An open letter to Jehovah’s Witnesses

Lvov (Ukraine), July 7, 2011

Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Brooklyn, USA

Dear representatives of the society,

we have to admit that You perform great mission on the territories that have fallen away from Christianity. If Your mission was really in the Spirit of God and if it assured salvation to every individual, we would congratulate You.

However, we realize with pain that although You claim to study the entire Holy Scripture, the essence of the Holy Scripture, which is centered on the person of our Savior Jesus Christ, has been concealed from You up to this day.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) “And the Word (Christ) became flesh and dwelt among us.” (v.14a) “He (Jesus) is the only begotten Son of the Father.” (v.14b) We who received Christ are adopted sons of God: “As many as received Him (Jesus), He gave them power to become the sons of God, to them that believe in His name (Jehoshua).” (v.12)

Do You believe in His name – Jesus – Jehoshua? Did You receive Jesus as Your personal Savior? Did You thus become a son of God?

“He who has the Son has eternal life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1Jn 5:11-12) Do You have eternal life or not?

On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter said to the pious searchers of the Scriptures: “You crucified Jesus Christ”, you are murderers of God. They did not take offence but were cut to the heart and said: “What shall we do?” Peter said to them: “Repent (i.e. change your minds) and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38-40)

“Who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus said: That you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins…” (Lk 5:18-26) Are Your sins forgiven through Jesus? “Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Lk 24:47) The question of salvation is the question of humility and truth connected with the saving faith. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord – Jehoshua – shall be saved.” (Rom 10:13) This is the most important thing in the hour of death.

“…Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (Jn 20:31)

Jesus said: “I and My Father are one.” (Jn 10:30)

“Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.” (1Jn 2:23)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life… He who believes in Him will not be condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Jn 3:16-18) Unbelief in Christ is a sin: “The world’s sin is unbelief in Me.” (Jn 16:9) He who will persist in the sin of obstinate unbelief in Jesus even in the hour of death will be eternally condemned!

Dear religious representatives, You read the Gospels, the Epistles of the Apostle Paul and of the other Apostles. The author of the Holy Scripture, however, is the Spirit of God by whom the sacred writers were inspired. Ask Yourselves when You quote the Bible whether You have the same spirit as the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John and the evangelists? What spirit do You have? Jesus said: “When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you shall be witnesses to Me.” (Acts 1:8) The Apostles were witnesses to Jesus and they immediately witnessed in the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is true God: “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9). “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) – this name is Jehoshua. The purpose of the apostolic mission was and is “that they (Gentiles) may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

Stephen, one of the deacons, pointed out in his sermon the spirit of pharisaism that rejects salvation in Christ. The Pharisees stopped their ears and stoned him to death. The Apostle Paul summed up the essence of salvation in his testimony: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1Cor 15:3-4) This is the essence of the whole Gospel.

The Catholic Church has betrayed Christ and His Gospel at the present time. Through historical-critical theology she has denied the inspiration of the Scripture and Divinity of Christ. By receiving the spirit of Assisi on May 1, 2011, she received the spirit of antichrist and cast out the Holy Spirit. She thus lost the saving faith. Many Protestant denominations have received the spirit of the world and denied the law of God (by legalizing homosexuality).

Now You have a chance to be converted and to become the world’s salvific Church. Do make a step of faith, change Your minds – receive the Spirit of Christ instead of the spirit of antichrist and the living Gospel instead of human doctrines. “Repent (change your minds), and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15) For the time being, before You are converted, You do not have the right to be called a Christian Church. Time is short, and eternal life of millions is at stake.

On behalf of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

+ Elijah

Patriarch

+ Methodius OSBMr                + Timothy OSBMr

Secretaries of the BCP

Copies to:

– U.S. President and Congress

– Mass media