₦airaland Forum

otheloze:
I just wonder who is the custodian of the true understanding of the bible since most Christians will attack you once u state the contradictions of the bible. They claim who ever says the bible is contradicting lacks understanding and needs the holy spirit to interpret( more or less magnifying of preconceived ideas). Now i wonder deeply since deeper life, JW Catholic, Anglican, Mountain of Fire, Guide missile, and Jesus never F Up ministry all interpret different meanings there by having varied doctrines which one of them has this monopoly to understand the interpretation (knowing God is not an author of confusion) one of these organisation speaks the truth or they are all telling the truth from different angles.

birdboy:
@ poster
If you must know,i've been a witness from birth.i am not a happy man and because of this religion, every minuit of my life i regret of being a member of this religion.i have not really benefited anything from this religion.i have been a member since birth, but i hate the religion woth a passion.my entire family are witness.
I would advice you never to join for this resons.
They don't involve in world celebrations
They don't celebrate christmas
They don't celebrate new year
They don't celebrat birth days
They don't celebrate valantine
They don't participate in politics
They don't marry outside their religion
They don't celebrate easter.
They isolate themselves
They believe that they are the only true religion practicing the write doctrine.
That religion is just like a cult,once u enter it is very dificult to come out.they monitor you up and down as if u are a kid.
The religion deprives you of the pleasures of life.
Its like a prison.
Am a witness but am already thinking of quitting but am jst waiting for the right time.
My greatest advice for you is never to join.
A word is enough for the wise.
Don't say i did'nt tell you
Stay tight and remain blessed

Josh090:
Wow, ozichim, your reply was long but made little sense, you didn't make any noteworthy point against jw's.
You said to find out abt Russell, have you looked into founders of all these churches u highlighted? Hypocrite!
Where does the jw's teaching say Jesus is not a son of God?

Ozichim:
I can make my points clearer if need be. I try to be mild since I'm no ready to ague with any watchtower yet. But here is some of known facts about watchtower(Jehovah Witness)

The Jehovah's Witnesses religious movement was founded by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916).
As a teenager he rejected his Presbyterian roots, joined a more liberal Congregational Church, then left this group as well. He denied the deity of Christ and the biblical teachings on hell and eternal punishment. Russell had no formal Bible training, but borrowed and built upon various teachings that were popular at the time. For example, Adventism influenced his denial of hell, and a splinter Adventist group led by N.H. Barbour excited his interest in end time prophecies. From Barbour he borrowed the belief that Christ returned invisibly to the world in 1874, and that 1914 was the year the world would be destroyed and the Millennium would begin.

In 1961 the Jehovah's Witnesses released their own translation of the Bible, The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (which has previously been published in a multivolume set from 1950 to 1960).
[, ]Members are encouraged to study the Watch Tower Bible in conjunction with the other Watch Tower publications and discouraged from studying the Bible by itself.

Are you a Jehova witness?
Do you Believe that Jesus is the son of God?

Young Jehovah witnesses may say they believe that Jesus is the son of God but their mature members (Who understand the meaning of "son of God" do not believe that Jesus is the son of God.

So, if you answer the two questions above I will know how to help you. But in a nut shell.
JW is been operated by the spirit of the Antichrist that is what John is saying. JW did not believe that Jesus is come in the flesh;
1 John 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

If you need explanation of the verses from John, let me know then I can explain.

numo86: The trinity teachin stems from d pagan worship of gods in triads and never has a biblical backin, d question 1 shuld b askin wenever a doctrine comes is where did it cme fromwhats its origindoes d bible support it??what did Jesus teach about itwhat about d early apostles??, the truth is wen u read d bible u'l independently even cme to ur own conclusion dat God,Jesus & d holy spirit are nt part of a trinity, that is why it becomes a mystery to d originators of d doctrine , if Jesus himself never taught such teachns why are his followers propagatin it, even isaac newton after readin d bible clearly concluded and i quote "that trinitarians are idolaters for worshipin 3 gods", i'm gona quote scriptures u can read and see what d bible rili teaches,
**GOD IS NOT 3persons in 1
Deuteronomy6:4
Malachi 2:10
Mark10;18
Romans3:29&30
***Jesus was created,God was alone b4
Revelation 3:14
Colossians1:15
Isiah44:6
***Jesus inferior to Father b4 & afer comin to earth
john8:42
John12:49
**obedient on earth,his Father greater than him
John14:28
John5:19
***even wen exalted in heaven Jesus was still subject to his Father
Philipians2:9
1corinthians15:28
Matthew20:23
****Jehovah is christs head & God
1corinthians11:3
John20:17
Revelation1:5&6
*****Gods holy spirit is active force not a person
Matthew3:16
John20:22
Acts2:4,17,33
***holy spirit not a person in heaven wit God and Christ
Acts7:55&56
Revelation7:10
****those servin God today as humans recieve & are guided by it
1corinthians 2:12&13

All these scripture negates d doctrine of trinity,
It is simple 1+1+1=3 not equals to 1, and ofcus Jesus never taught it, please read those scriptures,

adesteve: Freecocoa, the following info may prove useful to you; I pray that God open your eyes, minds and hearts so that you can be like the Beroeans!

How God Conveys Truth
Actually, God conveys his messages in a way that allows sincere seekers of truth to search them out. (Psalm 14:2) Consider the message that God delivered through his prophet Jeremiah centuries ago. It was given to God’s wayward people regarding the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.—Jeremiah 25:8-11; 52:12-14.
Yet, at the same time, other prophets claimed to speak for God. Hananiah foretold peace for Jerusalem. That was a very different message from the one that Jeremiah delivered. So whom was a person at that time to believe—Jeremiah or those who contradicted him?—Jeremiah 23:16, 17; 28:1, 2, 10-17.
To know who was right, sincere Jews needed to know Jehovah as a person. They needed to understand his laws and principles, as well as his attitude toward wrongdoing. Doing so, they would have agreed with God’s words spoken through Jeremiah that “there was not a man repenting over his badness.” (Jeremiah 8:5-7) Furthermore, they would have discerned that this sad situation did not bode well for Jerusalem and its inhabitants.—Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Jeremiah 52:4-14.
Jeremiah’s prophecies about Jerusalem came true. The city was razed by the Babylonians in 607 B.C.E.
Although the consequences of disobedience were foretold long in advance, effort was needed to recognize that the time had arrived for God to take action.

What About Christian Truth?
What of the truth proclaimed by Jesus Christ? Did everyone recognize it as a message from God? No. Even though Jesus was right there in the midst of the people of Israel teaching them and performing miracles, most of his listeners did not discern that he was the foretold Messiah—the Christ, or Anointed One.
To the Pharisees who asked when God’s Kingdom was coming, Jesus himself said: “The kingdom of God is not coming with striking observableness.” He added: “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20, 21) God’s appointed Ruler, Jesus, was among them! But those Pharisees refused to open their eyes to the evidence that he was fulfilling the Messianic prophecies and to accept him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”—Matthew 16:16.
The response to the truth proclaimed by Christ’s first-century disciples was similar. While miracles helped to demonstrate that God was supporting the disciples, the truth was still not plain to most. (Acts 8:1-8; 9:32-41) Jesus commissioned his followers to “make disciples of people” by teaching them. As a result of listening and learning Scriptural truths, sincere seekers of truth became believers.—Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:42; 17:2-4, 32-34.
It is the same today. The “good news of the kingdom” is being “preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.” (Matthew 24:14) This is not necessarily being done “with striking observableness”—in so obvious a way that every individual on earth will recognize it as a message from God. Yet, God’s truth is recognizable and strikes a responsive chord in honesthearted individuals who want to worship God in the way approved by him.—John 10:4, 27.
The fact that you are reading a Bible journal shows that you are likely a sincere seeker of truth. How can you determine which religion is teaching it?

An Approach That Works
Some first-century residents of Beroea were commended by the apostle Paul for the way they responded when he taught them. They did not immediately accept what Paul said as truth; still, they listened respectfully. We can learn from what the Beroeans did after hearing the message.
Note that the Bible explains: “Now the [Beroeans] were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. Therefore many of them became believers.” (Acts 17:10-12) So their search was not superficial. They did not expect conclusive results in just one or two brief discussions with Paul.
Observe also that the Beroeans “received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind.” This tells us something about the attitude with which they approached their study of the Scriptures. They were not gullible, but neither were they cynical. They did not have a critical attitude toward what was explained by Paul, who was one of God’s human representatives.
Consider this too: The Beroeans were hearing about Christianity for the first time. It sounded good, perhaps too good to be true. But rather than dismiss it, they carefully examined the Scriptures, checking to see ‘whether the things Paul was saying were so.’ Note, too, that those in both Beroea and Thessalonica who made such a diligent search became believers. (Acts 17:4, 12) They did not give up and conclude that truth cannot be found. They identified the true religion.

How the Truth Affects People
When one finds the truth, as did the Beroeans, he is moved to share it enthusiastically. Others may disapprove, holding that it is more humble to feel that other religions could be equally correct. However, the Bible’s truth—once found—instills conviction. It does not leave one wondering if truth is attainable or if all religions might lead to salvation. Finding the truth, however, begins with an earnest examination, which does indeed require humility.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have made such an examination. That is why they believe that they have found the true religion. And they invite you to make a search of the Scriptures so as to identify who is practicing true religion today. While there is much more involved than any simple checklist could provide, the material about first-century Christians in the accompanying box on this page may help you to get started.
By accepting a home Bible study with Jehovah’s Witnesses at no cost, you can make an in-depth search of what the Bible really teaches. Learning this will put you in position to identify the true religion.


Features of True Religion
Consider the practices and teachings of first-century Christians:
▪ They looked to God’s Word as their guide.—2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21.
▪ They taught that Jesus was God’s Son, distinct from God himself and subordinate to Him.—1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 1:3.
▪ They taught that the dead will return to life by means of a future resurrection.—Acts 24:15.
▪ They were known overall for the love that prevailed among themselves.—John 13:34, 35.
▪ They did not worship merely as individuals but were organized into congregations and were united under overseers and a central body of elders that looked to Jesus as Head.—Acts 14:21-23; 15:1-31; Ephesians 1:22; 1 Timothy 3:1-13.
▪ They were zealous preachers of God’s Kingdom as mankind’s only hope.—Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8.

confetti: Verses saying Jesus is God:

Heb. 1:8
God the Father called the Son "God."

Isa. 9:6
The "child" is called the "Mighty God."

Mt. 1:23,

Is. 7:14
Jesus is called Immanuel, which means "God with us."

John. 1:1
Jesus (the "Word" is called "God."

1 Tim. 3:16
Paul said Jesus was God "manifested in the flesh."

Col. 2:8.9
Paul said Jesus was the "fullness of the Godhead bodily.

John. 20:28
Thomas said to Jesus, "…my God."

Titus 2:13
Paul called Jesus "the great God."

Phil. 2:5,6
Paul said Jesus didn’t feel it was wrong to be considered "equal with God."

John 5:18
The Jews wanted to kill Jesus because He was "making Himself equal with God."

John 10:30
Jesus said, "I and the Father are one."

Gen. 1:1;

Col. 1:16
The Bible said God created all things and that Jesus created all things.

Mic. 5:2
The messiah (Jesus) had always been in existence.

Isa. 44:6; Rev. 1:2,8, 11,13
God claimed to be the "First and the Last." So did Jesus. God clearly states that He is the only savior. The Bible also says Jesus is our savior.
 
 
 

Verses saying the Father is God:
John. 8:41   "The only Father we have is God Himself."
Eph. 4:6   " … one God and Father of all …"
 
 
 

Verses saying the Holy Spirit is God:
Acts 5:3,4   "… you have lied to the Holy Spirit … you have not lied to men, but to God."
Acts 28:25,26 Referring to Isaiah 6:9,10,  Peter said the "Holy Spirit" spoke to the prophet Isaiah.  In the book of Isaiah, it says the "Lord" spoke to the prophet Isaiah.
1 Cor. 3:16   "Don’t you know you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?"
 
 
 

Verses saying there is only one God:
Mk. 12:32   "You are right in saying God is one and there is no other but him."
Mk. 12:29   "The Lord our God, the Lord is one."
1 Tim. 2:5   "For there is one God …"
1 Cor. 8:4   " … and there is no God but one."
Gal. 3:20   " … but God is one."
James 2:19   "You believe there is one God. Good! …"
Ps. 86:10   " … you alone are God."
Deut. 6:4,5   "The Lord our God, the Lord is one …"
Isa. 44:8   "Is there another God besides me?"
Isa. 45:21   "There is no God apart from me … there is none but me."
Isa. 45:22 "For I am God and there is no other."
Isa. 46:9   "I am God, and there is no other"
Isa. 45:5   "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God."
Isaiah 45:18   "I am the Lord, and there is no other."
Mal. 2:10 "Did not one God create us?"

confetti: Facts You Should Know About Jehovah's Witnesses

© Gospel Truth Ministries, 1340 Monroe Ave., NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Posted with permission.
Jehovah's Witnesses.

Almost everyone knows of their aggressive door-to-door proselytizing. The organization they represent, known as the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (WTB&TS), emphasizes end time prophecy and has falsely predicted the end of the world many times. The WTB&TS exercises rigid control over Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) and prohibits their participation in such common activities as taking blood transfusions, celebrating birthdays or holidays (including Christmas, Easter, and Mother's Day), voting, flag saluting, and military service. Through these restrictions, the WTB&TS builds a wall of isolation between Jehovah's Witnesses and the rest of society.
JW History

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society boldly claims to be the only organization God is using today to teach His truth and speak for Him. ' According to the WTB&TS, all non-JWs will be destroyed at Armageddon, an event of divine judgment it threatens is just around the corner. The WT Society prints over 14 million copies of its magazines every week, and has over 4 million Jehovah's Witnesses spreading its doctrines in 200 countries. What follows are some essential facts everyone should know about the history and doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Borrowed Beliefs and Doctrines

Charles T. Russell (1852- 1916) founded the JW movement. As a teenager he rejected his Presbyterian roots, joined a more liberal Congregational Church, then left this group as well. He denied the deity of Christ and the biblical teachings on hell and eternal punishment. Russell had no formal Bible training, but borrowed and built upon various teachings that were popular at the time. For example, Adventism influenced his denial of hell, and a splinter Adventist group led by N.H. Barbour aroused his interest in endtime prophecies. From Barbour he borrowed the belief that Christ returned invisibly to the world in 1874, and that 1914 was the year the world would be destroyed and the Millennium would begin.
Fantastic Claims

In 1879 Russell started his own magazine, Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence (now known as The Watchtower), to promote his doctrines. People were drawn to Russell's sensational endtime predictions, and the organization grew.

In spite of his lack of formal training in theology or biblical languages, Russell claimed to be the only one with the truth, and he vigorously condemned all other Christian religions. As a result, ministers of various denominations began exposing Russell's false teachings and questionable character.
Flawed Character

Rev. J.J. Ross published a pamphlet that exposed Russell's false claims and doctrines. He revealed that Russell "never attended the higher schools of learning; knows comparatively nothing of philosophy, systematic or historical theology; and is totally ignorant of the [biblical] languages [i.e. Hebrew and Greek]". Ross concluded that Russell's teaching was "anti-rational, anti-scientific, anti-Biblical, [and] anti-Christian." Russell unsuccessfully tried to stop circulation of this damaging information by suing Rev. Ross for defamatory libel. However, he not only lost the suit, but in the process perjured himself in court when he lied under oath about his knowledge of the Greek language. In the end Russell admitted the statements about himself in the pamphlet were true.5

In 1906 Russell ' s wife successfully sued for divorce because of "his conceit, egotism, domination and improper conduct in relation to other women," and won a settlement of $6,036. The court severely censured Russell and called his conduct "insulting," "domineering" and "overbearing" to a degree which made life intolerable to a sensitive Christian woman.

In 1913, Russell unsuccessfully sued The Brooklyn Daily Eagle for libel when that paper exposed his fraudulent attempts to sell ordinary wheat at the exorbitant price of $60 a bushel, claiming it was "Miracle Wheat.''
Failed Prophecies

Despite these setbacks, Russell continued to attract people with his fantastic prophetic interpretations and dramatic warnings that Armageddon would strike in 1914. When 1914 came and went, he changed the date to 1915. Russell died in 1916, leaving his followers doubting and disillusioned by his predictive failures. Joseph Franklin Rutherford then took control of the organization.
Prophecy For Profit

Rutherford (1869-1942) also used the threat of Armageddon to intimidate JWs. He published The Finished Mystery, a book which predicted that in 1918 God would destroy churches and millions of their members, and claimed that by 1920 every kingdom would be swallowed up in anarchy. Rutherford taught that the only way to escape the impending judgment and destruction was to join the Watchtower organization.

Fear of Armageddon motivated Witnesses to work hard selling Rutherford's books and other Watchtower Society literature. When the 1918 and 1920 predictions failed, Rutherford set a new date in his book titled Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1920). It taught that the millennium would start in 1925 and that Old Testament saints like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David would come back to life. The WT Society even built a luxurious Spanish mansion called Beth-Sarim (House of Princes), supposedly to house these patriarchs. In the meantime, however, Rutherford conveniently moved , into the mansion. He also drove an expensive new car throughout the Great Depression, while rank and file JWs sold Watchtower books and pamphlets door-to-door, and worked at Bethel headquarters for $10 - $15 a month. Six years after Rutherford's death in 1942, the Old Testament saints still had not arrived, so the Society quietly sold "Beth Sarim," thus closing an embarrassing chapter in their predictive history.
Tampering With The Bible

Under the leadership of Nathan H. Knorr (1905-1977) the WT Society put away date setting for a time and switched to a different strategy. Since many of their teachings could be refuted by key verses in the King James Bible, Knorr set out to publish a different Bible for JWs to use. Called the New World Translation (NWT), it blatantly altered many verses to support Watchtower doctrine. The single best example of this is John 1: 1, which in the King James Version clearly declares Jesus' deity-"the Word was God." JWs deny the deity of Christ, so the NWT renders this phrase "the Word was a god." The translation committee responsible for the NWT was kept anonymous, undoubtedly to cover up their complete lack of scholarly qualifications. None of the men who worked on this project had any formal training in the biblical languages, except for Frederick Franz. He was chairman of the committee and had studied Greek for two years at the University of Cincinnati without graduating, and was only self-taught in Hebrew. After Knorr's death, Franz became the Watchtower Society's new President.
Intimidation And A Lack Of Integrity

From 1960 to 1966 the organization's growth rate slowed considerably. At this point the WTB&TS introduced a new book and a new date for the end of the world. Life Everlasting in the Freedom of the Sons of God (1966) by Vice President Franz (1894-1992 ) concluded that the autumn of 1975 would mark the beginning of the seventh period of human history. The Society was careful to avoid printing an outright prediction, but the message was clear to Jehovah's Witnesses everywhere-Armageddon was coming soon. Some even sold their homes and property in 1974 and were praised by their leaders for doing so.

Membership grew by the thousands until 1975 came and went. Then many people realized God was not leading the WT Society and left the organization. The leaders of the WTB&TS refused to admit they had been wrong about 1975, and instead told disillusioned JWs to "adjust their viewpoint."

Today many people are unaware of these damaging facts, and the Witnesses continue to grow in number, publishing massive amounts of deceptive literature. The WT Society demands complete loyalty and still predicts Armageddon is coming soon with sure annihilation for anyone who does not join the organization or leaves its ranks. In spite of a history marred by manipulation and false prophecies, the WT Society still claims to be the only one teaching the truth.
Testing the Watchtower Prophet

The Bible warns us that many false prophets will come claiming to speak for God (Matthew 7:15; 1John 4: 1). Thankfully, it also provides a practical test for identifying false prophets. In Deuteronomy 18:21-22 we are told that anyone who claims to speak as a prophet of God and predicts something that does not come true is a false prophet. "And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."(KJV)

According to the Bible, one false prophecy makes the speaker a false prophet. By this test the Watchtower Society's prophecies concerning 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925 and 1975 prove beyond a doubt it is a false prophet and that we should turn away from this group's deceptive doctrines.
JW Doctrine

When an organization like the WTB&TS claims to be the only true religion and the sole source of correct Bible teaching, we must carefully examine their beliefs. If their doctrines are true, they will be found in the Bible, and their teachings will be consistent and unchanging year after year. Jehovah's Witnesses, however, deny or twist many of the Bible s basic teachings, and their beliefs conflict with those held by orthodox Christians down through the centuries. Consider the following comparisons.
Non-biblical Beliefs

The Nature of God. The Bible teaches that there is only one true God (Isa.43:10-11; 44:6,. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are identified as distinct Persons within the one Triune Godhead (Matt.3:16-17; 2 Cor.13:14). Throughout the New Testament the Son and the Holy Spirit, as well as the Father are separately identified as God. Each has divine attributes and acts as God (Son: Mark 2:5-12; John 20:28; Heb. l :8; Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 3:17-18).

By contrast, the WTB&TS denies the triune nature of God and teaches that such a belief is inspired by Satan and teaches that Jehovah, the name of the one true God, corresponds only to God the Father. JWs also deny that Jesus is God (see next point). They deny the Holy Spirit is a person, and instead teach he is merely God's active force, similar to electricity.

Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh, and is the Creator of all things (John 1: 1 -3,14; Col.1: 16). While never less than God, at the appointed time He laid aside the glory He shared with the Father and took on a human nature ( John 17:3-5; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 2:9). Following his death, Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave, appeared to and was recognized in his body by over 500 people. This fact was crucial to both the preaching and faith of the early church (Luke 24:39; John 2:19-21; I Cor. 15:6, 14).

By contrast, the WTB&TS denies the deity of Jesus Christ and teaches that Jesus is a created being who existed as Michael the archangel before being born as a perfect man. JWs believe that after Jesus was buried, God disposed of his physical body. He was raised a spiritual creature and "materialized" to make himself visible. Now in heaven he is once again known as Michael the archangel.

Salvation. The Bible teaches that the atoning work of Christ alone provides the solution for man's sin problem. Jesus Christ took the personal sins of all men-past, present and future-in his own body on the tree (I Pet. 2:24), and as perfect God and perfect man he fully met the demands of Divine justice for us (Rom. 3:22-26). Therefore, any and all who receive him by simple faith (John 1:12; Acts 16:31), can be forgiven, declared righteous and restored to fellowship with God (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:24-26).

By contrast, the WTB&TS teaches that only an elite group of Witnesses, known as "the 144,000," or the "anointed ones" are presently credited with Christ's righteousness. Only the 144,000 are born again and expect to reign with Christ in heaven. For the vast majority of remaining JWs, known as the "other sheep" or the "great crowd," the atoning sacrifice of Christ only provides a chance at eternal life on earth.

The Bible also teaches that we are saved by grace alone apart from any self-righteous works (Eph.2:8-9). There is nothing we can do to contribute to our salvation because apart from Jesus Christ we are "dead in our sins" (Eph. 2:1,5).

By contrast, the WTB&TS teaches that salvation "will depend on one's works." A person must first "come to Jehovah ' s organization for salvation and then comply with everything they teach. In this way, a relationship with the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, rather than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, is presented as the basis of salvation.

The Soul & Eternal Punishment. The Bible teaches that the human soul continues to exist consciously after death (Is.14:9-11; Luke 16:19-31;Rev 6:9-11). Those who have rejected God's gift of eternal life will suffer conscious eternal punishment (Matt. 25:41,46; Rev. 14:10,11; 20:10,15).

By contrast, the WTB&TS denies eternal punishment and teaches that the soul cannot exist apart from the body. JWs believe that death ends all conscious existence. Hell refers to the grave and those who are ultimately judged by God will be annihilated and simply cease to exist.

The Bible. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit's anointing enables individual Christians to understand God's Word and properly apply it to their lives ( I John 2:27).

By contrast the WTB&TS teaches that the Bible can only be interpreted by the Watchtower Society and no individual can learn the truth apart from them.
Contradictions & Flip-Flops

The WT Society claims to be Jehovah's organization and God's only channel of spiritual instruction for today. It stresses that the Bible is an "organizational book" and cannot be understood by individuals no matter how sincere they are. But how can we trust our eternal destiny to an organization that during its brief time in existence has accumulated such a woeful history of doctrinal contradictions and flip-flops? Consider the following examples of ever-changing Watchtower theology.

In 1975 the WTB&TS taught that the man who sows the seed in the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13) is Satan. Later that same year the WT Society taught that this sower was Jesus.

A similar incident occurred in 1978, when the WTB&TS identified the "Alpha and Omega" of Revelation 22:12-13 as Jehovah (that is, God the Father), and then five weeks later taught these verses referred to Jesus.

The Watchtower Society's failure to correctly interpret the Bible is most clearly seen in their doctrinal flip-flops. First they teach position A, then they change to position B, claiming God has given them "new light." Later on, however, they revert back to their old teaching (position A) and in some cases change once again to position B. Here are some examples.

Resurrection of the Men of Sodom

1879 - They will be resurrected.
1952 - They will not be resurrected.
1965 - They will be resurrected.
1988 - They will not be resurrected.

The 'Lord' in Romans 10:12-16

1903 - 'Lord' refers to Jesus.
1940 - 'Lord' refers to Jehovah.
1978 - 'Lord' refers to Jesus.
1980 - 'Lord' refers to Jehovah.

'Higher Powers' of Romans 13:1

1916 - 'Higher powers' refers to governments.
1943 - 'Higher powers' refers to Jehovah God & Jesus Christ.
1964 - 'Higher powers' refers to governments.
Conclusion

In light of the preceding facts, do we dare trust the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society? It has falsely prophesied the end of the world at least 6 times and uses these predictions to intimidate its followers. This group has repeatedly changed their doctrines and contradicted previously held beliefs, all while claiming that it alone has the truth. Is this consistent with God's perfection and holiness?

We do not intend to ridicule or belittle individual Jehovah's Witnesses; they are generally sincere dedicated people. In one sense they are more like lost sheep than ravenous wolves, for they have been deceived by an organization with a history of false prophecies and doctrines. JWs truly believe that if they leave the Watchtower Society they will be destroyed at Armageddon. They need our love and compassion Our desire for them, as for everyone else, is that they come to a true knowledge of what the Bible teaches, and the understanding that Jesus Christ alone can guarantee salvation. Only through a personal relationship with him can we receive forgiveness and eternal life.

joinnow: Does God approve of all worship?
▪ Jesus’ heart went out to people who had been deceived by false religion. He warned of “false prophets that come . . . in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) Have you noticed that some people use religion for evil ends?
Jesus said in prayer to God: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) So God disapproves of worship that contradicts the truth of the Bible. Therefore, to some religious hypocrites, Jesus applied the words of God that say: “It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.”—Matthew 15:9.
Is there a true religion?
▪ When Jesus met a woman in Samaria who had been deceived by false religion, he said to her: “You worship what you do not know . . . The true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.” (John 4:22, 23) Clearly, true worship can be found.
Jesus said: “I do nothing of my own initiative; but just as the Father taught me I speak these things.” So Jesus knew that the religion he taught was the only true one. (John 8:28) Therefore, he said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Since true worshippers are united in one approach to the Father, they must be united in one true religion.
How can you recognize true worshippers?
▪ A Christian is one who follows Jesus Christ. Consider four ways in which imitating Jesus’ example clearly identifies his followers.
 1. Jesus Christ said in prayer to Jehovah: “I have made your name known.” (John 17:26) True Christians still do likewise.
 2. Jesus preached about Jehovah’s Kingdom and sent his disciples from house to house to do the same. He said: “Into whatever city or village you enter, search out who in it is deserving.” Later, he told his followers: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations.” (Matthew 10:7, 11; 28:19) You can easily recognize true Christians today because they continue the same work.
 3. Jesus refused to take sides in politics. Thus, he said of his followers: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:14) True worshippers should be well-known for their political neutrality.
 4. Jesus was self-sacrificing in his love for others. He said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) True Christians care for one another and take no part in wars.
How can true worship benefit you?
▪ To practice true worship, you first need to know Jehovah well. Knowledge of God will enable you to pursue the best way of life and will fill your heart with love for God. Jehovah promised life without end to those who love him. Thus, Jesus said: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God.”—John 17:3.

TrueSeeker: MyJoe, though I always admire your responses on this forum, I have no choice but to differ with you on this your assertion that Jesus did not ask anyone to preach from house to house. In light of the scriptures sighted below I am more than convince that house to house preaching is a form of teaching that Jesus commanded to his disciples and that the early Christians admonished that way of Jesus teaching.



(Matthew 28:18-20) . . ,  19 Go therefore and make disciples of people [/b]of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things,  . .

Jesus commanded his disciples to preach

(Luke 8:1) 8 Shortly afterwards he went journeying from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God,  . .
Jesus himself did the preaching work

(Luke 10:4-6) . . ,  5 Wherever YOU [b]enter into a house say first, ‘May this house have peace.’ 6 And if a friend of peace is there, YOUR peace will rest upon him,  . .
Jesus gave instructions to his disciples on how they will do the preaching work

(Matthew 10:12-14) 12 When YOU are entering into the house, greet the household; 13 and if the house is deserving, let the peace YOU wish it come upon it; but if it is not deserving, let the peace from YOU return upon YOU. 14 Wherever anyone does not take YOU in or listen to YOUR words, on going out of that house or that city shake the dust off YOUR feet. . .

(Acts 5:41-42) 41 These, therefore, went their way from before the San′he•drin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy to be dishonored in behalf of his name. 42 And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.
Jesus disciples preached without letup from house to house

(Acts 20:20) 20 while I did not hold back from telling YOU any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching YOU publicly and[b] from house to house[/b].
Paul did not hold back from teaching from house to house

(1 Peter 2:9) . . .But YOU are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that YOU should declare abroad the excellencies” of the one that called YOU out of darkness into his wonderful light. . .
Christian were called to declare the excellencies of God
(1 Peter 2:21) 21 In fact, to this [course] YOU were called, because even Christ suffered for YOU, leaving YOU a model for YOU to follow his steps closely.

Jesus did the preaching, his disciples were under obligation to do same.

MyJoe: Your closing summary is tendentious and uninspiring. The supercharged quest55 said I failed to get it because I lacked the Holy Spirit. Now you say it's because I don't preach. Why do you people resort to this when there are no facts to rely on or logic fails and the thinness of your argument becomes clear?

No, I don't need to be a Witness or do the house to house preaching to know what sending someone out to preach and telling him not to go house to house means. The isolated territory thing has been addressed in my post. And I have asked if you know of people who move accommodation daily and where this has posed a problem to preachers such that Jesus had a pressing need to warn against it.

If you don't accept the verse where Jesus forbade house to house preaching, how about the personal examples he set? I understand that the verse in question, once highlighted, would come as a shock to rank and file Witnesses, which explains why you had to rush to the Insight book. But rather than give you some insight the material only confused the situation further. Unfortunately you can't spot this, having ascribed superiority to its authors, perceiving them as the link between the Holy Spirit and you. Not being able to read the Bible or think without funneling it through some men must be a tough situation to be in!

MyJoe: Your closing summary is tendentious and uninspiring. The supercharged quest55 said I failed to get it because I lacked the Holy Spirit. Now you say it's because I don't preach. Why do you people resort to this when there are no facts to rely on or logic fails and the thinness of your argument becomes clear?

No, I don't need to be a Witness or do the house to house preaching to know what sending someone out to preach and telling him not to go house to house means. The isolated territory thing has been addressed in my post. And I have asked if you know of people who move accommodation daily and where this has posed a problem to preachers such that Jesus had a pressing need to warn against it.

If you don't accept the verse where Jesus forbade house to house preaching, how about the personal examples he set? I understand that the verse in question, once highlighted, would come as a shock to rank and file Witnesses, which explains why you had to rush to the Insight book. But rather than give you some insight the material only confused the situation further. Unfortunately you can't spot this, having ascribed superiority to its authors, perceiving them as the link between the Holy Spirit and you. Not being able to read the Bible or think without funneling it through some men must be a tough situation to be in!

confetti: Facts You Should Know About Jehovah's Witnesses

© Gospel Truth Ministries, 1340 Monroe Ave., NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Posted with permission.
Jehovah's Witnesses.


Charles T. Russell (1852- 1916) founded the JW movement. As a teenager he rejected his Presbyterian roots, joined a more liberal Congregational Church, then left this group as well. He denied the deity of Christ and the biblical teachings on hell and eternal punishment. Russell had no formal Bible training, but borrowed and built upon various teachings that were popular at the time. For example, Adventism influenced his denial of hell, and a splinter Adventist group led by N.H. Barbour aroused his interest in endtime prophecies. From Barbour he borrowed the belief that Christ returned invisibly to the world in 1874, and that 1914 was the year the world would be destroyed and the Millennium would begin.
Fantastic Claims.

freecocoa: Good day people,I'm on the verge of making an important decision and I'm kinda confused,so I need your help.
The thing is that I've been going to church since I was a kid till now and I don't really understand the bible,I want to be born again and very close to God but I don't know how to achieve that.
My family used to be catholic before we converted to pentecostal,I've attended many pentecostal churches but I really I'm not convinced by things I see there,they don't seem to break the word of God the way I understand and agree with,it seems to me like they twist the word to suit what they preach. they say one thing and they do another.
Now all my life I've been warned not to give ears to the jehovah's witnesses and I tried my best to avoid them,but as I grew older I began to read their articles and even let them witness to me,I found out that they have a better interpretation of the bible(IMO)whatever they claim they explain perfectly well,it seems to me like the bible is not complicated with them unlike other churches I've been to.
So I'm thinking of becoming a witness but I don't know if its the right thing to do,it worries me that people don't like them,they seem to be stigmatized and I want to know why?,why are they not welcomed openly even when they seem to understand and live the way the bible instructed? I know they all can't be holy but they are the ones that have really made me sit and think about becoming closer to GOD(apart from my parents).
I know some people may say I've been brainwashed but I don't think so,I just need clarity,someone said it'll be the worst mistake of my life to become a witness,please I just want to know why many people think this way and if there's something they do that isn't right,I need to know before I decide.
Thank you all and may God bless you.

birdboy: @ poster
If you must know,i've been a witness from birth.i am not a happy man and because of this religion, every minuit of my life i regret of being a member of this religion.i have not really benefited anything from this religion.i have been a member since birth, but i hate the religion woth a passion.my entire family are witness.
I would advice you never to join for this resons.
They don't involve in world celebrations
They don't celebrate christmas
They don't celebrate new year
They don't celebrat birth days
They don't celebrate valantine
They don't participate in politics
They don't marry outside their religion
They don't celebrate easter.
They isolate themselves
They believe that they are the only true religion practicing the write doctrine.
That religion is just like a cult,once u enter it is very dificult to come out.they monitor you up and down as if u are a kid.
The religion deprives you of the pleasures of life.
Its like a prison.
Am a witness but am already thinking of quitting but am jst waiting for the right time.
My greatest advice for you is never to join.
A word is enough for the wise.
Don't say i did'nt tell you
Stay tight and remain blessed