Jehovah' Witnesses: Question about going out in service?

Question

I am seriously trying to understand something that isn't sitting very well with me .... please help me understand this from the JW perspective...

You say you have truth.
You say you are the only ones who preach as Jesus commanded...

I have noticed several JWs say that they are not primarily concerned with converting people, but moreso with working as Jesus requested.

Are you not realizing that the point of this request was to have us help bring others to salvation - not log the number of hours we do the actual work?

Wouldn't fruits of the Holy Spirit be the conversions and not the works?

Are you really more concerned with the field service report than the fate of your neighbors?

Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses are VERY interested in the long-term best interests of their neighbors, and freely acknowledge "love of neighbor" as a significant motivating force behind their ministry.

(Romans 10:14,15) How will they call on him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach? How, in turn, will they preach unless they have been sent forth? Just as it is written: “How comely are the feet of those who declare good news of good things!”


However, Jehovah's Witnesses unapologetically assert that the PRIMARY motivation behind any godly work must be "love of God", which includes a desire to please and obey God and Christ.

(Matthew 22:37-39) You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor

(Mark 13:10) The good news has to be preached first.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/ministry.htm

Answer 2

Let me guess, you've been reading information from an apostate site, or a 'christian site that 'knows all about' Jehovah's organization'

Understand what you read there at best is a half trurth.

Yes, we 'count time' Yes, we 'report time' how else could we know we spent over 1 billion hours in the ministry last year.

How can we know that we conducted over 6 million free bible studies last year.

How can we know we have over 6.6 million 'ACTIVE' witnesses doing this work.

Counting time is not the reason we preach.

Preaching the good news about Christ and Jehovah is not a suggestion.

Preaching the good news about God's Kingdom is not a request.

Preaching is a commandment, (Matt 28: 19, 20)

Why aren't more Christians going door to door, like Paul did.

Even the Supreme Court of the U.S. stated in their findings that going door to door with the bible's message was in imitation of the first century christians.

If you Love Jehovah, If you love Christ, If you love your neighbor.

Then you will be preaching.

To give brings happiness.

What organization is known world wide for preaching?

Anna, the truth of God's word is in front of you, Why do you insist on following the teachings of Plato?

Why do you insist on following the teachings of the Catholic Church?

Answer 3

Anna,

If the Jehovah's Witnesses you've spoken to have said that they don't care too much about people's conversion but only logging in the time, then they really do not appreciate the reason behind this preaching work.

I can assure you that with every one JW you find who feels that way, you will find a million others who say the main reason for going out in service is love - love for God and love for neighbors. Please be assured of that.

I'm not sure if this will help you change your mind, but please keep in mind that all JW's are volunteers - which means they do not get paid for the hours they spend in the preaching work. JW's provide for their families like anyone else, go to school, have jobs, have hobbies, have difficulties in everyday life, like everyone else. In addition to the preaching work, they have 5 meetings at the Kingdom Hall (place of worship) every week. Could they do all of this every week, every month, year in and year out without ANY compensation, if the ONLY thing they cared about was how many hours they spent talking to people about God?

There has to be something greater, something more worthwhile that enables JW's to keep doing what they do. And the answer is in Luke 10:27 - to love God and neighbor as yourself. THAT is the motivating force of JW's. Love of God which motivates them to tell others about what a loving, great God he is; and the love of neighbor which motivates them to tell their neighbors the Bible's message of hope.

FYI, according to 2006 statistics, JW spent over 1 billion hours worldwide preaching, knocking on people's doors in 2006. Could the almost 7 million people who spend over 1 billion hours accomplish this if their only motive was to count time?

A Christian follows in Jesus Christ's footsteps. Jesus' main work while here in earth for only 33 1/2 year was the preaching of God's Kingdom and letting others know of the wonderful future hope that lay ahead of them. So JW, in their efforts to follow in Christ's footsteps, engage in the preaching work wholeheartedly, not grudgingly or because their arms were twisted.

Anna, you are absolutely right in that the purpose behind the preaching work is to bring people to salvation. The fruits of the spirit is vital for all Christians to cultivate. However, these are one of many commands in which we need to obey to be found acceptable in God's eyes. There is also the command to "preach this good news of the Kingdom" (Matt: 24:14) as well as the principle of proper faith needing to be manifested by works (James 2:26).

That is why JW don't just tell the people to "be good" or "be a kind person", etc. Study of the Bible indicates many actions that need to done, coupled with the importance of having the proper knowledge of the God and His son, Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

I liked your scripture in Daniel 12:3. While you're in the book of Daniel, take a look at 2:44. This is the hope that JW's have and what they hope to share with their neighbors.

Hope this gave you something to think about!

Answer 4

The point was to spread the word and share with others. The hope of course is that they will to decide to follow Christ's teachings. Consider Jesus shared with all. If his main goal was simply to gain converts he could have much better spent his time striving to only go after those who would quickly see things his way.

Answer 5

>We are not commanded to go from house to house

Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

1Cr 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

Act 20:20 ...and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,

>help bring others to salvation

Salvation is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned, found, or brought to you in door to door ministry.

True Christians are in a saved condition in that they are in an approved position before God. As a group, their salvation is sure.

Individually, we must meet God's requirements by following his Son's directions. However, we can fail, for Jesus said: "If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried up."—John 15:6.

Hebrews 5:9 [Jesus] became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those OBEYING him [emphasis added]

To help someone to salvation as you suggest is to help them follow Jesus commandments.

Answer 6

You are absolutely right!
We are not commanded to go from house to house,but to edify & support our brothers & sisters in Christ by being there for them & helping them to have strength in Christ.Then by doing this,we can be an example to others to join us.
When you go from house to house ,it is like trying to push yourself on a person & bugging them in their own home.
My daughter quit the church to join the Baptists & they started a house to house ministry!
I told her they were nothing but Baptist Jehova's Witnesses!Seeing how many they could get on the bus every Sunday!They were even giving awards to the ones who brang the most guests!
The souls are what are important,but you can't force anyone to believe.They have to see how being a Christian is a good & nice thing,& we have to show them.

Answer 7

The primary reason Jehovah's Witnesses go from house to house is because they want to magnify God's name. That is the first and foremost reason for field service. Those who love God want to tell others about him, just as Isaiah 12:4 says:

"Give thanks to Jehovah, you people! Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high."

The fact that magnifying God's name is the primary reason Jehovah's Witnesses go out preaching is in agreement that loving God is the first and greatest commandment. Thus winning converts to their faith is not the primary reason for speaking to others about God, but rather they want people to know God for who he really is. Since love of neighbor is the second greatest commandment, winning people to their faith is the second greatest reason they preach to others, it being a primary concern, but not as primary as clearing God's name of reproach.

What other religion in the world preaches to the extent that Jehovah's Witnesses do? Jehovah's Witnesses preach in every country on earth and from house to house. Is your religion known for this? Jesus and his disciples were in fact known for this. Acts 5:28 says that in the first century, Christians were arrested for preaching about Jesus. Did they stop? No, the Bible says that

"every day in temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus". -Acts 5:42

Does your church 'continue without letup, teaching and declaring the good news about Jesus' from house to house? Has your church filled all the earth by preaching like Jesus said in Matthew 24:14:

"This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness for all the nations; and then the end will come."

and again in Acts 1:8:

"but you will receive power when the holy spirit arrives upon you, and you will be witnesses of me both in Jerusalem and in all Ju·de′a and Sa·mar′i·a and to the most distant part of the earth."

The main purpose of the Christian congregation is to preach to others about God, just as 1 Peter says concerning the congregation:

"But you are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, ..."

for what purpose? It continues:

"...that you should declare abroad the excellencies of the one that called you out of this darkness into his wonderful light."

Jehovah's Witnesses are not concerned about their hours. Sure, some make it a point to attain a certain amount of hours each month, but they do not allow reaching their goal to overshadow the importance of speaking about God and helping their neighbor to attain a righteous standing before Him.

Concerning what you mentioned about "holy spirit doing the conversion", perhaps you do not realize that in order for a person to be converted, he has to first hear the message. Only them can holy spirit have it's affect on the person. Just as Romans 10:14 says:

"However, how will they call on him in whom they have not put faith. How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach?"

So preaching from house to house is how God gives a person a chance to hear and accept the message. God's holy spirit allows those with honest hearts to accept the message. Of course this message must be preached in order for them to hear it, and preaching from house to house is the most affective way. In fact, Romans 10:15 goes on to say:

"How, in turn, will they preach unless they have been sent forth? Just as it is written: "How comely are the feet of those who declare the good news of good things!"

For example it wasn't until an Ethiopian man was spoke to by Philip (who happened to be out preaching) that he, with the help of holy spirit, accepted the truth concerning Jesus. God uses holy spirit to open the hearts of unbelievers, but God has chosen to use men to declare the truth.

Jehovah's Witnesses love their neighbors. Why else would they go out, knowing that most of whom they talk to will not listen to them? Jehovah's Witnesses know that most will not listen to them. It was foretold in the Bible that most people would not listen. (Jeremiah 7:27) Still, like God, Jehovah's Witnesses love mankind and their neighbor and out of concern for them repeatedly attempt to win them over to the truth. Just as Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16:

"Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching. Stay by these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you."

Jehovah's Witnesses are hated because of their preaching activity. But then, Jesus was hated for his preaching activity (John 15:17-25; 17:14) and Jeremiah was hated for his preaching activity (Jeremiah 1:17-19) as were God's prophets of old (Matthew 5:11, 12) as were Jesus disciples (Acts 5:27-29) and so on.

Hopefully, I have given you the correct viewpoint of why Jehovah's Witnesses preach to others. Really, there is no reason to hate Jehovah's Witnesses. After all, they do not hate you. You shouldn't hate them because Jesus Christ, our Lord, taught us not to hate others, even those who we may think of as enemies (Matthew 5:43-48, see also Romans 12:17-21). If you do not agree with Jehovah's Witnesses, that is fine. That is your decision. However, there is nothing that will ever stop them from doing as Psalm 150 says:

"Praise Jah you people!"