Exact same topic & scriptures posted on Reddit ex-JW 5 years ago - less arguments!
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/7qb7yh/14_questions_for_jws_to_consider/
The scriptures tell Christians to witness for
Christ - not for God.
(Matthew 10:18) And you will be brought before
governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and the
nations.
(Mark 13:9) “As for you, look out for
yourselves. People will hand you over to local courts, and you will
be beaten in synagogues and be put on the stand before governors and
kings for my sake, for a witness to them.
(Luke 24:47, 48) and on the basis of his (Jesus')
name, repentance for forgiveness of sins would be preached in all the
nations—starting out from Jerusalem. You are to be witnesses of
these things.
(John 1:15) (John bore witness about him, (Jesus)
yes, he cried out: “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one
coming behind me has advanced in front of me, for he existed before
me.’”)
(John 5:37) And the Father who sent me has himself
borne witness about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time
nor seen his form,
(John 8:18) I am one who bears witness about
myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”
(John 15:26, 27) When the helper comes that I will
send you from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which comes from
the Father, that one will bear witness about me; and you, in turn,
are to bear witness, because you have been with me from the
beginning.
(Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the
holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses of me in
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of
the earth.”
(Acts 10:39) And we are witnesses of all the
things he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; but
they did away with him by hanging him on a stake.
(Acts 10:43) To him (Jesus) all the prophets bear
witness, that everyone putting faith in him receives forgiveness of
sins through his name.”
(Acts 13:31) and for many days he became visible
to those who had gone with him from Galilee up to Jerusalem. These
are now his witnesses to the people.
(Acts 22:15) because you are to be a witness for
him (Jesus) to all men of the things you have seen and heard.
(Acts 22:20) and when the blood of Stephen your
witness was being spilled, I was standing by and approving and
guarding the outer garments of those doing away with him.’
(Acts 23:11) But the following night the Lord
stood by him and said: “Take courage! For just as you have been
giving a thorough witness about me in Jerusalem, so you must also
bear witness in Rome.”
(Acts 26:16) But rise and stand on your feet. This
is why I have appeared to you, to choose you as a servant and a
witness both of things you have seen and things I will make you see
respecting me.
(1 Corinthians 1:6) ...just as the witness about
the Christ has been made firm among you,
(1 Timothy 2:6, 7) ...who gave himself a
corresponding ransom for all—this is what is to be witnessed to in
its own due time. For the purpose of this witness I was appointed a
preacher and an apostle...............
(2 Timothy 1:8) So do not become ashamed either of
the witness about our Lord or of me,.......
(1 John 5:9) If we accept the witness of men, the
witness of God is greater. Because this is the witness God gives, the
witness that he has given about his Son.
(Revelation 1:9) I John, your brother and a sharer
with you in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in association
with Jesus, was on the island called Patmos for speaking about God
and bearing witness concerning Jesus.
(Revelation 12:17) So the dragon became enraged at
the woman and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her
offspring, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of
bearing witness concerning Jesus.
(Revelation 17:6) And I saw that the woman was
drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the
witnesses of Jesus.
(Revelation 19:10) At that I fell down before his
feet to worship him. But he tells me: “Be careful! Do not do that!
I am only a fellow slave of you and of your brothers who have the
work of witnessing concerning Jesus. Worship God! For the witness
concerning Jesus is what inspires prophecy.”
(Revelation 20:4) And I saw thrones, and those who
sat on them were given authority to judge. Yes, I saw the souls of
those executed for the witness they gave about Jesus......
Christians were to witness for Christ. There is
not a single verse in the Bible which commands Christians to witness
for God. Christ Jesus was God's appointed witness.
(Revelation 1:5) "....Jesus Christ, “the
Faithful Witness,”
(Revelation 3:14) "....the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation by God:"
(Revelation 19:11) "And the one seated on it
is called Faithful and True,.."
The following verses clearly demonstrate to all
Christians that they were to rely on Christ's name for all things -
because he was their mediator for all things.
(Isa. 62:2) “The nations will see your
righteousness, O woman, And all kings your glory. And you will be
called by a new name, [Christians] which Jehovah’s own mouth will
designate. (see Acts 11:26)
(Matthew 10:22) And you will be hated by all
people on account of my name, (Jesus) but the one who has endured to
the end will be saved.
(Matthew 18:20) For where there are two or three
gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.”
(Matthew 19:29) And everyone who has left houses
or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for
the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much and will
inherit everlasting life.
(Matthew 24:9) “Then people will hand you over
to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the
nations on account of my name.
(Luke 10:17) Then the 70 returned with joy,
saying: “Lord, even the demons are made subject to us by the use of
your name.”
(Luke 21:12) “But before all these things
happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you, handing
you over to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before
kings and governors for the sake of my name.
(Luke 21:16, 17) Moreover, you will be handed over
even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will
put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all people because
of my name.
(John 2:23) However, when he was in Jerusalem at
the festival of the Passover, many people put their faith in his
(Jesus') name when they saw the signs that he was
performing.
(John 5:27, 28) And he has given him authority to
do judging, because he is the Son of man. Do not be amazed at this,
for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will
hear his voice......
(John 14:26) But the helper, the holy spirit,
which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all
things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you.
(John 15:16) You did not choose me, but I chose
you, and I appointed you to go and keep bearing fruit and that your
fruit should remain, so that no matter what you ask the Father in my
name, he may give it to you.
(Acts 2:38) Peter said to them: “Repent, and let
each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the
holy spirit.
(Acts 3:6) However, Peter said: “Silver and gold
I do not possess, but what I do have is what I give you. In the name
of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”
(Acts 4:10) let it be known to all of you and to
all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the
Nazarene, whom you executed on a stake but whom God raised up from
the dead, by means of him this man stands here healthy in front of
you.
(Acts 8:16) For it had not yet come upon any one
of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.
(Acts 9:14-16) And here he has authority from the
chief priests to arrest all those calling on your (Christ's) name.”
But the Lord said to him: “Go! because this man is a chosen vessel
to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons
of Israel. For I will show him plainly how many things he must suffer
for my name.”
(Acts 10:48) With that he commanded them to be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they requested him to stay
for some days.
(Acts 11:26) After he found him, he brought him to
Antioch. So for a whole year they assembled with them in the
congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch
that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.
(Acts 16:18) She kept doing this for many days.
Finally Paul got tired of it and turned and said to the spirit: “I
order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it
came out that very hour.
(Acts 19:5) On hearing this, they got baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.
(Acts 22:16) And now why are you delaying? Rise,
get baptized, and wash your sins away by your calling on his (Jesus')
name.’
(1 Corinthians 6:11) ....you have been declared
righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of
our God.
(2 Corinthians 5:15) And he died for all so that
those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who
died for them . . .
(Ephesians 1:7) By means of him we have the
release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness
of our trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved
kindness.
(Philippians 2:10) so that in the name of Jesus
every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and
those under the ground—
(Hebrews 13:15) Through him (Jesus) let us always
offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips
that make public declaration to his [Jesus'] name. (see 27 "witness"
scriptures)
