Do Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves to be Christians?

Question

And how does their belief in the nature of Christ differ from that of mainstream Christians?

freakknastyy -- I'm a Mormon, and we don't believe that Joseph Smith rose from the dead to preach. We believe everyone will be ressurrected eventually, but nowhere do we teach that Joseph Smith has made any post-mortal appearances.

Answer 1

Yes we are Christians.

It seems that many people don't consider us christians because we do/believe different things than them... but that's because they don't know the true meaning of the word.

According to the definition, a christian is someone who believes in Jesus; exhibits a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ; One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus;A follower or disciple of Jesus; someone who believes Jesus is the Christ or Messiah.

Us, JW's, we do believe in Jesus.. we know that he is the son of God, Jehovah,... we are 100% convinced that he is the Messiah/Christ... and we do live our life based on his teachings... which is most important to be a true christian. Many say they are christians because they believe in Jesus, but it's not just saying... it's about trying to live your life based on what Jesus thought.. it's about immitating him as much as we can. And like mentioned above, preaching door to door is one of the things that Jesus himself did, and JWs are one of the only ones who continue to do this.(Luke 8:1; 9:1-6; 10:1-9, 1 Peter 2:21.)

a few things that we believe differently from other religions is that we don't believe in the trinity (John 17:3; Mark 12:29),instead we believe that Jesus is the son and subject to God(1 Corinthians 11:3) The Father is greater than the Son. (John 14:28) The holy spirit is not a person; it is God's active force.—Genesis 1:2; Acts 2:18.

We don't believe Jesus died in a cross, but instead on a pole, or a stake. The Greek word translated "cross" in many Bibles meant just one piece of timber. The symbol of the cross comes from ancient false religions. The cross was not used or worshiped by the early Christians. Therefore, do you think it would be right to use a cross in worship?—Deuteronomy 7:26; 1 Corinthians 10:14

We don't believe in eternal suffering in hell, nor that we go to heaven...we simply don't believe in anytype of "afterlife" after we die. (Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Ezekiel 18:4) But we do believe in resurrection and that the righteous will live forever on earth in perfect conditions.(John 5:21, 28, 29; Luke 23:43; John 3:16; 17:3;Psalm 37:29; Matthew 5:5.)

We don't baptize babies.. as we feel that getting baptized is a form of public dedication to serving Jehovah God.. and to be able to get baptized, you need to have knowledge of Jehovah and Jesus.. and it has to be a personal decision... it can't be forced upon you.

and there's just soo many other things.. but just might take forever to list.. so if you have any more questions feel free to contact me or ask any JW around your neighborhood.

Hope I helped :)

Answer 2

A christian in it's definitation is a follower of the Christ, therefore Christ's followers or Christians. JW's adhere to Christ's teachings and closely follow his example that he has set forth for us to follow in the gospel accounts. This includes all the letters of the Apostles from 1 Corinthians to Jude and also Acts, Romans and the book of Revelations. If you examine these scriptures closely and have some understanding of the OT (Gensis - Malachi) you will see that JW are christians. Many other christian faiths object to them because they are political nuetral, not take part in the holidays and they put Jesus's father ahead of all others. God like everyone has a name. In the newer Bibles his name has been taken out. But if you go back in any Bible prior to the mid 1980's it will show that his name is Jehovah. Jesus came to earth to vindicate his father's kindom. He was Jehovah's greatest witness and JWs today also vindicate Jehovah's kindom and Jesus being the King of the Kindom until after the 1000 years Rev 14:1, 20:4-6, 1 Cor 15:27,28, Heb 2:7-9. Mainstream christians believe that Jesus is God the son, not the Son of God as Jesus himself made clear - John 20:17, 17:3-5.

Answer 3

I have been studying the world's major belief systems for over 20 years now and I can tell you that the vast majority of those who call themselves "christian" are actually practicing a form of paganism that was popular in the 4th century Roman society.

JWs are strict Bible adherants and endeavor to worship YHWH/Jehovah the same way Yhshua/Jesus and his apostles did in the 1st century.

So, I guess, if you're asking if they consider themselves to be "christians" as in participating in all of the non-Biblical, pagan Roman rituals and traditions that the majority of so-called "christians" do, then the answer would be no.

But if you are asking if they are following the example of Yhshua/Jesus and the first century Christians, then the answer would be yes.

One must read the Bible in order to understand that Yhshua/Jesus has a God whom he worships.
Yhshua/Jesus is not equal to his God YHWH/Jehovah
please read the following Scriptures:
John 20:17
John 17:3-5
John 5:19
John 14:28
John 15:15
Mark 10:18
Matthew 26:39
John 8:17-18
Mark 13:32
Matthew 20:23
Matthew 3:17
Matthew 14:23
Mark 1:35
Mark 6:46
Mark 14:32
Luke 6:12
Colossians 1:15
John 3:16
Revelation 3:12
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
Acts 3:13
Philippians 2:6
Matthew 26:64
Mark 14:62
Luke 22:69
Acts 2:33-36
Acts 5:30, 31
Acts 7:55, 56
Romans 8:34
Ephesians 1:17-21
Psalm 110:1
Hebrews 10:13
Hebrews 12:2
1 Corinthians 11:3
1 Peter 3:22
Matthew 22:37/Deuteronomy 6:5
Matthew 14:23
Mark 1:35
Mark 6:46
Mark 14:32
Luke 6:12
Matthew 6:9
John 20:17
John 17:1-5
John 5:19
John 14:28
Mark 10:18
Matthew 26:39
John 8:17-18
Mark 13:32
Matthew 20:23
Matthew 3:17

agape!

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Answer 4

To be a Christian, you must believe in God and believe Christ is His son. That's the simple and easy answer.
Jehovah's Witnesses believes this but they are just a branch. As do Mormons, its a wide spread branch.
Neither are cults like the Davidians or Jonestown. There are differences, such as not killing people.
I don't know much about Jehovah's Witnesses but Mormons believe that a man named John Smith also rose from the grave, just like Jesus, to live for a while and teach. That's one difference.

Answer 5

Regardless of what you read, the statement that "the only truth to which all christians hold is that Jesus is God," is nowhere to be found on the lips of Jesus or in the Holy Bible. That is a mere opinion. Jehovah's Witnesses believe all of what the Bible says about Jesus. If you examine the Bible verses you quote, you will see that none of them say plainly that Jesus is God. For example, John 10:30 does not say, "I and the Father are one God." Neither does John 8:19, nor John 14:8, 9. Jesus is clearly stating his likeness to his Father, and his authority as his Father's representative and spokesman. But nowhere does Jesus say in those verses, "I am God." What those verses are interpreted to say, and what they actually say, are different. Yet, Jesus clearly says that he is the Son of God, that his Father is greater than Jesus is, that no one has ever seen God, and that his Father is also his God, and that his Father is "the only true God." (John 17:3) Jehovah's Witnesses don't care whether others consider us to be Christians or not. Other people are not the judge, the Lord Jesus is. But we are Christians because we teach and believe what Jesus himself taught and believed, and we follow Jesus as our example, and believe on him as our Lord and Savior. Other people are entitled to their opinions. But that's all they are: human opinions. "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." -- Romans 14:4, New International Version

Answer 6

The full name is Jehovah's Christian Witnesses.

Dictionary states about nature:

1 a : the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing

Does Jesus have the basic constitution or inherent character of God?

Yes, As Jehovah's firstborn (eldest) Son, Jesus inherited his Fathers many qualities.

Since Jehovah is loving, Jesus is loving,
Since Jehovah is faithful, Jesus is faithful.

Why can it be said that Jesus has the nature of God?

Notice Heb 1:3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

(notice he is the radiance of God's glory, not the source,
he is the exact representation of God's nature)

Heb 1: 9"YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;
THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU
WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS." (caps by NASB)

Jesus' God anointed Jesus to be higher than his companions.

Since God did the anointing, Jesus can't be higher than Him.
Who are Jesus' companions, All the other sons of God.
Job 1:6.


The question you should ask is why has mainstream Christians differ from Jehovah's Witnesses?
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Answer 7

Yes we are Christians, at least as far as we, and many others are concerned.

It is kinda hard to say how our take on Christ differs from "mainstream" without knowing what you view that to be.

Simply put we believe that Jehovah sent his son Jesus down to Earth to become a man, that Jesus lived as the only perfect example of how a human should behave, and was a shining becon of hope and love, and then was put to death on a torture stake.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

By definition, the belief in the birth, life, and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ for sins MAKES one a Christian.
There are several differences that might interest you. Most Christians accept a concept of the trinity, which is a belief in a triune, or three sided God. We do not. We believe that Jehovah is the Almighty Sovereign, that Jesus Christ is His son , come to earth in obedience to His Father, to atone for the sins of mankind. We do not celebrate 'Christmas', as one, it has been generally accepted among Bible scholars that Jesus was NOT born in December, but quite possible in early October.. and two, Jews of Jesus' day did not celebrate birthdays anyway. The Bible, while not telling us when Jesus was born, does tell us specifically when he died, and that there were symbols of Him that He wanted His followers to remember every year.
If you would like more in depth answers to your question, please feel free to contact your local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and they will happily show you in your own Bible these answers, and more!

Answer 9

yes we do consider ourselves Christians. we follow Jesus Christ command at Matthew 28 verse 19 and 20. Jesus Christ is the son of the Most Holy Father Jehovah. Jesus is the head of the kingdom halls all around the world. he is seating at the right hand of Jehovah God. many believe that we are not Christians because we don't celebrate Jesus birth. Jesus was not born on DEC 25. he also told us to celebrate his death on Nisan 14 which we do every year. Jesus was not born in the winter, because the Shepard where out in the field and in DEC it is the cold and rainy season. he died on Nisan 14 he was 33 1/2 years old and count six months and you get October

Answer 10

Yes, adherents of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves to be Christians.

Jehovah's Witnesses are relatively unique among self-described Christians in that they are nontrinitarians; that is, Witnesses believe the bible to teach that Christ Jesus is a distinct person from Jehovah God.

As true Christians, of course, Jehovah's Witnesses believe and teach that Jesus the Son is divine and of the same nature as God the Father. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe!

Yet the bible plainly teaches that Jesus was created, and at some point after creation was elevated at God's right hand.

(Colossians 1:15) the firstborn of all creation

(Mark 10:18) Jesus said to him: 'Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.

(Revelation 3:14) the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God

(Philippians 2:5-6) Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God

(John 8:42) Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth

(John 12:49) I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak

(John 14:28) I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am

(1 Corinthians 15:28) But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him

(Matthew 20:23) this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father

(1 Corinthians 11:3) I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; ...in turn the head of the Christ is God

(John 20:17) I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.

(Deuteronomy 6:4) Jehovah our God is one Jehovah

(1 Corinthians 8:4-6) There is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called "gods," whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many "gods" and many "lords," there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him

Thanks again for an opportunity to share what the bible actually says about the distinct persons of Jesus Christ the Son and Jehovah God the Father!

Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/
http://watchtower.org/e/20020515/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_04.htm