Next time JWs knock ask ...

[GingerBeer]

The next time you have Jehovah's witnesses knock on your door ask this question - it's a question asked by the apostles and see how they answer - ask them "what are the signs that the end is coming and that the end of this world will come soon?"

And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he ; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them. And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified: for these things must needs come to pass first; but the end is not immediately. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay. But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. And not a hair of your head shall perish. In your patience ye shall win your souls. (Luke 21:5-19)​

See if they skip the red underlined text or gloss it over in their explanation. I have reason to suspect that they will.

 

[“Paisios”]

The next time you have Jehovah's witnesses knock on your door ask this question - it's a question asked by the apostles and see how they answer - ask them "what are the signs that the end is coming and that the end of this world will come soon?"

And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he ; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them. And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified: for these things must needs come to pass first; but the end is not immediately. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay. But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. And not a hair of your head shall perish. In your patience ye shall win your souls. (Luke 21:5-19)​

See if they skip the red underlined text or gloss it over in their explanation. I have reason to suspect that they will.

I prefer to ask if they would like to come in and have a cup of tea or coffee.

 

[GingerBeer]

I prefer to ask if they would like to come in and have a cup of tea or coffee.

And do you discuss anything over the cup of coffee?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I wonder if there's anyone out there with the first name "He"

 

[GingerBeer]

I wonder if there's anyone out there with the first name "He"

He man?

 

[“Paisios”]

And do you discuss anything over the cup of coffee?

Actually, so far they have not taken me up on it...it’s usually a scared looking teenager and a mother figure who just hand me a copy of their publications and tell me they will come back another time.

But I would be interested in discussing things with them (and your OP might be an interesting topic if approached in love).

 

[GingerBeer]

Actually, so far they have not taken me up on it...it’s usually a scared looking teenager and a mother figure who just hand me a copy of their publications and tell me they will come back another time.

But I would be interested in discussing things with them (and your OP might be an interesting topic if approached in love).

Jehovah's witnesses have discussed things with me at my door a few times.

 

[“Paisios”]

Jehovah's witnesses have discussed things with me at my door a few times.

I have had long conversations with the LDS folks, but the JWs (always the same mother and son) who come to my door seem very nervous around me, though polite, and just give me their Watchtower and Awake magazines and leave...it makes me think they have run across my wife when I wash’t home...she has some issues with them and is perhaps (in this case only) less charitable than am I. Either that, or I appear intimidating (but my daughter says I am a teddy bear who wouldn’t hurt a fly...so it can’t be that).

But seriously, I feel for these poor folks...though I disagree with much of what they believe, they have more courage than I do (or more fear of damnation) to knock on strangers’ doors and face all sorts of rejection and abuse...I would welcome them in for a real and respectful discussion, even in disagreement.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Jehovah's witnesses have discussed things with me at my door a few times.

I haven't seen them for years.

I'm not sure if it means that I'm blacklisted or just hard to find.

 

[Hank77]

The next time you have Jehovah's witnesses knock on your door ask this question - it's a question asked by the apostles and see how they answer - ask them "what are the signs that the end is coming and that the end of this world will come soon?"

And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he ; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them. And when ye shall hear of wars and tumults, be not terrified: for these things must needs come to pass first; but the end is not immediately. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay. But ye shall be delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. And not a hair of your head shall perish. In your patience ye shall win your souls. (Luke 21:5-19)​

See if they skip the red underlined text or gloss it over in their explanation. I have reason to suspect that they will.

I think John Piper's choice of supporting scripture is much more effective, logical, and straight forward.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

How to Talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses About Jesus

 

[gordonhooker]

When they do come to the door I am courteous to them, if I have the time I ask them if they would like to come in and have a drink of water or a beverage. I say that am already a committed Christian, a Franciscan religious and a Lay Preacher at my local Church. I let them know that I don't wish to debate my beliefs as against theirs but if they would like to talk about God, the Christ and the Holy Spirit I would be happy to chat for a while. Alternatively just talk about life in general.

 

[GingerBeer]

I have had long conversations with the LDS folks, but the JWs (always the same mother and son) who come to my door seem very nervous around me, though polite, and just give me their Watchtower and Awake magazines and leave...it makes me think they have run across my wife when I wash’t home...she has some issues with them and is perhaps (in this case only) less charitable than am I. Either that, or I appear intimidating (but my daughter says I am a teddy bear who wouldn’t hurt a fly...so it can’t be that).

But seriously, I feel for these poor folks...though I disagree with much of what they believe, they have more courage than I do (or more fear of damnation) to knock on strangers’ doors and face all sorts of rejection and abuse...I would welcome them in for a real and respectful discussion, even in disagreement.

Do you have icons at your door or something? That might scare them

 

[“Paisios”]

Do you have icons at your door or something? That might scare them

No icons, though I used to have a fairly ornate cross on my door. The icons are all inside and not visible from the door. I suspect it is a sad but reasonable fear of entering a middle aged white male stranger’s home when you are a woman and a teen...lots of evil out there, and though I am not threat and am not violent, I am sure they are put off by my inherent sinfulness.

 

[GingerBeer]

I haven't seen them for years.

I'm not sure if it means that I'm blacklisted or just hard to find.

Could be a little of both.

 

[GingerBeer]

I think John Piper's choice of supporting scripture is much more effective, logical, and straight forward.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

How to Talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses About Jesus

Well, my suggestion was more for the irony implied in the passage. Jehovah's witnesses spend a lot of time talking about the approach of Armageddon which is essentially claiming "the end is nigh" and the passage suggests that people who do that are the ones to be especially sceptical about. The time is not "near at hand" despite Jehovah's witnesses spending the last one hundred and more years saying that it is just around the corner.

 

[GingerBeer]

No icons, though I used to have a fairly ornate cross on my door. The icons are all inside and not visible from the door. I suspect it is a sad but reasonable fear of entering a middle aged white male stranger’s home when you are a woman and a teen...lots of evil out there, and though I am not threat and am not violent, I am sure they are put off by my inherent sinfulness.

You'd be "a worldly one" who is "not a good association" - I put the words in quotes because they are frequently used expressions among Jehovah's witnesses when referring to worldly ones".

 

[“Paisios”]

You'd be "a worldly one" who is "not a good association" - I put the words in quotes because they are frequently used expressions among Jehovah's witnesses when referring to worldly ones".

I suspect that you could leave out the quotes and it would be true of me. But hope springs eternal...

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Just remember the optimism taught by the JW's. It's no longer "a great disappointment" it's just a figurative fulfillment.

 

[GingerBeer]

Just remember the optimism taught by the JW's. It's no longer "a great disappointment" it's just a figurative fulfillment.

That is another part of the irony of the situation. They are knocking at the door because of the alleged urgency to "preach the good news to all the world" because then the end will come yet the verses about wars and rumours of wars and so forth are what they like to refer to as signs of the impending doom of "this system of things".

 

[GingerBeer]

I suspect that you could leave out the quotes and it would be true of me. But hope springs eternal...

Your reply is very Orthodox.