A Critical Study of the Jehovah's Witnesses Doctrine of God Robert S
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Digital Commons @ George Fox University Western Evangelical Seminary Theses Western Evangelical Seminary 1-1-1953 A Critical Study of the Jehovah's Witnesses Doctrine of God Robert S. Taber Recommended Citation Taber, Robert S., "A Critical Study of the Jehovah's Witnesses Doctrine of God" (1953). Western Evangelical Seminary Theses. 225. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/wes_theses/225 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Evangelical Seminary at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western Evangelical Seminary Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A STUDY OF TEE the .APPROVAL SHEET This thesis has been approved by- the following faculty- committee: Approved m.,.:Ll, I?S:J Approved }n" 01,11 l?trJ iii v Chri � • • .. @ e � .. His " ® "' • 0 * • " � .. The • • .. 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INTRODUCTION but and many of have or movement Jehovoo•s the is not to be 11To the to the if they to it is it was to see the lll'tlSt claim to s:Lsts of the npastor' that more to this �rfithm:tt the :Bible than to read the :B:tb1e '.d.�hout re�1.d:i.ne; that theil• mover.Hmt is ThiS may SOUX1d to some \'l'ho have heard them or :reP.d thEdr for their co.ntalns many Th•?ir Utr�rature is of of this is not the :is it ion of the 1>.rill the movement nm1 it its h.i this name never ma·terialized and in later years su.ch ne;aes as s, Russellites, :B:tble in s • .A. and 7tlatchtower :Bible and ·those within the not a� title, and. 6 on t in the >J.nto this 7 the writer in e-.>J.d contrast tb.e doctrine tho 6 .. I THE PROBLEM .AND ITS OF TIDJ The and are essential. in es the claims of any the viEn'i'S of the are correct, ha:<re a solid foundation upon "''hich. the:b.• doctrines are the this h�1s been to do two st, it \¥as ne��essary to deter- mine their method of in the of to the doctrine of God. in the of method. :B., PURPOSE OF T:Wl STUDY t!as to examine the do>�trine of God of and. cont:rast their doctri11e the God held sm. Th.e of th:t involved first11 forth the doctrine of and on of the s their doctrine their doctrine of Christ, fourth • their doct::rinlf; of the c. OF STUDY The writer has felt such a was valid because of the leled boldness of Pa8tor Russell \vhich r1.u1s his l:i.f�1 and This has of the or the cal of Another reason the writer has 6 the of ancl set the to this for 2 this were c. of these authors 'lt.ra.rn upon. the leaders but none went very most of the one has been. � is t:s \10l'k \4/BS in tl'.tett or any wl:llrliS made, he he secure tion,. among the M menti others their or the to the:l.r 8 Since every could not be di Christ aud th6 Spirit., DEFINITI OF TERMS that religious upon a akin to that that there '.lf&S x:.o truth on e&�th until movement the n.otorious the over as the names he:ve to this movemen.t, but the name in this word doctrine is derived. frcm the both the e..ct of th.. nt is and this latter sense is now In a of 4 dootri.ne 4., • 866 .. 9 (I 1 6 ; II 1 • 4 the to the fo:re in :tn l\!itic do(;t:r:tne the ) its :root in the man on 1. tive the maintains that the the Thl.s the as well as the llo�;rever* the term this s to the po held on of the ON Old and Ne\#1 is the Word that it reveal� the true wa"¥ to !!!alvatiou; th.at every true is to ac- and receive it the the of God as the and anc..'i. 9 H. o:r a the doctrine God s author then devoted time to the pre- of these same ism; �:;hieh contrast of doctrines and those II T.HE s li movement. very on the the of that the the , lro.t the of ul 12 contend the an oral law or of that •.:r.ttere.Jleetl! does claim to or to the the !3.0 the very s t:b..t;�.t the to ona the es- who the 4.. that the be them \thich i on the go the God torment ean not be trae reasons: ( l ) because a. a. 14 The.t of JehovM' the they taken from \i'e t i o!l. upon of C--odt---to even be clearer to most state that Sill set out to sq'UBJ:'e with human reason". fact in this instance is the rati st, of God s it; but the s to make the to hu,.. man reason» to the of mant observation V!f:i.S made that !2l that a. statement of the of ongs to Ol'l.S or is not to be stated one age are not tr-.;�,e "!'las obr:Served. that 9.. J. Watchtower Bible and 10 .. 11. 1t1hieh do not to a item of to assert that no o:r ever to in it every statE�- r11ent of the the :l.s the seat the ons, it is because the leaders of the no make no claim to l'!et o:rthf the their ve and fill them at the their I, I, 12. the their cult the the these which their s GOD If one is to underst,am.l mu.st .ha:ve a its doctrine of to in their d.oetrine of the name doctrine; in the New was a time when not have been in and came the time when to the ------------------ 2 time Jehovah came to be God to all t:tLtlS: 8 I f the reader; thi i that the name not st • but that is thE-) dis- to to Je!'.!:"J.S James unto Davitt a and . .. the thi : 40,. 4 .. • p .. 41 .. 19 poor tra.nslation. been Here is an instance of the Jehovah8s a passage that has no relevance to ·the are at to make. s Witnesses the.t 110 can be to that are that the use of the llBlllllli J ehov.ah.. as the elude one ever intinu'l.ted that the Son ;-n�re � and deola:t'EHi on of faith in a ty9 and a f'aith in and the the that the tari.aus hold t the and the are of one • as stated the \vhat do the contendl states that • <. ..,.. II p .. 6 .. t p .. (. e p .. 59 .. 20 the very "f/Ol"ds $ and contradict A sses ask is. "In vie,�! the fact is no valict for the it tha·t this so fl a:ru:nver it by on.e of the dark v;hich the clouded the and ch&:racte:r and 1!10 ive ask Satan be interested :l.n to the luster of the Lord st in. this man's he will succeed se who are B. , p. 6o .. 10. ' p .. tllat the have a very the real. basi for the to notice in thi. tures l't.i::d. ch and henee God one :per of the un- in evBry instance, lest the :fact 'lrthich 22 the use of it to say that it is the po testantism that all in the Ue\.; God in not in thi but also that �n1ich is to come, 1:21) .. To those in tive sm, no :fact more the the stian view o:f God thE� tlu�t the Trini is God seen as .t:;;,A�� and doctrine thei. decle�ation sets the Christian frmn all The Gocl t'fh.o reveals in the sacred is the God kno\ru who and to be Father, and is a 23 con tenet: attention to various v1hich state that there is r�d--not two, nor three, call attention the does not occur in r�.or d.oee oc(�ur there of is any state- ment made be to there be there be and II as the it is untrue to there is 20 �ast state here that the the their the ortho- , can be seen from their c'lltm. wri. from v, 54. 24 ••••••• 9Cifi!0$90&e>$0··· ··· in one; to wit, and God the Ghost, in power, �ubstanee, and eter- menta the their as being the declare that is a doctrin.e of • • 9 • • • • .. • • • • • • $ • .. • even that '!rJas God the e o • t • • • • e • • • .......... to be that some e not in s-�11 the this in no way the in the doetrin.e of p .. 100. 26.. 2.5 state the name rend.a:red it 6 I 12 :4 ). :ls over 5,000 title once rend.ered is its occll:r·s ove:r most but in many instance� are to others: hence the w;ho is the to the the Testament the n1at- ter the u.se that 28 .. 26 the the Son in the '!frords rendered ancl to the by the construction the word (19tos) is ant'\.