BIBLICAL BRIEFS 75
Jehovah’s Witnesses are usually known as the religious group going from door to door, two by two, talking to people about faith matters, and sometimes giving out/selling their literature, books, brochures and their magazine, The Watchtower. They are devoted and kind, have an admirable willingness for sharing the gospel and have good knowledge of the foundations of the movement they proclaim. Although they differ from some fundamental aspects of mainstream churches, with regard to their core teachings they are remarkably pure, from a Biblical point of view. However, there are at least twelve doctrinal issues which they teach that are not Biblical defensible at all. 1: God may only be addressed as Jehovah. 2: Jesus’ death and resurrection could be considered as a ransom and only resulted in the deliverance of sin. 3: They believe Jesus is not God, but the highest created Being, namely: the archangel Michael, whom God called for this purpose. 4: The Holy Spirit is just a power or energy, not a Person. 5: They believe Jesus returned in 1914 (previously they defended 1874). 6: The kingdom of God is in heaven, and it will come down to earth at a later stage; the kingdom is not within a believer. 7: They believe in certain literary end-time concepts such as Armageddon and a Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ (which they consider being 1000 years of judgment). 8: God will revive billions of people through resurrection, but those who refuse to follow God’s ways after they were raised, will be destroyed forever without any hope of resurrection again. 9: The opinion is held that only a literal number of 144,000 believers will be raised to life in heaven to rule with God, Jesus and the angels in the heavenly Kingdom. The rest of the believers will remain on earth as a restored paradise and governed by that dominion. 10: There is an unwavering belief that only Jehovah’s witnesses have the revelation and discernment and that only they are used by God to convey the truth. This also explains their eagerness to evangelize. 11: The governing body of the Witnesses should never be opposed because they are God’s mouthpiece to humanity. 12: Some controversies regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses and social issues are, amongst others, that only men can take spiritual guidance; they do not believe in blood transfusions or vaccination; they embrace pacifism, meaning they do not participate in wars.
Dr Tom Gouws
