If you were to ask anyone on the street what they know about Jehovah’s Witnesses, I would guess the most common response would be that they bring their message from door to door. It is perhaps their trademark. In fact, witnesses themselves would no doubt respond that it is the one feature that sets them apart from all other professed Christian denominations. Consider how this Watchtower article from 1981 makes the point:
“There is no gainsaying it. Going from house to house with the good news of Jehovah God’s kingdom presents a real challenge. Doubtless that is why this form of evangelism is unique with the Witnesses. No other religious group stresses or expects this kind of activity on the part of all its members. And it is indeed of interest that those who so severely criticize the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accuse them of carrying on a work for which there is no Scriptural precedent. Far from charging that the Witnesses do not have a Scriptural basis for their activity, time and again these critics have in print acknowledged the Scripturalness of this type of evangelism. Some even lament the fact that their own particular denomination does not expect the same from its members. (The Watchtower May 15, 1981 pg.13)
If a Christian desires to share his faith by bringing a message and offering literature from door to door if such is permitted in his community, state or country it should not be discouraged. In fact, under the United States Constitution, to discourage such activity would be a violation of the right of free speech. However, the aim of this post is to examine the claim made in the article that there is scriptural precedent for it. Did Jesus command his disciples to engage in door to door evangelism as the chief way to spread the message of the kingdom? Did he himself take the lead in this type of evangelism? Should a religious organization expect its members to share in preaching from door to door?
The 2014 book God’s Kingdom Rules states:
“None of the methods we have used to reach large audiences, such as newspapers, the “Photo-Drama,” radio programs, and the Web site, were meant to replace the door-to-door ministry. Why not? Because Jehovah’s people learned from the pattern set by Jesus. He did more than preach to large crowds; he focused on helping individuals. (Luke 19:1-5) Jesus also trained his disciples to do the same, and he gave them a message to deliver. (Read Luke 10:1, 8-11.) As discussed in Chapter 6, those taking the lead have always encouraged each servant of Jehovah to speak to people face-to-face.—Acts 5:42; 20:20. (God’s Kingdom Rules pg. 76 par. 22)
It is true that Jesus focused on helping individuals. But does the cited scripture Luke 19:1-5 show that he accomplished that by going from door to door?
“He then entered Jerʹi·cho and was passing through. Now a man named Zac·chaeʹus was there; he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. Well, he was trying to see who this Jesus was, but he could not see because of the crowd, since he was short. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see him, for he was about to pass that way. Now when Jesus got to the place, he looked up and said to him: “Zac·chaeʹus, hurry and get down, for today I must stay in your house.” Luke 19:1-5
Here Zacchaeus did not respond to a knock at his door and find Jesus offering him a presentation. Actually, it was the other way around. He saw Jesus outside in public, while he was with the crowd. Jesus noted his interest and went as a guest to the home of Zacchaeus for the purpose of lodging and as a base to teach from while in Jericho. This is born out in the context by what is later said by onlookers:
With that he hurried down and joyfully welcomed him as a guest. When they saw this, they were all muttering: “He went as a guest to the house of a man who is a sinner.” Luke 19:6, 7
In fact, the following chart gives the results of an examination of all instances in Jesus entire three and a half year ministry where he taught the people. From this it can be seen that, while he did indeed focus on helping individuals, there is never an instance where Jesus knocked on a single door in order to preach. This is an important fact for those that feel it is important to follow the pattern of preaching set by Jesus.
There is never an instance where Jesus knocked on a single door in order to preach.
| Text | Witnessing Activity | Location |
| Matt. 3:1-6 Mark 1:4-8 John 1:19-35 | John’s activity | People came to him in the wilderness of Judea |
| Matt 4:17 Mark 1:14,15 | Jesus begins preaching | Unspecified in Galilee |
| Matt 4:13-22 Mark 16:1-20 | Calls first disciples | Alongside sea of Galilee. Leaving Nazareth where the people attempted to kill him, Jesus took up residence in Capernaum beside the sea. |
| Matt 4:23-25 | Public preaching | Teaching in their synagogues; great crowds followed him in Galilee |
| Matt 5:1-7:29 Lu 6:12-49 | Sermon on the mount | Talked to crowds on the mountainside |
| Matt 8:1-4 Lu 5:12-16 | Leper cured | Account says “after he came down from the mountain crowds followed him” and leprous man came to him |
| Lu 7:11-17 | Resurrects the only son of a widow | Near the gate of the city of Nain |
| Matt 8:5-10 | Army officer’s servant cured | Officer came to him in Capernaum, “those following him [Jesus] also heard |
| Matt 8:14-17 Mark 1:29-34 | Peter’s mother in law cured | In Peter’s house; “that evening people brought him all those needing a cure |
| Matt 8:18-22 | Teaching a scribe | Leaving Peter’s house there was a crowd around him. The scribe approaches him |
| Matt 8:28-34 Mark 5:1-26 | Demon possessed man cured | Outside city, people turn out to meet Jesus. |
| Matt 9:2-8 Lu 5:17-36 | Paralyzed man cured | Capernaum, people bring to him the paralyzed man |
| Matt 9:9 Mark 2:14 Lu 5:27,28 | Calls Matthew | At Matthew’s seat at the tax office |
| Matt 9:10-13 Mark 2:15-17 Lu 5:29 | Teaching about tax collectors and sinners | Reclining at table in Matthew’s house, people came there |
| Matt 9:14-17 Mark 2:18 Lu 5:33,35 | Teaching about fasting | John’s disciples “came to him” while at Matthew’s house |
| Matt 9:18-26 Mark 5:21-43 Lu 8:40-56 | Ruler’s sick daughter and a woman with a flow of blood cured | Ruler “approached” while at Matthew’s house, woman came up to him while on his way to the ruler’s house |
| Matt 9:27-31 Mark 2:1,2 | Two blind men given sight | Followed him after he left the ruler’s house into the house where he was staying in Capernaum? |
| Matt 9:32-34 | Speechless demon possessed man cured | People brought the man to him in the same house |
| Matt 9:35-38 Mark 6:6,12,13 | Preaching tour | Synagogues; account speaks of crowds; methods otherwise not indicated |
| Matt 10:1-42 Mark 5:13-15; 6:7-12,30 Lu 9:1-6 | Sends out the 12 | Jesus sends his disciples exclusively to the cities of Israel. Gave instructions regarding how to find proper lodging from which to carry out their activity. (Matt. 10:11; Mark 6:10; Lu. 9:4) They went from village to village. (Lu. 9:6) No mention of them going from house to house. (compare Lu 9:51-56; 10:5-12; Acts 16:15; 17:6,7; 21:4,7,8,16; 28:7,14) |
| Matt 11:1,7; Lu 9:6 | Preaching tour in Galilee | To the crowds in their cities |
| Matt 12:9; Mark 3:1-6 Lu 6:6-11 | Man with withered hand | In the synagogue |
| Matt 12:22,23,46 Mark 3:31 | Demon possessed man cured | To the crowds |
| Matt 12:46 Mark 3:19,20,31-35 | His mother and brothers call him | In a house with a crowd gathered around |
| Matt 13:1-3; Mark 4:1 | Series of illustrations | Left the house in Capernaum where he was staying and went to the sea of Galilee seashore |
| Matt 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6 | They marvel at his wisdom | In his home territory of Nazareth in the synagogue |
| Matt. 15:1-11 | Eating with unwashed hands | Teaching the crowds |
| Mark 7:17-23; Matt. 15:15-20 | Teaching his disciples | In a house away from the crowds |
| Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 | Expels demon from daughter of Syro-phoenician woman | In a house in the regions of Tyre and Sidon but he could not escape the crowd. |
| Mark 7:31-37 | Heals a deaf man | In the Decapolis with a crowd present |
| Mark 8:22-26 | Heals a blind man | At Bethsaida with a crowd present |
| Matt. 17:14-20; Mark 9:14-29 | Heals a demonized boy | A crowd was disputing with his disciples |
| Matt. 18:1-6; Mark 9:33-37 | His disciples argue who is the greatest | In a house in Capernaum with his disciples |
| Matt. 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12 | Teaching about divorce | Across the Jordan teaching the crowds |
| Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9 | Mary puts perfumed oil on his feet | At the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany |
The following are all the locations mentioned in the scriptures where Jesus or his disciples preaching involved a house:
- In Peter’s house in Capernaum
- At a house in Capernaum which served as Jesus home base. (Matt. 4:13-16; Mark 2:1)
- At Matthew’s house in Capernaum for a meal
- In a house in the regions of Tyre and Sidon where he went with his disciples to get away from the public in order to rest
- In the home of a Pharisee in Perea for a meal
- At the home of Zacchaeus for a meal
- In the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany for a meal
However, a careful analysis of the scriptures will reveal that none of these instances involved Jesus knocking on a door and giving a presentation before being admitted. In many cases they were places he was invited for a meal and taught multiple invited or uninvited people or stayed during the night while preaching publicly by day. On the contrary, when questioned by the high priest about his teaching he responded:
. . .Jesus answered him: “I have spoken to the world publicly. I always taught in a synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews come together, and I said nothing in secret. John 18:20
See All Scripture Is Inspired pgs 287-290
In the next article we will examine the question “Did Jesus instruct his disciples to preach from door to door?” However, before I conclude I need to mention that although the picture at the outset was taken from one of the society’s publications it was not intended by the society to convey that Jesus actually knocked on doors. This is an artist depiction of what is stated at Revelation 3:20 as part of Jesus counsel to the congregation of Laodicea long after his death and resurrection, not of what he did during anytime in his ministry. While it can be said that Jesus preached from city to city and from village to village:
Shortly afterward he traveled from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the Kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with him. . . Luke 8:1
Never is it said that he preached from house to house.