When Jehovah’s Witnesses Come Knocking

By Rev. Eric Lange

They’re at your door!!! Now what do you do? Peter tells you. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) Are you ready?

When it comes to Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is helpful not only to know what you believe, but also to be familiar with what they believe. They come with “another gospel which is really no gospel at all” (Galatians 1:6-7). You will use many of the same words, but with totally different meanings. It can be pretty confusing.

Jehovah’s Witnesses will talk about God’s Son, Jesus Christ. But the Jesus Christ of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is very different than the Jesus Christ we confess. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was at first only a spirit creature, that is, an angel. He was the first of God’s creations and God used Him to create all other things. Then He became a man—and only a man—so that He could provide a ransom for mankind. After His “resurrection” He once again became only a spirit creature. For Jehovah’s Witnesses, at no time was Jesus, “very God of very God,” nor can they confess that He is “begotten, not made.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses will talk about the ransom Christ paid for mankind, but they will argue that for it to be a genuine “ransom” it could only be the value of one human life. As proof of this they cite “an eye for an eye” (cf. Exodus 21:24). Thus, Jesus’ ransom obtains merely the opportunityfor human life that Adam lost for his children. This is also why, in the minds of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus could not be a man after His “resurrection” because He sacrificed His right to human life. Thus, He cannot take it back again.

When Jehovah’s Witnesses talk about “resurrection” they do not mean the returning of the soul or spirit to the body, as we do, but they actually mean that God “remembers” you and “recreates” you. When you die there is no “you” left, except in God’s memory. For Jehovah’s Witnesses, death means “ceasing to exist.” For us, death refers to “separation.” Therefore, we distinguish between three types of death: spiritual death, referring to our separation from God due to sin; physical death, referring to the separation of body and soul; and eternal death, referring to the eternal separation from God’s gracious presence.

Jehovah’s Witnesses also don’t believe that all believers will go to heaven. Taking the symbolism in the Book of Revelation literally, they believe only 144,000 will go to heaven. These, like Jesus, cease to be human, but become spirit beings. All other Jehovah’s Witnesses—what they call “the other sheep” or “the great multitude”—will live on “paradise earth.”

Most importantly, Jehovah’s Witnesses have no certainty of God’s favor, for it is based on their faithfulness, not Christ’s faithfulness. Because Jehovah’s Witnesses, like any other sinful human beings, fail to be perfectly “faithful,” they can never be sure of God’s love for them as individuals.

There are a few important things to remember when confronted with Jehovah’s Witnesses. First, not every Jehovah’s Witness is the same, so it is important to view them as individuals. Some will be aggressive and assertive, convinced that they have the truth and that you are in error. But others will be not so firmly attached to their beliefs. Even those who come to your door are not all the same. Many times one individual is a long-time Jehovah’s Witness and the other(s) are beginners. Second, you will be exposed to them in different contexts. Obviously, having a relative who is a Jehovah’s Witness is a different scenario than the stranger who comes to your door. If you can build a relationship, that is always helpful. This, of course, requires time and commitment. However, even when they come to the door you, as a Christian, ought to be able to “give the reason for the hope that you have.” Slamming the door in their faces does not begin to accomplish this. Peter reminds us to give the reason “with gentleness and respect.” Thus, we need to remember that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, we endeavor to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), even to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Slamming the door is easy, but it only further convinces Jehovah’s Witnesses that they have the truth because they view such actions as persecution. On the other hand, what would individual Jehovah’s Witnesses think if every time they came to a Lutheran door they heard, “Although I am open-minded and will take your literature, I am a Lutheran, and I have to tell you I am so blessed by my church and knowing all that Jesus has done and continues to do for me I just don’t see how anything could be better than what I already have. I hope you can possibly find this same comfort in your church, too.”

Witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses is a difficult task, and this article barely scratches the surface of their teachings. Nor does it discuss the Bible passages Jehovah’s Witnesses cite and the counterarguments that can be found in the Bible. For those you need to speak to your pastor, or you can contact me. But hopefully this article helps you to see the hope that you have and the need to be prepared to answer the Jehovah’s Witnesses, when they come knocking.

Rev. Eric Lange serves as pastor at Redemer Lutheran Church in Gresham, Oregon. He invites questions at rdmr-lcms@juno.com.