14:11) while believers are in conscious bliss in heaven (1 Cor. One key meaning of the term is man’s immaterial self that consciously survives death (Gen. At death, that life-force leaves the body.īiblically, however, the word “soul” is multifaceted. The “soul” is simply the life-force within a person. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. 3:1), and these same people will also dwell on the new earth (2 Pet. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe there are two peoples of God: (1) the Anointed Class (144,000) will live in heaven and rule with Christ and (2) the “other sheep” (all other believers) will live forever on a paradise earth.īiblically, however, a heavenly destiny awaits all who believe in Christ (John 14:1-3 17:24 2 Cor. Good works are the fruit or result, not the basis, of salvation (Eph.

Salvation is based wholly on God’s unmerited favor (grace), not on the believer’s performance. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that salvation requires faith in Christ, association with God’s organization (i.e., their religion), and obedience to its rules.īiblically, however, viewing obedience to rules as a requirement for salvation nullifies the gospel (Gal. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (Matt.

Also, he does things that only a person can do, including: Moreover, personal pronouns are used of him (Acts 13:2). Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force of God and not a distinct person.īiblically, however, the Holy Spirit has the three primary attributes of personality: Titus 2:13), and will be accompanied by visible cosmic disturbances (Matt. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the second coming was an invisible, spiritual event that occurred in the year 1914.īiblically, however, the yet-future second coming will be physical, visible (Acts 1:9-11 cf. This was confirmed by his followers who physically touched him (Matt. He ate food on several occasions, thereby proving that he had a genuine physical body after the resurrection (Luke 24:30, 42-43 John 21:12-13). Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was resurrected spiritually from the dead, but not physically.īiblically, however, the resurrected Jesus asserted that he was not merely a spirit but had a flesh-and-bone body (Luke 24:39 cf. Indeed, Jesus was Immanuel, or “God with us” (Matt. Therefore, the incarnate Jesus was the sum total of the nature, being, and attributes of God in bodily form. theotēs) refers to the nature, being, and attributes of God. plērōma) carries the idea of the sum total. This violates the biblical teaching that in the incarnate Jesus, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that when Jesus was born on earth, he was a mere human and not God in human flesh. Indeed, a comparison of the OT and NT equates Jesus with Jehovah (compare Isa. 3:14) and has the exact same divine nature as the Father (John 5:18 10:30 Heb. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical world existed, and is a lesser, though mighty, god.īiblically, however, Jesus is eternally God (John 1:1 8:58 cf. Thus doctrinal support for the Trinity is compellingly strong. The Bible indicates that there is three-in-oneness in the godhead (Matt. Still further, each of the three is involved in doing the works of deity-such as creating the universe: 8:4 James 2:19), it is also true that three persons are called God in Scripture:Įach of these three possesses the attributes of deity-including Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Trinity is unbiblical because the word is not in the Bible and because the Bible emphasizes that there is one God.īiblically, while it is true that there is only one God (Isa.

In NT times, Jesus referred to God as “Father” (Gk. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s one true name-the name by which he must be identified-is Jehovah.īiblically, however, God is identified by many names, including:

Jehovas witness