CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL
Charles Taze Russell was a wandering star in the religious world, who continued his religious
wanderings throughout his entire life. His father was a Presbyterian minister, of sorts, and that
was his early training. During his younger years, he went from being a Presbyterian, to a
Congregationalist, to agnosticism and then to Adventism. At the age of 16, he claims to have
tried
to convert an agnostic and was defeated in his arguments, leading to his time of being a skeptic.
He claims that he could not believe in a gospel in which there was a literal hell, so he set out on
a
quest to find a belief that did not include a hell.
He apparently found his goal in Adventist beliefs, especially those of Second Adventist preacher
Nelson K. Barbour. He formed a Bible study group, along with his father, by then a former
Presbyterian, and accepted the Adventist message. Adventism taught that Christ returned in His
second presence in 1874. Charles Taze Russell found this hard to accept because Christ was not
visible, but when it was explained to Him that Adventism believed that Christ rose from the
dead
as an invisible spirit (without a physical body), then the answer became clear; Christ returned to
earth as an invisible spirit, therefore, His presence was invisible. With that convenient belief
firmly
grasped, the Jehovah's Witness organization began to take shape.
Originally, Jehovah's Witness doctrine taught that the beginning of the time of the end started in
1799, and then in 1874 Jesus Christ came in His invisible second presence. After that, the battle
of
Armageddon was supposed to end in 1914, with the overthrow of all world governments by
Jesus Christ. That would signify the end of the "time of trouble" and the establishment of the
Kingdom of God. "...we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of
this
world, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished by the end of
A.D.
1914." Charles Taze Russell, The Time is at Hand, p. 99).
Suffice it to say that Armageddon did not occur in 1914, and the world governments were not
overthrown by Jesus Christ at that time and Charles Taze Russell is revealed to be a false
prophet.
Therefore, according to Deuteronomy 18:22, he is not approved by God, had no authority from
God and no authority to exercise any religious control over any group or individual.
When World War I broke out in 1914, instead of Armageddon, it became apparent that the
prediction and doctrine had serious problems, so the prediction and doctrine was changed to say
that 1914 was the beginning of Armageddon and not the end, therefore it would end in 1915, but
when that did not occur, it was taught that it was delayed until 1918.
Charles Taze Russell died in 1916, not having seen the end of his predictions for Armageddon,
but the Jehovah's Witness organization continued on, making further predictions. Charles Taze
Russell died, discredited by the teaching of the Bible and under the judgment of God for being a
false prophet and false teacher, but discernment among his adherents was missing and they
blindly
ignored the obvious errors of the system and spiritual bankruptcy of the leadership and continued
in their self-imposed false deception.
With the death of the leader and the failure of Armageddon to materialize, what was the
organization to do? The new leadership simply carried on like the old, and miraculously there
came another prediction about the start of Armageddon, courtesy of Joseph Rutherford, the new
leader.
"The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures because it is fixed by the law
God gave to Israel. Viewing the present situation in Europe, one wonders how it will be possible
to hold back the explosion much longer; and that even before 1925 the great crisis will be
reached
and probably passed. Watch Tower, 1 September 1922, p. 262.
Not only was 1925 to be the new date for the beginning of Armageddon, an additional incident
was to occur (never before told), that would confirm the date and the coming conflict. In 1925,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the people of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 were to be raised from
the dead and would appear on earth.
Something else had to be changed also; the date of 1914 had to be vindicated in some manner,
so
another change in doctrine and teaching was instituted, claiming that 1914 was the beginning of
the last generation before Armageddon, instead of the end of Armageddon or the beginning of
Armageddon.
Another change in doctrine and teaching was in relation to Jesus Christ. Instead of His return
being in 1874, it was then claimed that His presence would be from 1914. There would be those
of the generation of 1914 who would not died until Armageddon came.
Armageddon did not occur in 1925 and the saints of Hebrews 11 failed to show also.
A renewed definition of generation, in relation to 1914, was announced. People who were old
enough to understand the events in 1914 would not pass away. This would stretch the time out
until Armageddon for a few more years, perhaps to the year 2000.
When it was seen that the previous definition of a generation, those old enough in 1914 to
understand the events in relation to that year, was not going to provide enough time until
Armageddon, a new definition of generation was given. It stated that the generation applied to
babies born in 1914. That would give a few more years, past the year 2000, to leadership before
they had to find a new definition and justification as to why Armageddon had not
occurred.
A new calculation was also presented, and a new date set for the coming Armageddon. That new
date was the autumn of 1975.
Armageddon did not come in 1975.
A new date for Armageddon was set for 1985.
Armageddon did not come in 1985.
A new date for Armageddon was set for 1989.
Armageddon did not come in 1989.
It is not possible to calculate the time of Armageddon based on the information given in the
Bible, but the Jehovah's Witness leadership does it anyway. If they give enough dates, they are
sure to get it right someday, simply by the numbers of predictions and dates.
So, when is Armageddon? It doesn't really matter in relation to Jehovah's Witness
doctrine, because everything that they have claimed is false. Their prophecies are false and their
teachings are false. The adherents who continue in the organization, when the false prophecies
and doctrines are so blatantly apparent, are there by their own deception.
On a continuous basis, Jehovah's Witness literature mentions false prophets and false religion
and the fact that no religion can be true if it teaches lies. Apparently the principles only apply to
religions other than Jehovah's Witness, because the leadership of the Jehovah's Witness have
engaged in a continuous and protracted progression of deceptions and false prophecies, even
from their founder Charles Taze Russell.
DEFINITION OF THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
The Jehovah's Witnesses are a church founded by Charles Taze Russell, claiming to
believe in the Bible as their foundation of doctrine. It is a religious organization having as its
base
a belief that human works are the means by which salvation is attained. The works basically
consist of placing oneself under the control and authority of the Jehovah's Witness organization
which claims to speak for God and represent God on this earth.
The Jehovah's Witness organization has been an extremely hierarchical with leaders who were
essentially installed for life. Charles Taze Russell led the organization until his death in 1916.
From 1916 until 1942, "Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford became the president and gave the group
the
name Jehovah's Witnesses. Upon Rutherford's death, Nathan H. Knorr became president
from 1942 until his death in 1977. Fred Franz served from 1977 until his death in 1992 and the
age of 99. Milton G. Henschel served as president until recently, when he resigned in a
restructuring of the organization. The group has its headquarters in Brooklyn, New
York.
The Jehovah's Witness organization is a cult, exhibiting many of the characteristics that pertain
to
cults, including the claim that truth is exclusive to its doctrines. In addition the organization
seeks
to control the lives of its adherents, formulating policies and teachings that are designed to
discourage members from obtaining information and education outside of the teachings of the
organization, and also attempting to exclude, to a great degree, contact in a social and religious
manner with persons outside the membership of the organization. As a result, the longer a
member remains with the organization, the fewer friends and acquaintances they have with
persons outside the organization. The organization discourages persons from pursuing higher
education at the college or university level.
The beliefs of the Jehovah's Witness organization are not all unique to them, since many of their
doctrines have been drawn from other sources. Adventism had a great influence on Charles Taze
Russell in the early formation of doctrines.
It is interesting to compare the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to the Mormon church because
the similarities are quite striking:
- Both organizations had a founder who was unstable in his religious beliefs and was only
satisfied with beliefs that he established himself.
- Both organizations had a founder who claimed that the church had become apostate
centuries
before and that he had been appointed to "restore" the church to its proper condition.
- Both founders made their claims of having authority from God without presenting or
possessing any credentials to certify their claims. They could not prophesy, they could not heal
and they could not raise the dead as could Jesus Christ and His apostles.
- Both founders taught with materials which they had written and therefore, were outside the
Bible.
- Both groups elevate their teachings and writings as authoritative above the Bible.
- Both founders pre-defined their doctrine and then used verses in the Bible as "proof texts" in
order to support their beliefs.
- Both organizations claim that the Bible is flawed and mistranslated, and have produced
"translations" of their own claiming that they alone, out of the thousands of translators and
language experts throughout history, are the correct and official interpreters of the meaning of
the
texts. Joseph Smith in the Mormon church produced his Inspired Translation of the Bible
in 1830, by which he did not consult any original manuscripts, but translated "by inspiration"
from
the English text. The Jehovah's Witnesses produced their own New World Translation in
1950 which they claim as a translation.
- Both organizations have a "president" as their head which is not a Biblical position of
authority.
- Both organizations are Theocratic in nature, controlling the individual groups throughout the
world from a central location and through a set organization and system of teaching.
- Both groups claim that they were appointed by God as His official representatives on earth
and that they are they only organization approved by God and by which man can receive the
truth.
- Both organizations have changed their doctrines over the years and at the same time deny
that
they have done so.
- Both organizations teach that God lives on a planet.
- Both organizations reject, or change, virtually every doctrine taught in the Bible and at the
same time claim the Bible as their authority.
MAJOR DOCTRINAL ERRORS
The Jehovah's Witness organization proclaims a false, heretical and blasphemous system of
doctrines. Like all false systems of its kind, the Jehovah's Witness leadership begins by denying
the
teaching in the Bible regarding the nature of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They do this
so that they can substitute another God, another Jesus Christ and another Holy Spirit of their own
making, which then allows them to teach false doctrines that they construct from the darkness of
their own minds.
The doctrines of the Jehovah's Witness cult are pre-determined outside the Bible, and then the
Bible is used in the manner of "proof texting" whereby verses are found which support the pre-
determined view. If the wording of the verses in the Bible are such that they do not support the
pre-determined view, Jehovah's Witnesses have no ethical or moral prohibition against simply
changing the words in the Bible to suit their pre-determined belief and then calling the newly
changed verses a "translation". By engaging in such conduct, the leadership of the Jehovah's
Witnesses reveal that they practice a deliberate and continuing course of deception in order to
support their doctrines.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among
you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them,
bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Peter 2:1 (NAS)
1. JESUS CHRIST
Jehovah's Witnesses deny the Biblical revelation of the nature, character and work of Jesus
Christ.
- Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus Christ.
According to Jehovah's Witness doctrine, Jesus Christ is the Son of God who, in His pre-human
existence, was the Archangel Michael (an identical belief held by early Mormons), and also
teach
that Jesus Christ is not eternal but is a created being. They adopt the doctrine of Arius
(Arianism)
which claimed that Jesus Christ was not of the same substance as God, but was created.
Arianism
cannot be supported in Scripture and is a heretical belief.
Michael, the archangel, is mentioned in the following Scriptures:
Daniel 10:13
Daniel 10:21;
Daniel 12:1
Jude 9
Revelation 12:7.
None of the Scriptures identify Michael with Jesus Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses identify Jesus
Christ as a god, therefore He cannot be an angel.
The Bible states that Jesus was prayed to:
They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against
them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:59-60 (NAS)
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come Lord
Jesus.
Revelation 22:20
If Jesus Christ was the object of prayer, then He cannot be an Angel, according to Jehovah's
Witness doctrine, because it is blasphemy to pray to an angel, therefore Jesus Christ cannot be
the
archangel Michael.
God specifically states that Jesus Christ is not an angel and that He is to be worshipped by the
angels:
For to which of the angels did He ever say, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You"?
And again, "I will be a Father to Him and He shall be a Son to Me"? And when He again brings
the firstborn into the world, he says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."
Hebrews 1:5-6 (NAS)
The Bible states Jesus Christ was worshipped in the following verses:
Matthew 2:11
Matthew 14:33
Matthew 28:9
Hebrews 1:6
Revelation 5:8
Jehovah's Witnesses know that angels cannot be worshipped, so they must change the verses in
the Bible, regarding worship being given to Jesus Christ, to words meaning something other than
worship. They substitute the word "obeisance" in place of the word worship, implying that Jesus
Christ only received honor or an acknowledgement and not worship. The substitution of the
word
"obeisance" for "worship" betrays the duplicity inherent in the Jehovah's Witness claim that they
"translated" the Bible, because they use the word "obeisance" only when the Greek word
proskuneo (meaning worship) is used in relation to Jesus Christ. When the word
is used not relating to Jesus Christ, they "translate" it as worship. Deception is the hallmark of
Jehovah's Witness doctrine.
The Jehovah's Witness doctrine stating that Jesus Christ was originally the created archangel
Michael is wholly without any support in the Bible. The doctrine is a teaching created by the
leadership of the organization and is false, contrived and without any possible foundation
because
it is blatantly untrue.
Jesus Christ Himself claimed that He was not only eternal in relation to the future, but in relation
to the past as well. He claimed it was His nature "to be" or to exist. He claimed existence in the
absolute, which included eternity past, the present and eternity future.
Jesus said to them. "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Therefore they
picked up stones to throw at Him. but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
John 8:58-59 (NAS)
Jehovah's Witnesses recognized the obvious problem inherent in John 8:58, so in their New
World Translation of the verse, instead of it reading "I Am," it has been changed to read "I
have been." When the reality of the translation did not suit Jehovah's Witness doctrine, the
leadership simply and arbitrarily changed the wording in the Bible and claimed in to be a
"translation", which it was not. They inserted words to insinuate a meaning that the original
language does not support and in doing so they promote another deception. They claim that their
translation is a true rendition of the original language which is a deception, because it is a false
translation and not a true rendition. They change the meaning of Scripture, not just for
themselves
and their own personal beliefs, but in order to knowingly deceive others into believing what they
know is false, because the deception was deliberately created by themselves.
- Jehovah's Witnesses deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jehovah's Witnesses claim, that after His death, Jesus Christ was resurrected as an invisible
spirit,
not having a body. By making that claim, they deny they very words that Jesus Christ spoke to
His disciples, regarding His body, after His resurrection.
While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst. But they were startled and
frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. An He said to them, "Why are you troubled,
and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me
and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when He had said
this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, "Have
you anything here to eat?" they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it
before
them.
Luke 24:36-43
Almost an identical situation occurred in relation to the apostle Thomas, who was very skeptical
about the claims of a resurrection by Jesus Christ.
After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors
having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finder, and see My hands; and reach here your
hand and put in into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and
said to Him,"My Lord and my God!"
John 20:26-28
Jehovah's Witnesses have the presumption to deny the testimony, not only of Luke, but of the 11
disciples as well regarding their affirmation of the fact that Jesus Christ, after He rose from the
dead, possessed a body. In addition, Jehovah's Witnesses deny the testimony of the same men,
when Thomas states that Jesus Christ is, "My Lord and My God!" Thomas affirmed the Deity of
Jesus Christ and stated the fact that He was God, which none of the other apostles disputed or
denied. Jehovah's Witnesses call Luke and the 11 apostles liars and claim that the Scripture
speaks
a lie when recording those testimonies.
The testimony of Luke and the 11 apostles is impeccable, but the testimony of the leadership of
the Jehovah's Witnesses is reprehensible, false and based on a deception that is known and
created in order to support their false doctrines.
Jehovah's Witnesses attempt to circumvent the problem that they originated, regarding Jesus
Christ not having a body after the resurrection, by claiming that Jesus Christ simply materialized
a
body for the benefit of His disciples, so that they could see Him. But in that assertion they make
Jesus Christ into a liar also, because He claimed that a "...spirit does not have flesh and bones as
you see that I have." He claimed that the body that they saw was His and not an illusion. To have
claimed that He had a body that was, in reality, just an illusion, would be a lie and that is exactly
the position taken by the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Another problem faced by the Jehovah's Witnesses is also in relation to the body of Jesus Christ.
Charles Taze Russell claimed that Christ returned to earth in 1874, but since He was a spirit, He
was invisible. This is a convenient explanation, but, if as Jehovah's Witnesses claim, Jesus
simply
materialized a body so His disciples cold see Him, why did He not do the same thing in 1874 so
the whole world could see Him in His presence? Since it is now claimed that Jesus Christ did not
return in 1874, but returned in 1914, why did He not materialize a body at that time. If He
returned in 1914, He must still be here and all people should be able to see Him today, if He
would materialize a body. Apparently Jesus Christ's second coming is much more secret than
was
ever imagined.
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Jehovah is the one true God, but Jesus Christ is just a
God, according to their translation of John 1:1. This is, in reality, polytheistic belief, but they
deny
that they are polytheists. By mistranslating John 1:1, the Jehovah's Witness attempt to deny the
reality that John 1:1, in the original Greek language, states that Jesus Christ is God.
However, in their translation, they fall into a trap that they created for themselves. By claiming
that Jehovah is the only true God, they then claim that Jesus Christ is a God. But the question
must be asked; Is Jesus Christ a true God? Jehovah's Witnesses cannot answer that in the
affirmative, because Jehovah is considered to be the only true God. Therefore, according to their
own definition, if Jesus Christ is not a true God, then He must be a false God, which causes great
problems for Jehovah's Witness doctrine.
- Jehovah's Witnesses deny that Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross
Jehovah's Witness claim that the cross is a symbol of apostate Christianity, and instead claim
that
Jesus Christ was crucified on a torture stake. They claim that His arms were stretched above His
head and His hands place together and a single nail driven through both hands together. His feet
were done in the same manner and a single nail was also used.
Whether Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross or a torture stake is of no real consequence, so it
is
strange that Jehovah's Witnesses show such concern in the matter. However, their belief brings
up
two serious problems.
1. The Bible states that there were nails (plural), John 20:25, driven through his hands. If there
was more than one nail, it is unlikely that a torture stake was used.
2. Virtually all Greek Biblical scholars translate the word stauros as cross.
Jehovah's Witness seem to be all alone in trying to make the word mean "torture stake".
3. Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Jehovah's Witness organization, taught that Jesus
Christ was crucified on a cross and Joseph Rutherford had illustrations of Jesus Christ on a
cross
in his books Creation, 1927, Harp Of God, 1928 and Reconciliation,
1928.
So, if Jehovah's Witnesses claim to believe in the "torture stake" theory, then they have changed
their doctrine and teaching, which is quite standard procedure. The reality is that they did change
their teaching and Joseph Rutherford initiated that change beginning around 1936.
SEE:
The Watchtower And The Ante-Nicene Chruch
Fathers -
On The Trinity, Michael J. Partyka (article)
The Sin Of Resting In Duties, Thomas
Shepard (article)
2. HOLY SPIRIT
Jehovah's Witnesses deny the Biblical revelation of the nature, character and work of the Holy
Spirit
- Jehovah's Witnesses deny the personality of the Holy Spirit
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the Holy Spirit is an "active force" like the "wind or radio beams"
that has its origin in God. Therefore the Holy Spirit is not a person and has no independent
action,
character or existence. The Holy Spirit is claimed to be simply a force or emanation from God
that acts on the creation in a manner directed by God.
The Jehovah's Witnesses present five reason why they believe that the Holy Spirit is not a
person:
(1) The Holy Spirit is not given a name in the Scriptures.
Jehovah's Witnesses state that since God and Jesus Christ both have names, then the lack of a
name for the Holy Spirit indicates the lack of a personality. The Holy Spirit is then referred to as
an "it".
The fallacy in the Jehovah's Witness argument is, they make an argument from silence. In the
case
of the Holy spirit, an argument from silence is no argument at all. The lack of a personal name
proves nothing except that no name is mentioned.
There are others in the Bible who are not given personal names, but are clearly personal beings
and are admitted to be by Jehovah's Witnesses. The Greek Word for the Holy Spirit is
pneuma (meaning breath or wind), is also used in relation to demons, i.e. Matthew
12:43;
Mark 5:2, 8; 9:17, 20, 25, 26. The evil spirits mentioned in the Bible are all nameless, so, by
Jehovah's Witness definition, they must not be persons. In fact, in the Bible, all angels are
nameless, except for Michael and Gabriel, so by the Jehovah's Witness definition, angels must
not
be personalities either.
(2) Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the use of the neuter pronoun in relation to the Holy
Spirit
indicates an "it" and not a person.
Again, the Jehovah's Witnesses admit that demons are persons, but the Greek word designating
them, daimonion, is also neuter. So, according to their own definition, demons must also
be "its" and not persons, which they do not believe.
(3) Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the early church fathers did not believe or teach that the
Holy Spirit was a person because the teaching was not introduced until the 4th century
A.D.
Besides claiming a historically false belief, the question must be asked as to what authority does
any teaching by a church father have in relation to the truthfulness of the Biblical record. The
teaching of any church father has no bearing on any subject unless it conforms to Biblical
doctrine, and it is clear that the apostles and Jesus Christ considered the Holy Spirit to be a
person. The Jehovah's witness argument is totally without foundation.
(4) Jehovah's Witnesses claim that there are references in the Bible to the actions of the Holy
Spirit that are descriptions of things instead of a person.
They use Acts 2:2 where there was the "noise like a violent rushing wind" and Acts 2:3 where
"there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one
of
them" in relation to the presence of the Holy Spirit. They also use Acts 2:4 where it is said that
"they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was
giving them utterance." In these verses, it is claimed that the Holy Spirit is seen as a force and
not
a person. because no person could do the things that were described, especially the filling of a
person.
The argument of the Jehovah's Witnesses fails in regards to several points. Just because the
presence of the Holy Spirit is described as a wind does not indicate that the Holy Spirit is not a
person or does not exist. The presence of God is often described as sounding like thunder
(Exodus 19:19; Psalm 18:13; Psalm 29:3;), and the Jehovah's Witnesses would not dare claim
that
He is not a person because of that. The presence of God is also indicated as being like fire
(Exodus 3:2-3; Exodus 13:21-22), and the Jehovah's Witnesses would not dare claim that He is
not a person because of that.
The Jehovah's Witnesses claim that a person could not fill a person, such as is claimed in the
Bible, therefore the Holy Spirit must be an "it" or an influence. But they ignore the term given,
because the description given is, spirit. What a spirit can do is what a normal
person cannot do. If the Jehovah's Witness wish to limit the actions of a spirit to those of their
definition of a person, then God does not meet their own definition, since God fills the universe
because He is a person of spirit:
"Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the Lord. "Do not I fill
heaven and earth?" declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:24
It is written about Jesus Christ in the New Testament:
He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might
fill all things.
Ephesians 4:10
The verse in Ephesians cannot be accepted by the Jehovah's Witnesses, because it destroys
their pre-determined doctrine regarding Jesus Christ, so in their New World Translation
of
the Bible, they simply change the verse to read, "give fullness to all things." Again, the Jehovah's
Witnesses are alone in claiming their version to be a "translation". Strange, that the Bible must
be
changed only when it does not agree with their pre-determined doctrines.
The arguments of the Jehovah's Witnesses fail, because they are contradictory, inconsistent and
arbitrary in their definitions and applications of terms and descriptions. When God is assigned
certain attributes, they affirm that He is a person, but when the Holy Spirit has those same
attributes, they claim that He is an it and an influence. When Jesus Christ is assigned the same
attributes as God, they must change the words by means of a new "translation" in order to
support their pre-determined doctrine.
(5) The Jehovah's Witness claim that all references in the Bible, assigning personal terms,
attributes or personality to the Holy Spirit, are simply the use of personifications.
Now, there is no question that personification is used in the Scripture, however the Jehovah's
Witnesses claim that every reference to the Holy Spirit, that contains a reference to a personal
being, is an example of personification, a claim which they do not make as exclusive to other
areas. By what criteria does the Jehovah's Witness use in order to support their assertion. They
start with an a priori doctrine (that the Holy Spirit is not a person), and then search for
"explanations" of how they can support their pre-defined belief. Instead of properly reading the
Scripture and studying what it says, (exegesis), they improperly read into the Scripture
what they wish it to say, (eisegesis).
The characteristics that are assigned to the Holy Spirit are simply to numerous and varied to be
dismissed by a blanket statement rejecting their nature.
Attributes and characteristics of the Holy Spirit revealed in the Bible:
A. Anoints - 1 John 2:27
B. Comforts - John 16:7, Acts 9:31
C. Contends - Genesis 6:3
D. Controls - Romans 8:9
E. Convicts - John 16:8
F. Counsels - John 14:26
G. Discloses - John 16:15
H. Glorifies - John 16:14
I. Grieves - Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 4:30
J. Guest - John 14:16
K. Guides - John 16:13, Romans 8:14
L. Hears - John 16:13
M. Inspires - Acts 1:8
N. Knowable - John 14:17
O. Lives - Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16
P. Object of lies against - Acts 5:3
Q. Object of sin against - Isaiah 63:10, Matthew 12:31, Mark 3:29
R. Prays to God - Romans 8:26
S. Regenerates - Titus 3:5
T. Reprover - John 16:7
U. Restrains - Acts 16:6
V Sanctifies - 1 Peter 1:2
W. Speaks - Acts 10:19-20, Acts 13:2, Galatians 4:6
X. Teacher - Nehemiah 9:20, Luke 12:12, John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 John 2:27
Y. Testifies - Romans 8:16, 1 John 5:6
Z. Thinks - 1 Corinthians 2:10
What Jehovah's Witnesses wish to ignore and cover over is the fact that the Scripture speaks of
the Holy Spirit as a person, because He is a person.
- It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit
spoke and then proceeds to quote the very words that He said (Acts:19-20).
- It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit
prays to God on behalf of the believer (Romans 8:26). In what manner does a force interact with
its source in a manner which could be personified as a prayer?
- It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit
searches the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). In what manner does a force search and
understand its source, the God of the universe, in a manner that could be described as
searching?
- It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit
can be known. Can the wind be known or a radio wave be known. Only a person can be known.
It is truly amazing, that the only way Jehovah's Witnesses can support their doctrine regarding
the
Holy Spirit is to manufacture a meaning that does not exist in the Scripture, twist verses to say
what they do not, substitute words in verses in order to make the Bible say what it does not and
then claim to have "translated" those verses. To the logical, probing mind, these problems would
rouse a sense of inquiry as to the resolution of the obvious inconsistencies that they raise. But to
the Jehovah's Witness, difficult questions are considered to be persecution, giving them higher
status, so they never deal with the root of deception and untruth that is taught.
3. SALVATION
True salvation cannot be found in the Jehovah's Witness organization, because the leadership
have
substituted the organization in the place of Jesus Christ. They make the organization
(themselves)
to be the means of salvation and ignore the gospel of Jesus Christ taught in the Bible. This has
been the goal of the leadership since the organization was established. Leadership began with an
altered view of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit so that a different method of salvation
might
be taught. By teaching a false God, a false Jesus Christ and a false Holy Spirit, they are then able
to teach a false salvation message that does not provide a way of salvation, but, instead, provides
a broad highway to condemnation. This is the goal of all false teachers and all false systems of
belief.
What is the Jehovah's Witness way to salvation?
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will get saved, you and your household."
NWT
The verse is almost word for word from the Bible and it sounds just like they are regular
Christians. But the sound is deceptive, because salvation in the Jehovah's Witness system is
much
more complicated.
Jehovah's Witnesses define belief, in the sentence above to mean "...taking in accurate
knowledge
of God's purposes and his way of salvation. Then faith has to be exercised in Jesus Christ as the
Chief Agent of salvation... This places the Christian in a saved condition, but he must now
persevere in doing God's will and continue to adhere to all of God's requirements for the rest of
his
life. Only then will he be saved to eternal life." Watchtower, December 15, 1989, p.
30.
There is something different in the above statement. First, a person must take in accurate
knowledge of God's purposes and his way of salvation. So, one must be educated in some
manner
to be eligible to receive salvation and then faith must be exercised. How long does it take to
"take
in" this accurate knowledge?
Requirement #1 - Accurate Knowledge **
A. Knowledge of Christ's role as "earth's new King".
B. This kingdom includes the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14.
C. The 144,000 rule as kings and priests over all the rest of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
D. The leadership of the Jehovah's Witness organization are considered to be part of the 144,000
so it is mandatory to follow them in order to obtain salvation.
It may be noted the 144,000 people have already been chosen and almost all of them have
already
died, because they had the benefit of being the first ones in the organization - convenient for
them,
but not so good for the rest of the adherents. Jesus Christ will have an earthly kingdom, but that
kingdom is not now, Christ is not now reigning invisibly and Christians are not preparing for that
kingdom. The 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14 have nothing to do with the kingdom of Jesus
Christ but are from the tribulation period. The 144,000 are Jews, being 12,000 from each tribe as
noted in Revelation 7:4-8. Since these 144,000 are Jews, that leaves out virtually all Jehovah's
Witness that might claim to have already been part of that group, since the vast majority of them
had no Jewish heritage whatsoever. In addition, there is no indication in the Scripture that the
144,000 are in any manner considered to be rulers or kings.
Requirement #2 - Live A Clean Life **
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is used as the Biblical standard for conduct, but that is not enough. They
add
a few other prohibitions also, including: smoking, boxing (participating and watching), entering
a
raffle, voting, civic service and military service. Apparently God was not able to remember the
complete list when the Bible was written, so the Jehovah's Witnesses had to help Him out by
including those prohibitions that He forgot.
Now, there are difficulties regarding these prohibitions that have been added, because they are
not
Biblical. Military service will not prevent a person from obtaining salvation and it was not
prohibited by Jesus Christ. When the centurion came to Jesus requesting that his servant be
healed, Jesus did not condemn him for being a soldier, but, instead, claimed that he had more
faith
than any person in Israel (and that included his disciples).
Civic service is also not condemned by Jesus Christ. Matthew was a tax collector and was called
to be a disciple (Luke 5:27-32). Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and Jesus went to his house
for dinner and never condemned him for being a civil servant. Instead, he commended
Zacchaeus
because he believed and obtained salvation (Luke 19:1-10). In the incident of the rich ruler in
Luke 18:18-25, cf. Matthew 19:16-24, the man is not condemned for being a ruler, but he misses
salvation because his god was money and self-righteousness.
Smoking, boxing, entering a raffle and voting are not mentioned in the Bible, and unless the
Jehovah's Witness leadership received a remarkable revelation from God, there is no connection
between them and salvation.
Requirement #3 - Membership in the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses)
**
Since the leadership of the Jehovah's Witnesses claim that they and their organization are the only
ones officially designated by God ("God's channel) , then a person must belong to their
organization to receive salvation. Salvation comes through the Watchtower society, not by a
relationship with Jesus Christ or a knowledge of God or by faith alone. They state that, "Unless
we are in touch with this channel of communication God is using, we will not progress along the
road of life, no matter how much bible reading we do." Watchtower, December 1, 1981,
p. 27)
Even though the leadership of the Jehovah's Witnesses cannot, and have not, been able to
prophesy the correct date of Armageddon, have lied about not engaging in date setting, changed
the words in the Bible in an erroneous manner and claim they are "translating", they still state
that
they are "God's channel" by their own proclamation. Not presenting any credentials that would
verify that they were truly ordained by God, the leadership simply proclaims itself to be the
authority, established by God. Adherents believe their statements without any verification, so
they
deceive themselves into believing false prophets and false teachers.
Requirement #4 - Proselytism **
"God requires that prospective subjects of his Kingdom support his government by loyally
advocating his Kingdom rule to others." It certainly would be easier for members to convert
others if Jesus Christ was visible in His kingdom rule, but since He is a spirit, and therefore,
invisible, it is not possible for this to be. Adherents must tell prospective converts to just believe
that He is ruling and the convert must just accept by faith.
Speaking and advocating the kingdom is "a sacred duty, a requirement on which our life
depends." Keep Watch Over Yourselves, p. 35.
Advocating the kingdom is done primarily through distributing the literature of the organization.
Each member is measured according to the amount of literature that they distribute. Monthly
reports are made on their distribution activities that are sent to the main headquarters.
Apparently
God depends on the printing press to get the job done.
** Categories and most content courtesy of
JASON BARKER, Jehovah's Witnesses: Working Out Their Salvation,
The Watchman
Expositor
The Jehovah's Witness adherents are in a position from which it is very difficult to find a way
out,
even if there is a wish to do so. It is a situation that they create themselves by not doing the work
of researching the origin, doctrine and claims of the organization, and the demands that will be
made over their lives, not by God, but by the organization. They accept the training by the
organization, designed only to validate itself by its own teachings. Instead of going to the Bible
to
provide a benchmark and means of verification for the claims that are made, they accept the self-
serving claims by the organization, that a person cannot understand the Bible without the extra
teaching provided by the organization.
At the same time, the adherent sees in those teachings a verification of what they would like to
believe about themselves; that they are capable, worthy and able to obtain salvation through their
own efforts. They believe that God is pleased with them, if they only work hard and prove their
own goodness. They do not understand or wish to know just how far removed from God they
really are, and just how deficient in any personal righteousness they are, in relation to that which
is the character of God. They do not realize that in following a system of human works, they
must
follow the standard of God, in that situation, which is to be perfect; absolute perfection in every
detail and aspect of life.
Failure to discern is a fundamental flaw by those seeking religious affiliations that they validate
by their own experience and feelings. In relation to the Watchtower Society, the errors are
abundantly clear, if one would only look, and red flags should be raised when items in the
following list are encountered:
- A founder who was never settled in another faith, but created an organization based on his
own beliefs.
- A founder who made a decision that he did not wish to believe in a literal hell, and created a
religious organization and doctrine that satisfied his own requirement.
- A founder who had pre-determined doctrines and then claimed that those doctrines were the
same as God's word.
- A founder or leadership who claim that they are restoring that which was lost through
apostasy. Everyone had become apostate except themselves.
- A founder or leadership who declare that their organization is the only way to God.
- A founder or leadership who say the Bible is corrupt and must be retranslated or rewritten,
but cannot provide any proof or verification to back the claim.
- A founder and leadership who claim the Bible cannot be understood by itself, but must be
studied in conjunction with the explanation which he or the organization writes.
- A founder and leadership who lie about previous teachings.
- An organization that claims to provide a translation of the Bible, but ignore all scholarship
that deny the veracity of their translation, and claim that they have the only correct version. They
present a redaction of the Bible instead of a translation.
- An organization that only changes words in the Bible to make them agree with its pre-
determined doctrines, but does not change words that do not affect those doctrines.
- A founder or leadership that claims divine authority but presents no credentials verifying
that
authority.
- A founder and leadership who prophesy falsely.
The Jehovah's Witness who does just a little basic research with an open mind will discover that
their beliefs are based on an irrational adherence to doctrines that have no basis in reality, and
have no basis in the Bible.
END OF ARTICLE
by Gary A. Hand
On Doctrine
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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Historical Dishonesty And The Watchtower
Society, Dr. James White (article)
The Watchtower And The Ante-Nicene Chruch Fathers -
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The Sin Of Resting In Duties, Thomas Shepard
(article)
Man's Utter Inability To Rescue Himself, Thomas
Boston (article)
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