J.W.s at the Door

It was mid-morning and I happened to be home when the duo knocked on our front door. Most likely the two women, one in her 40s, the other a teenager, assumed they would be greeted by the woman of the home. And, most likely, they were Jehovah’s Witnesses making the rounds in our neighborhood.

As I opened the door, the more mature of the two (I discovered later that this was a mother/daughter team) immediately spoke up, “Good morning, we are going door-to-door throughout your neighborhood and would like to leave you some literature on the Bible and how it has foretold some of the events we are witnessing in the world today.”

“Good morning,” I replied, “are you with the Jehovah’s Witnesses?” I thought I might as well cut to the quick in order to move the conversation away from the “end times” and onto more pertinent matters. [Though the Jehovah’s Witnesses often attempt to engage a discussion based on what the Bible teaches about the “last days,” it is my desire to move the discussion to focus in on the Person of Christ and the hope of salvation. The JWs teach that Jesus was merely “a god” and they emphasis the necessity of maintaining good works as a basis of salvation.]

“Yes,” came the nervous reply, “may we leave you some of our literature.” At this point, the mom held up the magazine she was carrying along with her Bible. She continued, “Were you aware that the Bible contains prophecies concerning many of the world events we are experiencing today?”

“Yes and I will make you a deal,” I offered. “I will look at your material if you are willing to allow me to show you one of my favorite passages in the Bible.”

She seemed a bit surprised [she had evidently not been instructed how to deal with this particular response], but consented to my plan. The daughter remained stoic, her eyes like glass; she had evidently been told not to say anything but simply observe her mom’s interactions.

“May I borrow your New World Translation of the Bible?” I queried.

“Oh, you want to borrow my Bible?” Once again, the woman seemed a bit surprised. If you are not familiar with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they carry their own version of the Bible—the other translations, according to JW doctrine, are full of errors. [Though the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that textual critics—those who study the ancient manuscripts as well as the translations by which they are represented—support their claim that the New World Translation (NWT) is of superior quality, I do not know of any who do. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Insertions into the text—which have virtually no grammatical support—have been made which allow particular passages to support JW teachings which are at odds with orthodox Christian teaching. Yet, the passages to which I refer remain, by-in-large, unaffected by the emendations of the NWT editors.]

“Yes! That would be great!” I readily replied.

Handing her Bible to me, I turned to Titus 3:4-7. “This is one of the passages I share most often with my Jehovah’s Witness friends [so I proceeded to read from her NWT]:

However, when the kindness and the love for man on the part of our Savior, God, was manifested, owing to no works in righteousness that we had performed, but according to his mercy he saved us through the bath that brought us to life and through the making of us new by holy spirit. This [spirit] he poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, that, after being declared righteous by virtue of the undeserved kindness of that one, we might become heirs according to a hope of everlasting life. (NWT, emphasis mine)

Isn’t this great! From what the Apostle Paul has written here, it is clear that our salvation is based on God’s effort, not our own.” [I do realize that the wording of this passage has been adjusted to suit JW teaching. However, notice how even in the New World Translation of this passage Paul's affirmation of Christ's deity--where he refers to both God and Christ as "Savior"--remains in tact.]

The woman almost responded as though on cue: “Yes, salvation is by God and we receive it as we believe and obey the commands of God.” Her reply was perfectly in line with JW doctrine—one’s relationship with God is contingent upon one’s obedience to the commands of God.

“But,” and I felt it important to firmly, yet gently, refer back to the point of the passage, “I must point out that the Apostle Paul does not say that here. Notice the key words in these verses: kindness, love, mercy, undeserved kindness [e.g. grace]. Then, notice what else Paul says in verse 5; this salvation is ‘owing to no works of righteousness we had performed’ and, in verse 7, he tells us that we have the ‘hope [I always emphasize this word in that I’ll return to it in a moment.] of everlasting life.’"

Both mother and daughter remained silent. So...I continued!

"As you know [now I’ve turned my attention away from the mom and am looking intently at the teenage daughter], the word ‘hope’ in the Bible is not used in the way we use it today—like ‘I hope to go to the mall today’ or ‘I hope it doesn’t rain’—but is better understood by the phrase ‘confident expectation.’ In other words, it would be like saying, ‘I hope to return home after we’re through visiting the people in this neighborhood.’ You are confident that is what you will do. You have the full capability to realize your plan. Likewise, Paul wants to convey to his readers the confident expectation they can have as a result of the salvation they have received by God’s grace, or as the New World Translation says, His ‘undeserved kindness.’”

The more I talked, the more anxious the mom became. The conversation was not going as she had hoped. I knew it would not be long before she would excuse herself and recommend that I talk with someone more experienced than she [a typical procedure for the JWs]. My desire at this point was simply to share with them as much from God’s Word as possible—and from their own version which they accept and let the Spirit [whom JWs consider only a “force”] accomplish His divine work.

“Let me show you one additional passage: Ephesians 2:8-9.” I turned to the passage and, once again, read from the woman’s New World Translation:

By this undeserved kindness, indeed, YOU have been saved through faith; and this not owing to YOU, it is God’s gift. No, it is not owing to works, in order that no man should have ground for boasting.

"It seems clear that the Apostle Paul is stressing the fact that salvation is a gift from God based on the sacrifice of Christ—and not contingent upon anything that you or I might do. In fact, if you think about the life story of the Apostle Paul—where the risen Christ appeared to him in a vision on the road to Damascus, Syria—it is a story of incredible grace. Even as he was on his way to persecute followers of Jesus, he witnessed the living Christ in such a way he became one of the greatest early proponents of the Christian message. His conversion experience greatly influenced his teaching.” [Note: The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus was raised spiritually; his was not a bodily resurrection. This may give some explanation to what now follows.]

With the rendition of Paul’s testimony, I was greeted with two blank stares. I realized that neither mother nor daughter recollected much of the account of the Apostle Paul’s conversion as recorded in Acts [see chapters 22 and 26].

“Yes, I do remember somewhat that story now.” The mother’s lack of confidence was evident; I still was uncertain as to whether or not the mother knew much, if any, of the account of Paul’s conversion. She continued, “I think it would be a good idea if I let you talk with someone more knowledgeable about these matters.” The mother was clearly looking for an exit line.

“You are presenting the teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses accurately,” I assured her. I prayed that God would grant me wisdom; it was not my desire to embarrass her or her daughter, only to present a message of “salvation hope”—a message perhaps neither had heard before. “But I must be honest and tell you that I believe the Bible clearly teaches salvation is a gift from God, not based on any human effort, and that the believer can have confidence in his or her eternal relationship with God.”

“So, do you think that the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach error?” she questioned.

“Yes, I do.” With that response, I was pretty assured that my time had come to an end. Yet, I still wanted to leave these two, well-intentioned individuals with more of God’s truth. Still holding her Bible, I turned to I John 5. “Let me leave you with one final passage of Scripture. It is found in a letter of the Apostle John near the book of Revelation." [I then read the passage cited below.]

And this is the witness given, that God gave us everlasting life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has this life; he that does not have the Son of God does not have this life. I write YOU these things that YOU may know that YOU have life everlasting, YOU who put YOUR faith in the name of the Son of God. [emphasis found in NWT]

"In this passage the Apostle John affirms the confidence one who has placed his or her faith in Christ can have. It is a sure knowledge, not a ‘hope so-’ or ‘think so-’type knowledge.”

With that our conversation ended. The mother and daughter thanked me for my time. I returned to the mother her Bible, and I reminded her that I had agreed to look at the magazine she had offered me at the start of our conversation. She handed me the JW publication and both left quietly.

As I write, my prayer is that God will, by His Spirit, penetrate their hearts with the truth of His Word and the confidence true salvation brings—a salvation not made by man but offered by God at His Son’s expense. Still mother and daughter would need to understand, and accept, who Jesus is (God's Son, thus divine; not just “a god” as JW doctrine teaches), but that would remain for another conversation, with another person, at another time—a conversation, person and time God will have to orchestrate.