Ok... this is a fictitious demonstration illustrating how we can help a Witness who comes to our door. (Hey, the Witnesses come up with fictitious demonstrations during the Service Meeting all the time.) I just want to illustrate that with a little preparation, we can have a successful discussion with a Witness if they should knock on our door one Saturday morning. This works my friends. I've done it informally already.
JW: Good morning, my name is John and I’m working with a group of Christians this morning sharing a thought from the Bible. What is your name?
Me: My name is [your name]. Are you a Jehovah’s Witness?
JW: Yes! We sure are.
Me: Great! You know, I admire your commitment to this work. I know some Witnesses, and for the most part, they’re nice people. They’re very sincere in their beliefs.
JW: Thank you.
Me: Are you here presenting the latest issues of your magazines?
JW: Yeah, we are. [Shows the magazines]
Me: Great! Can I have them?
JW: Absolutely! [Hands them to me]
Me: Listen, I know you probably are busy this morning trying to cover a lot of ground, but do you have time for a couple of questions I have?
JW: [Smiling] Yeah! We have time.
Me: Good! It’s just a few questions, and I’ve been hoping for a long time some Witnesses would drop by so I could ask them. I don’t think they’re difficult questions, but I want to know what you all believe.
JW: Great! We’re happy to answer your questions. I’ll do my best to give you a Bible-based answer, and, if I don’t know the answer, I’ll look it up and come back later so we can talk about it.
Me: Super! First, do you all believe in Jesus Christ?
JW: Absolutely! We believe he is the Son of God.
Me: That’s good. Do you believe he’s the Christ?
JW: We sure do! The Bible is very clear on that subject.
Me: Yes it is. I’m glad to hear you believe that. Do you know what the word “Christ” means?
JW: [Thinks for a second.] I believe it means “chosen one” or “promised one”.
Me: Well, it actually means “Anointed One”. Both the words ‘Christ’ and ‘Messiah’ mean “Anointed One”.
JW: That’s right.
Me: So Jesus was the Christ because he was anointed by God –chosen to lead His people. Right?
JW: Yes that’s right.
Me: Good! So far we’re in agreement. In fact, did you know that others who were anointed by God carried the same title? For instance, when Aaron was anointed as high priest, he was referred to as “the anointed one”. The Bible actually uses the Hebrew and Greek words for ‘christ’ to describe him. Kings and prophets who were also anointed carried the same title.
JW: [Looking a little perplexed.] Ok, I might need to do some research on that.
Me: Sure. But you agree that the word ‘Christ’ is really a title used for anyone that God anoints, or chooses, to lead his people. Right?
JW: Yes, that’s true.
Me: Good. Now, there’s an account in the Bible –I believe it’s at Matthew 18:4 that we have to humble ourselves like a young child, and if we receive such a person on the basis of Jesus' name, then Jesus will receive us too.
JW: [A little more confident.] Yeah, that’s right!
Me: So, do you believe that if we’re to be an acceptable Christian, we need to act on the basis of Jesus’ name?
JW: Yes, we believe that.
Me: Acting on the basis of Jesus’ name doesn’t mean we are claiming to be Jesus, but that we recognize his authority over our actions, right?
JW: That’s correct.
Me: So, John, do you come to my door this morning on the basis of Jesus’ name?
JW: Yes, we do.
Me: All Jehovah’s Witnesses do too?
JW: Yes, we all are engaged in a worldwide preaching work just like Jesus told us to do. We believe we couldn’t do this without Jesus’ help.
Me: You know Jesus gave a sign about his return in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Are you familiar with that sign?
JW: Yes, in fact the preaching work we’re engaged in is at Matthew 24:14.
Me: And that sign is also in Mark 13 and Luke 21.
JW: That’s right!
Me: Do you believe the due time for that sign to be fulfilled has approached?
JW: Yes, we do. Part of our preaching work is helping people appreciate that we’re living in the Last Days.
Me: Ok! So, just to make sure I understand everything we’ve covered, you come to people’s door on the basis of Jesus’ name and you believe that the due time has approached for his sign to be fulfilled, right?
JW: That’s right.
Me: Well, that was easy!
JW: [Looking relieved and smiling.] Great!
Me: Can I ask you another question?
JW: [Confident] Sure!
Me: Do you believe your religion is the true religion?
JW: [Pauses] Yes, we believe we teach the truth of the Bible.
Me: Do you believe God specifically chose your religion out of all the other religions on earth to be his chosen people who will survive the end of this wicked world?
JW: [Pauses] Well, we don’t believe you’re ‘once saved, always saved’.
Me: No, that’s not what I’m asking. Do you believe God chose Jehovah’s Witnesses –the Watch Tower organization to be His people -the true religion?
JW: [Nervous] Yes, we do.
Me: And I need to follow you if I want to survive God’s judgment at Armageddon?
JW: Well we’re not the judges, we’re just the witnesses.
Me: So if I don’t follow your religion, will I survive Armageddon?
JW: That’s up to God.
Me: Then why do you follow this religion?
JW: Because I believe it’s the truth.
Me: If you follow that truth, do you hope you’ll survive Armageddon?
JW: Yes.
Me: And if you leave that religion, will you survive?
JW: If I leave the truth of God’s Word, I probably won’t make it.
Me: Then I need to follow the truth that you’ve come to my door with, right… if I want to make it?
JW: Yes.
Me: I mean, that's why you're here, right? [Smiling]
JW: [Smiling] Right.
Me: Ok. That wasn’t so hard, was it? God chose your religion out of all other religions to be the truth, and you want me to study, be baptized, and follow your religion so I can survive the end of this world. Right?
JW: Yes, that right.
Me: And the governing body of your religion was chosen by God to disseminate that truth, right?
JW: [Nods and shrugs.] Yes.
Me: Ok. One last question. You have your Bible there, turn to Luke 21 please. This is the sign Jesus gave about his return.
JW: Ok. [Starts to flip through the pages]
Me: Now you do believe that this chapter applies to our day and time, right?
JW: Yes, sure do.
Me: Tell me, John, what would you do if Jesus Christ told you that you shouldn’t follow Jehovah’s Witnesses?
JW: He wouldn’t do that.
Me: But let’s just say for the sake of argument that he did. He told you that your religion is not correct and you shouldn’t follow it, what would you do? I mean, you’ve come to my door on the basis of his name telling me that I shouldn’t follow my religion –that I should follow yours, right? Put yourself in my shoes, what would YOU do if Jesus told you to leave YOUR religion?
JW: Well, if Jesus told me, then I guess I’d leave it.
Me: You would? You’d leave knowing you’d be kicked out and shunned by your family and friends? You’d lose all the association that you have. Just like the apostles, you’d follow Christ knowing you’d be kicked out of the temple and shunned by everyone who was loyal to the Pharisees?
JW: It would be hard, but yes I would.
Me: But it would be worth it, wouldn't it?
JW: [Smiling] Yes it would.
Me: And Jesus said it wouldn’t be easy, right?
JW: Right.
Me: Ok, take a look at verse 8 in chapter 21 of Luke.
JW: Ok.
Me: Do you mind reading it?
JW: Ok. “He said, ‘Look out that you are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The due time has approached.’ Do not go after them.”
Me: So Jesus says that people will come on the basis of his name just like you, saying that they are 'He', the ones chosen by God –anointed just like Christ –to lead His people in this time because the due time for Jesus’ prophecy has approached.
JW: [Still studying the verse]
Me: John, everything you told me about your beliefs is summed up in that one verse.
JW: But it says they would come saying they are Jesus. We don’t do that.
Me: Well, hold your place there and turn to the parallel account at Matthew 24:5. [Turns to scripture] Note that it says that people will come on the basis of his name saying, “I am the Christ.”
JW: That’s right…
Me: And you agreed that the word ‘Christ’ is a title given to those who are anointed by God –chosen to lead His people, didn’t you?
JW: Well, yes.
Me: Has your religion been chosen by God in this time of the end?
JW: Yes…
Me: Is your Governing Body anointed by God?
JW: Yes…
Me: Are they claiming that they’ll one day be anointed kings just like Christ is?
JW: Yes…
Me: In fact, they will rule alongside Christ, right?
JW: Right.
Me: And I need to follow them in order to survive this system, right?
JW: Yes.
Me: So, they are in essence claiming to be “He” -the ones anointed by God just like Christ was -chosen to lead His people in these Last Days because the appointed time is due. Right?
JW: [Stands silently]
Me: John, Jesus is telling you that anyone who comes matching this sign are those we shouldn’t follow. He’s telling you, John, that you are being misled. I’m not telling you this –Jesus is.
JW: I’m going to have to study on this a little more.
Me: Absolutely. I hope you do. You need to look back on the history of your organization from its start to see how it keeps changing what ‘truth’ is over the last hundred and thirty years. Listen, I know you are a good man doing a powerful work, but Jesus said there would be ones prophesying in his name, and expelling demons in his name, and performing powerful works in his name, just like Jehovah’s Witnesses are doing, but he would tell them to get away from him. Right?
JW: Yeah.
Me: He wouldn’t claim them, right?
JW: I better go.
Me: Ok. John, it's been good meeting you. Study on this verse -it's very important.
JW: Ok, I will.
Me: And thanks for the magazines. Will you be coming back for a return visit?
JW: [Pauses and stares at me.] Yeah. When would be a good time?
Me: How about this time next week?
JW: Sure. Ok.