Cult of the Jehovah Witnesses

The witnesses teach that the first century Christians worshipped the Father = (Jehovah) and not Jesus Christ. I have absolutely no idea where they get this information.

Like everything else they teach, this teaching most likely came from a grab bag of misinformation. This misinformation is then fine tuned to look like the truth, and finally taught to be the truth. The past history of the church and it’s people prove them incorrect. We will take a look at a small piece of evidence in the whole picture of evidence, concerning the early church and it’s followers.

First of all, look at the name of Christianity itself. The Biblical meaning of Christian is “adherent of Christ.” The Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch, Acts 11:26. Peter accepted the name; this in itself was reason for persecution, 1 Peter 4:16. The Latin word “ianos” was widely used designated for the slaves of the one with whose name it was compounded. The apostles wrote of themselves as servants, or slaves of Christ. Followers of Christ called themselves brethren, disciples, saints, believers, the church of God, and those who call on the name of the Jesus.

To the first century Christians their own personal names did not matter because their concern was for the name of Jesus Christ, Acts 3:16, 4:10-12, 5:28. To profess to be a Christian was to say one was a slave to Christ. Where did Jehovah Witnesses get the idea that first century Christians did not worship Jesus Christ?

Pliny the younger:

Born 61, or 62 A.D: A Roman Author and administrator, left a collection of ten volumes of literary letters. Pliny wrote of the Christian church in Bithynia, which is a province which he governed in 112 A.D. Pliny served under the Roman Emperors Domitian and Trajan and his private letters, which only have a single subject, were carefully written. The Christian community had already suffered under Nero, and now was being persecuted under Trajan’s reign.

Trajan ordered Pliny, who was then the governor of Bithynia, to put to death all those who declared themselves to be followers of Christ. The following is the correspondence between Pliny and Trajan. Note: words in parenthesis are the author’s clarification of words whose meanings are unclear.

Pliny’s intitial letter to the Emperor Trajan:

Health = (his greeting to the emperor). It is my usual custom, Sir, to refer all things, of which I harbour any doubt, to you. For who can better direct my judgment in it’s hesitation, or instruct my understanding in it’s ignorance: I never had the fortune to be present at any examination of a Christian, before I came into this province.

I am, therefore, at a loss to determine what is the usual object of inquiry or of punishment, and to what length either of them is to be carried. It has also been with me a question very problematical- whether any distinction should be made between the young and the old, the tender and the robust; whether any room should be given for repentance, or the guilt of Christianity once incurred, is not to be expiated by the most unequivocal retractation-whether the name itself = (Christian) abstracted from any flagitiousness of conduct, or the crimes connected with the name, be the object of punishment.

In the mean-time, this has been my method, with respect to those who were brought before me as Christians. I asked them whether they were Christians. If they plead guilty, I interrogated them twice afresh, with a menace of capital punishment.

In case of obstinate perseverance, I ordered them to be executed. For of this I had no doubt, whatever was the nature of their religion, that a sullen and obstinate inflexibility called for the vengeance of the magistrate. Some were infected with the same madness, whom, on account of their citizenship,= (being Roman citizens) I reserved to be sent to Rome, to your tribunal. In the course of this business, information pouring in as is usual when they are encouraged, more cases occurred.

An anonymous libel was exhibited, with a catalogue of names of persons, who yet declared that they were not Christians then, nor ever had been; and they repeated after me an invocation of the gods and of your image, which for this purpose, I had ordered to be brought with the images of the deities. They performed sacred rites with wine and frankincense, and execrated = (cursed, or denounced) Christ, which, I am told, no Christian can ever be compelled to do. On this account, I dismissed them.

Others, named by an informer, first affirmed, and then denied the charge of Christianity; declaring that they had been Christians, but had ceased to be so, some three years ago; others, still longer; some even twenty years ago. All of them worshipped your image, and the statues of the gods, and also execrated Christ.

And this was the account which they gave of the nature of the religion they once had professed; whether it deserves the name of crime or error, namely-that they were accustomed on a stated day, to meet before day-light, and to repeat among themselves a hymn to Christ, as to a God, and to bind themselves by an oath with an obligation of not committing any wickedness; but, on the contrary, of abstaining from thefts, robberies and adulteries; also, of not violating their promise, or denying a pledge; after which it was their custom to separate, and to meet again at a promiscuous, harmless meal, from which last practice, however, they desisted, after the publication of my edict, in which, agreeably to your orders, I forbade any societies of That sort.

On which account, I judged it the more necessary to inquire, by torture, from two females who were said to be deaconesses, what is the real truth. But nothing could I collect except a depraved and excessive superstition. Deferring therefore any farther investigation, I determined to consult you. For the number of culprits is so great, as to call for serious consultation.

Many persons are informed against, of every age and of both sexes; and more still will be in the same situation. The contagion = (communication) of the superstition hath spread, not only through cities, but even villages in the country. Not that I think it impossible to check and to correct it. The success of my endeavours hitherto, forbids such desponding thoughts; for the temples, = (pagan) once almost desolate, begin to be frequented, and the sacred solemnities, which had long been intermitted, are now attended afresh, and the sacrificial victims are now sold every where, which once could scarcely find a purchaser. Whence, I conclude that many might be reclaimed, were the hope of impunity on repentance absolutely confirmed.”

Trajan’s response to Pliny.

“You have done perfectly right, my dear Pliny, in the inquiry which you have made concerning Christians. For truly, no one general rule can be laid down, which will apply itself to all cases. These people = (Christians) must not be sought after. If they are brought before you and convicted, let them be capitally punished; yet with this restriction, that if any one renounce Christianity, and evidence his sincerity by supplicating our gods, however suspected he may be for the past, he shall obtain pardon for the future, on his repentance. But anonymous libels ought, in case, to be attended to; for the precedent would be of the worst sort, and perfectly incongruous to the maxims of my government.”

Author’s comment on the above:

Again my dear Jehovah Witness friends, I see no historical evidence in the above historical record that the early church worshipped none other than Christ Jesus. From the above correspondence, we learn that the Christian community was very large; and throughout the Roman provinces they worshipped Christ as God. Their morals were not only unimpeachable, but their character distinguished them from others in the community. Pliny tells us that the pagan temples were almost always empty. This is the testimony of a pagan governor, and not of a Christian. Christians were looked upon with contempt. Pliny calls Christianity, “a depraved and excessive superstition.” He views the Christian attachment to the Gospel, and to its’ Christ, as having a sullen and obstinate inflexibility. This attitude demanded vengeance by the government of Rome.

Christians were referred to by Roman authority as atheists, magicians, haters of the light, self-murderers, eaters of human flesh, and accused of many other false charges. But none of these charges would stick. Unless a Christian denounced Christ as God, and worshiped the Roman gods, their life was at risk.

Further Evidence

Ignatius Bishop of Antioch

Ignatius presided in the church of Antioch. In his youth, Ignatius was a disciple of John, had served Christ for forty years, and had been closely acquainted with both Peter and Paul. Ignatius went before Trajan on his way to the Parthian war, hoping to avoid a storm of persecution which was about to come upon the Christian community. It is written that Trajan responded to Ignatius, “What an impious spirit art thou, both to transgress our commands, and to inveigle others into the same folly to their ruin!”

Ignatius responded by replying to Trajan, “Theophorus ought not to be called so, forasmuch as all wicked spirits are departed from the servants of God.”

Ignatius responded, “But if you call me impious because I am hostile to evil spirits, I won the charge in that respect. For I dissolve all their snares through Christ, the heavenly King.” Trajan asked, “Pray who is Theophorus?” Ignatius answered, “He who has Christ in his breast.” Trajan, “And thinkest thou not that Gods reside in us also, who fight for us against our enemies?”

Ignatius, “You mistake in calling the demons of the nations by the name of Gods. For there is only one God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; the one Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, whose kingdom be my portion.” Trajan, “His kingdom, do you say, who was crucified under Pilate?” Ignatius, “His who crucified my sin with its author, and has put all the fraud and malice of Satan under the feet of those who carry him in their heart.” Trajan, “Dost thou then carry him who was crucified with thee?” Ignatius, “I do.” for it is written, “I dwell in them and walk in them.” Trajan pronounced this sentence against him. “Since Ignatius confesses that he carries within himself, him that was crucified, we command that he be carried bound by soldiers, to great Rome, their to be thrown to wild beasts for the entertainment of the people.”

Ignatius was taken to the place of suffering. When he arrived in Rome, he was anxious for a speedy martyrdom, and had his wish granted. He was immediately led into the amphitheater and thrown to the wild beasts.

To my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ; hopefully this evidence can be used by you to give solid evidence to those who say the early church worshipped someone other then Christ Jesus. I will follow up with future articles concerning the witnesses, and further evidence concerning the early church.

Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com