The Watchtower
Versus
The Bible
What are some of the core differences between The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society’s teachings and what the Bible teaches?
What you need to know.
The Watchtower
Teaches About Jesus
1. Jesus did not eternally exist.
Firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15) means Jesus… “was God’s first creation.”
[From JW.org: “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” Chapter 4, p. 41]
2. Jesus is Michael the Archangel.
“Michael is none other than Jesus Christ in his heavenly role.”
[From JW.org: “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” Appendix 11, p. 219]
3. Jesus is not Almighty God.
“Is the firstborn Son equal to God, as some believe? That is not what the Bible teaches.”
[From JW.org: “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” Chapter 4, p. 41]
4. Jesus did not rise bodily from the dead but was raised as a spirit-creature.
“On the third day after Jesus died, his heavenly Father resurrected him back to spirit life.”
[From JW.org: "What Does the Bible Really Teach?" Chapter 4, p. 46]
The Bible Teaches
About Jesus
[Note: Click verses to read Scripture]
1. Jesus existed eternally.
John 1:1; ; Isaiah 9:6 (“Eternal Father” also means “Father of Eternity”); Hebrews 13:8; Colossians 1:17 (Jesus is “before all things.”)
(Note: "Firstborn" does not mean first created in Col. 1:15. It means preeminence. E.g. God calls David firstborn in Ps. 89:27, yet he was the youngest son of Jesse.)
2. There are no passages in the Bible identifying Jesus as Michael.
Challenge the JW to show you one verse that says Jesus is Michael.
3. Jesus is Almighty Creator God.
Colossians 1:16-17; 2:9; ; Isaiah 44:24; John 20:28; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8-10; Revelation 22:13 with 1:7-8; Revelation 2:8 with Isaiah 44:6.
(Note: The Watchtower has their own distorted translation called the New World Translation where it says Jesus created “all [other] things” in Col. 1:16. They inserted ‘other’ 4 times, because as originally read without this added word, the passage actually announces Jesus as Creator. Also notice that Isaiah 44:24 teaches there is only one Creator identified as God.)
4. Jesus rose bodily from the dead.
Check out: John 2:18-22; Luke 24:36—46; John 20:27-29.
The Watchtower
Teaches About the Holy Spirit
1. The Holy Spirit is not a person.
“The holy spirit is not a person.”
[From JW.org: "Bible Teachings - What Is the Holy Spirit?"]
2. The Holy Spirit is not God.
“This spirit is not God himself but a force that God sends forth, or uses, to accomplish whatever he wishes.”
[From wol.jw.org, “The Watchtower—2002 - May 15”]
The Bible Teaches
About the Holy Spirit
1. The Holy Spirit has personality.
1 Timothy 4:1; Acts 8:29, 13:2-4 (communicates expressly); John 16:13 (hears); John 14:16-21; Acts 9:31 (helps/comforts); John 16:13; Romans 8:14 (leads); Romans 8:26 (intercedes in prayer); John 14:26 (teaches); Acts 13:2-4 (sends); Ephesians 4:30 (grieves); Acts 5:3 (can be lied to)
2. The Holy Spirit is God.
Romans 8:11 (raises the dead); Genesis 1:2; Acts 5:3-5, 9-10 (gives/takes life); Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:13-14 (adopts/seals children of God); 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 1:2 (justifies/sanctifies); Matthew 12:31-32 (cf. with) Acts 10:38-40a (can be blasphemed)
(Note: Acts 5:3-4 shows lying to the Holy Spirit is the same as lying to God)
The Watchtower Teaches
About Salvation
1. Water baptism by the Watchtower Organization is essential for salvation.
“Water baptism is a requirement for all who want to have a relationship with Jehovah God.”
[From JW.org: “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” Chapter 18, p. 175]
2. You must work before qualifying for baptism.
Watchtower elders "will let you know that you qualify to share in the field ministry as an unbaptized publisher of the good news.... Some other steps must be taken before you qualify for baptism.... Before you can get baptized, then, doing Jehovah God’s will (directed by the Watchtower's Governing Body) must be your main purpose in life." (Bracket added. See "Good News From God!", p. 29)
[From JW.org: “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” Chapter 18, pp. 177-179]
The Bible Teaches
About Salvation
1. Salvation cannot be earned. It is God’s free gift.
Matthew 19:25-26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16; Acts 8:26-40 (Read how the Ethiopian was baptized prior to works)
2. We can become children of God solely through a personal relationship with Jesus. Not through works.
For through him (Jesus) we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
Latest comments
14.09 | 00:17
Is it your intent to share your faith with me? I'm a devout Latter-day Saint.
30.06 | 17:21
Let's add, the keys to Death and Hades (Revelation 1:18) the key of David (Rev. 3:7) the key of knowledge (Luke 11:52) and the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt.16:19) only given to Simon/Peter.
24.05 | 06:04
Intuitive
10.02 | 23:31
Checked out the great video. 👍 Thumbs up!
The Mormon Religion was officially founded by Joseph Smith Jr. on April 6. 1830 after the Book of Mormon (BOM) was published in that same year.
Joseph Smith Jr. was born in Vermont on December 23, 1805. He claimed that when he was 14, he received a vision from God the Father and Jesus Christ in a grove of trees near his home where he received instructions not to join any of the Christian churches because they were all wrong.
Three years later, Smith claimed that an angel named Moroni (a character found in the BOM) appeared to him in his bedroom whom he said revealed to him that he was selected to translate "Reformed Egyptian" (a language that does not exist) from gold plates into old English. These plates were supposedly hidden near Palmyra, New York and are said to be written around the 4th century. The BOM was named after Moroni’s father, Mormon. Mormons view the BOM as sacred. No one is able to study the original plates because Joseph Smith claimed the angel took them back on May 2, 1838 (History of the Church 1:60).
Smith had a scribe named Cowdery. Smith did not actually translate directly from any plates. Rather, in his writings, he said he placed a "seer stone" in a hat and covered any light from entering it as he placed his face in the hat. According to Martin Harris, “By aid of the seer stone, sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet . . . , and when finished he would say, ‘Written,’ and if correctly written, that sentence would disappear and another appear in its place, but if not written correctly it remained until corrected,” Smith said, “By the power of God I translated the Book of Mormon from hieroglyphics".
Despite such methods of translation, there have been at least 3,913 changes made in the BOM from the time it was first published. Joseph Smith stated, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” Smith also claimed that John the Baptist appeared to him on May 15, 1829 while he was translating the BOM, and instructed him to restore the church by preaching the only true gospel.
Mormons regard the BOM as sacred writings, and view it in higher standing than that of the Holy Bible. Mormon Missionaries will ask you to pray that it is true. (See our page Pray to Know)