The Bible & Jehovah's Witnesses
This document has been prepared by concerned Christians who sincerely pray and hope that many who are involved in this religion will take a serious look at the Bible, and compare it with their own teachings.
If you are a Jehovah Witness, please check this document carefully to ensure that we are accurately representing what you believe and teach. If we are inaccurate in any way, please feel free to contact us and provide us with ample documentation that shows the error, and we would be happy to make appropriate changes. We would also like you to know that we would be happy to cordially meet with you or any who are with your church and discuss these matters over the Word of God.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is God and that He is the Creator of all things (See John 1:1,2,14; Hebrews 1:8). The Jehovah Witnesses teach that Jesus is NOT God, but rather a creation of God. They teach that Jesus is Michael the archangel. Therefore, they have, in fact, designed a false God (Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 390-391. The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New Word, 284). In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warns us that “false Christs and false prophets will appear . . . to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.”
So we pose the question: Of the five times that Michael the Archangel is mentioned in Scripture, which of these indicates even in the slightest degree that he is the same being as the Lord Jesus Christ? And if you sincerely believe that they are the same being, why do you believe this? Was it because you searched the Scriptures and found this to be true? Or was it because you were told to believe this?
The Watchtower organization has claimed to be the prophet of God (The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197). However, the Jehovah Witnesses and the Watchtower have falsely prophesied dozens of times. They declared that Jesus came to earth in 1874 (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 4, page 621). They predicted Armageddon in 1914 and then again in 1941(The Time Is at Hand, page 101- 1908 edition and The Watchtower, 9/15/41, page 288). They predicted Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would return in 1925 (Millions Now Living Will Never Die, page 89). Many left the faith in 1926 when their “prophecies” were not fulfilled (The Watchtower, page 232). They also predicted 1975 was a marked date for the end of times (The Watchtower, 8/15/68, page 494).
The excuse given for their false prophecies has been to quote Proverbs 4:18 which says, "But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established." The light certainly does shine brighter on the Jehovah Witnesses the more they prophesy, which exposes them as false prophets. How do we know a false prophet? The Bible clearly states in Deuteronomy 18:22 that we can know a false prophet if he makes one false prophecy. For a direct link to many more of these false prophecies, visit http://www.carm.org/jw/false_prophecies.htm
In the Watchtower 7/1/43 edition, the Jehovah Witnesses criticized the Vatican for claiming that it is the only organization authorized and qualified to interpret the Bible. However, in the Watchtower 2/15/81 edition, the Jehovah Witnesses declared that they are the only organization able to interpret the Bible properly. The Jehovah Witnesses used to adamantly declare that it is permissible to worship Jesus (The Watchtower, 7/15/1898, page 216), however, they now adamantly deny that Jesus should be worshiped (Awake, 12/22/87, page 22.). For exact quotations and more contradictions, visit www.carm.org/jw/contradictions.htm.
What about their bible, the New World Translation? The Bible says to “Prove all things; hold fast to that which is true” (I Thessalonians 5:21). Nevertheless, many Jehovah Witnesses readily admit that they don’t know who “translated” their bible and they don’t care to know. This is a dangerous gamble they take since the “translators” of their bible have changed the person of Jesus Christ to be “a god” and a creation of God, rather than a person of the triune Godhead, as the Bible teaches (see Col. 1 & 2). They have effectively created a false Christ. Here’s what some experts say about their translation:
1. Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, professor of New Testament Language & Literature at Princeton University, calls the NWT "a frightful mistranslation," "Erroneous" and "pernicious" "reprehensible." "If the Jehovah's Witnesses take this translation seriously, they are polytheists."
2. Dr. William Barclay, a leading Greek scholar, says "it is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest."
3. British scholar H.H. Rowley declares, "From beginning to end this volume is a shining example of how the Bible should NOT be translated."
4. "I have never read any New Testament so badly translated as The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of The Greek Scriptures.... it is a distortion of the New Testament. The translators of the NWT are diabolical deceivers" (Dr. Julius Mantey, Depth Exploration in The New Testament (N.Y.: Vantage Pres, 1980), pp.136-137).
HELL IS REAL! The Jehovah Witnesses teach that there is no path to hell, but Jesus spoke more about the reality of hell than he did about the kingdom of heaven. To prove this, read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Revelation in a reputable/verifiable Bible translation, such as the NASB, the NIV, or the KJV and visit this link on our website: Hell. Here’s a few related verses: In Matthew 10:28, Jesus says, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Revelation 20:14 says, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Jesus said in Matthew 13:49-50 that “the angels shall come forth, and separate the wicked from among the just, and will cast them into the furnace of fire." Hell is a very real place and is waiting for all sinners who have not repented and placed their faith in the true Jesus.
The beauty of God’s Word is that you don’t have to trust a religion to tell you the right path. Regarding salvation, His Word is very simple. Do you know if you are going to heaven when you die? Here’s a simple test to find out, taken straight from the Bible. Take a look at God’s Holy Commandments in Exodus chapter 20. These are the laws that you must keep in order to have a right standing with God. Let’s use these commandments to test and see if you are “right” in God’s eyes. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything, regardless of the value? Have you ever committed adultery? (Jesus said that if you look at another person with lust, you have already committed adultery with them in your heart (Matthew 5:28). Have you ever done that?). Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? This is called blasphemy. Have you ever murdered anyone? The Bible says that hatred is equal with murder, so have you ever hated someone? (I John 3:15).
If you answered “yes” to these questions, then in the eyes of God you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer, a blasphemer and a murderer – and that’s just five of the 10 commandments! Even if you only answered “yes” to one of these questions, the Bible says you’re guilty of violating the whole Law (James 2:10). The Bible says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). The Bible says that no murderer, thief or adulterer will enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that there are none good but God alone (Matthew 19:16). Since God is a just Judge, you will face punishment for your violations of His Law. The Bible says that ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). However, God made a way of escape from his wrath. Jesus came to earth and lived a sinless life. He kept all of the commandments of God and He willingly suffered and died in your place, taking the punishment for your sins and He rose from the dead. You must admit to God that you are a sinner, confess your sins and turn away from them (repent)! Accept Jesus Christ as your substitute because he died in your place. “Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved” (Romans 10:9&10, John 3:16).
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