To my surprise I was revisited this morning by the same two Jehovah's witnesses that came to my house last year with New World translation bible's in hand. A man who looked to be in his 60's and a lady I presumed to be his wife in her 50's. I posted the blog of the first encounter on here last month I believe.
I asked how they were doing and they said good. We had a little small talk and I asked why they were here. Surprisingly, he started going through the exact same routine that he did with me last time using the same analogies. Our last conversation lasted about 2 hours. He asked me why I believe there are so many churches and what I would tell my son if he asked me which one is the right one. I believe this was divine intervention because I started memorizing scripture last week and one verse I had been working on is Galatians 1:9 - If anyone is preaching to you another gospel contrary to the one you have received then let him be accursed. So I told the man that this is what I would tell my son and that is one reason there is division, because there are groups out there who preach false gospels in order to have their ears "tickled" (wanting to hear only what they want to hear). He looked a little awkward after I said this.
I proceeded to let him know that I am currently not involved with a church unfortunately, so he could label me a fundamentalist or slap any title on me and it wouldn't necessarily mean anything because I am a born-again Christian. Don't get me wrong, they are both VERY nice people and sincere in their efforts. Most of their questions though were philosophical. He asked me when God created hell and other questions that we simply do not have the answers to. I told him that many organizations have been established because they have attempted to build their theologies around trying to answer these unanswerable questions while distorting biblical truths.
I pointed him to the law and the gospel many times, but he tried to get off the subject. His favorite misquotations came from Genesis and Revelation. He perverted a verse in Ecclesiastes greatly by saying that we do not have consciousness after death so therefore there is no hell. He only brought his New World translation so I could not compare it to anything, but memory, which I am lacking at times! Afterward, I could not find that translation of that verse in any other translation. So if you know what exactly he was talking about then please point me towards it!
His wife told me that she was raised Baptist so I shared my testimony and explained false conversions with her since I was raised Baptist as well. Ironically, we agreed on many things, but they missed the most important thing and that is the deity of Christ. Their terminology is VERY similar, but their meaning behind it is VERY wrong.
I shared with them how the message of the bible is about REDEMPTION and RECONCILIATION to God through Jesus Christ. I finally asked them to tell me what they believe the gospel to be. The said that the gospel is the knowledge of God written down...my verse came back to mind. Anyone who is preaching to you another gospel contrary to the one you have received, let them be accursed. - Galatians 1:9. I explained that the gospel is that we are sinners deserving of hell because we sinned against Him breaking His holy law, and that is WHY Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless perfect life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead 3 days later forever defeating death for those who repent and trust in Him.
It literally broke my heart talking to them because they could not grasp that there is a literal hell. They told me that they believe all babies, children, people of the old testament will be given a 2nd chance, living a second mortal life, in the millennial reign of Christ which is down right heresy. There will be a resurrection, but not a second chance. That is a lie of the devil unfortunately. The question of what happens to children is something we simply do not know. To be dogmatic about it one way or another is foolish because God does not tell us. Their presentation is convincing to the naked eye and I will warn you because they try to put words in your mouth and twist scripture to make it fit where it answers those questions, but it simply does not my friends.
The doctrine of Jehovah's witness are dangerous. They are incredibly committed to a lost cause. I love them, but I hate what they are doing. Their questions are based on emotional responses rather than truth. Please pray for this organization and these two individuals. I invited them to come back and talk more as they had to leave when I tried to use their logic on them. I said, "you are being more philosophical in your beliefs than biblical and that is a dangerous thing. I could turn it right around and ask you why did God create us all and send Christ if He is just going to give people a second chance anyways, or why do we have the 10 commandments, Revelation 21:8, so many scriptures on hell, and judgment. This is when they had to leave...
Don't be afraid to talk to Jehovah's witnesses, but be prepared. The best thing you can do is share the law and the gospel with them in a loving way and try not to let them get you to go down any rabbit trails. I wouldn't recommend letting them show you anything from the NWT bible, because it is not a biblical interpretation at all. It is put together by an ANONYMOUS committee who changes words to fit their doctrinal beliefs. Again, they were incredibly nice. The man said that he respects my knowledge of the word and my scriptural basis and that we are "alike". I told him though that the biggest difference, the most important one that we have, is in Jesus Christ and hell. Jesus Christ is not Michael the archangel, He is GOD.
Unfortunately, I did not get to ask this question. "What if you're wrong?" Anyone can reason hell out the bible, but it will not change God's justice. I wish hell didn't exist and I can't even imagine a place so horrible, but it does. I love talking to Mormon's and Jehovah's witnesses, but it is saddening at the same time. Please pray for these people as they are preaching a false gospel.
John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
They never once used the name of Christ in their presentation or explanation of the gospel.
Thank you for reading and please, please, please pray my friends. God bless!
In Christ,
Joey
2 comments:
So if you know what exactly he was talking about then please point me towards it!
I think it may have been this verse.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5-6) 5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. 6 Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.
Yes! Thank you so much. I did wind up finding it. I had to study Ecclesiastes again so it was a good opportunity!
Their approach to this verse is obviously taken out of context and changed. The "conscious" part of it is what threw me off when I searched for it.
The KJV reads:
5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
This site has a really good article on what the JW's teach on that verse as well. http://www.soundwitness.org/jw/ecclesiastes_9.htm
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