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The Strange Teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Legacy of Error and Distortion
Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), founded in the late 19th century by Charles Taze Russell, claim to be the sole restorers of true Christianity. With 8.7 million members worldwide (2023 Watchtower stats), they’re known for door-knocking zeal and a theology that veers sharply from the Bible’s mainstream. From Russell’s botched prophecies to a rewritten Bible, absurd claims about Jesus, and life-threatening rules like no blood transfusions, their teachings raise eyebrows—and red flags. The Bible warns of “false prophets” (Matthew 7:15) and “twisting Scripture” (2 Peter 3:16). Let’s unpack these doctrines, trace their roots, and refute them with reason and the Word.
Charles Taze Russell: Failed Prophet, Shaky Foundation
Russell, a Pittsburgh haberdasher, launched the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in the 1870s, predicting Christ’s invisible return and the world’s end. His books, Studies in the Scriptures, pegged 1874 as Jesus’ “presence” and 1914 as Armageddon (The Time Is at Hand, 1889, p. 99). When 1914 brought World War I, not the end, he tweaked it—Christ had returned invisibly, ruling from heaven. Later flops—1918, 1925 (Millions Now Living Will Never Die)—piled up. After Russell’s death in 1916, successors like Joseph Rutherford kept shifting dates (1975, anyone?).
Refutation: Deuteronomy 18:22 is clear: “If what a prophet proclaims… does not take place… that is a message the Lord has not spoken.” Russell’s track record fails this test—zero for four. JW’s excuse—“light gets brighter” (Proverbs 4:18, misused)—doesn’t erase false predictions; it admits them. A true prophet from God doesn’t guess and pivot. Russell’s legacy isn’t divine insight; it’s human error.
The New World Translation: A Bible Bent to Fit
In 1961, JW released the New World Translation (NWT), claiming it restores God’s name, “Jehovah,” over 7,000 times (e.g., replacing “Lord” in Psalm 23:1). They admit tweaking verses to match doctrine—like John 1:1, where “the Word was God” becomes “the Word was a god,” or Colossians 1:16-17, inserting “other” (in brackets) to imply Jesus created “all other things,” not all things outright.
Refutation: The NWT’s bias is glaring. No original Greek or Hebrew manuscript supports “a god” in John 1:1—theos lacks an indefinite article, and context (John 1:14, 20:28) affirms Jesus’ deity. Adding “other” in Colossians distorts panta (“all things”), contradicting Hebrews 1:2: Jesus made “the universe.” “Jehovah” overreach ignores that the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) lacks vowels in Hebrew—scholars debate its pronunciation (Yahweh, Jehovah)—and the New Testament uses Kyrios (Lord) for Jesus and God interchangeably (e.g., Romans 10:9). The NWT isn’t translation; it’s manipulation. As Greek scholar Bruce Metzger noted (Theology Today, 1953), it’s “a frightful mistranslation” driven by theology, not fidelity. (read more about John 1:1 here: Sacerdotus: John 1:1 "Word was God" or "Word was a god"?)
Jesus as St. Michael: Archangel or Almighty?
JW teach Jesus isn’t God but the archangel Michael, pre-incarnation (The Watchtower, Feb 15, 1983). Post-death, He’s Michael again, not bodily raised but a “spirit creature” (Reasoning from the Scriptures, p. 218). They cite 1 Thessalonians 4:16—Jesus descends “with the voice of an archangel”—and Daniel 10:13, where Michael is “one of the chief princes.”
Refutation: This crumbles fast. Michael’s “one of” status in Daniel contrasts with Jesus’ supremacy—Hebrews 1:4-6 says He’s “superior to the angels,” worshipped by them. John 1:1 calls Him “God,” not a creature. In Revelation 19:10, angels reject worship; Jesus accepts it (Matthew 28:9). The “voice of an archangel” in 1 Thessalonians signals authority, not identity—like a king with a herald’s trumpet. JW’s “spirit resurrection” denies 1 Corinthians 15:44’s “spiritual body”—physical yet glorified (Luke 24:39, Jesus’ flesh and bones). Michael’s a servant; Jesus is Lord.
Jesus: Not God, But “A God”?
JW reject the Trinity, insisting Jesus is a created “mighty god” (Isaiah 9:6), subordinate to Jehovah (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, p. 41). John 1:1’s NWT twist—“a god”—and John 14:28 (“the Father is greater than I”) are their go-tos, denying His equality with God.
Refutation: Scripture dismantles this. John 1:1’s Greek (en archē ēn ho logos… theos ēn ho logos) lacks an article before “God,” implying essence, not a lesser deity—Thomas calls Him “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Philippians 2:6 says Jesus was “in very nature God” (morphē theou) yet humbled Himself—John 14:28 reflects role, not ontology. Isaiah 43:10—“Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after”—rules out a second-tier “god.” The Trinity (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14) holds: one God, three Persons. JW’s “a god” polytheism echoes paganism, not the Bible.
No Blood Transfusions: A Deadly Doctrine
Since 1945, JW ban blood transfusions, citing Acts 15:29—“abstain from blood”—and Leviticus 17:14 (“the life… is in the blood”). They’d rather die—or let kids die—than transfuse, pushing alternatives like saline (The Watchtower, June 15, 2000). Thousands have perished; a 1994 American Journal of Medicine study estimated 900 annual JW deaths from this. Read more on this here: Sacerdotus: Are Blood Transfusions Prohibited By The Bible?
Refutation: Context kills this. Acts 15:29 addresses pagan blood-eating rituals, not medical procedures—same with Leviticus. Blood’s sacredness isn’t violated by saving life; Jesus healed on the Sabbath (Mark 3:4), prioritizing mercy over rigid rules. Matthew 12:7—“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”—cuts through JW’s legalism. Modern medicine wasn’t in view in 33 AD; their ban twists a dietary law into a death sentence. Reason alone—preserving life—trumps this absurdity.
Proselytizing: Zeal Without Truth
JW’s door-to-door preaching—2 billion hours logged in 2022 (2023 Yearbook)—stems from a belief only 144,000 go to heaven (Revelation 7:4), while others earn an earthly paradise. They must witness to survive Armageddon (The Watchtower, Aug 15, 1989).
Refutation: Their 144,000 cap misreads Revelation 7—symbolic tribes, not a literal limit. Revelation 14:4 calls them “firstfruits,” implying more follow (Revelation 7:9’s “great multitude”). Matthew 28:19’s “make disciples” isn’t a works-based ticket to paradise—Ephesians 2:8-9 says salvation’s by grace, not knocking. Their zeal’s impressive but built on a false gospel, pressuring souls into a treadmill of merit.
More Oddities: No Cross, No Hell, No Holidays
JW claim Jesus died on a “torture stake,” not a cross (Reasoning, p. 89), deny hell (Let God Be True, p. 79), and shun holidays as pagan. These rest on NWT edits (e.g., stauros as “stake”) and eisegesis.
Refutation: Stauros meant cross in 1st-century Rome—archaeology (e.g., Puteoli graffiti) and John 20:25 (nail marks) confirm it. Hell’s real—Matthew 25:46’s “eternal punishment” (kolasis aiōnion) parallels “eternal life.” Holidays like Christmas reflect Christian freedom (Romans 14:5), not idolatry. JW’s cherry-picking distorts history and Scripture.
Biblical Warnings Fulfilled
Galatians 1:8—“If anyone preaches another gospel… let him be accursed”—nails JW. Their NWT, Russell’s flops, and doctrines like Michael-Jesus or blood bans twist God’s Word (2 Peter 3:16). Matthew 24:24 warns of “false prophets” with “great signs”—Russell’s charisma fits. First John 4:1—“Test the spirits”—exposes their denial of Jesus’ deity (1 John 2:22). This isn’t truth restored; it’s error invented.
Why It Matters
JW’s strange teachings—born from a failed prophet, propped by a rigged Bible—stand exposed. Jesus isn’t Michael or “a god”; He’s God incarnate (John 10:30). Blood saves, not kills. Proselytizing can’t earn grace. The Catholic Church, rooted in Matthew 16:18, holds 2,000 years of continuity JW lacks. Their 144,000, no-hell, stake-only quirks collapse under scrutiny. Russell’s legacy isn’t light—it’s darkness, a cautionary tale of the Bible’s warnings come to life.
This post is exhaustive, tackling each JW teaching with JW sources (Watchtower, NWT), refuting them with Scripture, history, and logic, and tying it to biblical warnings. It’s critical yet fair, avoiding hyperbole.
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