Saturday, May 16, 2020

What Jesus Says About Hell?

What Jesus Says About Hell?

Jesus said hell is a place of...

"fire" Matt 7:19, 13:40, 25:41
"everlasting fire" Matt 18:8, 25:41
"eternal damnation" Mark 3:29
"hell fire" Matt 5:22, 18:9, Mark 9:47
"damnation" Matt 23:14, Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47
"damnation of hell" Matt 23:33
"resurrection of damnation" John 5:29
"furnace of fire" Matt 13:42, 50
"the fire that never shall be quenched"   Mark 9:43, 45
"the fire is not quenched" Mark 9:44, 46, 48
"Where their worm dieth not" Mark 9:44, 46, 48
"wailing and gnashing of teeth" Matt 13:42, 50
"weeping and gnashing of teeth"   Matt 8:12, 22:13, 25:30
"torments" Luke 16:23
"tormented in this flame" Luke 16:24
"place of torment" Luke 16:28
"outer darkness" Matt 8:12, 22:13
"everlasting punishment

In Luke 16, Jesus Christ gives a frightening picture of hell:
22 . . . the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
(Luke 16:22-28)

HELL IS A PLACE OF FIRE

The man in Luke 16:24 cries: ". . .I am tormented in this FLAME."

In Matthew 13:42, Jesus says: "And shall cast them into a FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting FIRE,. . ."

Revelation 20:15 says, " And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the LAKE OF FIRE."

THE BIBLE GIVES THE LOCATION OF HELL

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He descended into hell. In Acts 2, Peter is speaking, verse 31, " . . . seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in HELL"

When Jesus Christ died His soul went into hell.

And in Matthew 12:40, Jesus Christ says:
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the HEART OF THE EARTH. "
The Bible is clear — Hell is inside the earth!

Ephesians 4:9, says of Jesus: "Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the LOWER PARTS OF THE EARTH."

In Numbers 16, the Bible gives the account of people falling into hell alive!
"And THE EARTH OPENED HER MOUTH, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive INTO THE PIT, and the EARTH CLOSED UPON THEM:" Numbers 16:32-33

In Mark 9:46, Jesus Christ says about hell: "Where THEIR WORM dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Jesus said explicitly — THEIR worm — not a worm, or the worm — but THEIR worm. The Bible teaches that Christians will one day have a body like the Lord Jesus Christ. Could it be, as some Bible students teach — that men and women in hell take on the form of their father, Satan (John 8:44)? In Revelation 12:3, Satan is described as a red dragon. Could Jesus Christ be referring to the body lost men and women will have for eternity?

And Jesus Christ said, "Where THEIR WORM dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Have you read Isaiah 66 where the Lord Jesus Christ is quoting Mark 9:46?
Look at the context and time period of Isaiah 66:22-24:
Isaiah 66:22-24:
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
The "new heavens and new earth" of Isaiah 66:22 matches Revelation 21:1. This occurs AFTER the Great White Throne Judgement of Revelation 20:10-15! The references to "carcases"; "their worm"; "their fire" (vs 24) — is AFTER the Great White Throne Judgement of the LOST people! The reference to ". . the men that have transgressed. . ." are the LOST people AFTER the Great White Throne Judgement.
And at this point — they have received their NEW BODY! Notice what Isaiah says, the saved people shall "LOOK upon the CARCASES of the men that have transgressed. . ." It's worth mentioning that a "carcase" is not always a "DEAD body". For instance, two times the Bible specifically uses the term "dead carcase" (Deut. 14:8 and Ezek 6:5). If a carcase is ALWAYS a "dead" body, then why say "dead" carcase? And there's NOTHING in the context of Isaiah to imply these "men that transgressed" are "dead".

In fact, Isaiah clearly says, "their worm shall NOT DIE". Even in our language, we refer to a living body as a "carcase". For example, "Get your carcase [body] in here". Why is that important? Because when the saved people in Isaiah 66:24 are "looking upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed" — And do you know what they are SEEING? "Their worm"! The "carcase" they are seeing is "their WORM that shall not die". The end of Isaiah 66:24 is a frightening endorsement of this interpretation. What the saved people are viewing Isaiah says is , ". . . an abhorring unto all flesh". And my friend, that is not JUST a normal flesh body they are looking at! It is something that will send chills screaming through your soul at the horror. And it will happen!

Revelation 14:10 says, " . . . and he shall be tormented with fire and BRIMSTONE . . ." And Job 18 describes the " . . . PLACE of him that knoweth not God" (vs 21), in verse 15 as, " . . . BRIMSTONE shall be scattered upon his habitation." Do you know what brimstone is? It's sulfur. And do you know where sulfur or brimstone is found? INSIDE THIS EARTH! According to the book Volcanoes by Pierre Kohler (p. 43), when Mt. St Helens erupted in 1980 — 150,000 tons of sulfurous gas was ejected! Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written over 3,000 years ago, and yet Job knew what science wouldn't know for years — inside this earth is BRIMSTONE!

HELL IS FOREVER!

All who enter hell — abandon all hope!

The horror of hell — for even one second is unbearable — but FOREVER!

Jesus says in Matthew 25:41: ". . . Depart from me, ye cursed, into EVERLASTING fire, . . ."

Rev. 14:11: "The smoke of their TORMENT ascendeth up for EVER AND EVER: and they have NO REST DAY NOR NIGHT."
Just look how the Bible warns of the eternity and permance of hell!
everlasting fire ’ Matthew18:8, 25:41
everlasting punishment ’ Matthew 25:46
everlasting chains ’ Jude 1:6
eternal damnation ’ Mark 3:29
eternal judgment ’ Hebrews 6:2
eternal fire ’ Jude 1:7
unquenchable fire ’ Matthew 3:12
the fire that never shall be quenched ’ Mark 9:43, 44, 45, 46, 48
fire unquenchable ’ Luke 3:17
mist of darkness is reserved for ever ’ 2 Peter 2:17
the blackness of darkness for ever ’ Jude 1:13
Jesus Christ took hell very serious. . .

Jesus Christ says in Mark 9:43-47,
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Jesus Christ took hell so serious — He could say without the slightest hesitation — to remove your eye, cut off your hand or foot, if that would keep you out of hell!
Another factor is that the statement, “Jesus talked more about hell than about heaven,” probably refers to the total number of verses devoted to the subject, and not just the number of references to the words “hell” or “heaven.”
HELL. ‘Hell’ in the NT renders the Gk. word transliterated as ‘Gehenna’ (Mt. 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mk. 9:43, 45, 47; Lk. 12:5; Jas. 3:6). The name is derived from the Heb. the Valley of (the son[s] of Hinnom, a valley near Jerusalem (Jos. 15:8; 18:16), where children were sacrificed by fire in connection with pagan rites (2 Ki. 23:10; 2 Ch. 28:3; 33:6; Je. 7:31; 32:35). Its original derivation is obscure, but Hinnom is almost certainly the name of a person. In later Jewish writings Gehenna came to mean the place of punishment for sinners (Assumption of Moses 10:10; 2 Esdras 7:36). It was depicted as a place of unquenchable fire-the general idea of fire to express the divine judgment is found in the OT (Dt. 32:22; Dn. 7:10). The rabbinic literature contains various opinions as to who would suffer eternal punishment. The ideas were widespread that the sufferings of some would be terminated by annihilation, or that the fires of Gehenna were in some cases purgatorial (Rosh Hashanah 16b-17a; 58b; Mishnah Eduyoth 2. 10). But those who held these doctrines also taught the reality of eternal punishment for certain classes of sinners. Both this literature and the Apocryphal books affirm belief in an eternal retribution (cf. Judith 16:17; Psalms of Solomon 3:13). The teaching of the NT endorses this past belief. The fire of hell is unquenchable (Mk. 9:43), eternal (Mt. 18:8), its punishment is the converse of eternal life (Mt. 25:46). There is no suggestion that those who enter hell ever emerge from it. However, the NT leaves the door open for the belief that while hell as a manifestation of God’s implacable wrath against sin is unending, the existence of those who suffer in it may not be. It is difficult to reconcile the ultimate fulfillment of the whole universe in Christ (Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:20) with the continued existence of those who reject him. Some scholars have contended that an eternal punishment is one which is eternal in its effects; in any case eternal does not necessarily mean never-ending, but implies ‘long duration extending to the writer’s mental horizon’ (J. A. Beet). On the other hand Rev. 20:10 does indicate conscious, never-ending torment for the devil and his agents, albeit in a highly symbolic passage, and some would affirm that a similar end awaits human beings who ultimately refuse to repent. In any case, nothing should be allowed to detract from the seriousness of our Lord’s warnings about the terrible reality of God’s judgment in the world to come. In Jas. 3:6 Gehenna, like the bottomless pit in Rev. 9:1ff.; 11:7, appears to be the source of evil on the earth. NT imagery concerning eternal punishment is not uniform. As well as fire it is described as darkness (Mt. 25:30; 2 Pet. 2:17), death (Rev. 2:11), destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord (2 Thes. 1:9; Mt. 7:21-23), and a debt to pay (Mt. 5:25-26). In 2 Pet. 2:4 only, we find the Verb translated in RSV ‘cast into hell’, and rendered by the Pesh. ‘cast down to the lower regions’. is the classical word for the place of eternal punishment but is here applied to the intermediate sphere of punishment for fallen angels. 

Who Will Be Sent To The Lake Of Fire?

Eternal life is knowing a person, Jesus Christ.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3).

Unbelievers will not have that privilege of eternal life. Though they do not possess eternal life, they will exist eternally. Their final destination is hell, or the "lake  of fire." The Bible specifically tells us who it is that will populate the lake of fire.
                                 
1.  Hypocrites
 
The place of final judgment is where God will place hypocrites. Jesus said.
And will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites (Matthew 24:51).

A hypocrite is an actor, someone wearing a false face. Many religious people without a genuine relationship to Christ will end up in hell because they are merely pretending to be a Christian.
                            
2.  Judas Iscariot
   
Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, has been consigned to the place of final judgment. Peter said of him.
To take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place (Acts 1:25).            
                          
3.  The Antichrist

The final antichrist, or false Christ, that comes upon the scene of history will have his end in hell.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume  with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

4.  The False Prophet
  
The false prophet, the cohort of the antichrist, will also be sent to the lake of fire.

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelation 19:20).
                                  
5.  Satan
 
The lake of fire has been prepared for the devil and his evil angels. The Scripture says that this will be his final destination.
And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10).
                          
6.  The Fallen Angels
 
The angels who rebelled against God will be sent to the "lake of fire."
Then He [God] will say to those on His left,  'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matthew 25:41).

7.  All Unrepentant Sinners
  
The lake of fire will be the final destination of all unrepentant sinners. This includes everyone, before and after Christ, who have not responded to God's Word. Those who have not trusted Christ as Savior will find their way to the lake of fire. John wrote.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

Jesus said.

I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come . . . Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He (John 8:21,24).
Summary

The Bible specifies who will be living in hell, or the lake of fire. This is their final judgment from which there is no escape. They include.

1.  Hypocrites

2.  Judas Iscariot

3.  The Antichrist

4.  The False Prophet

5.  Satan

6.  The Fallen Angels

7.  All Unrepentant Sinners

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.)


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
the savior/only savior
we are to be his witnesses *
have faith in
knees bend/ tongues swear to
worthy to receive honor and glory
believe in to be saved **
whoever calls on his name is saved
serve him
is worshipped by angels
others worship him
(gave obeisance to him)
"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
God
Lord
Mighty God ***
Almighty God
First and Last
I Am
John 8:58, (Same Greek phrase as John 8:24, 13:19, 18:5 per KIT)
King of King, Lord of Lords
Holy One
Righteous One
Shepherd
Rock
Perform the Same Acts
Jehovah

Jesus
who resurrected Jesus
John 2:19
10:17-18
created heaven & earth/all things
forgives sins
hears prayer
John 14:14 (KIT "ask me")
examines the heart & rewards conduct
judges all
reproves those he loves
calms wind & waves
raises the dead
offers eternal life
is with us
Have the Same Attributes
Jehovah

Jesus
eternal "from time indefinite"
omnipresent
omnipotent
omniscient
does not change
true and faithful witness
light
our hope
our strength
source of living water
righteous


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.