Table of Contents
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a religious group well known for their door-to-door evangelism, distribution of literature such as The Watchtower, and their strong emphasis on using God’s name, Jehovah. They claim to be the only true Christian organization and believe they are restoring original Christianity. While they identify themselves as Christians, their teachings differ significantly from historic biblical Christianity.
This article will examine the core doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses and evaluate whether their teachings align with the Bible as the standard. The Bible warns believers to test all doctrines (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and to beware of false teachers who bring in destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1). Therefore, it is not judgmental, but obedient, to compare every teaching to the inspired Word of God.
The Authority of the Watchtower Organization
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that their governing body, located in Warwick, New York, is God’s channel of communication on earth. They consider it the only organization through which God speaks today.
Their Teaching
The Watchtower magazine teaches that only the faithful and discreet slave (Matthew 24:45, as interpreted by their leaders) can properly interpret Scripture. Individual Bible study without Watchtower literature is discouraged.
What the Bible Says
The Bible never teaches that God speaks today through one organization alone. In Acts 17:11, the Bereans were praised for testing Paul’s message against Scripture:
“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica… in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
This example shows that Scripture is the final authority—not an organization. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 confirms this:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God… that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Nowhere in the Bible are believers told to submit to a religious group for interpretation. The Holy Spirit guides believers into truth (John 16:13), not an earthly governing body.
The Nature of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit
Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the doctrine of the Trinity and teach that Jesus is not God but a created being—specifically, Michael the Archangel.
Their Teaching
According to The Watchtower, Jesus is the first created being of Jehovah. They teach that He is “a god,” not “God Almighty.” They also deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit, calling Him God’s active force rather than a divine person.
Their translation, the New World Translation, changes John 1:1 to read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”
What the Bible Says
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is fully God and eternal. John 1:1 (NKJV) reads:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 continues:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”
Jesus is the eternal Word made flesh, not a created being. He is worshiped as God (John 20:28), and He accepts this worship, which would be blasphemous if He were merely a created angel.
Colossians 2:9 says of Jesus:
“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”
Revelation 1:8 speaks of Jesus as “the Alpha and the Omega… the Almighty.” These are titles of God. The Bible also makes it clear that Jesus created all things:
“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3).
If Jesus created everything, He cannot be a created being.
Regarding the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:3–4 equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God:
“Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?… You have not lied to men but to God.”
This confirms the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force but God Himself.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. They teach that He was raised as a spirit creature, not in a physical body.
Their Teaching
They argue that Jesus’ physical body was not resurrected but was dissolved or removed by God. The appearances of Jesus after His resurrection are described as materializations, not bodily presences.
What the Bible Says
Jesus Himself confirmed the physical nature of His resurrection in Luke 24:39:
“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
Jesus ate with the disciples (Luke 24:42–43) and invited Thomas to touch His wounds (John 20:27). These are not visions or materializations—they are bodily appearances.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 states clearly:
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day…”
The bodily resurrection is essential to the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:14). Denying it contradicts the gospel.
Salvation by Grace Through Faith
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that salvation is achieved by a combination of faith, works, and loyalty to their organization.
Their Teaching
They deny the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace alone. While they say faith in Jesus is necessary, they emphasize door-to-door ministry, obedience to Watchtower regulations, and enduring until Armageddon as requirements for salvation.
Only 144,000 “anointed” Jehovah’s Witnesses are said to have a heavenly hope; the rest hope to live forever on a paradise earth.
What the Bible Says
The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is a gift of God, not earned by works:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Romans 4:5 says:
“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”
Titus 3:5 confirms:
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…”
Moreover, the Bible promises eternal life to all believers, not just 144,000. Jesus said:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47).
Revelation 7 describes a “great multitude which no one could number,” also standing before God in heaven—not just a limited group.
The Return of Christ and Armageddon
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914 and that we are now living in the “last days.” They teach that Armageddon will destroy all non-Witnesses, leaving only faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses alive.
Their Teaching
Jehovah’s Witnesses calculate 1914 based on a complex interpretation of Daniel 4. They believe Jesus has been ruling invisibly since that time and that His second coming is not a future visible event but a spiritual presence.
What the Bible Says
Jesus’ return will be visible, bodily, and worldwide. Acts 1:11 says:
“This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Revelation 1:7 says:
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him…”
Jesus Himself warned against those who teach secret or hidden comings:
“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out… For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:26–27).
No biblical support exists for a secret invisible return of Christ in 1914.
The Use of God’s Name, “Jehovah”
Jehovah’s Witnesses insist that true worshipers must use the divine name “Jehovah” and claim that other churches are false for using “Lord” or “God” instead.
Their Teaching
They claim that the name Jehovah is essential for salvation and true worship. They criticize Bible translations that do not use it.
What the Bible Says
“Jehovah” is an English rendering of the Hebrew name YHWH (Yahweh). While God’s name is indeed sacred, the New Testament authors never insisted on its constant use. Jesus and the apostles frequently used terms like “God” (Theos) and “Lord” (Kurios) when referring to the Father.
Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9), not “Jehovah.”
Salvation is not based on pronouncing God’s name a certain way, but on believing in Jesus Christ:
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
That name is Jesus—not Jehovah.
Rejection of the Cross
Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Jesus died on a cross. They teach He died on a single upright stake and believe that the cross is a pagan symbol.
Their Teaching
They argue that the Greek word stauros means “stake,” not “cross,” and therefore reject all Christian imagery of the cross.
What the Bible Says
While stauros can mean stake, the broader historical and archaeological evidence supports that Romans used crosses with beams. Moreover, Thomas referred to the “nails” in Jesus’ hands (John 20:25), suggesting more than one nail—consistent with outstretched arms on a cross.
Paul said:
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6:14).
It is not the shape of the instrument that matters, but the atoning sacrifice Jesus made on it. Rejecting the cross entirely as pagan goes beyond Scripture.
Conclusion
When the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are carefully examined in the light of Scripture, it becomes clear that many of their doctrines contradict the Bible. They reject core Christian truths such as:
- The deity of Christ
- The personhood of the Holy Spirit
- The bodily resurrection of Jesus
- Salvation by grace through faith
- The visible second coming of Christ
- The full sufficiency of Scripture
While Jehovah’s Witnesses are sincere and zealous, their teachings are rooted in human interpretations and a reliance on the authority of the Watchtower organization. The Bible calls believers to test every teaching against the Word of God and hold fast to the truth.
In John 8:31–32, Jesus said:
“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The Bible, not any man-made organization, is the source of truth. Any group or teacher who preaches a different Jesus or a different gospel must be rejected, no matter how sincere they are (Galatians 1:6–9).
Let us cling to the biblical gospel and trust in the true Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who alone can save.