Basic JW Doctrine

crolson

Hi, I am not a JW, but I am a student studying the Jehovah's Witnesses. I was wondering if a JW could answer a few questions for me about your doctrine?

What is your God (Jehovah) like?
Where does your teaching come from (which writings)?
Who is Jesus? Is he God or man or both? Did he save us from our sins?
What does it mean to have salvation?
Who or what is the Holy Spirit? What is his function?
What happens after death? (both for faithful JWs and for those who don't believe)
What is sin? What can we do about it?

Thanks so much for your help!

to find these answers you would need the latest watchtower magazines. Be sure that you have the latest watchtowers as the answers to those questions may change according to the brighter understanding of the Jehovah's witness interpretations of the catholic book aka the bible

MadGiant

* What is your God (Jehovah) like?
Imaginary, like all mythology-historical deities.

Warren Wilson

He is a homicidal maniac.

kaik

Crolson, welcome on JWN board. Most of us here are ex-JWs who left organization recently or long time ago like myself 21 years ago. There is no universal consensus of JW doctrines and beliefs because they change all the time. The WT is not the same organization I grew up in in the 70's-90's, so what we studied and believed 25-35 years ago is no more relevant today in WT world. So whatever you miss on any doctrine, JWs are not afraid the loss of the knowledge, because a new doctrine will arrive shortly. I can only answer some of the questions that I remember from my WT life back then. There are probably others who can answer you better.

What is your God (Jehovah) like?: Creator a life giver and the only One who was always present
Where does your teaching come from (which writings)?: Bible interpreted through WT publications. In the 1980's it was later forbidden to study Bible on its own as it could lead to heresy.
Who is Jesus? Is he God or man or both? Did he save us from our sins?: Jesus is not God. He is only mediator for 144K and nobody else. He only save 144K. The big crowd is saved through association of 144K.
What does it mean to have salvation?: Nothing. Salvation for Big Crowd is achieved in the ability to ride through Armageddon, doing field work, and read WT publications. 144K goes to Heaven.
Who or what is the Holy Spirit? What is his function?: A force that created universe and guides FDS.
What happens after death? (both for faithful JWs and for those who don't believe): With exception of 144K, nothing. Death is sleep, a status of non-existence and lack of awareness. Evil people or faithful JWs of Big Crowd get resurrected as nothing in their past lives mattered. People destroyed by Jehovah do not get resurrected (flip-flop doctrine). 144K see their funeral on their way to Heaven.
What is sin? What can we do about it?: Sin is fall of man from Grace; inability to be good. Person is born damaged with a sin due disobedience of Adam. JWs believe in Original, Adamic sin. We cannot stop to sin, as it is part of our human nature, but we can mitigate the effect by doing field work, read WT publications, and attending KH and numerous conventions.

Ding

As you can see, Crolson, this is not an official WT website.

Sabin

Hello Crolson, it is so nice to meet you. You have an awful lot of questions. You say you are a student studying JW what exactly do you mean, studying with them or about them? If you are studying about them then may I be so rude as to ask in what capacity? You will find many different answers to some of the things you ask, as one`s on here have varying opinions. What you will find though is a group of people who unlike the average JW allows others the right to their opinions, a group who are able to agree to dis-agree with out judging others as bad/fit for destruction, again unlike the JW`s. Please stay & I hope you will find it an education. SABIN.

naazira

I'll answer according to the jehovah's witness perspective. To the best of my knowledge, because their doctrine is updated often. This is not my perspective.

What is your God (Jehovah) like?
Jehovah is a kind, loving creator, fair God. He wants you to know and use his personal name, Jehovah, in order to begin a friendship with him.
Where does your teaching come from (which writings)?
The Bible, it's the inspired word of God. Also, Jehovah God tells the faithful and discreet slave about the true meaning of the bible. The faithful slave= the governing body of Jehovah's witness. The governing body receives correct information about Bible text from Jehovah and they share that with the congregations.
Who is Jesus? Is he God or man or both? Did he save us from our sins?
Jesus is a created being. Before he came to earth he was Michael the Archangel. Scripture supports the notion that Jesus is the archangel Michael. Jesus is man and A god (small g), BUT NOT Jehovah God! Jehovah God and Jesus are not equal but separate, they are not the same person. Jesus gave his life a ransom sacrifice so that we may have the chance of eternal paradise to be reconciled with Jehovah. Jesus did not save us from sin, but made it possible where we can now ask Jehovah to forgive us our sins based on the ransom sacrifice. And no animal sacrifice.
What does it mean to have salvation?
Again, the ransom has given us the resurrection hope. Meaning that because of Jesus' death we have a chance of living forever on a paradise earth.
Who or what is the Holy Spirit? What is his function?
The holy spirit is Jehovah's active force. It's not a person like Jesus but a force. A guiding force, that works in harmony with Jehovah's will. The holy spirit will even lead witnesses to knock on your door and start a. Bible study with you. That's Jehovah's holy spirit that led them to you.
What happens after death? (both for faithful JWs and for those who don't believe)
Only those of the 144,000 will get to go to heaven after death. But everyone else will be dead. There is no life after death, and there is no hell. The bible says the dead are conscious of nothing. Both witnesses and non witnesses are not conscious- they remain dead. But the witnesses and maybe some non witnesses live on in Jehovah's memory, until he decides to wake them up from death.
What is sin? What can we do about it?
Sin is doing that which is contrary to Jehovah's commands. Also, disobeying those that Jehovah has placed over you such as the governing body or the congregational elders is sinful. The governing body of Jehovah's witnesses are chosen by Jehovah to lead and not complying with instruction is as though you are saying no to Jehovah and that is sinful. What can we do about sin? Nothing, Jehovah has set a date when he will destroy those who take part in sin. Jehovah's witnesses only goal is to preach so that all may become witnesses of Jehovah and be saved from the dreadful day of Jehovah God- Armageddon.

WireRider

It all really confuses me.

You would have to go back and start with Arius about 300 AD. Arius was a Catholic Bishop that decided that Jesus was not divine - not part of God - he preached no Trinity. Many versions of Christianity existed and a lot of arguments. The emperor Constantine (pagan) was sick of the political problems and called for a council to hash out their problems (Council of Nicaea). Arius was kicked out, banished to the north, and ALL of his works were ordered to be burned. He hated Catholics and proclaimed the orthodox Catholic church heretics and apostates - which is really contradictory. The WT/JW carry that grudge/hate of Catholics to this day. The Council assembled the New Testament. Charles Russell, who never passed the 7th grade at the time for whatever that's worth, had been a member of a number of failed churches that claimed many false prophesies - everyone quit. In his reading he stumbled upon Arius from the 3rd century - and for lack of a better term, thought he was "cool".

I don't understand why the WT/JW worship Arius, but use a Catholic Bible that was very intentionally assembled all around the Trinity. There is no scripture that proves that Jesus was Micheal. I think there is one verse that the NWT changes that is very misinterpreted - in a desperate grasp to justify Arius in a Catholic Bible assembled entirely around the Trinity. The entire New Testament is about the Trinity - by design.

I truly don't understand the whole 144,000 thing at all. In Revelations, and I think Daniel, the 144,000 are VERY SPECIFICALLY 12,000 of each of the 12 tribes of Israel. I don't know where and when Russell came up with the idea that it meant some random group of people in Pennsylvania or Brooklyn NY. Again - the Bible says 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Yet Rutherford sent letters to Hitler (published online) how he agrees with hating Jews. Huh?

Russell claimed that public was too stupid to read the Bible on there own - he went on to create an encyclopedia set of volumes of how people should understand the Bible. I don't understand that. But yet is known for disapproving of education to be able to think for themselves. He tried desperately to Arius-ize the Christian Trinity Bible. I'm the public, I read the Bible. I don't need a dozen other books to explain it to me - and in very distorted terms. The WT/JW should have never tried to highjack a Christian Bible - they should just read rantings of Russell.

Listener

As an example of their changes in Doctrine, until around 1950 they taught that it was proper to worship Jesus, they now teach that it is wrong.