Why Jehovah's Witnesses Are Not Christians

Many people assume that Jehovah’s Witnesses are just another branch of Christianity. However, when we look at what they believe and teach, it becomes clear that their doctrines stand in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus and the Word of God. In fact, the group’s structure, theology, and claims even fit the characteristics of a cult, rather than a biblical church.

In this article, we’ll take a look at their origins, their doctrines, and then compare their teachings to what Scripture actually says.

Brief History

In the late 19th century in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an 18-year-old named Charles Taze Russell began leading a Bible study group that promoted aberrant teachings—many of which were influenced by Adventist theology and speculative Bible interpretations.

Russell began publishing The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence in 1879, and by 1881 he had founded the Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society (which would later become the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).

After Russell’s death in 1916, Joseph Franklin Rutherford succeeded him as president and reorganized the movement. Under Rutherford’s leadership, the group adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses and introduced significant doctrinal changes. He also established a strict hierarchical system of leadership that remains today:

1. The Governing Body
   
   
2. Branch Committees
   
   
3. Traveling Overseers
   
   
4. Bodies of Elders
   
   
5. Congregations
   
   
6. Individual Publishers (those who distribute Watchtower materials)
   
   

Doctrine

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ key beliefs can be summarized as follows:

• God – Denies the Trinity. Jehovah alone is God. Jesus is a created being (Michael the Archangel) who became the Son of God at His baptism. The Holy Spirit is not a Person but an impersonal force.
  
  
• Authority/Revelation – The New World Translation (their altered version of the Bible) and the Governing Body are considered the final authorities, claiming to receive new divine revelation.
  
  
• Man – Created with free will and must obey Jehovah’s commands to receive life.
  
  
• Sin – Defined as transgression of Jehovah’s laws; forgiveness comes through obedience and death.
  
  
• Salvation – Achieved by good works and obedience to Jehovah’s organization. Jesus’ death atoned only for Adam’s sin, not for individuals. They deny Hell and teach that only 144,000 will go to Heaven while others will live eternally on a paradise earth—or be annihilated.
  
  
• Creation – Accept a “day-age” interpretation of Genesis; the universe is billions of years old; limited acceptance of evolution, with man as a special creation.
  
  

Why I Disagree—and What the Bible Actually Says

1. Denial of the Trinity and of Jesus’ Divinity

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus was created as Michael the Archangel and is not equal with God. They also deny that the Holy Spirit is a Person. This directly contradicts the Bible’s clear witness that Jesus is eternal, divine, and equal with the Father.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
“Before Abraham was, I AM.” — John 8:58
“Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” — John 20:28

Jesus receives worship throughout Scripture (Matthew 14:33; Hebrews 1:6), something that would be idolatry if He were not truly God. The Holy Spirit is also revealed as a Person who teaches, speaks, and can be grieved (John 14:26; Acts 13:2; Ephesians 4:30).

The Trinity is not polytheism—it is one God eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

2. Works-Based Salvation

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that salvation is earned through obedience, moral conduct, and loyalty to their organization. They reject salvation by grace through faith alone. This diminishes the sufficiency of Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared… He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His mercy.” — Titus 3:4–5

Scripture makes clear that good works are the result of salvation—not the cause (James 2:17). Christ’s atonement covers all who believe, not just Adam’s sin, but “the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

3. False Eschatology and Failed Prophecies

Jehovah’s Witnesses have repeatedly predicted the end of the world (notably in 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975, and others). Each time they were proven false, the organization revised its theology instead of repenting.

Jesus explicitly warns us not to set dates for His return:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” — Matthew 24:36

The Bible teaches that all believers—not just 144,000—will share eternal life with Christ (Revelation 7:9; John 10:28). And while the Bible speaks of a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), this is part of the eternal state, not a physical paradise ruled by an organization.

4. Continual and Changing Revelation

The Watchtower claims that “new light” can replace old teachings, meaning their doctrines can change as “Jehovah reveals more.” This allows them to shift beliefs over time, even when past “truths” contradict new ones.

But Scripture clearly teaches that God’s revelation is final and unchanging:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8
“Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” — Galatians 1:8

God’s Word is complete, sufficient, and unchanging. There is no “new revelation” that can add or take away from it (Revelation 22:18–19).

Conclusion: Truth, Not Organization, Saves

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to represent God’s only true organization on earth. But salvation does not come from belonging to an organization—it comes from belonging to Christ. The Bible teaches that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13), not those who follow man-made rules or human authority.

Their denial of the deity of Christ, their rejection of salvation by grace, and their ever-changing doctrines place them outside of biblical Christianity. The true Gospel is centered on Jesus Christ—God in the flesh—who died for our sins, rose again, and offers eternal life as a free gift to all who believe.

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36

Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christians because they reject the true identity of Jesus Christ and the saving power of His grace. Our calling as believers is not to attack, but to lovingly point them to the truth of Scripture—the unchanging Word of God that leads to eternal life.