A STUDY: HOW TO WITNESS TO A JEHOVAH WITNESS

A STUDY: HOW TO WITNESS TO A JEHOVAH WITNESS

By Jean Carlson

Many Christians who know of my long-time involvement in the Jehovah Witness Society have asked me, "How do you witness to a Jehovah Witness?" My answer is: You'll have a hard time witnessing to them because they have been trained to believe they alone have the "truth" and are not to listen to what anyone else believes about the Bible. They are to jump in on your sharing and lead you to the "correct" teaching on the subject (the "truth" according to them). It has been my experience that if you can ever get the truth of "Who" Jesus really is across to them, they will come out, as it was with myself. You see, the Jehovah Witnesses honestly believe they are teaching "truth"; that we are to worship Jehovah alone, who they say is Father only: not Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They do not believe the doctrine of the Trinity (that Jehovah-God is "One-God" in-three-persons). They believe that all believers, outside of themselves, are worshiping Jesus and should be worshiping Jehovah; which is their main message. They devoutly go about teaching "Christendom are all 'Jesus' worshipers", not realizing that by worshiping Jesus, we are worshiping God. They strive to get this one thought across, "Do not worship Jesus -- He's not God". They are taught that they are doing Jesus' command where he spoke at Matt. 24:14 "... this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world... then the end will come" and sincerely believe this; but in essence what they are really doing is preaching their gospel of their kingdom and want all to come into their kingdom before the end comes. Their Assemblies are called "Kingdom Halls" and they are in earnest going about telling people to get into the "arc of safety" to escape the destruction that will come at Armageddon; teaching all who are not with them will be annihilated at that time.

The ones who will listen have already been drawn by the Spirit and once they see from the scripture the error in how they portray the Lord Jesus Christ, He can then lead them into "all truth" and set them free. So, first step is to always pray first for the Holy Spirit to come on the scene when you know you will be talking with one. He will open-the-door, prepare the ground for your seed of truth to be planted... and He will be the "teacher" and will give you what you should say.

The Jehovah Witnesses, like all of the other Cults, teach "another Jesus"... and "another gospel" (2 Cor. 11:4). Without exception, all Cults veer off the path of truth on this one doctrine: they cannot understand and refuse to believe the Deity of Christ: that Jesus is God (Jehovah) incarnate.

Once the door is opened for you to witness you need to call them out on this. A good start is to tell them the Bible teaches Jesus is God. They, of course, will object and you must be ready with the proof texts. Undeniable truth is found at several old testament texts, which are proved-out in New Testament texts (found in all good cross-reference Bibles). Here are four:

1. O.T. Isaiah 35:4-6...speaking about Jehovah, "..your God will come ...... he will come and save you.." Note: Jehovah said at Is. 43:11... "beside me, there is no savior".

Remark to them: Jesus came and He is the savior (N.T. Luke 2:11). And reading on at Isaiah 35:5 we see what was to happen when "God will come" -- "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped and the lame man shall leap" All these miracles happened when Jesus came! When asked by two of John's disciples if he was the one to come, Jesus replied, "... the blind see, the lame walk, ... the deaf hear." (Luke 7:20-22). This was an affirmation of him (Jesus) being the God that would come to save His people. And confirming this also, Jesus made a very bold statement of the fact when he spoke at John 14:11b, that they should ".... believe me for the very works sake." (Again, these works showed Jesus to be "God" who would come.)

2. O.T. Zechariah 11:12b-13...speaking of Jehovah God, "so they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver....and the LORD (Jehovah) said unto me, Cast it to the potter: a goodly price that I was priced at of them".

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Remark to them: Jesus is the one who was sold (betrayed) for thirty pieces of silver and a "potters" field was bought with it. (N.T. Matthew 27:7-10). Reference takes you to Zec. 11:12-13.

3. O.T. At Zechariah 12:10b...Jehovah speaks: "...they shall look upon me (Jehovah) whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him..."

Remark to them: Jesus is the one who was pierced (N.T. John 19:34). Reading on verse 36 says: "...these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled..." and verse 37 is a direct quote from Zechariah 12:10b (referring to "Jehovah"!,) "they shall look on him whom they pierced."

4. O.T. Isaiah 43:3..."I am the LORD (Jehovah) thy God, the Holy One. And at Isaiah 43:15 Jehovah says: "I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator."

Remark to them: In the N.T. Jesus is the Holy One (Acts 2:27,3:14, & 13:35). Even the demons knew Jesus is the Holy One. We read at Mark 1:24 & Luke 4:34, demons saying to Jesus..."I know thee who thou art; the Holy One..." At John 6:69 we read where Peter proclaimed (of Jesus): "... we know you are the Holy One..." Here KJV uses "Son of God" in place of "the Holy One"; however, the Greek correctly renders this passage as "the Holy One", as do many other translations.

Make note: Jesus is the "Creator." At Colossians 1:16 we read: "By him (Jesus) were all things created" and at John 1:3 "All things were made by him (Jesus)."

The Jehovah Witnesses take their name from the passage at Isaiah 43:10-11 that reads: "Ye are my witnesses saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he; before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.... I, even I am the LORD and beside me there is no savior."

Taking a close look at these verses we see where the LORD/Jehovah says three things about Himself:

1 - "God" 2 - "LORD" 3 - "Savior"

When we do a Word-study into these titles we learn the Scripture bears witness in several places that Jesus holds all of these titles. Looking at two witnesses for each, we read:

1 - "God" John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God... and the Word was made flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us." (verse 14) Isaiah 9:6 "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...his name shall be...the mighty God."

2 - "LORD" Philippians 2:11 "...Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.." Revelation 19:16 "He (Jesus) has on his vesture a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

3 - "Savior" 1John 4:14 "...the Father sent the Son ("to be"-not in org.) the Savior of the world." John 4:42 "...we have heard him...and know that this is the Christ, the Savior of the world."

Note: Reading at Isaiah 43:15 we hear Jehovah announce, "I am the LORD...your King." Psalm 24:10 says: "The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory." and Psalm 10:16 tells us: "The LORD is King forever and ever." And reading at Rev. 19:16, we read about Jesus: "He hath...a name written, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS"!

Going to Exodus 3:14, we read where Jehovah made Himself known to Moses as "I AM" and told Moses to "..say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you." We see that the title "I AM" is actually what Jesus said of himself at John 8:28: "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am he...." You will see the word "he" is in Italics, which means it was added here and not in the original text. Bible scholars say Jesus said here: ".. you shall know that I AM."

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Note: "I AM", referring to Jesus, is also recorded in other passages in the New Testament and the word "he" is wrongfully added there also; such as we see at John 18:6, "...when he said to them I am he they drew back and fell to the ground." You will find that many Bible Commentaries say of this verse that it was likely the power of the name "I AM" that caused the soldiers to fall back, being that the Mighty God was speaking and they could not stand in the presence of the great "I AM".

The most vital question we all need to be able to answer truthfully is the one asked by Jesus at Matthew 16:15-17, "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered: "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God." We need to look at this verse and put the emphasis on "the Christ". The disciples had already professed Jesus to be the Son of God! (When he walked on water, calmed the storm and got into ship they worshiped him and said: "Of a truth thou art the Son of God." Matthew 14:33). So the revelation that Jesus said the "Father" revealed to Peter was "Thou art the Christ". Peter knew the prophet Isaiah wrote that the child that would be born would be the Christ, the promised Son, who is "the Mighty God." By his confessing this he was saying: "You are the Christ/the Mighty God."

Note: An interesting thought comes to mind when we study Jesus' response here. He first blessed Peter and said flesh and blood did not reveal this truth to him, but the Father had, and then Jesus goes on to say His Church would be built upon this rock (on this revelation of who He is) and the gates of hell could not prevail against it. Next Jesus says he will give Peter the keys of the kingdom (powers of the kingdom) and says whatever Peter binds and looses on earth will be bound and loosed in Heaven. Looking at this blessing of the "keys"/powers Jesus gave to Peter, it appears he was given them through the revelation of Jesus being "the Christ/the Mighty God!" For this same blessing we all need to know "who" Jesus is! Jesus is asking each one of us: "But whom say ye that I Am?"

Reading at John 20:28 Jesus should have rebuked Thomas for calling him "My Lord and my God" if that were not true, but instead he blessed him, saying "..,because you have seen you believe; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believe." Believe what? That Jesus is "Lord and God"!

When studying the word "LORD", as it's written in our English Bibles (all upper-case letters) we find that it is simply a substitute for the name God gave for Himself; which originally was not pronounceable because it had no vowels and read YHWH. The Jews inserted the vowels a and e and pronounced it Yahweh. Our English word 'Jehovah' is a transliteration of this name. In time Jewish Scholars and Rabbis felt it sac-religious to use it in their writings (feeling it too Holy a name to utter unless in prayer) and therefore started using Adonai (English translation LORD). We now see something very interesting when we study the Greek word for LORD (Jehovah), which is Kurios (it has variations of spellings: Kurios, Kupioc or Kupiov; all unique to Almighty-God/Jehovah). When reading our texts on "Lord" in Greek, referring to Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2:11 & Revelation 19:16) we see that Jesus is LORD/Kurios (Jehovah). Also, many other places read that Jesus is LORD/Kurios, such as our confession-text at Romans 10:9 where we are to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Kurios). Reading it in Greek means that we are to confess Jesus Christ is LORD/Jehovah.

Note: Not only do we read in the New Testament that Jesus is Jehovah, reading the passage from the Old Testament at Jeremiah 23:5-6, speaking of the one coming through David's lineage, who would reign as King and execute judgment in the earth (Jesus): "..and this is the name whereby he shall be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Rightfully translated "JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" Here we need to emphasize the truth, that the name "Jehovah" belongs to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (not just the Father's name). These three are all One-God and Jehovah is His name! This mighty "God" is indeed three persons (referred to as persons because each has a subject-object relationship and each has all the qualities of a "person"). They are "God-the-Father, God-the-Son and God-the-Spirit" in "One-Being": The Godhead (the Holy Trinity). The passage at Isaiah 48:16 reveals the truth of the three-in-God. We hear the one who was sent (Jesus/the Word) speaking: "Come near unto me, hear this; I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning, from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord God and his Spirit have sent me."

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Note: We read the phrase "In the beginning" referring to God at Genesis 1:1, and to Jesus (the Word) at Isaiah 48:16, John 1:1 and 1John 1:1-2; all witnessing to the fact that God/the Father and the Holy Spirit, in the beginning contained (and sent) the Word (who became flesh/Jesus Christ! - John 1:14).

Note: Several places in the book of John we read where Jesus said God sent him. At Psalm 107:20 we read where God said "He sent His Word and healed and delivered." (These are the works that Jesus did!) At Psalm 33:6 we read: "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made..." Jehovah's Word (Jesus) created the heavens and all there is (Colossians 1:16). Also at Hebrews 11:3, we read: "...the worlds were framed by the word of God..." and at Hebrews 1:10 (another verse using the phrase "in the beginning" and referring to Jesus) God gives credit to the Son, saying he laid the foundation of the earth.

A Jehovah Witness will always ask you, "How can Jesus be God when the Bible shows he talks and prays to God and calls him Father?" This is because they look at the scriptures with the natural eye ("natural man") without having a Spiritual revelation. We read at 1 Corinthians 2:14 "...the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned." Actually, it would not be hard to see if they would simply read the Bible for themselves, letting the Holy Spirit interpret for them and not listen to the Watchtower teachers who twist the meaning of the scriptures. Unquestionably, Jesus/the man, had a beginning as "God Man"(God-in-flesh), but Jesus/the Word, ("God-the-Son") has been from eternity. Micah 5:2 says of him who was to come out of Bethlehem and be Ruler "...whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting".

Note: The words eternity and everlasting are translated from the same Hebrew word.

Have them read Philippians 2:6-8 where Jesus (who was always "God-the-Word") left his God form and took on the form of a man becoming God in flesh. By doing this he appeared as a man, but was still God in the Spirit! And as a man he talked and prayed to the Father and obeyed; an example for all mankind as to how we each should live and honor and obey the Father. We hear Jesus speaking to the Father at Hebrews 10:5b "...a body you have prepared for me." And God speaking at Hebrews 1:5b said, "..I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son." He then (verse 6) commands all the angels to "Worship" Jesus; calls him "God" (vs. 8), calls him "Lord" (vs. 10) and gives him recognition as the one who "...laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands."

Note: This is a direct quote from Psalm 102:25 which records this phrase and attributes it to Jehovah God! Also at Isaiah 48:13, Jehovah spoke of Himself saying, "...my hand also has laid the foundation of the earth..."!

Here we come to understand where the Jehovah Witness' doctrine of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ differs from Christian Doctrine. They go so far as to teach that all "Christendom" are worshiping the wrong God. Where we've read about Jesus at Isaiah 9:6, the "son given" whose "name will be called .... the mighty God", they teach that he is another God, not Jehovah God. That Jehovah is the Almighty God and Jesus is the mighty God. Ask them where in the Bible does it teach that there is more than one God? It doesn't! Over and over we read where Jehovah says there is no God beside Him. At Isaiah 43:10 He said, "...before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me." And we can read at Jeremiah 32:18b where Jehovah is also called "the mighty God" (also found at Psalm 50:1 in some translations). Look at the verse Isaiah 48:12 where Jehovah says He is "the First and the Last". We read where Jesus said that He is "the First and the Last" at Revelation 22:13. Not only does Jesus claim to be the First and the Last, here he says he is "the beginning and the end", the same title referring to Jehovah at Revelation 21:6. Also this verse adds (of Jehovah) "I am Alpha and Omega", the same title Jesus claims at Revelation 22:13, saying: "I am Alpha and Omega...". There's only one God, who is Jehovah God-the-Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Reading at 1 John 5:20: "...we are in him that is true, even ("even" not in the original) in his Son Jesus Christ; This is the true God and

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eternal life." Another remarkable passage that Jehovah spoke of Himself is found at Isaiah 45:23 where He says: "That unto me every knee shall bow; every tongue shall swear." We read the same thing spoken of Jesus at Philippians 2:10-11, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue...confess that Jesus Christ (God-The-Son) is Lord to the glory of God the Father."

Note: Here again we read the word for Lord in the Greek is "Kurios". Jesus is Lord (Kurios/Jehovah) as previously revealed.

In Paul's letters to Timothy we read at 1Timothy 1:1 where he calls "...God our Savior.." and at 2 Timothy 1:10 he calls Jesus "...our Savior...." Again, in writing to Titus at Titus 1:3 he calls "God our Savior" and in the very next verse (4) he calls "...Jesus Christ our Savior."

Here you need to take your Jehovah Witness again to Isaiah 43:11 where Jehovah says: "beside me there is no savior". At this point they will be very confused, if they have been willing to listen to you. Remember the scripture at 1 Corinthians 2:14 says "the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolish (impossible) to him, neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned." And at 1 Corinthians 12:3b we read: "no man can say Jesus is the Lord (Kurios/Jehovah) but by the Holy Ghost." They have been deceived to believe what they have been taught by men interpreting and teaching the Word, using their natural thinking. These men (Watchtower heads) claim to be some of the "special-class of the 144,000 anointed ones", the "Heavenly-class", and are looked up to by the other "earthly-class" who are taught only the anointed ones can have spiritual discernment and therefore believe, and go out and teach whatever the "anointed-ones" put into print. These "anointed ones" teach they are the "born again" and only ones who go to Heaven. Whereas we know the Bible teaches that all true believers are born again and promised a place in Heaven. In order for these socalled "anointed ones" to make the passage say what they "think" it means, they have added words in many places that are not in the original text; giving a completely different meaning than what the inspired Word originally meant. As an example look at John 10:38b where Jesus states: "..that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in Him." In their Bible "New World Translation" it reads: "...that the Father is in "union with" me and I am "in union with" the Father." Notice that by adding "in union with" makes the text mean they are simply in agreement, but the Greek is clear in the original that the Father is "in" Jesus and Jesus is "in" Him! They will tell you it is foolish to think that Jesus could be "in" the Father and the Father "in" him. They will refer you to John 17:21 where Jesus prays for his people: "That they all may be one; as thou Father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us..." Then they will argue, saying: "the believers are in Christ", but they'll say "that doesn't mean we are Christ" (going on to say the believers are simply one-in-agreement as their passage reads: "in union with"). But God's Word also says that we, the believers are one-Body (Romans 12:5). Jesus is the Head and we are the Body of Christ! (1 Corinthians 12:27) Yes, we are the Christ in the earth today because He "The Word" is "in us"! We are human in the body and have the spirit of Christ in us. And Jesus is man in the body and God in Spirit! His name Emanuel tells us He is "God with us". He said at John 10:30: "I and my Father are one." They are not just one in-union; They are "One-God". We need to look at this truth as we look at what God said at Genesis 2:24, about man taking a wife and the two shall be one flesh. Spiritually speaking the man and his wife, though two separate persons, are "one-flesh" (here flesh is the substance)...and that's how it is with the Father and Son. They are two who are one-God (and Spirit is the substance). Looking at Isaiah 42:8 we read Jehovah speaking: "I am the LORD (Jehovah)...and my glory will I not give to another..." But we see Jesus praying at John 17:5: "...now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." "They", being "One", always shared the glory. "They" are The Glory!

As for the accusation the Jehovah Witnesses make saying "Christians are Jesus Worshipers", we respond saying, "By worshiping Jesus, we are worshiping Jehovah!" You can pick up just about any translation of the Bible (except theirs) and read where Jesus was worshiped on many occasions, by many people. At every place the Watchtower translators have used the word "obeisance" in the place of the

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