Help with Jehovah's Witnesses

[mattfivefour]

Here is a great way to witness easily and effectively to Jehovah's Witnesses. It gets them off their message track and makes them think:

But first make sure that when you answer the doorbell, you are polite and gentle and that you allow them to to speak their initial piece. Then ask them if you could ask a couple of questions. They will nearly always say yes. Using THEIR Bible (if they don't have a New World Translation with them, ask them to come back with one), open it to John 8:24. Here it will read "Therefore I said to YOU, YOU will die in YOUR sins. For if YOU do not believe that I am [he], YOU will die in YOUR sins.” Ask them if this means it is absolutely crucial to salvation to understand WHO Jesus really is, because if we get this wrong, Jesus says we will die in our sins. They will usually say yes it is important.

Now, Turn to Isaiah 44:6. Their Bible will read: "6 This is what Jehovah has said, the King of Israel and the Repurchaser of him, Jehovah of armies, ‘I am the first and I am the last, and besides me there is no God.'" Get them to agree that this verse in their Bible clearly says that Jehovah is the "first and the last" and there is no God beside Him.

Now go to Revelation 1:7-8. Their Bible will read: "7 Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief because of him. Yes, Amen. 8 'I am the Al´pha and the O·me´ga,” says Jehovah God, 'the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.'” Get their agreement that Jehovah is indeed again in the New Testament saying that He is the "first and the last". Then ask them is it now Jehovah who "is coming in the clouds" and who was "pierced"? If they say yes, then point them to Matthew 24:30, 26:64; Mark 13:26, 14:62. Even in their Bible it clearly says in those verses that it is the "Son of Man" (Jesus) who is "coming in the clouds". So then, Jesus, the "Son of Man", is Jehovah? They will recoil at this and backtrack. But in all likelihood right from the beginning they will say verse 7 of Revelation 1 is speaking of Jesus, while verse 8 is speaking of Jehovah.

OK, then take them to Revelation 22:12-16. In their Bible it will say: "12 ‘Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is. 13 I am the Al´pha and the O·me´ga, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 14 Happy are those who wash their robes, that the authority [to go] to the trees of life may be theirs and that they may gain entrance into the city by its gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and those who practice spiritism and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone liking and carrying on a lie.’ 16 ‘I, Jesus, sent my angel to bear witness to YOU people of these things for the congregations. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright morning star.’” Point out to them that JESUS is saying He is both "the Alpha and Omega" and "the First and Last". They will likely try to explain this passage away by saying that it is Jehovah speaking in verse 13 and Jesus in the rest of the verses. Do not argue with them. Say OK, but they have to agree that whoever it is that is saying He is both the Alpha and the Omega and the First and the Last is still Jehovah.

Now turn in their New World Translation to Revelation 1:12-16. You will read: "12 'And I [my note: this is John speaking] turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and, having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands someone like a son of man, clothed with a garment that reached down to the feet, and girded at the breasts with a golden girdle. 14 Moreover, his head and his hair were white as white wool, as snow, and his eyes as a fiery flame; 15 and his feet were like fine copper when glowing in a furnace; and his voice was as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth a sharp, long two-edged sword was protruding, and his countenance was as the sun when it shines in its power.'" Ask them who this is that John saw. They HAVE to say Jesus. (If there is any doubt, the context of the entire first three chapters of Revelation makes it clear it is Jesus speaking.)

Now read the next verse, verse 17: "And when I saw him, I fell as dead at his feet.And he laid his right hand upon me and said: 'Do not be fearful. I am the First and the Last.'" Now point out to them that clearly Jesus here is claiming to be the First and the Last. But remind them that in Isaiah we read that Jehovah said He alone is the first and the last ... and then repeats that claim all through the verses we have read in Revelation. So how can Jesus be the first and the last? There can't be two firsts and lasts. Only one can be "first"; and only one can be "last".

Now they will be at a loss here ... but will still somehow be trying to say Jehovah IS the "first and the last". Now ask them one more thing. Read them verse 18, where the One who is first and last continues to speak and says: "'and the living one; and I became dead, but, look! I am living forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Ha´des.'" Now ask them "When did Jehovah die?" It clearly says here that the one claiming to be the first and the last died and is now alive again. So when did Jehovah die?

Trust me, this should be enough to totally shake their theology regarding the person of Jesus.

Now remind them of that very first passage they explained to you (John 8:24) where the one (whom they clearly told you was Jesus) said that those who do not believe who He really is, will die in their sins.

You now have the opportunity (presuming they haven't run off by now) to explain John 1:1 and that the contradiction you placed before them can only be removed by recognizing that Jesus and Jehovah are one and the same. You can then offer to do a study with them PROVING that the two are one ... and that the ONE God is eternally self-existent in THREE persons. And if they are really seeking the truth and want to ensure that they do not die in their sins because they are not recognizing who Jesus really is, then you will be willing to share with them the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Whether they agree to either a) continue, or b) just leave, make SURE you pray with them before they go... asking in the Name of Jesus that the One True Almighty God open their eyes to the truth of the gospel of His salvation and the real identity of Jesus Christ.

___________________________

God bless you, and I pray you can make use of the above very simple (Revelation 1:7-8; Revelation 22:12-16; Revelation 1:12-16, 17, 18) method above.

[open door]

Matt, thank you!!! I've got to copy this - I got into it with them last year in Bass Pro Shop parking lot - I was nervous, but my wife said she thought I did a pretty good job. I noticed that when you kinda pin them down, they refer to their church elders who tell them not to listen to us, to just leave. That, they did.

[BruceWL]

I've had them come to our door. I blew them out of the box. They brought an elder and I blew her out of the box, also. Anyone with faith and Bible knowledge can.

[mattfivefour]

I presume by "blew them out of the box" that you mean you led them to the truth of the message of salvation through faith in Jesus and His finished work on the Cross?

[Robert]

Matt, I am going to copy this and print it up for a reminder the next time I run into a JW. This rocks!

[grdnhxsn]

the Father raised Jesus from the dead--Acts 3,26 - 1Thessalonians 1,10- Acts 5,30
Jesus raised himself--John 2,19-21 ,John 10,17-18
the Holly Sprit raised Jesus from the dead --Rom 8,11 - 1Peter 3,18
These three are-- ONE--the TRINITY
ALL OF THIS IS IN THERE BIBLE , AND OURS

And that was a real good post Matt , I see that you have done your homework ---again

[mattfivefour]

Those verses of yours are also excellent, Gordon. Together they prove that God is one and that Jesus is God. Excellent!

[BruceWL]

Matt, I'm sorry to say I did not try to lead them to Christ. I was so caught up in the moment I forgot to try to lead them to Christ for which I am ashamed.

[mattfivefour]

Brother, we ALL fail from time to time. But there will always be another chance, if you want one. Just ask God to give you the chance to present His gospel to them so that He might draw them to Himself, and you will find the opportunity will present itself sooner or later. 2:

[happy2serve]

Matt, I'm sorry to say I did not try to lead them to Christ. I was so caught up in the moment I forgot to try to lead them to Christ for which I am ashamed.

I agree with Matt. Sometimes we learn these mistakes so that we can shine later and bear fruit.

[searchin]

All we can do is lead them to the truth of the message of salvation through faith in Jesus and His finished work on the Cross.


Try to lead them to the Gospel of Christ Jesus . :prayer the Holy Spirit stirs their heart to the Truth.

Preach to the JW's with an 1611 authorized King James Version Bible.
(King James Version)
Psalm 12:6The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
8The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

If they refuse to hear, don't tell them God Bless or wish them well. Tell 'em, see you Russelites later, they will grab their suitcase filled with 65 pounds of false gospel (watchtower tracts) bad back & all from lugging that junk around and run in the other direction.

[Merrily]

I had Jehovah's witnesses come to my house just yesterday. In the past I would go round and round with them. This time I took advice from something I had read and after letting her talk a bit I asked her if we could pray together and put out both my hands. She was shocked, doubtful, and asked who we would be praying to. I said Jesus. She said that she only prayed to Jehovah through Jesus. So I said, how about to the God of Abraham, through Jesus and she hesitantly agreed. Then I took her hands, praised the God of Abraham for the many blessings he has brought me, and then asked through his Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah to open "our" eyes to the truth of his Word, Amen. She didn't know what to say after that.

I didn't have arguments or scripture ready and felt the best thing was to turn it right over to God. She asked if it would be okay if she came back at some point, and I said sure. The post above using their scripture is really great I will most definitely copy it. I didn't think anything I said would matter, this way she invited God in, I'll let you know if she comes back.

[Tanya Pearce]

That is a very good tool to use thank you matt and god bless , I also use water , steam, and ice they all stem from the same place , meaning they are the same!!!

[grdnhxsn]

Here are some more verses that can help
Gen 19:24-25 The Lord overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
Amos 4:11 God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
Deuteronomy 6:4 The lord our God is "ONE " Lord .---one, means compound unity

I have been to the J.W. Conventions to witness to the witnesses, and they go there to learn so that makes it easy to teach them.
When they come to my front door , they are there to teach, and that makes it very difficult to teach them. but before they leave , they hear the Word of God that will stay with them forever . So when they come knocking at my front door all that I have been able to do so far is to plant a seed

Hang in there Bruce WL, if all that we can do is plant a seed to the door knockers , then someone else will have to pick the fruit

[paul&katie]

http://apprising.org/2009/06/jehovah...lippians-25-6/

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES, THE DEITY OF CHRIST, AND PHILIPPIANS 2:5-6
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Jun 18, 2009 in Jehovah's Witnesses
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. (Philippians 2:5-6)
What The Scripture Says
The intent of this work at Apprising Ministries is drawn from an adage by one of the greatest illustrative Bible teachers the Church has ever known, Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse, who said a — “The goal of the good Bible teacher is to get the hay down out of the loft onto the barn floor where the cows can get at it.”
And while I could certainly make this much more complex, I have chosen to make this information as accessible as possible. This way, if you are interested in teaching someone who is a member of the Watchtower about Who Jesus Christ of Nazareth really is, or if perhaps you are Jehovah’s Witness who is seeking this information for yourself, then you will find this look at Philippians 2:5-6 to be of value.
As a matter of fact, on pg. 33 in the Watchtower book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life we read: “Our knowledge [about Jesus] must be free of any distortions as to his nature and as his role in God’s arrangement.” And here we will all agree; if one does not know Who Jesus really is, then he does not have the “knowledge that leads to everlasting life.” That said, let’s zero in on verse 6 of the text above — Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
This is a critical verse to really become familiar with, as you begin to share your faith in Christ in this postmodern culture. More and more people around us today truly have no concept of the actual Person and nature of our Lord. You first need to understand that there is a plethora of wrong views about Jesus that are currently being taught in our society, as there is no shortage of misinformed people running around claiming to speak words from God.
How Can We Know For Sure What Is True?
The important question that we need to ask, and to encourage others to ask as well is: How do we know if what these people say about God is really true or not? Well, the prophet Isaiah tells us when he explains that people who claim to speak for God must teach what agrees with the Law — [Holy Scripture] — and [with] the testimony — [previous doctrines or teachings that have already been developed from the Bible].
God the Holy Spirit further tells us in the Scriptures – If they do not speak according to this Word, they have no light (Isaiah 8:20). The fact is that there are so many today who are speaking from darkness and then go on to claim that it’s from God. But the Lord

more at link

[KR McKay]

Not to display my outright ignorance, but, how different is "their" "Bible?" Does it add things, delete things, or some of both?

[LostNoMore4]

Not to display my outright ignorance, but, how different is "their" "Bible?" Does it add things, delete things, or some of both?

They don't believe Jesus is God in the flesh. They think he was merely a prophet who happened to be archangel Michael's brother(if I'm wrong on this, please correct me). This is HUGE.

Reminds me of alot of the Christian Science doctrine - Mary Baker Eddy didn't believe Jesus is God in the flesh.

[SoulSinger]

Not to display my outright ignorance, but, how different is "their" "Bible?" Does it add things, delete things, or some of both?

Their bible is called the "New World Translation" and was written by 4 of their own "scholars" (I use that term loosely), none of whom had any academic training in Hebrew or Greek. There is an excellent web page here that explains how it came about and the major differences in the text:

http://www.spiritwatch.org/jwnwt.htm

For instance, here is just one verse, first in academically approved versions, then the New World Translation - watch the bold text:

John 17:3
(NASB) And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.

(NIV) Now this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

(New World Translation) This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.

Seems like a small difference, but read the commentary here:

In John 17:3 the New World Translation reads “this means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” Yet a literal rendering of the Greek in this passage reads “this is eternal life, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” In the Watchtower Society’s rendering, the path to eternal life is through human effort, i.e. a continuous, lifelong process of “taking in knowledge” about God and Christ (using only approved Watchtower study materials, of course!)(14).

In the correct, literal rendering of this text, however, eternal life is based upon knowing God and Christ, i.e. in an intimate, personal way. It is a sad fact, but a fact nevertheless, that Jehovah’s Witnesses know nothing of the intimate communion with their Creator enjoyed by true Christians.

Also have a look at the difference in Colossians 3:24

(NASB) Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve

(NIV) Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

(New World Translation) For you know that it is from Jehovah you will receive the due reward of the inheritance, slave for the Master Christ.

In over 200 places in the New Testament (the exact number is 231) the New World Translation deletes the word “Lord” (Gk: kurios) or “God” (Gk: theos) from the Biblical text and inserts the proper name “Jehovah” in its place. Why? Because the Jehovah’s Witness sect places great emphasis on the regular and frequent use of God’s proper name. The regular use of the name “Jehovah” is said by Jehovah’s Witnesses to be one of the identifying marks of the true Christian faith. But this extraordinary claim can hardly be supported if no New Testament writer uses the name “Jehovah” even once. The fact of the matter is that no ancient New Testament manuscript or manuscript fragment has ever been found that contains the proper name “Jehovah”.

http://www.spiritwatch.org/jwnwt.htm

[searchin]

It is sad how the wolves "attempt" to change the Word of God, either by adding or subtracting from the Holy Bible.

Here are a few differences of 2 Timothy 2:15 on Biblegateway web site. Note especially whatever the, (The Message) is. The KJV Bible reads study. The KJV Bible, IMHO, is as psalms12:6-7 states. Amen.



2 Timothy 2:15 (King James Version)
15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.


2 Timothy 2:15 (New International Version)
15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 (New American Standard Bible)
15Be diligent to (A)present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling (B)the word of truth.


2 Timothy 2:15 (The Message)
14-18Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with.

[grdnhxsn]

With the exception of Holy Bible Christians , All other religions attack the --trinity--and they put Jesus in a lesser spot

as Searchin said in the above post
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

When you are talking to a J.W. , get right to the point and teach them about the trinity ,and John 14:6 . when they leave I have seen them faustrated , mad or they might start crying , and say oh my God , how many people have I mislead ?