Use the Bible in Field Service
1 The inspired words of the Bible can have a powerful effect on people. For this reason, first-century Christians made good use of the Scriptures when proclaiming the good news. Paul ‘reasoned from the Scriptures,’ explaining and proving his points by references. (Acts 17:2, 3) Apollos, when witnessing to Jews, “demonstrated by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.”—Acts 18:24-28.
2 Jehovah’s Witnesses today follow this example. As stated in the March 1, 1986, Watchtower, page 26: “When they share in the public ministry, they want people to realize that the message they proclaim is not of their own originality but is from God’s own Word. So they make direct use of the Bible, actually reading from it to others whenever possible.” Are you making full use of the Bible in your ministry?
WHY EFFECTIVE
3 Why is the Bible so effective? Because it is the Word of God and “is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12) The true motives of individuals come to the fore when exposed to Scriptural truth. People of honest heart are drawn to it. For example, one young couple who made rapid progress in serving Jehovah were asked why they responded so quickly to the good news. Their answer? “It was the Bible.” When the publishers who called on them directed their attention to the Bible, they recognized the voice of “the fine shepherd.”—John 10:14; w78 6/1 pp. 22-3.
4 Do you sometimes feel inadequate when using your Bible in field service? A good personal study program, including preparation for and attendance at all congregation meetings, will equip you for every good work and give you added confidence. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) Service partners and family members can practice going over the Topic for Conversation with each other. Also, most of the introductions on pages 9-15 of the Reasoning book involve reading a scripture early in the conversation. Why not practice some of these? Use what is practical and catches the interest of the people in your territory.
USE GOOD JUDGMENT
5 There are times when we will want to invite the householder to get his own copy of the Bible and look up a scripture with us. Use good judgment in such circumstances. (See Reasoning book, page 67, paragraph 3, and page 279, paragraph 2.) When brevity is required, we may decide to read just one of the texts in our Topic for Conversation. Or if the householder is obviously busy, we may simply quote an appropriate phrase, letting the householder know that it is from the Bible. Jesus and the apostles did not have personal copies of the Hebrew Scriptures to carry with them when preaching. Yet they quoted extensively from them. We too should make an effort to memorize scriptures so that we have them in mind for use in our ministry.
6 Paul exhorted Timothy to ‘handle the word of the truth aright.’ (2 Tim. 2:15) The same admonition applies to us today. We want to imitate Jesus and the apostles by making frequent use of the Bible in our field ministry. Read from it whenever possible, but if necessary, quote it from memory. Our doing this effectively will make it clear that we are God’s ministers and that our message is based solidly on his Word.