Jehovah's Witnesses

Begin with official Watch Tower claims about Jehovah, Jesus as created Son and Michael, the Holy Spirit as impersonal force, the New World Translation, and the 1914 kingdom chronology.

Use Watch Tower sources for Watch Tower claims

A fair answer should quote JW.org, the New World Translation, and official Watch Tower publications before turning to Christian critique.

Keep Jesus at the center

The most important questions concern who Jesus is, whether he rose bodily, whether he receives divine honor, and whether the New Testament includes him within the one God's identity.

Separate central doctrine from secondary details

The shape of the cross and the 1914 chronology matter for Watch Tower authority, but the central Christian answer turns on Christ's deity, bodily resurrection, the Spirit's personhood, and the apostolic gospel.

Key questions

Does Scripture identify Jesus as a created angel or as the divine Son worshiped above angels?
Does John 1:1 teach that the Word is a god, or that the Word is God while distinct from God?
Does the Bible describe the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force or with personal divine agency?
Can the Watch Tower 1914 chronology be established from Scripture in context?

Related references

The Biblical Personhood of the Holy Spirit
A concise biblical case that the Holy Spirit acts personally and divinely rather than as an impersonal force.
The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus
A biblical argument that Jesus rose bodily, not merely as a recreated spirit or a symbolic memory.
The Deity of Christ
A biblical and historical case that the New Testament identifies Jesus within the divine identity rather than as a mere creature or prophet.
The Reliability of the Bible
A measured answer that biblical reliability rests on textual transmission, public testimony, and the coherence of the canonical witness.
The Trinity Is Monotheism
A concise case that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity confesses one God, not three gods.
The Cross Should Be a Torture Stake
A measured response to the Watch Tower translation and symbol claim about the instrument of Jesus' death.
The Holy Spirit Is Not a Person
A response to the Watch Tower teaching that the Holy Spirit is God's active force.
Jesus Is Michael the Archangel
A response to the Watch Tower claim that Michael is a name for Jesus before and after his earthly life.
Jesus Rose as a Spirit Creature
A response to the Watch Tower claim that Jesus did not rise bodily.
John 1:1 Says a god
A response to the New World Translation rendering of John 1:1.
God's Kingdom Began Ruling in 1914
A response to the Watch Tower claim that Bible chronology establishes 1914 as the start of Christ's heavenly kingdom rule.
The Trinity Is Pagan
A response to the Watch Tower claim that the Trinity is a pagan or post-biblical corruption.

Sources

Official source

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

Official Jehovah's Witnesses Bible translation available on JW.org.

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, JW.org, accessed June 16, 2026.

Open source

Official source

Should You Believe in the Trinity?

Official Watch Tower brochure arguing against the Trinity.

Should You Believe in the Trinity?, JW.org, accessed June 16, 2026.

Open source

Official source

What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?

Official JW.org summary of Jehovah's Witness beliefs.

What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?, JW.org, accessed June 16, 2026.

Open source

Official source

What Does Bible Chronology Indicate About the Year 1914?

Official JW.org article explaining the 1914 kingdom chronology claim.

What Does Bible Chronology Indicate About the Year 1914?, JW.org, accessed June 16, 2026.

Open source

Official source

The Archangel Michael

Official JW.org article identifying Michael with Jesus before and after his earthly life.

The Archangel Michael, JW.org, accessed June 16, 2026.

Open source

Secondary context

Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of John

Christian apologetics source on Jehovah's Witness Christology and John.

Robert M. Bowman Jr., Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of John, Baker Book House, 1989.

Secondary context

Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses

Evangelical response source for Jehovah's Witness claims.

Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses, Harvest House, 1993.