This is a collection of Scriptures to help Jehovah Witnesses
in their relationship with God. If you are a JW and you are reading this know
before you began reading this that I have never been a JW. Also, this is not
really preaching or teaching from another religion. It is more of a collection
of Scriptures with my questions about them. All the Bible verses in this are
from the New World Translation unless otherwise indicated because I know this
to be the most acceptable translation for the JW’s.
To my knowledge most Jehovah Witnesses believe:
You cannot be saved to eternal life just by faith in Jesus
but you must have works too.
You will never know you are actually saved till God
resurrects you to eternal life.
Jesus and God are not one God but two. A Jehovah God and a
small god, Jesus, God’s created son.
The Holy Spirit is an active force of God. He does not have
his own mind apart from God.
They believe Revelation is mostly figurative and not literal.
They believe that Hell is the grave where sinners are
annihilated and pretty much no longer exists; not a place of everlasting fire.
They do believe there is a heaven, but only 144,000 people
will go there. Some JW’s believe these 144,000 have already been chosen and
others believe some have not been chosen yet.
1) Is salvation
through Jesus alone or does it include our works too?
Ephesians 2:8-9
By this undeserved
kindness, indeed, YOU have been
saved through faith; and this not owing to YOU, it is God’s gift.
No, it is not owing to works, in order that no man should have
ground for boasting.
Do works save us here
or faith?
Notes: the past tense
of “been saved”. Doesn’t this mean that you already have been saved if you have
faith in Jesus, not that you are going to be saved?
Titus 3:4-7
However, when the
kindness and the love for man on the part of our Savior, God, was manifested, owing to no works in righteousness that
we had performed, but according to his mercy he saved us through the
bath that brought us to life and through the making of us new by holy spirit.
This [spirit] he poured out richly upon us
through Jesus Christ our Savior, that, after being declared righteous by
virtue of the undeserved kindness of that one, we might become heirs according
to a hope of everlasting life.
Romans 3:27-28
Where, then, is the
boasting? It is shut out. Through
what law? That of works? No indeed, but through the law of faith. For we
reckon that a man is declared righteous by faith apart from works of law.
No works of
righteousness can save us from our sin. Only through Jesus can we be saved.
James 2:17
Thus, too, faith, if
it does not have works, is dead in itself.
Is this a
contradiction in Scripture?
Or can they coexist?
Maybe James is saying
that if someone has truly been saved by faith then they are going to be so
thankful to God for what He has done that they will be doing good with their
life. We “mankind” cannot see the heart to know if someone’s faith is real but,
we can see the works someone does. So for me to know someone is saved they must
proclaim faith in Jesus and have good works, and same for them to know I am
saved, but, for us to actually be saved; what saves us is faith in Jesus.
John 14:15
“If YOU love me,
YOU will observe my commandments;
If someone has been
truly saved from their sins by Jesus they are going to love God for it and try
to do all that He asks, but that is not what saves them; it is just the effect that
salvation has on them. It is the evidence of their heart.
2) Can we know for
sure that we have eternal life?
1 John 5:11-13
And this is the
witness given, that God gave us
everlasting life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son
has this life; he that does not have the Son of God does not have this life. I
write YOU these things that YOU
may know that YOU have life everlasting, YOU who put YOUR faith
in the name of the Son of God.
Notes: the past tense
of the word “gave”. He has already given the people, to whom John is talking to
here, eternal life. The people he is talking to, in these verses, are those
that have put their faith in Jesus. If you have repented of your sin and put
your faith in Jesus you have already been given eternal life. He is writing
this so we can know this for sure.
John 5:24
Most truly I say to
YOU, He that hears my word and believes
him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into
judgment but has passed over from death to life.
It says, if you
believe, you have everlasting life. This is stated as fact.
3) Who is Jesus in
connection to God?
Isa. 9:6
For there has been a
child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will
come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace.
Who is this child? It’s
Jesus, right?
Who is He called?
Mighty God, Eternal Father!
If this is not
calling Jesus the Jehovah God then why is it capitalized? Other places in Scripture
that refer to a father as being other than God the Father, the word “father” is
not capitalize. Here it is. This must be talking about God the Father then.
Jehovah.
Revelation 1:8
"I am the Al´pha and the O·me´ga," says Jehovah God..."
This is the almighty
God, correct?
Revelation 22:13
"I am the Al´pha and the O·me´ga, the first and the last..."
This is still talking
about the Almighty God, correct?
Revelation 1:17-18
"“Do not be
fearful. I am the First and
the Last, and the living one;
and I became dead, but, look! I am
living forever and ever,..."
Who is this then?
If these Scriptures
are talking about Jehovah God then when was God ever dead and then alive again?
Jesus was, though.
Did God create all or
did Jesus create all?
Gen. 1:1
In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the
earth.
Who is this that
created all things? God!
Col. 1:15-16
He is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all
[other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things
visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or
lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created
through him and for him.
Now, who created all
things? Jesus? Or maybe you would say that God created through Jesus but, then
what of the next Scripture?
Isaiah 45:7-8
Forming light and
creating darkness, making peace and creating calamity, I, Jehovah, am doing all these things. “O YOU heavens, cause a
dripping from above; and let the cloudy skies themselves trickle with
righteousness. Let the earth open up, and let it be fruitful with salvation,
and let it cause righteousness itself to spring up at the same time. I myself, Jehovah, have created it.”
Notes: the word
“myself”. Jehovah God said He created it
Himself, not through anyone. Is this a contradiction in Scripture or, is it
that Jesus and God are both Jehovah God and so both created everything?
When Col. 1:15 says
Jesus is the “firstborn of creation” some believe that this is proof that Jesus
is not God because how can God create Himself? They think that this is saying
that. So, they see Jesus as a little “g” god under Jehovah God. But then what
of this next verse?
Isaiah 43:10-11
“YOU are my
witnesses,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “even my servant whom I have chosen,
in order that YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may
understand that I am the same One.
Before me there was no God formed, and
after me there continued to be none. I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.”
How is savior? Jesus
or God?
God said there is no
God after him. So how can Jesus be a god?
If this verse is
true, but Jesus is not God then who can Jesus even be?
Why is Col. 1:15
saying he is the “firstborn of creation”? In the Jewish culture the firstborn of
the family was in authority over the other sibling. This is saying that Jesus
is in authority over creation? Also, when it says “because by means of him all
[other] things were created” the word “other” is in brackets because it is not
in the verse originally. Would not this then make more sense without this added
word if Jesus was not created? Why the need to add to Scripture with this word?
Is someone trying to change its meaning?
Did Jesus claim to be
God?
John 10:28-30
And I give them
everlasting life, and they will by no means ever be destroyed, and no one will
snatch them out of my hand.
What my Father has given me is something greater than all other things, and no
one can snatch them out of the hand
of the Father. I and the
Father are one.
How can Jesus and God
be one and Jesus not be God?
Some would say that
this means they are one as in the same mind set and plan; not one being; One
God. But then why talk about their hands, a physical aspect of them? If the
ones that have everlasting life are in Jesus' hand and in God's hand at the
same time then would not they be the same hands? This is what Jesus said.
John 5:18
On this account,
indeed, the Jews began seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was
he breaking the Sabbath but he was also calling
God his own Father, making himself equal to God.
I have two sons. If
they called me their mother would that make them equal to me in authority? No!
Then why would the
Jews think this when Jesus called God his Father?
I am human and there
are lots of other humans, so for my sons to say they are my sons is fine
because it is saying they are also human and my sons, but there is only one
God. To say He has a son is to say there is another God which would make
Jehovah God a liar because in Deuteronomy 32:39 and Isaiah 43:10-12 he says He
is the only God. Was Jesus making God a liar? I do not think so. He is saying
He is God and that is why the Jews were so mad. That is why they said He was
making himself equal to God.
No one can be equal
to God but God himself.
Yes, two being one at
the same time is something only God could pull off.
Why did Jesus accept worship
if He is not God?
John 4:23
Nevertheless, the hour
is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the
Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship
him.
Is the worship here
true worship to God?
This verse is in the NT and was first in Greek.
The Greek word used here is: προσκυνέω "proskuneó"
means: I go down on my knees to, do
obeisance to, worship.
Lets look at some
other verse with the same Greek word.
Matthew. 28:9
And, look! Jesus met
them and said: “Good day!” They approached and caught him by his feet and did obeisance to him.
Just then Jesus met
them and said, "Good morning!" They came up, took hold of His feet,
and worshiped Him. (HMCSB)
Matthew 8:2
And, look! a leprous
man came up and began doing obeisance
to him, saying: “Lord, if you just want to, you can make me clean.”
Mark 5:6
But on catching sight
of Jesus from a distance he ran and did obeisance
to him
These are all the
same Geek word.
If Jesus knew he was
not God then why did he not stop them or tell them not to do this?
Revelation 22:8-9
Well, I John was the
one hearing and seeing these things. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down
to worship before the feet of the
angel that had been showing me these things. But he tells me: “Be careful! Do not do that! All I am is a
fellow slave of you and of your brothers who are prophets and of those who are
observing the words of this scroll. Worship
God.”
This is the same
Greek word. As soon as John started to worship the angel he told him not to.
If Jesus is not God
then why did he allow men to worship/obeisance him?
Also, if this is the
same Greek word, then why did the translators of this NWT translation write
them differently? Could they be trying to hide something from the readers?
Could they be trying to make the Bible fit their beliefs instead of allowing
the Bible, the word of God to dictate their beliefs?
Matthew 2:11a
And when they went
into the house they saw the young child with Mary its mother, and, falling down, they did obeisance to it.
Matthew 2:11a
When the men went into
the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. (CEV)
Jesus’ mother, Mary,
did not even stop them from worshiping Him.
Exodus 34:14
For you must not prostrate yourself to another god, because Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, he
is a jealous God;
(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name
is Jealous, is a jealous God) (ESV)
You are to never bow down to another god because the LORD, being jealous by nature,
is a jealous God. (HMCSB)
This is an OT verse, so
it is a Hebrew word but with pretty much the same meaning.
שָׁחָה "shaw-khaw'" meaning from the Strong's Exhaustive
Concordance: A primitive root; to depress, i.e. Prostrate (especially
reflexive, in homage to royalty or God) --
bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do
reverence, make to stoop, worship.
So even if the word
“obeisance” was a slightly different thing then worshiping it would still be
wrong to do to anyone other than Jehovah God because this verse says not to do
it to another god. So would not that mean that Jesus should not have accepted
obeisance from anyone unless he is Jehovah God?
John 1:1
In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god
If the expression
"Word" is Jesus and He "was a god", as the NWT versions of
the Bible says then would not this just further my point that no one should
worship him and he should not accept worship?
It would also be a
lie because there is no gods besides Jehovah God as it says in Deuteronomy 32:39 and Isaiah 43:10-12. God
is the one and only God ever. People can try and make up gods to worship but
they are not really gods they are just made up and we know that Jesus was not
made up.
If the
"Word" is Jesus and Jesus “was God” as other versions of the Bible
say, then it would all make sense and there would not be any contradictions or
lack of cohesiveness in these Scriptures.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (ESV)
Jesus did not stop
people from calling Him God.
John 20:28
In answer Thomas said
to him: “My Lord and my God!”
If Jesus is not God
why did he not correct Thomas?
Did Jesus out do God
in love?
John 15:13
No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender
his soul in behalf of his friends.
Some other
translations say “lay down his life” but either way we know that this is
talking about Jesus paying the price for our sins by dying on the cross. So, if
this was the greatest act of love and Jesus and God are not one being than
Jesus outdid God in loving us, did he not? If they are one being then God
himself did the greatest act of love for us.
So the word of God
the Bible teaches us that Jesus is God and God is Jesus.
4) Is the Holy Spirit
a “being” or a force?
Acts 28:25
So, because they were
at disagreement with one another, they began to depart, while Paul made this
one comment: “The holy spirit aptly
spoke through Isaiah the prophet to YOUR forefathers,
If the Holy Spirit
was just a force of God then how could it think to have anything to say? How
can it speak through someone?
Romans 8:26
In like manner the
spirit also joins in with help for our weakness; for the [problem of] what we
should pray for as we need to we do not know, but the spirit itself pleads for us with groanings unuttered.
Isn’t the Spirit
being talked about as a separate being here? It says “itself”.
Also, who is the
Spirit pleading to for us? If He was just an active force of God and was not a
being then how and why would Gods active force plead to Himself on our behalf?
Ephesians 4:30
Also, do not be grieving God’s holy spirit,
with which YOU have been sealed for a day of releasing by ransom.
If this was just a
force of God and not a separate being then why this wording? Why not just say
“not to grieve God”? Why the distinction that it is the Holy Spirit being
grieved? Can a force be grieved?
John 14:16-17
and I will request the Father and he will
give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, the spirit of the truth,
which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it.
YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU.
Is not Jesus talking
about two distinct beings here? He says, Father (one being) and Spirit (another
being). If it was just the Father’s force then why not just say “I will ask the
Father to come be with you”? It does not say that, instead it says “another
helper”.
Matthew 12:31-32
“On this account I say
to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit
will not be forgiven. For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of
man, it will be forgiven him; but
whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him,
no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.
How can you blasphemy
a force? But you can against a being.
So Jehovah God the Father and the Holy Spirit are two beings
but we will see that they are also one being.
Is the Holy Spirit
God the Father?
2 Cor. 3:17-18
Now Jehovah is the Spirit; and where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom. And all of us,
while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are
transformed into the same image from glory to glory, exactly as done by Jehovah
[the] Spirit.
Notes: the word
“the”. If it had just left out the word “the” then it could be argued that it
is saying that Jehovah has a spirit but it is saying he is the Spirit. Is not this stating that Jehovah God is the Holy
Spirit?
Acts 5:3-4
But Peter said: “An‧a‧ni′as,
why has Satan emboldened you to play
false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of
the field? As long as it remained with you did it not remain yours, and after
it was sold did it not continue in your control? Why was it that you purposed
such a deed as this in your heart? You
have played false, not to men, but to God.
In this Scripture “to
play false” means to lie. It says they were lying to the Holy Spirit and to God
at the same time. If the Holy Spirit was just a force of God and not a being
then how could it be lied to? Also, it would go against the Scriptures up
above. But if this is a being and not just a force then it would be another god,
which can’t be because it would go against other Scriptures we already looked
at that there is only one God. So it must be that these two beings are also one
being.
I understand that this is hard to understand. The Bible is
either full of contradictions and flaws (which I do not believe) or God is
three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is divine and they are
only one God.
It is interesting to me that JW’s seem to have no problem
believing that the Father and Son are two being but that the Father and Spirit
are only one being. But yet they believe that the Father and Son cannot be one
being and the Holy Spirit and God cannot be two separate beings.
The Bible clearly
talks about all three of them having their own identity and all three of them
being Jehovah God.
5) Is Revelation
figurative or literal?
Is the 144,000 the
only people going to heaven?
If all of Revelation
is figurative then how can it be known that the number 144,000 is a literal
exact count?
The only place this
number is found in the Bible is in Revelation 7:4, Revelation 14:3.
I have read some Watchtower
pamphlets. In one it sites Revelation 21:4-5 as being true and something we can
look forward to.
Revelation 21:4-5
And he will wipe out
every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning
nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” And the
One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also, he
says: “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
Later on in the
chapter it says:
Revelation 21:8
But as for the cowards
and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and
murderers and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all
the liars, their portion will be in
the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second
death.”
If Hell is not a
place that people burn for their sins then at what point between vv. 5 and vv.8
did it no longer become literal?
Revelation 20:6
Happy and holy is
anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has
no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule
as kings with him for the thousand
years.
Here is another
number in Revelation. Is this number a literal number or not? Who decides?
Revelation 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the
former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no
more.
So is God going to
establish is Kingdom on this earth or on the new earth? How do we know this is
literally going to happen and not just metaphoric?
Revelation 1:1a
A revelation by Jesus
Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place.
If the book of
Revelation is figurative then why does it say right at the beginning “things
that must shortly take place” in reference to this book?
Revelation 21:5-6a
And the One seated on
the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also, he says: “Write, because these words are faithful
and true.”And he said to me: “They
have come to pass!
Now the angel is
talking in present time and says “They have come to pass!”
Then at almost the very
end of the book of Revelation the angel tells John again that these things will
take place.
Revelation 22:6
And he said to me:
“These words are faithful and true; yes, Jehovah the God of the inspired
expressions of the prophets sent his angel forth to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place.
It sounds to me like
everything in Revelation is true and will happen as it says it will. No
figurativeness.
Revelation 22:18-19
“I am bearing witness
to everyone that hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone
makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are
written in this scroll; 19 and if
anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy,
God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city,
things which are written about in this scroll.
If something is
stated as a fact and someone is saying it should not be taken literally, aren’t
they pretty much taking away from what it said?
We can get in a lot
of trouble if we are saying things are not literal if they are.
I do not think that
anyone should presume to know if something in the Bible should be taken figuratively
unless it says it is not literal in the texts its self.
6) Is Hell really
hell or just annihilation?
Matthew 25:41
“Then he will say, in
turn, to those on his left, ‘Be on YOUR way from me, YOU who have been
cursed, into the everlasting fire
prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Where is this if not
hell?
Revelation 20:10
And the Devil who was
misleading them was hurled into the
lake of fire and sulphur, where
both the wild beast and the false prophet [already were]; and they will be tormented day and night forever
and ever.
Is not this saying
that some of the beings that God created will be sent to Hell? Also, it says
that the beast and false prophet were already there. It says they will be
tormented forever. So this would mean they were not just annihilated, wouldn't it?
Matthew 13:41-42
The Son of man will
send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his kingdom all things
that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness, and they will pitch them into the fiery
furnace. There is where [their] weeping and the gnashing of [their] teeth will
be.
So what else would
this fiery furnace be but Hell?
If the people being
put here were immediately annihilated, then why would there be time for weeping
and gnashing of teeth? Does not this imply a period of ongoing pain?
Mark 9:47-48
And if your eye makes
you stumble, throw it away; it is finer for you to enter one-eyed into the
kingdom of God than with two eyes to be pitched into Ge·hen´na, where their maggot does not die and the
fire is not put out.
Why would the maggot
not die from this fire but all sinners be annihilated from it?
Or is it that people are
not annihilated? Wouldn’t that make more sense with what this Scripture says?
Also, why is the fire
not put out?
Matthew 18:8-9
If, then, your hand or
your foot is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is
finer for you to enter into life maimed or lame than to be thrown with two
hands or two feet into the everlasting
fire. Also, if your eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it
away from you; it is finer for you to enter one‐eyed into life than to be
thrown with two eyes into the fiery
Ge‧hen′na.
Everlasting fire
sounds like Hell to me.
Daniel 12:2
And there will be many
of those asleep in the ground of dust who will wake up, these to indefinitely
lasting life and those to reproaches [and] to
indefinitely lasting abhorrence.
It says “lasting”.
Does the word “lasting” really mean “just for a moment” or does it mean
“lasting”?
How can you have
lasting abhorrence if you are just annihilated?
John 3:36
He that exercises
faith in the Son has everlasting life; he that disobeys the Son will not see
life, but the wrath of God remains
upon him.
This word
"remains" in the Greek means: to stay, abide, remain.
How can God's wrath
stay or remain on someone that no longer exists if sinners are annihilated
after death?
Acts 24:15
and I have hope toward
God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to
be a resurrection of both the
righteous and the unrighteous.
John 5:19
and come out, those
who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things
to a resurrection of judgment.
Do people that are
not having eternal life just stay dead or are they also resurrected?
What are they
resurrected for?
What could this added
judgment be if not Hell? They are already dead.
Revelation 14:11
he will also drink of
the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of his
wrath, and he shall be tormented with
fire and sulphur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb.
And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and day and night they
have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image, and
whoever receives the mark of its name.
Notice, that God is
the one pouring out the wrath, not the Devil.
The smoke will go on forever,
no rest day or night. This sounds like Hell to me. How about you?
Notes, that a lot of
the Scripture that talk about Hell are not even in Rev. So can we take all of
the Bible figuratively whenever we do not like what it is saying or do we need
to take it literal unless the texts its self says not to.
At this time you may be thinking “but whet then of Eccl. 9:5-6”?
Ecclesiastes
9:5-6
For the living are conscious that they will die;
but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they
anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. Also,
their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they
have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.
These verses are clearly
talking about people that are dead not having any more consciousness of the
things going on in this earth while they are dead. Not that they do not know
what is going on around them where they are. Notes, it says “done under the
sun”. For this reason it does not contribute to whether there is a Hell or not
or what Hell really is. If it were to be saying there was no Hell or that Hell
was nothingness it would mean that the Bible contradicts itself because of some
of the other Scripture we have looked at. So, it is a good thing it is not saying
that or we could have no confidence in the Bible.
7) How about Heaven?
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Afterward we the
living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we
shall always be with [the] Lord.
If we don't go to
heaven then where are these people going with the Lord?
2 Corinthians 5:8
But we are of good
courage and are well pleased rather
to become absent from the body and to
make our home with the Lord.
What does that mean
then if not heaven?
If this home with the
Lord is here on earth then why would we be absent from the body?
Did the thief on the
cross go straight to heaven?
Luke 23:42-43
And he went on to say:
“Jesus, remember me when you get into your kingdom.” And he said to him: “Truly I tell you today, you will be
with me in Paradise.”
When it says
"Truly I tell you today" did he really mean a lot of years from now?
Is this another time
when we can pick and choose what to take figurative? Or did he really mean
today?
Some added questions:
Why did Jesus come
and die for us?
What is Jesus saving
us from?
If I believe in Jesus
and you don’t believe in Hell what is the concern you have for me?
These questions can
be hard for a JW to answer because I have found most of them do not understand
salvation. Even if they will say at times they are not about “works” they
really are. They do not see themselves as being a saved person right now but
rather that they may become saved. I have found it is good to ask questions
like this sometimes to see where they are at. Also, sometimes it helps to have
a question ready to get them talking or they may just leave their papers and
go.
I have a big problem with how the Jehovah's Witnesses use
Scripture. Instead of allowing Scripture to change their doctrine when they see
it does not line up with Scripture they seem to change Scripture.
Some examples:
They will say a Scripture is figurative or a metaphoric when
it does not indicate this in the text.
They will say it must not be meaning what it plainly says
because they do not understand it.
They will add words in their translation of the Bible that
are not in the Greek writing to make the Scripture sound like it is backing
their doctrine when it is not.
They will just ignore Scripture if they cannot make it
somehow line up with their doctrine.
There is a different
between explaining a Scripture and explaining away a Scripture.
Sadly I have seen Christians
do these things now and then, myself included. I really try not to now that I
see it.
Some tips when talking with Jehovah Witnesses that I try to
remember:
The word “trinity” is
not in the Bible. It is just a term Christians use when talking about the
Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and how they are one and yet three at the
same time. JW’s will put up a wall if you use this term. I have been told by
other Christians and have found for myself that it is best to just use
Scripture to explain the concept of the trinity and just not use the word
“trinity” at all.
When talking about
Hell it is best to use Scripture that is not in the book of Rev. first; unless
you have already established that Rev. is not to be taken figuratively.
Sometimes I want to
use too many Scripture at one time to show JW’s something. This can make it
easier for them to ignore some of the Scripture. Don’t let them over look a
Scripture if you can.
If you want them to
come back then take their papers that they are giving out (if not do not accept
the papers they may not come back). When you take the papers they see this as
an opening to come bring you more at a later time.
Do not get caught up
talking about celebrating holidays. Try and stick to topics that really matter,
like, Jesus is God.
Show them the truth
through asking them questions if you can. In most of this paper I have tried to
do this. Jesus did this a lot in His ministry and I think it can be a lot more
effective then preaching at them.
Try to be as kind as
you can be. They encounter a lot of rude people. Try not to be one more. Even
if you are only able to tell them you are a Christian and they see that you are
kind it could make a different to their thinking.
Make sure your
intentions for talking with them is right. If you just want to prove them wrong
it is not of much value. They are human beings with souls that need to be saved
by Jesus. The Holy Spirit may use you as a tool to do this or he may not. It is
ultimately up to Him.
Keep them at your
door as long as you can. The more time they spend at your door the less time they
are spending at a door of a person who may not be saved.
I hope this is helpful to everyone one that reads it. I know
studying this all out has really helped me. I really have a heart for the JW’s.
It is sad to me to see a group of people working so hard to obtain something
that they can never work hard enough to get. I am going to be doing a sequel to
this sometime. I have some for it already. I would have added it to this but
then I think I would never have gotten around to posting it because I just keep
finding new Scriptures that contradict the JW’s teaching.
