Intro:

The cult commonly called “Jehovah’s witnesses” was founded in 1879. It’s founder and first President was a man named Charles Taze Russell, hence the common nomer, for the cult, of “Russellites”!(ibid-- Rise of the Cults--Walter Martin). Charles Taze Russell was born in 1852 and died in 1916. He was raised a Presbyterian, and at age 15, became a congregationalist. At the age of 18, Russell established a Bible study class, based on the Adventist doctrines of Jones Wendell, which continued for approximately 5 years.” Much of the eventual J.W. doctrines, such as extinction of the soul at death, annihilation of the wicked and denial of a literal hell, was taken directly from these Adventist Doctrines. Russell was an inveterate date setter, having set dates several times, concerning the second coming. As early as 1874, he advanced the first major error of Watchtower doctrine, relating to the advent; he taught then that Christ had returned invisibly at that time. He subsequently concocted numerous other dates and doctrines in attempts to cover his errors. Russell was the originator of a major part of J.W. doctrine, but was by no means the only “leading new light”!

In 1916, Russell died, and a new figure waltzes on to the stage of J.W. leadership. Born in 1869, raised as a Baptist, well-educated and a Judge in the 14th Judicial District of Missouri, here comes the Judge! None other than the Honorable Joseph Franklin Rutherford. “Judge” Rutherford was a very able administrator, as well as a prolific writer. At times, his writing was so prodigious, that the printing presses at J.W. headquarters were often unable to keep up with his output. Rutherford learned, early on, the value of “Progressive Revelation”, which frequently bailed him out of the “HOLES” that some of his, (and Russell’s) erroneous doctrines put him. Although Rutherford was very fond of setting dates, this propensity was often to get him into trouble. Rutherford used Russell’s writings to further his position in the J.W., but was quick to publicly disassociate himself from Russell’s influence.

He was also the motivating force behind the J.W.’s present disdain for all other organized religious groups in what he scathingly branded as “Christendom”! He was the one who was primarily responsible for developing the present doctrine of annihilation of all “Christian” religious organizations. Rutherford was also responsible for a split in the organization, resulting in a second group known as Dawn Bible Students. The Judge “ruled” the J.W.’s for 25 years, died in 1942, and was succeeded by the third and final President of the Society, Nathan H. Knorr. Knorr was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1905. At age 18 he became a full time “preacher”, and by 1932 he became General Manager of the J.W. publishing house in Bethel N.Y. In January 1942, he was elected President of the Society. When he was elected , the Society numbered 115,000! Under his leadership, the number increased to nearly 2 million! He instituted a vigorous expansion program and was instrumental in many additional printing facilities. In 1961, the New World Translation (J.W.’s corrupted version of a bible) was printed. Strangely enough, they contend that there are many mistranslations from !the original languages, which they have “corrected”; the remarkable thing about this is that there is not one notable or recognized linguist in their entire panoply of “Translators”!

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a highly organized, highly motivated, intensely indoctrinated cult! Their indoctrination is totally centered around their major texts and supported (when necessary to convince an unbeliever) they will resort to their New World Translation!

The J.W.’s are termed “Apostles of Denial” by most fundamental groups, and the major true doctrines that they deny emphatically are:

1) The Trinity

2) The deity of Christ

3) The personality of the Holy Spirit

4) The Inherent immortality of the Soul

5) The total depravity of Man

6) The Bodily resurrection of Christ

7) The Blood Atonement of and thru Christ

8) The finished work of Christ and Need of the New Birth

9) The Second Coming of Christ-Visible and Bodily

10) Eternal Punishment

11) A Literal Hell

1) The J.W.’s contend that the Trinity is “an unnatural, freaky, three headed God” and that it is impossible for the logical (natural) mind to comprehend!

PROOF--The Bible introduces God in the very first Chapter of Genesis as Elohim, which is a plural noun describing the Godhead! Some of the foremost translators have translated Elohim as “The three Powerful ones”. In Gen. 1:26 And God (Elohim) Said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness: Matt 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightaway out of the water: and, Io, the heavens were opened unto HIM, and HE saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon HIM: And Io a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 1 Jn. 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.(J.W. Bible omits)

2) The J.W.’s deny the deity of Christ and insist that “the Word is A God”! Their denial of this doctrine by calling Christ “a God” makes them double deniers of the truth, for God has said (Deut. 6:4) Hear 0 Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.

And again in Is. 43:10... .before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me! (also Is. 44:8)

3) J.W.’s deny the Personality of the Holy Spirit, and ridicule the Holy Spirit of simply “Breath”!

4) J.W.’s deny immortality of the soul. The J.W doctrine states “A human is a soul: he does not possess a soul separate and distinct from the body”.(Make sure of All Things, pg. 349)

PROOF--I Thess. 5:23 And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be presented blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matt 10:28 “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.

5) J.W.’s deny total depravity of man, and, with exception of Adam and Eve, who are to be annihilated, all men who have not heard the Gospel according to J.W.’s will be given a second chance to become acceptable to God and resurrection.

PROOF-- God has said (Gen. 6:3) My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: (Gen. 6:5) And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Ps 56:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

Ps 14:2-3 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, not one.

6) J.W.’s deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ and insist that he was raised a “Spirit Creature”. PROOF--Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

7) J.W.’s deny the Atonement that was accomplished at Calvary, and they teach that men must work here on earth to become worthy of their doctrine of “redemption”.

PROOF--Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

8) J.W.’s deny the finished work of Christ and maintain there is no need for the “new birth”. The J.W.’s do not expect to go to heaven, so are not moved by necessity to be born again!

PROOF--John 3:3-5 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God----Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

9) J.W.’s deny the bodily return of Christ claiming that he has already returned invisible, in 1874, in 1914 and 1975. This is contrary to clear scripture teaching!

PROOF--I John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

10)The J.W.’s deny Eternal Punishment and...

11) the existence of a Literal HELL.

Yet Christ preached more concerning Hell than He did concerning heaven. They dismiss the account of the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) as a parable, yet Christ explained the parables to his disciples because it was given to them to know, whereas it was not given to the people in General to know the explanation of these parables (Matthew 13:10-13). It is very curious that such an important “parable” was not explained to “those to whom it was given to know”. The only and obvious conclusion is that Jesus here related an actual account of the torment of an unregenerate soul in Hell, where the “fire is never quenched and their worm dieth not” (Mark 9:43-45).

These “Apostles of Denial” will be judged by the one standard, whether or not they have accepted Christ as their Personal Saviour; I John 2:22-23:

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

So then, in denying the Lord Jesus Christ, God has indicted them in His word and finds them guilty of denying the very God, Jehovah, that they claim to serve!

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