The Watch Tower Bible and Track Society of Pennsylvania

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Examining The Denominations
And Their Doctrines
The Watch Tower Bible and Track Society of
Pennsylvania
The Jehovahs Witnesses
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I. Its origin

• Charles Taze Russell organized the movement that
  later came to be known as the Jehovah's
  Witnesses.

• In 1879 Russell began publishing the magazine
  "Zion's Watch Tower," now known as "The Watch
  Tower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom".  
• Joseph F. Rutherford changed their name to
  "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931.

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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The origin of Jesus. Jesus is "called God's
'First-born,' as well as his 'only begotten' Son.
(John 114 316 Hebrews 16)  This means that
he was created before all the other spirit sons
of God..." (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on
Earth, 1982, p. 58). 
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The origin of Jesus. Jesus is "called God's
'First-born,' as well as his 'only begotten' Son.
(John 114 316 Hebrews 16)  This means that
he was created before all the other spirit sons
of God..." (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on
Earth, 1982, p. 58). 
Compare to what
Gods Word says
Heb. 138, John 11, 3, 14, Col. 115-17
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The deity of Jesus. Jesus "could not be the
supreme God almighty in the flesh"
(Let God Be True, p. 106).  He is "a
Son of God." (Life Everlasting..., 1966, pp.
58ff.)
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The deity of Jesus. Jesus "could not be the
supreme God almighty in the flesh"
(Let God Be True, p. 106).  He is "a
Son of God." (Life Everlasting..., 1966, pp.
58ff.)
Compare to what
Gods Word says
Isa. 96
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The destiny of earth. "God made this planet
Earth just right for humans to live on, and it is
his will that it remain forever. (Psalm 1045)
(You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982,
p. 160.)
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The destiny of earth. "God made this planet
Earth just right for humans to live on, and it is
his will that it remain forever. (Psalm 1045)
(You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982,
p. 160.)
Compare to what
Gods Word says
Ps. 10225-26a, Matt. 2435
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The Lord's Supper. "Since the anti-typical Lamb
Jesus Christ died on the passover day, Nisan 14,
and since on the night of that same day he
instituted the Lord's evening meal, Nisan 14, of
each year is the only scriptural time to observe
it" (Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of
God, 1966, p. 134).
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The Lord's Supper. "Since the anti-typical Lamb
Jesus Christ died on the passover day, Nisan 14,
and since on the night of that same day he
instituted the Lord's evening meal, Nisan 14, of
each year is the only scriptural time to observe
it" (Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of
God, 1966, p. 134).
Compare to what
Gods Word says
Acts 206-7, 1 Cor. 1016, 1126
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
Baptism. "What then does Christian baptism
signify?  It is not a washing away of one's sins,
because cleansing from sin comes only through
faith in Jesus Christ." (The Truth that Leads to
Eternal Life,  1968, p. 183).
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
Baptism. "What then does Christian baptism
signify?  It is not a washing away of one's sins,
because cleansing from sin comes only through
faith in Jesus Christ." (The Truth that Leads to
Eternal Life,  1968, p. 183).
Compare to what
Gods Word says
Acts 2216, 238
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
The return of Christ. "His return also would be
invisible, in a spiritual body.  How, then, are
we to understand the words of Revelation 17? 
The apostle John writes Look! He is coming with
the clouds, and every eye will see him... Here
the Bible speaks of seeing not with physical
eyes, but in the sense of discerning or
perceiving... everyone will then understand or
recognize that Christ is present". 
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
"In Matthew 243 "What do these expressions 'thy
coming' and 'the end of the world,' really mean?
The Greek word here translated 'coming' is
parousia, and it means 'presence.' So then, when
the 'sign' is seen, this means we would know that
Christ is present though unseen, that he has
already come in Kingdom power." (You Can Live
Forever in Paradise on Earth, p. 146 148)
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
"In Matthew 243 "What do these expressions 'thy
coming' and 'the end of the world,' really mean?
The Greek word here translated 'coming' is
parousia, and it means 'presence.' So then, when
the 'sign' is seen, this means we would know that
Christ is present though unseen, that he has
already come in Kingdom power." (You Can Live
Forever in Paradise on Earth, p. 146 148)
Compare to what
Gods Word says
Rev. 17, 1 Thess. 415-17
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
Consciousness after death. "the dead are unable
to do or feel anything. They no longer have any
thoughts, nor do they remember anything." (The
Watchtower, May 15, 1997)
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The Watchtower And Its Publications
VS. The Bible
We want to compare a few of the teachings of the
Watchtower in light of Gods Word.
Consciousness after death. "the dead are unable
to do or feel anything. They no longer have any
thoughts, nor do they remember anything." (The
Watchtower, May 15, 1997)
Compare to what
Gods Word says
Luke 1622-24
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Witnesses Weaknesses

• The fallibility of the infallible Watchtower. 
   

• Time and time again the prophets of the
  Watchtower, to whom the Witnesses have given
  their complete trust, have made prophecies and
  predictions which have turned out to be
  incorrect.

• The unreasonableness of Witness' reasoning.

• In defense of their doctrines, the Witnesses
  rely heavily upon what seems "reasonable" or in
  accord with common sense. (e.g. You Can Live
  Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p. 81).

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Distinctive Points of Belief

• Authority and inspiration of the Watchtower.

• Russell and Rutherford both claimed that their
  writings are the result of God's continuing
  revelation to men.
• This is what is so hard for a Witness to
  understand, Luke 1021, Eph. 34

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Distinctive Points of Belief

• No Godhead (Trinity) -- Jesus was a created
  being.

• The Witnesses strongly object to the Catholic
  doctrine of the Trinity and the Biblical
  doctrine of the Godhead.
• This is what is so hard for the Witnesses to
  believe in, Matt. 316-17, 2819

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Distinctive Points of Belief

• No eternal torment or consciousness after
  death.

• Witnesses teach that hell is only the grave --
  an unconscious state.  They deny that it is a
  place of fiery eternal torment.
• What they do is that they make Jesus a liar,
  Matt. 2530, 41, 46

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Distinctive Points of Belief

• They say that Jesus died on a stake.

• According to the Witnesses, "Jesus did not die
  on a cross, He died on a pole or a stake...The
  symbol of the cross comes from ancient false
  religions" (Beliefs and Activities... 1998).
• They are literally enemies of the cross of the
  Lord, Phil. 318-19

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Distinctive Points of Belief

• They say that salvation is by faith only.

• Witnesses believe that salvation comes through
  faith alone.  Baptism, they say, is only "a
  public demonstration, testifying that one has
  made a solemn dedication to Jehovah God and is
  presenting himself to do His will"
  (The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life,  1968, pp.
  183-184).
• Obviously the apostle Peter was not a Jehovahs
  Witness, 1 Pet. 320-21

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