The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is a translation of the Bible published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society; it is used and distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses prefer to use the New World Translation of the Bible.
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT), a translation of the Bible published in whole or part in over 130 languages. This is the Bible translation primarily used by Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses identify as Christians, but their beliefs are different from other Christians in some ways. For instance, they teach that Jesus is the son of God but is not part of a Trinity.
Witnesses hold a number of traditional Christian views but also many that are unique to them. They affirm that God—Jehovah—is the most high. Jesus Christ is God's agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world.
In order to avoid becoming greedy the Jehovah's Witness must not gamble. They are allowed to drink beer and wine, but overdrinking or becoming drunk is considered a sin.
The 'anointed'
Based on their understanding of scriptures such as Revelation 14:1-4, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians go to heaven to rule with Christ in the kingdom of God.
Beliefs & Teachings about Death
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that when a person dies, their existence completely stops. This is because the Bible makes it clear that human beings do not have an immortal soul that survives when the body dies. Witnesses believe that Hell (as traditionally portrayed) does not exist.
The weekend meeting, usually held on Sunday, comprises a 30-minute public talk by a congregation elder or ministerial servant and a one-hour question-and-answer study of a Bible-based article from The Watchtower magazine, with questions prepared by the Watch Tower Society and the answers provided in the magazine.
“To us, going door to door is an expression of our God's impartiality,” he said. “We go to everyone and let them choose whether they want to hear us or not.” Even in pre-pandemic times, door-knocking ministry came with anxiety because Witnesses never knew how they would be received at any given home.
Jehovah was first introduced by William Tyndale in his translation of Exodus 6:3, and appears in some other early English translations including the Geneva Bible and the King James Version.
The purple triangle was a concentration camp badge used by the Nazis to identify Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany. The purple triangle was introduced in July 1936 with other concentration camps such as those of Dachau and Buchenwald following in 1937 and 1938.
The book, written by Bible Students Clayton J. Woodworth and George H. Fisher, was described as the "posthumous work of Russell" and the seventh volume of Studies in the Scriptures. It was an immediate best-seller and was translated into six languages.
Until the release of the New World Translation, Jehovah's Witnesses in English-speaking countries primarily used the King James Version.
Jehovah's witnesses do not celebrate national or religious holidays or birthdays. The only day they do memorialize is Jesus Christ's death around the time of Easter and Passover.
The Witnesses have nothing against weddings or funerals, but they do have strict religious beliefs that impel them to avoid certain activities and celebrations which, they believe, violate moral principles found in the Bible.
They limit contact with non-Jehovah's Witnesses. Followers are discouraged from having close relationships with those who are not part of the faith. People who are “worldly” are seen as bad influences or “bad associations.”
Members are instructed to not even greet shunned individuals. Disfellowshipped individuals can continue attending public meetings held at the Kingdom Hall, but are shunned by the congregation.
Jehovah's Witnesses may be buried or cremated, depending on the preferences of the person who has died and their family. Organ donation is a contentious topic for Jehovah's Witnesses. They believe that blood should never be shared between two people; this is why blood transfusions are forbidden for Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses scorn these memorial events because they imply that something in a person survives death, which is a patently false notion according to the religion. However, it is acceptable for family and friends to visit the grave of the deceased in years to come, so long as the visit is made for their own sake.
Jehovah's Witness Beliefs About Death
Unlike many other religions, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that death is not just the death of the physical body but also the death of the soul. “When a person dies, he ceases to exist. Death is the opposite of life. The dead do not see or hear or think.
The Jehovah's Witnesses Funeral Service
The service is brief (generally between 15 and 30 minutes) and the body of the deceased is usually present. Following the service, the body is transported to either the crematorium or to the cemetery for a graveside service and burial.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians from Pentecost of 33 AD until the present day will be resurrected to heaven as immortal spirit beings to spend eternity with God and Christ. They believe that these people are "anointed" by God to become part of the spiritual "Israel of God".
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God or Jehovah. As the Bible does not directly discuss birth control, birth control is seen as a personal decision and is left to the individual's conscience.