Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?

Question

My answer is no. Your teachings go against Christian doctrines.

1. Jesus was born again (The Watchtower, Nov. 15, 1954, p. 682.)
2. Jesus' ransom sacrifice did not include Adam (Let God be True, p. 119.)
3. Only their church members will be saved (The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30.)
4. Good works are necessary for salvation (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152.)
5. Only the 144,000 may take communion

These are not in context with the Bible's teachings.
How can you be "Christian" when you go against Christian doctrine?

Mabes -- I can respond to your responses but I'm only going to address your response to #2. Adam sinned when he touched the fruit (even if you touch it you will die). He hadn't eatin the "knowledge of Good and Evil" yet. He didn't have knowledge of sin or evil.

Melissa -- Even demons and Atheists believe in Christ.

MEL: Adam didn't know he was willfully sinning since he had no knowledge of what sin was yet!

ALSO, are these good works?: Prophesying, casting out demons, mighty works.
Are these necessary to get you saved?
If you agree, look at the people Jesus said "I never knew you; depart from me you workers of lawlessness." Matt. 7:21-23. Did you hear what he called them? Do you see anything in that verse that shows what wrong these people have done?
Doing good things is being a Christian, it's not how to become one. Both Christians and Atheists do "good works".

ALEX -- To you, EVERYONE is an apostate unless their in your cult.

MEL: I don't know if I could get it any more perfect than this:

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Answer 1

Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses are Christian. If you follow Christ, your Christians, not real complicated.

Of course Jesus was "born again", how else could he trade in a human body for a spirit body? And why quote a Watchtower from over 50 years ago about Jesus being born again? That's a current teaching, pretty much straight from the bible (Jesus answered: “Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. -John 3:5).

Adam had his chance at perfect life, while none of the rest of us have yet. Adam won't be resurrected.

Witnesses don't say "only their church members will be saved", and the article doesnt even say that.

Works are needed, of course. Does this guy even read the bible?
(James 2:14,26) Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? ...Indeed, as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.


Not for nothing, but this guy is beyond belief. God never said that Adam couldn't touch the fruit; that was something that Eve embellished herself. Go read the bible before you act like you know something.

Answer 2

A Christian is a follower of Christ, someone who applies Jesus' teachings in his life. Therefore Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians. And as for your statements, they are all based on the Bible

1 ~ “Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”—John 3:5
Jesus was baptised (born from water) and at the same time received God's holy spirit. In this way, yes he was born again.

2 ~ Jesus' sacrifice doesn't include Adam because he sinned purposely.
Hebrews 10:26 "For if we practise sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left"

3 ~ Matthew 24:13 "But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved."
Being a Jehovah's Witness is no guarantee in itself of being saved, more is involved.

4 ~ James 2:26 "Indeed, as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
Good works are indeed necessary for salvation

5 ~ Rev 14:1 "And I saw, and, look! the Lamb [Jesus] standing upon the Mount Zion [in his kingdom], and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads."
Only 144 000 are going to heaven, the rest have a hope to live forever on the earth
Matt 5:5 "Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth"
(By the way, Jehovah's Witnesses don't take communion)

Every argument you have given I have proved from the Bible. Doesn't that say something?

Answer 3

i think they mean well, they have been decieved by whomever taught them the "jehovahs witness belief". thats why we must be grounded in the word. there is alot i disagree with but im not gonna say their not christians. they love Christ to be going door to door but they have been decieved. my thoughts of some of the statements
1) i never heard of Jesus being born again. he never sinned to have to be born again. the baptism in my opinion was to teach us what pleases God.
2) how can anyone say that Jesus's death did not include a certain person?
3) it says no where only jw will be saved. John 3:16 says the whole world
4)there is too many scriptures on His grace and our faith that saves us for me to believe my good deeds has anything to do with my salvation
5) communion we all do in rememberance of him, i havent read just the 144, was to do it.

Answer 4

You mean church doctrine that was made up 300 years after Jesus died.

In a certain manner you are correct. Jesus said there would be a separation. A separation of sheep from goats of the church and these sheep will take up his father's name.

Isaiah 62:2 foretells: "And you will actually be called by a new name, which the very mouth of Jehovah will designate."

Answer 5

As IN ALL CULTIC TEACHINGS they twist change manipulate the word of god(the bible) They dont believe in the deity of christ,They believe you are saved by works not grace(eph 2v8-9) A good resource to check out what they believe is Josh Mcdowell a ready defense, Hand Hannagraf (The Bible answer man) Its wise to have discussions we need to represent our faith in a positive light not condenming judging but to present the gospel with gentelness and reverence. we are seed planters hes the harvester lest we forget!

Answer 6

A Christian imitates Christ, obeys the commands of Christ, and lives according to the teachings of Christ.

Jesus said that he came in the name of his father, in the model prayer he taught all those who are truly his followers to address their prayers to "our Father in heaven" and to put first the sanctification of the Father's name, Jesus himself refereed to his father as "my God", and he often said that he came not to speak of his own initiative, but only what his father had commanded him to say. The ministry of Jesus was to preach to people wherever they were and the main subject of his preaching was God's Kingdom. Then Jesus sent out the twelve apostles to do the same work, and after that he sent out seventy others. After his resurrection he gave the great commission to his diciples at Matthew 28:19, 20 where he commanded us to make diciples and to teach them to do the same.

We imitate Jesus, who in Revelation is called "the faithful and true witness" by coming to people in God's name, and preaching to them about God's Kingdom the same as Jesus did, and we obey the command given us by Christ to make disciples of people of all the nations. Presently we volunteer our time to do so in 236 lands around the earth and we teach people in over 300 languages.

We also live according to the tachings of Christ. One of the things that he did not teach was that he was part of a Trinity. If you look that doctrine up in an encyclopedia you will see that Christians for at least three hundred years after Christ did not believe in a Trinity, and these were the people who knew and understood best the original languages of the Bible. You will also find that various trinties was a part of pagan religions long before Christ was on the earth, and so if the Trinity is a revelation from God to Church "Fathers" in the fourth and fifth centuries then why did he reveal it to pagans first? On the other hand the bible writers had mentioned that an apostasy would occur in later times.

If you point to any scripture in the Bible then that is something that Jehovah's Witnesses believe and practice, but we do not believe in teaching which do not come from the Bible. For example:

(1 John 4:2) 2 YOU gain the knowledge of the inspired expression from God by this: Every inspired expression that confesses Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God,

Yes, we believe that Jesus came in the flesh, in fact the Bible says that ,even though he had lived in heaven before, he was born as a human and "became like his brothers in all respects." He was not a spirit creature who became "incarnate" but he became the same as Adam was: a perfect human being, and that is why Paul called him "the second Adam". That is also why he was able to give his life as our ransom, because this was the payment equal to what Adam had lost.

Answer 7

Christians should not only be followers of Christ their believes should come solely from the Bible and their practices MUST be in harmony with it.

Anything else sadly can't be deemed "Christian"

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (verses 4-5, King James Version).

Answer 8

Anyone who believes in Jesus & tries their best to follow his teachings is a Christian. So yes they are.

As far as I'm concerned they are the only people that have come to my house & talk about Jesus with me.
Oh yes, I had a vicar come to my home once. What did he want to talk about? Me donating some money to his church! He never mentioned Jesus once or the bible either.
JWs have never asked me for any money & yet I've had many pamphlets & papers from them.
They are Christians

(I notice you say their teachings are not in context with the bible teachings yet you offer no verses to support that statement)

Answer 9

yes Jehovah's Witnesses are Christian we look upon Jesus Christ as our saviour
*** w54 11/15 p. 682 Who Are Born Again? ***

Why, now, must those of the 144,000 Kingdom heirs be “born again”? Because as human creatures they were begotten by Adam. Adam could not beget anyone to a heavenly inheritance. He had only earthly hopes held out to him. Moreover, when Adam did beget children they were born sinners. So Adam’s children inherited sin and death. Thus the 144,000 need to be begotten by a father different from Adam, a heavenly father who can bestow spirit life and a spiritual inheritance. Only Jehovah can do that. Being born from God, the 144,000 Kingdom heirs become spiritual sons of God: “However, as many as did receive him, to them he gave authority to become God’s children, because they were exercising faith in his name; and they were born not from blood or from a fleshly will or from man’s will, but from God.”—John 1:12, 13, NW.

Jesus was the first one to be “born again.” This was in harmony with God’s rule concerning his Son: “That he might become the one who is first in all things.” When was Jesus “born again”? At the time of his human birth? No, but rather thirty years later, at the time of his baptism A.D. 29. After Jesus’ immersion, an act that symbolized Jesus’ dedication to Jehovah, God’s spirit came upon him, and a voice from the heavens said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.” Jesus was now a spirit-begotten son of God; he was “born again.” This, of course, was not a begettal in the womb of any human virgin. That was already past and had served its purpose. But now Jehovah begot Jesus by the spirit to become a spiritual son of God with a heavenly glory in view. This was the first time such a thing had ever occurred on earth.—Col. 1:18; Matt. 3:17, NW.

2 Adam was a perfect person, & he will never live again (Hebrews 10:26) . . . if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left. . ............Adam had accurate knowledge, even Eve knew that it was wrong to eat from the tree, gen 3:1-3

3... LETS see what the Bible says on this subject.........this is God's word (James 2:14-17) 14 Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? 15 If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day, 16 yet a certain one of YOU says to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but YOU do not give them the necessities for [their] body, of what benefit is it? 17 Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.

#5 yes the 144K are the only ones who serve as Kings & Priests, under the law only the priests partook of the communion sacrifice.

Answer 10

Jereme K, I don't think any Jehovah's Witness will see your points at all, or consider themselves as being corrected, and change their faith to yours. In fact, I've found very few people of any denomination who will take a logical, much less spiritual, look at their faith and admit that they cannot reconcile a logical question put to them. Jehovah's Witnesses crave the "Christian" label while denying the Christian concept that Jesus was God in the flesh. I will not allow them that privilege except for quotation marks around the term.