More “shoe on the other foot” last Saturday. I was out with a new friend from Reformation Bible College, Yiourgos, canvassing for our special evangelistic meetings in Vineland. As I was moving down the street, I noticed three nicely-dressed Hispanic people getting out of their car. Had a hunch, and sure enough—they were “Testigos de Jehová” (Jehovah’s Witnesses).
As usual, very polite. And they knew their Bibles. The Watchtower had trained their drones well! With my precarious Spanish, I went to the Philippians 2 usage of Isaiah 45. The language that Paul used and applied to Jesus, “that every knee would bow” and “every tongue would confess,” was the very same language that Isaiah clearly referred to Jehovah! The Jehovah of Isaiah 45 gave to Jesus, according to Paul in Philippians, “the name that is above every name.” And what is that name, Jehovah gave to Jesus? None other than “Jehovah!”
I tracked with only parts of their response. My Spanish comprehension can be shaky; and the wife seemed to be especially zealous, probably accelerating her speech. I recall resonating with her use of Matthew 28:18-20, which God giving Jesus “all authority in heaven and earth.” We Trinitarians do not dispute the subordination of Jesus according to his human nature and in His person and office as Mediator. But clearly, I’ll have to unpack that more in a further conversation. Truly, “great is the mystery of godliness!”
I also tried to disarm them a little by sympathizing with their frustrations over ignorant Romanists and Pentecostals. The zealous wife mentioned that she herself was a former Roman Catholic, not knowing her left hand from her right biblically until the “Testigos” showed up. And so many Pentecostals they encountered were little better, however much they doubled-down on their defense of the Trinity.
Such precious people. So earnest, and so sincere. But so sincerely wrong, in bondage and under the curse of the law! This is yet another reason why Reformed churches absolutely must take their calling to evangelize more seriously and especially among those on the “other side of the tracks.” We need to get to these stray sheep before the wolves do! And from experience, these stray immigrant sheep are more easy to engage.
I was able to get the phone number from the man; we’ll call him Cesar, and his wife Alma. I later texted him that I’d be happy to visit with him and his wife wherever they’d like to talk further about the Bible. I also made a little chart for him to underscore the point I was trying to make above. The second page in Spanish is what I sent him. Note that I cited their own Watchtower Bible version, which though deplorable is still unable to pervert and distort everything from God’s Word. Witnesses are under such manipulative mind-control that they will be suspicious of anything not published or vetted by their religious minders.
Please pray that the Lord will let the “seeds of doubt” settle in, and the “seed of Truth” to take root. And pray that they will be open to further conversations. They clearly understand that this tall gringo knows his stuff.
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