ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES CHRISTIAN?- Introduction
You’ve probably encountered them at your door. And you may have seen their Watchtower and Awake! magazines neatly displayed upon the counters of your local Laundromat. Who are the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Are they Christians?

ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES CHRISTIAN?- Roots
The Jehovah’s Witnesses find their roots in the teachings of Charles Taze Russell who established his group as Zion’s Watchtower and Tract Society in 1884. Ever since the Dawn Bible Students splintered from them in 1931, they have been known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Under the allegiance of “Pastor” Russell, Jehovah’s Witnesses were urged to study only his teachings. Russell claimed that if anyone read the Bible without the aid of his work entitled Studies in the Scriptures, they would go “into darkness.”

ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES CHRISTIAN?- “Pastor” Russell’s Inconsistencies
In order to make such a bold claim, you would think that “Pastor” Russell were either a prophet or a scholar. In actuality, he was neither. He stated that the Battle of Armageddon began in 1874 and would end in 1914 (The Watchtower, 1-15-1892:22; The Time is at Hand, 1888:101; Studies in the Scriptures, series IV, 1897:621). He also claimed to know the Greek alphabet, but after being cross-examined in court, it turned out that he was not familiar with the language.

ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES CHRISTIAN?- False Prophecies
In spite of these early blunders, the Watchtower still makes erroneous claims that they are the true prophet of God for this generation, and they have set numerous dates concerning the end of the world. Needless to say, all their prophecies have turned out to be false. And just like their founder, they have lacked a proper understanding of the biblical languages. Nevertheless, this has not stopped them from producing their own “New World Translation” of the Bible!

ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES CHRISTIAN?- Conclusion
Finally, Jehovah’s Witnesses teach doctrines that are completely opposed to orthodox Christianity. For instance, they deny the Trinity, that Jesus is God, that salvation is by grace through faith, and that Christ rose from the dead in his own body. Despite their sincerity and dedication, we can only affirm that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christians.On Jehovah’s Witnesses, that’s the CRI Perspective. I’m Hank Hanegraaff.