THE HISTORY OF THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

      Charles Taze Russell, born Feb. 16, 1852, was the founder of "Zion's
Watch Tower Tract Society", who later became known as Jehovah's Witnesses.
Russell lived in Pittsburgh and was not educated beyond the seventh grade. He
had no theological training, and knew neither Greek nor Hebrew. His church
background was Scotch-Irish Presbyterian, although he became an agnostic
early in life. Later, he returned to the study of the scriptures and became
convinced that the Bible did not really teach such doctrines as the Trinity,
the Deity of Christ, the Bodily resurrection of Christ and the existence of
hell. In 1884 he and a group of like minded people formed the "Zion's Watch
Tower Tract Society". Russell perjured himself in court, and his wife was
given a decree of divorce because the Judge of the High Court of Ontario was
of the opinion that no woman of ordinary sensibility could live with a man of
so much egotism and arrogance. Russell wrote numerous articles and published
a six-volume series of books entitled, "Studies in the Scriptures". Russell
proclaimed himself "the faithful and wise servant" of Luke 12:42. Russell
died in 1916.

      Joseph Franklin Rutherford succeeded Russell. Joseph Rutherford or
"Judge Rutherford" as he was called, was sent to the Atlanta penitentiary for
sedition in 1918, and was released in March, 1919. He became a martyred hero
to the Witnesses. Rutherford was a lawyer and a special judge in the absence
of the regular judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Boonville,
Missouri prior to 1909. In 1917, he was unanimously chosen to succeed
Russell. He held the position of President of the Society until his death in
1942. Some of his accomplishments were as follows: (1) He wrote a book a
year, plus numerous articles for the "Watchtower" and "The Golden Age" and
successive editions of the "Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses". (2) He revealed
the new name for the Society as "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. The name was
supposedly revealed by God from Isaiah 43:10. (3) He did help the cause of
religious freedom by winning many cases in the U S Supreme Court as well as
in State Supreme Courts.

      Nathan H. Knorr succeeded Rutherford as President of the Jehovah's
Witnesses immediately after Rutherford's death. Knorr had been a bodyguard
for Rutherford, so he was familiar with the duties of the President. Knorr
founded a committee that set the groups doctrine and published its articles,
instead of having one man doing all the writing. Two of the most popular and
dangerous books to come out of this committee were "Let God be True" and "The
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures".

(A) .. THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES' POSITION ON THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST:

(1)  "The King, Christ Jesus, was put to death in the flesh and was
resurrected an invisible spirit creature." - WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT
SOCIETY, PG. 22, EDITION 1946.

(2)  "In his resurrection he was no more than human. He was raised as a
spirit creature." - "THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND", WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT
SOCIETY, PG. 258.

(3)  "Christ's body was dissolved into gasses" .. "preserved somewhere as the
grand memorial of God's love." - WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, PG. 129,
VOLUME 2.

(4)  The J.W. belief centers around 1 Peter 3:18. This verse says that Christ
was "made alive in the spirit".

(5)  "Dematerializing His assumed human body and returning to His invisible
spirit state, Jesus in His ascension ran no risk to His life such as from
radiation belts around the earth or cosmic rays in outer space. While He did
not ascend to heaven in the human body that He had sacrificed and that He
left forever upon God's altar, He did return to heaven with the merit or
value of His human life that He had lain down for dying mankind." - "LET YOUR
NAME BE SANCTIFIED", PG. 272.

(B) .. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST:

(1)  "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith
is also vain." - 1 CORINTHIANS 15:14

(2)  "The word 'RESURRECTION' in the Bible is never applied to soul or spirit
of man." - "J.W.'S AND THE RESURRECTION" PORTLAND TRACT SOCIETY.

(3)  "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." -"But He
was speaking of the temple of his body." - JOHN 2:19,21

      The greek word "SOMA" is translated "BODY" throughout the New
Testament, and that is the word John uses.

(4)  "See my hands and my feet, that it is I Myself; touch me and see, for a
spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." LUKE 24:39

      Later in luke 24, Vs. 42 and 43, He eats food. Sometimes J.W.'s attempt
to explain this by 1 CORINTHIANS 15:44 as a "spiritual body". Paul still uses
the word "SOMA" for body in this verse, so a spiritual body is not "A
SPIRIT".

(5)  Concerning 1 PETER 3:18, this verse only proves that it was by the
spirit of God that Christ was raised, as mentioned in ROMANS 8:11.

(6)  The true teaching concerning the resurrection of Christ does indeed
determine a persons eternal destiny! 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 14,17 and ROMANS 10:9.

APPLICATION .........

1.   Highlight the verses above in your bible for quick reference, and become
familiar with them.

2.   When discussing any topic with a J.W., don't let them stray from the
topic. Be sure to discuss only one topic at a time, and reach a conclusion
before moving on.

3.   Always remember 1 PETER 3:15 when witnessing to anyone.

4.   Memorize Colossians 2:8,9.

5.   PRAY !!!

Computers for Christ