Are Jehovah Witnesses Christian? Series

Every Jehovah’s Witnesses will tell you that they are Christians. But really, are they? In this lesson, we will explore the differences between Christianity and the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hopefully, you'll see the very important and distinct disparities. By the conclusion of this brief lesson, you should understand that the dangerous chasms of the Watch Tower theology are not only wide, but life threatening as well. Your unending life and everlasting location are at stake.

Although the doctrine of Christianity's roots reach back before all the universes were created by God, the implementation of Christianity, as we know it today began with Christ and the New Testament. Acts 2, records and reports that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem at Pentecost. Many theologians point to that event as the time when the Catholic church was born. Other scholars say the Church was born a bit earlier with Christ's death and resurrection (Luke 24).

In any case, the true Protestant Reformation Day commenced with Martin Luther, the monk, posting his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517. His courageous act triggered the Reformation, which is the foundation of all Protestant Churches today. The Protestant Reformation was the rediscovery of the doctrine of justification. That is, salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. In the century before the Reformation, the Catholic church was marked by widespread corruption by its leaders and its false doctrines, biblical illiteracy, and superstition. Monks, priests, bishops, and popes in Rome taught unbiblical doctrines like the selling of indulgences, the treasury of merit, purgatory, and salvation through good works. You might ask, "Is the Catholic church any different today?"

Thus, as we know Christianity today, Acts 11, written about 63 AD, notes that followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians at Antioch.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses theologies were initiated by Charles Russell, who published his magazines, Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence, in 1879. By 1881, the Zion Watch Tower Tract Society was formalized. The followers of the Watch Tower Society adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931. Today, they produce their own literature, including a Bible version called the New World Translation.

The early milestones of the Jehovah’s Witnesses centered around warnings of end-of-time predictions that failed to materialize. As an example, in 1920, the Watch Tower Tract Society predicted the earthly resurrection of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would occur in 1925. As 1925 came and went, this resurrection theory was debunked.

There are many other religious groups that deny the deity of Jesus Christ, such as the Black Hebrew Israelites, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and Unitarians, among other non-Christian cults. To openly deny the Holy Trinity is damnable heresy.

Christianity, in contrast, has strong convictions that declare the deity of Jesus Christ as the true God and a principal element of the Trinity. This teaching proclaims "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... “revealed by John 1:14 and Isaiah 43:10, which, speaking of Jesus, states in the NKJV, “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.” Thus the Son of God became truly man while always continuing to be True God.

Have you ever struggled with the question, 'Is God real?'or 'Is Jesus God?' All serious people search for the answers to these questions until their faith supersedes their doubts. But if you have not faithfully reached the point of 'Blessed Assurance,' seek the evidence recorded in the Bible and many, many other historical documents. Because to accept the Bible's definition of Christianity as true, one must accept Jesus’ words, as well as the words of all the other biblical writers, as true. The Bible makes it clear that there is one God in three divine persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the other hand, explicitly deny the deity of Christ. Denying the divinity of Jesus makes Jehovah’s Witnesses out to be unchristian, even anti-Christs. But they say, "Such is not the case. In truth, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not deny the divinity of Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus had a prehuman existence, and in that state he was divine. Although not Almighty God, the Word was and is a god. (Notice the small 'god.') He exists as the very image and likeness of the only true God.” Thus, while affirming the deity of God the Father, they specifically negate the deity of Jesus Christ.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical world existed, and is a lesser, though mighty, god. Biblically, however, Jesus is eternally God (John 1:1; 8:58; and Exodus. 3:14). Christ has the exact same divine nature as the Father (John 5:18; 10:30; Hebrew 1:3)