Hello everyone.
This talk was part of a Friday afternoon symposium at the 2025 Regional Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The symposium theme was titled, “Imitate Jesus’ Responses to the Tempter!” and this particular talk was called, “Defend the Truth.”
I wholeheartedly agree that Christians should imitate Jesus in the way he responded to Satan’s temptations. And naturally, we should defend the truth just as Jesus did.
On this channel, we strive to follow the example of the Beroean Christians, who were commended by the apostle Paul—not for blindly accepting his teachings, but for examining everything he said in light of the Scriptures. In the same spirit, let us now consider the content of this convention talk as they would have done. Paul also urges us,
So, let’s begin by listening to the speaker’s opening words:
Truth Bible. We have it. The world needs it. But the devil wants to destroy it.
This speaker leaves no doubt about where Jehovah’s Witnesses stand when it comes to “the truth.” They do not believe they have it. They know they have it. So much so that the phrase “the truth” has become a label for their entire religion. Fifty years ago, when I was a teenager, it was common at conventions to ask someone you’d just met, “How long have you been in the truth?” And if someone left the organization, we’d say, “He left the truth.”
“The Organization” and “the Truth” were, and still are, treated as interchangeable terms.
So, when a talk is titled “Defend the Truth,” what it really means is: Defend the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. That’s an important lens to keep in mind when you hear the speaker make statements like this one.
Satan hates the truth.
It might sound natural to say “Satan hates truth,” but having grown up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I understand the real message the speaker is trying to convey: Satan hates the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
At this point, the speaker reads from John 8:44—but notably, he doesn’t read the entire verse, and in this case, the omission is telling. He’s trying to establish the idea that Satan was once in the truth but left it, thereby becoming the chief apostate.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught that Jehovah God has both a heavenly organization and an earthly one. They also believe that before Christ, the nation of Israel served as God’s earthly organization. Today, that role is said to belong to the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. By this logic, leaving the Organization is equivalent to abandoning Jehovah God—assuming, of course, that one accepts their premise.
John Chapter 8, and let's follow along here in verse 44. John 8:44. Now here midway down the verse, Jesus says, "That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth because the truth is not in him." So here, Jesus Christ makes clear that this spirit creature, before he became Satan, was once in the truth, but he chose a course of opposition. He did that with his first overt act in the Garden of Eden where he lied against truth. He deceived Eve, resulting in sin, and eventually, the death of Adam and Eve. Satan hates the truth. Thus, he wants to destroy it. In fact, Satan is the chief proponent of untruth. If we look back here in verse 44, it says that "when he speaks the lie, speaks according to his own disposition because he is a liar." Satan is one full of deceit. He spreads misinformation, and in fact, Satan is the foremost apostate.
The key point being made here is that Satan the Devil left the truth, hates the truth, and is the foremost apostate.
But what exactly is an apostate? Is it simply someone who leaves a religious organization? No—that would more accurately be described as a heretic. An apostate is someone who abandons God, turns away from Him, and sets themselves in opposition to Him. In that sense, Satan truly is the original and greatest apostate.
Now let’s read the part of John 8:44 that the speaker left out:
“You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father.. . .” (John 8:44)
Who is Jesus speaking to in John 8:44? He’s addressing the Jewish priests and the Pharisees. These are the men he calls “children of the Devil.” Since Satan is the foremost apostate, and these religious leaders are described as carrying out the desires of their father, the Devil, it follows that they too are apostates—just like their spiritual father.
But here’s the key point: these men were not leaving Jehovah’s organization. On the contrary, they were leading it. They stood at the helm of what Jehovah’s Witnesses today would call God’s earthly organization—ancient Israel. In their day, it was Jesus and his disciples who were viewed as the apostates.
After focusing on social media as a tool Satan supposedly uses to lure Jehovah’s Witnesses away from the Organization—that’s assuming that Satan wants to lure people away from the Organization—the speaker finally arrives at his main point. And what he says next is, in fact, true. He accurately describes how Satan targets those who seek to engage in pure worship, worship in spirit and in truth. So, while his statement is not a lie, it is still misleading.
Why? Because he subtly shifts the meaning of “apostate” to fit the Organization’s framework, leading the audience to believe that apostates are simply those who pose a threat to the Organization. In doing so, he reinforces the idea that anyone who questions, disagrees with, or departs from the Organization is automatically aligned with Satan.
Listen carefully to what he says next.
But what else does Satan use? He uses his wicked agents, opposers, and apostates to spread seeds of doubt, to spread misinformation. But when it comes to these seeds of doubt that are spread by Satan's wicked agents, opposers, and apostates, these seeds are very insidious. They're like an invisible, poisonous, odorless gas that seeps into the consciousness of mankind. And if we're not careful, we can fail to see it for what it is, Satan's attempt to get us to abandon truth, to abandon true worship.
Again, everything the speaker says here is true. But let’s ask the deeper question—Whom did Satan use in the first century to oppose true worship? He used the apostate leaders of Jehovah’s own organization, Israel: the priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees. An apostate is someone who stands in opposition to truth, and that perfectly describes the religious leaders Jesus confronted.
Jesus said that you would recognize false teachers by their fruits. So, what fruits are you supposed to be looking for? Let’s keep listening to the talk and see what becomes evident.
And what did Jesus do to counteract Satan's attempts to overreach him? Well, to answer that, turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of Matthew. In Matthew chapter 4, as we've been discussing, with each attempt, what did Jesus do? In Matthew chapter 4 in verse 4, when he tempts him to turn the stones into loaves of bread, what did Jesus say? "It is written..." So immediately, he turns Satan's attention to God's word of truth. The second temptation in verse 7, what did Jesus say? "Again, it is written..." He immediately turns Satan's attention to God's word of truth. The third temptation in verse 10 when he tells Satan, "Go away, Satan, for it is written..." Immediately, he turns Satan's attention to God's word of truth.
One of the fruits that identifies false teachers is hypocrisy. Jesus said:
“You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said: ‘This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.” (Matthew 15:7-9)
This convention speaker honors Jesus with his lips. He rightly points out that Jesus fearlessly engaged in conversation with an apostate—and not just any apostate, but the foremost apostate, Satan himself. He even notes that Jesus listened to what Satan said and responded by quoting Scripture. Three times, Jesus answered, “It is written!”
Now, recall the theme of this symposium: “Imitate Jesus’ Responses to the Tempter!”
But Jehovah’s Witnesses do not do that, do they? In fact, the Governing Body’s policy is that their members should not engage at all with anyone who disagrees with the Organization. Such individuals are immediately labeled “apostates,” and any form of disagreement is branded as apostate thinking. So rather than imitating Jesus, they are taught to shut their ears to anything outside the boundaries set by the Organization.
Now, although we do not directly engage apostates in communication...
You see what’s happening? On the one hand, they rightly encourage you to imitate Jesus, who directly engaged with Satan—the foremost apostate—responding to him by quoting Scripture and defending the truth. But that’s just lip service, because in actual practice, Jehovah’s Witnesses are told not to engage with so-called apostates at all.
Now watch carefully. You’re about to witness the Organization perform a classic bait-and-switch.
First, the bait:
Jesus Christ set a beautiful example in defending truth and honoring Jehovah. And in doing so, he set a beautiful, perfect example for us to follow. Suppose someone that you know or that you are close to begins to grasp and cling to the misinformation or the bad teachings of apostates. And then they want to share it with you. What would you do? Well, to answer that, please give your attention to the following dramatization.
Now comes the switch. The bait—your desire to imitate Jesus—is quietly replaced with a different message: what they want you to believe is truly imitating Jesus. But ask yourself, as you watch this carefully crafted dramatization, whether it actually reflects what Jesus did when confronted by the apostate Satan.
Remember, Satan—the genuine apostate—was trying to get Jesus to doubt what he knew to be true about his Father, Jehovah God. Satan wasn’t attacking Israel, which Jehovah’s Witnesses believe was God’s earthly organization at the time. In fact, it was Jesus who regularly challenged the religious leaders of that organization.
But in the dramatization that you’re about to see, take note: it isn’t Jehovah’s word or the Bible’s teachings that are being challenged. Instead, it’s the conduct and teachings of men—and even then, no specifics are mentioned. Of course they aren’t. That would risk exposing the soft underbelly of JW dogma.
I kind of felt bad too. You know, whenever I ask him how things are going in the congregation, he won't give me a straight answer. Really? And he's always shifting the conversation to something negative about the organization. Wow. What are you gonna do? I don't know, but I sure hope I'm wrong. Hey, Justin. I want you to read this article I just sent you. It's gonna change the way you see the organization. Get back to me. Did you get that message I sent you? Why would you send that to me? Better yet, why are you reading that garbage? It's all lies. Garbage? How do you know if it's garbage if you haven't even read it? Listen!
You have no idea what was in the article this brother was asked to view. What was going to be revealed? Why was it so damaging to the Organization? You’re never told. And that’s intentional. The point the Organization wants to drive home is that the only way to handle any information that might cast it in a negative light is to shut your eyes and stop up your ears.
But Jesus—the one you are told to imitate—didn’t do that. He didn’t close his eyes, plug his ears, and chant “la, la, la…” to block out Satan’s words. Why would he? He had the greatest weapon against falsehood: the truth.
Yet you, as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, are not taught to use the truth to respond to those who challenge your beliefs. You’re taught to run from the conversation, to avoid it entirely, as if truth were not strong enough to stand on its own.
Remind me again—what’s the theme of this symposium?
Ah, yes—“Imitate Jesus’ Responses to the Tempter!”
Here’s something to put that into perspective: Watchtower publications teach that Jehovah’s earthly organization in ancient times was the nation of Israel. Now imagine one Jew saying to a longtime friend, “Hey, you’ve got to listen to this rabbi they call Jesus Christ. What he says about the teachings of the priests and Pharisees will change how you view the Organization.”
And how did the Jews respond to Jesus?
“He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why do you listen to him?” (John 10:20)
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day couldn’t defend themselves against the truth he exposed, so they resorted to discrediting him. They labeled him a demonized apostate and warned others not to listen.
Is the Organization doing the same thing today? Are they treating those who speak the truth as demonic apostates, because these ones are imitating Jesus by exposing the hypocrisy and false teachings of the Organization?
At the end of this dramatization, the convention audience claps in appreciation. Why don’t they see the glaring contradictions we’ve just pointed out?
Here’s why:
Open mind? You're ignoring Jehovah's thinking. The truth saved our lives.
“Jehovah’s thinking”?! “The truth saved our lives”?! Let’s be clear—he’s not talking about truth in the biblical sense. He’s referring to “the truth” as a branded phrase, another name for the Organization. And when he speaks of “Jehovah’s thinking,” what he really means is the Governing Body’s thinking.
One phrase that Jehovah’s Witnesses hear and read over and over is “Jehovah and his Organization.” It’s been repeated so often that the two—Jehovah and Organization—become one in the mind of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since Jehovah is infallible, and the perception implanted in their mind is that the Truth, that is, the Organization belongs to Jehovah, the result is that “the truth,” “Jehovah,” and “the Organization” become one and the same in thought and speech.
But what happens when it becomes impossible to imitate Jesus in responding to those who are exposing the Organization’s hypocrisy? If you don’t have the truth on your side—what then?
You turn to whatever tools are left at your disposal.
You need to talk with your elders, 'cause you need help. And if you don't speak to them, I will.
This isn’t a loving exhortation—it’s a threat. He’s telling his friend that either he goes to the elders, or he will make sure the elders go after him.
This kind of scare tactic is as old as organized religion itself. It’s the same tactic used by the corrupt leaders of the first-century organization when they were confronted with evidence they couldn’t refute—that Jesus was the Messiah.
On one occasion, after Jesus had performed a truly miraculous and undeniable act—restoring sight to a man born blind—the religious leaders tried to discredit it. They looked for someone to claim it was a trick. In their desperation, they dragged the man’s parents before what we might call their judicial committee. But the couple was terrified to acknowledge that the miracle had been performed by Christ.
Here’s why:
“But how it is that he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is of age. He must speak for himself.” His parents said these things because they were in fear of the Jews, for the Jews had already come to an agreement that if anyone acknowledged him as Christ, that person should be expelled from the synagogue.” (John 9:21, 22)
The Jewish religious leaders used the threat of shunning to pressure people into disavowing any belief that Jesus was the anointed one of God. Today, the religious leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses continue that same pattern—using the threat of shunning to force people into submission.
However, one major thing has changed: information is now readily accessible, and the Organization is suffering because of it.
The Governing Body must now work harder than ever to convince its followers that anyone who doesn’t support them is an apostate—someone who has abandoned Jehovah God. And remember, in their teaching, Jehovah and his Organization are one and the same. So, if someone leaves the Organization, they are said to have left “the truth”—to have left Jehovah.
That’s the message they must reinforce. What you’re about to see reveals just how desperate they’ve become to prevent their followers from discovering the real truth.
I would never steer you wrong. I'm not out to hurt you. I'm trying to help you. How long have you known me? Tell these stones to become loaves of bread. I'm trying to share with you the truth. Throw yourself down. Do you really think I would steer you wrong? I will give you all this authority. I definitely don't need any help from them. Do an act of worship before me. Go away, Satan. Stop.
The connection is both obvious and repugnant. Can you hear how it echoes back through time to the very words the Jews spoke about Jesus?
“He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why do you listen to him?” (John 10:20)
Now, they go so far as to put Satan’s own words into the mouth of the brother they want the audience to view as a demonic apostate.
Before me, before me, before me.
Let’s assume for a moment that the one speaking negatively about the Organization is truly Satanic. Even if that were the case, did the loyal Jehovah’s Witness in this dramatization actually imitate Jesus in his response to the tempter?
Did he ever say, “It is written”?
Did he quote even once from the Bible in defense of the truth?
He didn’t, did he?
And yet, the speaker overlooks that glaring omission and declares:
But did you note how the family in the video strengthened themselves by considering the example of Jesus Christ? How Jesus' example helped them to stand firm and resist the negative influences of the family who were overreached by Satan and apostate thinking? As noted in our video, if we're faced with like circumstances, what should we do? Well, to answer that, turn with me in your Bibles to the book of 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 3, and let's read verse 15. "Sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts." And here's the point. "Always ready to make a defense before everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope you have, but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect."
The gall—the sheer, unmitigated audacity the speaker displays—boggles the mind. The brother in the dramatization made no defense. He didn’t offer any reason for the hope he claims to have. And he certainly didn’t respond with mildness or deep respect. Instead, he threatened his friend with shunning, saying he would report him to the elders.
This dramatization isn’t fiction—it’s based on thousands of real encounters. I’ve personally heard those very words and that same line of reasoning in countless recordings of conversations with elders over the years. The speaker pays lip service to Peter’s words, but in practice, they are almost never applied.
Let’s read that passage again—but this time, we’ll include something crucial from the verses leading up to it:
“Indeed, who will harm you if you become zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are happy. However, do not fear what they fear, nor be disturbed. But sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope you have, but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect. (1 Peter 3:13-15)
If you’ve come to realize that what Jehovah’s Witnesses teach is not the truth—and if, out of love, you share your findings with others so they too might be saved—you are, as Peter puts it, “zealous for what is good.” But make no mistake, you will suffer for it. Even so, you have nothing to fear.
They do.
Because you have the truth, while they have only the carefully controlled words printed in Watchtower publications. That’s why, in committee case after committee case, you hear elders repeat the same line: “We’re not here to discuss the Bible with you.”
I know. I was falsely accused of apostasy. And they wouldn’t even let me bring my own Bible into the judicial committee room. If you’d like to see that sham of a trial, I’ll include a link to it at the end of this video.
In Jesus’ day, the apostates were the religious leaders of Israel, Jehovah’s Organization. Jesus told them:
“You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father…he is a liar and the father of the lie.” (John 8:44)
If the religious leaders of any organized religion today preach lies disguised as Bible truth, then they are doing exactly what Satan desires. That makes them the apostates—apostates from Jehovah and from Jesus.
The leaders of the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to speak hypocrisy, as you’ve just seen. They preach hatred cloaked in religious language, pass off the commands of men as if they were divine, and promote false teachings.
So let’s be clear. Let’s categorize them.
Bible truth has taught us about the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his benefits of mankind.
True, but Watchtower lies have taught us that Jesus is not the mediator between God and the Other Sheep class of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Bible truth has taught us about Jehovah's messianic kingdom and the blessings in store for us.
Yes, but Watchtower lies have taught us that only 144,000 get to be in the kingdom to rule with Jesus despite Bible evidence to the contrary found at Galatians 4:22-31.
Bible truth has taught us how to gain everlasting life.
True, but Watchtower lies have taught the other sheep class that they cannot become children of God now even though John 1:12, 13 says that it is open to all who put faith in the name of Jesus.
Bible truth has freed us from enslavement to false teachings, exposing the works of the devil.
Correct, but Watchtower lies enslave sincere Christians and punish by social shunning all who preach that the Bible teaches something different from what the Governing Body teaches.
Bible truth is real, it's dependable, and it allows us to have a close personal relationship with our heavenly Father, Jehovah.
Sadly, Watchtower lies are not like that. They keep changing, they make predictions about the end, which when they fail, cause disillusionment and a loss of faith in Jehovah.
We love the truth and we must defend it. So by praying to Jehovah for the strength that he can provide, and by studying his word, the Bible, we can imitate the example of Jesus and his response to the tempter. So, as we've discussed in this four-part symposium, may we all be determined to live on Jehovah's word of truth, avoid putting Jehovah God to the test, worship only Jehovah, and always defend the truth.
I completely agree with what the speaker says in conclusion—and I hope you do too. But with one important distinction: I’m referring to Bible truth, not “the truth” as defined by the Organization.
If you are, or have ever been, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses... if you still have friends and family inside the Organization... if you’re a PIMO—physically in, mentally out—and especially if you continue to believe in Jehovah as your God and Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then I ask you to give prayerful, heartfelt consideration to what Jesus tells us.
“If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and keep following me.” (Mark 8:34)
“For whoever becomes ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”” (Mark 8:38)
The life of a true Christian engaged in pure worship is no cakewalk—it comes at a cost. If you stand up for Bible truth before men, you are not an apostate. Apostates are those who belong to the father of the lie, Satan. They are religious leaders who demand loyalty to themselves and punish anyone who resists.
Don’t let fear of man keep you silent. If you do, they win.
That’s exactly what happened in the first century.
“All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but they would not acknowledge him because of the Pharisees, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue; for they loved the glory of men even more than the glory of God.” (John 12:42, 43)
If everyone in the Organization who knows about its hypocrisy were to speak up now, there would be too many for them to silence. But more importantly, by speaking up, you might reach someone you love. You might help save them.
“Persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.” (1 Timothy 4:16)
Yes, many will reject you. Some may expel you, treat you like a pariah. But think of the alternative. Imagine a dear friend, a parent, or even your own child looking at you on Judgment Day and asking, “Why didn’t you warn me when you had the chance?”
Our website, Beroeans.net, offers hundreds of well-researched articles that examine the major teachings of JW.org in the light of Scripture. In the description below, you’ll also find a list of our growing family of channels—now in about a dozen languages—totaling hundreds of videos aimed at helping sincere truth-seekers.
Thank you for your time. I truly hope this video proves beneficial to you.