Why are Jehovah's Witnesses called Jehovah's Witnesses?

Answer 1

We were very careful to choose the name by which we would be called. We gave much thought to it.

There are 2 parts to our name, which really explains itself. (Part of this explanation is an English lesson.)

1) Jehovah's ---

You will notice the apostrophe 's'. This means: 'Belonging to'. We belong to Jehovah God, the Almighty, the Creator of the whole Universe and everything in it.

Before we get baptized, we make a personal DEDICATION to Jehovah God in prayer. We dedicate ourselves to Him, to do His 'will' (whatever that will may be.) Jehovah's 'will' changes over the years. Since we now belong to Jehovah, that means we will change as his requirements change. (Example: Noah was required to build an ark for salvation. Today that is NOT a requirement anymore for salvation. God's will changed.)

Point 1 also means: We do NOT belong to an organization.We NEVER dedicated ourselves to an organization. We do not even pledge our alliegance to any government on earth.

2) Witnesses ---

You will notice that this is in the 'plural' form. This means 'more than 1'.

This all means that we 'witness' or 'speak' about Jehovah God, and his purposes for mankind.

It may surprise many people, that Jehovah's Witnesses are really MORE THAN CHRISTIAN. Yes, we are 'Christian' -- but we are beyond that; we are MORE THAN that. (Explanation: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, etc were NOT Christians. Christ had not arrived. They were MORE THAN Christian. They too were Witnesses of Jehovah God. -- Even Christ Jesus was a Witness of Jehovah God. You will find this in Revelation.)

Interestingly: The whole world agrees that we indeed ARE Jehovah's Witnesses. That designation was available to anyone before 1931. But no one wanted that label. To this day many despise the word 'Jehovah'. It makes their stomach's crawl. They call us that. Even all the so-called Christians call us that. When we arrive at their doors they say: "Jehovah's Witnesses? --- We're not interested." They acknowledge and recognize that only WE are Jehovah's name people. This will explain the pride we have in being the only ones on earth, recognized as what we really are: Jehovah God's personal Witnesses. It couldn't get much better than that.

Answer 2

The name "JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES" is taken from The Bible verse of Isaiah Chapter 43 verse 10 which reads:

"Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am HE: before me there was no ùGod formed, neither shall there be after me." -- (Darby Bible Translation)

Formerlly known as the International Bibles Students, they adopted the name in July, 1931.

Answer 3

Actually, many well known organized religions were named by their enemies.

For example, "Lutherans" were labeled such by enemies of Luther and they adopted this name. "Baptists" also were called such by their enemies, because of they baptized believers by full immersion, as the Bible directs, instead of sprinkling babies. They too adopted the name given them. Likewise "Methodists," after abiding by John Wesley's "methods" for their organization, were called such by their enemies. Even Quakers were labeled by their enemies after a Judge saw them quaking and disparagingly labeled them Quakers. Yes, they too adopted that name for themselves, given to them by their enemies.

Jehovah's Witnesses, however, named themselves. Earlier their enemies often called them "Russelites" after their first president, or "Millennial Dawnists" after publications written and distributed by their society, but they did not adopt such names for themselves. The name "Jehovah's Witnesses" was available for anyone to use before 1931, as it describes God's chosen people as written at Isaiah 43:10,12. But apparently, no one wanted that title. So we were proud to adopt this name, as it delineates who we are and what we do as worshipers of the true God Jehovah. And this name stuck. Today, even our enemies call us by that name, but it was not our enemies who named us!