JW's frequently my doorstep. I want to help these women/men who come to my door by giving them the gospel of the grace of God, and sometimes I am at a loss with the scriptures they bring up to combat their false doctrine. How do we help them to see that Jesus is God who died on the cross for their sins? How do I explain the Father greater than I doctrine?
Following are many verses for you to have with you while you deal with the JWs. Remember, you are saved, they are not! And you know ALL of God's Word rightly divided and they do not! Therefore be confident as you deal with them knowing that the Father is on your side and His Word (which is a Sword) will pierce them okay!? The goal here is to plant doubt in the verses that they believe and are taught, and this study will do that as I have used it for years and it works!
Now normally when I deal with JW's, I don't even deal with them on the issue of our Lord's Jesus Christ's deity...at least not right away. But you may skip down to that section of this study if you want.
Where I usually start is the issue of the 144,000 of Revelation 7. It is well known that the Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only 144,000 would make it into the kingdom...a number that they have eclipsed long ago.
Revelation 7:1-8
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
I would first ask them after having them read the verses, which tribe of Israel that they are from? Then I would ask them how they know for sure!? Then I would tell them that I could not ever be one of them because of the inaccuracy and confusion of their religion, in that their doctrine changed after they hit that number of members long ago and therefore it is not of Jehovah.
(By the way, it is okay for you to use the name Jehovah when referring to both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is their name from scripture and it makes it easier to deal with the JW's).
Anyway, I would then move on to knock down another one of their beliefs...that of the "kingdom now" theology! They believe that the earthly kingdom of Jehovah is here now! If that is so, then ask them where Satan is right now. If they say something like what Peter says...
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Ask them how could the kingdom possibly be here then because the Word says that once the kingdom is here, then Satan would be in the bottomless pit.
Revelation 20:1-3
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
They believe that the kingdom came in 1914, therefore it is too early for Satan to be out, and therefore their doctrine is nonsense!
Next, I would ask them to tell me how to be right with Jehovah if they saw me as they were walking down the street 2 by 2 and I got hit by a car crossing the street and although still alive and conscious, I only had a few minutes to live?
Remember they have a "gospel" based on good works, but have them give you some info that would make a man right with Jehovah who only had 3 minutes to live!
You see, only us grace Believers have a gospel (Paul's) that can save a man in 3 minutes (Christ death on the cross for that sinner and their faith in that alone)! So that is another way to let them know that their doctrine is flawed!
Now next, I would ask them to turn in their own version of the bible, the New World Translation and read John 20:28. As you know they deny the eternal Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ—thinking instead that He is a created god! They change all the references in the book of John chapter one that call Jesus “God” to “god” with a little "g." But they forgot one in their own book. So have them go to their own translation and read John 20:28 out loud to you and then explain why when Thomas call Him God with a big "G," Jesus does not correct him? Ask them also why their own version uses a big "G" in this passage but not in others?! That shows that Jesus is God!
John 20:28
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Lastly, here are more proofs of His Deity...
I first ask them what is the meaning of the name Jesus? (It literally means Jehovah the Saviour!)
John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
But Exodus says that Jehovah is the "I am."
Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Next, you said that they went to a verse in John 14:28...to show that Jesus is "lesser" than the Father. Then ask them about what He meant earlier in John...
John 10:30
I and my Father are one.
Also go over these verses...
Hebrews 1:8
But unto the Son he (Jehovah the Father) saith, Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
This is a quote from Psalm 45:6...
Psalm 45:6
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Ask them to explain to you why Jehovah calls Jesus God with a big "G"?
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: mand his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Ask them who is the prophet referring to? If it is Jesus (which it is), then why would he call a child BORN, and a son given "the mighty God" and the "everlasting Father"?
Titus 1:3-4
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Ask them to read these two verses and to tell you WHO does the verses say is the "Saviour." Is it the Father of Jesus? (It’s both of them!)
Then ask them how can that be when Isaiah 45 say that there is only ONE Saviour, that is Jehovah?
Isaiah 45:21
Tell ye, and bring them near ; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a saviour ; there is none beside me.
So Jesus must be Jehovah!
Isaiah 44:6
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
But unfortunately for them, the book of Revelation says something different!
Revelation 2:8
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Notice here that the SAME thing is said about Jehovah in Isaiah 44, and Jesus (which was dead, and is alive) in Revelation 2!
Zechariah 12:8-10
In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Have them read this passage...it is Jehovah talking about Himself being pierced! But the New Testament says that Jesus was the fulfillment of this passage!
John 19:33-37
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they PIERCED.
How can both Jesus and Jehovah be talking? Unless Jehovah is Jesus and vice versa!
Malachi 3:1
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
This passage is in reference to John the Baptist preparing the way for the "Lord," Jesus!
Micah 5:2
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This says that Messiah would be from "everlasting," which means forever! They believe that in some point in time Jesus was created, so ask them how they reconcile these two things!
Philippians 2:10
That at the name of Jesus [not Jehovah] every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Have them explain why it does not say the name of "Jehovah" every knee should bow and every tongue confess?
Romans 14:10-12
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
After having them read this, ask them how can we stand before the Judgment seat of Christ, yet at the same time it says that the "LORD" and "God" is the one that we will give an account to? In fact, both these passages from Romans and Philippians are a quote from Isaiah..
Isaiah 45:23
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Here it is "Jehovah" that is speaking in Isaiah 45, but Paul applies this passage to Jesus in Romans and Philippians! And, lastly…
Psalm 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word ABOVE all thy name.
Here it says that Jehovah has magnified His Word above all His name! So John 1 says...
John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:14
And the Word [Jesus] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
So according to Psalm 138, the Word (Jesus) is magnified above all the name of Jehovah!
You now have plenty of evidence from God's Word to prove that Jesus is Jehovah. But the real problem is not that there is no evidence, the real problem is their unbelief! So give them the truth in love and pray for them, but know that in the end they may not believe.
Hopefully this
helps!
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