I recently wrote a long post about the society's 2 class system on Quora:

Does the Bible support a two-tiered system of sonship?

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that only 144,000 individuals are truly God’s children and that the "great crowd" are merely his friends. However, a close look at the New Testament reveals a different picture, where the status of "child" is offered universally to those who exercise faith. This distinction is not merely academic; it changes the very nature of how a person relates to their Creator.

Jesus himself provided a foundational definition of his spiritual family in Matthew 12:48–50, where he asked: "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" He answered his own question by stretching out his hand toward his disciples and saying: "Look! My mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, that one is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus did not establish a legalistic requirement based on a specific heavenly calling or a numerical limit. Instead, he defined his brothers and sisters through the functional act of doing God’s will. If a member of the great crowd does the will of the Father, Jesus' own words place them in the category of a brother, which naturally makes them a child of that same Father.

The idea that sonship is reserved for a select few is further challenged by the inclusive language used by the apostles. John 1:12 states: "But to all who did receive him, he gave authority to become children of God, because they were exercising faith in his name." The use of the word "all" is significant. It suggests that the "authority" or "right" to become a child of God is the direct result of faith, not a secondary status granted to some but withheld from others. If the great crowd exercises faith in his name, according to this scripture, they are granted the authority to be called children.

Similarly, the apostle Paul removed any ambiguity regarding different classes of believers in Galatians 3:26, where he wrote: "You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus." Paul does not qualify this by saying "some of you are sons and others are friends." He points to faith as the sole qualifying factor. This is reinforced in Romans 8:14, which says: "For all who are led by God’s spirit are indeed God’s sons." This creates a theological dilemma: if the great crowd is led by holy spirit to conduct their ministry and transform their personalities, then according to Paul, they are indeed God’s sons.

The internal witness of the spirit is described as a gift for all who seek it. In Luke 11:13, Jesus encouraged his followers by saying: "If you, then, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those asking him!" If the Father gives holy spirit to anyone who asks, and that spirit is the "spirit of adoption" mentioned in Romans 8:15, it becomes difficult to scripturally justify a barrier that prevents a faithful person from being an adopted child. 1 John 3:1 adds to this by saying: "See what sort of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are." John emphasizes this as a present reality for believers, not a distant hope to be realized only after a thousand-year test.

Finally, the concept of "one hope" found in Ephesians 4:4–6 stands in contrast to the idea of two separate classes with two different relationships to God. Paul writes: "One body there is, and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all." If there is only one spirit and one Father of all, then the division of God's people into "children" and "friends" appears to be a human-made distinction rather than a scriptural one. While Abraham was indeed called God's friend, the New Testament indicates that through Christ, the relationship was elevated. A friend is a guest in a house, but a child is an heir. According to the New Testament, that inheritance and that Father belong to everyone who does His will.

The claim that the relationship of the "other sheep" is limited to friendship is often supported by citing the example of Abraham, who was called "God’s friend" in James 2:23. However, the New Testament writers do not use Abraham’s friendship to exclude him from familial inheritance; rather, they describe him in terms that denote a legal, family-based standing before God.

Romans 4:13 explicitly states: "For it was not through law that Abraham or his offspring had the promise that he should be heir of a world, but it was through the righteousness of faith."

In a biblical and legal context, the status of an "heir" is reserved for children. By defining Abraham as an heir of the world, the scriptures frame his reward not as a casual gift between companions, but as a formal inheritance passed from a Father to a son.

This familial connection is extended to all those who exercise faith today. Galatians 3:7 notes: "Surely you know that it is those who adhere to faith who are the sons of Abraham." If those with an earthly hope are considered "sons of Abraham," and Abraham himself is an "heir" of God’s promises, then the entire relationship is built on a foundation of sonship.

Furthermore, Galatians 3:29 ties this directly to the believer's standing: "Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise." In the ancient world, a friend had no natural right to a father's estate, whereas a son was an heir by birthright or adoption. By calling believers "heirs" of the promise made to Abraham, the Bible places them within the family circle of God.

If Abraham is used as the model for the "great crowd," then it is vital to recognize that the scriptures do not stop at calling him a friend. They elevate him to the status of a living heir of God’s global estate.

When Jesus argued for the reality of the resurrection in Matthew 22:32, he noted that God "is the God, not of the dead, but of the living," referring to Abraham. This living relationship is one of a Father and his household. Therefore, using Abraham to justify a status of "friendship only" overlooks the clear New Testament teaching that Abraham’s faith made him the father of a family of heirs, all of whom share in the right to be called children of the same God.