1	Jehovah’s Witnesses “Ye are my witnesses saith the Lord” Is 43:10
2	Overview Who are they? What do they teach? Why are they successful? Where do we go in Scripture to respond? How do we respond in general? Why bother?
3	Charles Taze Russell Draper from Pittsburgh Congregationalist Obsessed with Calvinist predestination Eventually convinced by atheist that there was no hell Began preaching nonexistence of hell at age 20 Founded movement in 1872
4	“Six Great Messengers” Paul John Arius Waldo Wycliffe Martin Luther
5	Seventh Messenger? Ezekiel IX Russell to rank after Paul in the “gallery of fame” Perjured himself in court (1913) Claimed under oath to be expert in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin Unable to translate Greek New Testament given him in court Died October 31, 1916
6	Joseph Franklin “Judge” Rutherford “Millions now living will never die” (1931) Judge Rutherford was not one of them (d 1942)
7	And then? Nathan Homer Knorr Worked his way up through the ranks Did away with phonograph evangelism Invented New World Translation Died 1975 Frederick Franz JW theologian who made bad predictions sound good Milton Henschel Did away with the Judge’s prediction in 1995
8	What’s in a name? Started as “Millenial Dawnists” Became “Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society” “Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society” “International Bible Student’s Association” “Judge” settled on “Witnesses of Jehovah”
9	Pillars of the Watchtower Protestantism Catholicism is corrupted and false Adventism Preoccupation with date of Second Coming Unitarianism No Trinity “God neither begets, nor is begotten” (Koran, 112) Arianism Jesus is not God
10	Peculiar Teachings Refusal of blood transfusions 144,000 in heaven, completed in 1935 Earthly paradise for the remaining believers Temporary hell Annihilation of the soul Theocratic Kingdom Started in 1874 when Christ enthroned as King in the Upper Air Raptured already occurred and we missed it Second chance after Armageddon
11	What’s The Hook? Customer ignorance Well trained sales staff Personal pride (fear?)
12	Rehashed Arianism Luke 22:42: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” (NAB) 1Tim 2:5: “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human,” (NAB) John 5:30: “I can not do anything on my own...” (NAB) Mk 13:32; Mt 24,36 “But of that day or hour, no one knows,…,only the Father.” (NAB)
13	Central Doctrine Jesus IS God Proving Jesus is God, Trinity is supported Proving Jesus is God, JW is refuted (as is Iglesia Ni Cristo) Proving only one God refutes Mormonism
14	And Jehovah? Corruption of “Yahweh” YHWH mispronounced Mistranslated as “Lord” (should be Adonai) Rampant in New World Translation
15	Jesus is God? Mt 1:23: “Look! The virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which means, when translated, ‘With us is God’”(NWT) John 20:28-29: “In answer Thomas said to him: ‘My Lord and My God!’ Jesus said to him: ‘Because you have seen me have you believed? Happy are those who do not see yet believe’” (NWT)
16	Jesus is God? John 14:9: “Jesus said to him: ‘Have I been with you so long a time, and yet, Philip, you have not come to know me? He that has seen me has seen the Father [also]’”(NWT) Col 2:9: “because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily” (NWT)
17	Jesus is God? Isaiah 43:11: “I am Jehovah and beside me there is no savior.” (NWT) Titus 3:4: “ However, when the kindness and the love for man on the part of our Savior, God, was manifested…”(NWT) Titus 3:6: “This [spirit] he poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (NWT)
18	Jesus is God? Isaiah 9:6: “For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us, and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (NWT)
19	Jesus is God? Rev 1:8: “ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says Jehovah God, ‘ the one who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty’ ”(NWT) Rev 22:12-13: “Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (NWT)
20	Jesus is God? Deut 10:17: “ For Jehovah your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords ”(NWT) Rev 19:16: “And upon his outer garment, even upon his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (NWT)
21	The Trinity? Mt 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit.” (NWT)
22	Jesus is “A” god? John 1:1 “The Word was a god.” (NWT) Knorr caught this kind of problem early and changed the text! Isaiah 44:6 “besides me there is no God” 1 Cor 8:6: “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and through whom we exist.” (NAB)
23	Then, why was Jesus crucified? John 8:58-59 “Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him;…” (NAB) John 10:22-42 “ ‘The Father and I are one.’ The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him’ ” (NAB) Mk 14:62: “Then Jesus answered, “I am…”(NAB)
24	IN FOCUS For the time has come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths (2Tim 4:3-4) It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost (Mt 18:14)
25	IN FOCUS We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block (1Cor 1:23 NAB) Scripture is useful for teaching, refuting, and correcting (2Tim 3:16 NAB) We should not quarrel but should be gentle with everyone and correct with kindness (2Tim 2:24-25 NAB)
26	We are out to win souls, not debates! So, who do you say that He is? (Hint: Mt 16:16)
27	Sources Catholic Answers Tract Series History of the JW Strategies of the JW God of the JW Distinctive Beliefs of JW Stumpers for JW More Stumpers for JW Beginning Apologetics How to Answer JW and Mormons Yes! You should believe in the Trinity “The Incredible Creed of the JW” by the Rev. Dr. Rumble, TAN Publishers 1974