From House to House
Writen by a young JW.
The Watchtower often uses this scripture to
"prove" that their house to house ministry is the way that true Christians
minister to people. The argument is that the JWs are following the example of
1st Century Christians in this regard. They often quote Paul's example which
is written at at Acts 20:17-20 which says the following:
"However, from Miletus he sent to Ephesus
and called for the older men of the congregation. When they got to him he said
to them: "You well know how from the first day that I stepped into the
district of Asia I was with you the whole time, slaving for the Lord with the
greatest lowliness of mind and tears and trials that befell me by the plots
of the Jews; while I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that
were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house."
The August 15,1961 Watchtower on page 503 discusses
the New World Translation's rendering of Acts 20:20. It says the following:
"Acts 20:20, according to the
New World Translation, reads: "I did not hold back from telling you
any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and
from house to house." Some persons contend that the foregoing rendering
is a poor one by reason of containing the expression "from house to
house", and that it was used merely to support the house to house activity
of Jehovah's witnesses. What are the facts?"
This one page article then quotes from numerous
Greek scholars that supposedly agree with the New World Translation's rendering
of this scripture. The conclusion of the article states the following:
"Will anyone endeavor to argue
that all these Greek grammarians, these Bible translators and historians
were one and all biased because they themselves were doing evangelistic
work from house to house? Hardly! Then neither can anyone rightly claim
that the way the New World Translation reads at Acts 20:20 is due to the
fact that the witnesses of Jehovah engage in house-to-house ministerial
work. However, if any still want to take exception to the expression, then
they are entitled to the secondary reading that is given in the footnote
of Acts 20:20 which reads, "or, 'and in the private houses.'""
So the Watchtower Society admits that the alternate
rendering "in private houses" is a legitimate rendering of the verse.
Interestingly the 1972 book "Organization
for Kingdom Preaching and Disciple Making" (A.K.A. "The Organization
Book") comments on the meaning of Acts 20:20. On pages 54-56, it is discussing
the role of the body of elders in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses.
It says the following:
"However, since the Greek term
for 'exercising oversight' (e pi sko pe' o) includes the meaning of 'visiting',
it is certainly appropriate that the shepherds visit the brothers in their
homes and even in prison, upbuilding them and contributing to their spiritual
enlightenment. (Compare Revelation 3:20; Luke 10:38-42; Matthew 25:36,39)
Paul reminded the elders of Ephesus that he had taught them, not only publicly,
but "from house to house". * (Acts 20:17-20, margin; MO; RS; Lamsa;
YG; Dy; Knox; Acts 18:19-21; 19:1-19; 20:31) A congregation was established
in Ephesus and other cities. For lack of public meeting places that could
be rented or hired, the local congregation would meet in the private home
of a dedicated, baptized believer (Rom. 16:5; Col. 4:15; Philem. 2), and
to congregational meetings in the homes interested persons could be invited.
By these means the members of the congregation would come to know the overseers
well and feel free to approach them, and the overseers, in turn, would become
better acquainted with the needs of each one of the "flock". It
is important for overseers to be approachable, willing to listen when their
brothers come to them with problems, and dealing with them in a manner that
will result in refreshment as the "fine shepherd" set the example.-Matthew
11:28-30"
So, the Watchtower Society now applies Acts
20:20 as proving that Paul taught, not unbelievers from house to house, but
believers in the homes of believers. What scholarly support does the Watchtower
Society cite for this interpretation? In a footnote on page 56 of "The
Organization Book" it quotes Dr. A. T. Robertson from the book "A
Grammer of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research"
(1934). The footnote states:
"As regards the translation
"from house to house" (kat' oi' kous) in Acts 20:20, which some
modern translators would render as: "at your houses" (AT), "in
your homes" (Je;NE), "in private" (NA), Doctor Robertson
has this to say on pages 349,350 paragraph 1: "and from house to house
(kai kat'oikous). By (according to) houses. It is worth noting that the
greatest of preachers preached form house to house and did not make his
visits merely social calls. He was doing kingdom business all the while
as in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. (1 Cor. 16:19)"
1 Corinthians 16:19 says the following:
"The congregations of Asia
send you their greetings. Aquila and Prisca together with the congregation
that is in their house greet you heartily in the Lord". (NWT)
So, evidently this scholar A.T. Robertson, according
to the Watchtower Society, interprets Acts 20:20 to be referring to Paul ministering
to believers in the congregations that met in the homes of fellow believers
and not to unbelievers at their homes.
The Watchtower Society's view on Acts 20:20
changes in the 1/1/81 Watchtower when it says on page 18 the following:
"We can see this from comments
Paul made to men who had become elders in the Ephesian congregation. Speaking
about his past preaching, when he had introduced Christianity to them, Paul
said: "I did not neglect to preach to you about these things in the
streets and from house to house, thus testifying both to the Jews and to
the Arameans [or, Gentiles] about repentance toward God and faith in our
Lord Jesus." (Acts 20:20,21, translated form Syriac by George M. Lansa)
Clearly, Paul was here speaking of his efforts to preach to these men when
they were yet unbelievers, persons needing to repent and put faith in Jesus.
Paul went to the homes of such unbelievers. He had no reason to feel hesistant
about such preaching to strangers, for he was doing a "holy work"
that God approved of and would bless."
Interestingly, on page 19 of this same article,
this comment is made:
"Thus, even in lands where
extreme opposition from rabid religious elements or the police state makes
it impossible or indiscreet to witness publicly from house to house, Christians
continue to do all they can to witness in other ways."
Correct me if I am wrong, but did not Paul say
that the trials and persecutions brought against him by the Jews did not stop
him from teaching publicly and from house to house. If the Watchtower Society's
interpretation of this scripture is correct, how do they explain the comment
above?
Also, the 8/1/85 Watchtower on page 14 says
the following:
"Later, the Apostle Paul could
remind appointed elders from Ephesus: "I did not hold back from telling
you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly
and from house to house. But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and
to Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus."
(Acts 20:20,21) Paul did not mean that he was teaching appointed elders
in their homes. Rather, he was witnessing to unbelieving Jews and Greeks
about repentance toward Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. Without question,
Paul also taught those elders how to witness from house to house."
What scholarly support did this Watchtower article
cite for this interpretation of Acts 20:20? On page 14, this article quotes
A.E. Bailey, A.A. Livermore, E.M. Blaiklock, and even A.T. Robertson as supporting
this interpretation of Acts 20:20. Interestingly, they give no title to a book
or article for any of these quotations. The quote by A.T. Robertson is most
interesting. It is the following:
"It is worth noting that this
greatest of preachers preached from house to house and did not make his
visits merely social calls."
Does this quote sound familiar to you? It should.
It is part of the quote used in the 1972 book "Organization for Kingdom
Preaching and Disciple Making" in the footnote on page 56. This was the
quote that was used by the Watchtower Society to prove that Paul, at Acts 20:20,
was talking about teaching the appointed elders and other believers in congregations
that were meeting in the homes of fellow believers and not about teaching unbelievers
at their homes.
So, Jehovah's Witnesses need to be careful if
they want to use Acts 20:20 as "proof" that their door to door ministry
had a 1st century precedent in the actions of the 1st Century church because
even they have interpreted this scripture in other ways. In addition, their
scholarly support for their current interpretation is highly suspect in my opinion
as the above example demonstrates.
Jeff S.
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