So last Saturday a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to the door. We talked on my front door step for probably about half an hour or so. They wanted to talk about end times, but I wanted to talk about Jesus. I managed to get the conversation around to that, but shortly after we got into that topic they said they had to go, but they promised to come back today to talk further. To be honest, I didn’t think they would show. But they did!
This morning we spent a couple of hours discussing the topic “Who was/is Jesus?” I told them that if we don’t get that question right, nothing else matters. Eschatology (end times), baptism, the “do”s and “don’t”s of daily living — we can agree on all of it, and none of it matters if we don’t get the fundamental question of Jesus right.
I learned a thing or two.
- I learned that JW’s believe that Jesus was only a man, the first created being, but perfect. They believe that the Father gave Jesus authority to be the savior for mankind.
- I also learned that they know their Bible (New World Translation) quite well, and were very good at directing the conversation to the passages which they believed supported their point. I do wish Christians had that kind of familiarity with our Bible.
- I also learned that their translation is simply not accurate, and that has very real implications. For instance, in their translation, Colossians 1:16 says that all other things were created through Him [Jesus] and for Him. That word “other” is not in the Greek, and is pivotal to their argument that Christ, too, was created, before He created everything else.
- I learned that even Greek bibles can differ, and thus our English translations can differ. For instance, in John 1:18, some Greek bibles have “the only begotten God (Gk: Theon),” and some Greek bibles have “the only begotten Son (Gk: uios).” Thus, the KJ version translates it as Son, whereas the NAS, ESV and NIV translate it as God. Not sure how that difference affects the exegesis and application of the verse, but it ain’t irrelevant.
I told my new friends up front that I could not change their minds, and I wasn’t going to try. Only the Holy Spirit could do that. All I could do was put Scripture on the table and look at it. So that’s what we did.
I am so inadequate. I felt like Moses must have felt when he threw down his rod and it turned into a snake, but then Janis and Jambres threw down their rods and they also turned into snakes. I was waiting for God to show up and prove me right. But here’s the good news: I don’t have to be adequate. I just have to be obedient. God will show up in His way, in His time. So I pray simply that God’s Word would not return void, but would accomplish it’s purpose.
