In recent days, I have been receiving repetitive visits to my home from the local Jehovah’s Witnesses in our community. I have purposely decided to continue a conversation with these people regarding the deity of Christ as opposed to slamming the door in their face (as I shouted cult). I view it as an easy opportunity to do evangelism, especially since they are coming to my door to talk about Jehovah. Just this past week, as I was taking a break from my yard work on Saturday, I had just sat down to eat lunch when the doorbell rang. As I approached the door, I immediately recognized this person as a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I took time to speak with the young man about the deity of Christ and soon he was joined by a couple of others. After a few additional minutes of dialogue, they agreed to return to my home tonight for an open Bible study on the deity of Christ. As they left my door on Saturday, I remembered that it’s very close to the celebration of Resurrection Sunday and the cults are known to make attacks upon Jesus around Easter and Christmas.
I’ve been thinking about my approach to this group of people over coffee this evening. You may know that the Jehovah’s Witnesses prepare for hours before approaching your door, but sadly, we spend very little time preparing for their visits. Before calling the local Kingdom Hall and inviting them over for a Bible study, take time to prepare. I have developed a quick five step approach that will allow you to share the gospel with any member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who come knocking on your door. Remember, they have strange views of eternity, they deny hell, and many other biblical doctrines. But, keep your focus on Christ when you seek to evangelize a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
1 – The Bible Says Jesus Is God
Although John 1:1 is considered to be the most popular claim of Jesus’ deity in the New Testament, perhaps no claim is greater than John 8:58 where Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” He was clearly connecting Himself to the “I AM” of Exodus 3:13-15. Below is a listing of verses that likewise point to the deity of Jesus.
- John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 20:28 – Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!
- Titus 2:13 – waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
- 2 Peter 1:1 – Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ
- Romans 9:5 – To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
- Colossians 1:16 – For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
- Philippians 2:5-6 – Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped
- John 8:58-59 – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” [59] So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
- John 18:6 – When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
- Isaiah 9:6 – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
2 – The Bible Teaches Monotheism
From the very beginning, God has revealed Himself as one God. Likewise, He has drawn a line in the sand forbidding His children from worshipping any other god (Exodus 20). The revelation of God as one, (rather than multiple gods), is referred to as monotheism. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a denial of monotheism, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim, but a revelation of the three divine persons of the one true God (Father, Son, and Spirit). As you will notice if you read the text of the New World Translation, they translate passages devoted to the Holy Spirit as “spirit” rather than “Spirit” because they teach that the Spirit of God is a force rather than a divine person. Orthodox Christianity believes that God exists as one God in three divine persons and this is known as monotheism. God the Father is no more God than the Son. The Son is no more God than the Spirit. The Spirit is no more God than the Father or the Son. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal and they all three make up the one true God of Scripture.
3 – The Watchtower Teaches Polytheism
As evidenced from the name of their organization, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are passionate about Jehovah (God). They operate a massive printing organization founded by Charles Taze Russell known as The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. They consider themselves to be monotheists in their theological positions. However, an honest examination of John 1:1 translated in the New World Translation denies monotheism. According to the New World Translation John 1:1 reads, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus is a created being, namely Michael the archangel. They claim that Jesus was created as a “lesser god” but He is not the divine God Almighty – Jehovah. For Jesus to be “a god” as opposed to the God as the original Greek actually reveals, the Watchtower organization, by their interpretation of John 1:1 (a god), is forced to embrace a polytheistic view of God. At this point, the very people who consider themselves to be champions for monotheism, must acknowledge polytheism as they deny the deity of Christ.
4 – Jesus Is Not Michael
The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Jesus is a created “spirit being” of Jehovah. They claim that upon earth, Jesus came as Michael the archangel to do the work of God. However, that can easily be proven false by looking at a couple of verses of Scripture.
Jude 9 – But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Notice that Michael did not rebuke the devil. He said, “The Lord rebuke you.” How does this square with the rest of the New Testament regarding the interaction of Jesus with demonic beings, including Satan?
In Mark 3, the demons fell down before Jesus in submission to His sovereignty.
Mark 3:11 – And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”
In Luke 8, the demons were fearful of their coming judgment by Jesus.
Luke 8:28 – When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
In Matthew 4, Jesus rebuked Satan himself during His temptation. He quoted Scripture and then finally rebuked him.
Matthew 4:10-11 – Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” [11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
The power and authority of Jesus in the revelation of the New Testament does not harmonize with the lack of authority attributed to Michael in Jude 9.
5 – The Bible Says Jesus Is Jehovah
The New World Translation’s perversion of John 1:1 is one of the clearest proof texts revealing the heresy of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, if that verse is your only tactic in reaching out to the members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, you will likely not be very successful in your attempt to convince them of their heresy. Why? Because they are often brain washed on their perversion of John 1:1 and ready to give their answers when asked. What they are often not prepared to give an answer for is that Jesus is Jehovah and the Bible reveals this in several different passages, even from their own perverted translation.
According to the Watchtower organization, “Jesus is Jehovah’s most precious Son—and for good reason. He is called ‘the firstborn of all creation,’ for he was God’s first creation.” However, when sharing the gospel with a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, it’s extremely important to read and interpret the Bible within the context of the paragraph of the verse as opposed to picking and choosing random verses from various locations. Below are two specific examples where the New Testament quotes the Old Testament and makes the claim that Jesus is Jehovah.
Psalm 102:25-27 – Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. [26] They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, [27] but you are the same, and your years have no end.
Psalm 102 is clearly speaking about Jehovah and the context of Psalm 102 verse 1 reveals it by referencing – “the LORD” which is a direct reference to Yahweh, or as the Jehovah’s Witnesses prefer to call him—Jehovah.
Hebrews 1:6-14 – And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” [7] Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” [8] But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. [9] You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” [10] And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; [11] they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, [12] like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” [13] And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? [14] Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Hebrews 1 clearly reveals that Jesus is superior to angels and that He is God. Notice that Psalm 102, a passage devoted to Jehovah, is quoted as a revelation of Jesus in Hebrews 1.
John 12:36-43 – While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. [37] Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, [38] so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” [39] Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, [40] “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” [41] Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. [42] Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
John quotes from Isaiah 6:1-10 as a direct means of identifying Jesus as Jehovah.
As the Lord affords you opportunities to evangelize members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, you must do so with love and clarity. However, we must not allow people to deny the deity of Christ and remain neutral. In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis makes this profound statement, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg-or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”
For more on the Jehovah’s Witnesses:
- James White’s Debate With Greg Stafford
- Vintage James White – Explaining Errors of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Got Questions
