I'm not an Anti-Missionary. I'm a Counter-Missionary. There is a notable difference. I don't reject the missionaries rights to proselytize their faith. But if missionaries are allowed to proselytize, then I & you are allowed to counter them! This source sheet is in DRAFT for now & I will update it as I have time.
Why this method will work every time: 4 Reasons
- It doesn’t matter what you believe in or don’t. It works for anyone!
- It uses the missionaries own Bible Versions of their choosing.
- Many Christian translations can be read online & downloaded for free…many times a missionary will try to give you one to read. Numerous Christian Bible programs have the Masoretic Hebrew text available. With Sefaria we have plenty of Jewish resources at our disposal.
- The text references in Christian translations will (almost!) always be the exact same: book, chapter, & verse numbers. See directly below...
Verse number differences between the Jewish Tanakh & Christian Old Testament translations: 2nd Samuel 19, Isaiah 9, Jeremiah 31, Jonah 2, Malachi 3, Some of the various Psalms, Ecclesiastes 5, Daniel 6, & 1st Chronicles 12. As far as I know! Only about 1 verse difference on average. In Christian translations where Malachi 4.1 starts it's a continuation of Malachi 3.19 in the Hebrew source.
- Try not to swear/cuss…they want you to listen to them & you want them to listen to you.
- Don’t belittle, insult, mock…etc. You want the missionary to be open to the possibility they may be mistaken about their claims.
- Don’t get angry…a calm mind provides clarity & a soft answer.
- End the meeting/experience if you need/want to. They’re taking up your time…& you’re also taking up theirs!
Here are all the 5 steps…follow exactly!
- Ask the Missionary: “Do you believe that your Bible is the perfect word of God without any errors?” Accept only a “yes” or “no.”
- Repeat to the missionary that they said to you that they believe/know that their Bible is God’s word without error.
- Ask them to pick only from the listed texts that I provide on the next slide/in the handouts I passed around.
- Have them choose the translation they want to use.
- Ask the Missionary to read as many of the following passages from their chosen translation out loud to you. Then ask them if that is true or if it's false.Repeat any prior steps as needed.
Use only the following Bible References to give Missionaries
1. One Person Cannot Die for the Sins of Another
Exodus 32.30-35, Deuteronomy 24.16, Jeremiah 31.29-30, Ezekiel 18 (all), & Psalm 146.3
2. A Blood Sacrifice Isn’t Needed to Forgive Sins
Genesis 4.7, Exodus 22.3-14, 34.6-7, Leviticus 5.11-13, Numbers 5.6-7, 14.17-19, 16.47 & 31.50, 1st Samuel 15.22, 2nd Samuel 12.13-16, 1st Kings 8.38-39, 41-43, & 46-50, 2nd Kings 12.16, Isaiah 6.6-7, 55.6-7, Jeremiah 7.22-23, Hosea 14.2, Jonah 3.5-10, Micah 6.6-8, Psalm 32.3-5, 34.14, 51.16-17, 86.5-7 & 15, 103.8, 111.4, 116.5, Proverbs 21.3, 28.13, Job 33.26, Lamentations 3.23, & 2nd Chronicles 7.14
3. God Will Never Accept a Human Sacrifice
Deuteronomy 12.30-31, Jeremiah 19.4-6, Ezekiel 16.20, & Psalm 106.37-38
4. God is One & Indivisible (not a trinity)
Exodus 20.3, Deuteronomy 6.4, Isaiah 43.11, 44.6, 45.5-7, & Psalm 16.4
See also the NT texts of Matthew 24.36, 26.42, Mark 13.32, Luke 18.19, 23.34, & John 14.28
5. God Doesn't Become a Human, & Humans Don't Become God
Numbers 23.19, Ezekiel 28.2, Hosea 11.9, & Malachi 3.6
The English translation provided in this source sheet is the current JPS Tanakh by the Jewish Publication Society ©2023. I'll consider using other Jewish translations next to the Hebrew texts also.
Special thanks to Rabbi Emeritus Stuart Federow [https://WhatJewsBelieve.org] for his two fine books now available in print & as Ebooks.
Judaism & Christianity: a Contrast ©2012 (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew & other languages in progress)
The Real Reasons Why Jews Don’t Believe in Jesus ©2024
הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשׇׁל־בּֽוֹ׃
Surely, if you do right,There is uplift.But if you do not do rightSin couches at the door;Its urge is toward you,Yet you can be its master. ~Genesis 4.7 RJPS Tanakh ©2023
לֹֽ֣א־יִהְיֶ֥͏ֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ͏ַ֗י׃
You shall have no other gods besides Me. ~Exodus 20.3 RJPS Tanakh ©2023
אִֽם־הִמָּצֵא֩ תִמָּצֵ֨א בְיָד֜וֹ הַגְּנֵבָ֗ה מִשּׁ֧וֹר עַד־חֲמ֛וֹר עַד־שֶׂ֖ה חַיִּ֑ים שְׁנַ֖יִם יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ {ס}
כִּ֤י יַבְעֶר־אִישׁ֙ שָׂדֶ֣ה אוֹ־כֶ֔רֶם וְשִׁלַּח֙ אֶת־בְּעִירֹ֔ה וּבִעֵ֖ר בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר מֵיטַ֥ב שָׂדֵ֛הוּ וּמֵיטַ֥ב כַּרְמ֖וֹ יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ {ס}
כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֨א אֵ֜שׁ וּמָצְאָ֤ה קֹצִים֙ וְנֶאֱכַ֣ל גָּדִ֔ישׁ א֥וֹ הַקָּמָ֖ה א֣וֹ הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה שַׁלֵּ֣ם יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם הַמַּבְעִ֖ר אֶת־הַבְּעֵרָֽה׃ {ס}
כִּֽי־יִתֵּן֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֜הוּ כֶּ֤סֶף אֽוֹ־כֵלִים֙ לִשְׁמֹ֔ר וְגֻנַּ֖ב מִבֵּ֣ית הָאִ֑ישׁ אִם־יִמָּצֵ֥א הַגַּנָּ֖ב יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם שְׁנָֽיִם׃
אִם־לֹ֤א יִמָּצֵא֙ הַגַּנָּ֔ב וְנִקְרַ֥ב בַּֽעַל־הַבַּ֖יִת אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹקִ֑ים אִם־לֹ֥א שָׁלַ֛ח יָד֖וֹ בִּמְלֶ֥אכֶת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃
עַֽל־כׇּל־דְּבַר־פֶּ֡שַׁע עַל־שׁ֡וֹר עַל־חֲ֠מ֠וֹר עַל־שֶׂ֨ה עַל־שַׂלְמָ֜ה עַל־כׇּל־אֲבֵדָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֹאמַר֙ כִּי־ה֣וּא זֶ֔ה עַ֚ד הָֽאֱלֹקִ֔ים יָבֹ֖א דְּבַר־שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַרְשִׁיעֻן֙ אֱלֹקִ֔ים יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם שְׁנַ֖יִם לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃ {ס}
כִּֽי־יִתֵּן֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֜הוּ חֲמ֨וֹר אוֹ־שׁ֥וֹר אוֹ־שֶׂ֛ה וְכׇל־בְּהֵמָ֖ה לִשְׁמֹ֑ר וּמֵ֛ת אוֹ־נִשְׁבַּ֥ר אוֹ־נִשְׁבָּ֖ה אֵ֥ין רֹאֶֽה׃
שְׁבֻעַ֣ת ה׳ תִּהְיֶה֙ בֵּ֣ין שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אִם־לֹ֥א שָׁלַ֛ח יָד֖וֹ בִּמְלֶ֣אכֶת רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְלָקַ֥ח בְּעָלָ֖יו וְלֹ֥א יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃
וְאִם־גָּנֹ֥ב יִגָּנֵ֖ב מֵעִמּ֑וֹ יְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לִבְעָלָֽיו׃
אִם־טָרֹ֥ף יִטָּרֵ֖ף יְבִאֵ֣הוּ עֵ֑ד הַטְּרֵפָ֖ה לֹ֥א יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ {פ}
וְכִֽי־יִשְׁאַ֥ל אִ֛ישׁ מֵעִ֥ם רֵעֵ֖הוּ וְנִשְׁבַּ֣ר אוֹ־מֵ֑ת בְּעָלָ֥יו אֵין־עִמּ֖וֹ שַׁלֵּ֥ם יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃
אִם־בְּעָלָ֥יו עִמּ֖וֹ לֹ֣א יְשַׁלֵּ֑ם אִם־שָׂכִ֣יר ה֔וּא בָּ֖א בִּשְׂכָרֽוֹ׃ {ס}
But if what was stolen—whether ox or donkey or sheep—is found alive and in hand, that person shall pay double.
When someone who owns livestock lets it loose to graze in another’s land, and so allows a field or a vineyard to be grazed bare, restitution must be made for the impairment of that field or vineyard.
When a fire is started and spreads to thorns, so that stacked, standing, or growing *growing Lit. “field.” grain is consumed, the one who started the fire must make restitution.
When one person gives money or goods to another for safekeeping, and they are stolen from that person’s house: if caught, the thief shall pay double;
if the thief is not caught, the owner of the house shall depose before God *before God See note at 21.6. and deny laying hands on the other’s property.
(In all charges of misappropriation—pertaining to an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other loss, whereof one party alleges, “This is it”—the case of both parties shall come before God: the one whom God declares guilty shall pay double to the other.)
When one person gives to another a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to guard, and it dies or is injured or is carried off, with no witness about,
an oath before GOD shall decide between the two of them that the one has not laid hands on the property of the other; the owner must acquiesce, and no restitution shall be made.
But if [the animal] was stolen from [the guardian], restitution shall be made to its owner.
If it was torn by beasts, [the guardian] shall bring it as evidence—not needing to replace what has been torn by beasts.
When one person borrows [an animal] from another and it dies or is injured, its owner not being with it, restitution must be made.
If its owner was with it, no restitution need be made; but if it was hired, that payment is due. ~Exodus 22.3-14 RJPS Tanakh ©2023