Why do Jehovah's Witnesses go to people's houses and who pays them?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses engage in a door-to-door ministry in imitation of Jesus and his disciples, who also did this same type of ministry. Jesus commanded that his true Christian followers must do this preaching work. (Matt. 28:19,20) Jesus also prophesied that this would be done world-wide, as Jehovah's Witnesses do. (Matt 24:14) But the biggest reason we do it is love. Jesus said the two greatest commands were to love God and neighbor, (Matt 22:37-39).

Love for God compels us to go out and glorify God, by calling attention to him, his son Jesus, and The Bible. Love for neighbor moves us to share the Bible's hope of a bright future that is soon to come by means of God's Kingdom. We believe the events that are happening around us, that many people call "the signs of the times", are proof that we are living in the time that the Bible calls "the time of the end." (Read Matt Ch 24) We want to share that knowledge with our neighbor, so that they can take appropriate action and benefit.

The work of Jehovah's Witnesses is done world-wide, 235 lands, by over 6.5 million preachers (as of Sept 2005). All this work is done completely voluntarily. No one is paid. We don't even have a paid clergy of any kind. We even do the preaching work at our own expense, not only of our time, but our money, and resources as well. There is never a collection plate passed at meetings, never an "offering", a tithe, or membership due of any kind. All contributions are voluntary and private. In our ministry, people may offer to contribute a small amount, and we will accept, then forward the money to the organization. All moneys contributed are used in continuing to print Bibles, books, and Bible-based literature, and other necessary expenses to further this world-wide work. In the service year of 2005 alone, there was over 1,278,000,000 hours spent in this activity by Jehovah's Witnesses.

They see their work as comparable to a situation where someone is drowning in a lake, and someone else is standing on the shore with a life-preserver and a rope. If the one with the means to help the victim did nothing at all, then that person would be held accountable for the others life. We believe we have something that will benefit our neighbor to have a better life now, and a real hope for the future. And no one pays us :)

Answer 2

Jesus Christ gave his followers the commission to go preach and teach the people of the nations.(Matthew 28:19, 20) In the first century christian congregation started by Jesus Christ and the apostles, all members of the congregation understood that this preaching and teaching work was to be carried out by all, and not just a select few.The principal way in which they all did that work was by a public minstry that included house to house preaching. The Bible says that: "Every day in the temple and fromhouse to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus." (Acts 5:42) The Apostle Paul was a fine example to the early christians and us as he was also active in the house-to-house ministry. He says at Acts 20:20, "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 house to house ministry was such a prominant feature of the first century christian congregation that the " The WesleyanBible Commentary, Volume 4, pages 642-3, states that the "House to house dissemination of the gospel characterized the first-century Christians from the beginning...." The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is modeled after the first century christian congregation as it was set up by Jesus and the apostles. We do the door to door ministry work worldwide in over 235 countries and over 400 languages, in obedience to Jesus command to 'go and preach," and in imitation of the example set by him, the apostles, and the first century christians. Jesus said, "You will be witnesses of me...to the most distant part of the earth." One of the facits of the "sign" that Jesus gave as to the "last days" of this system of things was actually a worldwide preaching of the 'good news of God's Kingdom'. (Read Matthew 24, verses 3-14). That is what Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to do when we come to your home. It's not to neccesarily invite you to or "church."(although we do readily welcome you). But rather, our visits are to show you from the Bible this "good news" of God's Kingdom that Jesus taught us to pray for at Matthew 6:9,10. That is what the first christians did, and that is what Jehovah's Witnesses are doing today.

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As counterpoint to the comments noted above, every single instance of preaching by Jesus Christ and His disciples were accomplished in public venues, i.e marketplaces, synagogues, seasides etc.. There isn't one SINGLE instance in the Scriptures telling or even suggesting of a literal "door over door" preaching work, as would a canvassing salesman selling roofing, siding or vacuum cleaners.

Does that mean that there was no "door to door" work in the 1st century? No, not by any means. The difference here is that the 'door to door' work spoken of in the Scriptures involved TEACHING, not preaching. The TEACHING work was primarily directed to those who had heard of the 'good news about the Christ', as it was preached in the public ways, resulting in invitations from motivated hearers of this "good news" to their own homes for further TEACHING. This involved the extending of hospitality, i.e. food and sleeping accommodations, often for days and weeks at a time. In instructing His disciples, Jesus stated "do not be transferring from house to house" should one be tempted to seek more comfortable accommodations. (Luke 10:7)

To summarize: the PREACHING work was accomplished exclusivity in public venues, NOT in the literal door over door work as do JWs claiming to be following the 1st century Christians. The TEACHING work in the 1st century, on the other hand, involved extended stays in homes of those whom had been touched by the preaching of Jesus' disciples.

Conclusion: The JW model is NOT patterned on the 1st century model of preaching and teaching but, rather, is a clever method by which the Watchtower Society, a publishing enterprise, distributes its printed literature by use of volunteer labor.

NOTE: the "good news" was primarily "of the Christ" and of his redemptive sacrifice, and not the "kingdom'. Had Christ faltered in His purpose to be sent to the earth, there would be no "good news about the kingdom", all of it's arrival depending entirely on Christ's faithful conclusion to His ministry.

Answer 3

They are not paid to go door to door, and in fact, take on the expenses associated with the ministry such as vehicle upkeep and fuel personally. Jehovah's Witnesses believe this to be an essential part of exercising faith in Jesus and listening to his commands at Matthew 28:19,20 to go out and make disciples. It is their belief that they are imitating the first century Christians who engaged in a similar evangelizing work.
They also believe that they are fulfilling the prophecy Jesus gave about the signs of the end at Matthew 24:14, where he said the good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited Earth.