Understanding

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Understanding Evangelizing Jehovahs Witnesses

• Source Cky Carrigan, Ph.D.
• Interfaith Evangelism, www.namb.net

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Who are Jehovahs Witnesses?

• Official Organization called The Watchtower
  Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (WBTS)
  
• Also known abroad as The International Bible
  Students Association (IBSA)

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J.W. Who, When, Where

• Founder - Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916)
• Presently headed by Governing Body
• World Headquarters - Bethel Brooklyn, New York,
  NY

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J.W. Numbers and Lingo

• Worldwide membership - 5.6 million in 232
  countries
• N. American membership - 1.1 million
• Meeting places called Kingdom Hall
• Active Participants called Publishers

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• Publications
• The Watchtower Announcing
• Jehovahs Kingdom
• 22 million copies published semi- monthly in
  132 languages
• Awake!
• 20 million copies published
  semi-monthly in 78 languages

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Bibles, etc.

• New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
• Kingdom Interlinear Translation ( of the New
  Testament)
• Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life
• The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived

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J.W. History The Russell Era

• 1870 Russell begins Bible study group in PA
  focusing on End Times doctrines
• 1884 Russell became president of The Zion
  Watchtower and Tract Society, Inc.
• wrote - Studies in the Scriptures - which set
  forth his program of theology
• Russell was president from 1884 to 1916

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J.W. Governance after Russell

• Four presidents followed Russell till 2001
• Judge Joseph F. Rutherford (1917-1942)
• Nathan H. Knorr (1942-1977)
• Fredrick W. Franz (1977-1992)
• Milton G. Henschel (1992-2001)
• Since 2001, WBTS is organized by a sophisticated
  plan that separates corporate governance from
  theological governance to protect its assets

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What J.W. believe The Bible

• Divinely inspired, infallible, scientifically
  accurate
• Canon of 66 books, OT and NT
• New World Translation is the most accurate
  translation of original languages
• NWT reflects WBTS theology (i.e., John 11)

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What J.W. believe The Bible

• Governing Body is the only channel of accurate
  biblical interpretation
• a.k.a. The Faithful Discreet Slave
• Salvation depends upon association with this
  exclusive channel of interpretation

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What J.W. believe God

• Jehovah is the one true name of the one true God
• German (mis)transliteration of YHWH
• Jehovah is spirit being with a spirit body
  and is not omnipresent
• To J.W., the doctrine of the trinity is heretical
  and a gross misrepresentation of the true nature
  of God

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What J.W. believe Jesus Christ

• Jesus Christ was created by Jehovah in ages
  past as an angel, or a son of God
• In ages past, Jesus Christ was Michael the
  Archangel who created all other things
• He was born of a virgin, executed as a ransom
  for many
• He became Messiah at his baptism

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What J.W. believe Jesus Christ

• Killed on a torture stake, not crucified on a
  cross
• Arose from the dead spiritually, not bodily
• Returned to earth in 1878?, 1914?, 1915?, 1918?,
  1925?, 1975?
• Presently reigning as king in heaven, and will
  soon return openly

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What J.W. believe Humanity

• The spirit of a human being departs at death
• life-force
• There is no conscious existence at death
• soul sleep
• There is no assurance of salvation, only hope of
  resurrection

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What J.W. believe Salvation

• Heaven and Paradise are different
• Heaven is the location of Jehovah
• Paradise is the New Earth
• There are two classes of saved witnesses
• Anointed Class or Little Flock- 144,000 who
  are so righteous that they bypass spirit
  unconsciousness at death, spirit goes directly to
  Heaven
• est. 8,700 alive today
• Great Crowds - resurrected after Armageddon
  the Millennium, then live forever in Paradise
  (New Earth)

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What J.W. believe Salvation

• Hell is only the place of the dead, not a place
  of lasting punishment
• All the unfaithful will be annihilated with Satan
  and the demons at the end of the Millennium
• Variously predicted to arrive in 1874, 1914,
  1925, and 1975

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What J.W. believe Culture

• Dont celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, Easter,
  Christmas, etc. annual Lords Evening Meal is
  only approved celebration
• Dont vote or participate in civil government
• Dont pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag
• Dont volunteer for armed forces, but not because
  of pacifism
• Dont have professional clergy
• Dont accept blood transfusions

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First Steps to Evangelizing J.W.

• Develop sincere relationships first.
• Let witnesses observe genuine Christianity in you
  (holy living).
• Be prepared to use Scripture positively to
  explain defend key Christian doctrines.
• Focus points
• Trinity, Full Deity of Christ, Salvation for all
  through faith alone

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Evangelizing J.W. Next steps

• Gently undermine confidence in WBTS by noting
  errors in WBTS interpretations about prophecy and
  changes to key doctrines.
• Gently undermine their confidence in the New Word
  Translation. (YHWH)
• Be prepared to speak as to why J.W. is not an
  authentic expression of biblical Christianity.

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Evangelizing J.W. Conversion

• Invite them to test their beliefs by reading
  Scripture alone, without consulting any
  extra-biblical materials (Watchtower, etc.) for
  30 days
• Make sure the J.W. is able to experience
  conversations within authentic Christian
  community
• Many are refugees from lax SBC churches
• Are J.W. more fervent in their faith than we are
  in ours?
• We have to become a more thorough expression of
  authentic faith

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Other helps

• www.ontruth.com
• www.4truth.net
• Belief bulletins, comparison charts, pdf files
• Video resource

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Understanding Evangelizing Jehovahs Witnesses

• John Chandler
• Courageous Churches
• Virginia Baptist Mission Board