What is the difference between Christianity and Jehovah’s Witnesses?

When Jehovah’s Witnesses come knocking, they often claim to be Christians, however, they lack one of the fundamental requirements of what it means to be a Christian, to accept Jesus as your mediator. I consider this to be one of the most important differences between Jehovah’s Witnesses and true Christians.

Unlike Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe that Jesus is their mediator. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is only a mediator to the anointed class that make up the Governing Body, and witnesses must obey these men in order to be worthy of salvation.

The “anointed Christians” they refer to here are not anyone calling themselves a Christian. They are strictly referring to the 144,000 anointed Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Only Jehovah’s Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the “great crowd,” as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil.”

1989 Watchtower,  “Remaining Organized for Survival Into the Millennium”

Furthermore, rank and file Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to partake of the Lord’s evening meal (communion) for the same reason, that they are taught that ONLY the anointed class is part of the new covenant of Jesus Christ.

Who is the anointed class of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that there are two classes of Christians. The anointed slave class, and the great crowd.

Anointed Slave Class
The first is the anointed class, 144,000 who have been anointed to go to heaven and rule with Jesus over mankind. To date, the 144,000 anointed have all passed away, however, the Governing Body is still considered anointed and they are the leaders of the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, claiming to be God’s sole channel of communication on Earth.

The Great Crowd
The second is the larger group of Jehovah’s Witnesses who they teach are not part of Jesus’ new covenant. These are ordinary rank and file Jehovah’s witnesses.

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus is only mediator to the “Anointed Class”

According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus is not the mediator to all Christians, but only to the anointed class of the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

So in this strict Biblical sense, Jesus is the “mediator” only for anointed Christians.

Watchtower 1979 Apr 1 p.31

By “anointed Christians”, the organization strictly refers to Jehovah’s Witnesses who are part of the 144,000 anointed class.

He mediates the new covenant between God and those taken into the new covenant, the congregation of spiritual Israel. The total number of those who are finally and permanently sealed is revealed in Revelation 7:4-8 as 144,000.

Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2 p.362 Mediator

According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus is only a mediator to Jehovah’s Witnesses who are considered to be part of the “Anointed Class”. These “Anointed” ones are limited to 144,000, most of whom are considered to have passed away.

Today, the few that are left are considered to make up the Governing body, and that a person’s salvation depends on obedience to this group of men.

What does the Bible say?

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus,

1 Timothy 2:5

But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ

1 Corinthians 11:3

Jesus ALONE is a mediator to all mankind, and there is no provision in the scriptures for anyone else to insert themselves between us and Jesus. In fact, the Bible warns us that many would come on the “Basis of his name”, and that they will mislead many.

In answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads you, for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.

Matthew 24:5 New World Translation

That is exactly what the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is doing.

Jehovah’s Witnesses criticize the Catholics for doing the same thing!

Jehovah’s Witnesses famously criticize the Catholics who claim that “Saints may be venerated as intercessors with God”, by applying the scripture 1 Timothy 2:5. However, they are clearly guilty of the same thing, in that Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that the only channel to Jesus and God (and salvation) is through the Governing Body.

New Testament only written for the anointed class of Jehovah’s Witnesses

In addition to interjecting themselves between man and Jesus, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe and teach that nearly the entire New Testament is written ONLY for the anointed class.

Special attention was being given to making up the government that would rule mankind for 1,000 years, and nearly all the inspired letters in the Christian Greek Scriptures are primarily directed to this group of Kingdom heirs – “the holy ones,” “partakers of the heavenly calling.

United in Worship p.111

This is also not what the Bible teaches either. The scriptures are written for everyone to understand. At Matthew 19:14, Jesus even said to let little children come to him because the message of the kingdom also belongs to them. The message of the Bible is simple enough for even a child to understand.

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