1. Jehovah’s Witness’ Core Belief Okbe Zemede St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church New Orleans, LA April 24, 2013 @ 1-2 P.M.

2. Overview

3. The Name, Jehovah’s Witness Jehovah's Witnesses are best known for their door- to-door preaching, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake! The name, “Jehovah's Witnesses”, was adopted in 1931 to distinguish themselves from other Bible Student groups. Jehovah = “Yehowah" or "Yahweh“ and it means God in Hebrew

4. The Name, Jehovah’s Witness 10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have taken for myself: so that you may see and have faith in me, and that it may be clear to you that I am he; before me there was no God formed, and there will not be after me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no savior but me. 12 I gave the word, and made it clear, and there was no strange god among you: for this reason you are my witnesses, says the Lord. (Isaiah 43:10–12) Their name is based on the following concept

5.  The Watchtower association is likened to the ark of Noah (the only place of safety), and the outside world is seen as a “system dominated by Satan the Devil” whose end at the battle of Armageddon is imminent. (http://4jehovah.org/help-jw-become.php)  Governing Body (Head qaurter)  Brooklyn, New York  Organizational structure  Hierarchical  Congregations  111,719.  Members  7.78 million Source: Statistics from 2013 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses

6. Schism in Christianity

7. Reformed Presbyterianism Pentecostal Baptists Lutheran Methodists Church of God Quakers -- Mennonites and Amish -- Church of the Nazarene Protestantism 33 Eastern Orthodox Greece, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Czech, Serbia, Poland, Cyprus, Finland, Albania, Antiochian Chalcedonean Orthodox 4511054 1521 1800s Non Chalcedonean Orthodox Armenian, Coptic, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Indosyrian, Syrian Time Non Christians Mormons 1820s Seventh Day Adventists 1863 Jehovah Witnesses 1870 Christian Science 1879 Scientology 1954 New Age 1960s Undivided Church Roman Catholic Old Catholic United Catholic Anglican, Episcopal (Church of England)

8. Bible Student movement’s Leadership Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement Associated Bible Students Jehovah’s Witnesses Watch Tower Society Free Bible Students 1870 - 1916 Pastor Charles Russell Joseph Franklin Rutherford in 1917-1941 Nathan H. Knorr 1942 -1977 Governing Body 1977 - present

9. Common Traits  They refuse military service  They refuse blood transfusions.  They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity  Organ donation is optional

10. Core Belief  They have their own Bible, New World Translation  They adhere strictly to ‘The Watchtower and Awake! “Bible-based magazine”  They believe in one God, the Creator of the universe.  They believe Jesus is the Archangel Michael Source: http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/who-is-michael-the-archangel/

11. Core Belief  They reject Christ’s “Fully God, Fully Man”  They reject Trinity  They reject the immortality of the soul  They reject hell & hellfire They consider the above to be unscriptural doctrines

12.  They use their own translation of the Bible - the New World Translation as their only source.  The Watchtower and Awake! “ Bible-based magazine” is second source to Bible.  The New World Translation was translated in 1961 by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society  As of March 2013, the Watch Tower Society has published 181 million copies of the New World Translation in 117 language editions  Often, the verses presented represent radical departures from orthodox Christian beliefs.

13. God  Jehovah's Witnesses believe in one God, the Creator of the universe.  They stress that God has revealed his personal name to humanity, which is Jehovah.  Jehovah has a spirit body and lives in heaven.  They reject the doctrine of the Trinity.  They reject the existence of Hell.  They expect the arrival of Armageddon & the end times.

14. Is Jesus Christ an exalted creature?  “ Jesus is God’s appointed Judge who determines what each one’s future will be. http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article31.htm#bible http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article31.htm#bible  They teach that Jesus was God's first creation. (Colossians 1:15)  Christ existed in pre-human form as God's agent of creation and God's chief spokesman (the Word),  He took on human form as the man Jesus by means of a virgin birth.

15.  They believe that Jesus Christ is actually the archangel Michael because, Michael, means “who is like God.“ in Hebrew. “They further take this to mean that Jesus is not the eternal God but a highly exalted spirit creature, in fact the greatest of all created spirit beings, since to them Michael is a creature.” (Sam Shamoun).

16.  In the book of Daniel, Michael is battling wicked angels; in the letter of Jude, he is disputing with Satan; and in Revelation, he is waging war with the Devil and his demons. By defending Jehovah’s rulership and fighting God’s enemies, Michael lives up to the meaning of his name—“Who Is Like God?” But who is Michael? Who Is Michael the Archangel? at http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/who-is-michael-the-archangel/

17.  The Bible states that “Michael and his angels battled with the dragon…and its angels.” (Rev 12:7).  Thus, Michael is the Leader of an army of faithful angels.  Revelation also describes Jesus as the Leader of an army of faithful angels. (Rev 19:14-16) Who Is Michael the Archangel? at http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/who-is-michael-the-archangel/

18.  The apostle Paul mentions “the Lord Jesus” and “his powerful angels.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7; Matthew 16:27; 24:31; 1 Peter 3:22)  So the Bible speaks of both Michael and “his angels” and Jesus and “his angels.” (Matthew 13:41)  Since God’s Word nowhere indicates that there are two armies of faithful angels in heaven—one headed by Michael and one headed by Jesus—it is logical to conclude that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ in his heavenly role.* Who Is Michael the Archangel? at http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/who-is-michael-the-archangel/

19. The incarnation on earth was threefold in their view:  (1) To teach the truth about God;  (2) to provide a model of a perfect life for people  (3) to sacrifice his life to set humans free from sin and death.  His crucifixion was not on a cross, but a single upright stake.  After his death, God raised Jesus from the dead "as a spirit creature" and Jesus returned to heaven.  They believe Jesus is a mighty God and Jehovah is the almighty.

20. In What Way Are Jesus and His Father One? Jesus and his Father, Jehovah God, are also “one” in the sense that they are in complete agreement as to intentions, standards, and values. “The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing,” Jesus explained. “For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” ​ —John 5:19; 14:10; 17:8.

21.  Jesus is not God—whose name is Jehovah—but he is the Son of God. Jehovah resurrected Jesus from the dead. (Romans 10:9)  No one would conclude that this son and his father were the same person. But all could perceive the strong bond of unity between them. Source:- The Watchtower 2009-09-01  A wonderful unity ​ —the closest bond possible between two persons

22. The Holy Spirit In accordance with their rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity, they deny that the Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons in the Godhead. Instead, they believe the Holy Spirit to be "God's active force." ∞ Electricity Source:- http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/baptism-and-your-relationship-with-god/

23. Practice of Baptism  Baptism involves complete immersion in water, Matthew 3:16.  Steps leading to baptism begin with taking in knowledge and showing faith followed by repentance, conversion, and the dedicating of oneself to God.—John 17:3; Acts 3:19; 18:8.  To make a dedication to Jehovah, you must disown yourself, Mark 8:34.  Baptism symbolizes dying to one’s former way of life and becoming alive to do God’s will.—1 Peter 4:2.  Being baptized into an "Organization" rather than the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

24. Human Nature Jehovah's Witnesses trace humanity's current situation to the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The disobedience of the first man caused death to enter the world, and as a result, all human beings get sick, age and die. However,

25. Human Nature However, they do not emphasize the spiritual consequences of Adam's sin on humanity nor they teach that human free will has been damaged. The Witnesses expect and encourage their members to strive to do God's will and remain pure in his eyes.

26. Meaning of Life & Salvation For them, the purpose of life is to earn the right to participate in God's future Kingdom on earth. They therefore focus on living a moral, acceptable life before God and witnessing about their faith to others. They believe that salvation was made possible through Christ's death. But

27. Meaning of Life & Salvation But eternal life comes not simply from faith in Jesus but from "learning about Jehovah and obeying his requirements,” proving oneself to be God's loyal subject, and listening to the Kingdom message and acting on it.

28. After Life Jehovah's Witnesses deny the existence of hell.  Annihilation - They hold that the souls of the wicked will be annihilated or cease to exist. To them Hell is synonymous with the “grave” and that the biblical term of second death means extinction.  Heaven - Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people went to heaven (in 1914) to rule with God & Jesus (Rev 7:4). This group is called the remnant, little flock or anointed class (New Heavens and A New Earth, p. 169). Paradise Earth - The remainder of the righteous will enjoy paradise on earth - a restored Garden of Eden in which there is no sickness, old age, death or unhappiness. ( Psalms 37:8 )

29.  They have their own Bible, New World Translation.  They believe in one God, the Creator of the universe but they reject Christ’s “Fully God, Fully Man”.  They believe Jesus Christ is the Archangel Michael.  They reject Trinity.  They reject ithe immortality of the soul.  They reject hellfire.  Christ’s crucifixion was not on a cross, but a single upright stake.  Jesus is "a spirit creature"  They believe that the souls of the wicked will be annihilated or cease to exist.  Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people went to heaven (in 1914) to rule with God and Jesus.  The remainder of the righteous will enjoy paradise on earth.  Being baptized into an "Organization" rather than the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  they believe the Holy Spirit to be "God's active force." ∞ Electricity Summary