About Us

The history and purpose of Elihu Books is in many ways the history and purpose of Greg Stafford, a Christian Witness of Jah, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who rejects teachings and traditions of men where these contradict what for good reasons can be shown to be from the biblical God Jehovah, or Jah (Psalm 68:4; Isaiah 12:2; Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6). Elihu Books was founded by Stafford in 1997 to publish information about Jehovah God, his Son Jesus Christ, and those who bear witness to the truth concerning them. In 1997, and even before his baptism in 1990, Stafford was an advocate of many of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses as presented in literature published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Today he still advocates many of these same doctrines, but not all of them.

Stafford did not establish Elihu Books or write publications in defense of Jehovah’s Witnesses for those committed to the Watchtower Society. He founded Elihu Books and began publishing information for those who were uncertain about the teachings of the Bible respecting the God Jah and Jesus of Nazareth. Stafford also felt the need to give “an answer to scholars and critics,” as the subtitle of his Defended book reveals, in harmony with 1 Peter 3:15. This was particularly the case for Jah, for Jesus, and for Jehovah’s Witnesses, this in spite of many controversial positions and teachings published by the Watchtower Society, a corporation closely associated with many who claim to be Jehovah’s Witnesses.

For some time, and certainly during the late 1980s and early 1990s, publication after publication was released against the beliefs and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses without any official response by the Watchtower Society. There was also very little and at most only a partial response to some of these criticisms put forth in an unpublished form by some Witnesses associated with the Society. After Stafford was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in the summer of 1990, he became actively engaged in the Watchtower Society’s ministry and became known as a “Pioneer” Witness for over two years. Off and on Stafford also served as an Auxiliary Pioneer for many more years. Stafford was also appointed as a Ministerial Servant at the age of 19, and his ministerial efforts included an outreach to members of the public and to the Evangelical and other religious communities wherever possible. Eve before his baptism, Stafford had been exposed to the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses by his family, and also to criticisms of their views by others. Stafford was raised in association with the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and in school and in secular work he regularly spoke with others about their beliefs and about many issues concerning them.

It was during the early 1990s that Stafford realized the full extent of material published against Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was also during that time that he realized that the Watchtower Society and those Witnesses associated with it had not responded as they should have to such publications. It was then that he felt the need to do something about what had to a large extent been left unresolved, about that which was causing confusion and division among many Jehovah’s Witnesses, about those things that were keeping many others from seriously considering what the Witnesses taught about Jehovah God. It was about this time that the words of the biblical figure Elihu, from the book of Job, took on greater meaning for Stafford, leading to the publication of a defense of Jehovah God and of his Witnesses through Elihu Books:

Job 32:6-11; 15-22 (New World Translation [in which all caps equals a plural pronoun])

And E•li´hu the son of Bar´a•chel the Buz´ite proceeded to answer and say: “Young I am in days And YOU men are aged. That is why I drew back and was afraid To declare my knowledge to YOU men. I said, ‘Days themselves should speak, And a multitude of years are what should make wisdom known.’ Surely it is the spirit in mortal men And the breath of the Almighty [that] gives them understanding. It is not those merely abundant in days that prove wise, Nor those just old that understand judgment. Therefore I said, ‘Do listen to me. I shall declare my knowledge, even I.’ Look! I have waited for the words of YOU men, I kept giving ear to YOUR reasonings, Until YOU could search for words [to say]. ... They have been terrified, they have answered no more; Words have moved away from them. And I have waited, for they do not continue speaking; For they stood still, they answered no more. I shall give in answer my part, even I; I shall declare my knowledge, even I; For I have become full of words; Spirit has brought pressure upon me in my belly. Look! My belly is like wine that has no vent; Like new skin bottles it wants to burst open. Let me speak that it may be a relief to me. I shall open my lips that I may answer. Let me not, please, show partiality to a man; And on an earthling man I shall not bestow a title; For I certainly do not know how I can bestow a title; Easily my Maker would carry me away.

The history of Elihu Books took a sharp turn in 1998-999, when the Second Edition of Jehovah’s Witnesses Defended was being prepared. It was during this time that Stafford came to realize that some of the Watchtower Society’s teachings were not defensible. Foremost among these for Stafford was the Society’s teaching regarding the use of blood. Though it took some more time to fully understand the history and range of errors published by the Watchtower Society concerning the Bible and blood (which history and errors were presented in Stafford’s Three Dissertations on the Teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Third Dissertations, pages 170-196), shortly after the publication of the Second Edition of Jehovah’s Witnesses Defended it was clear to Stafford that some of these errors were far more than just simple mistakes.

Because of this realization and a failure by those in positions of responsibility within the Watchtower Society to respond to Stafford’s complaint about this an other issues (compare Matthew 18:15-17), Elihu Books is now a part of the ministry of the Christian Witnesses of Jah, a ministry that seeks to put loyalty to Jah and to Jesus Christ above loyalty to any man, or woman. This ministry also intends to challenge many of the traditions of Christendom, including those found in groups like the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Evangelicals, Mormons, as well as other beliefs about God that are not based on good reasons, such as we find in Islam and in other faiths. Through the combined efforts of Elihu Books and the Christian Witnesses of Jah we intend to help those in need. We intend to put truth above all else, even above love, for if love is not love of what is true then it is love for something else, something that is not true.

It is the purpose and intent of Elihu Books to continue publishing material that defends the biblical God Jah, that defends the truth about his Son Jesus Christ, and that supports those who can for good reasons be considered their Witnesses. Though for a few years since 2002 Elihu Books was dormant, since early 2006 it has found its purpose in Jah, Jesus, and truth for good reasons. This purpose and our intent will never change, so long as it is in accord with the will of Jah.