OUR SINCERE PLEA TO OUR FRIENDS

IN THE

JEHOVAHS WITNESSES ORGANIZATION

 

The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans 16:16)

 

 

 

Origin and History

 

 

It is with no personal ill-will that we plead with Jehovahs Witnesses to consider some of their history and their teaching that contradicts the Bible. They do not hesitate to attack that with which they do not agree. In their book, Let God Be True, p. 221, we read, false principles of all religions are attacked by Jehovahs Witnesses

 

Officially known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the Jehovahs Witnesses are a product of the life work of Charles Taze Russell. Mr. Russell was born in the town of Allegheny, now part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 16, 1852. While still in his teens and without formal theological education he organized a Bible class and became their pastor. In 1879 he founded the magazine, Zions Watchtower, in which he published his own unique interpretation of the Bible.

 

In 1886 Mr. Russell published the first volume of seven books (six were written by Russell) entitled The Millennial Dawn. These were later renamed Studies in the Scriptures. Mr. Russell was in frequent clashes with the courts and he did not always come out of these ordeals unscathed. He perjured himself in court, and his wife was given a decree of divorce because the Judge of the High Court of Ontario opined that no woman of ordinary sensibility could live with a man of so much egotism and arrogance (Jan Karel Van Baalan, The Chaos of the Cults, p. 259). 

 

Several months after the death of Mr. Russell in 1916, the societys legal counselor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, became the second President of the Watchtower Society. The name of Jehovahs Witnesses was not adopted until July 26, 1931, at the international assembly in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Rutherford not only moved the Societys headquarters to Brooklyn, he also established theocratic control with the power to make all policy decisions.

 

In 1920, Judge Rutherford published a book entitled, Millions Now Living Will Never Die. In this book he prophesied: Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter eleven, to the condition of human perfection. (pp. 89, 90). On page 88, he said that they would be Fully restored to perfect humanity and made the visible representatives of the new order of things on the earth. As you know, 1925 is now come and gone and this prophecy has completely failed.

 

Yet, Mr. Rutherford said, the above mentioned people were to be visible. Therefore, the prophecy was false and that makes Mr. Rutherford a false prophet. The Bible says, "And you may say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deut. 18:21-22). 

 

After the death of Mr. Rutherford in 1942 he was succeeded by Nathan H. Knorr. It was during Mr. Knorrs presidency that the society produced its own English Translation of the Bible entitled The New World Translation of Holy Scriptures. This translation was produced entirely by Jehovahs Witnesses, specifically for Jehovahs Witnesses, making them the first to produce their own entire Bible. A careful study of this translation will reveal the potential of a translation to mislead, the extent to which the doctrinal errors of translators may be inserted into the text of their work, and the degree to which some will go in an attempt to force the Word of God to conform to their heresies.

 

During their earlier history the Witnesses used the King James Version, the American Standard Version, and the Emphatic Diaglott, until the Watchtower Society published their own New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Their New Testament was first released in 1950; the entire Bible was published in 1961, with second and third revisions being issued in 1970 and 1971. 

 

Frederick W. Franz became the new president of the Watchtower after the death of Mr. Knorr in 1977. Mr. Franz is currently conducting business in Knorrs manner. 

 

This organization, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, was unknown to Christ and the apostles, is not found in the New Testament, and was never heard of in the first century. It didnt come into existence until the time of Mr. Charles Taze Russell in the 1800s. Therefore, it could not be the church of the Lord established in the first century. 

 

Source of Authority and Attitude Toward the Bible

 

There are no articles of faith or authoritative doctrinal statements issued by the Watchtower. Their theological views are found in their various publications, including the Watchtower and Awake. The doctrine that proceeds from these works is considered authoritative. They contend their ultimate source of authority is the Bible: To let God be found true means to let God have the say as to what is the truth that sets men free. It means to accept His word, the Bible, as the truth. Hence, in this book, our appeal is to the Bible for the truth. Our obligation is to back up what is said herein by quotations from the Bible for proof of truthfulness and reliability. (Let God Be True, 1946, p. 9).

 

However, their real attitude toward the Bible is clearly revealed by Mr. Russell in the following comment: If the six volumes of Scripture Studies are practically the Bible, topically arranged with Bible proof texts given, we might not improperly name the volumes the Bible in an arranged form, that is to say, they are not mere comments on the Bible, but they are practically the Bible itself. Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the Scripture Studies aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the Scripture Studies with their references and had not read a page of the Bible as such, he would be in the light at the end of two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures. (Charles Taze Russell, The Watchtower, September 15, 1910, p. 298). Mr. Russell thinks very highly of himself. Does he know more than God?

 

This attitude toward the Scriptures is totally contrary to what the Bible teaches. The apostle Paul wrote: that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.  By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ (Eph 3:3-4).  Paul also wrote: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The apostle Peter wrote: seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Pet. 1:3-4). 

 

Did mankind have to wait until Charles Taze Russell was born and began the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to learn the truth? Surely, common sense tells us that people do not need this organization to be able to read, understand and obey the word of God. Furthermore, even a causal reading of their teachings reveals that they misquote publications and authors, taking statements out of context in a number of places in order to make a case for their heresies. 

 

Some Prominent Doctrines of Jehovahs Witnesses

 

The Godhead: Jehovahs Witnesses teach that only God, the Father, is Deity. Christ is viewed as the first of Gods created sons, and the other sons were created through Christ: as Gods Chief Agent. Before Christ came to the earth He was known as the Word, Gods spokesman (John 1:3, 10, 14; Col. 1:15-17) (The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, pp. 47-48). The Holy Spirit, they add is not a person, but Gods active force (Ibid., p. 24).

 

In the book, United in Worship of the Only True God, the Witnesses affirm, To fellow Christians the apostle Paul wrote that, even though there are many who are called gods, there is actually to us one God the Father.and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 8:5-6). The one God to whom Paul referred is Jehovah, the Creator of all things (Deut. 6:4; Rev. 4:11) (p. 12). They draw conclusions unwarranted by the text and affirm that only the Father is truly God. (Request the tract, What is the Biblical Teaching on the Godhead?)

 

The Deity of Jesus: They teach that Jesus was a created being rather than an eternal being. In their tract, Should You Believe in the Trinity, they write, But was it (the pre-human existence of Jesus) as one of the persons in an almighty, external triune Godhead? No, for the Bible plainly states that in his pre-human existence, Jesus was a created being, just as angels were spirit beings created by God. Neither the angels nor Jesus had existed before their creation (p.14). (Request the tract, Was Jesus a Created Being?)

 

The Nature of Christs Kingdom: Jehovahs Witnesses are wrong both in the time of the kingdoms establishment as well as the nature of the kingdom belonging to Christ. They teach that the kingdom of Christ was not established until the year AD 1914. The undefeatable purpose of Jehovah God to establish a righteous kingdom in these last days was fulfilled in AD 1914 (The Kingdom of God in Let God be True, pp. 143-144).  The manner is which they arrived at this date is based upon an erroneous application of Ezekiel 21:27 and a mishandling of Daniel 9.

 

They distinguish between the church and the kingdom. J. F. Rutherford, one of their presidents, stated, The church of Christ consists of Jesus Christ the head and the 144,000 members of his body (Rutherford, J.F., The Harp of God, 1921, p. 279). Concerning the 144,000 they state, These are the only ones whom Jehovah God takes to heaven with his Son.  All others who gain life in His new world will live in paradise restored here on earth (From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained, 1958, p. 153).  (Request the tract, What is the Nature of Christs Kingdom?

 

Everlasting Punishment: The Watchtower denies the existence of hell as a place of everlasting punishment for the wicked. They argue, The doctrine of a burning hell where the wicked are tortured eternally after death cannot be true mainly for four reasons: (1) It is wholly unscriptural, (2) It is unreasonable, (3)It is contrary to Gods love, and (4) It is repugnant to justice (Let God Be True, p. 9).

 

In anticipation of this false teaching the Holy Spirit guided Paul to write: For after all it is {only} just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and {to give} relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thess. 1:6-9).

 

In the book of Matthew Jesus spoke of eternal punishment and eternal life in the same context: And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matt. 25:46). The doctrine of everlasting punishment is neither contrary to God's love nor justice, as the Watchtower claims. Jesus Christ has taken the sins of the world upon Himself and offers everlasting life to all who will receive the free gift of God. If people reject His offer then they must sufferer the penalty for their own sin. (Request the tract Is Hell a Place of Everlasting Punishment)

 

There are many more false doctrines advanced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, such as: ManHis Nature and Death; Sin and Salvation; Baptism; The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures, etc. It is our sincere and firm conviction that the doctrines taught by the so-called Jehovahs Witnesses constitutes a system of infidelity. 

 

Our Sincere Plea to Our Friends In The Jehovahs Witnesses Organization

 

We feel it is our duty to have this frank and open study. Please study these thoughts in the same spirit of love in which they are written. We are concerned only with serving the Lord Jesus Christ according to His divine word as revealed in the New Testament and we plead for everyone to do the same. We will be happy to discuss these words with anyone. If there is a reputable teacher for the Jehovah Witnesses who is willing to discuss our differences in an open forum or public debate we will be happy to work out the arrangements and discuss these matters. The Bible teaches that Gods people are both to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15) and to defend that Gospel when it is attacked by various teachers of error (Jude 3; 1 Pet. 3:15; Phil. 1:15; 1 John 4:1).

 

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