Tom,

While it is important, for our own faith and that of those we are teaching, to be confidently grounded in counter-arguments to the commonly used twistings of Scripture used by the JWs or any other heretical group, it is also important to be able to discern when to use those arguments. Evangelistic conversations with unbelievers about these arguments are not structured like a debate with James White vs. Whoever, with openings, rebuttals, cross-exams, a judge and an audience. While we can give a brief scriptural rebuttal here and there, doing so rarely gives room to move to the essentials of the gospel.

Our neighborhood is near a high concentration of JWs. Our previous neighbor was active at Kingdom Hall (and cut down a beautiful holly tree by his front steps because it was "of the devil"--grrrrrrrrrr); when I asked him why he was moving away he said that his elders felt that they were seeing too little fruit in the neighborhood and he would be of more service elsewhere--sDg!

Over recent years, if I engage one on my porch on a Saturday morning, I will ask if I can ask some questions. I ask if they can tell me in a couple minutes how to be forgiven of my sins and be accepted by Jehovah at the coming judgment. They will mention believing in Jesus, and perhaps the cross. I then ask, will you be forgiven and accepted? They will inevitably say, "If I persevere to the end." I then probe how can they persevere--they will say go to meetings, study the Word, be a witness for Jehovah--and then ask if they have persevered sufficiently at this moment to be accepted? Does your righteousness exceed that of the Pharisees? Are you holy and blameless in Jehovah's sight? Have you kept and will you keep all of Jehovah's holy commands? In whose righteousness will you be found? What certainty do you have for your salvation?

Of course they will have no biblical answer. I then ask if their righteousness, gained through their diligence, equals that of the perfect life of Christ. When told no, I them inform them that I have already been clothed with the righteousness of Christ. And so, I say, if you cannot even tell me how to obtain that most essential garment, how can I listen to anything else you have to say.

Of course that would hopefully present an opportunity to preach Christ to a softened heart and hearing ears. Or it might lead to them checking off your address as a place to avoid next month. But I believe getting to the heart of the matter immediately can be more God-honoring than entering an endless tit-for-tat over their classic questions.

In Christ,
Paul S