Wait, That's A Different Jesus!

A few weeks back, a Jehovah’s Witness contacted me, and I was able to stay in communication with him for almost two weeks. He began our conversation by asking me where I go for practical wisdom for life. I answered, “The Bible.” He agreed and went on to read 2 Timothy 3:16–17:

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

He then asked me why we should go to the Bible for practical wisdom. I told him that the Bible is the very Word of God, written by men who the Holy Spirit inspired. It is the primary way God speaks to us, and as he speaks to us, he teaches us, reproves us, corrects us, trains us in righteousness, works in us, and equips us for every good work.

At this point, we seemed to be on the same page, agreeing that the Bible was the place to go for practical wisdom. He then wanted to set up another meeting where we would discuss “how we could make the world a better place to live.” I agreed to another meeting, and I asked for permission to ask him a question. He agreed.

This question is the most important question I asked my new friend: “Who is Jesus?” Indeed, this is the most important question you can ask anyone, but especially a Jehovah’s Witness. He affirmed, “Jesus is the Son of God,” but would not affirm Jesus was the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Before ending our first meeting, we touched the surface of how the Bible answers this most important question. We left the meeting agreeing to talk again in a few days.

We did talk again, and over two weeks, we discussed many important doctrinal matters. The most important issues we discussed were:

• Who is Jesus?
  Is he Michael the Archangel as the Jehovah’s Witness believe?

• What is the Trinity and why is it important?  
  Jehovah’s Witness’ deny the existence of the Holy Trinity.

• How can humanity be saved?
  Jehovah’s Witness believe humanity is saved by faith in “their” Jesus, plus good works. We will also discuss what we are saved from since Jehovah’s Witness’ deny the existence of hell.

Please note, we never discussed how we can make this world a better place to live, because it is impossible unless we get the three doctrinal matters listed above correct. We will discuss this later.

Over the next few weeks, I will write a series of blogs to show you how I answered these questions for my new Jehovah’s Witness friend. The purpose of this blog series is two-fold. First, it is my prayer that this series serves to build up the Church – You! If you have not been approached by a Jehovah’s witness, you will. One of the works they must complete to be found worthy by Jehovah God is fulfilling The Great Commission. They are very active in (wrongly) fulfilling The Great Commission. Over the last several years, I have received emails, hand-written letters, texts, and of course, knocks on my door (work and home). According to my conversations with my Jehovah’s Witness friend and their website, they number over eight million worldwide and are growing. So, I hope you find this series informative, preparing you for your next encounter with a Jehovah’s Witness. Not only so that you may stand firm in the faith, but also that you may lead them from their destructive heresy and to the truth of Scripture. Also, that God may use you to lead them to repentance from their false god and to faith in Jesus, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

Since this is a public blog series, my second prayerful purpose is that God will place these writings in front of many Jehovah’s Witnesses. That God will use this blog series to open their hearts to the truth of Scripture, leading them to salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

The remaining part of today’s blog includes some matters that will prove helpful when you interact with a Jehovah’s Witness.

First, if led by the Holy Spirit, greet them with the love of Jesus. Then, engage them by being a good listener and by asking good questions. Smile and let your tone of voice be welcoming and pleasant. You are not trying to win an argument. You are trying to win a soul to the Kingdom of God.

Second, don’t be thrown off by “off the wall” comments. For example, they will tell you Jesus did not die on a cross; instead, he died on a “stake.” They say the stake was only vertical and did not have a horizontal piece making it a cross. They have no theological purpose in such statements. They merely want to say something that throws you off guard and may cause you to doubt what you already know and believe.

Third, they will not let you pray with them. If you genuinely want to end your time with a Jehovah’s Witness, ask to pray with them. Tell them you want to pray to God, asking him to settle, right now, the differences between what you believe and what they believe. They will leave immediately.

Fourth, they know “their bible.” It will serve you well if you respond to them with specific scripture references. As I responded to my Jehovah’s Witness friend, he always asked me, “Where is that in Scripture?”

Fifth, read your Bible, know your Bible, and know the gospel.

Sixth, spend some time studying the history of Jehovah’s Witness. The Jehovah’s Witness began as the Watch Tower Society, which Charles Taze Russell founded in 1881. Russell rewrote the Bible to agree with many of his unorthodox positions. For example, one of Russell’s issues with the Holy Scriptures was the doctrine of hell. He did not believe God would send people to hell, and this doctrine is at the root of why Russell left the true Church. See this article by Tim Challies for a summary of Russell’s life and the history of Jehovah’s Witness (https://www.challies.com/articles/the-false-teachers-charles-taze-russell/).

Seventh, do not lose heart. You alone have no power to change anyone’s heart. But, as you engage and work through the doctrinal issues this blog series will touch on, the Holy Spirit must move in the Jehovah’s Witness’ heart. If the Holy Spirit does not move, you will meet staunch resistance, and your seemingly jovial friendship will come to a screeching halt.  In my last conversation with the Jehovah’s witness, I told him that I loved him, and I wanted to help him see Jesus for who he is. I also told him that if he ever had any questions, I would love to help him.  He responded, “I have no questions for you about the bible; I know what it says. Stop contacting me. We will find out shortly who has the truth. (2Tim. 3:1-5).” By referencing those verses, he is charging me with being an unbeliever, and I must be avoided. I do not lose heart because I know the true gospel seed has been planted.

Finally, pray and continue to pray for the Jehovah’s Witness. Pray for the Holy Spirit to do what only he can do. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and give them a new heart so that they can see the beauty of the gospel, repent of their sins, and exercise their faith in Jesus – the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity.

In part two of this blog series, I will consider the question, “Who is Jesus?” First, I will attempt to answer the question from the Jehovah’s Witness perspective, and then we will see what the Bible says.

I hope you find this series helpful and that it prepares you for your next encounter with a Jehovah’s Witness.