Has anyone ever become a Jehovas Witness by reading the Bible?

Question

I know that they rely on their magazines, and that they will be disfellowshipped and "fall away" if they study without their watchtower magazine, but has anyone ever been converted to the Jehovas Witness religion by reading the bible and praying about which church is true? Or are the weak just preyed on by the door knockers? Please, no attack I am just curious.

http://www.towerwatch.com/

I noticed baptisms have dropped dramatically...

hispeach128 You proved my point PERFECTLY!! They used another book to DIRECT you to the Bible, in otherwords, you didnt just read the bible, you read mainly from the other "book of knowledge" you just proved my point very strongly.

Suzette, I am calling no one weak. I have many JW friends, and have heard the lessons. I know the magazines guide you to the scriptures, but they "guide" you to what they want to point out. Do they "guide" you to a full restoration of the Church, do they "guide" you to revelations on modern day prophets and apostles? And once again, you answered my question, to say that Jehovahs Witnesses do not study the bible, without using a guide or magazine. And yes, I was asking out of curiosity, yet you seem to have a little bitterness in your heart. I do appologise (^ - ^ )

Answer 1

OK this is a good question. I was 17 and has about a year before been 'confirmed' in the Catholic religion. I felt completely lost like I had no clue about my religion or why I actually got confirmed.

I prayed to God a lot to help and give me the answers that I needed. I was doing research online one day and found the offical Jehovahs Witness website. I read around it a bit and clicked something that metioned 'more information'. I assumed I was going to get some papers in the mail. As I was leaving the house one day I ran in to a girl about my age walking up. She said they had received my requests for more information and that if Id like to she would like to talk more about this with me.

2 weeks later I met with her again and we started a Bible Study. We used a book called the Knowlegde Book that would be just like and book you learned from in school. It kept us referencing back to the Bible. Never did I just look at a watch tower. No one does and witnesses dont use the watch towers as you describe. We do a deep study of the Bible and what it says. After 2 years of studying out of the Bible I easily realized 'This is the truth. It had never been this clear before'

She was the same age as me when I met her and never forced or controlled my mind. I found the truth, I found Jehovah, thru the Bible and I am so glad that I did.
...............
The book that they are calling The Knowledge Book is the Bible. When youre in school did your teachers ever make guidelines for you? If you read straight thru the Bible sure if your heart and eyes were open to it you may see the truth. The Knowlege Book put things into pictures and gave you real life stories. Took it from the Bible and made it understandable for you. Are you honestly going to tell me that you've never used a study guide in your life?...

Please

Answer 2

The premise of this so-called "question" is entirely untrue. Jehovah's Witnesses are not required to read any publication, and have always valued the bible as the only inspired infallible means of knowing God's will and purposes.

Jehovah's Witnesses regularly meet householders who have privately come to understand the bible similarly.

Using a perfect translation of the bible, a prayerful sincere individual can comprehend bible truth without any additional material or assistance. Many thousands each year recognize in the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses the plain bible truths which Christendom ignores or betrays.
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_04.htm


A hundred years ago, the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses very occasionally implied that the publications were more worthwhile of study than the bible itself.

That was completely wrong.

Yet even those early Jehovah's Witnesses never implied that their writings were infallible or inspired, or a replacement for the bible. The two quotes mentioned in this question are completely appropriate and should not trouble any Christian whether he is a Jehovah's Witness or not.

Sincere Christians may disagree about what exactly constitutes "the Christian congregation" or what exactly constitutes 'the faithful and discreet slave'. However, the bible makes it plain that the congregation and the slave would be used by Christ.

(Ephesians 3:9-11) The sacred secret is administered which has from the indefinite past been hidden... This was to the end that now to the governments and the authorities in the heavenly places there might be made known through the congregation

(Matthew 24:44-45) The Son of man is coming. “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom [Jesus] appointed over his [congregation], to give them their [spiritual] food at the proper time?


'Outside the slave' and 'apart from the congregation' are synonyms for "alienated from Christ".

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20010701/article_02.htm

http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_14.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_09.htm

Answer 3

The Masoretes, Jewish biblical scholars of the 8th to 10th century, replaced the vowel signs that had appeared above or beneath the consonants of YHWH with the vowel signs of Adonai or Elohim. Thus the artificial name Jehovah (YeHoWaH) came into being. Although, Christian scholars after the Renaissance and Reformation periods used the term Jehovah for YHWH. In the 19th and 20th centuries biblical scholars again began to use the form Yahweh, Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century, had used the form Yahweh, thus this pronunciation of the Tetragrammation was never really lost. Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh." God Bless!

Answer 4

You become a believer by reading the Bible, the name of any religion is by your choice. Religion. All the books and magazines in the world will not replace the Bible, they are helps to you in learning and studying. You pray and ask God to help you with a church He would want you to join and He will guide you. It is how you feel inside that lets you know the church is right for you. A church that teaches out of the Bible is one you should look for, the whole Bible..But ask God He will guide you...J.W. have been to my door for many years and at one time my dog answered and my dog did not like them, there were 2 and they weren't the friendly type either, I have had them come who were friendly but these 2 weren't and my dog sense it I guess and let them no about it, they never came back...Peace

Answer 5

I have a friend that is one of Jehovah's Witnesses and she told me she has a man that studies with her and her husband and he want let them use their magazine they go strickly by the Bible. Stop looking at what other people do and seek what Jehovah wants you to do. Jesus was right when he said if they hated me they are gonna hate you. John 15:18. Jesus said you will be objects of hatred by nations Matt 24:9 Jesus said I gave them your word but the world hates them John 17:14 but he also said be glad when the world hates you Luke 6:22. Jehovah Witnesses must knock on doors and make disciples that is what Jesus told them to do Matt 28:19. Now don't be mad at them because they r doing what they suppose to. Don't hate knowledge and understanding Pr1:29 keep seeking Pr2:4

Answer 6

You remind me of the gentleman who said I will discuss only the bible with you,

No other books, just the bible.

When I arrived at the appointed time, we sat down at his table and in front of him is all the notes he had taken from his bible study and his reference books.

It was okay for him to use his books, but not ours.

It's amazing how many say, they could never understand how the soul can die, which is what the bible says, and yet be immortal per their minister.

How they could never understand how Jesus can be God, which is what their minister says, and yet have a God which is what the bible says.

It's not the weak that become Jehovah's Witnesses.
It is those strong enough to ignore what the crowd is doing.
It is those strong enought to think for themselves, instead of what their minister tells them.

.

Answer 7

Why do you people, opposer's and apostates, continue to ask these foolish questions when you're eyes are already blind and your ears stuffed up. You can not see, and you can not hear. You don't recognize the truth even when it's spoken directly.

You say: "Please, no attack I am just curious." But that's a lie, you aren't curious. Curious means there's an open mind putting forth an honest question, what you're subsequent remarks show is someone who was not looking for an honest answer, but something they could grasp, twist and bend to fit what they wanted to hear.

You need to stop parroting what someone else tells you; ie. "and that they will be disfellowshipped and "fall away" if they study without their watchtower magazine" That is another out and out lie.

If you had a clue or an honest, humble heart and were truly curious, you would listen to what real Witnesses are telling you. When we study about Christ we may use "The greatest Teacher" book, each chapter will have Scripture after Scripture to look up and read which corresponds to the lesson being studied. WE are not the only group who uses study aids. When we study an lesson in the Watchtower, there are usually over 100 Scriptures to look up that allows us to understand the point. Everything is Bible based. But that's not what you want to hear.

I would love to hear you call me weak to my face, because I promise you, I am not. Like the Sons of Thunder I will stand firm and not shrink from the lies you and those like you wish to spread.

To James and his brother, John, Jesus gave the surname Boanerges, a Semitic term meaning “Sons of Thunder.” (Mr 3:17) This may have been because of the energetic, fiery, and enthusiastic nature of these men. On one occasion, for example, when certain Samaritans were inhospitable toward Jesus, James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to annihilate them. Although reproved by Jesus for suggesting such revenge, this attitude was indicative of their righteous indignation and also of their faith. While John did mellow in his older years, I haven't got there yet. I don't wish to call down calamity upon anyone, but I won't stand still for your lies either.
Curious that.

Post Script: Oh yes, you implied it in the portion of your comment and I quote: "Or are the weak just preyed on by the door knockers? " How is that NOT "I am calling no one weak." Well, yes, you did.

You see, you proved my point that your ears are stuffed up and you're eyes are sightless. No matter what anyone tells you contrary to what you assert, you disregard it. You can't just say you disagree with what we preach, you have to say we don't know what we're talking about when we say we study the Bible.

How many of your JW 'friends' know you're true heart concerning them? Do they know you think them weak-minded and preyed upon by the door knockers who brought them into the truth? Do they know you tell people lies about them, ie, "disfellowshipped or fall away if they don't use the aids when reading and studying the Bible?"

Websters says the definition of CURIOUS is:
1. eager to learn or know; inquisitive.
2. prying; meddlesome.
3. arousing or exciting speculation, interest, or attention through being inexplicable or highly unusual; odd; strange: a curious sort of person; a curious scene.

Nope, that doesn't sound like you. You're mind was made up when you asked the question. It's clear from your subsequent remarks...you are NOT curious. That lumps you in with the opposer's of Jehovah's Witnesses any way you slice it.

If you're not used to having someone be direct with you, that's because you seem to speak out of both sides of your mouth and you don't understand being spoken to in a straight forward manner. I see no reason to beat around the bush with you. I'm not 'bitter', I'm just calling a duck a duck.

Please be honest with your JW "friends", and tell them how you really feel. Sooner or later they'll find out anyway.

Answer 8

You can become anything by reading the Bible except a Christian, you cant become a baptist, or a lutheran, or a catholic, you can only become a Christian. If i gave the same set of blueprints to 10 different contractors, they would all build the same house, same thing with the bible, It only leads in one direction.

Answer 9

--I DID, based on my non-belief of the trinity for all my life!
--WHERE DID you get that bit of predjudiced thought on the watchtower, THAT REALLY is a humdinger, but of course not true?
--I WAS a Greek orthodox , alter boy, sunday school teacher for the first 22 years of my life & now I am a witness at 64 that is 40 years as a witness!
--WHILE TEACHING sunday school in Bluepoint, NY Greek Orthodox church, as I was reading the teaching books, I stumbled across the false teaching of the trinity and became upset about it. (I actually never knew that G.O. taught it)
--So I went to the head of the Sunday school & told him I would not be teaching that doctrine(this was a year before I had any substantial encounter with the witnesses)
--HE SAID teach what you want to teach! THAT INDEED was strange!

--I BECAME A WITNESS on this fact-- the name of God , Jehovah in the Scriptures besides our translation!
--The few times in the KJV and others impressed me greatly , for I always believed God was God(not clearly knowing his name) and Christ was the Son of God!
**I BECAME A WITNESS after 21 days of studying the Bible and have remained faithful to Jehovah God & Christ Jesus for over 40 years with my wife of 38 years!
--WHENEVER I researched other Bibles such as the American Standard Version which contains the name Jehovah thousands of times, along with---Youngs Literal Translation, Darby Translation, The Living Bible, The Bible In Living English, The Jerusalem Bible & other versions!
**THAT WAS MY MAIN premise for becoming a witness!
--I have over 40 transl. & versions which make very clear Jehovah is God!
--I have over 15 Bible commentaries, encyclopdias and indexes, etc. which make clear that the witnesses teach the Scriptures as they were meant to be taught.
**ILLUSTRATING the use of our literature with the Bible can be expresssed this way:
Our EYES can be compared to the Bible! --
--AND our kindred literature(which many on this site are very predjudiced against, without honest reasoning) can be compared to my tri-focal glasses that help the eyes focus clearly!
--MY WIFE & I have always followed thIs example:
(Acts 17:11) “. . .Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni′ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. . .”
--AS TO TESTIMONY for our NEW WORLD TRANSLATION & its accuracy--PLEASE NOTE:
*** w99 10/15 p. 29 A Milestone for Lovers of God’s Word ***
***Unique Features
--Millions of readers have done just that and have discovered the New World Translation to be not only readable but scrupulously accurate. Its translators worked from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages, using the best texts available. Unusual care was also exercised to render the ancient text as literally as possible but in language that would readily be understood. Accordingly, some scholars praised this translation for its integrity and accuracy. For example, the Andover Newton Quarterly of January 1963 said: “The translation of the New Testament is evidence of the presence in the movement of scholars qualified to deal intelligently with the many problems of Biblical translation.”

*** w95 4/15 p. 32 New World Translation Impresses a Scholar ***
--Dr. ten Kate explains that in verse 12 the Greek word bre′phos means “a newborn, or baby.” Pai·di′on, used in verse 27, means “little boy or child,” and pais, found in verse 43, should be rendered “boy.” “As far as I know,” wrote Dr. ten Kate in the March 1993 issue of Bijbel en Wetenschap (Bible and Science), “not one Dutch translation has rendered this adequately, that is to say, completely in harmony with the original text.”
--Later, Dr. ten Kate was shown the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, which is available in 12 languages, including Dutch. His reaction? “I am very surprised,” he said, “that there is actually one Dutch Bible in which the different use of the three Greek words bre′phos, pai·di′on, and pais is rightly taken into account.” Does the New World Translation translate these verses in harmony with the original Greek text? “Completely in agreement,” responds Dr. ten Kate.

--NOW IF THIS BE TRUE about our excellent translation why would not the same honesty & integrety apply to our literature? WHY NOT examine them with your Bible or on our website below!

Answer 10

i used to slam the door in the faces of jehovahs witnesses until on day i asked myself, why? it was because my mom always did that. so one day i decided to hear them out. well i learned that there are many misconceptions about them. they don't have their own bible they have pamplets that go along with the Bible and they research everything. they make more sense than anybody.