Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Should I Talk With Jehovah's Witnesses?


If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then yes, you should talk to Jehovah's Witnesses. Here's why:

1. They are lost. The Bible says that salvation is a free gift that God promises to everyone who receives it through faith. Anyone can hear the story about Jesus Christ (God became a man and died on the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead), and trust in him and be saved from the guilt and power of sin. The book of Acts demonstrates that this happened through a single sermon again and again. People repented when Peter preached, and that day they were saved and baptized.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach instead that in order to be saved, you must be baptized. In order to be baptized, you must study and take tests over a long period of time (usually at least several months), you must agree with every single doctrine of the Watchtower, and participate in door-to-door ministry, just to have the opportunity to be saved. But according to the Bible, whenever works are added to faith, it is no longer faith, because biblical faith is trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

In addition, Jehovah's Witnesses teach a different Jesus, one who is a created being and not the eternal God. Jehovah's Witnesses believe you should not worship Jesus, even though the Bible gives numerous examples of Christians worshiping Jesus and commends them for doing so (See Matthew 28:9, Revelation 5).

2. They are deceived. Jehovah's Witnesses are usually some of the most religious people you will meet. They believe the teachings of their organization and take seriously the charge to warn everyone that destruction is about to come upon everyone that is not a Jehovah's Witness. The problem is they have been lied to. They simply don't know about all the false prophecies their leaders have made. They are strictly forbidden from reading any religious literature that does not come from their own organization. Their own literature makes claims about history and world events that simply aren't true. That is why most books written by former Jehovah's Witnesses refer to their time as a witness as a type of slavery. (For example, "30 Years a Watchtower Slave," by William J. Schnell). The basic assumption behind arguments for Jehovah's Witnesses is that there was a massive apostasy away from the "true" Christian faith, probably as early as the first century. They believe this even though there is no evidence for it.

3. Jesus Commands us to go and preach the gospel to all nations. All true followers of Christ want to love others, even their enemies. What better way to love them than to share the hope of eternal life. Numerous verses command us to look for opportunities to tell others about salvation through Jesus and to be ready to answer questions or challenges about our faith.

4. They are willing to study the Bible with you. Imagine someone you know is an atheist. They come to your door one day and say they would like to study the Bible with you and are willing to answer questions you might have about what they believe. What Christian wouldn't be thrilled with such an opportunity? Yet, when a Jehovah's Witness comes to the door, many Christians turn them away and may even view it as noble to tell the Jehovah's Witnesses how wrong they are as they send them off.

But, you ask, "Aren't they difficult to talk to?" Well, that depends on how you talk to them. They don't want to be told how wrong they are or debate with you any more than you would. They are coming to teach you. So, let them! Show them love by asking questions about what they believe and why. As you have opportunities, explain what you believe and ask them for their response. Don't preach directly to them, but tell them, "This is what I believe, how is that different from what you believe and why do you think you're right?" Research the history of the Watchtower and ask them questions about it. This will lead them to learn about things that raise serious doubts about the credibility of their organization. Stay connected to a pastor or someone else who is knowledgeable about the Bible and update them on how the discussion is going. That way, you don't risk getting deceived yourself. However they respond, I have found that talking with Jehovah's Witnesses is an experience that has helped me learn more about the Bible, why I believe what I believe, and grow in my passion for reaching the lost.


Trust the Bible's purpose is to grow your confidence that the Bible is true and the ultimate resource for life." You can join the Facebook group by clicking here. Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. Listen to previous programs online: www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html

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