How do you share the Gospel with a Jehovah’s Witness?

The Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door. They came to my door and introduced themselves as people from the Watchtower Society. My first words were, “Great, I do have some questions about the Bible. Maybe you can help me. Would you like to come in?” The lady got all excited, and waved to her husband to come in!

As they were entering, I said to my wife, “Honey, can you put on some tea, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are here!” She said, “O sure. Hi, come on in!” The lady sat down in front of me, and her husband Harold sat next to me. In less than 30 seconds the lady said, “Did you know that Jesus was actually the Archangel Michael?” At this point, I got excited and said, “Really? Wait a minute. Let me get my Bible!” I came back already, I sat down and said,

“Now, where does it say that in the Bible?”

A little disappointed and in a slightly apologetic tone, she said, “Well, it doesn’t actually say that in the Bible.” Now I expressed disappointment, and with a shrug, said, “Aww… how would you know that then?” The JW said she was told by the Watchtower. The ultimate proof that Jesus was not an angel is found in Hebrews 1:6. Then, I took the initiative, and with the innocence of a child began to dismantle her “theology” by simply asking a few simple questions.

I said, “I’ve always been curious about John 1:1. How does read in your version?” She opened to the passage in the mistranslation they use and read:

In the beginning, the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a God.

FYI:  That little definite article “a” (for the Word was “a” God) is not in the Bible! So here is how you help   the witness with question number two:

 I asked, “So Jesus was a god?”

JW:  “Yes.”

“Was Jesus a true God, or was he a false god?”

(I thank Ron Rhodes for this question).

JW:  “Jesus was a true God!”

“So then Jesus was God!”

JW:  “Oh no.”

Ÿ “But, you just said Jesus was a God. How many Gods are there?” 

JW: “Well, there are many gods. Satan is the god of this world.”

“But are they true gods or false gods?”

JW:  There is only one Almighty God, that is Jehovah!”

You have just scored a touchdown! And, you are in complete control of the situation. At this point, it’s the Angels one, and the devil’s nothing. And, it’s only the first round! The Jehovah’s Witness is back peddling, not having been trained in how to answer this in Jehovah’s Witness school.

 “Well, you just said, ‘Jesus was a god,’ and now you say ‘Jehovah is God.’ Then Jehovah’s Witnesses have more than one god. So, you are polytheists, right?”

 At this point, you have nailed them with questions that they cannot answer. Do not let them off the hook on this issue. Continue pressing like a child would because this is a blatant contradiction. The deity of Christ is the most critical issue in Christianity (See John 8:21-24). They just said there is only one God, and their own Bible just said Jesus was a god, therefore, Jesus must be God! Many of them will walk away in frustration at this point. If they are still there, then, you can ask with gentleness:

“What do you mean by this?”

“I don’t think you are being honest. Do you?”

Ask their friend, too (they always come in twos).

As long as you are asking the questions, you are in complete control of the situation. The J.W. will try and go to another subject, but you must be gently insistent on getting the Witness to see that he is not being honest with you, with himself, with the text, or with God! Ask again, “If your organization is right, why can’t you answer these simple questions?”

Virtually every doctrine they teach can be answered more effectively, not with an answer, but with a question. This is what Jesus did when the false teachers tried to trap Him!

This is how the rest of our conversation went….

JW:  “Jesus was not the eternal God but was a created being. Col. 1:15 says: “He is the firstborn over all creation.”

“Do you know how many brothers David had?”

JW:  “Yes. I believe he had seven.”

“Do you know where he fit in the birth order?”

JW:  “I believe he was the youngest!”

“Then how is it that Psalm 89 says that David was the firstborn if he was born last?”

JW: No answer.

“The answer is, the word firstborn was also used as a Hebrew idiom meaning pre-eminent.”

“Now we can go back to Col. 1:15 with the correct understanding.”

Col. 1:15-17:  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

This verses actually says, Jesus is the physical manifestation of God, and Jesus created all things!  

Then I asked….

“What happened to Jesus after He was crucified?”

J.W:  “He was raised a spirit creature.”

“You mean he was not raised physically; he was like a ghost?”

JW:  “Yes!”

“Do spirits have flesh and bones, and do they eat fish?”

JW:  “No.”

Then how is it that at the end of Luke (after the resurrection) when the disciples saw Jesus, it says they were terrified and thought they saw a ghost, and Jesus said to them, “Look at my hands and my feet, touch me, and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have. And He ate a piece of a broiled fish?”

“How then can you say He was a spirit creature? Isn’t this the same mistake the disciples were making, when Jesus corrected them?”

JW:  No answer.

Remember when Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” It says, He was speaking of the temple of His body?

“Do you know what the Greek word is that they translated body?” (The JW said,  “No.” )

“The word is soma. Do you know what soma means? (The JW said,  “No.” ) It means physical body!”

“How do you explain your teaching that Jesus did not rise from the dead physically when Jesus Himself said He did?”

At this point, the woman abruptly said, “We have to go.” I said, “But I still have more questions!” She said, “No, we have to go now. Come on, Harold!” And, like a complete wimp, her husband Harold said, “Yes, dear.”

As they were walking out I said, “Can we have your phone number, maybe we can do this again sometime?”

 

They did leave their phone number, but when we called them, they refused to come back for another “Bible study.”

This is all you have to do to show the JW they are very confused, and to plant the seed of truth about who Jesus really is in their hearts and minds.

Many Jehovah’s Witnesses will end the conversation long before you can take them this far. But, before they leave, if possible, please take them through the next sequence of questions. They have no concept of coming to Jesus for salvation. This way, you will have at least shown them the truth about Jesus, you will have planted the seed of eternal life in their heart. Your hands will be clean of their blood.

Show the Witness He Must Come to Jesus for Salvation!

 

Ask…Would you please read Matt. 1:21?

According to Matt. 1:21, why did Jesus come to earth?

According to Matt. 9:6, who has the power to forgive sin?

According to Rom. 3:23, how many of us have sinned?

According to Acts 4:12, to whom must we come for salvation?

Also see John 5:39-40, 8:24, and 10:27-30.

Since the wages of sin is death, then the only way a savior can save you is if He dies for you!

Make a follow up appointment with them. Show them the love of Christ. Pray for them and remember, we are His hands and His feet. We are to be vessels of compassion for Christ’s sake and for His glory.