Study the Bible with JW - Any advice?

by FingersCrossed 60 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • trillaz
    trillaz
    On the 2nd part, that just believing is enough.. It does present a problem, but the Org is cunning enough.

    I'm agreeing with you right there, buth then again no one confronts or questions them about the basis for the organizational baptismal questions when one who is ready is fully aware of Matt 28:19. So why would they question going through a bunch of other stuff like Hebrews 5:12 states they should? Perhaps some do, and those are ones who are "not ready yet" and either escape before being baptised or go through more "intense study".

  • InterestedOne
    InterestedOne

    FingersCrossed wrote:

    My goal is to let him see what the Bible really says

    FYI: The JW's heavily use a little booklet called "What Does The Bible Really Teach?" which I mention partially because its content is probably etched in his mind and partially because I noticed how similar your wording is to theirs.

  • FingersCrossed
    FingersCrossed

    FYI: The JW's heavily use a little booklet called "What Does The Bible Really Teach?" which I mention partially because its content is probably etched in his mind and partially because I noticed how similar your wording is to theirs.

    Ooops!! Didn't know that it sounds like them but it is from my own words, because from what I can see he was so obsessed with the world end, wicked system and paganism that he barely talk about his identity in Christ and stuffs. It just bother me alot that why a person would focus so much on all these when Christianity is about who are we in Christ (in Christianity context of course, I know those who do not believe will think it is nonsense).

  • FingersCrossed
    FingersCrossed

    Another thing that I noticed is that when you point out the flaws of the WTS, the JW will point the same finger to other churches as "do you not think that other churches had never committed such mistakes etc?"

  • Ding
    Ding

    JWs have no sense of having an "identity in Christ," not even JWs who profess to be among the "anointed" 144,000.

    That concept is totally foreign to WT theology.

  • kurtbethel
    kurtbethel

    You have your work cut out for you, but it can be done.

    It is a lot of fun, because they have a rigid indoctrination about what the Bible is about that is at such great variance with what is written that when confronted with the actual text they will start spewing all sorts of nonsensical stuff, much of it outright funny.

    It is best if you don't have any doctrine that you need the Bible to prove, but are just willing to let it say what it will say.

    One thing that is helpful is to avoid the proof text trap. Verses were not written in isolation, but as part of a narrative, so you only get the meaning if you read a whole chapter or more. So do that. Any verse given to you should be part of an entire chapter, This will at least diffuse the point the JW was trying to make, and will often refute the point because they carefully excise the verse they want to prove something even if that is not what it really means.

    One technique is to parse your chapter and find out who is present, what are they doing and who is speaking. Graph it out. I did, and my JW saw that and often realized the Watchtower position was unworkable. Once that happens, let it go. Move on and don't make a fuss about it. They will stew on it, and you don't need to prove anything. Just say something noncommital, like "That's interesting." It's not about winning. If their mind gets guarded or closed up, you win nothing.

    If your JW insists on flipping you into the "What Does the Bible Really Teach" book, then get that copy of "Response to What Does the Bible Really Teach" by Wilbur Lingle. It will help you a lot. You can let a lot of things slide by, pick and choose where you want to call out the Watchtower nonsense.

    http://archive.org/details/ResponseToWhatDoesTheBibleReallyTeach

    It can be a train wreck when a JW tries to explain the Bible without their Watchtower aids. See for yourself.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww75UH2Io74

  • ABibleStudent
    ABibleStudent

    Hi FingersCrossed, If you are trying to help your JW friend, you should read Steve Hassan's books (i.e., "Combatting Cult Mind Control" and "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves') or visit Steve Hassan's website www.freedomofmind.com. If you are not familiar with interacting with Cult or former Cult members, you will be confused with how JWs or former JWs behave. Reading a bible with him may or may not help him. Your time might be better spent inviting your JW friend to meet more non-JWs and do fun activities together. I hope that you are not romantically attracted to your JW friend, because JWs and former JWs have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with that may cause you a lot of emotional drama. Good-luck!!

    As long as the JW is not trying to recruit you into the cult, I would recommend reading a Study Bible with your JW friend because of the annotations at the bottom of each page. I own a NIV Study Bible that helps me to put Bible verses in context with what scholars believe were occurring during Biblical times.

    Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

    Robert

  • smiddy
    smiddy

    Jehovah`s Witnesses are not bible students ,plain and simple .

    " " " students of the Watchtower and their ever changing interpretation of scripture is excused as new light .

    smiddy

  • jookbeard
    jookbeard

    dont waste your time, it wont be long before their litertrash is opened out in front of you guaranteed as you will be a prime target for "placements"

  • FingersCrossed
    FingersCrossed

    Thank you very much for your advice, ya all!

    Any suggestion on what are the rules/terms and conditions for the study?

    Eg. 1) No WTS literature 2) Reading the Bible words by words 3) ??

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