Witnessing To Jehovah's Witnesses

Witnessing To Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witness Theology…

Here are a few of their core beliefs:

1 Jehovah is the one true God. (but they do not know the true God - "No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Matthew 11:27)

2 They deny the Trinity. (Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22)

3 Jesus was an exalted man that God used to create the earth, but Jesus himself is a created being—not God. Here is one key verse that refutes the idea that God/Jesus was created - Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, 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.



According to Isaiah 43:10 there was no God created before Him and there will be none created after Him. The Hebrew word for formed is "yastar " which means to be made, created, formed, fashioned, framed. The question to ask a Jehovah’s Witness from Isaiah 43:10 is Jesus a true God or a false god?

If you want to know what to say when a Jehovah’s Witness comes and knocks at your door this is the one Bible verse that completely crushes the Watchtower theology! Isaiah 43:10 is one verse that dismantles and destroys the foundation of what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about God and Jesus. The Watchtower Organization is false and what the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been taught to believe about Jesus is unbiblical, heretical, and false!

This one Bible verse exposes the false teachings and false doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Organization. According to what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe and teach Jesus is a created God, a god, but Isaiah 43:10 proves that the Watchtower teachings are false and unbiblical. The Bible teaches Jesus is God in John 1:1, John 5:18-23, John 8:24, John 8:58, John 10:30, John 14:9, John 20:28, Romans 10:13, Philippians 2:5-11; Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1, 1 John 5:20, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:17-18, Revelation 22:12-13, and other Scriptures from the Old Testament (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 19:24; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:23; Isaiah 48:16).

4 Jesus has divine attributes, but is only god-like.

5 When Jehovah raised Jesus from the dead, Jesus was a spirit-being, not a physical being.

6 The Holy Spirit is not a person, but a force.

7 Only 144,000 people will go to heaven—in general this includes only JW's alive in 1935. As of August 2015, Jehovah's Witnesses report an average membership of approximately 7.98 million actively involved in preaching, with a peak of 8.2 million.
8 Other faithful JW's will have eternal life on paradise earth. All others disintegrate at death.

9 There is no hell.

10 All "religions" besides JW are of the devil 

Ask: how thankful you are that the Bible has taught you that you have freedom in Christ (John 8:36; 2 Corinthians 3:17), that you so appreciate that you have been saved by God's grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9); that inspite of nobody being good enough to get to heaven (Romans 3:10) God in his mercy has chosen some since before the foundation of the world for salvation (Ephesians 1:4), that anyone who trusts in Jesus will never be put to shame (Romans 10:11), that there is no condemnation for those that are in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1), that you know you will be with Jesus forever (John 14:1-6), that you pray that your new JW friends will find freedom in Christ, etc. 

Early on, ask if you could all agree that you are seeking the truth. Ask them what their source is for the truth. Agree with them that the Bible is the final source of truth. But as the Bible teaches, it is healthy to "test everything" (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). It is good to test each "religion" against Scripture.

Now, here are more specific questions to ask:

Psalm 102 vs. Hebrews 1. Ask them to read a verse from the Psalms about Jehovah from their own Bible. They will probably go to Psalm 102:25-27. (If not, ask them to go to that specific passage.) Confirm what that they understand what they just read, that it is about Jehovah, who is the creator of all things (the heavens and the earth), and that He does not change. Then ask them to go to Hebrews 1:6-12 and read it out loud. Here Jesus is described using the specific passage from Psalms that describes Jehovah! Ask them to confirm that this is about the Son (verses 6 and 10). Then ask them, "Who is this about, that created the heavens and the earth?" For confirmation, their own Bible (the New World Translation) links verse 10 with Psalm 102:25!

John 12 vs. Isaiah 6. After stunning them with the above reference, ask them if you can show them one more. Turn to John 12:39-41 and ask them to read it. Then ask them to read Isaiah 6:10, which is what John quoted. Then ask them: "If you had asked Isaiah, who would he have said he is referring to?" (They will say Jehovah.) Then ask them: "Who do you think John was referring to?" (They will have to admit that it was Jesus.)

John 1:1.

How many Gods are there?

The most famous distortion in the NWT is John 1:1. The NWT inserts the word "a" in front of the second God in this verse. So the NWT reads "In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god." Obviously this is to denigrate Jesus. They will be prepared to defend why they put "a" into the text. There are ways to debate them on this. But a much more powerful approach, one that they will not be prepared for is the following. Sort of scratch your head and ask them, "How many true Gods are there?" Get them to agree that there is only one true God by going to such passages as Isaiah 44:6, 8. (There are several other pertinent passages, including Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; Isaiah 43:11, and John 17:3-5.) Then ask, "Can we agree that something that is not true, is false?" They should agree. Then say, "I understand that you have a strange wording for John 1:1. What does the Watchtower Bible say?" After they read it out loud, ask them, "OK. Is Jesus a true God or a false God?" They absolutely cannot answer this. If they say Jesus is a true God, then there are 2 Gods. But they cannot say he is a false God either, because John says he is (in their Bible) "a" god. (Jesus cannot be a false god like the golden calf or like the "so-called gods" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 8:5.) They might say that Jesus is "lesser god." If so, then ask, "Is Jesus a lesser true God or a lesser false God?" Emphasize this point as many times as you can in the meetings. Even if they do not bring up this passage, be sure that you do.

Revelation 1:8. Alpha and Omega. Take them to Revelation 1:8. Ask them who is speaking in this passage. (The NWT says that Jehovah is speaking.) Then say, "OK. You believe that Jehovah is speaking. We believe that Jesus is speaking. Here is why, and we'd like your opinion." First, emphasize that the speaker is the "Alpha and Omega." Then back up to the preceding verse (1:7), and note that it says "pierced," which obviously means Jesus. Then flip back to the end of Revelation. Ask them to read out loud verses 22:12-13. Point that out the speaker here also claims to be the "Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." Keep your finger in the Bible here and ask them to turn to Isaiah 44:6, and Isaiah 48:12-13—which reinforces Jehovah God as the "first and last." Then go to Revelation 22:16, get them to read it aloud, and proclaim that it is clearly Jesus speaking, since he identifies himself. (The NWT has beginning quotation marks starting with verse 12 and ending after verse 16, which further clarifies that it is Jesus who is claiming to be the Alpha and Omega/First and Last.) Then have them read Revelation 22:20, which again confirms that it is Jesus speaking. Then close the loop by going back to Revelation 1:8, and asking, "Do you see why it is Jesus, the one who claims to be the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, that is speaking? Wouldn't you agree that since this is Jesus who is speaking, there are only 2 alternatives, that Jesus and Jehovah are the same, and/or that the Watchtower has mistranslated Revelation 1:8?" They will be stumped! We recommend putting sequential numbers in your Bible by each of these passages to help you follow them in order. (Put a note in the margin when to flip to Isaiah.) Very easy. All you have to do is remember to go to the first part of Revelation, then to the end of Revelation. (Note: The reason that the Watchtower purposely mistranslated Revelation 1:8 is no doubt because the word "almighty" is used to describe God. They cannot accept Jesus as the Almighty. Also, note that their own KIT shows that the Greek word for God in this passage is Kyrios (Lord), but they arbitrarily substitute Jehovah.)

Insertion of "Jehovah."

They may tell you that the reason for religion is to honor the name of Jehovah. Tell them that you understand that the NWT translation has inserted the word Jehovah hundreds of times in the New Testament, even though it never appears a single time in any New Testament Greek manuscript. (They have deceitfully and arbitrarily substituted the word Jehovah for the Greek words theos (God) and kurios (Lord) in the New Testament. If they bring up the Septuagint as using the term Jehovah, remind them that that is irrelevant, because it is a Greek translation of the Old Testament.) Ask them why Jehovah is inserted. They may respond that the Watchtower re-inserted Jehovah because Satan removed it from early manuscripts. Next, get them to show you even one place in their own KIT where the word Jehovah is in the Greek. (It is not there.) Then you may want to draw a diagram on a piece of paper or chalkboard as follows. Draw some circles at the top of the page. Say that these represent the original New Testament manuscripts. Then draw some multiple lines coming under some of these, and then some multiple lines under these down the page. This represents how the manuscripts were copied and re-copied over time.

Explain that the original manuscripts were written by different people at different times and places who did not have email and could not collude. Since they were considered valuable, they were quickly copied and recopied. There are extant some 24,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts, including 5,000 in Greek. Then ask, "How did Satan get to all these?" Then, "What best fits the evidence, that Satan changed thousands of manuscripts, or that the Watchtower deceptively changed the NWT translation?"

John 8:58. I am. The NWT has deceivingly altered this important text, but you can still use it to show that Jesus claimed deity, and at the same time show them that the Watchtower has tried to deceive. This famous passage in most translations reads, "Before Abraham was born, I am." This is a direct reference to the "I am" of the Old Testament. (Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 44:6, 48:12). (Note: The NWT mistranslates Exodus 3:14, reading, "I shall prove to be." But you can still use Exodus 3:14, as the JW's will probably be aware of the controversy.) In John 8:58, Jesus is clearly claiming both eternal existence and indeed to be Jehovah of the Old Testament. The NWT, in an obvious cover-up, translates it, "Before Abraham came into existence, I have been." You can indict the Watchtower by referring to their own KIT and simply saying to the JW's, "I happen to be familiar with this passage. If you look in your KIT, you will see that the Greek phrase is 'EGO EIMI,' which is the present tense of 'to be.' In fact, please look at how your own KIT translates this phrase in other passages, for example, John 13:19 and John 8:24. Why did the Watchtower translate this phrase differently in John 8:58, unless they were trying to cover-up the truth?"

John 10:30-33. The NWT could not cover up all truth in the New Testament. This passage is another of Jesus' many claims to be God. He, says, "I and the Father are one." The JW's will say something like, "Jesus was just saying that he and Jehovah were of "unity of purpose." Your response can be, "The Jews believed that they had unity of purpose with God. Since they already had that, why did they pick up stones to kill Jesus? Wasn't death the penalty for blasphemy, which is what they knew Jesus just committed by claiming to be God?"

John 20:28. Here Thomas calls Jesus, "My Lord and my God." (Same in the NWT). Ask the JW's, "Who did Thomas come to believe that Jesus was?" Expect the JW's to come up with a lame rebuttal, and then say, "It would have been blasphemy for Jesus to accept the title of God, if he was not God. Wouldn't Jesus have rebuked Thomas immediately for his words if they were not true!?"

Bible Test. "You think you have the truth. We think we have the truth. How about us taking the Bible test? Please read me what your Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 ("examine yourselves"), and Galatians 1:6-9 ("perverting the good news"). What do you think about what these passages say?"

Obedience. "You say you are 'witnesses.' Would you read Acts 1:8 out loud? (you will be my witnesses) Who is speaking here? [Jesus] Given this passage, do you think you are being obedient?"

The Trinity

The JW's have an incomplete understanding of the Trinity. (They refer to orthodox Christians as "Trinitarians.") While there is much to say from Scripture about this, we suggest simply explaining what Trinitarians believe: We do not believe in 3 Gods in one person. Rather, we believe in 3 persons in one God. You might explain to them that there are many examples of trinities in nature. For example, (see “The Trinity”) Water comes in 3 forms—solid, liquid, and gas. But water is still the same chemical substance regardless of the form. Water, which is also vital for our Life on earth. Water molecules (H2O) are made of two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen atom. Physically one Hydrogen atom is bonded to one side of an Oxygen atom and another is bonded to the other side. They look something like this: H-O-H,. This can remind us of the Trinity, where the Oxygen can represent the Holy Spirit between the Father and the Son who are each represented by the two Hydrogen atoms.

Visible Light or White Light which we see can be made of these three colours: Red, Green and Blue. Scientists call them the "Primary colours of Light".

Atoms, Creation is made of atoms, and all atoms are made of three basic particles, Protons, Neutrons and Electrons. They are told that these three particles are the building blocks of all physical substances. Protons have a positive charge, electrons are negative and neutrons are neutral.

The Sun, made up of three parts – light, heat and mass.

A human being – is tri-partite, spirit, souls and body.

You can also point to Matthew 28:19 and ask, "Can you see that because 'name' is singular, that plurality within unity is indicated?" (name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)

They may say that the word Trinity is not in the Bible. Respond by saying that neither are the words millennium, theocracy, or rapture (which are common terms in their theology).

They may say that the Trinity was a concept that was not formulated until the Fourth Century. You might respond with, "Is that what the Watchtower organization teaches?! Of course, that is not true! Many early church fathers discussed the Trinity, such as Clement of Rome in 100 AD, Ignatius in 107 AD, and Melito of Sardis in 180 AD! Why would the Watchtower promote that when they know it is not true?

Humanity/Divinity of Jesus

The JW's will use various passages to show that Jesus is just a man, and is a lower/separate being from the Father. For example, they will point to passages such as when Jesus prayed to the Father, or when Jesus said "The Father is greater than I," etc. Indeed, this is a valid observation. But, they simply do not understand the nature of Jesus. They do not understand that Jesus, according to the Bible, was both true man and true God. When they bring up these passages, say something like, "I can see how you would feel the way you do looking only at those passages. But let's look at Philippians 2:7-8. The Bible makes it clear how Jesus could be both true God and true man by voluntarily humbling himself to be a man. Have you ever thought about that? (Or, has the Watchtower ever discussed this with you?)" Then pause, and let this sink in. What they also need to understand is that Jesus was became a servant to the Father as the “son of man” while remaining fully God, as the “Son of God” in his deity.

For example – a restaurant boss is not a greater human than a waitress, simply because the waitress serves under the boss’s authority and takes orders from them.

A husband is not a greater human being than his wife, simply because the man is the head of his wife. God has created all mankind equal, both male and female.

They may refer to the passage that says that Jesus is a "mediator" between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). When they do, they will say that Jesus could not be God if he is a mediator. Respond by saying, "By that same reasoning, he could not be man either, could he? (If they are consistent in their interpretation of that passage, they must admit that they are saying that mediator is equa-distant between both God and man.)" Then explain that Jesus can only be both 100% God and 100% man. Only God could do the things he did and claim the things he claimed. But Jesus had to be man as well, in order for his painful death to be meaningful as payment for our sins.

"Who raised Jesus from the dead?" (as if that proved Jesus could not be God). Agree that God (the Father) raised Jesus from the dead.

Now read John 2:19 (I will raise it in 3 days) and John 10:17-18 (I have authority to take it up again) from the NWT out loud, and ask, "Don't you agree that it is clear that Jesus raised himself?" Thus Jesus = God. (This should cause them considerable trouble.)

Other Doubt-Creating Questions

"Did God not have any witnesses between the time of the New Testament and the late 1800's when the Watchtower organization was formed?" or "How did people understand the Bible for 1800 years prior to the Watchtower?" (JW was started in the late 1800's by a man named Charles Taves Russell.)

"Do you believe in Jesus' resurrection? Do you believe 1 Corinthians 15:17, that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is in vain? Does it seem that Jesus is the central point of the New Testament?"

"What would you do if you ever discovered that the Watchtower taught something different from the Bible?"

"I understand that The Watchtower magazine differs from the NWT on Romans 10:13, which says, 'everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.' But The Watchtower magazine, May 1, 1978, p.12, says this refers to Jesus! I do not have the magazine, but could you look that up for me by the next meeting to see if that's true?"

"Isn't it true that The Watchtower magazine has given changing, contradictory statements about whether to worship Jesus? Would you check these old issues for me: I understand that certain passages say that you should worship Jesus (March 1880, p. 83 and 8/15/1941, p. 252). But other passages say we should not worship Jesus (1/1/1954, p.31 and 11/1/1964, p. 671)."

"Why don't you, instead of focusing on what the Watchtower says about the Bible, take a week or a month to let Jehovah speak to you directly from the Bible?"

The Archangel Michael Is Not The Lord Jesus Christ.

Ask them to show you where in the Bible this idea comes from. (They cannot.)

Since the Watchtower Society speaks of "Jesus Christ, whom we understand from the Scriptures to be Michael the archangel" (The Watchtower, February 15, 1979, p. 31), put the JW on the spot and ask him to show you “the Scriptures” that say Jesus is Michael. There are none.

The Watchtower Society New World Translation (NWT) mentions Michael five times as: 1) “one of the foremost princes” (Dan. 10:13); 2) "the prince of [Daniel's] people" (Dan. 10:21); 3) "the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel's] people" (Dan. 12:1); 4) “the archangel” who "had a difference with the devil and was disputing about Moses body" but "did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms" (Jude 9); and 5) a participant in heavenly conflict when “Michael and his angels battled with the dragon” (Rev. 12:7).

Ask the Jehovah's Witness which one of these verses says that Michael is Jesus Christ. Help him to see that it is necessary to read Scripture plus a complicated Watchtower argument to reach that conclusion. Rather than being merely “one of the foremost princes,” Jesus Christ is “Lord of lords and King of kings” (Rev. 17:14, NWT) and is "far above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name named, not only in this system of things, but also in that to come" (Ephesians 1:21, NWT). And, unlike "Michael who did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9), Jesus Christ displayed His authority over the devil when He freely commanded him, "Go away, Satan!" (Matthew 4:10, NWT).

In arguing that Jesus is Michael the archangel, the Watchtower Society also points to another verse that does not use the name Michael but says that "the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangels voice and with God's trumpet…" (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NWT). However, the expression “with an archangels voice” simply means that the archangel, like God's trumpet, will herald the coming of the Lord, not that the Lord is an archangel. Point out to the JW that none of the verses he has attempted to use as proof-texts even comes close to stating that Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel. In fact, Scripture clearly teaches the opposite: namely, that the Son of God is superior to the angels.

The entire first chapter of Hebrews is devoted to this theme. Have the Witness read Hebrews chapter one aloud with you, and, as you do so, interrupt to point out the sharp contrast between angels and the Son of God.

"For to what angel did God ever say, Thou are my Son…? And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, Let all Gods angels worship him" (vv. 5,6,).

Remind the JW that angels consistently refuse worship ("Be careful! Do not do that! …Worship God," Revelation 22:8,9, NWT), but the Fathers command concerning the Son is, “Let all Gods angels worship him” (Hebrews 1:6).

That is how the Watchtowers own New World Translation read for some 20 years until, in 1970, the Society changed it to read “do obeisance to him” instead of “worship him”--part of their consistent campaign to eliminate from their Bible all references to the deity of Christ.

The Gospel

JW's have no concept of grace and have probably never heard a good news testimony. Be sure to work yours in. You might even ask them to agree to share testimonies. You may also want to read them the "good news" (the NWT uses this phrase instead of "gospel") in 1 Corinthians 15:1-7. This passage most clearly in the Bible tells us what the gospel is. Then ask, isn't this wonderful that we are saved by Christ's death and resurrection?

Jehovah and Jesus Are Worthy of the Same Status

Jehovah		Jesus
Isaiah 12:2, 43:11 Titus 1:3, 2:10 Luke 1:47	the savior/only savior	Titus 1:4, 2:13 Luke 2:11 John 4:42 Acts 4:12
Isaiah 43:10	we are to be his witnesses *	Acts 1:8
John 14:1(a)	have faith in	John 14:1(b)
Isaiah 45:22-23	knees bend/ tongues swear to	Philippians 2:9-11
Revelation 4:11	worthy to receive honor and glory	Revelation 5:12
Acts 16:34	believe in to be saved **	Acts 16:31
Joel 2:32	whoever calls on his name is saved	Acts 2:21
Joshua 24:24	serve him	Colossians 3:24
Nehemiah 9:6 Revelation 7:11	is worshipped by angels	Hebrews 1:4-6
Matthew 4:10 John 4:24 Revelation 5:13-14, 11:16	others worship him (gave obeisance to him)	Matthew 14:33, 28:9 John 9:38 Revelation 5:14
"Thus saith the Lord." (used dozens of times)	speaks with divine authority	"Truly, I say to you..." (used dozens of times)

Have Same Names and Titles

Jehovah		Jesus
Exodus 20:2-3 Deuteronomy 32:39 Isaiah 41:10, 43:10, 44:6, 44:8, 45:5, 44:22 1 Corinthians 8:4-52	God	Matthew 1:23 John 1:1, 20:28 Hebrews 1:8-12 1 Timothy 1:17
Romans 10:12-13	Lord	Luke 2:11
Deuteronomy 10:17 Jeremiah 32:18	Mighty God ***	Isaiah 9:6
Genesis 17:1 Exodus 6:3	Almighty God	Revelation 1:8
Isaiah 44:6, 48:12	First and Last	Revelation 1:17, 2:8, 22:13
Exodus 3:14 Deuteronomy 32:39 Isaiah 44:6, 48:12	I Am	John 8:58, (Same Greek phrase as John 8:24, 13:19, 18:5 per KIT)
Deuteronomy 10:17 Psalm 136:2-3 Daniel 2:47 1 Timothy 6:15	King of King, Lord of Lords	Revelation 17:14, 19:16
Hosea 11:9	Holy One	Acts 3:14
Psalm 116:5	Righteous One	Acts 3:14 1 John 2:1
Psalm 23:1	Shepherd	John 10:11
Psalm 18:31	Rock	1 Corinthians 10:4

Perform the Same Acts

Jehovah		Jesus
Acts 2:32	who resurrected Jesus	John 2:19 10:17-18
Genesis 1:1 Isaiah 44:24, 45:12 Nehemiah 9:6 Revelation 4:11	created heaven & earth/all things	John 1:3 Colossians 1:16
Psalm 65:3 Isaiah 43:25 Jeremiah 31:34	forgives sins	Luke 5:20-21 Mark 2:7-9
2 Chronicles 7:14, et. al.	hears prayer	John 14:14 (KIT "ask me")
Jeremiah 17:10	examines the heart & rewards conduct	Revelation 2:23
Genesis 18:25 Psalm 96:13	judges all	John 5:22 2 Timothy 4:1
Proverbs 3:12	reproves those he loves	Revelation 3:19
Psalm 107:29 Psalm 89:9	calms wind & waves	Luke 8:24 Mark 4:39-41
John 5:21(a)	raises the dead	John 5:21(b)
Romans 6:23	offers eternal life	John 5:39-40, 10:28
Isaiah 41:10	is with us	Matthew 28:20

Have the Same Attributes

Jehovah		Jesus
Psalm 90:2 Proverbs 8:23	eternal "from time indefinite"	Isaiah 9:6 Micah 5:2 John 1:2
Psalm 139:7-12 Proverbs 15:3	omnipresent	Matthew 18:20, 28:20
Isaiah 45:5-13	omnipotent	Matthew 28:18
1 Kings 8:39 Jeremiah 17:9,10,16 1 John 3:20	omniscient	Matthew 11:27 Luke 5:4-6 John 2:25, 16:30, 21:17
Malachi 3:6	does not change	Hebrews 13:8
Jeremiah 42:5	true and faithful witness	Revelation 3:14
Psalm 27:1	light	John 8:12
Psalm 71:5	our hope	1 Timothy 1:1
Psalm 46:1	our strength	Philippians 4:13
Jeremiah 17:13	source of living water	John 4:14 Revelation 21:6
Revelation 15:4	righteous	Acts 3:14

Holy Spirit Is God

JW's believe that the Holy Spirit is a force, not a person. But there are many examples of his personhood in Scripture. Ask: "To qualify as an intelligent person, does one need to think, act, communicate, and have a will? We believe the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit has all these attributes of a person. Could we get your opinion on these passages?"

Acts 5:3-4 Holy Spirit can be lied to. When you lie to the Holy Spirit, you lie to God.

Acts 13:2 Holy Spirit speaks and uses a personal pronoun of himself. He can be obeyed.

1 Corinthians 2:10 Holy Spirit has a mind/searches.

Ephesians 4:30 Holy Spirit has emotions/may be grieved.

John 16:7 Holy Spirit has a will.

John 14:26 Holy Spirit teaches.

John 15:26 Holy Spirit testifies.

Acts 8:29 Holy Spirit issues commands.

Romans 8:26 Holy Spirit intercedes/prays.

Ask the JW's, "Given these clear examples that the Holy Spirit is more than just a force, but is in fact a person of the godhead, can you see that the Watchtower's teaching about the Holy Spirit is incomplete?"

Only 144,000 Going To Heaven?

Prophecy JW's believe that only144,000 go to heaven, while other Jehovah's Witnesses spend eternity on earth. This latter group is referred to as the "great crowd." Ask them to read Revelation 19:1 and then ask: "From where are those in the great crowd calling?" And here is a tact with prophecy: "If a someone utters prophecy that does not come to pass, is he a false prophet?" First look up together Deuteronomy 18:22, which defines how to know a false prophet. Then say, "Based on the Watchtower magazine article I suggested you look up last time, the JW's clearly claim to be prophets (Watchtower April 1, 1972, p. 197). It is documented clearly that the Watchtower organization has made a number of false prophecies. For example, they predicted the second coming for 1884 (book The Harp of God, pgs. 236, 239-240). Then they set the 'beginning of the end' for 1899 (The Harp of God 1928 edition, pgs. 235-239) Then later they predicted Armageddon for 1914 (from the book The Time is At Hand, 1911 edition, p. 101). Then Armageddon was changed to 1918 (book The Finished Mystery, 1917 edition, p. 485). Then Armageddon was changed to 1925 (The Watch Tower magazine, July, 15, 1924, p. 211). Then they predicted the return of Abraham and other prophets of old in 1925 (book Millions Now Living Will Die, 1920, p. 89-90). Next they said that 1914 was really the 'starting date for the last generation before Armegeddon,' (The Watchtower, November 1, 1950, p. 419.) Then, 6000 years of human history come to an end in 1975 (Awake! magazine, October 8, 1966, p. 8). Then they said that 'anyone born by 1914 will see Armageddon' (The Watchtower, May 14, 1984, p. 5). Then they said that 'anyone who sees the events signaling the End, regardless of any relationship to 1914, will see

Armageddon' (The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, pgs. 17-20). May I give you a list of these prophecies for you to check out on your own?" Then, "Given that the Watchtower organization has changed many dates and doctrines through the years, what happened to those JW's who believed the Watchtower's earlier predictions? Are they going to heaven?"

144,000 "Will women be among the 144,000?"

(They will say yes.) Then, "What does Revelation 14:4 mean? Doesn't this passage clearly indicate than only men who are celibate bachelors or faithful husbands are among the 144,000?" Here are some other questions: "Where does Scripture indicate that entrance into the so-called 'little-flock' of anointed believers would be closed in the year 1935?" "If becoming 'born from God' in 1 John 5:1 is open to 'whoever believes'—and if the requirement for entering the kingdom of heaven is being 'born of God' or 'born again' as in John 3:5—then isn't the kingdom of heaven open to 'whoever believes' and not just 144,000 people?" Also, "What justification is there for switching methods of interpretation —from literal to figurative—right in the middle of Revelation 7:4?"

Believers in heaven now?

"What does 2 Kings 2:1-11 say in the Watchtower Bible?" (Elijah ascending into heaven) "What did Jesus mean in Luke 23:43 when he told the thief on the cross that 'today he would be with him in paradise'?" "How do you reconcile the Watchtower teaching that Old Testament saints look forward to an earthly destiny, with the scriptural evidence that says Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc., are with God in heaven (Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:28)?"

Creator "Genesis 1:1 and Isaiah 44:24 say that Yahweh is creator of all things...all alone. How do we reconcile John 1:3 that states Christ is the creator of all things?"

Translations

"What do you say to the fact that 4 of the 5 translators of the NWT had no Hebrew or Greek language training whatever, and the fifth Frederick Franz admitted in a court of law in 1954 that he could not read Hebrew?" (They may say that no one knows who translated the NWT. You might ask whether they use the Internet, and tell them that there is lots of information about their organization that they might not know about on the Internet!)

Jehovah’s Witnesses say they are the only true Christians, but they are neither Protestant nor Catholic. The fundamental doctrinal issue that distinguishes them from orthodox Christianity is the Trinity. They say the doctrine of the Trinity is a pagan teaching, but they misrepresent it, saying that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit must be three gods. They actually agree with the Trinity doctrine when it says that the Father and the Son are two Persons, but they imagine they need to prove this to Trinitarians. They fail to grasp how the three Persons comprise the One Being of God, and so they come up with the idea of a Big God and a little god—two gods. They say Jesus was created (Arianism), that He was Michael the archangel, and that Jesus’ body was not resurrected; it simply disappeared and He rose as a spirit creature. They say the Holy Spirit is not a person but is Jehovah’s active force or energy.

Because they say that Jesus is a demi-god, their understanding of salvation and atonement is wrong. They say Jesus, who was a perfect Man, died only to atone for the sin of Adam and that, when we die, our death pays the penalty of our own sin. Only some 10,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses today can possibly claim to be born again and have a heavenly hope. The rest say they don’t want to go to heaven to be with the Lord but they want to live forever on a paradise earth (Restorationism). They believe if they remain faithful and obedient till the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus, they will earn the right to be declared righteous, and that’s why they have to keep on striving, with no assurance of salvation. Only today’s “remnant” of the 144,000 can say they are in the New Covenant and that Christ Jesus is their mediator. All must be obedient to the leaders (the Watchtower Society and its Governing Body) if they wish to survive Armageddon. To disagree with what the Governing Body says is to disagree with Jehovah because He uses them as His sole channel of communication to dispense “the truth.” Only they saw “with spiritual eyes of discernment” that Christ Jesus started to rule from heaven in 1914, an invisible “second presence.” Also, they say Christ Jesus will never return to earth but will remain in heaven, there to rule with the 144,000 over the earth.

With all these unbiblical beliefs, where does one begin to witness to a Jehovah’s Witness? There is only one place to begin—with the person of Christ Jesus, whose deity is the foundation of Christianity. Jehovah’s Witnesses are unable to grasp the significance of Jesus’ death and why they must be born again in order to have their sins forgiven. Before they can put all their trust in the finished work of Christ Jesus, they have to understand they are not saved, which means they are presently lost in their sin. No Witness has the assurance of salvation, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who belong to the Father through Christ (Romans 8:16). The full deity of Jesus Christ can only be revealed to them by the Holy Spirit, whom they relegate to commodity status, like electricity. To the Witnesses, the Holy Spirit is a “thing,” not a Person.

Witnessing to the Witnesses must be done in Christian love and with compassion. Remember, they have been deceived and believe a false gospel, yet many have a genuine love for God and are utterly sincere in their beliefs. Do not be afraid of them (1 John 4:17–19), but let them know how much you care about their eternal salvation. Share your Christian testimony with them. Talk to them, discuss spiritual matters with them, but do not allow them to conduct what they describe as a Bible study, which is actually a study of their literature. Be aware they will not read any non-Watchtower literature or attend a church service. They say they will only accept what the Bible says, but their New World Translation has been drastically altered to reflect their theology, and every reference in the New Testament to the deity of Christ Jesus has been removed. It always comes as a surprise to them to meet people who love the Lord, display the fruit of the Spirit, and use the Bible as the basis for their faith (Hebrews 4:12). Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Direct all your conversation to the person of Christ and the need to put total faith in what He has done. Do not allow them to lead you down the path they wish you to take, namely, considering how you can survive Armageddon to live on a paradise earth. This is not the gospel. Above all else, pray for them.