Scaling the Watchtower

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Scaling the Watchtower Understanding
Evangelizing Jehovahs Witnesses By Cky J.
Carrigan, Ph.D. Interfaith Evangelism N. American
Mission Board, SBC www.ontruth.com
ccarrigan_at_namb.net
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• Who are Jehovahs Witnesses?
• Official Organization called The Watchtower
  Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (WBTS)
  The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of
  Pennsylvania, Inc.
• Also known abroad as The International Bible
  Students Association (IBSA)
• Founder - Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916)
• Presently headed by Governing Body

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• World Headquarters - Bethel Brooklyn, New York,
  NY
• Meeting places called Kingdom Hall
• Active Participants called Publishers
• Worldwide membership - 5.6 million in 232
  countries
• N. American membership - 1.1 million
• U. S. membership - 950 thousand

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• Publications (Periodicals)
• The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs
  Kingdom
• - 22 million copies published semi-monthly
  in 132 languages
• Awake!
• - 20 million copies published semi-monthly
  in 78 languages

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• Publications (Books)
• New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
• Kingdom Interlinear Translation ( of the New
  Testament)
• Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life
• The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived

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• History of WBTS
• 1870, Russell begins Bible study group in
  Pennsylvania focusing on End Times doctrines
• 1884, Russel became president of The Zion
  Watchtower and Tract Society, Inc.
• Russell wrote - Studies in the Scriptures - which
  set forth his program of theology
• Russell was president from 1884 to 1916

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• Four presidents followed Russell till 2001
• Judge Joseph F. Rutherford (1917-1942)
• Nathan H. Knorr (1942-1977)
• Fredrick W. Franz (1977-1992)
• Milton G. Henschel (1992-2001)
• WBTS presently organized by a sophisticated plan
  that separates corporate governance from
  theological governance to protect its assets

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• What do Jehovahs Witnesses Believe?
• About the Bible
• divinely inspired
• infallible
• canon includes 66 books of OT and NT
• scientifically accurate
• New World Translation is the most accurate
  translation of original languages
• NWT reflects WBTS theology (i.e., John 11)

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• About Interpretation of the Bible
• The Governing Body a.k.a. The Faithful
  Discreet Slave is the only channel of accurate
  biblical interpretation
• Salvation depends upon association with this
  exclusive channel

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• About God
• Jehovah is the one true name of the one true God
• Jehovah is spirit being with a spirit body
• Jehovah is not omnipresent
• The heretical doctrine of the trinity is a gross
  misrepresentation of the true nature of God

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• About Jesus Christ
• Jesus Christ was created by Jehovah in ages
  past as an angel, or a son of God
• In ages past, Jesus Christ was Michael the
  Archangel who created all other things
• He was born of a virgin
• He became Messiah at his baptism
• Executed as a ransom for many

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• About Jesus Christ (contd)
• Killed on a torture stake, not crucified on a
  cross
• Arose from the dead spiritually, not bodily
• Returned to earth in 1878?, 1914?, 1915?, 1918?,
  1925?, 1975?
• Presently reigning as king in heaven, and will
  soon return openly

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• About Holy Spirit
• Not a Person but
• Merely and active and powerful force to
  accomplish Jehovahs will
• About Man
• The spirit, or life-force of man departs at death
• There is no conscious existence at death (this
  doctrine a.k.a. soul sleep)

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• About Salvation
• There are requirements for salvation in addition
  to faith
• baptism by immersion by WBTS
• continuous active association with WBTS
• righteous conduct
• absolute loyalty to Jehovah
• There is no assurance of salvation, only hope of
  resurrection

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• About Salvation (contd)
• Heaven and Paradise are different
• Heaven is the location of Jehovah
• Paradise is the New Earth
• There are two classes of saved witnesses
• Anointed Class or Little Flock- 144,000 who
  are so righteous that they bypass spirit
  uncon-sciousness at death, spirit goes directly
  to Heaven (location of Jeh), est. 8,700 alive
  today
• Great Crowds - resurrected after Armageddon
  the Millennium, then live forever in Paradise
  (New Earth)

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• About Salvation (contd)
• Those who reject Jehovah in this present life
  will be resurrected at the end of the Millennium
  then annihilated (destroyed)
• Those ignorant of the true God (Jehovah) will be
  resurrected before the Millennium and judged on
  the basis of their obedience to Jehovah during
  the Millennium
• Those found unfaithful during the Millennium will
  be annihilated
• Those found faithful in the Millennium will enter
  Paradise (New Earth)

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• About Hell
• Hell is only the place of the dead
• Hell is not a place of lasting punishment
• All the unfaithful will be annihilated with Satan
  and the demons at the end of the Millennium

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• Other distinctive Jehovahs Witness doctrines
• Dont celebrate anniversaries, birthdays,
  Easter, Christmas, etc. annual Lords Evening
  Meal is only approved celebration
• Dont vote or participate in civil government
• Dont pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag
• Dont volunteer for armed forces, but not because
  of pacifism
• Dont have professional clergy
• Dont accept blood transfusions

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• Predictions About the End Times
• Russell wrote, The Millennium began in 1874,
  with the Return of Christ (Studies, 7386)
• 1914 begins the millennial age
  (WT, 6-15-1905, 3576)
• Abraham should enter upon the actual possession
  of his promised inheritance in the year 1925
  A.D. (WT, 10-16-1917, 6157)
• The 7th period of 1000 years will begin n the
  fall of 1975. (Life Everlasting, 29-30)

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• Evangelism Strategies
• Develop sincere relationships first
• Let witnesses observe genuine Christianity in you
  (holy living)
• Be prepared to use Scripture to explain defend
  key Christian doctrines
• Try to stay focused on the doctrines of the
  Tri-unity of God, Full Deity of Christ
  Salvation through faith alone

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• Evangelism Strategies
• Invite witness to test their beliefs by reading
  Scripture alone, without consulting any
  extra-biblical materials (Watchtower, etc) for 30
  days
• Gently undermine their confidence in the New Word
  Trans by using their Greek Interlinear NT to show
  that many NWT translations regarding Christ are
  erroneous
• Gently undermine confidence in WBTS by noting
  errors in WBTS interpretations about prophecy and
  changes to key doctrines

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Scaling the Watchtower Understanding
Evangelizing Jehovahs Witnesses By Cky J.
Carrigan, Ph.D. Interfaith Evangelism N. American
Mission Board, SBC www.ontruth.com
ccarrigan_at_namb.net