Author Topic: A Visit by Jehovah's Witnesses  (Read 3769 times)

Peter

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A Visit by Jehovah's Witnesses
« on: May 12, 2011, 06:43:01 AM »
A couple of nice JW gentlemen showed up at my doorstep yesterday, and unfortunately I wasn't prepared to greet them. The purpose of this thread is to prepare folks here for just such an encounter so you don't have to be unprepared. While I did inform them that they follow Charles Taze Russell, as opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that their bible is not the bible, and advised them to search on the internet for a recovery group to help them overcome their cult, however I could have done a far more diplomatic job of handling things. Throughout our chat I continued to mention that I realized that they wouldn't be able to get anything out of our fleeting conversation, but that they should Google Jehovah's Witness recovery and read appeals by former JWs.

I informed them that their bible was based on a corrupt 19th century Greek text written by Westcott and Hort, and that their false teacher Charles Taze Russell arrived in the same century. I did not call him a prophet because I don't believe they consider him to be a prophet. I continued to mention other cults so they didn't think I was picking on theirs alone. Only later did I learn how bad things really are regarding their "bible". Throughout our chat I kept listing other cults and Islam so they wouldn't feel that my opinion was that they were the only ones in error. I challenged them on the divinity of Jesus Christ and this was a real hot button. It was only after they left, that I quickly scrambled together some stuff, and printed it out in hopes of finding them, but was not able to locate them in a drive around my neighborhood.

I pulled the material from a former JW of 35 years, and former elder, and learned that it might be best to first ask them if they have been born again, and do they enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. (Please begin with the first link below).

Key Points to Keep in Mind When Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ With Jehovah's Witnesses
http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnessing/key_points.htm

As of today after asking them if they were born again I would get out my KJV and ask them to turn to their bible and begin with John 1.1

The New World Translation
http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnesses/New_World_Translation/new_world_translation.htm

A Grossly misleading translation ( new world translation )
http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnesses/New_World_Translation/dr_mantey.htm

If they assert that their bible has more authority than the King James it should be pointed out that their bible is based on a corrupt 19th century Greek text written by Westcott and Hort. You could also discuss the authors.

"The translators of The New World Translation were: Nathan Knorr, Albert Schroeder, George Gangas, Fred Franz, M. Henschel

'Fred Franz was the only one with any knowledge of the Bible languages to attempt translation of this kind. He had studied Greek for two years in the University of Cincinnati but was only self-taught in Hebrew.' ["Crisis of Conscience"; by Raymond Franz; Commentary Press, Atlanta; 1983 edition; footnote 15; page 50.]

Four out of the five men on the committee had no Hebrew or Greek training at all, and only a high school education. Franz studied Greek for two years at the University of Cincinnati, but dropped out after his sophomore year. When asked in a Scotland courtroom if he could translate Genesis 2:4 into Hebrew, Franz replied that he could not. The truth is that Franz was unable to translate Hebrew or Greek.

What we have is a very inexperienced translating committee that twisted Scripture to make it fit the Society's doctrine."

http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnesses/New_World_Translation/dan_glover.htm

The New World Translation
http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnessing/john_1_1.htm

A Plea to Jehovah's Witnesses
http://www.towerwatch.com/about_us/a_plea_to_jehovah%27s_witnesses.htm

To avoid wasting mutual time you could simply prepare, and have handy to the door, material that you could simply hand them and wish them God's blessing. I think the authorship of their corrupt bible is one of the more important things for them to see first. You will find they want to proof-text verses, not only out of context, but from their corrupt bibles.

Start with a comparison of the first chapter of John from the King James. You likely won't have to get past the first verse, to introduce the subject as to who and how and why their bible was created.

Remember it is almost as tough for them to consider leaving their cult as it is for Muhammad's followers. They loose family and friends as their whole world is contained within their JW bubble. They spend 90% of their reading in the Watch Tower, and about 10% in their corrupted scriptures, being careful to restrict their friendships and such to fellow cult members.

Peter

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Re: A Visit by Jehovah's Witnesses
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2011, 07:49:55 AM »
Maybe printing a list of verses to supplement some of the materials above, with some of the phrases bolded.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

(KJV) John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   2 The same was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.   4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.   5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.   6 There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John.   7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe.   8 He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light.   9 [That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.   12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:   13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.   14 And the Word 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.   15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.   16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.   17 For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.   18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].

Jhn 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Hbr 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Exd 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them? 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.

John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

John 10:30 I and [my] Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

That “one” in the Koine Greek is in the neuter gender meaning of one essence.

2Cr 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].

Are you teaching Charles Taze Russell’s 19th century false gospel, through your “bible” created by 5 unlearned men, that conformed it to Russell’s false doctrine?

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

David H

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Re: A Visit by Jehovah's Witnesses
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2014, 05:09:45 AM »
Hello Everyone and especially Peter who wrote this section.

I WAS A WATCHTOWER ADHERENT FOR 49 YEARS and served as an Elder for a number of years including Presiding Overseer.  I was a 2nd Generation JW and my Father was a Pioneering Missionary with my Mother for many years. 

My wife was born into it and was captive for 52 years until we were set free in June 2001 and came to the Lord Yeshua in November 2002 and were baptised in the name of the Father and the name of the Son and the name of the Holy Spirit in May 2003.

I then began theological studies with a Bible College and was eventually Ordained as a Pastor in 2008.

We were on the Ministry Team in our first Church in England and after 4 years the Lord showed us through Visions that we should move to Cyprus and that is we have lived since August 2007.  We now run a very small Church from our home in Larnaca.

So if anyone wants to understand JWs, then we can help...in may ways they are like Muslims in looking to men and believing they are the only truth and cutting off those who leave them.

By the way modern JWs do not look to C T Russell and they certainly do not accept most of his teachings any more, especially as he was a Zionist and Rutherford who came after him did not like Jews, so changed the entire teachings about Israel.  Russell still has followers though and they are in various groups of so called 'Bible Students' Much of their early teaching was based on Freemasonry and used some of their symbols and names.

Blessings David

PeteWaldo

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Re: A Visit by Jehovah's Witnesses
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2014, 06:09:44 AM »
Hello Everyone and especially Peter who wrote this section.

I WAS A WATCHTOWER ADHERENT FOR 49 YEARS and served as an Elder for a number of years including Presiding Overseer.  I was a 2nd Generation JW and my Father was a Pioneering Missionary with my Mother for many years. 

My wife was born into it and was captive for 52 years until we were set free in June 2001 and came to the Lord Yeshua in November 2002 and were baptised in the name of the Father and the name of the Son and the name of the Holy Spirit in May 2003.

Most of the folks in this forum has overcome a doctrine, which I'm sure you can attest, really opens one's eyes and heart to truth. At a minimum must of us have overcome 19th century futurist/dispensationalist eschatology.....
http://www.christianeschatology.com/futurism_dispensationalism.htm
.....in favor of the tradition of the historicist approach to Bible prophecy:
http://www.christianeschatology.com/historicism.htm

I then began theological studies with a Bible College and was eventually Ordained as a Pastor in 2008.

We were on the Ministry Team in our first Church in England and after 4 years the Lord showed us through Visions that we should move to Cyprus and that is we have lived since August 2007.  We now run a very small Church from our home in Larnaca.

So if anyone wants to understand JWs, then we can help...in may ways they are like Muslims in looking to men and believing they are the only truth and cutting off those who leave them.

By the way modern JWs do not look to C T Russell and they certainly do not accept most of his teachings any more, especially as he was a Zionist and Rutherford who came after him did not like Jews, so changed the entire teachings about Israel.

That is very interesting. Would you go as far as to label them actively antizionist (for the list)? It really is a great and distinct discriminator, isn't it?
http://www.islamchristianforum.com/index.php?topic=2795.0

Russell still has followers though and they are in various groups of so called 'Bible Students' Much of their early teaching was based on Freemasonry and used some of their symbols and names.

Blessings David