What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Teach?
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that true Christians must remain completely neutral in the world’s conflicts. They do not participate in war, do not perform military service, nor do they support any nation politically or militarily. They justify this attitude with Jesus’ statement that His Kingdom is not of this world, as stated in John 18:36, and His instruction to lay down the sword in Matthew 26:52. The Witnesses view conscientious objection as part of their Christian integrity, and this has led many of them to be imprisoned or persecuted in various countries for their steadfast neutrality.
They emphasize that they must keep separate from the contentions of the world and be loyal to God’s Kingdom alone. This understanding also extends to rejecting participation in political processes, including voting in elections or participating in national ceremonies. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that by staying out of all military and political battles, they imitate Jesus’ example and show that their loyalty is directed solely to God.
What Does the Bible Say?
We have a number of Scriptural examples of Jehovah allowing His people Israel to wage wars against other nations under God’s direction (See Genesis 17:16, Joshua 6–11, and Judges 2:18). We also know that Jehovah himself has announced that he will go to another war against the nations at Armageddon (Rev. 16:14-16; 19:11-21). The Bible does not contain any general prohibitions against warfare. However, the Bible says that the ideal is a world without war, and that in Paradise after the 1000-year kingdom, there will no longer be wars (Matthew 5:9).
What did Jesus mean when He instructed the Apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:52 not to fight for Him? Jesus himself answers the question at John 18:11, where Jesus explains: “Should I not drink the cup that my Father has given me?” Thus, the instruction is directly related to the events leading up to Jesus’ judgment and death. Jesus elaborates on this in John 18:36: Jesus makes it clear that there is no point for Jesus’ servants to fight to prevent Jesus from being judged and killed. It is because Jesus is not part of this world.
None of these Bible texts provide a basis for an expanded understanding that Jesus gives a general prohibition against participating in wars or participating in politics in today’s world. The Bible leaves it to the governing authorities to make decisions about how to govern (Rom. 13:1-7). Jehovah condones the use of force by secular authorities, including war. The Bible does not say that believers should fight the government’s use of such power, but instead says that believers must submit to the authorities (Rom. 13:5). If a Christian is obedient to the authorities in order to go to war, there is no Scriptural basis for claiming that this amounts to disobedience to Jehovah. Nevertheless, we look forward to the time when wars will cease and no one will have to engage in wars anymore (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). When wars cease, people will be able to show love to others in line with the Bible’s constitution, as written in Matthew 22:39.
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