Witnessing to Witnesses

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question:Dear Mr. Hunt and Mr. McMahon, for the last month I’ve been talking to two Jehovah’s Witnesses in order to witness to them.However, I think I’ve gotten in a bit over my head.Do you have any suggestions that might help me to be more effective in dealing with them?Also, a friend told me that the scriptures say I am not to invite them in my house. Is that true?

Tom:

Dave, you’ve had a lot of experiences with Jehovah’s Witnesses coming to your door.I’ve had a bit myself.What do you recommend?

Dave:

Well Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t come to our door anymore.You recognize them instantly.My approach—my wife’s is a different one; she thinks that I’m a little rough on them.But I mean, I am just straight forward.I say “You’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, well so am I.Only I am a true witness for Jehovah and you are false witnesses for Jehovah.”You have to get their attention and control of the conversation. And they get a little bit shocked and I say, “Well look, let me have your New World translation and we go right to it.I John 5 and it says—well you want to call God Jehovah, well let’s put that in there then.“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of Jehovah (I think that’s verse 10[actually it is verse 9]) is greater.”Well, “this is the witness of Jehovah and that he has witness concerning his Son.He who has the Son of Jehovah has life.He who has not the Son of Jehovah has not life.”And then John:5:13And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
See All... says, “These things have I written unto you who believe in the name of the Son of Jehovah, that you may know that you have eternal life.” So I say this is the witness of Jehovah that we receive eternal life as a free gift by receiving Christ.The life is in the Son of Jehovah and if you have him you receive him, you have eternal life.”And then I say, “Do you have this eternal life?You are Jehovah’s Witnesses, have you received the witness of Jehovah?And do you have this eternal life by having received his Son?”JW: “Well now, you can’t really know that.”I say, “Yes I know, you teach that you have to pass a final test after Armageddon even.But this is what it says—that you may know (present knowledge), that you have (present possession), eternal life.Do you have eternal life?I would sure like you to have it.”And if they are really a sharp Jehovah’s Witness, they will say, “Well you understand that was written for the 144,000.I haven’t yet met one of the 144,000.

Tom:

They are all out of spaces aren’t they?

Dave:

Yes, I don’t know, I’ve never met one.Maybe.But anyway I say now wait a minute, where do you get that idea?Well, it would have to be for the 144,000, they are the ones that have this guarantee.Now wait a minute, let’s go back and read it again.It says, “These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of Jehovah that you may know.”So it tells you to whom it was written and it is written to those who believe in the name of Jehovah.So I say, indeed it isn’t written to you because you do not believe in the name of the Son of Jehovah.What is his name?Isaiah:9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
See All..., “Wonderful, counselor, the mighty God…” and they will try and say well that is mighty God, not almighty God. Wait a minute, how many Gods are there?This is a mighty God, but you’ve got an almighty God who’s over him?There is only one God, even you believe that.But I can give you 37 verses in the Old Testament where Jehovah is called the mighty God.But wait a minute, let’s go on.“…The mighty God, the everlasting Father.Wow!So the babe born in Bethlehem is not only the Son of God, he is the Father as well and when Jesus said I and my Father are one, he was right in line with the Old Testament prophecies and you can only explain that by the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Three persons, one God and this is absolutely essential.But without getting into that, I want you to have this eternal life.Now if you will believe who Jesus really is, remember in John 8, we just went by it—

Tom:

More slowly.

Dave:

Yes, but Jesus said, “Except you believe that I am and the “he” is in italics.That’s the name of Yahweh, Jehovah who introduced himself to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3.Jesus is saying I AM Yahweh, I AM God, and if you do not believe that you are lost in your sins and where I go, (that’s heaven) you will never come.And I am sorry if you don’t believe—and you don’t believe that Jesus is God, yet you say he is the Savior?Well you are trusting someone less than God to save you.But all through the Old Testament Jehovah says he’s the only Savior.

Tom:

Dave you know in these days of sort of ecumenical song and dance, whether it be Mormons that come to your door; whether they are Jehovah’s Witnesses, there is an approach that wants to mix lots of things together.Because they don’t know where you are coming from when they come to your door.And I would like to talk about Jesus and find out—they say well I love Jesus and they will tell me immediately they love Jesus as well and we can spend maybe two to three minutes just sharing how we all love Jesus.But then I ask the question, “I thought that it’s only the 144,000 who will ever see Jesus or who spend time with Jesus in eternity.And they agree to that and then I ask, “Well are you one of the 144,000?”I say then it is a sad thing that you don’t and cannot and will not spend eternity with him.”

Dave:

It is important to know Jesus.Jesus said in John:17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
See All..., “This is life eternal.That they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”And he will say, “Depart from me I never knew you.”I’ve often used the illustration Tom, let’s say that you ask for a picture of my wife and I pull out of my wallet a picture of Marilyn Monroe.You say, “Is that your wife?That’s just a dead actress.” “Well I mean it’s a woman. What does that matter; you know it’s a female?”No Jesus is a real person.You don’t just throw his name around and oh, I love Jesus.Yes, but who is he? Do you know him?Does he know you?That’s the issue that we have to decide and you just can’t compromise on who he is because then you don’t really know the real Jesus.