Why are Jehovah's Witnesses so unfamiliar with many common Bible passages?

Question

The two women stood outside the train station holding up their magazines so I asked them why Jesus said in John 2 "tear down this temple and in three days I will raise it again" First they thought it might be from Matthew and tried to reword it to say Jesus did not say "...I will raise it.." as that would make Jesus raise himself
but it is what Jesus said

Why aren't Jehovah's witnesses better Bible students? It almost seemed like they had a conclusion and look to the Bible to confirm their prior preference not look to it to discover what God says.

I should point out these were people tens of minutes away from the Watchtower building who apparently did not have resourses to learn form the word of God in an unbiased manner... should they be seekign GOd elsewhere if the Watchtower is failing otmake them good Bible students

Answer 1

Jehova witnesses take a lot of the scripture out of context of their meaning in order to keep them from the true meaning of the bible, which is the living word of God and clealy says that there would be those that would mislead people, they are considered the ones that have the spirit of the antichrist. They don't beleive in the son of God, Jesus Christ and that he died for our sins. They don't have a way to even pay for their sins.

Answer 2

In my experience Jehovah's Witnesses are much better Bible students than most Christians. I don't think all of their beliefs are sound--the not accepting of blood transfers for one, and I find the logic behind not celebrating birthdays flawed--but at least they've actually managed to read the Bible. Most Christians just recite what their priest/pastor told them, or memorize a few key phrases that agree with their own beliefs while ignoring others.

I can't speak about that particular passage, but do you know if you have a 'correct' translation? How do you know their Bible DIDN'T say differently? If it does, what makes your Bible correct? Faith? If your faith is in God and Jesus first, shouldn't you make every reasonable effort to find out what those words actually were? You can't be positive unless you learn Hebrew and Greek and study the source, but if you don't speak those language, and you have not read the original text in those languages, then you CAN'T be sure your translation is correct.

Answer 3

Two Witnesses may not have been familiar with the verse you mentioned. And that means that the rest of the almost 7 million Jehovah's Witnesses around the world don't know that verse either?? Get real, will you? People like you will do anything to make us look bad. Jehovah's Witnesses know more about the Bible than most people.

Apparently, YOU are the one who doesn't know what John 2:20 means. Did Jesus mean that he would resurrect himself from the dead? Does that mean that Jesus is God, because Acts 2:32 says, “This Jesus God raised up”? Not at all. Such a view would conflict with Galatians 1:1, which ascribes the resurrection of Jesus to the Father, not to the Son. Using a similar mode of expression, at Luke 8:48 Jesus is quoted as saying to a woman: “Your faith has made you well.” Did she heal herself? No; it was power from God through Christ that healed her because she had faith. (Luke 8:46; Acts 10:38) Likewise, by his perfect obedience as a human, Jesus provided the moral basis for the Father to raise him from the dead, thus acknowledging Jesus as God’s Son. Because of Jesus’ faithful course of life, it could properly be said that Jesus himself was responsible for his resurrection.

Says A. T. Robertson in Word Pictures in the New Testament: “Recall [John] 2:19 where Jesus said: ‘And in three days I will raise it up.’ He did not mean that he will raise himself from the dead independently of the Father as the active agent (Rom. 8:11).”—(New York, 1932), Vol. V, p. 183.

Answer 4

While they might know that specific verse it is clear that they were followers of Christ teachings by doing what Jesus said. That is to go and preach about God's kingdom.

Do you know that verse?

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

Are you following Christ directions like the two women, since you know the verse?

Answer 5

One anonymous anecdote does not authoritatively define seven million others. A person who insists that it does is "prejudiced".


The faith of Jesus enabled his resurrection, but someone greater (the Father) actually performed the needed work.

(Acts 2:22-24) Jesus the Nazarene...you fastened to a stake by the hand of lawless men and did away with. But God resurrected him

(John 10:17-18) This is why the Father loves me, because I surrender my soul, in order that I may receive it again. 18 No man has taken it away from me, but I surrender it of my own initiative. I have authority to surrender it, and I have authority to receive it again. The commandment on this I received from my Father.


Similarly, the Gospels report that the faith of the sick and infirm enabled their healing, but someone greater (Jesus) actually performed the needed work.

(Mark 10:51-52) Jesus said: “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him: “...let me recover sight.” And Jesus said to him: “Go, your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered sight


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm

Answer 6

better yet

why do so many xians disagree on how to interpret them? they disagree so much, in fact, that they have broken into hundreds of different denominations to worship separately!

why do so many xians ignore so many laws in the bible, but demand that other people follow them? why do they cherry pick some, and ignore so many others (like laws on divorce and pre-marital sex, and women?)

why are they such two-faced hypocrites?

those are the REAL questions....

Answer 7

The Jehovah's Witnesses have their very own version of the Bible. It is false and inaccurate. (The New World Translation)

Answer 8

It helps them.

Answer 9

I agreed

they don't really know the content of the bible

Answer 10

Cult!