Explorations Class #22

Jehovah's Witnesses
Introduction

To most Christians, the Jehovah's Witnesses appear strange. They are somewhat reclusive, without any television or radio ministries. Their publications (including the New World Translation of the Bible), while free, are not available through any mass market outlets. When one gets to know them, their beliefs seem very strange. Who would not wish to celebrate birthdays, holidays, or other joyous occasions? And who could possibly believe that Jesus is not God? Yet, these are characteristics of JW belief. Perhaps the best way to understand them is to look at their history.

The JW's were founded by Charles Taze Russell. He was born in 1852 in Pittsburgh, and spent his early years attending a Calvinist church. We do not know the exact strain of Calvinism to which he was exposed, but from his later teaching, it appears likely that he learned to strongly value logical thinking, predestination, and human inability to do anything apart from grace. In particular, he learned of the (incorrect) doctrine of eternal punishment in Hell. Russell felt that all Christian beliefs should be fully understandable in all their aspects, and should contain no element of mystery or paradox. He found that the idea of eternal punishment was fundamentally at odds with his concept of an all-loving God. This led Russell to leave organized religion at about age sixteen.

A year later he heard the preaching of Jonas Wendell, an Advent Christian who denied eternal punishment in Hell. One year after that, in 1870, Russell formed the "Bible Students", who eventually became the JW's. Because of the association of the Adventists with prophetic chronology studies, Russell also picked up prophetic studies. We will discuss those later. Russell accepted the Bible on the basis that it be interpretable within his reasoning.

In 1879, Russell launched the "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence". In the 1880's, he established the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societies. These remain the governing bodies for the church. The Bible Students eventually became the "Jehovah's Witnesses", taking their name from Isaiah 43:10.

Prophecy has been a major part of JW studies. Russell died in 1915, believing that Jesus had returned in 1914 as an invisible presence. His successors continued the emphasis on prophecy. They calculated that 1975 was the end of 6,000 years of earth's existence, and would be the date of the battle of Armageddon. Many Witnesses sold their homes and property. When nothing happened, some left the church, but most remained.

The organization Russell founded has gone through several leaders, but its theology is essentially that of Russell. It is run through a very authoritarian "faithful and discreet slave" organization. Members are obligated to adhere very closely to the doctrines the church promotes through study sessions several times weekly. Members are cautioned to avoid independent Bible study since the church has learned that those who study independently leave the church. To assist in the orthodox understanding of JW doctrines, members study from the church's own Bible, the New World Translation. This translation changes many texts from their well accepted understandings to language which is consistent with the teachings of the church. JW's are well schooled in these forms of the texts as proofs for their theology, including the Greek and Hebrew (JW style) behind them so that they are formidable adversaries to many Christians.

Rather than simply list JW beliefs, let us examine the framework in which they are developed. It is key for us to remember the overriding rationalism with which the beliefs arise.

• There is no hell
• Because death is annihilation. But if that is so,
• Jesus cannot be God, because Jesus died, and God cannot be annihilated.
• Therefore the Trinity is false. But if that is so,
• The Holy Spirit must not be a divine person.
• Moreover, if Jesus was annihilated, there is no reason to expect that his body would be raised from the dead.
• Thus we may conclude that Jesus was raised as a spirit.
• But this implies that Jesus will not return physically to the earth.
• Therefore, the second advent will be a spiritual presence rather than a physical return.
• This allows the second presence to be understood as happening at this time, unseen except to those who have spiritual insight.
• Moreover, if Jesus is a spirit and is to remain forever in heaven, and yet the Bible teaches both that there will be a bodily resurrection and that some will live with Christ and share his nature, that implies that there will be two classes of the redeemed - an earthly class and a heavenly class.
• If there is a heavenly class as well as an earthly class, then it follows that the requirements for admission to one class will be somewhat different from the requirements for admission to the other.
• Therefore, it makes sense to say that admission to the earthly class requires works in addition to faith and is basically a matter of proving oneself worthy, whereas admission to the heavenly class as a higher privilege is based solely on God's choice - with the qualification that members of the heavenly class all fulfill the requirements for membership in the earthly class.
• This explains why some parts of the Bible speak of salvation as requiring obedience and good works, while others speak of everlasting life with God as a free gift.

Robert M. Bowman, Jr. "Understanding Jehovah's Witnesses", Baker Book House, 1996, pp. 91-92

 

1. JW's teach that the scriptures are the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek scriptures. Whenever there are issues of interpretation, it is necessary to look at the original text. It is obvious that JW's give very careful credence to the logical exposition of scripture, drawn from the original. What is God's instruction regarding the use of human logic to understand His teachings? (2 Tim 2:15, Acts 17:11, 1 Thess 5:21)

2. Are there any limits to the use of human logic in understanding God? (Is 55:8-9)

3. JW's reject the idea that any essential part of the nature of God might not be understandable by man. What does Paul say about this? (1 Cor 13:9-12) What does Jesus say about it? (Matt 11:27)

"This one was not Jehovah God, but was "existing in God's form". How so? He was a spirit person, just as "God is a Spirit"; he was a mighty one, although not as mighty as Jehovah God is; also he was before all others of God's creatures, for he was the first son that Jehovah God brought forth. Hence he is called "the only begotten Son" of God, for God had no partner in bringing forth his first-begotten Son."

.Being a mighty one and holding this high official capacity as Logos and being before all other creatures, he was a God, but not the Almighty God, who is Jehovah."

.By pouring out his holy spirit upon the baptized Jesus, God anointed him with the spirit to be the long-promised King in God's kingdom. By being thus anointed with the spirit Jesus became the Messiah."

.On seeing Jesus approaching, John said to his hearers: "See the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29, 36 NW) Thus John showed the secondary purpose for which the son of God came to earth, namely, to die as a holy sacrifice to Jehovah God in order to cancel the sins of believing men and to free them from death's condemnation, that they might gain eternal life in the righteous new world which God has promised to create. Jesus was suitable to be such a ransom sacrifice. By having his perfect, sinless life transferred from heaven to the womb of a Jewish virgin, Jesus was born a perfect human and grew up to be a perfect man, absolutely sinless, guileless, undefiled. (Hebrews 7:26, NW). Because Jesus was bound by this to lay aside his humanity forever as a sacrifice, God begat him by his spirit to become again a spirit Son of God. So he laid down his human life forever."

.On the third day of his being dead in the grave his immortal Father Jehovah God raised him from the dead, not as a human Son, but as a mighty immortal spirit Son. Says the Jewish witness Peter: "He being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit." (1 Peter 3:18, NW; Dy)."

.God exalted his Son Jesus to be higher than he was before he lived and died as a man. If Jesus had been "equal in power and glory" with the Supreme One, then Jehovah God could not have elevated his Son any higher than he was in his prehuman state. Says the apostle Peter: "Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is at God's right hand, for he went his way to heaven and angels and authorities and powers were made subject to him." (1 Peter 3:21, 22, NW) This proves that Jesus did not take his human body to heaven to be forever a man in heaven. Had he done so, that would have left him ever lower than the angels." Let God Be True pp. 31-41

4. Describe the JW conception of Jesus, based on the passages above. In particular, name the purposes for His coming to earth.

5. What was the reason Jesus came? (Gen 3:15, Luke 2:11; 19:10) Where is His kingdom? (John 18:36)

6. It would seem reasonable to suggest that a misunderstanding of Jesus' divine nature is not central to the gospel. After all, according to the passage above, JW's accept the cross as the atoning sacrifice. Why should we not let them simply go along in their quirky beliefs? (John 8:24, 2 John 7-11 [esp. KJV &RSV], 1 Tim 5:19-20, 2 Tim 4:1-2, Titus 1:10-16)

As we study, it becomes clear that the nature of the atonement is at issue. That is, what is the cross? How does it provide for our redemption? For this, we need first to identify the specifics of the JW understanding of the cross, then look at the cross through the OT sanctuary services which it completed. We will also need to be careful in our choice of texts, since the NWT is not a faithful translation, but a carefully manipulated translation designed to bolster JW doctrine.

"That which is bought with the ransom price is identified in Jehovah God's statement to perfect Adam concerning what was to be lost by sin and disobedience: "Thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17) That which was lost was perfect human life, with its rights and earthly prospects. That which is redeemed or bought back is what was lost, namely, perfect human life, with its rights and earthly prospects. God's just law, at Deuteronomy 19:21, was that like should go for like, hence a perfect human life sacrificed for a perfect human life lost." LGBT p. 114

7. Based on the statement above, whose sins require the cleansing of the atonement of Christ? How many sinners bear responsibility for their sins?

8. How many sinners truly bear the responsibility for their sins? (Heb 9:11-15)

"The perfect human life which Jesus laid down in death is that valuable thing which accomplishes the purchase of what Adam's sin of disobedience lost for all his offspring. The value of the perfect human life was now available for use on behalf of faithful men needing to be ransomed thereby."

We see that by sin Adam lost perfect human life and was justly sentenced to death and eventually died, and all his descendants inherited sin and death from him. God made his beloved Son a perfect man, and Jesus was faithful, went into death, and was afterward resurrected by God's power and exalted to heaven (as a spirit, leaving his body behind), there presenting to God the merit or value of his perfect human life."

LGBT pp. 116-117 (parenthetical added for clarity)

9. What did Jesus present to the Father? (Heb 9:24-28)

"In contrast with Adam's bringing death upon all mankind through transgression of God's law, Jesus as the glorified High Priest, by presenting in heaven this redemptive price, is in position to relieve the believing ones of Adam's descendants from the inherited disability under which all are born. By his purchase he buys them, redeems them from sin and death, applying the merit of his sacrifice on their behalf, that they may have a righteous standing before the Father through the Son. - 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23" LGBT pp. 118-119

10. Based on the statement above, if we have any responsibility as sinners, can the cross save us? (Deut 19:21)

"The man Adam is not included in those ransomed. Why not? Because he was a willful sinner, was justly sentenced to death, and died deservedly, and God would not reverse his just judgment and give Adam life. He had perfect life, and this he deliberately forfeited. There is no provision in God's ransom for Adam. But in contrast with what Adam did to his big family born after him, Jesus Christ ransoms believing men with a corresponding ransom. He offsets the inherited condemnation on those "many" believers of Adam's family by applying in their behalf the merit of this redemptive price, and such are the ransomed ones. - Matthew 20:28" LGBT p. 119

11. Are any sinners excluded from salvation? (1 John 1:9, 2 Peter 3:9, Gen 3:11-13)

12. Are we any less guilty than Adam? (James 2:10)

13. What was the nature of Adam's punishment? (Gen 3:17-19)

14. Eve actually sinned before Adam. What is her punishment? (Gen 3:16) Is it eternal damnation? (Gen 3:15)

"Five points stand out in this text as it relates to the judgment day. (1) Jehovah God himself set this day. (2) The object is to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness. (3) Jehovah has selected and appointed the judge. (4) That judge is Christ Jesus. (5) Jehovah has furnished his guarantee of this judgment day by resurrecting Christ Jesus. The fact of the judgment day is therefore established beyond the possibility of doubt.

"Not all persons who have lived and died on the earth during the past six thousand years will come forth to judgment in this judgment day.

"Those who die wicked beyond reform or correction and beyond redemption by Christ's blood will not be brought out of the grave to the judgment in the new world. LGBT pp. 285-289

15. It must be admitted that the above quote is taken somewhat out of context, since it is supposed to deal with a thousand year judgment period which is beyond the scope of this lesson. However, it raises a question. If the sacrifice on the cross eliminated Adam's sin, and we are not responsible for our own sins, what is the point of a judgment?