-29
addresses EATING blood - not having blood transfused into your body
to replenish your life-sustaining fluids. |
|
Christ
returned invisibly in 1914 and began setting up His Kingdom. World
War I was a sign He'd arrived. |
"...Bible
evidence shows that in the year 1914 C.E. God's time arrived for
Christ to return and begin ruling...Christ's return
invisible...Christ himself gave a visible 'sign' by which we may
know that he is invisibly present...'NATION WILL RISE AGAINST
NATION'...Surely you have seen this part of the 'sign' being
fulfilled since 1914! In that year World War I began" (You Can
Live Forever In Paradise on Earth ) |
Revelations 1:7
makes it clear that when Jesus returns, we'll know it!! He won't do
so invisibly. This is one of many false prophecies the JW
organization has had regarding the end of the world/2nd coming of
Christ. |
