Pretty on the outside, dead on the inside (Matt 23:27). How many people on the planet match this metaphor…it simply won’t matter what our outside looks like – in the end it will be either ‘alive’ on the inside (right-related to God) or ‘dead’ (enemy of God). I’ve recently been blessed to be under the teaching of a brother who has been reminding us (the church) how important it is to be able to defend the historic Christian faith. There are a number of tactics that we can employ to assist with this endeavor…in the end our greatest asset is that we have truth on our side. As previously stated, many of the folks we encounter in life will not have truth on their side (dead on the inside & an enemy of God) but be wandering through this existence deceived…enter the Watch Tower Society (a.k.a. Jehovah’s Witnesses).
For many Christians they don’t appreciate or understand that the Witnesses are a counterfeit religion and just because they carry a ‘bible’ and appear to have a similar vocabulary does not equate with them being under the umbrella of Christendom. The following is a very brief summary on some of the significant departures they make from The Truth. [Thanks to Rob Bowman and David Reed for their ministries aimed at reaching these people – the following was distilled from one of Rob’s articles.]
Despite their claims that they believe that the Bible is the absolute word of God their teachings are anything but. Their version of the Bible is referred to as the New World Translation (NWT) and is the product of shoddy non-biblical scholarship. An obvious difference that jumps out is their replacement of the word “Lord” with “Jehovah” throughout the New Testament. Of course there isn’t any evidence (manuscript, historical) to support this assertion.
Witnesses insist that the Father alone is Jehovah (almighty God). Jesus is a “god” (corruption of John 1:1) but less than the Father. The Holy Spirit, according to their doctrine, is merely an impersonal force from God. The Bible, however, explicitly teaches that the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are each God (John 1:1; 17:3; 20:28; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor 3:17–18; Titus 2:13). Jesus (The Son) made everything (Heb 1:10–12) and is to be honored as God (John 5:23; Heb 1:6; Rev 5:13). The Holy Spirit is a person, called the “Comforter” or “Helper” (Greek parakletos); He teaches, speaks, and bears witness to Jesus (John 14:16, 26; 15:26–27; 16:13–14).
Witnesses believe in annihilationism…basically for them when unsaved people die, they just cease to exist – no eternal punishment for the wicked (who are annihilated instead). The Bible, however, teaches that people do exist after their deaths (spirits) awaiting resurrection and final judgment (Luke 16:19–31; 23:43; Heb 12:9, 23; Rev 6:9–11). The NWT mistranslates Luke 23:43 and the Hebrew texts to avoid this implication. The wicked will in fact suffer eternal punishment (Matt 25:46; Rev 14:9–11; 20:10).
Witnesses will say that they believe Jesus was raised from the dead by God BUT as an angelic spirit (“spirit body”). Witnesses deny He will return both visibly and personally to earth. The Bible, on the other hand, clearly shows that Jesus rose from the dead with the same physical body in which He died. He is glorified and immortal, and His body has flesh and bones, hands and feet, and even the scars from His crucifixion (Luke 23:49; John 2:19–22; 10:17–18; 20:20, 25; Acts 2:24–32). Even though He is the second person of the Trinity, Jesus is also a glorified man (Acts 17:31; 1 Cor 15:47; 1 Tim 2:5) and Jesus will return personally and bodily to earth (Acts 1:9–11; 3:19–21; 1 Thes 4:16; Heb 9:26–28).
Witnesses see Jesus’ death as having provided a “corresponding ransom,” effectively freeing all people from condemnation due to Adam’s sin. But, to have everlasting life, Witnesses must not just accept Christ’s ransom, they also have to prove themselves worthy and this is accomplished by works. The Bible, in contrast, is quite different. Believers are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ. Good works are fruit of salvation, not a prerequisite for salvation (Rom 3:21–28; 5:1–11; Eph 2:8–10; Titus 3:4–8).
These are just a few of the areas that the Witnesses depart from Truth. The next time one rings your doorbell, take the time to visit with them…this is a divine appointment and God very well could be using you to help shine a light through the fog of deceit that they’re trapped in. Share with them the points made above and let The Holy Spirit move…He will in a very personal and real way.
GBU – John 8:32
