Jehovah’s Witnesses are a religious group that originated in the late 19th century in the United States. They have a distinct set of beliefs and practices that differ from mainstream Christianity. As evangelical Christians, we believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and it is our ultimate authority. Based on our understanding of the Bible, we have concerns with some of the teachings and practices of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
One of the main areas of disagreement between evangelicals and Jehovah’s Witnesses is on the nature of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man, the second person of the Trinity, and that He died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is a created being, the archangel Michael, and that He did not die on a cross but on a stake. This is inconsistent with the Bible, which clearly teaches that Jesus is God (John 1:1) and that He died on a cross (Colossians 1:20).
Another area of concern is the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ view on salvation. They believe that only a select group of people, the 144,000, will go to heaven and rule with Jesus Christ. The rest of the faithful will live forever on a paradise earth. This is not consistent with the Bible’s teaching that salvation is available for all who believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16) and that believers will spend eternity in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1).
Additionally, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate holidays or birthdays, do not believe in blood transfusions, and do not salute the flag or serve in the military. While some of these practices are based on biblical principles, we believe that they have been taken to an extreme that is inconsistent with the overall message of the Bible.
As evangelicals, we are called to share the Gospel message with others and to defend the faith against false teachings. We believe that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have deviated from the true Gospel and therefore we cannot endorse their teachings or practices. We pray that Jehovah’s Witnesses would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and experience the fullness of His grace and love (Ephesians 2:8-9).
