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Summary
- Jehovah’s Witnesses call themselves Christians: they follow Jesus, are baptized and pray in his name, and see him as the key to salvation.
- Catholic, Orthodox and most Protestant churches do not count them as Christian in the historic sense, because Witnesses reject the Trinity and teach that Jesus is God’s first creation, not Almighty God.
- Witnesses identify Jesus with the archangel Michael, call the holy spirit God’s active force, and teach that the dead cease to exist until the resurrection.
- Their New World Translation ends John 1:1 “and the Word was a god,” where most English Bibles read “the Word was God.”
- Witnesses keep only the yearly Memorial of Jesus’ death, not Christmas, Easter or birthdays; since September 2026 each Witness decides whether to accept or donate the main blood components, while whole-blood transfusions are still refused.
- Witnesses are taught to marry only a fellow Witness, and Catholic tribunals do not recognize Witness baptism as valid.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version, checked on BibleGateway (the verses are named in the link). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1:1%3BJohn+14:28%3BColossians+1:15%3B1+Thessalonians+4:16%3B1+Corinthians+7:39%3BActs+15:29%3BRevelation+7:4%3BMatthew+28:19&version=ESV
- New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), John 1 with study notes. https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/john/1/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Christians?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/are-jehovahs-witnesses-christians/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jehovah-witness-beliefs/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe in Jesus?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/believe-in-jesus/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Why Is Jesus Called the Son of God?” https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/jesus-son-of-god/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Who Is the Archangel Michael?” https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/archangel-michael/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Is God a Trinity?” https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/trinity/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “What Is the Holy Spirit?” https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-is-the-holy-spirit/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Who Is Jehovah?” https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/who-is-jehovah/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Who Was the Founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/founder/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Why Are We Called Jehovah’s Witnesses?” https://www.jw.org/en/library/brochures/jehovahs-will/why-called-jehovahs-witnesses/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “How Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses Are There Worldwide?” 2025 report. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/how-many-jw/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Have Their Own Bible?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-bible-nwt/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Accept Blood Transfusions?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jehovahs-witnesses-why-no-blood-transfusions/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Jehovah’s Witnesses: Each Witness Now Decides Whether to Accept or Donate Main Blood Components,” news release, September 18, 2026. https://www.jw.org/en/global-communications/country/global-news/Jehovahs-Witnesses-Each-Witness-Now-Decides-Whether-to-Accept-or-Donate-Main-Blood-Components/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “2026 Governing Body Update #2,” March 20, 2026. https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/global/2026-Governing-Body-Update-2/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “2026 Governing Body Update #6.” https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/global/2026-Governing-Body-Update-6/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Certain Holidays?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-celebrate-holidays/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Birthdays?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/birthdays/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Memorial of Jesus’ Death.” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/memorial/
- Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Break Up Families or Build Them Up?” https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/families/
- “Marry ‘Only in the Lord’—Still Realistic?” The Watchtower, March 15, 2015. https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/w20150315/marry-only-in-lord-realistic/
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 465. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1J.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1035. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2O.HTM
- Code of Canon Law, canon 1086. https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html
- Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Tribunal. “Valid Baptisms.” https://resources.catholicaoc.org/offices/tribunal/valid-baptisms
- Southern Baptist Convention. The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), articles II and X. https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
- World Council of Churches. “About the WCC.” https://www.oikoumene.org/about-the-wcc
- Orthodox Church in America. “The Symbol of Faith” (the Nicene Creed). https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/prayers/symbol-of-faith
- Albert Barnes. Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, on Colossians 1:15, as published by Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/colossians/1-15.htm
