John and onwards for a start?
Bible Study with JW Starts with the book of John
by FingersCrossed 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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wannabefree
How will you ever get past John 1:1?
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FingersCrossed
Lol!!! Maybe we'll mark that down for future discussion, and see what the rest of the Gospel say about it.
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garyneal
Ask him what does John 20:28 mean to him. This should be interesting.
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Darth Eowyn
Read John 10:30 and then ask them if Jesus is God. Hilarity ensues.
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Amelia Ashton
Oneness in co-operation is the explanation in the refence bible.
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Ding
Odds are they won't go all the way through John 1 in this fashion, let alone the whole book. They'll want to jump to their proof-texts of John 8:58 ("I have been" -- NWT) and John 14:28.
However, if they do go verse by verse, some other interesting passages in John are:
John 1:3 (nothing made without the Word... doesn't say all OTHER things...)
John 2:19-21 (both regarding the physical nature of Jesus' resurrection and who does the raising and consciousness after death)
John 3:3 (born again)
John 3:16 (doesn't require affiliation with an organization)
John 5:22-23 (honoring the Son as you honor the Father)
John 5:39-40 (coming to Jesus for life is a foreign concept to a JW)
John 17:5 (restoring glory Jesus shared with the Father)
John 20:27-28 (interesting regarding both the nature of Jesus' resurrection and his identity).
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Christ Alone
Personally I find a study of Romans to initially be helpful to JWs rather than John. For John all the "problems" that the JW faces are doctrinal and impersonal to them. They will argue against Jesus being God because they have been constantly taught against this. They will not want to stick to John, but will want to skip all over the New Testament (Greek Scriptures to them) and "prove" that Jesus was created.
However, Romans can be different. Romans 8:11 is specifically hard for a JW. " If, now, the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in YOU, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also make YOUR mortal bodies alive through his spirit that resides in YOU."
The problem is that Paul does not give any other option. There is either to live by the Spirit, which is life. Or live as to flesh, which is death. You must either be anointed, or be unacceptable to God.
Anyway, I wish you luck in your study with the JW in John. But I would consider attempting to shift to a discussion about Romans and it's obvious implications towards those that do not feel that they must be spirit anointed, or born again.
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admirmitch
If you elect to do it when you are at John 1.1, take a look in the middle for all of the cross references. If the Watchtower was consistent in utilizing the indifinite article (for "a god"), it should be present in all of the other verses which again it is not. Bring that point up to them and see what they say.