Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christians? :: Gospel Outreach Report: BITTERNE, Southampton

A common question on the internet today is "are Jehovah's Witnesses christians?" - I will attempt to answer that question in this article.

Today (Saturday), a team of us (Five) did a Gospel outreach in Bitterne precinct. Note: this was a Spring Road Evangelical Church outreach, headed up by the pastor, Mark Stocker.

“Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)

Bitterne is a small area in the city of Southampton. It’s the closest shopping area to our church, and that’s where we often find people going about their business. Once a month, we set aside an hour to be there, seeking to make known the Good News of Jesus to anyone who has ears to hear.

Today, many of us had conversations. It’s not always easy to encourage people to stop and talk. You get all sorts of reactions when you witness for Christ. Some mutter under their breath, others shout objections but refuse to stop. I saw all of that today. Yet, there were also those who did stop and engage.

“Where is the Messiah for the Jews?”

One man asked me where the Messiah was for the Jews. I replied that He came two thousand years ago. Only afterwards did I realise that he was probably asking where the Messiah is for the Jews today. But the man wouldn’t stop.

It can be tough to know exactly how to respond when people throw out the most random of questions. That’s why it’s so important to bathe our outreaches in prayer. I’ve no doubt that God

can use even one sentence to challenge someone in their lost state.

“My mum is a lesbian, so there is no hope!”

Another lady walked past and said, “My mum is a lesbian, so there’s no hope for her.”

I replied, “We’re all sinners” – meaning that whatever the sin, there is hope in Jesus. But she didn’t engage at all, and carried on walking as if nothing had been said.

It’s vital that we try to reach people with that mindset. The media often paints Christians as though we’d have nothing to do with someone in such a lifestyle. But that’s simply not true. A Christian should witness to everyone – whatever their walk of life.

“I’ve been a Jehovah’s Witness for 60 years.”

A kind, gentle lady came up to me and told me she’d been a Jehovah’s Witness for sixty years. She said she reads the Bible every day, and that only yesterday she’d had a lovely conversation with “your friend” on the precinct. I think she meant someone else who was handing out Gospel flyer.

I took the opportunity to challenge her about what she believes.

Who are the Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are a religious movement that began in America in the late 1800s. They grew out of the Bible Student movement, founded by Charles Taze Russell. Today they’re organised under the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.

They use the name “Jehovah” for God, and call themselves His witnesses. They also use their own translation of the Bible, the New World Translation.

They believe Jesus is God’s Son, but not part of the Trinity. They expect God’s Kingdom to soon replace human governments and turn the earth into paradise. They’re strict in their morals, keep themselves separate from wider society, and are best known for their door-to-door work, offering magazines like The Watchtower and Awake!.

They don’t celebrate birthdays, Christmas, or Easter, believing them to be pagan. They refuse military service, political involvement, and blood transfusions – all from their reading of scripture.

Their worldwide headquarters is in Warwick, New York, where the Governing Body sets out their teachings. Locally, they meet in Kingdom Halls for worship and study.

There are around eight and a half million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, with many more attending meetings and conventions.

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Christians?

Many people assume they are Christians, because they have a “Bible” and talk about “Jesus.” But if you look more closely, you’ll find their Bible has been altered from the original manuscripts, and the Jesus they follow is not the true Jesus of scripture.

The Jesus of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is a different Jesus.

Even in their New World Translation, Jesus’ claims to be God are still plain to see – though their Watchtower teachings deny it.

There are other beliefs they hold that are also not Biblical, but at the heart of the matter is this: if they have the wrong Jesus, they are lost. Jesus Himself said, “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).

The conversation with the lady

I challenged her to read the Bible for herself, without the Watchtower lens. I told her that Jesus claimed again and again to be God. She turned to walk away. I reminded her that the Jews often sought to stone Jesus for saying this.

For example, in John 10:30–33:

• Jesus says, “I and the Father are one” (v. 30).

• The Jews pick up stones to kill Him (v. 31).

• When He asks why, they answer, “For blasphemy; because thou, being a man, makest thyself God” (v. 33).

Another example is John 8:58–59:

• Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.”

• The crowd picks up stones to throw at Him.

The lady eventually returned and told me that, if I want to attract people to read the Bible, I should be more like Jesus and speak more kindly. She was offended that I’d urged her to read the Bible for herself, rather than trust the Watchtower.

I reminded her that Jesus was not always calm and meek and mild - He turned the tables in the temple, and called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:34). Those were the people who should have known better (the Pharasees). If this lady has been exposed to Jesus’ words for sixty years, she too should know better.

She walked away in disgust, but I reminded her that eternity is real – there is an eternal hell to flee, not the annihilation the Witnesses teach.

So, are Jehovah’s Witnesses Christians? My wholehearted answer is: No.

What do you think? How would you speak to a sweet lady who has been lost in the Jehovah’s Witnesses for sixty years?

Please pray for all those who received tracts and had conversations today.

For His Glory,

-Nigel, Printing Evangelism