What are the main doctrinal differences between Jehovah's Witnesses and mainstream Christianity?

[MatthewG]

Sorry, but I would labor trying to read in that archaic language....
Reading it in the ESV it is easier to understand.....

“From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”. . . . . . And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

So who was Abimalech? He was the Philistine king of the city of Gerar, where Abraham and Sarah took up temporary residence in about 1919 B.C.E. Thinking the couple were brother and sister, he took Sarah to become his wife but, providentially, did not touch her. Warned by Jehovah in a dream, the king returned Sarah to Abraham together with compensation consisting of livestock and slaves and, in addition, a thousand shekels of silver as a guarantee of Sarah’s chastity. Sometime later this king concluded a covenant of peace and mutual confidence with Abraham at Beer-sheba.

No harm done. And Abraham did not lie because she was his sister and it was God who saved the day.
Abraham was not chastised for telling the King that Sarah was his sister. The King gained a new found respect for the God of Abraham. A similar thing happened with Isaac and Rebekah.

You are lying. It’s OK I still tell lies too. And I murdered people in my heart, so so you’re no better than me.

Abraham lied.

Not gonna be able to get against me sister @Aunty Jane, I don’t care where you come from or what you know or what you learned.


It’s moses who states, says Abraham lied to save his life from getting killed.

 

[David in NJ]

Hi

Hello, how are you?

Did you mean to say 'truthful'?

 

[MatthewG]

Hello, how are you?

Did you mean to say 'truthful'?

It must have been. Fine, annoyed by @Aunty Jane and her just toning down Abraham’s lie by making him tell a white lie rather than a lie itself. White lies are always better than the black and the yellow lies and you gotta line the green lines on the right side or they will topple over…


It’s obviously okay to tell a lie in certain situations is what I am getting from Abraham’s story which is provided by Moses.

 

[MatthewG]

Otherwise God should have struck Abraham dead on the spot like the people in Acts who lied about the land and they fell over and died killed by God for lying to God.

That stuff get me so heated, telling me Abraham didn’t lie when he did what heck is wrong people?

It’s obviously okay to lie to keep yourself from getting “Killed”, or “murdered” in some type of way.

 

[Aunty Jane]

A.) In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God - John 1:1

When and where does the scripture say that the Word was created by God?

Your confusion comes from you not understanding this:

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

Did you not read the scripture as it is written? No, you read the scripture as you want to read it in a translation that is not accurate in its rendering......other translations are more accurate by saying that it actually means the opposite to what many believe it does with little or no Bible knowledge.

"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."

Again a poor translation. But the opening words seem to be ignored by many.....”NO ONE HAS SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME”. How many people saw Jesus?

In Greek, the next part does not say what is inaccurately translated into English.
The word “son” is not in the original language text.....which reads “monogenes theos” which is rendered correctly as “only begotten god”. Christendom has a hard time trying to explain how God can be “begotten” because all “begotten” creatures need a ‘begetter’ who caused their existence.

They seem to think that the word “theos” (god) pertains only to Yahweh, when it can mean one who is divinely authorised by him, like the judges in Israel were called “gods” by the Father himself. (John 10: 31-36)

"What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?"

Yes, he was “with” his God Yahweh in heaven from the “beginning”.....because he is “the firstborn of ALL creation”.....the first and most unique “son of God”...but not the only one. All of God’s sons in heaven are created. Even Adam was called a “son of God” because he was created. (Luke 3:38)

Where was the Word before He humbled Himself and came in the form of a man = according to Scripture.

In heaven at his Father’s side. Described in Proverbs Ch 31 as God’s “Master workman”.....the one “through whom” all creation was brought into existence by his Father. It’s called agency. Creation was a team effort.

 

[MatthewG]

It’s all about one’s on heart at the end of the day.

To fight and bicker over translations or this doesn’t fit for me, in the end doesn’t matter so there is no use in really arguing or fighting against others who suggest differently in how they may view or see God by the use of the scripture.

For me my verdict is that the Word of God dwelled in the body of flesh named Jesus, who died on the cross, was buried and the word of God was brought back from the realm of the dead when the spirit of God raised Jesus up from the dead.

Jesus and his body has to be seen because spirit can not be seen; Jesus ascended, and then came back, and was seen. Eventually leading up to all enemies being put down beneath the feet of Jesus.

And with this Jesus would give everything back to God so that God could be all in all, which in the end would make Jesus become the Lord God Almighty who sits on the the throne.


But does this image really make a person wanna love God more or love others more?

Idk; but it is how I see the word coming down, and going back into the bosom of the Father, and it makes sense.

@David in NJ

 

[David in NJ]

Did you not read the scripture as it is written? No, you read the scripture as you want to read it in a translation that is not accurate in its rendering......other translations are more accurate by saying that it actually means the opposite to what many believe it does with little or no Bible knowledge.

Again a poor translation. But the opening words seem to be ignored by many.....”NO ONE HAS SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME”. How many people saw Jesus?

In Greek, the next part does not say what is inaccurately translated into English.
The word “son” is not in the original language text.....which reads “monogenes theos” which is rendered correctly as “only begotten god”. Christendom has a hard time trying to explain how God can be “begotten” because all “begotten” creatures need a ‘begetter’ who caused their existence.

They seem to think that the word “theos” (god) pertains only to Yahweh, when it can mean one who is divinely authorised by him, like the judges in Israel were called “gods” by the Father himself. (John 10: 31-36)

Yes, he was “with” his God Yahweh in heaven from the “beginning”.....because he is “the firstborn of ALL creation”.....the first and most unique “son of God”...but not the only one. All of God’s sons in heaven are created. Even Adam was called a “son of God” because he was created. (Luke 3:38)

In heaven at his Father’s side. Described in Proverbs Ch 31 as God’s “Master workman”.....the one “through whom” all creation was brought into existence by his Father. It’s called agency. Creation was a team effort.

When Jesus says no one has seen God at any time He is speaking of His Father.

Therefore, Moses and Ezekiel saw YHWH the LORD who is the WORD.

You do not understand the OT Scripture, therefore you do not know who YHWH is.

 

[Cassandra]

Wow. This thread.
Aunty, I'm sorry that you have a death in the family.

 

[Aunty Jane]

It must have been. Fine, annoyed by @Aunty Jane and her just toning down Abraham’s lie by making him tell a white lie rather than a lie itself. White lies are always better than the black and the yellow lies and you gotta line the green lines on the right side or they will topple over…​

It’s obviously okay to tell a lie in certain situations is what I am getting from Abraham’s story which is provided by Moses.

Withholding information from those who may have evil intent is not evil in itself, or else God would have made an issue of it.....he did not with Abraham or even when Isaac was in the same situation.

Abraham did not lie...she was his sister....it just wasn’t the whole truth. We are not under obligation to give information to those outside of our brotherhood, who are not entitled to it....especially if it would mean a threat to our lives.

You seem to see everything so black and white Matthew....and I sense from some of your comments that you have a sad history.....people have let you down and it has left scars.

 

[Aunty Jane]

Wow. This thread.
Aunty, I'm sorry that you have a death in the family.

Thank you Cass....I lost my beloved mother three weeks ago at the wonderful age of 98....and still so “with it”. She was with me for 23 years......a deeply and dearly loved member of our family who is sadly missed by every one of them. My sisters have been helping me sort through her lifetime of collections. It’s so hard to decide what to do with so many sentimentally precious things.

This thread is a fair description of the misunderstanding and misinformation that surrounds us as a brotherhood. But no matter, it has helped as a distraction from my grief. Defending my faith and showing people what the Bible actually says, as opposed to what they have been led to believe it does, is faith strengthening and gives truth seekers food for thought.

Jesus wasn’t out to save those who didn’t like what he said.....he knew people’s thoughts and motives, and for those who responded and made decisions about what to do about the ‘inconvenient truth’ he taught, he prayed for them because it was going to interfere with family relationships and friendships.
His teachings touched their hearts in a way that their former religious teachings did not, so it was confronting because the decisions to follow him, divided some households, whilst uniting others. (Matt 10:34-39)

We all have decisions to make, but they must be informed ones....information is not our enemy...ignorance is.

 

[MatthewG]

Half truth is still a lie.

I don’t care what ya say about it, @Aunty Jane.

Most people have had troubles and abuses in their life; and caused abuse to others, or caused troubles to others.

I’m no stranger to talking about how I have abused others or manipulated or contemplated killing thoughts that have come through in my life though did not react in the actual killing of another.

Justified also by a life of smoking meth and weed and going through addictions.

Yes I’m not ashamed to admit my faults, or frailties as it’s the only way to remind myself of the once pain I did have and to bury it and raise again with Christ into newness of life.

Pain is needed in life to keep pushing forward which causes not only endurance but also an increase of wisdom to sharpen the mind, to make wise decisions rather than immature ones.

Sad life some may say; boohoo. It’s a cold world; burr burr; better buy you a fur.

It truly is the inexpressive joy that comes from the Lord looking towards the future loving God and loving others which will matter the most.

So; I just shrug my shoulders cause I don’t think you really do understand me not that it will matter if you could relate or not.

Because you have your own perspective. And I don’t see us becoming pen pals.

Just two people negotiating terms on what one believes.

What is truth to you anyway; considering a half-truth is not a lie?

Praise be to God for Jesus and becoming justified by faith, the one whom heals scars, and lifts people above the waters of the sea of life that try to take one out, giving rest to the soul.

 

[MatthewG]

The only way to answer this question

Is the one whom all people believe on following after the Lord, and the one who paid for all their sin, and the unbelievers sin.


What is truth to you anyway; considering a half-truth is not a lie?

“Pilate, therefore, said to them, ‘Take ye him — ye — and according to your law judge him;’ the Jews, therefore, said to him, ‘It is not lawful to us to put any one to death;’ that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which he said, signifying by what death he was about to die. Pilate, therefore, entered into the praetorium again, and called Jesus, and said to him, ‘Thou art the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered him, ‘From thyself dost thou say this? or did others say it to thee about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? thy nation, and the chief priests did deliver thee up to me; what didst thou?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my officers had struggled that I might not be delivered up to Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence.’ Pilate, therefore, said to him, ‘Art thou then a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘Thou dost say [it]; because a king I am, I for this have been born, and for this I have come to the world, that I may testify to the truth; every one who is of the truth, doth hear my voice.’ Pilate saith to him, ‘What is truth?’ and this having said, again he went forth unto the Jews, and saith to them, ‘I do find no fault in him; and ye have a custom that I shall release to you one in the passover; will ye, therefore, [that] I shall release to you the king of the Jews?’ therefore they all cried out again, saying, ‘Not this one — but Barabbas;’ and Barabbas was a robber.”
‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭31‬-‭40‬ ‭YLT98‬‬

John 18:31-40 Pilate, therefore, said to them, ‘Take ye him — ye — and according to your law judge him;’ the Jews, therefore, said to him, ‘It is not lawful to us to put any one to death;’ that the word of Jesus mi | Young's Literal Translation 1898

Pilate, therefore, said to them, ‘Take ye him — ye — and according to your law judge him;’ the Jews, therefore, said to him, ‘It is not lawful to us to put any one to death;’ that the word of Jesus mi

bible.com

All us are in need of him, and doctrines people build up don’t mean (shat!); if you can’t love, or even let someone else be right other than your own self.

Of course I do spout what I believe but no one has to take it they can burn it up; and no one should believe anyone on this website and seek for truth themselves.

With God as your Father and listening to what the holy spirit leads to you in truth by using the Bible that is trustworthy, even the archaic translations are still useful!

 

[MatthewG]

Sorry for your loss; @Aunty Jane. Just read that. I was heated by your remarks but now I don’t care. Love stands true over what man or woman can teach. God is fair in all assessments of life. Just seems sometimes people aren’t really humble on here half the time and they have a social need to be right; despite some one who goes against their own thinking.

It’s like an irritation you wanna choke by the neck and put down sleep.

I’m happy that your mom is resurrected though at least from what I believe despite whatever other people may believe now whether she’s in the kingdom or she is outside of the kingdom. She is definitely in a better place than she was here. Of course, that’s my opinion and I don’t expect people to really respect it (I don’t pay anyone’s bills).

 

[Aunty Jane]

Half truth is still a lie.

I don’t care what ya say about it, @Aunty Jane.

That's OK Matthew, you are entitled to believe as you wish...we all are, but you seem to see all things in a very black and white way.....there are grey areas in all situations and we cannot always be so black and white.

I believe that withholding the truth from those outside of your brotherhood is not against God's law because if someone's life was lost because you divulged something that the ones asking were not entitled to know, how would God feel about that?

It truly is the inexpressive joy that comes from the Lord looking towards the future loving God and loving others which will matter the most.

So; I just shrug my shoulders cause I don’t think you really do understand me not that it will matter if you could relate or not.

Because you have your own perspective. And I don’t see us becoming pen pals.

Just two people negotiating terms on what one believes.

Yes, and that is what I believe these sites are good for....all can express what they believe and others can read and make their own decisions about what is said in the Bible. Perspectives give people something to think about. The choice of translation is also a personal preference.

What is truth to you anyway; considering a half-truth is not a lie?

A half truth in Abraham's case was all that was necessary because he thought he might lose his life if the King wanted his wife for himself. Apparently, it was a King's prerogative in those days....and Sarah was a very beautiful woman. Jehovah intervened and it turned out well.

When Pilate asked "What is truth"....he was doing so from his Roman perspective....which was different from the Jewish perspective, and also different from the Greek or any other religious perspective......the thing is, who created all these perspectives? Certainly not Jehovah.

He has taught one truth throughout mankind's entire existence....he does not change, but humans do, and their perspectives can cloud the truth and make it appear to be a lie.....just like satan did in the garden of Eden......he took what God said and twisted it until it meant something else....something detrimental to their welfare....something that made it appear as if the Creator was withholding something from them that they were entitled to.

Some people with evil intent are not entitled to the truth.....would you betray someone close to you if a person in authority demanded to know their whereabouts and it meant arrest and imprisonment for something you know they didn't do? What if they threatened you with arrest if you refused to divulge the information they sought?

This is I believe what we need to be watchful about.....we have never been left to interpret scripture on our own thinking that we can be guided by holy spirit......the end product is thousands of those people who assume that their interpretation of scripture has to be the only right one.

 

[MatthewG]

That's OK Matthew, you are entitled to believe as you wish...we all are, but you seem to see all things in a very black and white way.....there are grey areas in all situations and we cannot always be so black and white.

I believe that withholding the truth from those outside of your brotherhood is not against God's law because if someone's life was lost because you divulged something that the ones asking were not entitled to know, how would God feel about that?

Yes, and that is what I believe these sites are good for....all can express what they believe and others can read and make their own decisions about what is said in the Bible. Perspectives give people something to think about. The choice of translation is also a personal preference.

A half truth in Abraham's case was all that was necessary because he thought he might lose his life if the King wanted his wife for himself. Apparently, it was a King's prerogative in those days....and Sarah was a very beautiful woman. Jehovah intervened and it turned out well.

When Pilate asked "What is truth"....he was doing so from his Roman perspective....which was different from the Jewish perspective, and also different from the Greek or any other religious perspective......the thing is, who created all these perspectives? Certainly not Jehovah.

He has taught one truth throughout mankind's entire existence....he does not change, but humans do, and their perspectives can cloud the truth and make it appear to be a lie.....just like satan did in the garden of Eden......he took what God said and twisted it until it meant something else....something detrimental to their welfare....something that made it appear as if the Creator was withholding something from them that they were entitled to.

Some people with evil intent are not entitled to the truth.....would you betray someone close to you if a person in authority demanded to know their whereabouts and it meant arrest and imprisonment for something you know they didn't do? What if they threatened you with arrest if you refused to divulge the information they sought?

This is I believe what we need to be watchful about.....we have never been left to interpret scripture on our own thinking that we can be guided by holy spirit......the end product is thousands of those people who assume that their interpretation of scripture has to be the only right one.

Ok.

 

[RR144]

What are the main doctrinal differences between Jehovah's Witnesses and mainstream Christianity?​

Well, even the various Christian denominations have differences among themselves. But if you wish to know the MAIN differences between the JW"s and the mainstream then:

• They deny the Trinity
• They deny Hellfire
• They deny the Immortal soul
• They believe only 144,000 go to heaven
• They believe in a restored paradise earth
• They believe all those who have been judged by God in the past, and those who reject their message today will perish at Armageddon. So they don't give much hope for the world of mankind. While they will not admit it publicly, they believe ONLY faithful JW's will inherit the earth.
• The vast majority of JW's are not spirit begotten.
• Their Governing Body, made up of the anointed (those who will go to heaven) speak for God and to disagree with them is to disagree with God.
• They deny the physical return of Jesus to earth, believe that he returned invisibly in 1914

Shall I go on?

​

Also, according to JW, approximately how many or what percentage of human beings will get to live with God in the end? Thank you.

The preaching work that the JW's do is to gather as many as possible into Jehovah's Spiritual Ark Those who reject their message will perish in the flood of Armageddon.

 

[Aunty Jane]

Well, even the various Christian denominations have differences among themselves. But if you wish to know the MAIN differences between the JW"s and the mainstream then:

• They deny the Trinity
• They deny Hellfire
• They deny the Immortal soul

True, because none of these are biblical teachings...all originated from paganism....yet they are held by almost all of Christendom.

• They believe only 144,000 go to heaven

Yes, because that is the number seen in heaven with Jesus...
"Then I saw, and look! the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who have his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. . . .And they are singing what seems to be a new song before the throne. . . . and no one was able to master that song except the 144,000, who have been bought from the earth. . . . .These were bought from among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, 5 and no deceit was found in their mouths; they are without blemish." (Rev 14:1-5)

They will rule with Jesus as "kings and priests" in his Kingdom....they are chosen as Spiritual Israel, not fleshly Israel. (Gal 6:16)

• They believe in a restored paradise earth

Yes, because that was God's first purpose to have a sinless race of humans to care for his material creation. This was their original assignment...to "fill the earth and subdue it." God never said it was to be a training ground for heaven.

• They believe all those who have been judged by God in the past, and those who reject their message today will perish at Armageddon. So they don't give much hope for the world of mankind.

Anyone who has been judged by God as unworthy of life will not return in the resurrection. (Like the Pharisees whom Jesus consigned to "gehenna"......unlike "hades" it is a place of no return) But Jehovah is the one who determines who is in "hades" and who is in "gehenna".....neither of which has anything to do with Christendom's "hell'. Gehenna is eternal death, which is the opposite of eternal life.

• While they will not admit it publicly, they believe ONLY faithful JW's will inherit the earth.

Not so....all of the pre-Christian servants of God will "inherit the earth" along with those who survive Armageddon. No one was ever promised heaven in the OT. The Jews believed in resurrection not immortality of the soul.
Those "saved" at the judgement will be those whose hearts are obedient to Christ's teachings.
Those who teach things that Christ never did, will be doubly reprehensible, like the Pharisees as Jesus said....
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut up the Kingdom of the heavens before men; for you yourselves do not go in, neither do you permit those on their way in to go in. . . .
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you travel over sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him a subject for Ge·henʹna twice as much so as yourselves."

Those who listen to the wrong teachers will end up in the same place as they do....complacency is a dangerous thing. We should question everything.

• The vast majority of JW's are not spirit begotten.

True, because only the 'spirit begotten' ones will inherit immortality in heaven as spirit beings, "born again" in a spirit body that will enable them to dwell in heaven with Jesus. Only 144,000 are spirit anointed as a token of their "heavenly calling." (Heb 3:1)
As 'kings and priests', (Rev 20:6) their subjects will be on earth. (Rev 21:2-4)

Their Governing Body, made up of the anointed (those who will go to heaven) speak for God and to disagree with them is to disagree with God.

That is a bit twisted....our brothers on the governing body are spirit anointed Christians who are appointed to lead us into the new world that we are awaiting. (2 Peter 3:13) They are not our masters but our shepherds, who serve the same master as we do...Jesus Christ.

It was Jesus who promised to be "with" those he commissioned to take "the good news of the Kingdom" out into the "entire inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations" before he brings the curtain down on this wicked world. (Matt24:14; Matt 28:19-20)
As far as I can see no one has taken up the challenge to "preach the good news of the kingdom" as Jesus said it should be done....except Jehovah's Witnesses.
Matt 10:11-14 tells us that the disciples were sent out in their local areas to take the message to their neighbors in the towns and villages nearby. When was the last time a "Christian" from any church called on you with the good news of God's Kingdom?
Christendom has no real idea of what it actually is.....their message is anything but cohesive.

They deny the physical return of Jesus to earth, believe that he returned invisibly in 1914

Where did Jesus say that his return would be visible? He told his apostles that a "sign" was needed in world events to identify the time of his "parousia"(Matt 24:3-14 which is his "presence")....his "coming" as judge is at the end of the last days in which we are now living, and all the signs that Jesus gave have all been in evidence since 1914. We believe that the end is very close.

Shall I go on?

If you wish .....there are many more differences....and if you know the parable of the "wheat and the weeds" you will see clearly why Jesus gave it. The "weeds" of counterfeit Christianity sown by the devil, took over the whole field....(Matt 13:24-30; 36-42)

The preaching work that the JW's do is to gather as many as possible into Jehovah's Spiritual Ark Those who reject their message will perish in the flood of Armageddon.

Matt 24:37-39...
"For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.

And here we are....

 

[BARNEY BRIGHT]

I wouldn't be surprised if JWs add to the "144,000" others who will experience "heaven" on a lower level. Somehow they can't hope to attract millions to a religion that promises great reward for only 144,000!

JWs are Arians. They do not see Jesus as incarnate God, but as some kind of lesser god. As such, they have to elevate themselves as gods, just as they see Jesus as a god. And they cannot believe God, via His Son, died for our sins. As such, it falls upon us to save ourselves by doing good works. Christianity doesn't believe that.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe there will be bought from among Mankind 144,000 who will be with Jesus in that heavenly Messianic Kingdom that Jesus is king of. These 144,000 will be the king, judges, and priests with Jesus ruling over the Earth, and they will get a resurrection like Jesus and be given immortality and inherit incorruption. The planet Earth is where the majority of mankind will be resurrected. So there will be billions of perfect sinless human beings living on planet Earth which will become a paradise, these humans are the subjects of the Messianic kingdom that Jesus is king of. The perfect sinless human beings living on the planet will not grow old and die, they will not get sick and die, there will be no more wars, hunger and homelessness will be stamped out. Everyone will have enjoyable work to do.

Jehovah's witnesses believe that the only begotten Son of God existed in heaven as the Word with his Father and God. It was the only begotten Son of God that God sent to mankind. So when the scriptures say the Word became flesh, Jehovah's Witnesses believe it was the only begotten Son of God who is the Word that became Flesh/human.

If a person says he or she is a Christian but doesn't do good works then they have no love for their spiritual brothers and sisters. If a person who says they're Christian but has spiritual brothers and sisters who are going hungry and you see that, but do nothing to help them, how is that showing love for them? You do good works for those who are your spiritual brothers and sisters. Now I agree that you can do nothing to save yourself because salvation is a gift but that doesn't mean you don't do good works by helping people especially for those who are your spiritual brothers and sisters.

 

[DJT_47]

What do you mean by "mainstream Christianity"? Is that the false one where the blind are leading the blind off the cliff?

 

[Randy Kluth]

Jehovah's Witnesses believe there will be bought from among Mankind 144,000 who will be with Jesus in that heavenly Messianic Kingdom that Jesus is king of. These 144,000 will be the king, judges, and priests with Jesus ruling over the Earth, and they will get a resurrection like Jesus and be given immortality and inherit incorruption. The planet Earth is where the majority of mankind will be resurrected. So there will be billions of perfect sinless human beings living on planet Earth which will become a paradise, these humans are the subjects of the Messianic kingdom that Jesus is king of. The perfect sinless human beings living on the planet will not grow old and die, they will not get sick and die, there will be no more wars, hunger and homelessness will be stamped out. Everyone will have enjoyable work to do.

Jehovah's witnesses believe that the only begotten Son of God existed in heaven as the Word with his Father and God. It was the only begotten Son of God that God sent to mankind. So when the scriptures say the Word became flesh, Jehovah's Witnesses believe it was the only begotten Son of God who is the Word that became Flesh/human.

If a person says he or she is a Christian but doesn't do good works then they have no love for their spiritual brothers and sisters. If a person who says they're Christian but has spiritual brothers and sisters who are going hungry and you see that, but do nothing to help them, how is that showing love for them? You do good works for those who are your spiritual brothers and sisters. Now I agree that you can do nothing to save yourself because salvation is a gift but that doesn't mean you don't do good works by helping people especially for those who are your spiritual brothers and sisters.

Thanks for your input on this. I'm not well-acquainted w/ JWs, but know that they are "Arians" in regard to their view of the Trinity. That is, they don't accept the Trinity, the co-equality and distinction of all 3 Persons. Instead, they see Jesus as the Word of God made flesh in the sense of being a "lesser god"--not the Father God, not the infinite God.

So they use a lot of biblical language and sound orthodox, but in reality are not in the least orthodox with respect to the Trinity. On the contrary, they seem bitterly opposed to doctrinally-orthodox and organized Christianity. They are deeply critical and judgmental towards regular Christians.

This attitude is not, of course, the "love of God." Although JWs can demonstrate God's love, their attitude towards regular Christians is reprehensible. Regular Christians may, of course, criticize and reprove their own fellow Christians, having an attitude of wanting to correct them in love, and ultimately, to build them up in love.

But JWs have no sense of brotherhood with conventional Christians, instead wishing to denounce them as apostate when in reality JWs are the apostates. True Christians wish to see JWs correct their beliefs in accord with the Bible and so meet God through Jesus, His Son. Jesus is *not* just a moral example. He is not just a higher spiritual plane Rather, he is God incarnate. In finding the Way in him we come into a relationship with God the Father.