Study: Jehovah’s Witnesses (9/20/26)
Introduction (3:00 — 00:00–03:00)
Most of us have had Jehovah's Witnesses knock on our door.
We recognize the name...
We know they go door-to-door...
We probably know a few unusual things they believe...
But most Christians could not clearly explain:
What Jehovah's Witnesses actually believe...
Where those beliefs differ from historic Christianity...
Or how we should respond when we have an opportunity to talk with one.
Tonight, my goal is not to mock Jehovah's Witnesses or make them look foolish.
Many are sincere.
Many are morally serious.
Many work extraordinarily hard at what they believe.
And they deserve to have their beliefs represented accurately.
But sincerity does not make a belief true.
And when the questions involve:
Who is God?
Who is Jesus?
What is the gospel?
How can a person be saved?
The differences are not minor.
So tonight I want to do four things:
Give you a brief overview of who Jehovah's Witnesses are and where they came from.
Explain the most important things they believe.
Look briefly at some of their distinctive practices.
And most importantly, talk about how we can lovingly and faithfully share the gospel with them.
Our Goal
Our goal is not merely to know what Jehovah's Witnesses get wrong.
Our goal is to know the truth well enough that we can recognize error and lovingly point people to Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 3.15 | but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (CSB)
I. Overview of the Jehovah's Witnesses (6:30 — 03:00–09:30)
Who are the Jehovah's Witnesses?
Jehovah's Witnesses are a restorationist, non-Trinitarian, Christian cult that developed in the United States around 1870 and headquartered in Warwick, New York.
Restorationist
A group that believes they are restoring the true Christian faith after it was corrupted following the age of the Apostles.
Other restorationist movements...
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Seventh-day Adventism (sort-of)
Stone-Campbell movement
Non-Trinitarian
Rejects the historic Christian doctrine of the Trinity...
Other non-Trinitarian groups...
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Oneness Pentecostals (United Pentecostal Church International)
Unitarians
Christian Cult
A "Christian Cult" is a group that claims to represent Christianity but rejects key historical Christian doctrines.
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Charles Taze Russell in Allegheny, Pennsylvania in the 1870s
Troubled by commonly taught doctrines...
Eternal conscious punishment in hell
The immortality of the soul
Traditional understandings of God and salvation
Around 1876, C.T. Russell embraced an elaborate prophetic chronology that included the invisible return of Christ in 1874, and the end of the "Gentile Times" in 1914.
At that point, God's Kingdom would overthrow earthly governments and the church would be glorified.
(Later, in the 1930s, JW changed the invisible return of Christ from 1874 to 1914.)
Russell and Barbour (co-leader at the time) predicted that all living saints would be raptured in 1878.
In 1878... Nothing happened.
Ross criminal Libel Case of 1913 (In Ontario)
C.T. Russell sued a Baptist pastor, John Jacob Ross, for libel.
Ross, among other things, accused Russell of not being qualified to re-translate the Greek New Testament.
While being questioned in deposition, Russell was forced to admit that he did not know Greek.
The case went forward and the grand jury returned "no bill," which threw it out.
In 1914... Nothing predicted happened.
The prophecies were reinterpreted and explained away.
(The JW point to World War I as evidence that the prophecies were fulfilled, but that requires a significant reinterpretation of the prophecies.)
C.T. Russell died in 1916.
New leader: Joseph Franklin Rutherford
1918 became the focus of the organization's end-time prophecy.
In 1918... Nothing happened.
1925 became the focus of the organization's end-time prophecy.
Rutherford promoted the slogan:
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
In 1925... Nothing happened.
In 1929, the organization built a house in San Diego called Beth Sarim for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to live in when they were resurrected.
They gave up on the prophecy and sold it in 1948.
At a convention in Columbus, Ohio in 1931, Rutherford announced the name:
Jehovah's Witnesses
In 1935, Rutherford taught that the 'great crowd' (Revelation 7) is an earthly group, separate from the 144,000 who go to heaven.
Rutherford died in 1942.
Nathan H. Knorr became the third president of the Watch Tower Society.
1945, the doctrine of abstaining from blood transfusions...
1950, New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures
1975 became the focus of the organization's end-time prophecy.
In 1975... Nothing happened.
Today...
Over nine million active publishers
People reporting their monthly work toward sharing the gospel
120,000 congregations
20.6 million people attending their annual Memorial of Christ's death meeting
Sort of their annual Lord's Supper and Passover adjacent celebration...
Though, of the almost 21 million people, only about 24,000 take the supper. The remainder just pass it along to the next person.
II. A Survey of Jehovah's Witness Beliefs (20:00 — 09:30–29:30)
A Note About the Source of Authority
Jehovah's Witnesses claim the Bible as their authority.
But they have a very different version of the Scriptures.
And their interpretations often run against historical understandings.
They have a "Governing Body" that publishes interpretations through the Watchtower publications.
A Note About Vocabulary
Jehovah's Witnesses use much of the same Christian vocabulary as historically faithful Christians.
But they assign very different definitions to many words such as...
God
Jesus
Holy Spirit
Salvation
Resurrection
Heaven
Eternal Life
The New World Translation
This is a Jehovah's Witness version.
Entire Bible published in 1961, revised in 2013.
Not everything in the New World Translation is badly translated.
But in many places, the version has been shaped by Jehovah's Witness theology rather than following the Greek text.
Note:
Just because someone says something is true in the Greek language does not make them correct, and it does not make them an expert.
The NWT Study Bible is filled with Greek explanations that are confident yet spurious.
Examples of Problems
The addition of "other" to protect their idea that Jesus was created...
Scripture
Colossians 1.16 | For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. (CSB)
NWT: because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him.
NA28: ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται· (NA28)
Colossians 1.17 | He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. (CSB)
NWT: Also, he is before all other things, and by means of him all other things were made to exist,
How do they explain this?
NWT Study Bible: "A literal rendering of the Greek text would be “all things.” However, such a rendering could give the impression that Jesus was not created but was the Creator himself. And that idea would not agree with the rest of the Bible, including the preceding verse, which calls Jesus 'the firstborn of all creation.'"
Then they mention Luke 13.2...
Luke 13.2 | And he responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? (CSB)
"Other" is clearly implied here.
Then they mention 1 Corinthians 15.27...
1 Corinthians 15.27 | For God has put everything under his feet. Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. (CSB)
The exception is clearly spelled out in Greek here.
But they largely ignore John 1.3...
John 1.3 | All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. (CSB)
John 1:1
The NWT renders θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος as “the Word was a god,” a rendering that fits Jehovah’s Witness Christology but is much less natural than understanding theos qualitatively: “the Word was God/divine in nature.”
“Jehovah” in the New Testament
The NWT inserts Jehovah 237 times where the extant Greek manuscripts contain kyrios (“Lord”) or theos (“God”), based on the theory that the divine name was removed from the original New Testament manuscripts.
Especially egregious in Romans 10.13...
Romans 10.13 | For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (CSB)
NWT: For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”
John 8:58
John 8.58 | Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” (CSB)
NWT: Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
Titus 2:13
Titus 2.13 | while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. (CSB)
NWT: While we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:6
Hebrews 1.6 | Again, when he brings his firstborn into the world, he says, And let all God’s angels worship him. (CSB)
NWT: But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.”
(This was a 1971 revision. The 1950 version used "worship.")
When they can throw the word "Jehovah" into the verse, they translate ... as "worship."
NWT Matthew 4.10, "Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’"
When they cannot, they use "obeisance."
Matthew 25:46
Matthew 25.46 | “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (CSB)
NWT: These will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”
The word translated "punishment" in the CSB, κόλασις, also appears in 1 John 4.18...
1 John 4.18 | There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love. (CSB)
NWT: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts fear out, because fear restrains us. Indeed, the one who is fearful has not been made perfect in love.
Who is God, and Who is Jesus?
Trinity
Jehovah's Witnesses teach...
Jehovah alone is Almighty God.
The Father and the Son are not one God.
Jesus was a creation of Jehovah and is subordinate to him.
The Holy Spirit is not a divine person but God's "active force."
Biblical and historical Christianity affirm...
One God
Eternally existing as...
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Each fully divine, yet there are not three gods.
Matthew 28.19 | Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (CSB)
John 1.1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (CSB)
John 20.28 | Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” (CSB)
How do JWs explain this verse?
NWT Study Bible: Some scholars view this expression as an exclamation of astonishment spoken to Jesus but actually directed to God, his Father. Others claim that the original Greek requires that the words be viewed as being directed to Jesus. Even if this is so, the intent of the expression “my Lord and my God” is best understood in the context of the rest of the inspired Scriptures.
Jesus
They explicitly teach:
Jesus was Jehovah's first creation.
Jehovah then used Jesus in creating everything else.
Before coming to earth, Jesus was a spirit creature.
Jesus is identified with Michael the archangel.
Their current explanation says Michael is “evidently a name given to Jesus before and after his life on earth.”
In 1879 they said Michael was papacy and its supporters.
In 1883 they said Michael was Jesus in his prehuman condition.
In 1917 they said Michael was the Pope.
In 1932 they said Michael was Jesus (again).
Their rendering of John 1.1 famously reads:
“the Word was a god,”
Rather than: “the Word was God.”
Biblical and historical Christianity affirm...
Jesus is the eternal...
Uncreated...
Son of God...
Fully God and fully man.
When a Jehovah's Witness says...
I believe in Jesus...
I believe Jesus is the Messiah...
I believe Jesus is the Savior...
I believe Jesus is the Son of God...
I believe Jesus is the ransom sacrifice...
They do not mean they believe anything like what biblical and historical Christianity believe.
The same words carry different meanings.
For the person at your door, that is usually not deception.
They believe what they have been taught.
But it does mean you cannot assume you agree just because the words match.
Is this important?
John 14.6 | Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (CSB)
Acts 4.12 | There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (CSB)
1 Timothy 2.5 | For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, (CSB)
Salvation
The key question of salvation turns largely on who is Jesus and what is the goal of salvation.
Atonement
Jehovah's Witnesses Atonement
Jehovah's first created Son became a perfect human and surrendered that perfect human life as the equivalent price for the perfect human life Adam forfeited, thereby providing the legal basis for Adam's descendants to be released from inherited sin and death.
Biblical and Historical Christian Atonement
The eternal Son of God became man and offered himself for sinners; his death deals with our guilt, reconciles us to God, defeats sin and death, and satisfies God's justice.
Most Significant Difference
Jehovah’s Witnesses make baptism and continuing obedience conditions a person must fulfill in order to gain and retain salvation.
What Happens After Death?
JW view...
They reject eternal conscious punishment in hell.
Final punishment ultimately means destruction rather than everlasting conscious suffering.
They teach two different eternal destinies for God's people.
144,000 are chosen for heavenly life...
Literal number...
Connected to Revelation 7 and Revelation 14...
First they thought the number was filled by 1931.
Then they regarded the cutoff as 1935.
Then they said more could be added if one of the 144,000 had become unfaithful.
Then they said they might have been wrong about the cutoff.
A larger group of faithful Witnesses hope for everlasting life on a restored paradise earth.
This doctrine was made clear in 1935.
Jesus was raised as a spirit creature rather than resurrected in the same physical body that died.
Post-resurrection appearances are the result of Jesus temporarily materializing in human bodies.
The 607 B.C. Destruction of Jerusalem
The JWs teach that the destruction of Jerusalem occurred in 607 B.C.
The 607 date is the load-bearing wall supporting the 1914 teachings.
The 1914 teachings is the load-bearing foundation supporting the "Governing Body's" authority.
This goes back to...
Daniel 4
Luke 21:24
Numbers 14:34
Ezekiel 4:6
Revelation 12:6, 14
(Note: C. T. Russell originally said 606 B.C. but had to adjust his math to make things work and preserve the 1914 date which proves that it was all reverse engineered from a modern conclusion.)
Jerusalem was destroyed in 587–86 B.C.
There is no question about 606 B.C. being incorrect by decades.
III. Distinctive Jehovah's Witness Practices (4:00 — 29:30–33:30)
Evangelism Is a Major Part of JW Life
They refer to participating members as publishers.
Holidays and Birthdays
They do not generally celebrate holidays or birthdays.
Reasons
They believe many common holidays have pagan or nonbiblical origins.
They believe Christians should avoid religious customs that Scripture does not authorize.
(The holiday part oddly aligns with the Puritans and many of the most Biblically faithful post-Reformation groups of Christians.)
Political and National Neutrality
Jehovah's Witnesses practice very strict political neutrality.
They do not campaign for political candidates.
They do not run for political office.
They do not vote for political parties or candidates.
They do not participate in warfare.
They also refuse:
To salute the flag...
Say the Pledge of Allegiance...
Or participate in the national anthem as an expression of patriotic allegiance.
They regard such acts as giving a kind of devotion to the nation that belongs only to Jehovah.
Blood Transfusions
Based especially on Acts 15:28–29, they understand the command to "abstain from blood" as applying not merely to eating blood but also to receiving it medically.
Acts 15.28 | For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements: (CSB)
Acts 15.29 | that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things. Farewell.” (CSB)
The details are complicated...
No whole blood, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, or plasma.
But albumin, immunoglobulins, and hemoglobin are allowed.
IV. How to Share the Gospel with Jehovah Witnesses? (8:30 — 33:30–42:00)
Sharing the gospel with JWs is fraught with challenges...
They have likely received more training in these conversations than you have.
They receive regular training in conducting evangelistic conversations and responding to objections.
They are strongly prohibited from reading, listening to, or watching rebuttal material.
They are instructed to identify "opposers" or "apostates" and to not listen to them.
Often the best chance to reach a JW is to be there for them if and when they leave the JW faith.
My Recommended Strategy for 90% of us 90% of the time...
If they approach you...
Treat them with kindness.
Ask if you can pray for them.
As you dismiss them, kindly say...
"I'm not an expert on Jehovah's Witnesses, but I know there are some very good and objective resources that could help us work through issues and differences. I want you to know, if you ever want to work through some of those, I'm a safe and confidential person. I would be happy for us to sit down and go through those materials with you."
If they are a friend or a family member...
Kindness and prayer...
Kindly say...
"If you ever want to work through some resources that help people compare and contrast JW beliefs with historical Christian views, I'm a safe and confidential space for you."
My Recommended Strategy for 10% of us 10% of the time...
Kindness and prayer...
Depend on the Holy Spirit...
Control the conversation...
You do not need to...
Debate the 144,000...
Engage in the math that led to 1914...
Argue about a Greek grammar analysis of John 1:1...
Philosophize about why God allows suffering...
Discuss the differences in God's name in the Hebrew and Greek...
Speculate about eschatology...
Those are not unimportant things, but the gospel does not hinge on those things.
Step through these verses and do not slow down or get sidetracked or distracted.
If they push back or disagree, listen but do not get sidetracked.
It is the preponderance of evidence in these verses that may be convincing.
Scripture
Ephesians 2:8–10
Be ready to point out that the Bible adds nothing to faith.
Romans 3:21–26
1 Corinthians 15:1–23
Do not walk through 1 Corinthians 15.24–28 until after you walk through 1 John 5:11–13.
But do your deep research on 24–28 and be ready to discuss it.
They will be very prepared to discuss those verses from their perspective.
1 John 5:11–13