Category: Salvation (page 6 of 12)

Our Need for Inner Transformation

Bible teach Ch 19

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“Bible Teach”, Chapter 19, paragraph 7 (p. 186) says, “As described in the Bible, love for God is much more than a feeling… The Bible teaches: ‘This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome.’ (1 John 5:3). To be genuine, love for God must bear fine fruit. It must be expressed in actions.”

What the Watchtower fails to understand is that none of this is possible without the inner transformation provided by the new birth (see The New Birth Approach from my book, Getting Through to Jehovah’s Witnesses: Approaching Bible Discussions in Unexpected Ways, pp. 131-133).

You can drive the point home by asking the Witnesses to tell you honestly how they think they are doing at keeping all of Jehovah’s commandments. Are they certain if they died tonight that Jehovah would consider them worthy to be resurrected? Continue reading

Is God’s Love Conditional?

Bible teach Ch 19

Click image to access this “Bible Teach” chapter on the Watchtower’s website

With the Watchtower’s emphasis on works, it’s not surprising that the title of the last chapter of the book comes from a partial quotation from Jude 21—“Remain in God’s Love.” Continue reading

The Meaning of Baptism

Bible teach Ch 18

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What is baptism all about?

“Bible Teach,” Chapter 18, paragraph 23 (p. 182) states that baptism “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit… means that a baptism candidate recognizes the authority of Jehovah God and of Jesus Christ. He also recognizes the function and activity of God’s holy spirit, or active force.”

This provides a good opportunity to use The Holy Spirit is God Approach from my book, Getting Through to Jehovah’s Witnesses: Approaching Bible Discussions in Unexpected Ways, especially pp. 193 and 197 regarding the “name” shared by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Continue reading

Six Supposed Features of the True Religion

Bible teach Ch 15

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“Bible Teach,” Chapter 15, paragraph 5 (p. 146) says there are six features that identify those who practice “the true religion,” so let’s look at each of them in turn. Continue reading

The Focus—Jesus or Us and Our Works?

Bible teach Ch 15

Click image to access this “Bible Teach” chapter on the Watchtower’s website

You may recall that in an earlier post, I wrote, “Watchtower study books repeat a number of points in the various chapters, so you may also have to repeat some points in various contexts or during several different sessions in order to get across your thoughts to the Witnesses. That’s fine, but don’t alienate them by beating a dead horse.”

That advice is especially applicable to this chapter.

Chapter 15—“Worship That God Approves”—doesn’t contain any new doctrinal teachings. Instead, it brings together things the book has already taught in an effort to convince you that the Watchtower religion is the only true religion and that you should join it.

So as you go through the chapter with the Witnesses, you’ll need to consider which points you have adequately challenged in your earlier discussions and which require reinforcement. Continue reading

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