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ReasoningwithJehovah’s WitnessesA Scriptural Study ofthe Teachings of Jehovah’s WitnessesbyKevin R. Quick Copyright 1986Kevin R. QuickHyde Park, easoning/.

CHANGES TO THIS REVISION(with permission)April 14, 2015 The Table of Contents has been hypertexted *Internal cross-references have been hypertextedThe Subject Index has been hypertexted.Completed Witnessing, question 4.An additional appendix has been added, gathering togetherall the sections titled “What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe.”The original Scripture Index has been replaced with one using the page numbersof this revision, rather than using the section and question numbers. While it isnot hypertexted, you may go to the page indicated to find that scripture. It is instrict alphabetical order, not numeric (a shortcoming in MS-Word indexes).Other minor formatting revisions and corrections have also been made* Hypertexting means that if you click on the underlined text, you’ll go to that place in the document.To return to the previous place, use Alt-left arrow; to go to the next place, use Alt-right arrow.NOTE: Following some Scriptural citations, you may see “Gr.” or “Heb.” in brackets. “Gr.” stands for“Greek”, and “Heb.” stands for Hebrew. Sometimes the anglicized original language word is given (like“gehenna”), sometimes the meaning of the original language word is given (like “soul”), and sometimesa literal rendering is given in English. This is to help clarify the meaning, where the English wordingmay be ambiguous. These helps were not added in this revision; this note simply explains their use.You may also see “LXX.” This refers to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, done byseventy Jewish scholars (hence the Roman numeral LXX), about two to three hundred years before thebirth of Jesus. It provides us with the Jewish understanding of the Hebrew text, rendered into Greek.

CONTENTSPreface . 11Part One — The Nature of God.151. The Deity of Christ. 15What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 15Q1. Is Jesus the creator of all things? . 15Q2. Is Jesus the sustainer of all things?. 16Q3. Is Jesus the Savior?. 16Q4. Is Jesus the giver of things of God?. 16Q5. Does Jesus have authority to forgive sins? . 16Q6. Does Jesus have authority to judge men? How should this affect one’s response toHim?.17Q7. Is Jesus all-seeing?.17Q8. Is Jesus all-knowing? .17Q9. Is Jesus omnipresent? .17Q10. Was Jesus eternally pre-existent? .17Q11. Does Jesus ever change? . 18Q12. Is it proper to serve Jesus? . 18Q13. Is it proper to pray to Jesus? . 18Q14. Is it proper to give glory to Jesus? . 19Q15. Is it proper to worship Jesus? . 20Q16. Is Jesus Lord? . 20Q17. Is Jesus sovereign? . 21Q18. How was Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God understood by His listeners? . 21Q19. Is Jesus God? . 22Five legal cases for stoning: .23Q20. Is Jesus spoken of in the Bible as Jehovah, as is His Father? . 24Q21. What form did Jesus assume when coming to earth as a man? . 25Q22. In heaven, does Jesus subject Himself to His Father’s headship? . 26Summary 1 – Christ’s Nature . 27Summary 2 – One with the Father . 28Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 292. The Personality of the Holy Spirit . 30What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 30Q1. Did Jesus speak of the Holy Spirit as He and Whom?. 30Q2. Does the Holy Spirit speak? . 30Q3. Does the Holy Spirit teach? . 30

Q4. Does the Holy Spirit bear witness? . 31Q5. Is there other Scriptural evidence that the Holy Spirit is a person? . 31Q6. Can a Christian have fellowship with the Holy Spirit? . 31Q7. What is the position of the Holy Spirit? . 31Summary 1 – The Person of the Holy Spirit: .32Summary 2: The Holy Spirit as Trinity .333. The Trinity . 33What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: .33Q1. Does the Old Testament indicate plurality in the Godhead? . 33Q2. In the New Testament do the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit cooperatecollectively? . 34Summary: The Godhead . 35Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 35Part Two — The Nature of Man . 364. The Spirit of Man . 36What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 36Q1. Is the spirit of a man distinct from his body? . 36Q2. What happens to the spirit at death? . 36Summary: The Spirit of Man . 37Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 375. The Soul of Man . 37What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 37Q1. Of what is man composed? . 37Q2. According to the Bible, does the soul live on after the death of the body? . 37Summary: The Soul of Man . 38Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 386. The Nature of Death. 38What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 38Q1. Is the term “sleep” ever applied to either the spirit or the soul in the Bible, or only tothe body? . 38Q2. Does the Bible speak of an afterlife immediately following death and preceding theresurrection? . 39Summary: Death . 40Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 407. Resurrection . 41What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 41Q1. Was Jesus’ body resurrected? . 41Q2. Will Christians’ bodies be resurrected? . 42

Q3. Will the resurrected body have exactly the same characteristics as the original body?. 42Q4. Are resurrected men to be judged by the deeds which they perform during themillennium? . 42Q5. When does the second resurrection take place? . 43Summary: Resurrection . 43Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 438. The Nature of Hell . 43What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 43Q1. Is it possible to experience either blessing or torment in Hades? . 43Q2. What is the eventuality of those who are cast into gehenna, or the lake of fire? . 44Summary: Hell .45Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:.45Part Three — God’s People . 469. Israel . 46What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 46Q1. What does the Old Testament indicate as to the future restoration and blessing of thenation of Israel? . 46Q2. What does the New Testament indicate as to the future restoration and blessing ofthe nation Israel? . 50Summary: Israel . 51Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 5110. The 144,000. 52What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 52Q1. Of whom is the “little flock” of Luke 12:32 comprised? . 52Q2. From where are the 144,000 sealed? . 52Q3. From where are earth’s future kings purchased? . 52Q4. Are there other passages in the Bible which indicate that natural Israel plays animportant part in the outworking of God’s purposes at the end of this age and during themillennium? . 52Q5. When are the 144,000 sealed? . 52Q6. In Revelation chapters 7 and 14, are the 144,000 ever spoken of as being kings,priests, or the bride of Christ?. 53Summary: The 144,000. 53Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 5311. God’s Organization . 53What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 53Q1. What group of people has God been primarily dealing with since the first century? . 54

Q2. Does the Bible indicate that one’s salvation is dependent upon his response to anearthly organization? . 54Q3. Does the Bible teach that one can only come to understand the Bible and God’spurposes by associating with His “earthly organization?” . 54Summary: The Church .5412. The Great Crowd . 55What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 55Q1. Who are the “other sheep” of John 10:16? . 55Q2. What does it mean to stand before the throne of God? . 55Q3. In the book of Revelation, where is God’s temple? . 55Q4. Before Revelation chapter 21, where is God’s tabernacle? . 56Q5. What is the eventuality of those who have washed their robes? . 56Q6. Must members of the great crowd be born again? . 56Q7. What hope does the Bible hold out to Christians living in these last days? . 56Q8. Does Revelation chapter 7 state that the great crowd will pass through the greattribulation directly into the new earth without ever having been in heaven? . 56Summary: The Great Crowd . 57Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 5713. The Faithful and Discreet Slave . 57What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 57Q1. Is there only one faithful slave mentioned in Jesus’ parables? . 58Q2. According to Jesus, when is the faithful and discreet slave to be identified andrewarded? .58Predictions of Jehovah’s Witnesses . 58Q3. Has the “faithful and discreet slave class” of Jehovah’s Witnesses proven to befaithful and discreet? . 58Q4. Should we trust in an organization of men for the correct interpretation of God’sword?. 59Q5. Are human agencies ever used by God to instruct His people? .60Summary: The Faithful Slave . 60Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 6014. Persecution .60What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 60Q1. Why are Christians persecuted? . 61Summary: Persecution . 61Part Four — Man’s Salvation . 6215. The Gospel .62What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 62

Q1. In its 115 occurrences in the New Testament, to what does the term “gospel” apply? 62Q2. What was the gospel preached by the apostle Paul? . 62Q3. Does the gospel preached by Jehovah’s Witnesses differ from that preached byChristians throughout the centuries? . 63Q4. What should be our response to a gospel other than the one Paul preached? . 63Summary: . 63Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 6316. Being Born Again. 63What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 63Q1. What does it mean to be born again? . 64Q2. Must all Christians be born again? . 64Q3. Can one put on the new self (new personality) without having been born again? . 64Q4. Can one see God’s Kingdom or enter into it without having been born again? . 65Summary: “Born Again” .6517. Salvation . 65What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: .65Q1. What is the condition before God of the unsaved? . 66Q2. How can one be saved? . 66Q3. To whom must one turn for salvation? . 67Q4. What must a person do to be saved? . 67Q5. Must one be born again to be saved? . 67Q6. Is it proper for a Christian to say that he has been saved? . 67Q7. How does a Christian know that he has been saved? . 68Q8. Can one test himself to see whether or not he has been saved? . 68Q9. Does a Christian await future, bodily salvation? . 68Q10. Does a Christian have assurance of salvation? . 69Summary: Salvation . 69Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 6918. Justification . 69What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 69Q1. Is a Christian justified by faith alone or by faith plus works? . 70Q2. Do good works naturally follow true faith? .71Summary: Justification . 72Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah’s Witnesses:. 7219. Sufficiency of Christ’s Redemption. 72What Jehovah’s Witnesses believe: . 72Q1. Is Christ’s redemptive work fully sufficient for the justification of a believer? . 72