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How to Evangelize a Jehovahs Witness

Friday March 15

Dr. Hodges gave us all these journals today along with a really weird assignment. Im

supposed to record my journey in evangelization. When I signed up to take a course outlining

the beliefs of major cult systems, I wasnt expecting to get an assignment like this.

I have this coworker, Angela, whos a Jehovahs Witness. She grew up in the system, so

shes pretty grounded into the organization. Ive thought about talking to her once or twice, but

Ive always chickened out. With this assignment now, I dont have much of a reason to not talk

to her. Dr. Hodges said that we should all start out our conversations by engaging them with

questions. I guess something about making the conversation all about them rather than all about

us. I have to head out for work in about fifteen minutes, so I guess Id better start thinking of

those questions I want to ask.

Saturday March 16

Yesterday went horribly. Id thought long and hard about what questions to start out

asking Angela, but I blanked pretty soon after I got to work. During our first fifteen-minute

break, I approached Angela and asked her one of the worst questions ever: Are you a

Christian? I had remembered an earlier class where Dr. Hodges had suggested opening a

conversation by engaging a Jehovahs Witness like this. I wasnt expecting Angelas response to

be: Of course.
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I was surprised, to say the least. I thought of many other questions I could ask then, but I

could tell by then that this wasnt going to be as easy as Id thought it would be. Could we sit

down and talk about this? I asked her.

I could tell she was confused, but she agreed. She hasnt wanted much to do with me,

knowing that Im a Christian attending a small Bible college. I was just happy she hadnt tried to

ditch me yet. Im just curious, I began. Ive been learning a little bit about Jehovahs

Witnesses the past few months, but I still dont feel I know that much about your faith. When

you said that youre a Christian, what did you mean by that?

Angela studied me for a moment before she answered. Because I believe in Jesus, of

course.

Now I knew what the problem was. When you say you believe in Jesus, are you

referring to the historical figure or the Jesus of the Bible?

The Jesus of the Bible, of course, she said.

Correct me if Im wrong, I said. But you believe that Jesus is less than God, the

firstborn of creation, correct?

By less than God, Angela said, are you trying to say we see Jesus the Son and God

the Father as distinct persons with one creating the other? Because it seems youre trying to

imply something we dont believe.

So you believe that God the Father created Jesus? I asked.

Yes, of course. Jesus is the Son of God.

At that point, I was a little lost. Id wished Id paid a little more attention to Dr. Hodges

the first few classes. Would you agree that the Bible contains passages that imply that Jesus is

equal with the Father?

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Perhaps the version youve been reading does, Angela replied after a moment. But the

New World Translation doesnt. I could get you a copy if youd like.

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Thats all right. Im just trying to understand. Is the New World Translation the only

translation that doesnt contain these passages, then?

I didnt say that, Angela said, exasperated. The passages have just been corrected to

properly reflect the grammar of the Greek.

Dr. Hodges had warned us about this strategy JWs like to use. Their founder, Charles

Taze Russell, had claimed that the church had become corrupted and was no longer preaching the

true gospel. To reflect Russells corrected theology, a later president of The Watchtower

Society authorized the publishing of the New World Translation. Even though I knew that

Angela had her own translation she relied on, I also knew that she should still consider my bible

an authority. From that point on, I knew that I would have to restrict her to my translations if I

were to get anywhere with her. Unfortunately, since I know nothing about Greek or Hebrew, I

couldnt very well refute her bibles translations accurately. I would have to rely on those

Christian leaders that did.

Wednesday March 20

For the past few days, Ive kept trying to engage Angela in conversation, but shes been

avoiding me. Ive gotten a few chances to encourage her during break times. I dont know as

many bible verses as I should. Im afraid memorization hasnt been one of the disciplines Ive

kept up with, and Im just now realizing thats a problem. And, since I cant bring my bible with

me to work, Ive had to rely on what little I can remember or have time to pull up on my phone.
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The few times Ive gotten a chance to talk to Angela, Ive tried to tell her about my

testimony and how my faith has changed me. I know that JWs believe that they need to cross

things off a checklist in order to be acceptable to God, and that hurts me. Angela is an awesome

girl, but shes always being told that shes not good enough. God wont take her just as she is.

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She has been told that Jesus cannot offer her the hope that she needs. Shes instead been

told that The Watchtower is the key to her salvation. If she only reads their literature and does

everything they tell her, she will become acceptable to God.

Listen, Tyler, she told me one day, I think youre a sweet guy and all, but Im happy

with my religion. I havent tried to evangelize you, so why are you trying so hard to evangelize

me?

Because I love you, Angie, I said.

She stared at me. Were coworkers, Tyler. You dont owe me anything.

God himself came down in order to die a horrific death so I wouldnt have to, I told her

softly. And he wants me to share this awesome news with the world. How could I be so selfish

to keep it all to myself?

Monday March 25

I cant quite believe it. Ive finally convinced Angela to hear me out about my faith. I

was so excited that I nearly hugged her, but I wasnt sure how Jehovahs Witnesses feel about

physical affection. It wasnt easy getting her to agree to only using my ESV version in our

conversation, but I managed to convince her that if she really believed the bible to be an

authoritative source she couldnt rightly tell me not to use my own version.
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She agreed on Friday, and we met together on Saturday at a small coffee shop. After Id

laid out the gospel for her as best as I could manage, Angela didnt wait a beat to challenge me

on the one thing I was rather hoping she wouldnt challenge me on.

I realize that you believe that Jesus Christ is the same person as God the Father, she

sighed, but that still doesnt make any sense to me.

No, Angie, I said. Jesus and God the Father are one in the same, the same God, but

they are not the same person.

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You keep contradicting yourself!

No, no. I waved my hands at her and resisted the urge to groan.

I was about ready to pull out my trump card. Angela kept trying to back me up into a

corner, and I found I didnt appreciate her tactics. I had finally figured out that JWs dismiss the

notion of the Trinity partly because they find it unreasonable, for, as Angela said, God is not a

God of confusion.

The Trinity consists of one God in three persons, I tried to explain again.

I guess I understand what youre saying, Tyler, but I dont believe the bible anywhere

suggests that doctrine.

I picked up my worn-leather ESV bible and flipped it open to the passages I had found

earlier to support my claim. Knowing that Angela would make such a claim about the doctrine

of the Trinity, I had earlier done a Google search on which passages to use in order to prove this

Watchtower teaching wrong. John 10:38 and 17:22-23 suggest the Trinity, I tell her.

No, they dont, Angela said.

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I read aloud, The Father is in me and I am in the Father. Thats 10:38. That they may

be one even as we [Christ and the Father] are one, I in them and you in me . . . . Thats 17:22-

23.

Not long later, Angela started talking about Greek grammar again, and I found myself

losing ground. I just couldnt compete with her about the original languages. I knew that

whatever she was telling me couldnt possibly hold merit, but I had no idea why.

Angie, Im sorry, I interrupted her softly. She had been trying to tell me about John

1:1, but I was already so lost that I was getting a headache listening to her. Im afraid I dont

know Greek well enough to have this discussion with you.

Angela looked almost disappointed then. Are you done evangelizing me then?

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I hadnt intended to bring out my trump card until later, but I now realized I had no

choice. Plucking a napkin up from the middle of our table, I spread it out and showed it to

Angela.

Whats this for?

I believe that I can prove to you that Jesus Christ is God using only one verse.

Angela raised an eyebrow in interest. All right then. Go for it.

I could tell she found my claim ridiculous, which left me even more determined to prove

my point to her.

Since I know so little about Greek grammar, I began, I cant possibly tell you anything

about John 1:1. But, a few verses down, I believe that John 1:3 can help me prove my point to

you just as easily.

Angela nodded and encouraged me to go on.

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My ESV translation of John 1:3 states All things were made through him, and without

him was not any thing made that was made. But your version reads All things came into

existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence.

I pulled the napkin toward me and sketched out the above diagram for her.

This paper represents everything that has ever existed, I explained. This overarching

category only has two possible subdivisions: everything that exists that did not come into being

and everything that exists that came into being. After adding the subtitles to the two different

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categories, I showed Angela the napkin. Would you agree that only God fits into the first

category?
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After Angela nodded her agreement, I added God to the first category and all created

things to the second. Do you agree with this? I asked. Again, Angela nodded. I could tell

she was skeptical of my methods, but she hadnt objected yet.

Now, I only have one question for you. Based on this verse, in which category would

you put Jesus Christ?

The second one, of course, Angela replied.

Could you read the verse again? I asked kindly.

Rolling her eyes, Angela read the verse aloud to me after Id pointed it out in my bible to

her. Do you agree that both my version and your version say that all things came into

existence through Jesus Christ?

After thinking for a moment, Angela nodded.

Are you still sure that he belongs in the second category?

Angela hesitated this time. Um, I dont understand.

According to this verse, I explained, even your version, all things came into

existence through Jesus Christ. If what you believe were true, then essentially youre claiming

that Christ came into existence through himself. Would you agree?

I could tell that Id reached a nerve. Angela got really testy after that, and eventually got

up and left our small table. With nothing else to do, I paid for our drinks and went back to my

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apartment, dejected. Maybe Im just not cut out for this evangelism stuff.

Monday April 15

Even though we see each other at work nearly every day, Angela has barely spoken to me

since our conversation. Now Im worried that I went too far. I thought I was doing the right
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thing by planting a seed of doubt in her mind, but now Im second-guessing myself. Had I

screwed up with her? I guess now I might never know. Normally, Im not supposed to write in

this journal unless Ive had a conversation with Angela, but I thought that Dr. Hodges would

deserve to know how badly I messed up.

Im afraid I might have forgotten the most important part of any evangelism: showing the

love of Christ. I thought that treating her to coffee was enough, but now I realize it wasnt. I had

been repeatedly telling Angela that her religion was false. A horrible strategy, I now realize. I

just wish I could have realized sooner.

I already had a relationship with her, so I started right in on asking the hard questions.

Id tried to get to know her, but she hadnt shown much interest in a deeper friendship than

casual coworker. Id tried everything I knew how to do.

I know youre supposed to show a JW that the Watchtower Society isnt infallible and all

that, and I thought Id done that with my little napkin trick. Unfortunately, Im afraid my ego got

in the way of my actually showing love for Angela.

Im writing this last entry to apologize, Dr. Hodges. I know youre going to read this and

shake your head at my stupidity, so Im just going to come out and say Im sorry right away. I

was stupid, and I realize that now. You can give me a bad grade if youd like. Since all I was

seeing Angela as was a school assignment anyway, I probably deserve one.

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Thursday April 19

When I was writing Mondays entry, I thought for sure that it would be my last one. I

thought that Id blown it with Angela.

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She called me today, crying. She asked if we could get together and talk. I was so

shocked, that all I could do was invite her back to the coffee place.

It turns out that her boyfriend was in a horrible car accident, and the doctors arent sure if

hell make it. Angela was trying to find solace in a religion that offered none. Even though Id

been far more confrontational with her than I should have been, Angela had noticed something in

me that made her comfortable going to me in her troubles. I was so touched by her trust in me

that I almost cried.

Dr. Hodges, you tried to tell us all what the most important part of evangelizing a cultist

was at the beginning of the year, but most of us werent listening. For whatever reason, I had an

idea in my head that refuting the cults theology was more important than showing love to the

person. I had thought that I needed to evangelize Angela differently than I would an atheist or

agnostic.

As Angela told me her struggles, I realized that now I had an amazing opportunity to

share the hope of Christ with her, and share I did. Again, I laid out the gospel for her and told

her about Christs sacrifice. I told her that he loved her, warts and all, and that she could rest in

him. I told her that she could cry her heart out to the Lord I serve, and He would think no less of

her.

As I was talking to her, Angela started crying and I found myself taking her hand. Can I

pray for you right now? I asked her.

Too choked up to answer, she could only nod. I bowed my head and asked the God I

serve to show Angela His love for her. After I was done, Angela smiled at me through her tears.

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Id like to hear more about Jesus, Tyler, she said. My mom might want to kill me, but

I like your version of Him better than mine.

Friday April 27

After my last entry, I was sure that I wouldnt have to add any more to this journal, but

God once again proved me wrong. Angelas boyfriend passed away a few days ago. I tried to

talk to her a few times after she initially called me to tell me, but she hasnt wanted to say much.

I was afraid she might have shut down to Christianity, but I was jumping the gun.

I was worried about her, Dr. Hodges, but I shouldnt have been. God had it under control

the entire time. He knew what He was doing even while I was freaking out. I thought Id finally

figured out the key to evangelism. I really did. But, once again, God challenged me on my

assumption.

Angela called me today, telling me she had said the prayer. I was so shocked to hear

shed trusted Jesus, all on her own no less, that I could only mutter out encouraging words to her.

I thought that I was the one evangelizing Angela, but I believe God just gave me a

metaphorical smack to the back of the head. Young Christians today love to make evangelism all

about themselves. I didnt even realize that I was doing that until this whole thing with Angela

happened.

So, Dr. Hodges, what did I learn, you may ask? I finally realize what you were trying to

tell us. No matter who it is, the key to any evangelism is love and relationship. Rather than

being confrontational with Angela, I needed to love on her and show her Gods love. I get that

now. Her being a Jehovahs Witness didnt make her a special case.
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But it was more than that, too. God didnt need me to bring Angela to Himself. He

doesnt need us to do anything. I was only his instrument. The Holy Spirit is the key to

evangelism, not anything that I can do or say. I think I finally get that now.

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I realize that my evangelism strategy might be a little messy, Dr. Hodges, and I get

youre probably frustrated with me. But I now realize that people are messy. Relationships are

messy. And, you know, Im still a pretty messy guy. Anyway, Ive loved being in your class.

Thanks so much for having me. Ciao!