Jehovah’s Witnesses masquerade as Christians—with many genuinely confused on the subject due to their indoctrination—but they are a cult movement. Concerning cults, one of the very first things to remember is that false religions want to deny the deity of Christ and, thereby, the necessity of His saving work for mankind which they cannot earn. Jehovah’s Witnesses are no different, and we must help them see their need for Christ and the truth of His identity as the express image of God. As 1 John 2:22-25 shares, whoever denies Jesus’s identity as God’s Son (and thereby God, as the Jews understood it and wanted to kill him for) does not have eternal life, and Jesus is not a created being, as all things were made through Him (John 1:3).
What’s more, witnesses live in constant fear that they will not be counted among the elect 144,000, and we can offer them hope of eternal life secure through Jesus Christ who always lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25). Thankfully, we as believers can focus on these topics and bring the good news to bear on those things, and we’ll have done our part to combat the lies of Satan and help them meet Jesus. For more info on the cult movement, see below:
Charles Taze Russell started a bible class in Pennsylvania in 1870 which eventually became a worldwide movement called Jehovah’s Witnesses governed by an entity called the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society which interprets Charles’s original writings (a series of books called The Millennial Dawn) and the Bible (they made a new translation called the New World Translation) in order to lay down the law for followers of the movement.
Witnesses are heavily focused on the end-times, as they believe that the tribulation and an antichrist government are indeed coming before an earthly rule of Christ and His people, but they believe that only 144,000 believers from the time of Christ to the end of time will actually inherit the earth and rule alongside Him. They believe they must earn their place among the 144,000 faithful witnesses, which leads to a theology of salvation by works—particularly witnessing.
Another critical element of their belief is the idea that Jesus is not God. They actually believe He is the Archangel Michael, whom they consider to be the highest created being. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is considered to be an inanimate force, so the group denies the trinity as heresy. Therefore, any response to their belief system must stand strongly on the identity of Jesus Christ and his place in the trinity. Exalt the Son, and all who look upon Him will be set free!
For more great content on this subject, listen to the Alex McFarland Show podcast episode 18 here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
