Witnessing to my Jehovah's Witness friends....

[tribeofjudah]

Disclaimer: I'm no Theologian, just a Bible student.

I have many good friends who are of the Jehovah's Witness Faith. Among their beliefs is that the 10 Commandments were nailed to the Cross and that Jesus is NOT God. They base this on verses like:

J0hn 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come [again] unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

As we discussed this verse, I theorized and commented that Jesus, while saying this in human flesh, was reflecting on the Greatness of His Heavenly Father. I've also read in a book, the Trinity (if I can remember the title), that there is a "shyness" of the 3 persons, one always deflecting Honor and Glory onto the others. I think this is what's going on here when Jesus speaks in John 14.

My friends deny the divinity of Jesus, and this is a dangerous position to be in. These verses come to mind:

Act 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'

Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

How can I be a better witness to my friends and bring them to the truth....?

[skyblue888]

I like to bring their attention to Isaiah 43:10,12 which say, "You are My witnesses says Jehovah... that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He... Therefore you are My witnesses, says Jehovah, that I am God."

They like it when we read them these passages. But then I make sure that they understand that "I am He," means "I am God." This is what these two verses plainly teach. And they totally agree with that. They have no idea where I am going with this. So after getting them to agree with me on these two passages of Isaiah, I then read John 8:24,28 to them. "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins... When you lift up the Son of Man, t hen you will know that I am He."

Then I ask them about who it was at the burning bush speaking to Moses? they quickly answer that it was Jehovah. And then I ask them, What did Jehovah say to Moses about His name? They don't seem to know the answer, so I invite them to read that passage. "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Exodus 3:14. Then I quickly turn to John 8:58 which says, "Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

And then I immediately turn to Romans 9:5 which speaks of the Israelites and "from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen."

When I read these passages to them some time ago, they didn't know what to say. One of them was in his sixties and the other one was in his early twenties. The youngest one admitted that he could not answer that and that he would have to study it. The oldest one was silent at that point. And then I asked them about John 1:1. So we read John 1:1 together and in their Bible it reads , "and the Word was a god." The young fellow was at a loss to explain that one.

Then I read Hebrews 1:8 to them where the Father is speaking to Jesus saying, "But to the Son He says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever."

There is also Revelation 1:8. Jesus is speaking here and He says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

And then the oldest one quoted John 17:3 "And this eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent," (they use this text to show that even Jesus Himself said that Jehovah, God the Father, was the only true God) I bring 1 John 5:20 to their attention, which says, "And we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

There are more verses to share on the divinity of Christ but that should suffice.

I told them not to forget John 8:24 which says that unless we believe that Jesus Christ is God in the highest sense, we will die in our sins. I also reminded them that all the religions of the world teach salvation through the merits of the creature but that the true religion, the only religion of the Bible was teaching salvation but only through the merits of Jesus Christ, the merits of His shed blood.

They were listening. I reminded them how as a catholic I was taught to trust in the merits of the virgin Mary and of those that the Pope had declared to be saints. That I was taught to pray to the virgin Mary and those saints because they had merits, and because they had merits they could intercede in my behalf before God. They had no problem understanding that this was an abomination to God and then I reminded them that Jesus Christ alone had merits and that we needed to rely solely upon His merits in order to gain the approval of God.

So I concluded by saying that we were saved, not by creature merits but by the divine merits of Jesus Christ.

The young fellow took my phone number and said he would pay me a visit some time.

If he comes, then I believe it will be a good time to review all these passages of scriptures and then may be bring his attention to the law of God, to the Sabbath, etc etc

sky

[Gail]

Sky:

When you were in Isaiah, I thought you were going to pop over to Isaiah 45:21, which says, "And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; There is none beside Me."

[skyblue888]

Gail, if I had, you would not have had the opportunity to post it.

Yes, it is a good reference.

thanks

sky

[tribeofjudah]

Skyblue....that is some awesome stuff. I knew about the burning bush and God saying "I AM" ...........Jesus is also the Great I Am. Good stuff.

[skyblue888]

Glad you think so tribeoj :)

[Gail]

I wrote those references down and will memorize them to have on hand... The Heb.1:8 one I have used on them before. Their version says, "God is a throne" and I asked a JW once what that meant. He couldn't answer and the older one started yelling at me.

A couple of days ago a couple came to the door and I let our guard dogs take care of it. I had a migraine and just didn't want to get into it just then.

But I do not want to get into a persecuting mindset against them. Their situation could easily be mine one day.

[skyblue888]

Good for you Gail. Yes, Heb.1:8 is a great text and so is Rom.9:5. But it is strange indeed that their Bible reads, "God is a throne" instead of "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever." Amazing to what lenghth their leaders are willing to go in corrupting the word of God (2 Cor.2:17) or handling the word of God deceitfully (2 Cor.4:2) as they also have done for John 1:1 and Isaiah 9:6 I believe.

Wow you sent the dogs after them!

You must have been in a really bad mood that time. hehe

sky

[Gail]

Well, I didn't let the dogs out. They just stand at the window at the front door and bark like all hell has broken loose. They really should be classified as guard dogs.

But when I pointed out that Heb.1:8 is a quote from Psalm 45:6 they really didn't have much more to say.

[skyblue888]

Come to think of it, it just hit me that you didn't use to have dogs in your house. What type of dogs are they?

I always get the impression that JW, especially the new converts, when they knock on doors, do not expect to meet anyone on the other side of these doors possessing more knowledge than they already have for they believe themselves to be the special people of God, the most enlightened upon the earth. It must be a real puzzle to them when they are suddenly confronted with passages of Scripture, coming from their own Bible even, quoted to them by outsiders, totally contradicting certain of their fundamental beliefs.

sky

[Gail]

We have 2... one, Spooky, is a Weimaraner of 2 years and the other, Cocoa Rico (yes, I know it means [censored]-a-doodle-doo in French), is a Vizsla, 1 year old. They are actually very friendly and would jump with glee and love all over a new friend, but passers-by don't know that.

In July we are getting a pup the Cocoa sired in the Spring, so if you want it, let me know. If we don't find a good home with someone who knows the breed, we will (I guess) keep her and call her Coquette.

[tribeofjudah]

I know what you mean. I always think of the verse:

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

I work with 2 very nice JW and I only want them to learn the truth in the Spirit of Love. This way, they can "witness" that Seventh Day Adventista are God fearing and God honoring people.

I want them saved...just like Jesus wants them saved in the Kingdom - the True Kingdom (not the Kingdom Hall)

[skyblue888]

We have 2... one, Spooky, is a Weimaraner of 2 years and the other, Cocoa Rico (yes, I know it means [censored]-a-doodle-doo in French), is a Vizsla, 1 year old. They are actually very friendly and would jump with glee and love all over a new friend, but passers-by don't know that.

In July we are getting a pup the Cocoa sired in the Spring, so if you want it, let me know. If we don't find a good home with someone who knows the breed, we will (I guess) keep her and call her Coquette.

I had a retriever once and his name was coco

hehe

[Gail]

I know what you mean. I always think of the verse:

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

I work with 2 very nice JW and I only want them to learn the truth in the Spirit of Love. This way, they can "witness" that Seventh Day Adventista are God fearing and God honoring people.

I want them saved...just like Jesus wants them saved in the Kingdom - the True Kingdom (not the Kingdom Hall)

Me, too! :)

[skyblue888]

But never forget that to them we are of those that need to be saved in the kingdom.

sky

[LifeHiscost]

How can I be a better witness to my friends and bring them to the truth....?

Love them. Then;

"...in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully."

1 Peter 3:15 AMP Bracket theirs LHC

God blesses!

[LifeHiscost]

"And we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

sky

Well thought out study. I also advocate letting them know we as Adventists are also Jehovah's witnesses.

BTW, do Jehovah's Witnesses keep the seventh day Sabbath? It is another blip in the personal faith of those who do not see how this scripture might reveal a need for change.

"Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?"

Matthew 15:3 NLT

God blesses!

[skyblue888]

Originally Posted By: skyblue888

"And we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

sky

Well thought out study. I also advocate letting them know we as Adventists are also Jehovah's witnesses.

BTW, do Jehovah's Witnesses keep the seventh day Sabbath? It is another blip in the personal faith of those who do not see how this scripture might reveal a need for change.

"Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?"

Matthew 15:3 NLT

God blesses!

Thanks LHC

Especially that they see themselves as the most enlightened people upon the face of the earth and yet they observe a day for which there is no divine sanction, paying homage to the child of the papacy, the man of sin, the son of perdition, they mystery of iniquity.

I have oftened wondered why they keep sunday when they are so against the Catholic teachings and traditions.

sky

[Light Fox]

My experience with Jehovah's Witnesses has generally been that they base their view on Christ's (lack of) divinity on Col. 1:15 more than anything else, focusing on the term "first born" as meaning literally born first among creation.

As far as their views on the law and the Sabbath, there's a good article available online called Jehovah's Witnesses and the Sabbath that examines several Jehovah's Witness booklets, offering the Adventist response to their main points. As it turns out, it's a fairly relevant read on most Sunday-keeping views on the Sabbath, since they seem to take a similar if not identical view to the JWs on this one point.

[JohnOneOne]

Because there had been some mention of John 1:1 within the above, it may interest some to know that there is soon to be published an 19+ year study (as of 06/2011), an historical analysis, an exhaustive annotated bibliography, with its main focus on the wording and meaning of that verse entitled, "What About John 1:1?"

To learn more of its design and expected release date, you are invited to visit:

http://www.goodcompanionbooks.com

When finally published, you will discover over 430 scholarly reference works which have opted to say something other than, "and the Word was God," and that, among these, are included over 120 which had chosen to use "a god" within the third clause of their renderings.

As you might expect, we are very excited at the opportunity to share our findings with others.

Agape, JohnOneOne.

john1one@earthlink.net

[skyblue888]

My experience with Jehovah's Witnesses has generally been that they base their view on Christ's (lack of) divinity on Col. 1:15 more than anything else, focusing on the term "first born" as meaning literally born first among creation.

As far as their views on the law and the Sabbath, there's a good article available online called Jehovah's Witnesses and the Sabbath that examines several Jehovah's Witness booklets, offering the Adventist response to their main points. As it turns out, it's a fairly relevant read on most Sunday-keeping views on the Sabbath, since they seem to take a similar if not identical view to the JWs on this one point.

______________________________________________

We cannot depend upon men's commentaries or speculations as to the true rendition of John 1:1. Only by comparing Scripture with Scripture can we arrive at the truth with the Holy Spirit as our Teacher.

If one compares John 1:1 with Heb.1:8, Rom.9:5, Revelation 1:8 and Isaiah 9:6 and many other passages, he cannot but acknowledge that Christ is God in the highest sense.

As a matter of fact John 8:24 says that if we do not discern the divinity of Christ we shall die in our sins.

Jesus said to the Jews, "If you believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sins."

"I am He" means "I am God". This is clearly what the Holy Spirit says through Isaiah the prophet if you will compare verses 10 and 12 in chapter 43.

There is just no way around that.

sky

[Stan]

The really question is this..

Do you want to be confrontation to them

or

Do you want to witness?'

For the most part I only see confrontational suggestions.

Find common ground.

Let them see your Christian experience.

Win their confidence

the example Jesus did

He mingled with people

He won their confidence

He said some follow me...

Most people who give advise on how to fish for souls, even those who have PhD's in fishing, have never successfully fished successfully themselves.

Some would be more successful preaching to a rock..

[skyblue888]

Notice this: "And as John (the Baptist) fulfilled his course, he said, Who think ye that I am? I am not He. But, behold, there cometh One after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loose." Acts 13:25.

However, Jesus said, "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." John 8:24.

And the Lord, through Isaiah, said, "Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servants whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside Me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have said, and I have shown, when there was no strange god among you; therefore, ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God." Isaiah 43:10-12.

These verses clearly teach that "I am He" means "I am God."

sky

[skyblue888]

The really question is this..

Do you want to be confrontation to them

or

Do you want to witness?'

For the most part I only see confrontational suggestions.

Find common ground.

Let them see your Christian experience.

Win their confidence

The example Jesus did

He mingled with people

He won their confidence

He said some follow me...

Most people who give advise on how to fish for souls, even those who have PhD's in fishing, have never successfully fished successfully themselves.

Some would be more successful preaching to a rock..

Stan, did I miss something? Where is the confrontation here? As far as I know, there are no JW here. We are simply discussing their beliefs. No one here said that the way to win them was by confronting them. Besides, the only "common ground" I can think of is the state of the dead. You can't get too far with that.

If they will not acknowledge the divinity of Christ, there is nothing much we can do. This is the foundation.

sky

[skyblue888]

Jesus mingled with the people but that did not stop Him from telling them things they did not like to hear, especially the religious leaders.

sky