Who Believes The Bible?
(by Bob Pulliam)
Back
Through the years, I have had several opportunities to discuss the bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. They come into your home telling you that they want to study the Bible with you. However, it becomes clear that the Bible’s message is not on their minds. Allow me to illustrate with a discussion I had about ten years ago. Two ladies came to my door, and began their “pitch” by wanting to know what I thought about the troubles in the world. “Where do they come from?” I didn’t bite, knowing that they wanted to talk about the one-thousand year reign of Jesus on earth, and their doctrines surrounding such.
One of them immediately took a course I did not expect her to take (and she probably later wished she hadn’t). She opened her Bible to II Timothy 3:16f: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” I asked her if a person could study the Bible alone and come to a knowledge of the truth to be saved. She hesitated and told me that with the proper guidance he could. I pressed her in the corner with a person stranded away from Jehovah’s Witnesses with a Bible to study. Could he come to a knowledge of the truth to be saved? “Well,” said she, “even people in the Bible needed guidance to come to the truth, because God didn’t reveal His will to everyone.”... There you have it... This is what the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe. It is not possible for a person to come to a knowledge of the truth through the scriptures without their help. They do not believe II Timothy 3:16 & 17. They believe the scriptures were inspired of God, but they do not believe that the scriptures can make a person complete without their Watchtower literature. They will point out the eunuch’s need for Philip to guide him; but they fail to bring up the fact that the New Testament was still in the process of being revealed!
The Original Jehovah’s Witnesses...
I asked these ladies if the apostles were Jehovah’s Witnesses. How could they deny it? So I continued, “But in Acts 1:8, Jesus said that the apostles would be His witnesses.” Now the Jehovah’s witnesses do not believe that Jesus was, or is Jehovah. They believe He was created by God. So I am asking “Were the apostles Jehovah’s (Jesus’) witnesses?”... The woman in charge of training the trainee chimed in with an Old Testament passage. So, I asked them if they were Jews. No? Then how did that passage apply to them as “Jehovah’s Witnesses”?
In the case of the apostles, they were never witnesses to the Father... Can you find a passage otherwise? They were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection! That was their calling as apostles. They were witnesses for no one else. I believe they were Jehovah’s witnesses in that they were witnesses of Jesus! However, they were not Jehovah’s Witnesses (the denomination).
The Study That Never Comes...
This was not the first time I had a doorstep discussion with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I always offer to study with them, giving them time to regroup and return with a representative of their choice. They never return. I’ve had members send them to me at the church building. They never come. They are looking for easy pickin’s. If you stand at the door and listen to them, they will mark you as a good prospect and return until you show them otherwise. The best tactic is to take the initiative and guide the discussion yourself. Take the conversation where you want it to go, and teach them the truth. Second best is to offer to study with them if you can have me along with you during the study. Feel free to call me and get a convenient time for a meeting with them. I doubt very seriously that they will take you up on the offer; but if they do (I’ve seen them do it once), it will be a good opportunity for you to learn about their doctrine and how to respond to them.
Conclusion...
I believe that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16), and that it is man’s only guide to know God’s will (II Tim 3:16f). I prove my belief in this by relying solely on the Bible for authority. It can be understood (Eph 3:4; 5:17), and must be rightly divided (II Tim 2:15). One who does not rightly divide the word eventually cuts himself, not wielding the word aright.
Through the years, I have had several opportunities to discuss the bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. They come into your home telling you that they want to study the Bible with you. However, it becomes clear that the Bible’s message is not on their minds. Allow me to illustrate with a discussion I had about ten years ago. Two ladies came to my door, and began their “pitch” by wanting to know what I thought about the troubles in the world. “Where do they come from?” I didn’t bite, knowing that they wanted to talk about the one-thousand year reign of Jesus on earth, and their doctrines surrounding such.
One of them immediately took a course I did not expect her to take (and she probably later wished she hadn’t). She opened her Bible to II Timothy 3:16f: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” I asked her if a person could study the Bible alone and come to a knowledge of the truth to be saved. She hesitated and told me that with the proper guidance he could. I pressed her in the corner with a person stranded away from Jehovah’s Witnesses with a Bible to study. Could he come to a knowledge of the truth to be saved? “Well,” said she, “even people in the Bible needed guidance to come to the truth, because God didn’t reveal His will to everyone.”... There you have it... This is what the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe. It is not possible for a person to come to a knowledge of the truth through the scriptures without their help. They do not believe II Timothy 3:16 & 17. They believe the scriptures were inspired of God, but they do not believe that the scriptures can make a person complete without their Watchtower literature. They will point out the eunuch’s need for Philip to guide him; but they fail to bring up the fact that the New Testament was still in the process of being revealed!
The Original Jehovah’s Witnesses...
I asked these ladies if the apostles were Jehovah’s Witnesses. How could they deny it? So I continued, “But in Acts 1:8, Jesus said that the apostles would be His witnesses.” Now the Jehovah’s witnesses do not believe that Jesus was, or is Jehovah. They believe He was created by God. So I am asking “Were the apostles Jehovah’s (Jesus’) witnesses?”... The woman in charge of training the trainee chimed in with an Old Testament passage. So, I asked them if they were Jews. No? Then how did that passage apply to them as “Jehovah’s Witnesses”?
In the case of the apostles, they were never witnesses to the Father... Can you find a passage otherwise? They were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection! That was their calling as apostles. They were witnesses for no one else. I believe they were Jehovah’s witnesses in that they were witnesses of Jesus! However, they were not Jehovah’s Witnesses (the denomination).
The Study That Never Comes...
This was not the first time I had a doorstep discussion with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I always offer to study with them, giving them time to regroup and return with a representative of their choice. They never return. I’ve had members send them to me at the church building. They never come. They are looking for easy pickin’s. If you stand at the door and listen to them, they will mark you as a good prospect and return until you show them otherwise. The best tactic is to take the initiative and guide the discussion yourself. Take the conversation where you want it to go, and teach them the truth. Second best is to offer to study with them if you can have me along with you during the study. Feel free to call me and get a convenient time for a meeting with them. I doubt very seriously that they will take you up on the offer; but if they do (I’ve seen them do it once), it will be a good opportunity for you to learn about their doctrine and how to respond to them.
Conclusion...
I believe that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16), and that it is man’s only guide to know God’s will (II Tim 3:16f). I prove my belief in this by relying solely on the Bible for authority. It can be understood (Eph 3:4; 5:17), and must be rightly divided (II Tim 2:15). One who does not rightly divide the word eventually cuts himself, not wielding the word aright.
