THE sect known today as the Jehovah’s Witnesses started out in Pennsylvania in 1870 as a Bible class led by Charles Taze Russell. Russell named his group the ‘Millennial Dawn Bible Study.’

Charles T. Russell began writing a series of books he called ‘The Millennial Dawn’, which stretched to six volumes before his death and contained much of the theology Jehovah’s Witnesses now hold. After Russell’s death in 1916, Judge J. F. Rutherford, Russell's friend and successor, wrote the seventh and final volume of the ‘Millennial Dawn’ series, ‘The Finished Mystery’,  in 1917.

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was founded in 1886 and quickly became the vehicle through which the ‘Millennial Dawn’ movement began distributing their views to others.

The group was known as the ‘Russellites’ until 1931 when, due to a split in the organization, it was renamed the ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses.’ The group from which it split became known as the ‘Bible students.’

What do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in?

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus is Michael the archangel, the highest created being. This contradicts many Scriptures which clearly declare Jesus to be God (John 1:1,14, 8:58, 10:30).

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe salvation is obtained by a combination of faith, good works, and obedience. This contradicts countless scriptures which declare salvation to be received by grace through faith (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the Trinity, believing Jesus to be a created being and the Holy Spirit to essentially be the inanimate power of God. Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the concept of Christ’s substitutionary atonement and instead hold to a ransom theory, that Jesus’ death was a ransom payment for Adam’s sin.

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