Vol. 8, No. 9, 1991

Want To Witness?

Tom Forehand

After two hours, he was finally stumped!

An incredible ("miraculous") series of events brought me to a seven-hour discussion one night with a fifty-year-old Jehovah's Witness (a thirty-year member). Let's call him "Bill."

Back to him in a moment.

Jehovah's Witnesses (or JW's) deny a vital Christian doctrine - the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10).

They teach that: "In his resurrection, he was no more human. He was raised a spirit creation" (The Kingdom Is At Hand, p. 258).

Although you may think that it's easy to teach your JW friend from the Bible that he is wrong concerning resurrection, he has a whole set of rebuttals for many of the verses which you think would convince him that Jesus rose bodily from the grave.

So be careful and be prepared! Or you'll be the one who leaves confused and questioning!

For example, Witnesses explain the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus by teaching that He merely manufactured different bodies so that he could appear to his followers (JW's say that this is the reason why he was not always recognized).

It's not as easy as you may think to effectively teach a JW the truth about the resurrection - although, it can be done!

If you would like to discuss this doctrine of the resurrection with a JW, then do what I have done several times and share the following statements and questions (which are gleaned from the teaching of the late Walter Martin).

Why not just write these in the margin of your Bible on the last chapter of Luke?

1. "I'm afraid that the Watchtower organization is making the same mistake about the bodily resurrection of Jesus as the Apostles did" (This assertion will get his attention - then read Luke 24:37-39ff).

2. "Aside from the body of Christ, which we are discussing, could you show me any resurrection in the Bible which did not involve an actual body (or could you show me a spirit resurrection? There are none - He couldn't be able to do so!)

3. Did His (Jesus') body remain in the tomb after the resurrection? (Luke 24:1-3)? Where was it?

4. Could His body be destroyed? (Acts 2:24-27).

5. Where is the body now? (Colossians 2:9; also Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:12; 1 Timothy 2:5).

6. What did Jesus say to Thomas? (John 20:24-28).

7. Who raised Christ from the dead? (Acts 3:26; 17:30-31). What did Christ promise he would do? (John 2:19-21). Would Jesus lie?

Back to Bill and our seven-hour discussion which was to be on the Trinity. After two hours of talking with Bill, he had quickly shrugged off every verse I had shared with him concerning the deity of Jesus Christ.

Yet, when I finally asked him "What did Christ promise he would do according to John 2:19-21? Do you think Jesus would lie? As Bill read these verses he grew strangely silent. (Formula: "Silent JW" = "an effective seed of truth" planted).

Pray that one day God will open Bill's eyes to the marvelous truth of the bodily resurrected Jehovah the Son - Jesus!