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Where have all the Jehovah's Witnesses gone?

 


“No matter what happens, never forget the door-to-door ministry.” With those words ringing in my ears, I walked three miles to the nearest village. When I arrived, I could not find the courage to go to the first house. After some struggle, I went into the woods and prayed very hard to God for the courage to preach. Finally, I was able to return to the first door and give my presentation.[1]

Each week we run a City Centre book table giving out tracts, booklets, and Bibles. We have a lot of interesting discussions with all manner of people.

Recently, I got into a conversation with a nice gentleman who told me that his wife was a very committed, baptised Jehovah’s Witness. He said that she had been in the Witnesses for over thirty years, and one of his sons was also a zealous adherent. I asked him why he was not a Jehovah’s Witness, to which he replied with a smile on his face: ‘I like golf too much.’

PAR FOR THE COURSE

He admitted that for him, the cost of joining them would be too great. He told me about all that his wife and son must do and concluded by saying, ‘it’s not for me. But’ he said, ‘if I were going to join any group, it would definitely be them.’

You can perhaps guess my response: ‘Why on earth would you do that?’ Here is what he said: ‘Because they are the ‘real’ Christians. They are the only group who do as Jesus said and the only ones preaching the good news.’ Oh, the irony! Here he is speaking to a Christian, surrounded by other Christians preaching the good news in the City Centre, and there is not a Jehovah’s Witness in sight. A fact that seemed totally lost on him.

I asked him where the Jehovah’s Witnesses had been for the past fifteen months? During a worldwide pandemic, with people anxious, confused, lost without hope, and looking for answers, the group he so admires, are nowhere to be seen! ‘Please tell me again why you believe that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are the ‘real’ Christians.’

LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR

The Watchtower Society have apparently told the faithful that the reason they are not knocking doors or standing in our city centres with their carts, is to keep themselves and others safe. They are following Government guidelines and ‘loving’ their neighbour. To not spread Covid, the Faithful and Discreet Slave have told Witnesses to stay home, meet on Zoom and write letters to their neighbours. On appearance this can seem quite admirable, but this is confusing when we consider all that they have previously said about importance, and almost salvific nature, of door-to-door work.

Jesus told his followers to “make disciples of people of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19, 20) When he sent out his early disciples, Jesus directed them to go to the homes of the people. (Matthew 10:7, 11-13) After Jesus’ death, first-century Christians continued to spread their message both “publicly and from house to house.” (Acts 5:42; 20:20) We follow the example of those early Christians and find that the door-to-door ministry is a good way to reach people.[2]

WE ARE THE ONLY ONES

In conversation with countless Jehovah’s Witnesses, I have heard them say many times: ‘We are the only ones that go door-to-door.’ I honestly believe that they think this is true. This is their badge of honour and their claim that they are the only ones truly fulfilling Matthew 24:14:

And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (NWT)

For sure they are the most zealous for this kind of work, but other cultic groups and bona fide Christians also go house-to-house.

In a recent conversation, with a man who left the Jehovah’s Witnesses after 50 years of involvement, we discussed the implications of them not going door-to-door. He said to me that if they ever hit the streets again and knock on his door, he will ask them a very candid question: ‘Where have you been when people needed you most?’ That is a fair question, don’t you think?

WE OBEY THE GOVERNMENT – WHICH ONE?

Recently a Jehovah’s Witness told me that they are following Romans 13:1-2 which says:

Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves. (NWT)

What she was unaware of was that the Watchtower has not always been consistent in their understanding of these verses.

Originally the Watchtower Society taught that the "superior authorities" or "higher powers" of Romans 13:1 are the secular governments, but in 1929 this was rejected as a 'false doctrine.' (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, p. 91) The new teaching was that the "higher powers" are God and Christ. But decades later the old teaching was adopted again, so that J.W.'s now say Romans 13:1 refers to the secular governments. (The Watchtower, May 15, 1980, p. 4)[3]

Regardless of how Jehovah’s Witnesses understand these verses, they do not do anything because a secular government says so, but rather because the Governing Body says so. Witnesses will always look to their leaders before deciding whether to obey the government.

I think this hypothetical scenario will prove my point. If the secular government gave the command that everyone, who needed one, must have a blood transfusion I would imagine the Governing Body would tell their followers to reject the government edict. This would be on the basis that this is a violation of God’s Word, which says (according to them) that we must abstain from blood. But if the secular government tell us to stay home, (interpreted by the JWs as do not go door-to-door or do cart witnessing), the Governing Body say this is not a violation of God’s Word, so they are to obey.

Can we therefore assume from this scenario that refusing blood transfusions is mandatory for Witnesses, but going door-to-door is optional? Which of Jehovah’s commands are to be followed regardless of what the secular government says? That is determined by the all-powerful Governing Body.

SALVATION BY DOOR

Individuals locked out from entering into everlasting life could even include those who have slacked off in their sacred service to Jehovah and now have a take-it-easy approach to true worship. Their zeal for Kingdom interests has become lukewarm. (Revelation 3:15, 16) True, they may still ‘have a form of godly devotion’token field service and meeting attendancebut lack evidence of the kind of faith that is the real driving force behind pure worship. (Compare 2 Timothy 3:5.) They fail to realize that just seeking to get through “the narrow door” is not enough. One must struggle to get through.[4]

Does the last fifteen months (and counting) constitute a slackening off? Does hiding away and writing letters equate to only ‘token field service’?

One thing is for certain, neighbourhoods are now free to sleep in on a Saturday morning. If there is a knock at the door, you would be sure it is either your Amazon package or a grocery delivery, not the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It seems that Jehovah’s Witnesses can now hope to get through Armageddon, without knocking on doors – simply inconceivable a couple of years ago! If the Governing Body ever decide to send the troops back out, surely the faithful could respectfully decline. They could now rightly claim that not going from house-to-house is not a violation of God’s Word.

They could therefore just stay home and talk to people online or send letters to neighbours, families, and friends. Surely that is enough to please Jehovah!

 

 

 

 

 



[1] https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008644

[2] https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/door-to-door/

[3] http://www.answerjw.com/jwslisten/flipflops.htm

[4] https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1986043


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