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To God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Alpha and Omega Ministries presents the Dividing Line Radio Broadcast. The Apostle Peter commanded all Christians to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us, yet to give this answer with gentleness and reverence.
Your host is Dr. James White, Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries and an elder at the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. If you'd like to talk with Dr. White, you can call now. By dialing 602 -274 -1360.
That's 602 -274 -1360. Or if you're out of the Metro Phoenix dialing area, it's 1 -888 -550 -1360. That's 1 -888 -550 -1360. And now with today's topic, here's James White.
Well, welcome to the Dividing Line. My name is Benny Diaz. James White is out of town today. He's somewhere in Southern California speaking at various and sundry churches, ministering in seminars and perhaps preaching a sermon here and there.
I'm here as your guest. I've been affiliated with Alpha and Omega Ministries for a number of years, probably 15 or so or more. So we go back quite a distance with regard to our involvement there. Today is Saturday and if most of you are like me, you usually use Saturday to mow the grass, go out, look at the beautiful weather here in Arizona with regard to the rains that just came in.
It just cleansed us. And you happen to, if you're outside, notice that various and sundry times during the day, some well-dressed people going out door-to-door with pamphlets in their hands and a smile on their face, spreading the message of the kingdom, is what they tell you.
They usually have a tract that speaks of living forever on Paradise Earth. These are best known as Jehovah's Witness or members of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. And if you've spoken to them, many of you who are believers would probably admit that there were a time or two when you were somewhat, if not perplexed, frustrated by what they had to share and for what you had to share with them.
Well, today I felt it really important for us to begin to look at the issue of sharing Christ or the topic of sharing Christ with Jehovah's Witnesses or better yet, those who are members of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
I think that there are a number of books out there and there's a lot that we have done in Alpha and Omega Ministries over the years with Jehovah's Witnesses that could probably fill the rest of the day on the radio.
But for lack of time and for the sake of perhaps giving you a handle, a better handle at sharing Christ with Witnesses, we've come up with some brief background and history, a simple outline and perhaps some tools that would help you in sharing Christ with Jehovah's Witnesses.
First, before we go on, I think it's very important to note that Jehovah's Witnesses, when we speak of Jehovah's Witnesses and we speak of what they believe, we need to keep in mind that this is what they are taught, what they teach, what they believe, what they share with you.
It's something that is taught to them at least two or three times a week. They spend hours learning how to talk to people like you and I at the door. If you are a Christian, it is imperative that there are some things that you need to know.
There are things that you need to go back and remind yourself of. Why do you believe what you believe and what message do you have to share with Jehovah's Witnesses? Do you care whether or not Jehovah's Witnesses are being led astray or whether they are in the truth or not?
I think it's important for us to look back at what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, what they teach, where they came from. I think if you look at certain resources, some of the good helps out by David Reed, Walter Martin, Patrick Campbell, others who have written books on Jehovah's Witnesses, historically the witnesses who are officially known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society were pretty much started by the person and work of a man named Charles Taze Russell.
This guy was born back in February 1852 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1870 at the age of 18 he organized a Bible class in Pittsburgh which he finally was elected as pastor of the group about six years later.
In 1879 he founded the magazine called Zion's Watchtower in which he published his own interpretations of the Bible and finally in 1886 published his first work of seven books now entitled Studies in the Scriptures.
His life was surrounded with scandal according to one writer. He had frequent clashes with the courts. Some claim he perjured himself in court, had marital problems, but I think what's important to note is that he continued his teachings until his death in October of 1916.
It was aboard a transcontinental train in Texas. It was reported that by the time of his death in 1916, this is according to the Watchtower, Pastor Russell traveled more than a million miles, gave more than 30 ,000 sermons and wrote books totaling over 50 ,000 pages.
Following his death the society's legal counselor, a guy named Joseph Franklin Rutherford, was unanimously chosen as the second president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1917. Rutherford was extremely vocal and aggressive in attacking the doctrines of organized religion through his radio talks, phonograph recordings and numerous books which he wrote.
This continued until his death in about 1942, about January 8th of 1942 to be specific. He died from cancer in his mansion in San Diego, California and this mansion was called the Beth Sarim. He died at 72 but not without leaving a strong influence upon the society.
Walter Martin says that Russell was really a small literary compared to Rutherford. Rutherford was responsible for the name Jehovah's Witnesses which was adopted in October of 1931 at their annual convention in Columbus, Ohio.
Following the death of Rutherford, Nathan Knorr was now elected president of the society and the Jehovah's Witnesses under his leadership increased from 115 ,000 to over 2 million members. He was responsible for the Gilead Missionary School in Lansing, New York.
In 1961, under his leadership, the society produced its own English translation of the Bible entitled The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. He wrote, I'm sorry, under Knorr's administration, the endless books and pamphlets appeared under the copyright of the Wash Tower Bible and Tract Society without bearing the name of any individual authors.
This is when it kind of began. A committee now handled the mass of printed matter that left the printing press. Knorr followed in the footsteps of Russell and Rutherford and continued the hostile attacks on Christianity.
He died in 1977 with Frederick Franz, a long time leader and at that time vice president of the society, elected as president, continuing to give leadership to the society similar to his predecessors.
The Jehovah's Witnesses continue to grow in spite of periodic setbacks due to the failure of their false prophecies and false predictions for the end of the world which they refer to as the Battle of Armageddon.
In the Battle of Armageddon according to the society all of Christendom will be destroyed. Now this brief history is given to provide a listener with a sketch of the background of Jehovah's Witnesses, give you some insight on how it came to pass to where we have today.
So in its recent history I think it's important and to acquaint you with the key men in leadership when we go and look at the basic position or doctrinal position of Jehovah's Witnesses. As Christians there is a lot that we believe in, we hold dear to despite our denominational bent.
The deity of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, the fact that Christ is coming again in his glory. These are things that are common among Christians. Why? Because we all embrace the ultimate authority and truth of scripture.
The Bible is our ultimate determiner of faith and morals. However when one looks at the essential doctrines upon which Jehovah's Witnesses built their organizations you are going to begin to see flags that may cause some concern on your part.
If you are one who is Jehovah's Witness or perhaps one who has spoken with one we would encourage you later in the show to call us at our phone line here at 602 -274 -1360 or if you are out of the Phoenix Metropolitan area call us at 1 -888 -550 -1360 that's 1 -888 -550 -1360 or 274 -1360 with your questions or comments as we look at further into the teachings of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Now given the history we find that in the society of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Jehovah's Witnesses are taught at least a dozen major doctrines. The first one is that there is a God and he is a solitary being who is existed from all eternity and created everything that exists both visible and invisible.
Seems pretty common however they do not believe that there is a Trinity. They believe there is no Trinity. That's one of the major tenets of their faith that differs from Christianity. Another one is that Jesus Christ is the beginning of God's creation according to Jehovah's Witnesses.
He is not the eternal son of God but was created by God as the word and was the active agent in the creation of all other things. He is also known as Michael the Archangel. He is a God but not the Almighty God Jehovah.
Jesus is the son of God but not God himself. He became the man Jesus who was fully human but not divine. He suffered on a torture stake as a ransom for man's sin rather than on the cross. So we have a difference in the view of God the triune God and a difference in the belief or teaching of Christ.
If we go to a third point of the society's teaching on the essential doctrines of the faith we find that the Holy Spirit is taught amongst the Witnesses as not a person but rather an active first force of God.
The Holy Spirit is the invisible active force of Jehovah God that moves his servants to do his will. The Holy Spirit is neither divine nor the third person of the Trinity. So here's another difference that we need to be aware of as we begin to look effectively share with Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Bible is God's word and fully inspired according to the Witnesses and true in everything that teaches. The Bible has been preserved by Jehovah to reveal his purposes to his followers. This is what they teach about the Bible in essence.
However we will find later that the translation interpretation of the Bible is directed solely by the Society of the Governing Board of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn New York which is where their headquarters is located.
Now with regard to Satan, Satan is a great angel who rebelled against God and persuaded a group of angels or demons to follow him in that act. Satan tempted man so sin and death came upon mankind and Satan and his angels will be annihilated forever.
With regard to creating man Jehovah God created man after his own image. He willfully chose to sin and therefore all men are born sinners. Those who are obedient to Jehovah and follow Jesus Christ faithfully to death will inherit eternal life.
The heavenly kingdom that they will rule with Christ and live forever is reserved for only 144 ,000 called, referred to as the anointed class or little flock. The rest of Jehovah's Witnesses however are referred to as the general crowd or the great crowd and they will inherit their new earth where they will live forever in paradise.
All who reject Jehovah will be destroyed forever. Another point or another teaching by Jehovah's Witnesses is that man does not have an immortal soul. He does not have an immortal soul therefore he does not exist forever.
At death according to the society man is non-existent but all of Jehovah's Witnesses of the great crowd will physically be resurrected to live on this new earth. These are the ones Jehovah has in his memory.
Now we will begin to look at these major tenants as we look at how we can best share with Jehovah's Witnesses who come to our door and some of the things we need to realize before we begin to share with Jehovah's Witnesses.
There is no such place according to the society of Jehovah's Witnesses as an eternal hell of fire and brimstone. Hell is only the common grace of mankind. Eternal punishment does not mean eternal torment of living souls but is an eternal annihilation.
In other words when you die it is over. You are annihilated. There is no hell for those to go to. It is just a superstition. It is a tradition. It is not a teaching that they claim is from the Bible. The atonement for our sins was a ransom paid by Jesus Christ to Jehovah God.
It removed the effects of Adam's sin and all his offspring and became the basis for the new world of righteousness. The payment was Christ's physical body therefore it could not be raised from the dead.
Thus the man Jesus is forever dead and was raised a spirit person. So with regard to the resurrection and the atonement of Christ, Christ was not really resurrected. He was recreated as a spirit person.
Now another thing to note and there are a couple more I would like to share with you as we move on. Jesus returned to the earth as an invisible spirit according to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1914 to take his kingdom power and to reign invisibly until the battle of Armageddon when all Christendom shall be destroyed.
After Armageddon Christ will set up his thousand year reign upon the earth. Jehovah's kingdom is supreme. It is separate from human government which is Satan's visible organization according to the society.
There can be no allegiance to any human government but to Jehovah God alone and this explains why there is a hesitation and reluctance by Jehovah's witness to be involved in the military and politics etc.
They have a view that Satan's visible organization is somehow entwined with human government. Then finally another essential point is that God's visible organization on the earth today which receives God's theocratic guidance and direction is the Jehovah's witnesses and with its headquarters in Brooklyn New York there is a governing body of older men made up of what they call the faithful and discreet slave and they guide the organization.
These are their leaders and they believe they are the mouthpiece of God with regard to speaking for Jehovah. Now given a little bit of that history and background and given a little bit of the doctrinal stand of the witnesses and where they are doctrinally with regard to their teachings there are guidelines that when we as Christians begin to share with them and we are going to look at these key points and what does scripture say about them?
How do we deal with this with Jehovah's witnesses? I think there are guidelines that we need to remember when sharing with those who come to your door on Saturday mornings or any morning for that matter.
Number one I think it is vitally important that you become well grounded and firmly secure in your knowledge of Christianity and in scripture before witnessing in depth with a seasoned Jehovah's witness.
Because of the training and the sort of indoctrination used by the society Jehovah's witnesses can confuse and emotionally frustrate the unprepared and those who have not developed doctrinally. Only the mature and those deeply rooted in scripture are prepared to confront the Jehovah's witness.
Be sure that you are spiritually prepared and have scriptural grounding to be ready to share your faith with them. We must heed the warning or admonition by the apostle Peter in his epistle where he states that we are to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts.
In other words set Christ, set him apart as Christ as Lord in our hearts. Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you yet with gentleness and reverence.
So well grounded, firmly secure in your knowledge of Christianity. Secondly avoid initial discussions on subjects like why do Jehovah's witnesses not salute the flag? Why do they not give blood or donate blood, blood transfusions?
Why don't they celebrate Christmas? These may be interesting but I think are something you need to avoid when you speak with Jehovah's witnesses because the purpose for sharing with the Jehovah's witness is to bring them to the knowledge and salvation of Christ.
To bring them to hear the gospel. Discussing these matters will seldom accomplish the purpose of leading them to Christ. Speaking with them about these subjects is to major in the minor issues rather than the primary one.
It will generate a lot of heat and energy but will accomplish very little. Only when we focus on the foundational teachings of the person and work of Christ who God is, the resurrection, salvation by faith, these things can we hope to effectively plant seed leading them to our Savior and Lord.
Don't get sidetracked by discussing secondary issues that don't deal with the heart of the matter especially during the initial meeting with Jehovah's witnesses. When witnesses bring these subjects up in my experience during the course of our talks I usually say something like well you know that's an interesting subject.
We should revisit that but how about a later date? Let's continue the discussion we are having now with regard to the personal work of Christ for example. A third guideline to remember is to discuss only the major doctrinal subjects such as the deity of Christ, the person of the Holy Spirit, salvation by faith, the triune nature of God, the resurrection, things like that.
Alpha and Omega Ministries provide some tremendous resources to assist you in witnessing for Christ to Jehovah's witnesses. We have tracks, tapes, we even have courses that we have held at churches where we emphasize Bible memory verses and understanding the background of the people you are witnessing to.
Hopefully what we provide today will contain a structure for you to follow concerning these main issues. Perhaps this program today will stimulate that. It is best to stay on one subject. Focus on who is Christ, his deity, his work and exhaust it before moving on and jumping to another subject.
The Jehovah's Witnesses train to do that, to move you on, to get you where they want to be. Stay focused on the subject. A fourth guideline to remember is always read the full context of scripture and point out the key verses to the Jehovah's Witness.
Be willing to ask them how they think the verse means. What do they think it means? After giving their explanation, respond with a biblical understanding of the passage in its context. It is very important.
Always read the context. For example, if you are quoting from Luke's Gospel concerning the resurrection of Christ in Luke chapter 24, go open your Bible. Luke chapter 24 verses 36 -43. If you go to Luke 24, 36 -43, read all the verses and then what you do is you ask them how they understand what it says.
What does it say? Not what does the society teach you. What does the scripture say? In Luke 24, 36 Christ is appearing to the disciples and says while they were telling these things he himself stood in their midst, taught Christ, talking about Christ.
But they were startled and frightened and thought they were seeing a spirit. And Jesus said to them why are you troubled and why do their doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet that as I myself touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.
You see that? So you would focus on verse 39, ask them what did Christ say? And let them see the context. Let them see the scriptures for themselves. Another guideline to remember is don't expect an instant conversion the first time you witness to a Jehovah's Witness.
They have been conditioned to think in certain ways contributing to their spiritual blindness to the truth of God's word. Stay focused on the subject at hand and make all attempts to clarify what you mean.
It is uncommon for Jehovah's Witnesses to be converted to Christ with one encounter. I personally can count on one hand the number of Jehovah's Witnesses that have come to faith in Christ in my presence.
I have been sharing with them for over 15 years. It is primarily seed planting for me. Because of the power of Satan upon the lives it will take several if not many periods of discussions if they stay with you.
Many Jehovah's Witnesses, I will take one for example, last weekend I had this nice gentleman, we talked a little bit, we talked about who Christ was and as we began to look at what the scripture said he had some concerns and questions.
He wrote them down and I encouraged him to come back and let's talk about it again. He promised that he would. I suspect given the history of how witnesses work he will bring a more experienced individual to come talk with me and I anticipate that that will happen and after that it may not happen again.
Especially when they know that you know the scriptures but see it's not for me to judge that. It's not for me to keep from talking to them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is for me to plant the seed and trust the Holy Spirit to work his work in them.
It has been said that they are brainwashed to think a certain way and this is one of the main reasons they cannot receive the truth. However remember what Paul said to Timothy, 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 24 through 26.
The bond sermon of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition if perhaps God may grant them repentance and the knowledge of the truth they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been held captive by him to do his will but when we stay focused in our witness to them and clearly and precisely define our terms God will use this approach in breaking down their defenses and their spiritual blindness but remember that they can be led to the saving knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ but it will take time, patience, work and prayer.
Now finally the final principle, another principle to remember and it's strategic and that is remember that the Holy Spirit will use the truth of God's Word to penetrate into their hearts. He will bring the conviction of their need for salvation in Christ.
Always share how God chose to save you. Regardless of how blind a person might be in the truth of God to the truth of God's Word we have the assurance and confidence that the Holy Spirit of God is present and at work upon the hearts and minds of those who hear the truth of the gospel.
It will either condemn or judge them in their sins or it will set them free. John 16 .8 tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. We need to believe what our Lord told us about the Holy Spirit there.
As we present the truth of God's Word to Jehovah's Witnesses the Holy Spirit of God is the one who convicts, he's the one who draws and illuminates their hearts and minds to the reality of the true Jesus Christ.
Every Christian can have a bold confidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in the witnessing encounter. He is able to penetrate their spiritual blindness and their spiritual darkness and reveal his gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let not the Christian despair. Another resource to use in sharing with the Jehovah's Witnesses is what is referred to as your own personal testimony. How did God save you? In other words share the chain of events that surrounded how you came to hear about salvation in Christ and what contributed to your coming to him by faith, the people maybe that were involved.
It's not taking credit away from the sovereign God who drew us, chose us, saved us, regenerated us by the Holy Spirit of God. But this is very vital, vitally important when sharing with Jehovah's Witnesses because they have not experienced that.
The witness needs to hear from those who have been saved by God and he can know that the general call for him is necessary. He needs to heed that. For example, look at what St. Peter tells us. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
That's in 1 Peter 2 .9. Your personal testimony of how Christ saved you can have a powerful impact upon Jehovah's Witnesses and can be used of God to help lead them to Christ. In your testimony you can review things like how your life was before Christ saved you.
We don't want to talk about my life before Christ saved me. But perhaps you can share how there was a need for forgiveness of sins. There was a need for eternal life, a need to know the God who formed you.
Maybe you dealt with fear or other things. Then secondly, how you came to faith in Christ and what you did about it. In other words, perhaps you were at a church, you heard the gospel and you heard the message and here are some verses and it prompted you to call upon Christ and call upon his name and ask him to forgive you and receive him as Lord and Savior as some have termed.
Explaining that what you were doing was responding to the regeneration, the working of God in your life and how you were calling upon him because he tells us to call upon him. And then share thirdly what your life has been since coming to faith in Christ.
What has happened after Christ has saved you? Be diligent in prayer and study of God's word. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you in each encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses. Only with the patience of Job can one be effective in witnessing and leading Jehovah's Witnesses to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The results of winning them to Christ are worth the effort and the energy spent towards his good purpose. Now when we come back from our break and we are going to be taking some of your calls and some of you have a lot of questions there, perhaps questions about Jehovah's Witnesses, maybe you are a Jehovah's Witness, maybe you have an encounter and there is a particular point that you are really having difficulty with.
We are going to look at an outline, various topics and verses that you can use as you share with these guidelines. Understanding the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, understanding some of what they teach and in understanding what is important for you as a believer as you share with Christ, with them about Christ, you can now take some actual verses from God's word and begin to expound upon them with the Jehovah's Witness.
Now we are going to do this when we come back from break and we are going to do this when we come back from break and I want you to get your Bibles out, everyone who is out there, get your Bibles out and we will look at things like Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, we are going to look at the Trinity, the resurrection, salvation, heaven and hell.
Those are the things we are going to touch on I would say because this is just tremendous, there is just so much to cover and we are going to look at scripturally how it is imperative for us to show that Jesus Christ is eternal, that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God, not an angel called Michael the Archangel.
How the Holy Spirit is a person and how the Holy Spirit of God is not only God, he is the one who calls us, convicts us. So when we come back from break I look forward to your calls so give a call at 274 -1360 or 1 -888 -550 -1360 that's 274 -1360, look forward to your call.
Welcome back, we are here live at the studios at KPXQ and this is Benny Diaz, Dr. White, James White is in Southern California and various and sundry speaking engagements, busy preaching and teaching the gospel and edifying the body of Christ out there and your calls are welcome here at 274 -1360, that's 602 -274 -1360.
If you have any questions or If you are out of the Phoenix area you can call us at 1 -888 -550 -1360, that's 1 -888 -550 -1360 and we have callers here, we are going to pick up in just a moment here. We just laid the foundation, we gave a background and we also gave a brief history of the Jehovah's Witnesses and what the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society teaches with regard to Jesus, salvation, eternal life, hell and we are going to begin to look at as we talk to our callers an outline that would help assist you in sharing with Christ.
There are guidelines that we need to keep in mind when talking to a Jehovah's Witness about Jesus and about the gospel and with that I think we will just begin by speaking to Dusanka, I think we have Dusanka on the air who has called us here from Phoenix.
Welcome, are you on the air.
There? Yes, I'm here. How are you? Fine, how are you? How can we help you today? Yeah, I have two question maker. I do have a neighbor that she comes over and she is my neighbor. She brings every Saturday some of these magazines.
Yes. And well, I just trashed them in the garbage but I can't. She is really long, long time into no way you can talk to her and so and then you mentioned how they believe like a man serving Satan on this earth and they believe.
Is that correct? What was that about Satan? Okay, this earth is run by the demons right at the moment. Well, the Bible says that.
The God of this world has blinded the eyes of the unbelieving that they might not see the image of the glory of Christ. In other words, Satan is busy out there trying to blind people from seeing Jesus.
But we have the hope, Desanka, that Jesus Christ, the gates of hell will not prevail against what Christ has done. He has built his church of believers and that church, nothing can stop the church and not even Satan or the gates of hell can stop the proclamation, the proclaiming of the good news of Jesus.
Christ. Okay, but my other question, I'm really questioning Western and the Western world Christianity. Yes. I question very much so. The reason why, you know, is the Western world Christianity working with the government, like for example, exterminate some other part of the Christian world, like let's say the Balkan area.
Is there a lot of Christian Balkans in the Balkans there are persecuted every day. There are churches burned. There are priests killed. There are nuns raped. And when I listen to Christian talk radio, they will never, never mention that area over there.
They only talk about Sudan suffering, which I understand. But my problem is with the world in the Western Christian world is who you people really are. I want to know so bad because the Balkan area is Christian country, a lot of Christian country, which is Christian world in the Western world never want to mention those people suffering in that area and I want to know why.
Well, that's a good question. However, today's discussion and what we're talking about is about what does the Jehovah's Witness organization teach and what are Christians supposed to do about that? See, Christ, though that's very important and very vital for a lot of people there in the Balkans as well as in other places in the world, the most important thing for our Lord was he commissioned us to go and preach the gospel.
He told us to tell people about the good news of Jesus Christ. It is very, very important for us to tell about what man needs more than anything else, though the persecution of people is very, very sad.
It is unfortunate and it should stop in some areas. It should be prevented. The most important thing is a man's soul and Desanka, when we look at your own life and your own soul before God, it is very important for you to have come to terms with Christ, to know who he is and to know whether or not you have placed your faith entirely upon him or is your faith in someone else, other things, is it on people, is it in an organization and see the Jehovah's Witnesses, their faith is in an organization, their hope is not a hope in Christ and eternal life in heaven and so that is vitally important for us that we share the good news, that we get the good news out there and Desanka, that you yourself perhaps examine yourself and ask whether or not have I come to faith in Christ, is my faith entirely on Jesus Christ?
You see, that is the common denominator, whether you are western civilization or the eastern civilization, Europe, Africa, Christians all have faith in Christ and the only Christ there is, is the true Christ who is revealed to us and given to us in the scriptures, in the Bible.
Do you have a Bible in your.
Native language or in English? I have a Bible, I can, I have so many books in the Bible that I can open a store, I am a Christian, Orthodox Christian believer. I am very much a believer in Jesus Christ and nobody can change my, no Jehovah is going to change my mind but see Jehovah right now goes in the Balkan, he goes to the Eastern Europe, Mormons, Jehovah change these Christian Orthodox and even another, another Christianity goes over there and we're going to help you if you become one of us and you know what, my, my really concern is, those people in the Eastern Europe and the Balkan, they already, there are 2 ,000 old Christians religion there, if we go back and really see the truth from the, from the, from the 23 AD, that's since Christian Orthodox became, but see and everybody want to change him to their, whatever they want to and they want to help them including Jehovah, it's like they come on my door, they go on over there where I came from at the Balkan, at the Russia, and it's, I just don't understand, I mean you can do it, help the people, give them the Bible and lead them through but you know like, like, okay Catholics also, they go all over and...
Dusanka, Dusanka, now is there a question you have with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses, is there a question on how do you share with them that would help you?
I would like to ask a question how I can tell them, I already told them who I am, but you know, a little, a little more truth to leave me alone, stay away from my, whatever. Yes, well... In a nice way.
Okay, what I will do then, I.
Think what would be good right now is I will put you on hold and I will arrange to get your address so that we can send you information about Alpha and Omega Ministries, send you some tracks and information that might help you in sharing with your Jehovah's Witness friend and then from that, that will lead up and build up and perhaps develop some other questions that you might have for us and then I would encourage you to contact us again so that we can help you through that once you begin that process with your friends.
Is that okay with you? That's fine. Okay, very good, I will put you on hold here and they will pick you up there on the other line and they will get your address so we can send information to her. We would encourage all of the rest of you to call if you have questions at 274 -1360 with regard to the teachings of the Watchtower and Bible and Track Society, better known as Jehovah's Witnesses.
We were approaching the area of the, like an outline. In other words, Benny, okay, let's say we understand the background historically, we understand what they teach, we don't agree with it but where do we begin?
What do we do to begin as Christians to share with Jehovah's Witnesses? Well the first place to always begin is not on the side issues but on the topic of who Jesus Christ is. We must show them scripturally that Christ is the eternal only begotten Son of God and not the first created being called Michael the Archangel.
Now there are some key passages in the Bible. For instance in Jehovah's Witnesses teaching regarding Christ they teach that the scriptures speak of God's son and the word was a God. He is a mighty God but not the almighty God who is Jehovah.
They say he is the Son of God but not God himself. He was the direct and first creation of Jehovah God. These are their own writings. He had a beginning according to Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus was created by God.
He was Michael the Archangel. However, Christians believe and teach that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the second person of the triune God who became the God-man and he is truly God and truly man.
If we go and look at certain passages in scripture we find that that's exactly what's being taught in the Bible. You see when it speaks of him as a Son of God, the only Son of God or only begotten, it's a word in the language of the Greek New Testament is monogenes weos which means the unique one, the unique in kind, the one and the only.
He is unique. He is the only begotten of the Father. He is not the first created from God. If we look at the most common passage that Jehovah's Witnesses will use is in John chapter 1. As a matter of fact if you go through the whole book of John you will find that that is probably the most resourceful place for you to begin with teaching Jehovah's Witnesses what the Bible teaches about God, about Jesus Christ.
In John 1, 1 the most popular verses in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Most translations teach that. However if you talk with Jehovah's Witnesses they will say no, no, no.
That first verse says that Jesus was a God and so when you open up their Bible and by the way their Bible is called the New World Translation. It may help you to not use their translation. It is a mistranslation of the Bible and how do I know that?
Do you have to be a Greek scholar? No. If you go to John chapter 1 verse 1 and you ask the Jehovah's Witnesses to open their Bible and use what is called their kingdom in a linear translation you will find that in John 1, 1 their translation is on the right side.
In other words that is what their New Testament looks like. On the left side you will see a bunch of Greek stuff, Greek words and that is the Greek New Testament. It is from the Westcott and Hort text but underneath that is the English translation, direct translation underneath that by Westcott and Hort and even in their own Bible it contradicts their rendering of that passage.
It says in their Bible in the beginning was a word and the word was with God and the word was a God. However looking underneath the Greek on the left side even if you are not a Greek scholar you can see that it says in the beginning was the word and the word was toward the God and God was the word.
There is no a God and that is where a lot of times I will begin with the Jehovah's Witness and ask them why did you put an a there when even the Greek text that you are using doesn't use a God. If you go further on in John chapter 1 it does a tremendous job of telling us who Jesus Christ really is.
In John chapter 1 and continuing all the way down to verse 18 it says not only was the word was God but in verse 2 he was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by him. That is speaking about Jesus.
All things came into being by Jesus. And apart from Jesus nothing came into being that has come into being. That pretty much solves that the question of who was created or who wasn't. Later on in verse 14 it says and the word became flesh and the only begotten dwelt among us and we beheld his glory.
Glory as of the only begotten from the father full of grace and truth. There is where Christ tells us that the word who was eternal, the word who was face to face with God, the word who all things came into being by became flesh.
And finally in verse 18 in John chapter 1 we are told that no man has seen God at any time. The only begotten God who is in the bosom of the father he has explained him. These verses if anything cause a stumbling block for the Jehovah's Witness.
These verses begin to support the Christian's view of God rather than the Jehovah's Witnesses view of God. You know when I speak about who Jesus Christ is it never escapes our conversation for the Jehovah's Witnesses to mention that Jesus Christ is a God.
He is something short of the true God. So what would help you in sharing with Jehovah's Witnesses is perhaps to just go back in the Old Testament there at this point and to go to Isaiah chapter 43 all the way to Isaiah 48 and you will see some significant places there that speak about Jehovah God.
Places that speak of who Jehovah God really is and what he says about himself. For instance if you go in the book of Isaiah chapter 43 .10, Isaiah 43 .10 in your Bibles you will find that Jehovah is speaking and Jehovah has something to say.
In verse 43 .10 he says you are my witnesses declares Jehovah and by the way I am rendering it kind of like what the Jehovah's Witnesses Bible says. And my servant whom I have chosen in order that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.
Before me there was no God form and there will be none after me. I even I am the Lord or Jehovah and there is no savior besides me. And time and time again like in chapter 44 I am the first, I am the last and there is no God besides me.
Time and time again the Old Testament in Isaiah tells us that Jehovah God is God, there is no other God and he knows of no other God. I usually ask my Jehovah's Witness friend well does God know everything?
Does Jehovah know everything? Yes of course. He says he knows of no other God and that's true. Well then how is it that Jesus is a God? And then they will go on to explain to you that they believe that there are other Gods like Satan is a God, judges were Gods but with a little G and that Jesus is a God with a little G.
And for instance they are right. Peter, I mean the Apostle Paul says in Corinthians there are Lords many and Gods many but to us there is only one true God. But that forces the Jehovah's Witness to begin to place Jesus in the category of a false God.
You have the true God which Jehovah says there is, all other Gods are false Gods and for the Jehovah's Witness to place Jesus Christ as a God with a little G is to place Jesus Christ in the category of a false God and Scripture does not support that and that causes confusion for the Jehovah's Witness.
Do not be afraid to look at Scripture. Do not be afraid to share with Jehovah's Witnesses with regard to who Christ is. But let me point out a couple of other places with regard to Christ and John many times in the book of John you will find Jesus will call himself I am.
In other words an example in John 8 .58 Jesus says before Abraham was I am and in other places he would say the same thing. He said it when they tried to arrest him and everybody fell down at what Christ said.
One of the interesting notes if you look at those passages is that when he says that they always want to throw stones at him. They always wanted to stone him and throw rocks at him. Why? Because they knew that that was a claim to deity.
For Christ to say ego I me which is what is stated in the Greek is for him to claim deity. For him to call himself God and that is why the Jews wanted to stone Jesus. But my listener if you will just go back and look at when Moses went to speak to Jehovah and the burning bush and Jehovah asked or Moses asked Jehovah who do I tell him sent me?
What was his response? God said tell him I am has sent you. You see that is why the Jews wanted to stone him and that is one of many reasons why the Christian believes what Christ said about himself. Jesus said you shall die in your sins for unless you believe that I am you shall die in your sins.
He said he called himself the I am to the Jews. They wanted to stone him. We as Christians to be a Christian is to believe that Christ is the I am. Now mind you we are not saying that Jesus is the father.
We are not saying that at all. You see it is real tempting for us to go and speak about the Trinity and the triune nature of God. But it is almost impossible to begin to just barely comprehend what the Bible teaches about the Trinity or the triune nature of the living God without first establishing the fact that the Bible teaches that the father is God.
The Bible teaches that Jesus is God or shares the nature of the being of God. And finally the scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit shares the nature of the being of God. Now once you are convinced once you see clearly that scripture does teach that all three persons share the nature of the being of God and once we begin to see that the scriptures clearly teach that God is one.
There is only one being. We begin to see how God has revealed himself and we begin to see how Christ can call himself God and why they wanted to stone him and why he is the Lord King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Now as we speaking of the Holy Spirit and there is much more that can be said about Christ. I mean in Colossians 2 9 for all the fullness of deity. The fullness of God. Dwells in bodily form. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form.
It is speaking about Christ. In Hebrews 1 1 tells us about how Christ created all things. Colossians 1 18 tells us how Christ created all things. Now the New World Translation of Jehovah's Witnesses says he created all other things but Christ is God to the believer to the Christian.
These are just but some of the many many verses that you can begin to share with Jehovah's Witnesses and with the Holy Spirit I am always reminded it is always interesting to see the reaction of Jehovah's Witnesses when I go back to 2 Corinthians chapter 3.
If you have your Bible 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and you look at verse I believe it is 17. It is really interesting when I show them this. Even in their translation it says now Jehovah is the spirit and where the spirit of Jehovah is there is liberty.
You see that? There as well as other places like the Holy Spirit speaking, the Holy Spirit prompting, the Holy Spirit convicting, the Holy Spirit grieving, etc. etc. contradicts what the society has taught Jehovah's Witnesses about the Holy Spirit just being an active force, an impersonal active force.
Scripture is clear to teach that the Holy Spirit is personal and he shares in the nature of the being of God. Now, then we come to the Trinity. I think we can't even get to that given the time we have.
The resurrection, just the resurrection. I read that verse to you earlier from the book of Luke chapter 24. Jesus said see my hands and feet that as I myself touch me and see that a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.
Jesus was resurrected. That which died was raised from the dead. Scripture goes on to speak in 1 Corinthians 15 about the resurrection. But we as Christians must show the Jehovah's Witness the truths of who Jesus is, the Holy Spirit, the triune nature of God, the resurrection, salvation, heaven and hell.
We have information that would help you. We have tracks on have you been made righteous. It talks about what it means to be made righteous. Not relatively righteous but righteous before God. How does one become right before God and know they have one hope and eternal life with God wherever he might be.
Not just 144 ,000 people. We have another track that asks the question is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Christian? We have also another one called Hiding the Divine Name where there are clear instances in Scripture where the Hebrew translation of the Bible has places referring to Christ but using the name that was reserved only for Jehovah in the Old Testament, Yahweh.
We also have tracks on what grace is. What is grace? What is faith in Christ? How do I come to know Christ and saving faith? Either as a Jehovah's Witness or a Christian who could use these resources in sharing with Jehovah's Witnesses.
We would encourage you to give us a call or write us and at the close of this program I will have an address for you that you can either go to our website at www .aomin .org or call us at our phone number and we would be more than happy to send you information with regard to how to share with Jehovah's Witnesses what the Gospel is.
How do I reach them? I know that we could have covered a lot more and also we want to apologize that we understand that due to technical difficulties we had no live internet broadcast this week. It is supposed to be restored for us by next week.
We really do apologize for that. These technical difficulties could be attributed to a lot of things but we trust that the Lord will get this word out to you and you will be edified and God will be glorified with that.
It has been a real joy to spend some time with you, to share with you about what the Gospel is and what Jehovah's Witnesses teach to hopefully give you some insight if not stimulate you so that you might be what Peter called a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people for God's own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of the one who called you out of this darkness into a marvelous light.
We trust that God will strengthen you and give you the courage and the boldness to not be afraid of the Gospel, not be afraid of these groups but get serious with your relationship with God and to study his word, to be a workman that does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
It is our call. It is a wonderful privilege to be able to go out there and tell people about the king, the real king, the real Jesus and to tell them the truth that will set them free. What a marvelous privilege for us as his people to do that.
We would also encourage you to listen next week as Dr. White will return and when he returns I am sure he will have a wonderful and action-packed discussion. He will be able to fill you in perhaps on what his traveling adventures have been like.
He has done a marvelous work. We need to keep James White in our prayers and we will keep you in ours as God prepares us for the next day as we serve him and we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to those in Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholicism, Atheism, and all who need the light, all who need the message.
We trust you will be a part of that. Godspeed.
The Dividing Line has been brought to you by Alpha and Omega Ministries. If you would like to contact us call us at 602 -973 -4602 or write us at P .O. Box 37106 Phoenix, Arizona 85069. You can also find us on the World Wide Web at aomin .org.
That's A-O-M-I-N .org. Find a complete listing of James White's books, tapes, debates, and tracks. Join us again next Saturday afternoon at 2pm for The Dividing Line.