Some responses to some ideas of Jehovah’s Witnesses

This lecture contains practical and theological responses to specific points raised by followers of the Jehovah’s Witnesses heresy, clarifying the difference between their teachings and the Orthodox Church doctrine. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains how some interpretations by Jehovah’s Witnesses (such as angels marrying, the non-immortality of the soul, and denial of Christ’s divinity and his bodily resurrection) are based on distorted readings of certain texts, and he presents biblical and patristic evidences that refute those claims.

Main ideas

• The Pope answers the claims about “angels marrying” by referring to what is stated in Matthew 22:30 that the righteous are like the angels, affirming that these verses do not mean that angels possess bodies that marry or reproduce.
• He discusses the denial of the soul’s immortality and the claim of the soul’s cessation, citing texts such as Ecclesiastes 12:7 and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, to show the Bible’s awareness of the soul’s salvation and post-mortem consciousness.
• He clarifies the Church’s distinction between prophets speaking “the word of God” and the eternal divinity of Christ, highlighting evidence that Christ is not a created being nor merely an angel like Michael, but possesses divine attributes surpassing angelic nature (referring to Hebrews, John, and Paul).
• He refutes denial of the bodily resurrection with textual proofs: Christ’s post-resurrection appearances (his wounds, eating with the disciples, inviting them to touch his body) and the apostle’s statement that bodily resurrection is central to our faith.
• He explains that passages like John’s Revelation (the slain Lamb) and various assemblies confirm that the wounds are a sign of love, not a mutilation that negates the corporeality of redemption.

The spiritual and educational dimension from a Coptic Orthodox perspective

• The lecture emphasizes the Church’s preservation of the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption: Christ is fully God and fully man, and the substance of salvation is linked to his bodily resurrection.
• It calls for vigilance against interpretations that seem logical but rest on textual distortion or ignoring the book’s and councils’ context.
• It urges believers to study the Holy Scripture according to apostolic and patristic tradition, using wisdom and grace in responses rather than hostile confrontation.

Conclusion

The conclusion is that most of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ claims are built on misunderstanding of the text or mistranslation, and the correct response is based on distinguishing literal meaning from theological context, defending the doctrine of the Trinity, Incarnation, and Resurrection grounded in Scripture and Tradition.

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