David Englund, , Page 24">

Author: David Englund (page 24 of 91)

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.

The series will work its way through the book and contain what I consider to be the key points. References will be given to page numbers in the book which discuss these issues.

When I published the book, I did not include study questions because they would have added significantly to the length of the book and cost to the reader.

This “Key Points” series will contain study questions for each post. Continue reading

Summing Up the Series

Bible Teach Ch 99 summaryThis series has used the contents of the Watchtower’s study book, What Does the Bible Really Teach?, as a springboard for employing the approaches contained in my book, Getting Through to Jehovah’s Witnesses: Approaching Bible Discussions in Unexpected Ways.

I’m sure you can see the difference between the passive student role the Witnesses are expecting you to fulfill and the active approach I have set out in this series.

By knowing ahead of time what topics are likely to be covered, making your own notes, and being ready to address the topics using the various approaches I have given you, you will be able to present the gospel effectively to the Witnesses in the midst of their own Watchtower book study.

Going through “Bible Teach” step by step has made this a long series—more than 60 posts.

Because of that, this summarizing post contains two indexing outlines: Continue reading

Do We Have to Earn Our Salvation?

Bible teach Ch 19

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

Can we earn our salvation by our works?

The Watchtower’s answer to that question is, “No.”

Based on that, an unsuspecting Christian might well think, “Oh, I guess the Watchtower accords with Paul.”

Not so!

Ask Jehovah’s Witnesses this question: “Do we have to prove worthy by our works in order to obtain salvation?”

If they are honest, they should answer that question, “Yes.” Continue reading

Our Need for a Personal Relationship with Jesus

Bible teach Ch 19

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

“Bible Teach”, Chapter 19, paragraphs 10-14 (pp. 187-189) discusses the importance of continuing to learn about Jehovah (10), to study the Scriptures (11), to think deeply on them (12-13), and to pray sincerely from the heart (14).

Paragraph 11 (p. 188) says, “Jesus wanted his followers to keep their love for Jehovah and for His precious Word of truth alive and burning brightly. After his resurrection, Jesus taught two of his disciples about some of the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures that were fulfilled in him. What was the effect? They later said: ‘Were not our hearts burning within us as he was speaking to us on the road, as he was fully opening up the Scriptures to us?’—Luke 24:32.”

We can agree with all of that, but we need to stress that in order for the Word to burn in our hearts—as it did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus—we need to have a personal relationship with Jesus in which he opens the Scriptures to us.

Continue reading

Our Need for Inner Transformation

Bible teach Ch 19

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

“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

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