I am naturally drawn to things that people generally criticize and most of the time, I do find out that most of these things are not really what people say they are.
People would generally hate what they don’t understand and that is the case of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
While growing up, I watched people avoid interacting with them and this made me curious to know about their doctrines.
After studying with the Jehovah’s Witnesses for more than 12 years, I can say that they are widely misunderstood by most people. Do I totally agree with them? No, I do not but I share their perspective in some areas like the subject of the Trinity and Tithing. I do not actively study with the Jehovah’s Witnesses anymore but here are areas they have my respect.
First, is evangelism. Without a doubt, no other Christian set actively evangelizes like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, none even come close. As a Jehovah’s Witness, you are readily mandated to evangelize not just occasionally like most Christian sets but regularly.
Second is their civility. As far as I am concerned, I think the Jehovah’s Witnesses are the most civilized Christian set in Nigeria. Even though they use microphones in their services, you can barely hear a sound outside their kingdom hall. I think most churches need to learn from them how not to disturb people with their horn speakers. It can be very annoying.
Third is their uniformity. I have gone to kingdom halls and many Jehovah’s Witnesses’ conferences in many regions of the country and I can confirm that they teach the same message everywhere. Most multi-branched churches in Nigeria are not like this. Don’t let me start to mention names.
Fourth is biblical knowledge. When it comes to biblical knowledge, I haven’t seen that Christian set that can win the Jehovah’s Witnesses in a Bible-based debate even though a lot of people will argue that their teachings are heresies. The truth of the matter is that no church is perfect and Jehovah’s Witnesses are not an exemption. Try an engage a random 8-year-old Jehovah’s Witness, you will be shocked by his or her narration of biblical events.
Recently, I was watching a video of two pastors arguing about tithing on Facebook and I was so irritated by the pastor arguing for why Christians should pay tithe. The Bible verses he was using as his defense were totally irrelevant to the points he was making. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not like that. If you ask a Jehovah’s Witness a question he doesn’t know, he will not try to be proof smart to you or beat around the bush, he will simply tell you that he does have the answer to your question but he will reach out to his superior for the answer. Trust me, he will always come back with a reasonable response even if it doesn’t really answer the question exactly but at least it will sound very reasonable.
Fifth is their lower divorce rate. Of course, there will certainly be Jehovah’s Witnesses who are divorced but I am yet to see one myself. Do you know one? The Bible says, “By their fruits, we shall know them. This is a clear testament to show that the word of God is of great effect in their lives. Yeah!
Sixth is their devotion. When it comes to devotion, I rate the Jehovah’s Witnesses very high. A Jehovah’s Witness with an MSc can decide to turn into an artisan simply because he doesn’t want anything that will hinder him from going to weekly meetings at the Kingdom Hall. One of their members once told me that he has never missed a meeting in his entire life and if I wasn’t mistaken, he should be around 32 years of age when he told me that. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t joke with their meetings and that’s why you will rarely see a Jehovah’s Witness working in the bank.
Lastly is their less emphasis on money. This is one area I respect the Jehovah’s Witnesses most. A Jehovah’s Witness will politely stop you by the road, hand you a book that would have cost you a lot of money, and ask that you give a free-will offering. Even if N5 is all you have, he will collect. This is not the way it is in other Christian sets where everything is for sale. The only Christian set that is a bit like the Jehovah’s Witnesses in this regard is the Christ Embassy with their “Rhapsody of Reality”. It will shock you that the Jehovah’s Witnesses do not take offerings or tithe in their meeting except a box at the entrance of the hall where members can drop their voluntary offerings. Sometimes I imagine how they can run their publications and the maintenance of their halls. I don’t think there is any better way to explain the true provision of God than that.
In conclusion, I know a lot of Christians see the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a heretic movement or even a demonic one but I don’t think so. Instead, I see sincere people who are devoted to God in the way they know best. Whether their doctrine is accurate or not, I just hope God counts the sincerity of their heart and devotion as righteousness.
