Speaking to Jehovah's Witnesses

I remember one day, as a teenager, picking up a copy of The Watchtower - a magazine distributed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. What I saw made me uncomfortable. An article asking the question, ‘What happens when we die?” gave a very different answer to the one I had been taught. Rather than explaining about heaven and hell, it taught a double salvation: 144,000 people would go to heaven while a ‘great multitude’ would inherit the earth, and the idea of hell as eternal punishment was a lie. Furthermore, the article claimed that faith in Jesus was not enough to save anyone – to be saved, people must be baptised into the Watchtower Organisation and obey its teachings. What concerned me most was the many Bible references in the article apparently backing up its claims. As I read them, I found myself without an answer.

Many religious groups claim to be Christian and to base their beliefs on the Bible but are, in fact, teaching a false gospel. Two of the best known are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as ‘Mormons’) and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Both groups are active in evangelism and know their arguments for their beliefs well. Perhaps that is why many Christians shy away from speaking to them when they come to the door. Dr. Walter Martin, founder of the Christian Research Institute and expert on cults once said that Jehovah’s Witnesses can make a “doctrinal pretzel” out of the average Christian in about 30 seconds! ^[i] 

In this article, I want to focus on how Christians can begin to engage positively with Jehovah’s Witnesses whenever the opportunity arises. Two general principles shape my suggestions:

1.    Knowing the truth is more important than knowing the lie

Although it is good to have a grasp of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ beliefs and to have thought through a biblical response to their arguments, it is more important to fully understand what the Bible actually teaches and why. The analogy is sometimes used of a bank manager who can spot a forged note on sight, not because he has expertise in forgeries but because he has intimate knowledge of what a genuine note looks like. In the same way, we should seek to understand the true gospel so well that, when the counterfeit comes, we can see and explain where it falls short.

2.    We want to expose the lie in order to bring the truth

In any evangelistic encounter, there is no point in showing where a person’s belief is wrong if we have nothing to offer in its place. The goal is not to score points or to win an argument, but rather to bring the person to the true Christ who alone is able to save them and give them life. We must keep Jesus at the heart of our conversation. Even simply taking the time to share how God has saved you can be used by God to reach a Jehovah’s Witness. This means every Christian has something to share! 

With these two principles in mind, I will consider three questions:

1. What is our source of authority?

2. Who is God?

3. How are we saved? 

A group might sound ‘Christian’, but, if they have departed from what the Bible teaches, they will typically have a different answer to at least some of these three questions. 

1.    What is our source of authority?

Jehovah’s Witnesses, are a ‘restorationist’ movement. They believe the Bible’s teachings were corrupted after the death of the apostles and the true Gospel was lost for nearly 2000 years. In 1881, a man called Charles Taze Russell, convinced that every church was teaching false doctrine, founded Zion’s Watchtower Tract Society in Pennsylvania, to produce and distribute tracts and religious literature. It was renamed The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1896 and relocated to its current base in New York state in 1909. The Society also publishes the Jehovah’s Witnesses own translation of the Bible – the New World Translation – which mistranslates some verses to fit their beliefs.

The following decades saw an evolution in how the Society viewed itself. In the early decades of the Society’s history, Russell was said to be the, “faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time.”^[ii] Jehovah’s Witnesses in this period believed Russell was God’s servant tasked with proclaiming God’s truth to a world in which truth was lost. This shifted in the years after Russell died in 1916. In 1927, the Watchtower Society said the role of the faithful servant does not apply to a single individual but to the group that comprises the governing body of the Watchtower Society.^[iii] They are ones it believes can interpret and teach the Bible correctly.

To understand their view of authority, we must realise that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that reading the Bible on its own is dangerous and will lead one into error. People must read the Bible alongside Watchtower “helps” that interpret and explain the passages to them. ^[iv] Jehovah’s Witnesses will claim the Bible as their authority, but in reality their authority is the Watchtower Society, which has placed itself over the Bible. Enabling Jehovah’s Witnesses to see this is vital because every subsequent belief is built upon trust in the authority of the Watchtower Society. If the Watchtower Society is not the “faithful and discreet slave,” every other doctrine is open to question.

What, then, does the Bible really teach about this issue? There are at least three important points to keep in mind.

First, there is no biblical basis for the Watchtower Society’s claim that the true Gospel was lost. The Bible does talk about apostasy of some people – 1 Timothy 4:1 and Hebrews 3:12 refer to some people abandoning the faith – but it never teaches a full or universal falling away. To the contrary, in Matthew 28:20, Jesus said he would be with his followers “always to the end of the age.” This statement would be false if, within decades, there would be no more followers for nearly 2000 years. Other passages also point to the ongoing building of God’s church. Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against his building of the Church.^[v] The apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians anticipates a growing church which would be brought to full maturity.^[vi]

Second, the claim that ordinary people cannot understand the Bible suggests that God was incapable of revealing himself clearly. This is contrary to what the Bible teaches about its own authority and effectiveness. In 1 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul describes the scriptures as, “able to make you wise for salvation”, without any mention of the need for a special interpreter. In these verses, Paul makes clear the importance of the scripture: “that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Notice how comprehensive this statement is. The scriptures do not partially equip – they give us everything that we need. And they equip us, not for some things but for every good work. Nothing is needed in addition to the scriptures, including any external filter for interpreting the Bible. This is not to deny the value of teachers who can help us understand the Bible, but it is to say that such teaching is not required in order to give access to the truth.  God’s word is itself fully sufficient.

2. Who is God?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are unitarian, meaning that they deny the doctrine of the Trinity. They say the idea that God exists as three persons in one is a pagan notion with no biblical basis.^[vii] In support, they cite 1 Corinthians 14:33, which says that, “God is not the author of confusion”. This is a misapplication of this verse, which was written in relation to spiritual gifts and orderly worship. If it applied to the nature of God, it would mean that we should be able to understand fully who God is, but Jehovah’s Witnesses presumably do not mean to claim that. Such complete understanding is beyond our finite minds.

The Watchtower teaches that the Father alone is God and that he should be called by the name Jehovah. They teach that Jesus pre-existed his birth as the archangel Michael, who became incarnate using the name Jesus. Upon his ascension, Jesus became the archangel Michael once again. One of the ‘proof-texts’ cited in support of this claim is 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.” The voice is here taken as Jesus’ own. The Holy Spirit, meanwhile, is believed to be an impersonal force, like electricity, giving power to the people of God.

In support of these claims, Jehovah’s Witnesses often begin by pointing out that the word ‘trinity’ is found nowhere in the Bible. This is true, but it does not mean that the concept is not there. The deity of Christ is evident in his doing things that only God can do: forgiving sins (Luke 5:20-21), receiving worship (Matthew 14:33), and claiming for himself the divine name (John 8:58). It is also seen in the way the New Testament writers apply Old Testament verses about God to Jesus. For example, Psalm 102:25-27 is about Jehovah, and Hebrews 1:8-12 says these words were written about the Son. The Holy Spirit is constantly referred to in personal terms throughout scripture. He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), enjoys fellowship with believers (2 Corinthians 13:14) and guides and teaches us (John 16:13). His deity is made clear, for example, through his active role in creation or Peter’s words to Ananias and Saphira in which equates lying to the Spirit with lying to God (Acts 5:3-4).

Perhaps the most basic question any theistic religion can ask is, “Who is God?” To stray from biblical teaching is to deny the God who has revealed himself to us in scripture. It also undermines the heart of the gospel, which says that God and man are represented in the person of Jesus Christ so that Jesus’ death could make atonement for our sins. In responding to Jehovah’s Witnesses, we should be clear on our own understanding of who God is – that the Bible shows that he exists as three persons in one.

3. How are we Saved?

Sadly, Jehovah’s Witnesses not only have a false understanding who God is, they have also failed to understand how one should come to him. They teach that Adam and Eve were created neither sinful nor righteous but morally neutral. The death of Jesus, they claim, restores us to that same state of moral neutrality. From this point, one is able to earn one’s righteousness through faithful obedience to the Watchtower Society. Such obedience includes being baptised as a Jehovah’s Witness, being active in evangelism, and seeking to live a holy life. In this way, they can use the language of salvation by faith in Christ while smuggling in works on top. This is one of the markers of all so-called Christian groups that have deviated from orthodoxy. It is important to be clear on what the Bible actually teaches on salvation.

First, the Bible teaches that salvation is through grace alone, which is received by faith alone. The church in Galatia was being pressured to adhere to only one rule in addition to faith in Christ – that is the need for circumcision. The apostle Paul was uncompromising in his rebuke. He writes,  “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” ^[viii] To add our good works to Jesus’ accomplishment upon the cross is to refuse God’s grace. This is not because our works have no place - the Bible is very clear that “faith without works is dead.” ^[ix] But the nature of such works comes as a result of salvation, not a means of salvation.^[x] 

Secondly, the reason why Christ’s work on the cross is enough to secure our full salvation is because through faith in Jesus one is made, not morally neutral but fully righteous. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul writes, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” ^[xi] The key words here are “in him”. It is in Jesus, and not in our good works, that we are made righteous before God.

Thirdly, we have here something to offer the Jehovah’s Witness – the possibility of assurance. Any works-based system lacks assurance because there is no final guarantee that a person will ever be good enough. We want to show the Jehovah’s Witness that the gospel really is good news!

This article has touched upon some ways we might interact with a Jehovah’s Witness if they knock on our doors. A conversation may take many different directions, and it may be helpful to bear in mind a few points to keep things on track.

1.    Do not be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses produce well thought-through arguments. If we do not know the answer to one of their arguments, this is a good opportunity to do some research and arrange another meeting!

2.    Avoid rabbit holes. Some beliefs are central and others peripheral. Do not get bogged down with some of their less central beliefs – whether Jesus died on a cross or a pole, or whether we can celebrate birthdays. It is important to keep the central things central.

3.    Try to use their own material. If you can get a copy of the New World Translation Bible, it is good to make your case from that source. We can often demonstrate from their own scriptures where their gospel goes wrong, or we can address translational issues where they occur.

4.    Be aware that Jehovah’s Witnesses can be very sensitive about how one talks about the Watchtower Society. We must make sure we speak respectfully.

5.    Make sure to ask questions and encourage them to give answers. A helpful approach would be something like this: “Can you tell me who Psalm 102 is about? How does the writer to the Hebrews answer that question? What does this tell us about who Jesus is?” Asking questions encourages them to engage with the text and to really see what the Bible is saying.

6.    The most important point is to pray. No argument or demonstration of the truth will be effective if God does not work to open a person’s blind eyes. Make sure that each encounter is covered with prayer.

I hope these few thoughts are helpful and encourage us to think about how we can engage well the next time we meet a Jehovah’s Witness. It might just be that we are the ones to start them on a journey which leads them to the truth - or to bring them through to the other side, to encounter Jesus for themselves.

ENDNOTES

^[i] Rhodes, R (1993) Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah’s Witnesses Oregon: Harvest House Publishers (p. 11)

^[ii] Matthew 24:45 (New World Translation). Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses will deny this but this is an example of Watchtower revisionism. Early Watchtower literature is very clear. In 1920, for example, the Watchtower magazine wrote, “No one in present truth for a moment doubts that brother Russell filled the office of the ‘Faithful and Wise Servant.’”

^[iii] Watchtower Magazine, February 15, 1927

^[iv] The Watchtower Society will appeal to passages such as Acts 8:31 in which the Ethiopian eunuch confesses his inability to understand the passage he was reading unless there was someone to explain it to him. On the need for Watchtower literature, the Watchtower publication, Studies from the Scriptures, writes, “if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness.” Rhodes, 1993, p. 36. A helpful point to raise in relation to Acts 8 is that, in verse 39, we are told that the Ethiopian did not see Philip again. It would appear that he had no ongoing need for an interpreter of the Bible.

^[v] Matthew 16:18

^[vi] See Ephesians 4:14-16. It is difficult to reconcile the teaching found here with the belief that, within a few short years, the true church would disappear altogether for nearly two millennia.

^[vii] See, for example, Should You Believe in the Trinity, p. 11 - 12

^[viii] Galatians 2:21

^[ix] James 2:17, 26

^[x] See, for example, Ephesians 2:8-10

^[xi] 2 Corinthians 5:21