Arianism Compared to Modern Day
Jehovah’s Witness
Outline

What is Arianism?

Duality of Natures

Separate Natures

The Council of Nicaea

The Nicaean Creed

Arianism’s Rise and Fall

Modern Day Jehovah’s Witness

Charles Taze Russell (Founder)

Jehovah’s Witness Beliefs

View of Jesus the Son of God

Jehovah’s Witness vs Christianity
Arianism

History on Founder


Arius was born c. 250, Libya—died 336, Constantinople, Christian priest of
Alexandria, Egypt, whose teachings gave rise to a theological doctrine known
as Arianism, which, in affirming the created, finite nature of Christ, was
denounced by the early church as a major heresy.
Arianism

A Christian heresy first proposed in the 4th century by the Alexandrian presbyter
Arius. It affirmed that Christ is not truly divine but a created being. Arius’ basic
premise was the uniqueness of God, who is alone self-existent and immutable, the
Son who is not self existent, cannot be God.
The Duality of God

Arianism believes that Jesus Christ is the Son, but is an entirely distinct form from God the
Father. This holds to Arius’ key argument that the Son of God did not always exist, but was
created by-and is therefore distinct from God the Father.

The Son must therefore be deemed a creature who has been called into existence out of nothing
and has a beginning. Moreover the Son can have no direct knowledge of the Father since the Son
is finite and of a different order of existences.

According to Bishop Athanasius, Arius’ teachings reduced the Son to a demigod, meaning not
wholly God or human, reintroducing polytheism which believed in the worship of the Son and the
Father as separate entities. This lead to the undermining of the Christian concept of redemption,
since only he who is truly God could be deemed to have reconciled man to the Godhead.
Separate Natures

The Father and the Son are Two Separate Natures

“You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again
unto you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I
go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28)

“If you know me you would have known My Father also; and
from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:6)

“Jesus said to him ‘Have I been with you so long and yet you
have not known me Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the
Father; so how can you say ‘Show us the Father. Do you not
believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?’” (John
14:9-10)

“And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I
and the Father that sent me.”(John 8:16)

“Then they said to Him, ‘Where is Your Father?’ Jesus answered,
‘You know neither Me nor my Father. If you had known Me, you
would have known My Father also.’” (John 8:20)
“
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in
one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance of the
Father, God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of the
same substance with the Father…
The Council of Nicaea (325 AD)
”

The Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council. It was held in 325AD with approx. 318 bishops in
attendance, to discuss the heresy brought about by Arius of God having a dual nature.

St Athanasius defended the faith stating that separating the Nature of God into two entities would contradict the
Bible which states “I and the Father are One” and “The Word was God”…

The Council then voted and rejected Arius’ heresy on the duality of God, and established the Nicaean Creed in
325 AD to affirm the belief in a SINGLE nature as three in ONE….

As result of the creed being established to vocalized the belief of Christianity, Arius was then exiled due to his
attempts to still spread his belief in the duality.
325 to
337 AD
337 to
350 AD
• Emperor
Constantine dies
and Arian leaders
return from exile
introducing the
duality nature once
more.
• Constans (Emperor
of the West), leans
towards the
Orthodox view,
while Constantius II
(Emperor of the
East) leans towards
the Arian view.
350AD
360 AD
• Constantius II
becomes the sole
ruler leading to the
Nicaean Creed as
well as Orthodoxy
being demolished.
• Extreme Arians the
Son is “unlike” the
Father. Moderates
the Son and the
Father have
similarities.
• At Constantinople,
the previous
notation of the
duality was rejected
and the original
Nicaean Creed was
reinstated.
361 AD
• The Orthodox
Christian Majority
in the west
consolidated its
position on the
SINGLE nature of
God.
…although Arianism was demolished, it opened the door to many other religions who
built their beliefs on the idea of a duality such as Modern Day Jehovah’s Witness….
The Rise and Fall of Arianism
Modern Day Jehovah’s Witness

Charles Taze Russell (Founder)

Charles Taze Russell, known by the name Pastor Russell (born Feb. 16, 1852, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.—died Oct. 31,
1916, Pampa, Texas), founder of the International Bible Students Association, forerunner of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
By the time he was 20, Russell had left both Presbyterianism and Congregationalism because he could not reconcile
the idea of an eternal hell with God’s mercy. Russell managed to master the use of Hebrew and Greek dictionaries to
study the Bible, and he formed his first Bible classes in 1872. Russell published Three Worlds and the Harvest of the
World in 1877. Basing his judgment on complex biblical calculations, he preached from 1877 that Christ’s “invisible
return” had occurred in 1874 and that the end of the Gentile times and the beginning of a golden age would come in
1914, followed by war between capitalism and communism or socialism, after which God’s kingdom by Christ would
rule the earth.
Jehovah’s Witness Beliefs

Jehovah's Witnesses believe in one God, the Creator of the universe and the God of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.
They stress the fact that God has revealed his personal name to humanity, which is Jehovah. Jehovah has a spirit body and
lives in heaven, but sees all things. Jehovah's Witnesses reject the doctrine of the Trinity.

Jehovah's Witnesses deny the existence of hell. Instead, they hold that the souls of the wicked will be annihilated. The death
that Adam brought into the world is spiritual as well as physical, and only those who gain entrance into the Kingdom of God
will exist eternally. However, this division will not occur until Armageddon, when all people will be resurrected and given a
chance to gain eternal life. In the meantime, "the dead are conscious of nothing.”

Witnesses also have a slightly different view of heaven than mainstream Christianity. Based on their reading of prophetic
books like Daniel and Revelation, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people will go to heaven to rule with God
and Jesus. The remainder of the righteous will enjoy paradise on earth - a restored Garden of Eden in which there is no
sickness, old age, death or unhappiness.

Christ's Second Coming has actually happened. It was not a physical return to earth. It was an invisible event in 1914 in
which Satan and Christ engaged in a heavenly battle. Afterwards, Christ began to the rule the Heavenly Kingdom as King of
Kings. Satan was expelled to Earth. World War I was a visible sign of Satan's ousting from Heaven and earthly
imprisonment. This event marked the beginning of the woes that would accompany the "last days of this system of things."
Jehovah’s Witness Beliefs Continues…

Jehovah’s Witness view salvation as a deliverance from sin and death and a possible
ransom sacrifice of Jesus. To benefit from that sacrifice, people must not only exercise
faith in Jesus but also change their course in life and get baptized. A person’s works
prove that his faith is alive. However, salvation cannot be earned—it comes through
“the undeserving kindness of God.”

Death is viewed as people who die pass out of existence. They do not suffer a in fiery
hell of torment. God will bring billions back from death by means of a resurrection.
However, those who refuse to learn God’s ways after being raised to life will be forever
destroyed with no hope of a resurrection.
View of Jesus Christ the Son of God

Jehovah's Witnesses disagree with the mainstream Christian belief that Jesus was "fully God,
fully man." Witnesses teach that Jesus was not God, but rather God's first creation. Jesus existed
in pre-human form as God's agent of creation and God's chief spokesman (the Word), and took on
human form as the man Jesus by means of a virgin birth.

The purpose of Jesus' incarnation on earth was threefold in the view of Witnesses:
(1) To teach the truth about God
(2) to provide a model of a perfect life for people to follow
(3) to sacrifice his life to set humans free from sin and death. His crucifixion was not on a cross,
but a single upright stake. After his death, God raised Jesus from the dead "as a spirit creature"
and Jesus returned to his home in heaven. Jesus was not made King, however, until 1914.
Jehovah’s Witness
vs
Christianity
Jehovah’s Witness
Christianity

Duality of God’s Nature

Single Nature

Christ Second coming happened in
1914

Christ Second Coming has yet to
happen

No belief in hell, non-believers just
ceases to exist.

Belief in hell, the wicked will be
punished.

Only 144,000 people will rule with
God, the rest will live in paradise on
earth without aging or death.

Believes that the believers will enter
paradise with God, there is no limit to
how many people are allowed in
paradise.
Defending Christianity

Single Nature of God

The single nature of God or THREE in one is affirmed throughout the Bible.


The Second Coming

Christianity believes that the second coming is followed by the judgement of humanity.


2 Timothy 4:1-2, Matt 24:30-31
The Afterlife

Christianity believes in both a heaven and hell.


John 1:1, Matt 1:23, Luke 2:11, Isaiah 9:6, Rev 17 : 14, Acts 3;14, Matt 28:19
Roman 2:6-8, Rev 21:8
Paradise

Paradise has no limit to souls and will not be on the earth.

Luke 23:43, Rev 21:1, Hebrews 13:14, Colossians 3:1-7
Is Jehovah’s Witness Considered a Type of
Christianity?
Citation

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Taze-Russell

http://biblehub.com/

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01718a.htm

http://www.britannica.com/biography/Arius

http://www.britannica.com/event/Council-of-Nicaea-Christianity-325

http://www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs-witnesses/beliefs

http://www.religioustolerance.org/witness3.htm

http://www.catholic.com/tracts/distinctive-beliefs-of-the-jehovahs-witnesses

http://www.faithfacts.org/world-religions-and-theology/jehovahs-witness