• Introduction to the Key Points Series - Today begins a new “Key Points” series based on my book, Getting Through to Jehovah’s Witnesses: Approaching Bible Discussions in Unexpected Ways.
  • My First Meetings with Jehovah’s Witnesses - My book's first chapter—"Here They Come-Now What?" begins with my childhood experiences involving Jehovah’s Witnesses. My parents followed a popular strategy of not engaging with Jehovah’s Witnesses either by hiding behind the curtains, pretending not to be home or by turning them away at the door by politely telling them, “No, thanks. I have my own religion.”
  • My Study with Jehovah’s Witnesses - Knowing next to nothing about what Jehovah’s Witnesses believed, I embarked on a six month “home Bible study” with them. However, what was studied was not the Bible itself, but a small Watchtower book entitled The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. Unaware of any danger, I passively submitted to this study because I realized my lack of Bible knowledge and because the study conductors were sincere people who were donating their time sharing the Watchtower message free of charge.
  • Encountering the Organizational Mindset - While I was in the midst of my “home Bible study,” I also attended some Watchtower study sessions at the local Kingdom Hall. What was studied wasn’t the Bible itself but articles from The Watchtower magazine. Like the study book, they consisted of Watchtower teachings with brief scripture quotations or citations references interspersed as if they taught and emphasized exactly what The Watchtower was saying.
  • Student Role Teaching - Because Jehovah’s Witnesses consider our churches to be satanic, it is virtually impossible for Christians to teach them anything directly. They think we have been deceived by Satan. So they have to be the teachers. They come to our doors solely to bring “the truth” (which is what they call their religion) to us. If we don’t humbly accept their efforts, they will leave. Consequently, Christians need to engage in student role teaching—getting through to Jehovah’s Witnesses by asking questions rather than by making assertions. The questions must plant seeds that challenge Watchtower teachings. As such, they will be questions that Jehovah’s Witnesses would never dare or even think to ask on their own.
  • Preparatory Witnessing Principles - We can’t get through to every Jehovah’s Witness, but we can get through to some of them. There are two extremes to avoid when it comes to getting through to Jehovah’s Witnesses. One is to think that it’s a waste of time, that they can’t be saved. The other is to look for a “quick fix,” a can’t-miss Bible passage or witnessing technique. Both extremes are wrong and counterproductive.
  • Communication Witnessing Principles - In order to get through to them, you will need to get them out of their prepared presentations by asking questions that challenge Watchtower teachings. These are questions they would never ask for themselves.
  • Irreconcilable Differences Regarding Salvation - The Watchtower salvation system and the Bible’s way of salvation are completely incompatible. The chapter sets out the contrast in a nutshell and then goes on to explain the differences in greater detail.
  • The Righteousness Approach - Jehovah’s Witnesses think that if they will just work harder, attend more meetings, study Watchtower literature more thoroughly, do more door-to-door witnessing, and obey God’s laws more faithfully, then Jehovah may deem them worthy to be resurrected or to survive Armageddon into the “new system,” Christ’s millennial kingdom. They think this is the way to obtain peace with God and a sense of his approval. They don’t realize they are falling into the same error as did the Israelites described by Paul in Romans 10:3, quoted above. There is a power of sin that dwells within all of us, and the more we try to become righteous in God’s eyes through keeping rules and laws, the more we just become aware of our repeated sins and failures.
  • Being Tactful in Discussing Righteousness - Discussing people’s standing with God requires a great deal of tact. Because the Watchtower has trained them to expect persecution, Jehovah’s Witnesses are often easily offended. In order to personalize the issue without giving offense, I recommend that you ask questions such as these...
  • The Come to Jesus Approach - The objective of The Come to Jesus Approach is to help Jehovah’s Witnesses see their need to come to Jesus Christ personally in order to obtain salvation.
  • Bible Commands to Come to Jesus - One of the most effective passages with regard to coming to Jesus for forgiveness is John 5:39-40. Have one of the Witnesses read aloud Jesus’ statement to the Pharisees: "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Ask the Witnesses to explain to you what mistake Jesus said the Pharisees were making. Pray silently that they will realize that they are making the exact same mistake.
  • The Faith and Works Approach - The objective of The Faith and Works Approach is to correct Jehovah’s Witnesses’ false view that “justification by faith” is a license to sin and to show them the biblical relationship between faith and works in the Christian life. (p. 89)
  • Discussing Paul Regarding Faith and Works - Because Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they are “in the truth” and that we are in spiritual darkness, they insist on being the teachers. Fine. Ask them to explain to you what Paul is teaching in Romans 4 and Ephesians 2 regarding the relationship of faith and works in the salvation process.
  • Dealing with Watchtower Faith and Works Proof Texts - After they have cited you their proof texts from James, say something like this: “That’s confusing, isn’t it? At first blush, those verses seem to be saying the exact opposite. What do you think? Do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Paul and James contradict each other? Does Jehovah’s Word contradict itself?” They will have to say no. Again, putting the onus on them to be the teachers, add, “Then help me out here. How do you reconcile them?”
  • The Bodily Resurrection Approach - The objective of The Bodily Resurrection Approach is to refute the Watchtower’s two-class, two-paths-to-salvation system by showing that all Christians will be raised from the dead—as Jesus was—in a glorified physical body of flesh and bones.
  • Bodily Resurrection: Answering Watchtower Arguments #1-4 - The Watchtower presents many arguments against the bodily resurrection of Christ. It’s not possible in “key points” blog posts to go into the same detail as the chapter itself. Instead, I’ll give you thumbnail sketches of what I consider to be their best arguments against the bodily resurrection and give you good ways to respond.
  • The New Birth Approach - The objective of The New Birth Approach is to show Jehovah's Witnesses that the new birth involves an inner transformation of a person by the Holy Spirit and is the only way by which anyone can obtain eternal life. If the Watchtower’s two-class salvation system were only a matter of location—whether all Christians will go to heaven or whether most of them will live forever in paradise on earth—the topic would be of little practical significance. However, because of the Watchtower’s erroneous teachings, the vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the new birth and the new covenant are not for them.
  • The New Birth Provides an Inner Transformation - If you say that Jesus expected Nicodemus to understand that all human beings need an inner transformation by the Holy Spirit, most likely Jehovah’s Witnesses will ask you why. Take them to two Old Testament passages which teach this.
  • All Christians Are in the New Covenant - Because of the Watchtower teaching that only the anointed 144,000 are born again into the new covenant, at their annual Memorial service (their version of communion) only those who profess to be in this class are allowed to partake of the bread and wine. Others attend and watch, but the Watchtower says that the new covenant in Christ’s blood is not for them. (p. 133) To show the Witnesses that this practice is unscriptural, I recommend that you draw the Witnesses’ attention to the following passages. Ask them to read them aloud.
  • The New Birth Is Available to Everyone - Once you have shown the Witnesses that the new birth is an inner transformation and that all Christians are in the new covenant, I recommend that you direct their attention to Scriptures which show that Jesus’ invitation and promises are for everyone who will receive him, not just a select group of 144,000.
  • The Trinity - Chapter 11 of the book is a doctrinal chapter which sets out the differences between biblical Christianity and Watchtower teaching on three topics: (1) the Trinity, (2) the identity of Jesus Christ, and (3) the identity of the Holy Spirit. This post will just set out the basic differences without trying to prove the deity of Christ or the personhood and deity of the Holy Spirit.
  • The Identity of Jesus Christ - In a nutshell, here are the conflicting views of Christianity and of the Watchtower regarding the identity of Jesus Christ.
  • The Identity of the Holy Spirit - In a nutshell, here are the conflicting views of Christianity and of the Watchtower regarding the identity of the Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus Isn’t Michael: Point #1 - The objective of The Jesus Isn’t Michael Approach is to help Jehovah’s Witnesses see that, contrary to Watchtower doctrine, Jesus is not Michael the archangel.
  • Jesus Isn’t Michael: Points #2-#3 - Last week, we noted that nowhere does the Bible identify Jesus Christ as being Michael the archangel. Today, we make two more points which refute the Watchtower’s “Jesus is Michael” teaching.
  • The Jesus Is the God-Man Approach - The objective of The Jesus Is the God-Man Approach is to help Jehovah’s Witnesses see that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.
  • How to Show Jehovah’s Witnesses the Deity of Christ - In order to avoid taking over the role of teacher, say to the Witnesses, “I understand you don’t believe Jesus is God and that you are here to teach me. That’s fine. What I would like to do is show you from the Bible why I believe Jesus is God as well as man so I can have you explain to me Jehovah’s Witnesses’ views on what these verses mean. Would you be willing to do that?” Once they agree, here is how to present to Jehovah’s Witnesses four lines of biblical evidence that Jesus is God, not just “a god.”
  • Answering Watchtower Christology Proof Texts #1-#5 - In my opinion, what appears in this week’s and next week’s posts are the Watchtower’s best arguments and proof texts against the deity of Christ as well as the most effective ways to respond to them.
  • Answering Watchtower Christology Proof Texts #6-#7 - Last week, we looked at how to respond to five of the Watchtower’s best arguments and proof texts against the deity of Christ as well as the most effective ways to respond to them. Today, we finish this topic by looking at two more of their points.
  • The Holy Spirit Is God Approach - The objective of The Holy Spirit Is God Approach is to show Jehovah’s Witnesses that the Holy Spirit is both a person and God himself, not an impersonal, “active force” that emanates from God.
  • The Holy Spirit Has a Personality - Last week, we looked at verse which show that the Holy Spirit speaks using first person singular pronouns. Today, we look at further Bible evidence that the Holy Spirit is a person.
  • The Holy Spirit is God - Contrary to the Watchtower’s teaching, the Bible clearly says that the Holy Spirit is God himself.
  • Watchtower Signature Issues - Chapter 15 sets out the Watchtower and Christian positions on nine doctrinal issues. The five approach chapters that follow it contain approaches for discussing them effectively with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
  • The Divine Name Approach: Watchtower Claims #1-#2 - The objective of The Divine Name Approach is to show Jehovah’s Witnesses that, while it is fine to refer to God as “Jehovah,” it is not necessary. In fact, in the New Testament the name that is above every other name is “Jesus.”
  • The Most Highly Exalted Name is “Jesus” - When you discuss the divine name with Jehovah’s Witnesses, ask them if they will allow you to show them scriptures which stress the overriding importance of Jesus’ name—not Jehovah’s—because you’d like to hear their take on that.
  • The Christian Freedom Approach: War - The objective of The Christian Freedom Approach is to get Jehovah's Witnesses to think for themselves instead of simply accepting whatever the Watchtower says.
  • Christian Freedom: Birthdays and Holidays - When Jehovah’s Witnesses tell you that genuine Christians do not celebrate birthdays or holidays, ask one of them to read aloud Romans 14:5, 10: "One man judges one day as above another; another judges one day the same as all others; let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.... But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God." (Watchtower translation).
  • Christian Freedom: Paid Clergy - Your objective is to show the Witnesses from the Scriptures that those who preach the gospel have a right to be paid for their work, although if they wish to decline such financial support, they are free to do so.
  • Christian Freedom: Collections - Your objective is to show the Witnesses from the Scriptures that there are many acceptable ways to raise money for the church, including passing collection plates and making public requests for funds.
  • Christian Freedom: The Cross - Your objective will be to show Witnesses from the Scriptures that it is perfectly acceptable for Christians to display and wear crosses if they choose to do so. In fact, the practice honors Christ and his sacrifice.
  • The Justice for the Wicked Approach - The objective of The Justice for the Wicked Approach is to show Jehovah’s Witnesses that the Watchtower’s everlasting-nonexistence-of-the-wicked doctrine is neither just nor biblical.
  • The Rich Man and Lazarus: Watchtower Interpretation - One of the primary passages that refutes the Watchtower’s everlasting-nonexistence-of-the-wicked doctrine is Jesus’ account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. If necessary, set aside an entire session to study this account.
  • Preparing the Life and Death Issues Approach - The objective of The Life and Death Issues Approach is to show Jehovah’s Witnesses that the Watchtower is not Jehovah’s channel of communication (as it claims to be) as shown by the fact that it has made radical changes in its teachings regarding life and death health issues.
  • Specific Changes in Watchtower Health Issues Doctrines - Today, we will look at specific doctrinal changes the Watchtower has made over the years regarding three life and death health issues—vaccinations, organ transplants, and blood transfusions. Except as noted below, the Watchtower documents I refer to are available for downloading and printing at ex-Witness elder David Reed’s website.
  • Watchtower Proof Texts Regarding Blood - I recommend that you try to keep the focus of the discussion on the changeability of Watchtower “truth” rather than on the substance of the teachings themselves. However, Witnesses may insist on making scriptural arguments in support of the current Watchtower ban on blood transfusions, so you need to be prepared to respond. (pp. 275-278)
  • Preparing the False Prophecies Approach - The objective of The False Prophecies Approach is to show Jehovah's Witnesses that the Watchtower organization is not the reliable guide it claims to be in that it has made numerous false prophecies.
  • Connecting with Current Jehovah’s Witnesses - The next time Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your door will you hide behind the curtain and pretend you’re not home? Will you open the door but tell them, “No thank you. I have my own religion” and send them on their way? Or will you see them as people for whom Christ died, invite them in, and share the gospel with them using the approaches you have learned?
  • Helping Studies and Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses - Many people who won’t be coming to your door have been greatly influenced by the Watchtower. Some are studying with them. Still others have left the Watchtower organization, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Please take the initiative in talking with them and trying to reach them for Christ.