Is it scriptural for the Jehovah's Witness to reject taking communion as the vast majority of their members do?
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Asked November 21 2013
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Joseph Galindo
Supporter
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Bruce Lyon
To say the Jehovah Witnesses are not Christians is acting in as a judge over someone else from God's point of view. Not the ground I want to stand on. Yes, JW's believe that Jesus is the arch-angel Michael, and that of coarse is not true, but they do worship Yahovah - YHVH as their God.
Have the members of that organization been deceived by the leaders of the group, absolutely. However, God looks on the heart and it He alone that judges whether one is a "Christian or not".
Secondly, there are many Jews who believe that Jesus is their Messiah and that Jesus a Jew believe that The LORD - HYVH our God is one LORD. That was Jesus creed.
Deut::6:4: Hear, O Israel: YHVH our God is one LORD:
Mr 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
The scribe agreed with Jesus:
MK:12:32: And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He:..... as a result of what the scribe said Jesus said he wasn't far from the Kingdom of God, meaning he agreed with everything the scribe had said.
Now these Messianic Jews do not believe in the Trinity, because Jews have lived and died for their belief in their God YHVH being the only God. Does that mean they are not Christians? Where in the scripture does it say one has to believe in the Trinity to be a believer. I read that if I we believe that Jesus is the lord Messiah we shall be saved.
Kevin Carlson
Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees said, 24 "..I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I AM He you will die in your sins." (John 8)
This is another "I AM" statement that Jesus made. He's claiming to be God and the Pharisees knew that and that's why they wanted to stone Him to death. Jehovah Witnesses don't believe Jesus is the second manifestation of the triune God. They don't believe He died for their sins so their still in their sins, therefore their not Christians. That's not to say that the Lord won't draw them to Himself tomorrow, but right now if this is what they believe then they aren't saved and we need to pray for them.
Pamela A
To clarify what Messianic Jews believe about Jesus and how it differs from what JWs believe:
"God does have a Son who was and is and will return (Psalm 2; Proverbs 30:4-6 (cf. Hebrews 1); Luke 12:35-37; John 1:29-34, 49; 3:14-18). The Son, called Yeshua (Jesus), meaning salvation, came to this world born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 (cf. Luke 1:30-35)). The Son is God (Deity), and is worshipped as God, having existed eternally (Psalm 110:1 (cf. Hebrews 1:13); Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-19; Revelations 3:21 (Hebrews 1 - worshipped by angels); Revelations 4:8, 5:5-14). This One is the promised Mashiach (Messiah) of Israel (Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1; Daniel 9 (especially verses 20-26); Isaiah 53; John 1:17, 40-41, 45, 49; Mark 8:29). He is the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star (Numbers 24:17; Revelations 22:16). He is our Passover, the Lamb of God (I Corinthians 5:7; Revelations. 5; John 1:29)." from http://www.mjaa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rd_aboutus_statement_of_faith
Eileen Larson
JW is NOT a Christian religion. Messianic Jews who are Jewish people who put their faith in Jesus Christ are. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." He did not say, "I am a way or a truth or a life, and all paths lead to heaven."
Jason Winn
This is interesting, I had not heard of this before. If the premise of the question is true, what is the Jehovah Witnesses reasoning for not taking communion?
Bruce Lyon
Hello Pamela A;
You used Psalm 110:1 to prove Jesus is God, interesting comment but that verse proves just the opposite:
Notice:
Psalm 110:1: The LORD - Adonai said unto my Lord - Adoni, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Now Adonai always refers to God - HYVH and never to a man or any other being. Adoni however never applies to YHVH - God, but can apply to those who represent God.
So here David in the spirit of prophecy is stating that Adonai - God - YHVH is speaking to His son, a man, Adoni and saying that His son - Adoni will sit at His right hand until He God - Adonai makes his enemies to be his footstool.
This Psalm 110:1, is the most quotes and referred to Psalm in the NT and it shows that it is revealing that God - Adonai a separate being is speaking to another separate being His son, Adoni - a Hebrew term that never refers to the LORD GOD, but always to a man, who in this case is the Messiah - God's son, His uniquely begotten son. That one verse proves that anyone who tries to say Jesus is God from that verse which proves the exact opposite is completely and utterly mistaken. The Hebrew translation makes it plain that God is talking to a man the Messiah - His anointed one, a separate being promising him that He will make his enemies his footstool. Even the AV translation shows this when it prints Adonai as THE LORD all capital letters and when refering to Adoni as Lord, indicating two separate beings.
Nathan Toronga
They were told by their leaders that the Communion meal is for the 144,000 only (and that these are the only ones who will go to heaven). That if you are not one of these, you just smell the wine and watch the "rulers" partake.
It's slavery of the most wicked type.
Alicia Kazansky
Having once been raised with the Witnesses, I can attest that their answers are hardly ever set in concrete and forever changing when their predictions don't pan out. It felt a normal thing to do when I was there for awhile until I saw the corruptness and egotism among their "clicks". There were a few who tried to portray Christ's example, but giving their Jehovah all the credit...which is ok since Jehovah, Christ and the Holy spirit are ONE, but the society would never have them believe in the trinity.
The brainwashing that is done among them is so subtle; however, thank God, really, that some of us have come to our senses and have cast off the association and have begun to heal into free will people who base their worship in Christ and Grace and not in "works" as demanded and expected from the Watchtower society. When I asked many questions, I found a wall going up and an avoidance was felt..to the point where I was told to let others have a chance to take part in their Bible Study and I suppose they considered me a heretic.
My husband, an elder, was found to be a flagrant adulterer and abuser. When I divorced him, he got the slap on the back of his hand while I got "disfellowished" Yeah, now I could teach my 4 kids, who had tuned-out what we thought they were learning, about Grace and let them choose to have their own personal relationship with God, instead of being threatened and made afraid of God if we didn't follow the Society's way.
One son says he is an agnostic, another 2 sons has found the relationship offered by Christ,and my girl has decided to go with the teaching of universe powers and is upset that SOME of the Bible books were canonized and the books about the Bible women were left out. This is very offensive to her because of the abuse she received from men in her life, and she is not sure how the Bible is not a book of control since it is not complete. We all pray for her eyes to see before the opportunity is gone. Being in a relationship is so simple and easy, for some, it seems too simple to be true. Thank GOD, He chose to invite me to join HIS family and HE has become a true source of comfort and love and help. My days are filled with so much love and power it feels like he keeps His loving hand on my back encouraging to learn more about Him and trust Him. I wish this for all;
Don Mesquit
I agree with Tony 100%. That’s like asking if a Muslim should take part in communion. If you don’t preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, you are not a Christian. Jehovah Witnesses do not preach the gospel, they preach their own gospel made up of ideas and doctrines of men. They would do well to heed Paul's advise.
Galatians 1:6 - 9
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!
As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
Tony Flores
The Jehovah Witnesses are not Christians, so what ever they do are not based on the Christian Bible. They have added to the Holy Book to fit their own needs. They do not believe that Jesus is God or in the Trinity. If they take communion or not, I don't think it matters.
Emo Tenorio
In my humble opinion all that the demonic watch tower society does is opposed to sound established doctrine, that was preserved down through the ages. Consider just two watch tower society prophecy claims!
1. That Jesus returned to earth in 1914
2. The Watch Tower Society was hand picked by Christ as God's only channel of communication to man in 1919.
One must understand that the Watch Tower is the source of their theological beliefs (via new light or revelation which is ever changing to cover newly exposed mistakes and errors), and not what is called their bible.
The central doctrine of the witnesses is their blind faith in the organization Watch Tower Society, whose complete authority can never be questioned.
If the society states that blue is now orange and has always been orange or say 3+3=33 they are correct to the captives within the walls of kingdom halls, those outside saying wrong, is just more proof that their teaching is correct.
If indeed only they are anointed to speak for God, shouldn't their doctrines and prophecies be 100% correct from the beginning as a Biblical true sign?
Instead we see demented old men who consider themselves prophets covering their mistakes with new light corrections via their get out of all errors scripture, Proverbs 4:18.
The scriptures speak of false doctrines creeping into one's life, the books of Galatians and Jude address these narcissistic heretical doctrines.
In the Lord's true freedom...warrior on
Pamela A
Bruce,
What I posted was not from me, it was copied from the the Statement of Faith found on the official website of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America.
http://www.mjaa.org
Alicia Kazansky
From what I know, only those belonging to the 144,000 appointed to be kings with Christ to rule In God's Kingdom are the only ones to take of the sacraments, ACCORDING TO THEM. They believe that when that number of anointed ones have died off then the world's end happens and their rule will begin shortly after that.
Nathan Toronga
Dear Alicia, may OUR God be praised for snatching you out of the fire. Now please diligently study the Scripture like the Bereans, that you can be sure of the foundation upon which you stand.
To Bruce my dear, to say a Hindu is not a Christian is not to judge. It's simply a fact. And they are welcome into the pen.
The watchtowerers are NOT Christians, but they are free to come in. The door is still open.
The whole cosmic battle between good and evil centres on the identity and position of the Son of Man.
And His ransom for mankind.
1. The watchtower reject His Divinity Colossians 2:9. (They claim He's a creature, yet the bible says He created everything, and that what He didn't create doesn't exits. Colossians 1:16; John 1:3. Which necessarily means, if He's a creature, then He must have created Himself!)
2. They reject His sacrificial death, claiming that people will be saved during the millennium. The devil will be 'restrained' and the watchtower will preach across the globe, so that humans can gradually attain to perfection. Check your 'Reasoning' under Judgment Day. Also see 'Awake' Magazine of January 2010, page 10. (Some of these items can be downloaded from the net).
Now, from Genesis through to Revelation, it's the story of Jesus dying in place of man. To reject that is the clearest, outright rejection of Christianity.
The watchtowerers are not Christians, and they are not witnesses of the God of heaven. Of some god, yes.
Tony Flores
Pam, I agree that Messianic Jews are Christians and their Statement of Faith proves it.