I am quite eager for anyone to critique the following statement which is perhaps the most scholarly defence of the house-to-house method the Society has put out in recent years.
*** w91 1/15 11-12 Teach Publicly and From House to House ***
The Apostolic Method
3 Jesus Christ gave his followers this meaningful commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things." (Matthew 28:19, 20) The principal way in which that work would be done became evident immediately after the day of Pentecost 33 C.E. "Every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus." (Acts 5:42) Some 20 years later, the apostle Paul was engaging in the house-to-house ministry, for he reminded Christian elders from the city of Ephesus: "I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house."—Acts 20:20.
4 At Acts 5:42 the words "from house to house" are translated from kat' oi'kon. Here ka·ta' is used in a "distributive" sense. Hence, the preaching of the disciples was distributed from one house to another. Commenting on Acts 20:20, Randolph O. Yeager wrote that Paul taught "both in public assemblies [de·mo·si'a] and from house to house (distributive [ka·ta'] with the accusative). Paul had spent three years in Ephesus. He visited every house, or at least he preached to all of the people (ÞAc 20 Üverse 26). Here is scriptural warrant for house to house evangelism as well as that carried on in public meetings."
5 A similar use of ka·ta' appears at Luke 8:1, which speaks of Jesus preaching "from city to city and from village to village." Paul used the plural form kat' oi'kous at Acts 20:20. Here some Bible translations read "in your homes." But the apostle was not referring solely to social calls upon elders or to shepherding visits in the homes of fellow believers. His next words show that he was speaking about a house-to-house ministry among unbelievers, for he said: "But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and to Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus." (Acts 20:21) Fellow believers had already repented and exercised faith in Jesus. Hence, both Acts 5:42 and Acts 20:20 have to do with preaching to unbelievers "from house to house," or from door to door.
No Substitute for It
6 Commenting on Paul's words at Acts 20:20, in 1844 Abiel Abbot Livermore wrote: "He was not content merely to deliver discourses in the public assembly, and dispense with other instrumentalities, but zealously pursued his great work in private, from house to house, and literally carried home the truth of heaven to the hearths and hearts of the Ephesians." More recently, it has been observed: "House to house dissemination of the gospel characterized the first-century Christians from the beginning (cf. Acts 2:46; 5:42). . . . [Paul] had thoroughly discharged his responsibility both to Jews and Gentiles at Ephesus, and they were left without excuse if they perished in their sins."—The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4, pages 642-3.
7 Though public speaking has its place in declaring the good news, it is no substitute for personal contact at the door. In this regard, scholar Joseph Addison Alexander said: "The church has yet invented nothing to supply the place or rival the effect of church and household preaching." As scholar O. A. Hills put it: "Public teaching and house-to-house teaching must go hand in hand." Jehovah's Witnesses provide instruction through discourses at their weekly Public Meetings. They also have clear evidence that the apostolic method of spreading Bible truth from house to house is effective. And Jehovah surely approves of it, for as a result of such ministry, he is causing thousands to stream to his exalted worship each year.—Isaiah 2:1-4; 60:8, 22.
8 Another authority has said: "People find it easier to remember teaching at their doorstep than at the church step." Well, Paul was at doorsteps regularly, setting a fine example as a minister. "He was not content with teaching and discoursing in the synagogue and the market," wrote Bible scholar Edwin W. Rice. "He was ever diligently 'teaching' 'from house to house.' It was a house-to-house, hand-to-hand, face-to-face contest with evil, and to win men to Christ, that he waged in Ephesus." Jehovah's Witnesses realize that person-to-person discussions on the doorstep are effective. Moreover, they make return visits and are happy to talk even with opposers if these individuals will allow reasonable discussions to take place. How like Paul! Concerning him, F. N. Peloubet wrote: "Paul's work was not all in meetings. No doubt he visited many people personally at their homes wherever he learned of one who was inquiring, or so interested or even opposed as to be willing to converse on religion."
**Additionally the Society has used Matthew 10:11 in defending its preaching methodologies: "Into whatever city or village you enter search out who in it is deserving......." Does this imply the house-to-house search for interested ones that JW's perform?
**Acts 20:21 The Society has stated that some believe Acts 20:20 to be referring to preaching in the homes of believers, but does not Acts 20:21 refer to preaching to unbelievers?
I would be grateful for any comments on the above.
