What Is Protestantism & Why Is it Important? Special pioneers are full-time salaried employees of the society. "Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs." [72] Jehovah's Witnesses base all of their beliefs on the Bible, as interpreted by the Governing Body.[73]. (Matthew 20:28; Acts 4:12) To benefit from that sacrifice, people must not only exercise faith in Jesus but also change their course of life and get baptized. Salvation. The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world. Meditating on what we learn from the Bible.Psalm 77:12. They claim this "doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies." Since they do not place faith in Jesus, they are not saved. Jehovahs Witnesses try to claim that they are Christians, but they are not. We do not lobby, vote for political parties or candidates, run for government office, or participate in any action to change governments. It is important that as a future healthcare provider, you have some background knowledge about the medical beliefs among prominent religions in the United States in the likely event that one of your future patients follows them. [167][168] They believe that when Jesus became king, Satan was ousted from heaven to the earth, bringing a period of "woe" to mankind. There are many false teachings and false doctrines that the Jehovah's Witnesses have been taught to believe about God, the Trinity doctrine, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel. Witnesses also oppose certain medical practices that they believe violate Scripture. Rather than placing faith in Jesus for salvation, Jehovahs Witnesses believe you have to work for salvation by doing good deeds, being involved with Kingdom Hall, and obeying the rules of Kingdom Hall. We follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ and honor him as our Savior and as the Son of God. If any Jehovah's Witness is deemed to be an apostate, she or he will be disfellowshipped. Bible. This is an erroneous belief because Jesus was physically resurrected from the grave. Jehovah's Witnesses are a people of faith that many of us likely don't know that much about. God. God. As previously mentioned, Jehovahs Witnesses view Jesus as a lesser god. The Holy Spirit is not seen as God either as Jehovahs Witnesses teach the Holy Spirit is just a force.. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Jehovah's Witnesses cite the Old and New Testaments as the Biblical basis for refusing transfusions. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: Jesus Christ is a mighty being, but he is not God Jesus Christ is a lesser and separate spirit being Jesus Christ is not equal to God in power or eternity (i.e. Jehovah's Witnesses. We answer the questions of how they got their start, what their core beliefs are, and how many people ascribe to this faith in the world today below. Evil and suffering. We worship the one true and Almighty God, the Creator, whose name is Jehovah. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was Jehovah's first creation, that Jehovah then created everything else by means of Jesus, and that the initial unassisted act of creation uniquely identifies Jesus as God's 'only-begotten Son'. According to their website, "Jehovah is the personal name of God, as found in the Bible. And they claim to have support for their views in the Bible. We may remember them as the people who often come to our homes in order to evangelize, but do we actually know what they believe? [121][122] The Society teaches that the first human, Adam, was created in 4026 BCE. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. They do not salute the flag of any nation, believing it an act of false worship; they refuse to perform military service; and they do not participate in public elections. Heaven. The U.S. government sent Rutherford and other Watchtower leaders to prison for sedition during World War I. We recognize that parts of the Bible are written in figurative or symbolic language and are not to be understood literally.Revelation 1:1. (Matthew 28:19, 20; John 3:16; Acts 3:19, 20) A persons works prove that his faith is alive. The Governing Body, a small group of mature Christians who serve at our world headquarters, provides direction for Jehovahs Witnesses worldwide.Matthew 24:45. [115][116], The Watch Tower Society teaches a combination of gap creationism and day-age creationism, with an extended period between the initial creation of the universe and the subsequent 'creative days' in relation to the earth, which are said to have taken "thousands of years". The beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the Bible teachings of Charles Taze Russellfounder of the Bible Student movementand successive presidents of the Watch Tower Society, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, and Nathan Homer Knorr. God will bring billions back from death by means of a resurrection. [180] This will mark the beginning of the great tribulation. Help them understand the truth of the Bible and how the Jehovahs Witnesses' beliefs do not align with the truth of Gods Word. Main Differences Between Jehovah's Witnesses and Christianity. [133], Watch Tower publications teach that hell (hades or sheol) is not a place of fiery torment, but rather the "common grave of mankind", a place of unconscious non-existence. Thus, Jesus was physically resurrected from the dead. [194] However, Jehovah's Witness doctrines provide no method for members to terminate membership and remain in good standing. These short video lessons answer key Bible questions, such as: Why did God create the earth? He is not an impersonal force. no social, ethnic, racial, or class divisions, speak to one of the Witnesses in your area. Wear or own a cross. [204] Watch Tower Society literature says apostates are motivated by vitriolic bitterness and that their writings are poisonous, distorted and false, display the characteristics of "cunning, contrived error, prideful intelligence, lack of love and dishonesty" and are designed to undermine the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. [15][21][22] At the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Watch Tower Society, the "faithful and discreet slave" was defined as referring to the Governing Body only. Jehovah's Witnesses are a people of faith that many of us likely don't know that much about. Baptist Church: History & Beliefs We recognize the Bible as Gods inspired message to humans. Jehovah's Witnesses believe salvation is obtained by a combination of faith, good works, and obedience. This contradicts Scripture, which declares salvation to be received by grace through faith ( John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5 ). Why Are There So Many Christian Interpretations? "When a person dies, he ceases to exist. While many Jehovahs Witnesses will tell you they have faith in Jesus, they have a wrong view of having faith in Jesus. They reject the concept of universal salvation[141] and the concept of predestination. They wish to share the literature with the people and will then offer to bring a Bible study to their home. [173] Witnesses believe their doctrine is confirmed by world events since 1914, including wars, famine, earthquakes and increasing lawlessness, which they see as fulfillment of the "sign" of Christ's presence. Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs include works such as learning about Jehovah, living a moral life, regular witnessing to others and obeying God's commandments as part of the requirements for salvation. [38][39][40][41] Members who promote privately developed teachings contrary to those of the Governing Body may be expelled and shunned. No more than four-in-ten members of the group belong to any one racial and ethnic background: 36% are white, 32% are Hispanic, 27% are black and 6% are another race or mixed race. [154] They associate the terms "Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16), "little flock" (Luke 12:32), and "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Revelation 21:9) in the New Testament with the "anointed". It is one of the more major ways in which Jehovah's Witnesses differ from various Christian denominations. Phil. [178], The current world era, or "system of things", is considered to be in its "last days",[179] facing imminent destruction through intervention by God and Jesus Christ, leading to deliverance for those who worship God acceptably. In particular, they oppose blood transfusions, because of the scriptural admonition against the consumption of blood (Leviticus 3:17). Zavada, Jack. "Some treatments conflict with Bible principles, though, and we reject these. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas or Easter, which makes sense when you remember that they don't believe Jesus is equal to God. Jehovah's Witnesses with 1.3 million members in the U.S. who hand out brochures on sidewalks and subway platforms and ring doorbells are one of the most visible religious groups in the. (Matthew 20:28; Acts 5:31) Thus, we are Christians. [77] The name is a common modern Latinized form of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton, or four-letter name, transliterated as YHWH. They say that God's Kingdom (mentioned (thy Kingdom come) in the Lord's prayer) will restore God's original purpose for the Earth: bringing about peace for . When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures. (Deuteronomy 4:15-19; 1John 5:21) Key aspects of our worship include the following: Reading and studying the Bible.Psalm 1:1-3. In the mind of Jehovahs Witnesses, there is not a Trinity. They use the terms Hebrew and Christian Greek Scriptures rather than Old and New Testament to avoid implication that the Old Testament is outdated or inferior. Audio download options While their practices broke with the Adventists . Although they allegedly started dating site, professionally done dating then called a data-gathering. During his ministry, Russell quarreled with many tenets of mainstream Christianity, including immortality of the soul, hellfire, predestination, the fleshly return of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, and the burning up of the world. Jehovah 's Witnesses believe that Jesus is not equal with God. What Do Jehovahs Witnesses Believe? We adhere to Gods original standard of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, with sexual immorality being the only valid basis for divorce. Their religion, unlike Mormonism, isn't an esoteric one with secret doctrines known only to an initiated few. Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection to save you . [77][87] The title, LORD (Greek: Kyrios), is rarely used by Witnesses when speaking about God. [1] They have their own literature including a Bible and Watchtower Magazine. Jehovah's Witnesses hold services on Sunday and twice during the week, in a Kingdom Hall, an unadorned building. However, to deviate from the beliefs would be to position oneself in a light of apostasy. Exaltation, or going to the highest of the three degrees of glory and becoming a god, is achieved by getting baptized, confirmed, ordained in the Melchizedek priesthood (if a man), endowed, and married and then by keeping the covenants for the rest of one's life. Photo courtesy: Thinkstock/kevinschreiber, Similar to their view of Jesus, Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father. Jehovah's Witnesses believe God is the Creator and Supreme Being. b Wicked angels have been cast out of heaven, although they continue to exist in the spirit realm.Revelation 12:7-9. [60] Sociologist Andrew Holden has observed that Witnesses see no distinction between loyalty to Jehovah and to the movement itself,[61] and other researchers have claimed that challenging the views of those higher up the hierarchical ladder is regarded as tantamount to challenging God himself. Yet again, this is another wrong belief being taught by Jehovahs Witnesses. The rest will live forever in a paradise on Earth, never meeting the person who died for them - Jesus Christ. They consider the cross to be of pagan origins and an object of idol worship. Jehovah's Witnesses hold the controversial view of rejecting blood transfusions, even in life or death situations. [37] Watch Tower Society publications strongly discourage Witnesses from formulating doctrines and "private ideas" reached through independent Bible research. After the war the Witnesses brought several suits in American courts dealing with their beliefs and practices, resulting in 59 Supreme Court rulings that were regarded as major judgments on the free exercise of religion. [137] Based on this, they believe that parables such as that of "the rich man and Lazarus" should not be interpreted literally, and that such references are speaking of symbolic death, not the physical death of actual individuals.
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