Faith and Works Approach
- Identifying Misconceptions About Faith and Works - When you tell Jehovah’s Witnesses that salvation comes by faith apart from works, they completely misunderstand what you are saying. In order to overcome their misconceptions, we first need to identify them and realize why Witnesses have them.
- Overcoming Misconceptions About Faith and Works - Jehovah's Witnesses have three major misconceptions about the doctrine of justification by faith apart from works. Today, we’ll look at how to overcome them.
- How to Present Scriptures to Jehovah’s Witnesses - Showing Jehovah's Witnesses a Scripture that doesn’t match Watchtower theology can be very effective in getting through to them. But what’s the best way to do this?
- Stopping Bible Hopscotching - Jehovah’s Witnesses are masters at hopscotching around the Bible. If you show them a Bible passage that contradicts Watchtower teaching, they will try to take you somewhere else. Let’s talk about how to stop that.
- Righteousness — By Faith or By Works? - In discussing faith and works with Jehovah’s Witnesses, ask for their help in understanding Paul’s teachings and request that they look with you at Romans 4:1-8. As you go along, ask them questions that will require them to voice the points Paul is making in the context in which he makes them. By doing that, you will be modeling sound contextual Bible study.
- Declaring an Ungodly Man Righteous - Why would Jehovah declare an ungodly man—a man who doesn’t work—righteous?
- King David on Faith and Works - In Romans 4:6-8, Paul cites King David’s words in Psalm 32:1-2 as Old Testament support for his teaching that salvation comes by faith apart from works. Here’s how I recommend you discuss that with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
- The Sequence of Faith and Works - Ephesians 2:8-10 is another great Pauline passage to show the proper relationship between faith and works.
- Whose Works — God’s or Ours? - Last time, we examined Ephesians 2:8-10 verse-by-verse. This time, we’ll examine the same passage as a unit to see the interplay between God’s work and ours.
- Why Born Again People Still Sin - If the new birth is really an inner transformation that gives people Christ’s righteousness, why don’t born-again people walk in sinless perfection? In other words, why do supposedly born-again people still sin?
- What James Says About Faith and Works - After you show Jehovah’s Witnesses that Paul says we are saved by faith apart from works, they are certain to take you to James 2:21-24 to try to persuade you that salvation is a product of faith plus works. Here is how you can respond.
- Watchtower Faith and Works Proof Texts - In addition to citing James in support of their doctrine that salvation requires both faith and works [LINK to 11 What James Says About Faith and Works], the Watchtower also uses partial quotations from both Matthew 10:22 and Philippians 2:12. Here’s how you can deal with those texts.
- The Salvation Process - Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians have a very different view of the salvation process. In order to get through to them, we need to be able to understand and articulate these differences.
- What Are You Relying On? - I think it’s important for us to make clear to Jehovah’s Witnesses that the relationship between faith and works is not just a matter of semantics. We don’t all believe the same thing just using different terminology.
- Steps to Salvation - What do we do if Jehovah’s Witnesses we talk with come to understand the biblical relationship between faith and works? How do we explain to them the steps to salvation?
- The Faith and Works Approach Video - On Saturday, September 28, 2019, I gave a talk entitled “The Faith and Works Approach” at the Witnesses Now for Jesus conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It included a simulated dialogue between a Christian and a Jehovah’s Witness, with my wife playing the role of the Witness (even though she never was one). Here is a video of that talk. Feel free to share it with anyone you think might find it helpful.
