How

To
Witness
To
JWitnesses

The Dos and Donts

Part 1
How to Evangelize to Jehovahs Witness
Basics for Evangelizing:

Make it Personal:
Jehovahs Witnesses spend countless hours studying and practicing for conversations with potential converts. Most of
their preparation focuses on answering arguments about the Bible and does not prepare them for questions like, "Why did you
become a Jehovah's Witness?" If they mention that they are former Catholics, this can be a good opportunity to discuss any
mistaken views of the Church they may still possess.

Dont Verse Sling:

Due to the amount of study they engage in, the Witnesses are skilled at wielding dozens of memorized Bible verses to defend their
beliefs. Even if you reply to these verses with sound biblical arguments of your own, the Witnesses can always dismiss your
argument by saying, Thats just your (incorrect) interpretation.
Jehovahs Witnesses are taught that all other Christian churches represent apostate Christendom, and only the Watchtower
Bible and Tract Society (which is the spiritual leadership of the Jehovahs Witnesses) can be trusted.[1] In order to make
headway with Witnesses, you must challenge this foundational belief.

Focus on 1 Issue: Authority!

Ask the Witnesses to explain why:
1) Why did the Catholic Church lose its God-given authority to interpret Scripture and proclaim doctrine?
JW Response:
The Witnesses might cite Scripture verses that describe those who fell away from the faith in the early Church.
(2 Thes 2:3) Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will come not come, unless rebellion comes first, and the man of
lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition
(2 Tim 1:15) You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, and among them Phygelus and Hermogenes.
(Gal 1:6-7) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a
different gospel not that there is another gospel, but there some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
But these verses show only that some members of the Church fell away from the Faith, not all of them. This happens in all
religions, including the Jehovahs Witnesses, whose early disaffected members left to form other groups such as the Dawn
Bible Students. These groups still exist and share JW theology, though they do not recognize the authority of the Watchtower.
This shows that the defection of some Christians from the early Church is not proof that the Church lost its divine authority.
Along with the lack of evidence that a total apostasy took place, there is positive evidence that such an apostasy could never
have taken place.
Our Response:
Why should I believe that the almighty God would allow his Church to perish from the face of the Earth and then wait 1,800
years to restore it? Didn't Jesus tell Peter that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church?" (Matthew 16:18).

(Acts 1:20) For it is written in the book of Psalms, let the habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it; and
His office let another take Describes how the apostles could pass on their authority to future bishops.
(Matt 16:18-19) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what
ever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(Matt 28:20) And behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age.
(Eph. 3:20-21) To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
3) Why is the Watchtower Gods official organization on Earth with his authority to interpret Scripture?

Demand Proof of Their Claim to: Divine Authority!

Make them prove why they have Divine Authority.
JW Beliefs
1)

The Watchtower makes it clear that ones salvation depends on trusting and obeying the faithful and discreet slave.
This term used to refer to a class of people destined for heaven, but since 2012 it has referred to the Governing Body in
Brooklyn, New York, composed of seven men who lead the Jehovahs Witnesses. [2]

One Watchtower article says, Without the assistance of 'the faithful and discreet slave' we would neither understand the full
import of what we read in Gods Word nor know how to apply it." [3] (2010)
Another says, Since Jehovah God and Jesus Christ completely trust the faithful and discreet slave, should we not do the
same? [4]
Finally, one article goes so far as to say, Just as Noah and his God-fearing family were preserved in the ark, survival of
individuals today depends on their faith and their loyal association with the earthly part of Jehovahs universal organization." [5]
2)

Jehovahs Witnesses do not appeal to any miraculous intervention from God as proof that the Watchtower has Gods
authority. In fact, many of their publications dont present any arguments or evidence for this claim; its simply assumed.

In its 2005 book, Organized To Do Jehovahs Will, the Watchtower says, There are many reasons to have complete trust in the
slave class. First and foremost, Jesus has appointed them over all his precious belongings. This is a clear indication that he
has complete trust in them. [6]
Our Response:
Notice that this is simply an assumption dressed up as evidence.
Ask - How do you know Jesus has given the Watchtower special authority?
Answer - Because Jesus has given the Watchtower special authority!
Organized goes on to say, Second, God's Word admonishes Christians to cooperate fully with those taking the lead. . . .
Through much hardship and experience, the slave class has demonstrated that the spirit of God is with it. [7]
Once again, these reasons to could apply to any Church, including the Catholic Church, which has a better claim to having
served God for 2,000 years through much hardship and experience.
Only when the Witnesses begin to see that the Watchtower is untrustworthy can they be open to seeing which Church
really does have Gods authority.
One way to do that is to ask them
1)
2)

Why do you believe the Bible is God's word?

Why the Bible has its specific canon of books?
You can show the Witnesses how the Catholic Church best explains why we can trust the inspiration and canon
of Scripture we have today.

Point Out Failed Prophecies:

Instead of saying,
(Jehovahs Witnesses believe X)
(You people believe X)
Always phrase your objections in the form of,
(Why does the Watchtower teach X?)
(I have a hard time accepting that God leads the Watchtower in light of X.)
This will make the Witnesses less defensive or that you are attacking them personally.
Ask them to help you explain why the Watchtower:
1.

Taught that the world would come to an end in 1914. [8]

2.

Said this was a miscalculation and the world would actually end in 1915. [9]

3.

Said the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be resurrected when the world would end in 1925. [10]

4.

Strongly hinted that the end of the world would come in 1975. [11]

5.

In 1995 stopped printing the following message about the end of the world in its magazine Awake!: This magazine builds
confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes
away.

(Deut. 18:22) States that a person is not a prophet if he makes a prediction that fails to come to pass [12]
Jehovahs Witnesses will respond that the Watchtower is not acting as a prophet but is still learning.
However, not only does this contradict previous Watchtower claims to being Gods prophet,[13] it also leads to a simple yet
intractable problem: if the Watchtower is still learning, why trust anything it teaches now?
If God were really guiding the Watchtower, then why would he allow his spirit-led organization to lead so many people into error
about the end of the world?
The simplest answer to these questions is that men, not God, guide the Watchtower, and so it should not be trusted with
our eternal salvation.

Dont Be Rude:
This should go without saying, but use only language that you would be comfortable with others using in reference to you. You
shouldnt refer to the guests at your front door as being members of a cult that has brainwashed them. How would you
respond to a Protestant who spoke of the Catholic Church in such a manner? You would probably be unreceptive to his message,
no matter what he had to say.
Instead, you should always be mindful to follow the admonition of (1 Peter 3:15) Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone
who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

Endnotes
[1] Though apostolic Christianity was soon replaced by apostate Christendom, episodes in the lives of early Christians can still be
glimpsed in Rome. Romes Many Faces Awake! (July 8, 2001) 15-16.
[2] That slave is the small, composite group of anointed brothers serving at world headquarters during Christs presence who are
directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food. When this group work together as the Governing Body, they act as the
faithful and discreet slave. Food at the Proper Time Annual Meeting Report(2012) http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahswitnesses/activities/events/annual-meeting-report-2012/
[3] Earnestly Seek Jehovahs Blessing The Watchtower (September 15, 2010) 8-9. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2010682?q
[4] They Keep Following the Lamb The Watchtower (September 15, 2009) 27. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009123
[5] Are You Prepared for Survival?" The Watchtower (May 15, 2006)22. http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2006366
[6] Organized to do Jehovah's will (Brooklyn, NY, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 2005) 18.
[7] Ibid., 19.
[8] We see no reason for changing the figures - nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours.
But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble." Zion's Watch
Tower (Jul 15 1894) p.226. Over time the Watchtower started teaching that the worldbegan to end in 1914, not that it was going to
end in 1914 (even though this contradicts the Watchtowers assertion that 1914 was not the beginning of anything but the end).
[9] This miscalculation was due to confusion over whether there was a year zero. Russell wrote, "In view of this strong Bible
evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world,
and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished near the end of A.D. 1915. Charles Taze RussellThe Time
Is At Hand Studies In the Scriptures Series II (1915) 99, 101, 242.
[10] "Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old,
particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection." Joseph Rutherford, Millions Now
Living Will Never Die (Brooklyn, NY: International Bible Students Association, 1920) 89-90.
[11] [W]hatever the date for the end of this system, it is clear that the time left is reduced, with only approximately six years left until
the end of 6,000 years of human history." The Watchtower (May 1, 1970) 273.
[12] When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the
LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him.
[13] So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? These questions can
be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? . . . This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was
the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as
Jehovah's Christian witnesses. They shall know that a Prophet was among them, The Watchtower (April 1, 1972) 197-198.