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The Watchtower
Teaches |
Watchtower Support |
Biblical
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
Witnesses', all people that lived until the
Witnesses were Founded by Charles Russell must
have been doomed to failure, not being able
interpret the Bible.
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The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
(the Witness 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 Witness Bible
contains quite a number of 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). |
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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. |
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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 Witness
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 Witness 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. |
"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 reprints.). |
This obviously flies
in the face of the Witness 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). |
(Matthew 25:46,
Revelations 14:11, 19:20, and 20:10). |
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Witnesses' 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) |
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Witnesses' 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.
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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. |
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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 ) |
Revelation 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 Witness
organization has had regarding the end of the
world/2nd coming of Christ. |
