Witnessing to JW
I am wondering what is the best way (books and articles) to learn about JW and the differences (Holy Spirit and the like) between us and them. I have evenaglized to the unsaved, which is much harder than someone that knows (a semblance) of a bible, but I know they have huge theological errors.
So I would like some books or articles to learn about JWs and their beliefs.
Thanks!
Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin was helpful. It has a chapter on JWs.
and honestly frustrating at times. The key is to realize that you must always define terms, every little term that you use or that they use. You may be using the same words, salvation, grace, heaven, paradise, God, Jesus, etc, but you mean totally different things than they do. So always define. Second, you will get zinged by them. Remember, preparing to answer your questions IS their faith. You are doing a lot of other things. Most Christians are not prepared enough in their Christology to deal with a prepared JW the first time at bat. They will ask things you have never even thought of before! Third, you will most likely just be planting seed rather than ever witnessing a conversion. If you ever do hit close to home, they will seal up and stop listening, and discuss it with their leaders later. You will probably never see that person again…If you meet 2 or 3 times with a JW group and it doesn’t seem like you are progressing to converting to JW, the leaders will likely switch out the group visiting you, just to be safe.
James White has a lot of material on JWs, but it is mostly video/audio. Here is the first in a series of teachings he did at a church:
Cults like the JW’s, Mormons, RCC, etc. will always have a counterfeit Christ. They’ll call Him Jesus and he’ll resemble the real thing, but he’s a counterfeit. Compare your Jesus with your JW friend’s. The counterfeit Jesus of the cults died to make salvation possible IF you’ll add your work to his. My Jesus did it all!
"Some things are of that nature as to make one's fancy chuckle, while his heart doth ache." John Bunyan
The only time I remember shutting down a JW was when I brought up John 12:37-41 and compared it to Isaiah 6 to a lady that, even knowing that I was the pastor of the Baptist church next door, came multiple times to “work” on me. This older long-time JW lady said she had never considered those verses. She said that she would look that up. The next time a JW was sent to me it was someone different, as Mark explained it would be. She has not been back.
JW’s are generally on their guard against anything a non-JW says. I heard an ex-JW say they like to teach, but not be taught. The best way to reach them is not by telling them the truth (teaching), but by acting the part of a student and asking them questions about scripture that force them come up with the answers. For example, show them scripture (like Goodellsboy did), and instead of explaining it to them, ask them to explain it. If they come up with some kind of lame explanation, ask more questions that show them the ‘lameness’ of those explanations. The truth ‘sticks’ better when they arrive at it through their own study.
A good resource for JW’s is a workbook called ‘Questions for Jehovah Witnesses’. It is available at http://reformers.org.au/Questions-for-Jehovah-s-Witnesses.html, and probably other places.
Andrew Bernhardt
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