In this article, I am responding to an article which appeared in the December 2026 edition of the Watchtower Study edition. The Watchtower is a free publication by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. In the article in question, they claim that Christians should take no part in politics at all and try to justify it with the actions of Jesus.
The headings are the same as the first two headings in the original article.
“Jesus refused political power”
The article states: “In imitation of Jesus, we promote God’s Kingdom as the only solution to all problems on earth. To be consistent with that stand, we must remain neutral with regard to politics. […] To help us imitate Jesus closely in this respect, this article will discuss what he did when he had the opportunity to (1) take part in politics, (2) fight against his enemies, and (3) engage in political conversations.”
They start the article by describing how many Jews in the time of Jesus expected from the Messiah to liberate their country from the Romans. Even His disciples asked Him in Acts Chapter 1, when He would restore the Kingdom of Israel.
“Why did Jesus not accept a political position that people thought would enable him to bring much-needed relief to mankind? Because he supported God’s Kingdom as the real solution.”
Jesus had a mission on Earth: to save humanity by His Passion, His death on the Cross, and His Resurrection. The fact that the Son of God didn’t wish to field earthly political authority does not prove at all that His followers should not be involved in politics.
“He also knew that although Jehovah allows human governments to exist, it is Satan who gives them their authority. (Luke 4:5,6; John 12:31; Rev. 13:2)”
Actually, God is the source of legitimate government authority. In Romans Chapter 13, Paul writes about a state officer, who carries out a death penalty. “Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation. For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou shalt have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to thee, for good. But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is God’s minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil.” (Romans 13:1-4)
The three Bible references do not prove the Watchtower’s point about Satan “giving authority” to civil governments. In Luke 4:5-6, Satan tempts Jesus: “And the devil led him into a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time; And he said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them.” In John 12:31, Jesus calls Satan “prince of this world”.
Since the Fall of Adam, humanity is under the influence of original sin, which means that humans are inclined to do evil, but also have a conscience which reminds them to do good. The very real possibility of governments doing evil does not show that Satan actually owns all governments and the physical world. On the contrary. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof: the world, and all they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)
Revelation 13:2 is irrelevant to the topic at hand, since it talks about the “beast”, that is, the Antichrist. The Antichrist, who comes near the end of the world, will indeed be totally evil and possessed by the devil.
“Thus, Jesus remained no part of the world. (John 17:14) He did not seek or accept political office; nor did he teach his followers to do so. Instead, he taught them to pray: “Father, . . . let your Kingdom come.”—Matt. 6:9, 10.”
Here, we can see the falsified New World translation strike again. In John 17:14, Jesus says that He is “not of the world”, not that He is “no part of the world”.
“Like Jesus, Christians today remain neutral as to the world’s politics. We respect the governments under which we live and endeavor to be good citizens. We obey the laws of the land and pay our taxes. (Rom. 13:1, 7; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13, 14)”
Above, the Watchtower claimed that Satan gives authority to human governments. If that would be so, and God requires us to obey legitimate civil authority, then God in effect would require of us to obey Satan.
“Jesus did not resort to violence”
“Human politics are closely associated with war and other violent conflicts. Jesus, however, taught his disciples to avoid violence. For example, consider what occurred during the events that led to his death. […] Jesus wanted to teach his followers that they should not resort to violence when persecuted. The apostles could have learned that lesson simply by observing what Jesus did when the mob came to arrest him. Jesus did not fight; nor did he direct his apostles to use the two swords they had. However, as matters turned out, impulsive Peter used his sword to strike a slave of the high priest. So Jesus stated plainly: ‘Return your sword to its place, for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.’ (Matt. 26:51, 52) Clearly, then, Jesus would not approve of the disciples’ participating in a violent political conflict against Rome or any other nation.”
Jesus had a mission in this world and it was not the duty of the apostles to hinder that mission by hindering his arrest. In the account of Matthew chapter 26, Jesus tells Peter directly after telling him to sheath his sword: “Thinkest thou that I cannot ask my Father, and he will give me presently more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) This shows again that Jesus chose not to defend Himself.
The article might as well claim that since Jesus wasn’t married, Christians shouldn’t get married either.
“How important it is that we promote only God’s Kingdom as the real solution to mankind’s difficulties! Jehovah has made it clear that this world’s rulers, even those with the best of intentions, cannot end mankind’s troubles. (Eccl. 8:9; Jer. 10:23)” This line of reasoning is pursued by the Watchtower to claim that one does not have involve oneself in politics at all.
Obviously, human rulers cannot create paradise on earth. That is no excuse, however, not to try to improve the human condition.
What the Watchtower doesn’t consider is that what the government does has an impact on how people can live their faith. They can promote or hinder the spreading of the Gospel. Anyone who spends some amount of time in Eastern Europe can verify how the decades of atheistic dictatorship have impacted the people.
A genuinely Christian outlook on the state would be to try to make Christian principles the foundation of the state and make Christianity the state religion. As Pope Leo XIII put it in his 1885 encyclical Immortale Dei: “So, too, is it a sin for the State not to have care for religion as a something beyond its scope, or as of no practical benefit; or out of many forms of religion to adopt that one which chimes in with the fancy; for we are bound absolutely to worship God in that way which He has shown to be His will. All who rule, therefore, would hold in honor the holy name of God, and one of their chief duties must be to favor religion, to protect it, to shield it under the credit and sanction of the laws, and neither to organize nor enact any measure that may compromise its safety. This is the bounden duty of rulers to the people over whom they rule.” (6)
Or as Pius XI put it in 1925 in Quas Primas: “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.”
The fact that not everyone will convert on this earth does not mean that Christians should not try to make the governments conform to God’s law.
“Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses imitate Jesus’ example and follow his direction. We do not fight in or lend support to the world’s violent conflicts. If we did, we would be disregarding Jesus’ counsel against violence. Additionally, we would destroy the love and unity that Jesus said would characterize his true followers. (Read John 13:35; 17:11, 20-23.)”
For a better understanding of the viewer, I’ll share the three quoted passages. “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” (John 13:35) “And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou has given me; that they may be one, as we also are.” (John 17:11) “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one: I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.” (John 17:20-23)
The Watchtower acknowledges that Jesus described His true followers as necessarily having love and unity. In fact, the prayers of Jesus to the Father in John 17 are necessarily going to be fulfilled, since they are totally efficacious, since it is God who says the prayer.
This means that Church Jesus Christ founded is going to necessarily have unity. Let’s see: Which Church has a credible claim to go back to the first century, and has demonstrated throughout its history a remarkable unity, a threefold unity: unity of faith, unity of worship, unity of government?