Resources for Dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses

I agree. I hope for the eventual universal reconciliation but that does and cannot write away the existence of hell altogether or that salvation exists outside of Christ.

 

The parable of Dives and Lazarus is one way Jesus slammed the Pharisees for their self-righteousness. LOTS of opinions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_man_and_Lazarus

As far as JW goes, just start reciting the Nicene Creed.

 

Thank you so much! I was a JW and converted. I am currently making it rain nuclear bombs on my grandma's arguments and making them look like a pile of dirt. Evangelizing them is hard as they keep ignoring all of your facts and they try not to respond to them. Please pray for my grams conversion

 

Never get into arguments about scripture with JW's unless you have at least half an hour to spare.

Don't treat them unkindly, some are quite nice, and anyone who was persecuted by Hitler and the Nazis, or The Communist Party, can't be entirely bad.

The best way to deal with JW's is to offer to pray with them, in the power of The Holy Spirit, for the church and the world.

They will quickly find an excuse to depart.

Otherwise have no truck with their perverted theology.

 

The last time I let them it, it was on the grounds that they had 30 minutes to speak on what they wanted and then thirty minutes to talk about what I wanted. The second 30 minutes we looked at the prologue to John's Gospel in Greek, and John 6 in English. They have never been back.

 

They just don't like it 'up 'em' Mr. Manwearing.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 1 Jn.4:14.

Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is no one besides me.
Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.” Isa.45:21-23


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. Jn.1:1-3.

And the Word WAS God! Not 'the word was 'a' god'. And the Word was also a 'Savior'. And there was only one 'Savior', so Jesus must have been 'God'.

And it can be proved by quoting the above verses from their very own 'Bible'. (Until such time as they catch on to this and their leaders decide to 'retranslate these verses' to align with their own erroneous doctrines. Currently it is all still there in their very own 'Bible'.

 

Perhaps the first thing you need to acknowledge with JW's is that they are Arian. Anglicans (in the main) are Nicene and Chalcedonian Christians, and it is a shame that more Anglicans are not equipped to deal with this. The Council of Nicaea in 325 was to deal with the teaching of Arius, and yet it remains a prevalent heresy, even in our own day, and indeed only this weekend I encountered someone proclaiming themselves Anglican and yet clearly denying the eternal generation of the Son so well set forward in John 1:1.

The JW translation of this passage is in error.

 

I. It is important to know the Alpha and Omega verses. Because Jehovah Witnesses do not believe Jesus is the Alpha Omega, but Scripture proves Jesus is the Alpha and Omega:

“8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”b says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

Jesus is the Lord God and thus the Alpha and Omega:

“27Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ” (John 20:27-29)

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (Jehovah, God of Israel) and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

“Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
” (Philippians 2:4-11)

Another Proof Jesus is the Alpha and Omega:

“17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18)

This Revelation 1:18 cross references to Hebrews 2:

“So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
14Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:11, 14).

Jesus took the keys from the devil of death and hades (Hebrews 2:14) and now holds them (Revelation 1:18).

We can alao confirm that this vision amomg the lampstands is Jesus because it says He looked like the Son of Man (Revelation) The Son of Man is Jesus Name (Ezekiel 28:11). In addition, it says, “His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.,” (Revelation 1:12-17) and, “As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.” (Matthew 17:2).

Also in both the Revelation Vision and Gospel of Matthew Jesus after the Transfiguration and Vision, places His hand on a disicple to reassure them:

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me, ” (Revelation 1:17), and “Jesus came up, touched them, and said, "Get up; don't be afraid."” (Matthew 17:7)

Final Proof Jesus is the Alpha and Omega:

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you a this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:12-16)

II. To ptove to JWs that Jesus is not the Archangel Michael, but the Son of God:

“1On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. 2But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs. 5For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father”? Or again:
“I will be His Father, and He will be My Son?
6And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.” 7Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.”

8But about the Son He says:

“Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.9You have loved righteousness
and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”

10And:

“In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
11They will perish, but You remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garmentf they will be changed;
but You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

13Yet to which of the angels did God ever say:

“Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?

14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:1-14)

 

This leads one to ask, in what way are they an Anglican? Mere self-identification? Anglicanism has clear markers and doctrines, which if you don't subscribe to then you are not an Anglican, whatever you call yourself

 

I wrote my own tract and printed it on one sheet of paper (front and back) to hand out to any JWs who might show up in my neighborhood. If anyone deems it useful enough to copy and use, that's fine with me.

Dear Jehovah’s Witness friend,

The other day, I asked one of your colleagues what, according to your teachings, one must do in order to be saved and to receive eternal life. She explained that one must live a very clean life and avoid sin. If this is true– if salvation comes by a life of good works and clean living– then Jesus and the apostle Paul are liars!

You see, some folks asked Jesus the same question one day. Therefore they said to him, “What shall we do to work the works of God?” In answer Jesus said to them: This is the work of God, that you exercise faith in him whom that One sent forth” (John 6:28-29 NWT). Notice that Jesus did not say, “the work of God is to live a clean life, give alms, and do good deeds to earn Jehovah’s favor.” Instead, Jesus told them that their primary work was to have faith in him, Jesus the Savior. Was Jesus lying to them? Surely not!

Paul and Silas had a man ask them, “Sirs, what must I do to get saved?” They said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will get saved...” (Acts 16:30,31 NWT). Why didn’t Paul tell the man, “Work hard to please Jehovah and live a clean life”? Why would Paul mislead the man so? Could it be that by works of law no flesh will be declared righteous before him (Romans 3:20), and that we (who believe) have been declared righteous as a result of faith (Romans 5:1)? Yes, everlasting life is really a gift from Jehovah (Romans 6:23), not something we can earn by our meager efforts. Therefore, when the question of salvation and eternal life comes up, shouldn’t we place emphasis on faith in Jesus Christ rather than on how one lives his life?

Please consider what the Bible says, without any preconceived notions based on what you have been taught or have thought all your life. Make a study of the words, ‘salvation’ and ‘saved’ as they appear in the Bible, and consider the context of those passages of Scripture. What is Jehovah saying to all of us about this vital matter?

Romans 10:9-10 NWT: For if you publicly declare that ‘word in your own mouth’ that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.

Mark 16:16 NWT: (Jesus said) He that believes and is baptized will be saved, but he that does not believe will be condemned.

Luke 8:12 NWT: (Jesus said) Those [seeds] alongside the road are the ones that have heard, then the Devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts in order that they may not believe and be saved. Your belief in Jesus’ redemptive work at the cross is what saves you. Do not let the Devil steal this word from your heart!

I Peter 1:9 NWT: ...yet you exercise faith in him [Jesus] and are greatly rejoicing with an unspeakable and glorified joy, as you receive the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

John 3:16-18 NWT: (Jesus said) For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. For God sent forth his Son into the world, not for him to judge the world, but for the world to be saved through him. He that exercises faith in him is not to be judged. He that does not exercise faith has been judged already, because he has not exercised faith in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. Jesus says unequivocally that everyone who exercises faith in him has eternal life (see also John 3:36; 5:24; 6:40). He that is judged will be judged on the basis of his faith and trust in Jesus as his sole source of salvation, not on the basis of whether he lived a pure enough life. Jesus took all the punishment for us. If the shed blood and the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s own Son were not sufficient for our salvation unto eternal life, how can our puny attempts to live right ever make up the difference?
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Of course, good works should still play a role in our lives. We should live holy lives....but not with the idea that the clean living will earn us eternal life and cause us to avoid condemnation, because it can’t. Rather, by our works we glorify Jehovah and tell Him we love Him. We live right because we appreciate so much what He has freely given us, and because the Holy Spirit living in us helps us do the right things. Consider Titus 2:11-12 NWT: For the undeserved kindness of God which brings salvation to all sorts of men has been manifested, instructing us to repudiate ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things... You see, salvation is by the undeserved kindness of Jehovah, not deserved or earned by how we live. Yet this same kindness shows us how it pleases Jehovah if we live according to His precepts and Jesus’ example. For He not only freely gifted us with salvation, but He also made us zealous for fine works (Titus 2:14 NWT).

What, then, about Philippians 2:12? Keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling... It sounds like salvation by works! But is it really? All scripture harmonizes. Paul wouldn’t make himself (or Jesus) a liar! Keep reading– ...for God is the one that, for the sake of [his] good pleasure, is acting within you in order for you both to will and to act. (Philippians 2:12-13 NWT). Nowhere did Paul say that you can earn salvation by your works; rather, he says that it is Jehovah doing the works through you for His good pleasure! When you live a clean life, you are responding to and cooperating with the Holy Spirit of Jehovah. Paul is exhorting us to live out our salvation with deep reverence toward the Almighty Creator, and to take care lest we miss a chance to cooperate with His will and purposes.

What about James? Again, remember that James can’t make a liar of Jesus and Paul. What’s the context of James, Chapter 2? James knew some people who claimed to believe in Jesus, but James doubted their faith because they were living like the devil. Some people will say they exercise faith in Jesus while they really don’t. So James said, Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself (v. 17). James goes on to say, You behold that [his] faith worked along with his works and by [his] works [his] faith was perfected (v. 22); and in verse 24, You see that a man is to be declared righteous by works and not be faith alone (NWT). James says, people should be able to behold or see whether one is really righteous (i.e., saved through faith) by how he lives. The evil lifestyle of these particular people spoke louder than their empty words. If they were really heirs of eternal life, James would have been able to see it by their works. But James is not (and cannot) be saying (in contradiction to the words of Jesus and Paul) that good works would save them. People can live clean lives and yet true faith could still be absent from their lives. Even atheists have been known to live clean lives on occasion! Good works can be a yardstick that indicates our spiritual state, but they cannot be a pole that vaults us into eternal life.

Dear friend, I ask that you prayerfully consider what Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles have told you. Think about what is more important in your life: doing good works and avoiding sin in an attempt to earn salvation, or trusting wholeheartedly in the redemptive work of Jesus our Savior. And the next time you knock on a door and speak to someone of your religion, what should you emphasize? What should you tell them that the gospel (good news) is? Will you tell them that they need to clean up their lives and attend meetings, or that eternal life is a gift they may receive by exercising faith in Jesus Christ?

Respectfully,

A witness to Jehovah’s grace and love