When Did the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses Come Into Existence? A Historical Timeline
Most Jehovah's Witnesses assume that the modern Governing Body has existed continuously since the days of Charles Taze Russell, or even that it is a direct continuation of the apostles and elders in first-century Jerusalem. Current publications present that picture of continuity.
A careful reading of the organization's own literature, however, reveals a more gradual development. Over more than a century, Jehovah's Witnesses changed not only the structure of their leadership but also its identity and authority. The Governing Body familiar today is the product of several significant organizational and doctrinal developments.
This article traces those developments using Jehovah's Witnesses' own published history.
Read morePromises You Can’t Trust: The Watchtower’s Record of Failed Expectations
In the January 15, 2004 Watchtower, an article appeared with the reassuring title "Promises That You Can Trust." Its argument is simple and compelling: human promises often prove unreliable, but Jehovah's promises are different. Jehovah has demonstrated through his record that when he says something will happen, it happens.
Read moreAre you a Friend or Just Friendly?
One expression I heard thousands of times as one of Jehovah's Witnesses was simply this:
"Friends..."
Read moreTen Major Changes to the Watchtower Blood Doctrine Since 1945
"Keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality." — Acts 15:29
For Jehovah's Witnesses, these words form the foundation of one of the organization's most distinctive teachings: the refusal of blood transfusions.
Read moreWitnesses of Whom? A Biblical Examination of Christian Identity
Understanding the identity of God’s witnesses requires beginning with the structure and purpose of the Bible itself.
The Bible is divided into two major sections. The first is the Old Testament, often called the Hebrew Scriptures. The second is the New Testament, which Jehovah’s Witnesses refer to as the Christian Greek Scriptures.
The Hebrew Scriptures record Jehovah’s dealings with the nation of Israel. They contain the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the historical account of God’s covenant people. Through these writings we learn about Jehovah’s character, his purposes for mankind, and the moral standards he expected Israel to follow.