Adams, Don: He was elected sixth Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WBTS) president in 2000, at the age of 75.
Armageddon: Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that a total world battle will take place soon. All people and institutions not affiliated with them will be destroyed. King Jesus and His heavenly host will battle with Satan and his armies. Satan will be defeated.
Anointed class: Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that only a limited number of people (144,000) will live in a spiritual heaven with King Jesus. All other faithful Jehovah’s Witness believers will live on a paradise-like earth.
Awake!: A semimonthly family magazine published by the WBTS, which features articles about human interests, religion, and practical sciences.
Back calls: The Jehovah’s Witness visitor will make return calls if a person shows even a little interest or requests more information on the initial visit. The WBTS encourages persistent visitation.
Baptism: A candidate approved by the WBTS is totally immersed in water during a public meeting-usually a circuit assembly. Mass baptisms are also conducted and candidates may number in the hundreds at one service.
Bethel: This is the designation given to the official headquarters of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, located at 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY.
Bible study: Faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses stress a literal belief in the Bible and seek to engage interested people in home Bible studies.
Blood: The soul is in the blood (see Lev. 17:11, 14). Blood is sacred because life is sacred. The only proper use of blood is sacrifice (see Lev. 11). “If animal blood is sacred, how much more is that of a human, and how much more reprehensible is cannibalism.”1
Bloodguilt: Guilt is acquired: 1) by bloodshed, including support of a blood-guilty organization such as Babylon the Great (see Rev. 3:17); 2) by eating or drinking blood in any way (see Acts 15:20); or 3) by failing to preach the good news of the kingdom (see Acts 18:6).2
Branch committee: This committee is appointed by the WBTS and has general oversight of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations in an entire country or group of countries.
Christendom: This derogatory term is used to refer to Protestant and Catholic groups, which are thought to have been established in the fourth century by the un-baptized Roman emperor, Constantine the Great.
Circuit: A group of about 20 Jehovah’s Witness congregations is known as a circuit. A circuit overseer is the supervisor of the group.
Circuit assembly: Member congregations of the circuit gather at specified times for fellowship, inspiration, and indoctrination. The sessions are usually held in a public facility. Mass baptisms of new converts are often conducted at these meetings.
Circuit overseer: This official leader of the circuit visits each congregation two or three times a year, and usually stays a week at a time.
Disfellowship: A member who is judged unfaithful is rejected by the WBTS. The suspension is usually for one year, and then the offending member is given an opportunity for reinstatement.
District overseer: This leader supervises several circuits and is responsible for conducting circuit assemblies. He spends one week in the circuit for each assembly held.
Expelling: Also referred to as excommunication or disfellowship-members maybe expelled for several reasons including: adultery, homosexuality, greed, dishonesty, drunkenness, murder, idolatry, apostasy, and divisiveness. The offending member may be received back if he or she manifests sincere repentance.3
Faith: “To maintain a firm faith requires putting up a hard fight for it, resisting men who could plunge one into immorality, combating the works of the flesh, avoiding the snare of materialism, shunning faith-destroying philosophies and traditions of men, and above all, looking ‘intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus.'”4
Fasting: “Christians are neither under command to fast nor prohibited from doing so.”5
Franz, Frederick W.: He was elected fourth WBTS president in 1977. He died in 1992 at the age of 99.
Gentile times: Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this is the period (from 607 B.C. to 1914 A.D.) when Jews were in disfavor with Jehovah.
Gifts of the Spirit: Paul lists nine manifestations of the Spirit. They are not to be used for selfish profit. Speaking in tongues is a lesser gift, and is only used when someone can interpret.6
Good will person: This is a person who is interested in Bible study and is a prospective member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Those who are not interested are called goats.
Governingbody: This select committee of about 15 WBTS leaders determines and establishes all doctrines and practices of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Great crowd or other sheep: This is the multitude of people that are faithful to Jehovah, but not selected for heavenly life. They will live in the paradise established on earth after Armageddon.
Hades: The WBTS says this refers to “the common grave of all mankind, where the dead and buried ones are unseen.”7 It corresponds to Sheol.
Hell: The WBTS does not believe it is a place of torment or fire. They reject the doctrine of eternal punishment, saying all non-Jehovah’s Witnesses will be annihilated at the final judgment.
Henschel, Milton G.: He was elected fifth WBTS president in December 1992, at the age of 73. He resigned in 2000.
Impalement (of Jesus): The WBTS says the Greek term stauros in both the classical and koine Greek carries no thought of a cross made of two timbers. Instead, they believe it means only an upright stake. The idea of a two-piece cross was adopted from the pagans in the third century.8
International Bible: This group supervises Jehovah’s Witness ministries in Canada and England.
Students Association Kingdom Hall: This local meeting house is never pretentious and is usually limited to a seating capacity of 200. Meetings are presided over by an overseer and his five assistants.
Knorr, Nathan H.: He was born in 1905 and was elected third WBTS president in 1942. He died in 1977.
Millennium: According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is a period of 1,000 years that follows Armageddon and consists of paradise on earth for the faithful survivors and a selected group of resurrected people.
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT): The NWT is the official translation of the Old and New Testaments by the WBTS. One unique and disturbing feature is that, in some cases, conventional translations are changed to fit Jehovah’s Witness theology.
People’s Pulpit Association: The first Jehovah’s Witness president organized this movement in 1909. The name was changed to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1939.
Publisher: This is the name given to faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses who sell WBTS literature door-to-door and serve the WBTS as directed.
Russell, Charles Taze: He was the founder and first president of the Jehovah’s Witness movement. He was born in 1852 and died in 1916. He was known for his prolific writing and powerful ego.
Rutherford, Joseph Franklin: He was born in 1869 and became the second president of the WBTS in 1917. He is responsible for the present-day organization of the WBTS. He died in 1942.
Salvation: The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not preach that one must personally accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They dedicate their lives to Jehovah and live the lifestyle prescribed by the WBTS. They espouse a works type of salvation.
Society, the: This term is sometimes used to describe WBTS leaders who are supposedly directed by God.
Theocracy: Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have a democratic organization. They submit to the rigid control of a few leaders and believe that the entire organization is under the direct rule of Jehovah. They believe they have a theocratic ministry to perform.
Trinity: Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the Trinity. Jehovah God is alone in authority and has no equal. The Holy Spirit is not a person, but an active force of God. Jesus is a being created by Jehovah.
Watchtower: First published in 1879 and now a semimonthly magazine, Watchtower is the official theological publication of the WBTS. The unsigned articles present WBTS positions on biblical doctrines.
Watchtower publication of subjects described and explained: The WBTS issues this official compilation of all materials published since 1930.
Wine and strong drink: Alcoholic drinks are regarded as gifts from Jehovah, but must be used in moderation (see Ps. 104:14-15). Drunkenness is condemned in the Bible. Habitual drunkenness is cause for expulsion from the congregation (see 1 Cor. 5:11-13). There are also times one should not drink wine or liquor (see Lev. 10:8-11; Rom. 14:21).9
Year: In prophecy it “is often used in a special sense as the equivalent of 360 days (12 months of 30 days each).”10 It is also called a time and sometimes a day (see Gen. 7:11, 8:3-5).
Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses: Published each year, it reports the worldwide statistics and service of faithful members. Daily Bible readings and comments are also included.
1) Jehovah
The name Jehovah that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe to be the name of God, is actually NOT the name of the God of the Bible which is unknown at best or better interpreted as Yahweh.
Jehovah, is actually a made up name that Jehovah’s Witnesses took in the early 1930’s to identify themselves with. As a matter of fact, they have pretty much replaced the word God in the Bible with Jehovah.
As a matter of fact, Jehovah’s Witnesses rarely use the word God to speak of God, they prefer using Jehovah.
2) Kingdom Hall
You don’t go to church when you’re a Jehovah’s Witness, you go to the kingdom hall. They are the only Christian based religion to use such term instead of church.
3) The Good News
What JWs call the good news is the message that they preach. Interestingly though, this good news includes the destruction of billions of people.
4) The Watchtower/Awake magazines
For the typical JW, even though he may deny it if asked, they value the information in the Watchtower magazine more than they do the information in the Bible.
Just show a Jehovah’s Witness a contradiction between something written in the Bible and something written in their Watchtower magazine and they will find a way to explain to you that if the Watchtower says it this way, it’s because it is so.
5) Watchtower study
The Watchtower stud is what the average Jehovah’s Witness believes to be the study of the Bible, but it’s really the study of the Watchtower as its name indicates.
6) Memorial
Jehovah’s Witnesses use this term in two different circumstances.
a) They call the commemoration of Christ last supper “The memorial” which they celebrate according to their own doctrines and beliefs, and b) they use the word memorial to speak of a member’s funeral.
They actually rarely use the word funeral. They’d rather say “I went to brother or sister so and so’s memorial.” Meaning that they went to brother or sister so and so’s funeral.
7) Torture stake
Since Jehovah’s Witnesses organization is the only so-called Christian denomination that persists on saying that Christ didn’t die on a cross, they had to find a name for it, so it became “torture stake.”
Christ didn’t die on a cross, he died on a torture stake instead.
8) True Christians
Any Christian that is NOT a Jehovah’s Witness is not a true Christians, since they believe that they are the ONLY true Christians which is ironic enough when we realize that Jehovah’s Witnesses are actually NOT Christians at all.
9) The world
Jehovah’s Witness consider themselves to be “no part of the world.” The world is a pejorative term in the mouth of Jehovah’s Witness, which is the world as we know it. The world that we all live in.
10) Worldly people
Worldly people is a pejorative term in the mind of a Jehovah’s Witness as well. A worldly person is anyone who is not a JW which will be destroyed by their God Jehovah at Armageddon, unless they become a Jehovah’s Witness before then.
11) The truth
The truth is the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, what many JWs don’t know is that other cults call their religion “the truth” as well.
12) Brothers/Sisters/The friends
This is how Jehovah’s Witnesses refer to their co-believers. The term “the friends” however, is mostly used in the English language. For example, French, Spanish or Korean languages don’t use the term “the friends” while they do use brothers and sisters.
13) Disfellowshipped
Someone disfellowshipped is a member that was excommunicated from the religion, whether because they committed a “sin” according to the religion’s doctrines or disagreed with some of the doctrines and were thrown out of the organization for that reason.
14) Apostate
Someone who’s left the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses and openly says that they do not believe in the teaching of their former religion or even speaks against it to warn the public about the cult’s lies and deceptions.
However, according to the dictionary an apostate is anyone who renounces a religious or political belief or principle, which makes any Jehovah’s Witness who has left their former religion to become a Jehovah’s Witness an apostate.
15) Talk
Jehovah’s witnesses do not use the term “sermon” they refer to their religion sermons as “talks.” Yet another way to differentiate themselves from the rest of religions.
16) Ransom Sacrifice
Since they deny that Christ died on a cross like any other Christian denomination, they speak of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as the “ransom sacrifice.”
17) System of things
The system of things is the present world that we live in and that will be destroyed by their God Jehovah in an ever so very short amount of time.
18) Waiting on Jehovah
This is a term that Jehovah’s Witnesses love to use when there is an issue within their members or religion that they can’t or don’t want to fix. They even use this term when it comes to pedophiles in the religion. Rather than calling the authorities, they’d prefer to wait on Jehovah.
19) Field Service
Going in field service means to go preaching. Speaking about their beliefs and doctrines to strangers in their neighborhoods, commonly known as door to door.
20) The kingdom ministry/ the ministry
This term refers to their preaching activities, announcing the “kingdom” of their God Jehovah to be taking place on earth very soon.
21) Assembly
You will hear Jehovah’s Witnesses use the term, going to the assembly. Assemblies are big regional gatherings of several congregations (churches) where they listen to talks (sermons) all day long. They have three such assemblies per year.
22) The other sheep
For Jehovah’s Witnesses they are two groups of people within their religion. The ones who go to heaven which supposedly number 144,000 and the “other sheep” also called the “the great crowd” which refer to the group of people who are not going to go to heaven but live on a paradise earth.
23) The 144.000
The small group of people who are destined to go heaven after death, rather than living in the paradise earth. This small group is handpicked by Jehovah, according to their beliefs.
24) Armageddon
The war of Jehovah when he will destroy pretty much all mankind except for MOST of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But they do believe that even some disobedient members of the religion might be destroyed at Armageddon.
25) The society
This refers to the organization of Jehovah’s Witness, but it’s a term that was used more in the past than it is now.
26) The organization
Synonym of “the society” and term that is preferred today.
27) The governing body
The group of men that lead the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses which today counts 7 men, but the number has varied all throughout Jehovah’s Witnesses history.
28) Elder
Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t have priests or pastors, they have elders. They are usually several elders per congregation. Elders are the leaders of a congregation. Congregation is the term for church in JWs world.
29) Ministerial servant
A ministerial servant is an apprentice elder, so to speak.
30) Overseer
An overseer is an elder who supervises several congregations and who is above an elder, so to speak.
31) The anointed class
The group of Jehovah’s Witnesses that will go to heaven when they die rather than live on the “paradise earth.”
32) The Faithful and Discreet Slave
The faithful and discreet slave is the group of anointed male members that make decisions for the 8 million Jehovah’s Witnesses all over the world.
33) The arrangement
The arrangement is basically the rules under which the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses is leading the rank and file under.
34) Publisher
A publisher is each individual member of the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. In other words, it’s an active Jehovah’s Witness. Active meaning that they go to preach and attend their “meetings” (church) regularly.
35) Field service
Field service refers to the preaching work. Jehovah’s Witnesses use the term “going in field service”, meaning going to preach.
36) Inactive publisher
An inactive publisher is a Jehovah’s Witness who doesn’t go in field service. In other words, someone who doesn’t preach the doctrines of the cult to the public.
37) Pioneer/Regular pioneer
This term refers to a Jehovah’s Witness who preaches 70 hours a month. In the past, it used to be 90 hours a month.
38) Auxiliary Pioneer
An auxiliary pioneer, unlike the regular pioneer, doesn’t have to commit every month of the year. They can choose to auxiliary pioneer one month out the year, three months out of the year, it’s up to them. An auxiliary pioneer needs to report 30–50 hour per month when they decide to auxiliary pioneer. Back in the days, it used to be 60 hours.
39) Return visit
The second or following calls on someone who has accepted the literature of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
40) New light
New light among Jehovah’s Witnesses refers to their latest supposedly understanding of a certain part the Bible that used to be understood differently.
Jehovah’s Witnesses leaders never make false prophecies, you see, it’s just that “the light is getting brighter” which is another term they’re using to refer to their “new light.”
41) Independent thinking
Using your own brain to think as an individual is referred to as “independent thinking” among Jehovah’s Witnesses, and it’s looked down upon.
42) To give a witness
To give a witness means to peach the religion’s doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses to someone who is not a Jehovah’s Witness.
43) Shepherding call
A shepherding call is a visit made by the elders of the congregation, generally two of them at a time, to a member (rank and file) of the congregation to “help them spiritually.”
44) Spiritually strong
Someone spiritually strong among Jehovah’s Witnesses is basically someone who adheres to all the religion’s commands blindly. The more indoctrinated you are the more likely you’ll be considered spiritually strong as a Jehovah’s Witness.
45) Spiritually weak
The more a Jehovah’s Witness is going to live on his own accord the more likely he’s going to be considered spiritually weak. If he or she doesn’t attend meetings regularly, preach regularly, or even comment at meetings regularly he or she will be considered spiritually weak.
46) A spiritual brother/sister
That’s how they refer to another member of the religion that is considered spiritual according to the criteria mentioned above.
47) Great crowd
This means all Jehovah’s Witnesses who are not part of the 144,000 members that will go to heaven. “The great crowd” is made of those who are saved at Armageddon.
48) Little Flock
The little flock is the 144,000 that will go to heaven when they die rather than living on the paradise earth.
49) Paradise earth
Where the saved Jehovah’s Witnesses will live after Armageddon.
50) New System
Another term for the paradise earth as Jehovah’s Witnesses see it.
51) Judicial committee
A meeting lead by three elders of the congregation where an individual will be heard and judged on the spot. People who are called to judicial committees are either accused of a sin or of disagreeing openly with the teaching of the organization.
52) Wife’s head
A “Wife’s head” is her husband. In the world of Jehovah’s Witnesses the husband is the head of his wife and while she’s allowed to give her advice he’s supposed to have the final say.
53) On reproof
An individual who is not excommunicated (disfellowshipped), but has some type of privileged restrictions, such as commenting at meetings. However, someone on reproof is still expected to go preach door to door.
54) Bad association
Anyone out or even in the religion that is not viewed as “spiritual” according to the doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
55) Shunning
This is a term that they do not use as much as they practice it. Shunning is the practice of ostracism that Jehovah’s Witnesses practice against anyone who has left the organization for any reason. Shunning even apply to close family members. It’s as if they totally discard anyone who leave their religion as if they were dead, or worse even.
Words are the tools of evangelism. With Cults, definitions are the tools you need to sharpen. It is vitally important, especially with Mormons, to know the meanings of the words they use. A Mormon can say he believes in the Trinity and salvation by grace but what he means is that he believes in the godhead, which is an office held by three separate gods, and that resurrection is a free gift to everyone. With J.W.'s, for example, the Holy Spirit is not a person but a force like radar. So, if you don't know their definitions you'll only be talking in circles.
Know their definitions and you will be a much more effective witness for Christ.
LDS = Latter-day Saints or Mormons. JW = Jehovah's Witnesses.
BIBLE
LDS - The Bible is correct only as far as it is correctly translated. It is basically trustworthy. It is the only one of the four standard works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) that is not considered infallible.
JW - The Bible is the inerrant word of God. (Be careful. Though the J.W. organization believes in the inspired Word of God it has changed the Bible to support its own theological bias.)
Bible - the Bible is the inspired inerrant word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
SALVATION
LDS - Simple bodily resurrection. It does not simply mean forgiveness of sins. Jesus died for universal resurrection.
JW - Earned by good works in cooperation with Jesus' sacrifice.
Bible - Forgiveness of sins with the result of a present new life and in the future eternal life with God (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 10:9-10).
HEAVEN
LDS - Divided into three Kingdoms: Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial. The Celestial is for perfect Mormons, the Terrestrial is for moral people and lukewarm LDS, and the Telestial Kingdom is for everyone else.
JW - The place that God dwells. Christians do not go to heaven except for 144,000 elite JW's.
Bible - The dwelling place of God (1 Kings 8:30). Christians go to heaven.
KINGDOM OF GOD
LDS - Celestial heaven.
JW - God's "theocratic" rule on earth, his "system of things."
Bible - All the believers of Christ (Matt. 13:41-43).
HOLY GHOST
LDS - "A spirit man. He can only be at one place at one time... " (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie, p. 359.) The Holy Ghost is contrasted with the Spirit of God which is the influence of the Godhead that fills the immensity of space which enables God to know what is going on. It is likened to electricity."
JW - God's active force. He is not alive, but a force like radar.
Bible - Third person of the Trinity. Same as Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).
ETERNAL LIFE
LDS - Exaltation (exaltation to a Mormon means obtaining Godhood) in the Celestial Kingdom.
JW - Eternal life on paradise earth - for JW's only.
Bible - Forgiveness of sins and life eternal with God (John 17:3; Rom. 6:23).
GODHEAD
LDS - An office held by three separate Gods: the Father who is a god; Jesus who is a god; and the Holy Ghost who is a god.
JW - Consists of only one person: the Father.
Bible - God Himself, not an office. Three persons in one God. A Trinity: The Father; the Son; and the Holy Spirit.
JESUS
LDS - Spirit brother of Satan. A god in the Godhead. He is Jehovah of the O.T. compared to Elohim being the Father. He was the first spirit child to be born to the Father and Mother gods.
JW - Jesus is not God, but Michael the Archangel who became a man and then stopped being a man and became an angel again.
Bible - Jesus is God, second person of the Trinity (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9).
ATONEMENT
LDS - The sacrifice of Christ that made resurrection possible along with the possibility of our earning forgiveness of sins.
JW - The atonement makes possible our earning salvation.
Bible - The substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. He died for our sins (1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 2:2).
PRE-EXISTENCE
LDS - We existed in heaven with God our (literal) Father before we became human.
JW - No pre-existence.
Bible - We did not exist before we came to earth (1 Cor. 15:46).
GOSPEL
LDS - The laws and the ordinances of the Mormon church.
JW - The teachings of Jesus, the kingdom and kingdom work (it is general and vague).
Bible - The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
As you can see, some definitions are quite different. Some are very similar. The better you know them the better able you will be prepared to "give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet. 3:15).
Jehovah's Witnesses glossary - RationalWiki
Top 50 Muslim Countries - ReligionFacts
History of the Jehovah's Witnesses - ReligionFacts
Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
