Did Jehovah Witnesses borrow from the Muslims?

Question

It is very easy to find that both the Jehovah Witnesses and Muslims reject the following Christian beliefs: the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, and the ordained priesthood. Now, knowing that Islam well predates Jehovah Witnesses, wouldn't it be logical to conclude that the Jehovah Witnesses borrowed these beliefs from the Muslims?

The word Trinity has been used explicitly since the late 2nd Century. The word trinitas became common in the third century (Nicea was in the fourth). Origen (185–253) used it frequently, and his pupil, Gregory the Miracle Worker, put it in a creed written before 270: "Wherefore there is nothing either created or subservient in the Trinity, nor anything caused to be brought about, as if formerly it did not exist and was afterward introduced. Wherefore, neither was the Son ever lacking to the Father, nor the Spirit to the Son; but without variation and without change, the same Trinity forever."

Trinity is a description of the concept taught implicitly in the Bible, that's all.

Achtung_Heiss - Sorry to burst your bubble, but the Jehovah Witnesses came into existance only in the late 1800's. So, Islam really does pre-date the Jehovah Witnesses.

GEM - Isaiah 43:8-10 has nothing to do with the question. A good verse though.

Is 43: 8: Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! 9: Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, It is true. 10: "You are my witnesses," says the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.

Answer 1

I know the history of the Watch Tower organization dating from the Millerites in the 1840's.

Both the Seventh Day Adventists and the JWs ( Watch Tower ) have a common foundation in William Miller, a preacher who set dates for the 2nd coming of Jesus.

I have serious doubts that those people even knew there was a religion called Islam, at that time.

Islam was not the first to reject the Trinity either.

Pastor Art

Answer 2

The trinity is not a Christian belief! I invite you to search the Bible, especially the 27 books of the Christian Greek Scriptures, to see for yourself if Jesus and his disciples taught a Trinity. As you search, ask yourself:

1. Can I find any scripture that mentions “Trinity”?

2. Can I find any scripture that says that God is made up of three distinct persons, Father, Son, and holy spirit, but that the three are only one God?

3. Can I find any scripture that says that the Father, Son, and holy spirit are equal in all ways, such as in eternity, power, position, and wisdom?

Search as you may, you will not find one scripture that uses the word Trinity, nor will you find any that says that Father, Son, and holy spirit are equal in all ways, such as in eternity, power, position, and wisdom. Not even a single scripture says that the Son is equal to the Father in those ways—and if there were such a scripture, it would establish not a Trinity but at most a “duality.” Nowhere does the Bible equate the holy spirit with the Father.

Trinitarians may say that the Bible “implies” a Trinity. But this claim is made long after the Bible was written. It is an attempt to read into the Bible what clergymen of later times arbitrarily decided should be doctrine.

Ask yourself: Why would the Bible only “imply” its most important teaching—who God is? The Bible is clear on other basic teachings; why not on this, the most important one? Would not the Creator of the universe author a book that was clear on his being a Trinity if that were the case?

The reason the Bible does not clearly teach the Trinity doctrine is simple: It is not a Bible teaching. Had God been a Trinity, he would surely have made it clear so that Jesus and his disciples could have taught it to others. And that vital information would have been included in God’s inspired Word. It would not have been left to imperfect men to struggle with centuries later.

Mulims wll point out that the Bible does not support the trinity. But they will deny that God has a Son, although Jesus clearly said he was at John 10:36.

Answer 3

We reject the trinity because it is against everything Jesus taught. The divinity of Jesus, of course we believe he is the first-born Son of God. Please get your facts straight.

Ordained priesthood, maybe it is Matt. 23:8-12 where it tells to not call anyone by titles. The greatest among the congregation must become the lowest. Does that sound like any of your clergy?

All JWs are ministers, not just a few. That is because we have had to work for being able to call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses.

Since the God of the Bible, Jehovah, goes all the way back to creation, that pre-dates Muslims by several thousand years. We do not have to "borrow" from anybody.

Answer 4

Most of these false doctrines were created in the city of Babylon years ago. Their were over 2000 false gods associated towards Babylons false religion. Satan has found a way to implant these false doctrines into the minds of Christendom. Only recently within the last 100 years or so has these false hoods be uncovered by honest God fearing bible students. The devil has fought the witness organization since the beginning. All true Christians today worship the most high of all creation, the God of Abraham, Psalms 83:18 proclaims that Jehovah is the most high over all of us,therefore we want to be His witness to the truth.Isaiah 43:10 "you are my witnesses" is the utterance of Jehovah
The Muslims and the Jews and true Christians of today all worship Him. Satan wants to devide you into groups of hatred. The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.1 Jn 5:19 God has allowed Satan to rule over this wicked world to prove a point. Satan is not powerful enough to defeat God...so he challenged Gods ability to rule over humans..He wants humans to believe they can rule themselves...that they would be better off ruling themselves,,so God is allowing Satan to go on ruling to prove that he is wrong.2 cor 4:3 in the bible refers to Satan as being the god of this system of things. The word Satan means Opposer.Satan is totally against good .We don't borrow from any religion of mans..only from God do we get the Good news! and do you know what that good news is? Soon peace will fill the earth, death and sin will be no more,That old devil will be outta here and the earth will be as it was meant to be...A paridise.And Gods will .....will be done on earth..just as it is in heaven.Amen

Answer 5

Do you really know your history? and Do you think that Jehovah's Wittneses borrow from any other Religion?
For example read Isa 43:8,9,10. Isaiah was written in 732 BCE.
Muḥammad bin Abdullah (the son of Abdullah), the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, about the year 570 C.E.
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Answer 6

extreme-high quality would not equate to being Christian. Christianity relies on the guy of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God interior the flesh...the 2nd individual of the Trinity...who humbled himself to come again right down to Earth in human variety to be sacrificed as a substitutionary atonement for our sins. In Jehovah's Witness theology, Jesus Christ is the archangel Michael, and is a created being, no longer God which has existed on account that eternity. they're heretics, no longer Christians in any respect. Christians are people who've placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. via the way, in case you already know Jehovah's Witnesses and their theology you recognize that they exclude Christians from being saved...they're the "in basic terms genuine faith". How's that for being extreme-high quality? :)

Answer 7

Since Mohammed founded Islam almost 600 years after Jesus, it would seem impossible for true Christians (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) to "borrow" their beliefs from Muslims.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19980115/article_01.htm

Answer 8

No, the JWs came to their conclusions through Bible study and reliance on holy spirit to guide them to the truth.

Answer 9

I have wondered the same thing but have never made a comparative study

Answer 10

It does make sense. I'll look into it. Good theory!

A.F.