This series of brief books on contemporary religious movements compares what they believe with Christian doctrine and explains effective ways of witnessing to their adherents.

Chapter I
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Author: Robert M. Bowman, Jr.; summary by Alan W. Gomes
Background
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, more commonly known as Jehovah’s
Witnesses, was founded in the 1880s by Charles Taze Russell, a haberdasher
from Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Russell, who attended Presbyterian and Congregational
churches as a child, found himself unable to accept their teaching
about hell. Under Seventh-day Adventist influence, Russell embraced their
teaching that “hell” stood for the grave and that the wicked would ultimately be
annihilated, not tortured consciously for eternity. Also through Adventist influence,
Russell adopted the idea that Christ’s second coming was an invisible,
spiritual “presence” that had already begun, rather than a literal, bodily return
to take place in the future. Russell also denied the doctrines of the Trinity and
of Christ’s deity. He was known for his vociferous denunciations of “Christendom’s”
allegedly false beliefs and practices. Russell died in 1916, believing that
World War I was Armageddon.
Joseph Franklin Rutherford (d. 1942), the society’s legal counselor, succeeded
Russell as head of the movement, and it was under his tenure that they
adopted the name “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The current Watchtower president is
Milton G. Henschel. In terms of social and ethical practices, JWs do not observe
birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, or any other such
holidays, rejecting them as “pagan.” They refuse blood transfusions (based on a
misunderstanding of Leviticus 17), will not participate in politics or the military,
and will not salute the flag. They maintain strict neutrality in war. There
are presently at least 5 million active JWs worldwide. They are known for their
massive proselytizing efforts, dedicating about one billion hours per year to witnessing
(that is, over 200 hours per member per year). JWs also distribute enormous
amounts of printed literature, more so than any other cult.
Summary of Beliefs
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that there is one almighty God by nature, who is
also only one person. JWs wrongly allege that wicked scribes removed God’s
proper name, Jehovah, from the Bible. This divine name has been restored to
its rightful place in the New World Translation of the Bible. The doctrine of the
Trinity is roundly condemned as unscriptural and the result of pagan influences.
Jesus Christ was Michael the Archangel before his incarnation as a man; after
his death and spiritual resurrection (see below), the man Jesus again became an
angel. Jesus was Jehovah’s agent in creating all things after he himself was created
by Jehovah God. Although not God by nature, he is a “mighty one” and
therefore may be called “a god” in a loose sense of the word. The Holy Spirit is
not a person, nor a member of the Godhead, but is Jehovah’s active force, which
emanates from him to accomplish his will.
Concerning the afterlife, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in an entity
called the soul that survives the death of the body. Rather, they teach that people
cease to exist at death but that at the Resurrection Jehovah will recreate them
from his memory. In the eternal state there are different classes of Christians
with different destinies. The 144,000 are those who, along with Christ Jesus,
are “born again” to exist as spirits; they will reign with Christ in heaven. The
rest will live in a paradise earth with resurrected bodies. There is no hell in the
traditional understanding of the doctrine; the finally impenitent will be annihilated,
not tortured for all eternity.
Concerning Christ’s death and resurrection, he gave his life as a ransom
price to atone for our guilt in Adam. He was raised an invisible spirit creature,
forfeiting his right to bodily, earthly life. Salvation is accomplished by faith in
Christ Jesus plus works, such as taking in spiritual knowledge and doing God’s
kingdom work (such as door-to-door witnessing). Regarding Christ’s second
coming, JWs reject the notion that Christ will return bodily to earth. Rather,
his invisible “presence,” which began in 1914, is engineering events leading to
the Battle of Armageddon and the beginning of the Millennium. The Watchtower
Society is known for having set several different dates for when Armageddon
would occur; after each failed prophecy, numerous disillusioned
members left the movement.
Truth and Error • CHAPTER I: JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
“They say that it is sufficient to read the
Bible exclusively, either alone or in
small groups at home. But, strangely,
through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have
reverted right back to the apostate doctrines
that commentaries by Christendom’s
clergy were teaching 100 years
ago…” (The Watchtower, August 15,
1981, 28–29).
“All Scripture is inspired of God and
beneficial for teaching, for reproving,
for setting things straight, for disciplining
in righteousness, that the man of
God may be fully competent, completely
equipped for every good work”
(2 Tim. 3:16–17 NWT).*
“I am writing these things to you about
those who are trying to lead you astray.
Jehovah’s Witnesses The Bible
*Note: All italics in quotations in this chart are added for emphasis unless otherwise noted.
As for you, the anointing you received
from him remains in you, and you do
not need anyone to teach you. But as
his anointing teaches you about all
things and as that anointing is real, not
counterfeit—just as it has taught you,
remain in him” (1 John 2:26–27 NIV).
The Deity of Christ
“… the Bible plainly states that in his
prehuman existence, Jesus was a created
spirit being, just as angels were
spirit beings created by God… . The fact
is that Jesus is not God and never
claimed to be” (Should You Believe in
the Trinity? [1989], 14, 20).
“So it was by means of this master
worker, his junior partner, as it were,
that Almighty God created all other
things… . he was simply addressing another
individual, his first spirit creation,
the master craftsman, the prehuman
Jesus” (Should You Believe in the Trinity?
14).
“In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word
was God” (John 1:1 NIV).
“‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered,
‘before Abraham was born, I am!”’ (John
8:58 NIV).
“In answer Thomas said to him [Jesus]:
‘My Lord and my God!”’ (John 20:28
NWT).
“I, Jehovah, am doing everything,
stretching out the heavens by myself,
laying out the earth. Who was with
me?” (Is. 44:24 NWT).
“All things came into existence through
him, and apart from him not even one
thing came into existence” (John 1:3
NWT).
The Personhood of the Holy Spirit
“The correct identification of the holy
spirit must fit all the scriptures that refer

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Excerpted from Truth and Error: Comparative Charts of Cults and Christianity
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