While most Christians believe that Jesus is God himself incarnate in human flesh, JWs believe that he was the archangel Michael, the first created being, and a lesser god.
There are a number of doctrinal differences between JWs and other denominations but this topic is specifically about who God is, who Jesus is, and our salvation. It is a core issue. So while other doctrinal details are what separate the denominations within Christianity, this topic is what makes most Christians think that JWs are not Christians at all.
To some it may seem pointless to debate details, but this topic is no mere detail. Look at it this way. If we say that Jesus is not God, but he is, then we are not giving him the respect he deserves. On the other hand, if we say Jesus is God, but he is not, then we are not giving God his due respect because we have elevated someone else to be equal with him.
This article will look at the reasons why Jehovah's Witnesses and all Christians should believe in the divinity of Jesus. It will use the NWT version of the Bible to make the points and will be a little more focused than the previous article: What-does-Bible-really-teach-about-Trinity?
One thing that is vitally important to remember is that the Bible is one coherent narrative. It does not contradict itself. JWs may often say that you can swap verses all day long and not get anywhere. However, with that, as well as plucking verses out to prove points, you need to be able to account for verses that may on the face of it look like contradictions. It's quite easy to prove all sorts of crazy theories with Bible Scripture if you just lift passages and verses out of context and bundle them together. (e.g. if you take the fact that Jesus is called the morning star, you might suggest that he and Satan are the same person. Obviously that's ludicrous). The real truth can only be seen if these passages agree with the rest of the texts.
For example, JWs might point out that Jesus prays, then ask why would God pray. To a trinitarian, this is easy. Jesus is praying to the Father. A large amount of JW objections come down to not having a grasp of what the tri-unity actually is.
That's not to say all JWs have a poor grasp. There are many that understand the differences between things like Modalism and Arianism, so some may have better objections.
However, this article will give a number of reasons to believe in Jesus' divinity that the JWs will have to be able to account for on their worldview.
Reason 1 - God is self-sufficient and he is Love
I'm going to start with a couple of reasons that use logical deduction from the Bible rather than being lifted straight out of the Scripture. Although there are many of those to go by too.God is self sufficient. That is - he does not need anything at all. He existed before anything else, and needs nothing else in order to exist.
The God who made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples; nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things. -- Acts 17:24-25We also know that God is the embodiment of love.
Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. -- 1 John 4:8Of course these two facts have to complement each other. So if God is love, and he needs nothing, then he would need nobody to love or share love with. A being of love that had nobody or nothing to give that love to, would be in need of something.
The tri-unity makes sense of this. If God is three persons in one being, then his love can be shared between the three.
Without this, then God would have needed to create another being in order to start giving love.
But we know that God does not, and has never, needed anything.
So the Question to the JW is, how can God be both a creature of love and completely self-sufficient if he is not a tri-unity?
Reason 2 - Jesus is begotten, not made
For this we look at one of the most famous verses in the Bible.For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son -- John 3:16
Jesus is described as the 'only-begotten' Son. Jesus' unique relationship with the Father can be seen in many places in the Bible, and this phrase is one of the clearest ways it is pointed out.
The Greek word translated to 'only-begotten' is 'monogenes' (μονογενής), and it is used as a contrast to the words 'created' (Greek: 'ktizó' (κτίζω)) or 'made' (Greek: 'poieō' (ποιέω)) which are used to refer to the world and humankind (Matthew 19:4, Colossians 1:16).
The word 'monogenes' actually means 'one of a kind', and is nothing to do with the birth process. It is used elsewhere to describe the relationship between Abraham and Isaac.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, as good as offered up Isaac—the man who had gladly received the promises attempted to offer up his only-begotten son -- Hebrews 11:17
We know that Isaac was not Abraham's only son, or even his first born, so this word 'monogenes' describes a special relationship.
Given that Jesus has this unique relationship with the Father, and that he is not described as made or created, how does a JW make sense of this?
Question to the JW: If Jesus is an angel, what makes his relationship more special than any other angel? What is the difference between 'begotten' and 'made'?
Reason 3 - A man can not save mankind
Jesus' death on the cross (or stake as JWs believe) was the salvation of all humans. The debts of all our sins were paid.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one person many will be made righteous. -- Romans 5:19
The JW belief comes from the idea that Jesus' paid the debt of sin that Adam gave. So where one perfect man, Adam, at the beginning fell into sin, the perfect man Jesus who lived a sinless life volunteered to die, when he did not have to, in order to rebalance the equation. So it was one life for one life. And as we all inherited sin from Adam, that means we can now inherit life from Jesus.
So the JW belief is that Jesus the man died and has given us the free gift of salvation. However, the Bible is very clear that no man can save other men.
And the word of Jehovah again came to me, saying: “Son of man, if a land sins against me by acting unfaithfully, I will stretch out my hand against it and destroy its food supply, and I will send famine upon it and cut off man and animal from it.” “‘Even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were within it, they would be able to save only themselves because of their righteousness,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” -- Ezekiel 14:12-14
This is just one place that the Bible makes this point. Here Jehovah is saying that he will punish the wicked. If righteous men like Noah, Daniel, or Job were among the people being punished, their righteousness would only be enough to save themselves. They could not use it to bargain for anyone else.
Then Jehovah said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me, I would show no favour toward this people. -- Jeremiah 15:1
So there is a problem. The Bible tells us that the most righteous men can only save themselves. We can also consider Enoch and Elijah, who were so righteous that they did not have to die.
None of these men were able to save the souls of others. But that is exactly what the man Jesus did.
Question to the JW: If Jesus was a man, and men can not save the souls of others, then how did Jesus save the souls of all mankind?
Reason 4 - There is only one God
The Bible is incredibly clear in the teaching that there is only one God.See now that I—I am he, And there are no gods apart from me -- Deuteronomy 32:39Remember the former things of long ago,That I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is no one like me. -- Isaiah 46:9
Jehovah repeats this message many times in many places. He is the only God, and there is nobody else that can be compared to him. Anything else that tries is a false idol.
In another part of Isaiah's writings though, is a prophecy about Jesus.
"For a child has been born to us... His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" -- Isaiah 9:6
In this passage, Jesus is referred to as 'Mighty God'. Why would an angel or a man be given a title like that? To say that Jesus is a mighty God, but not Jehovah is surely polytheism?
But if JWs believe in polytheism, then they are disregarding the very clear Biblical teaching of monotheism. How can this make sense?
Question to the JW: If Jesus is a lesser god than Jehovah, then how is that not a form of polytheism?
Possible JW Objections/Answers
1. To this, JWs might say that Jesus is called a 'god', but so are men (Psalm 82:6, John 10:34), and so are other spiritual beings (Psalm 97:7, 1 Samuel 28:13). This word doesn't always mean an actual God, but could refer to a subordinate being.
In response to that, there seems to be a distinct difference in the way the word is used to refer to Jesus as opposed to everyone else. Whenever the word is applied to a man or a spiritual creature, it is meant almost sarcastically. It reflects the way that person or being might feel powerful and important, or may be seen that way by others, but contrasts them against the real true God Jehovah.
For even though there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many "lords", there is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and we through him.-- 1 Corinthians 8:5-6
Nevertheless, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those who are not really gods -- Galatians 4:8
But when it used to refer to Jesus, it is never done with a tongue in cheek. It is always meant reverently and is complimentary. It is said in awe.
Men and angels are never called 'gods' in a way that might contradict the clear teaching that there is only one God. We are not meant to think of them as gods at all.
Do you have to defend Baʹal? Do you have to save him? Whoever defends him should be put to death this morning. If he is a god, let him defend himself -- Judges 6:31
The Bible even acknowledges that things can be called 'gods'. This is obviously not something we should agree with.
Their end is destruction, and their god is their belly, and their glory is really their shame, and they have their minds on earthly things -- Philippians 3:19
Even Satan is referred to as a god. For us to actually think he is a real god would be the worst kind of heresy.
If, in fact, the good news we declare is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
Here again we see very clearly the way that the use of the word 'god' contrasts against the real God.
But to use the word 'God' and apply it to Jesus in an adoring way, in a Biblical context, is clearly saying something important about him. This is all we ever see, and nobody says otherwise. Even when Thomas called him God to his face, Jesus himself did not correct him.
In answer Thomas said to him: “My Lord and my God!” -- John 20:28
Saying "you are a god" in an ironic way is very different to saying "you are my God". If Jesus is not truly God, then here Thomas is blaspheming.
2. The other probable explanation a JW will give is that Jehovah is God Almighty, while Jesus in 'Isaiah 9:6' is simply referred to as Mighty God.
Then God said to Moses: “I am Jehovah. And I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, -- Exodus 6:2-3
Mighty is less than almighty, and so that allows for Jesus to be a lesser god. This obviously doesn't solve the problem of polytheism, but it seems to be enough for them to see a distinction between the Father and Son.
The Hebrew word for 'mighty' is 'gibbor' (גִּבּוֹר). This word is used several times throughout the Bible to refer to Jehovah notably including elsewhere in Isaiah.
Only a remnant will return,The remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. -- Isaiah 10:21
So the description is shared between Jesus and God by the same author. It would seem that Isaiah does not make a distinction where the JW wants to. He clearly calls Jehovah Mighty God after the prophecy that refers to Jesus which uses the same title.
3. A final objection might be that in 'Isaiah 9:6', Jesus is also called 'eternal father'. Seeing as we would not take this to mean that Jesus is the Father, we should in the same way not take 'Mighty God' to mean that he is God.
But this is simple. Jesus is not THE Father, but he, being our creator and sustainer and part of the Godhead, is definitely A father to us.
Reason 5 - Jesus is the Almighty Alpha and Omega
The major hang up that many JWs have about 'Isaiah 9:6' is that it does not refer to Jesus as the Almighty. According to them, 'Almighty' is a title exclusive to Jehovah. But the Bible does not agree.
he sustains all things by the word of his power. -- Hebrews 1:3
This verse which refers to Jesus tells us that he sustains ALL things. He does not sustain some things. He does not sustain everything except his Father. He sustains ALL things. Though that may not be the exact word 'Almighty', it does seem to describe that quality. "All Mighty" and "All things sustained by his power".
There are other verses that also credit Jesus with ALL power e.g.
Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying:"All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. -- Matthew 28:18
All the things that the Father has are mine. -- John 16:15
His disciples said: “See! Now you are speaking plainly and are not using comparisons. Now we know that you know all things -- John 16:29-30
in him all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily -- Colossians 2:9
Question to the JW: If Jesus has ALL power, knowledge, authority, and divine quality then what is left for Jehovah if he is not the same being?
We can see that Jesus deserves the title of the Almighty another way too.
The book of Revelation tells us that Jehovah is the Almighty.
Jehovah God, who was and is and is to come, the Almighty. -- Revelation 4:8
Just like in this verse, there are a number of other references to someone who is 'coming' or 'is to come'.
May you have undeserved kindness and peace from “the One who is and who was and who is coming,” -- Revelation 1:4
I am coming quickly. -- Revelation 3:11
Some verses in particular specify that Jehovah is coming.
“I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga,” says Jehovah God, “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.” -- Revelation 1:8
Jehovah here is unambiguously given the title of 'the Almighty' as well as 'the Alpha and Omega'.
We also see a number of verses that in particular specify that Jesus is coming.
Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those who pierced him - Revelation 1:7
“The one who bears witness of these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’” “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.” -- Revelation 22:20
So here we are forced to ask. Who is coming?
Question to the JW: In Revelation, who is it that we are warned is coming?
If Jesus and Jehovah are not the same being, then why does the Scripture seem to use them interchangeably when referring to who is coming?
These passages also offer more clues.
“These words are faithful and true; yes, Jehovah, the God who inspired the prophets, has sent his angel to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place. -- Revelation 22:6Question to the JW: According to these passages, who sent the angel? Jehovah or Jesus?
I, Jesus, sent my angel to bear witness to you -- Revelation 22:16
So far, it looks very much like they are both coming, and they both sent the angel. But as we saw in 'Revelation 1', Jehovah is the 'One' who is coming. It doesn't mention two who will be coming. Of course, to a trinitarian, this makes sense as Jehovah and Jesus are One. But to a JW, these are two, and that seems to contradict the Scripture.
There are more verses that link Jesus to Jehovah and the title of Almighty even more clearly.
“‘Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to repay each one according to his work. I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. -- Revelation 22:12These words are spoken by Jesus. He claims three titles: 'Alpha and Omega', 'the first and the last', and 'the beginning and the end'. All of these titles imply that Jesus was not a created being, and is the ultimate being i.e. God.
And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” And he said to me: “They have come to pass! I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga, the beginning and the end. -- Revelation 21:5-6
Previously, we have seen that the 'One' seems to refer to Jehovah. We have in this verse, the One claiming the titles 'Alpha and Omega', and 'the beginning and the end'. So he is sharing two titles with Jesus that can not reasonably be shared.
“I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga,” says Jehovah God, “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.” -- Revelation 1:8
In this verse, we see again 'the One', 'the Alpha and the Omega', who is the same as 'the Almighty'.
So to follow this chain more simply:
- 'The Almighty' is also the 'Alpha and Omega' - Rev 1:8
- The 'Alpha and Omega' is also the 'beginning and the end' - Rev 21:5-6
- The 'beginning and the end' is also the 'first and the last' - Rev 22:12
- The 'first and the last' is Jesus. - Rev 1:17-18, Rev 2:8
And he laid his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the living one, and I became dead, but look! I am living forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of the Grave. -- Revelation 1:17-18
These are the things that he says, ‘the First and the Last,’ who became dead and came to life again -- Revelation 2:8
Which shows quite clearly that Jesus is God Almighty.
We can use the title of the 'first and the last' to link Jesus to Jehovah another way too. From Revelation we have already clearly seen that the title belongs to Jesus. But in Isaiah the title appears again.
This is what Jehovah says,The King of Israel and his Repurchaser, Jehovah of armies: ‘I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but me. -- Isaiah 44:6
Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the same One. I am the first; I am also the last. -- Isaiah 48:12
Question to the JW: If Jesus is not God Almighty, why does he share these impressive titles with him?
Reason 6 - Worship is only for God
A teaching very closely connected to the doctrine of monotheism, is that Jehovah God is the only one worthy of worship. Anyone else who accepts worship is not on God's side.
You must not bow down to another god, for Jehovah is known for requiring exclusive devotion. Yes, he is a God who requires exclusive devotion. -- Exodus 34:14
When Jehovah made a covenant with them, he commanded them: “You must not fear other gods, and you must not bow down to them or serve them or sacrifice to them. -- 2 Kings 17:35
God's faithful followers understand this. So on the occasions that people make the mistake of trying to worship them, or bowing to them, they correct them.
As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and did obeisance to him. But Peter lifted him up, saying: “Rise; I too am just a man.” -- Acts 10:25-26
Well I, John, was the one hearing and seeing these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing me these things. But he tells me: “Be careful! Do not do that! I am only a fellow slave of you and of your brothers the prophets and of those observing the words of this scroll. Worship God.” -- Revelation 22:8-9
It's very simple and clear that only God can be worshipped or bowed to. No man or angel has that right.
So we know that only God can be worshipped, and we know that Jesus is a faithful follower of God. So following that, we would expect that no one should bow to or worship Jesus. But the Bible tells us differently.
For this very reason, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend—of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground— and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. -- Philippians 2:9-10
Here we see that every knee shall bend to Jesus. Every knee in heaven and earth.
But when he again brings his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: “And let all of God’s angels do obeisance to him.” -- Hebrews 1:6
This comes after the Gospels, in which many times people bow to Jesus while he was still alive.
Then those in the boat did obeisance to him, saying: “You really are God’s Son.”-- Matthew 14:33
As he was blessing them, he was parted from them and taken up to heaven. And they did obeisance to him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. -- Luke 24:51-52
He said: "I do put faith in him, Lord." And he did obeisance to him." -- John 9:38
On none of these occasions, or any of the many others, does Jesus tell these people to stop what they are doing in the way that Peter or the angel did.
The Bible makes it clear to us that Jesus can be bowed to, and worshipped in the way that only God deserves.
And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, and they were saying with a loud voice: “The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and underneath the earth and on the sea, and all the things in them, saying: “To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honour and the glory and the might forever and ever.” The four living creatures were saying: “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshipped. -- Revelation 5:11-14
Here we see God (the One) and the Lamb both being praised and worshipped in exactly the same way.
Question to the JW: If only God can be worshipped or bowed to, why is it acceptable for Jesus to be worshipped and bowed to?
Reason 7 - Jesus created everything
“I am Jehovah, who made everything. I stretched out the heavens by myself, And I spread out the earth. Who was with me? -- Isaiah 44:24This is what Jehovah says, the Holy One of Israel, the One who formed him: “Would you question me about the things coming And command me about my sons and the works of my hands? I made the earth and created man on it. I stretched out the heavens with my own hands, And I give orders to all their army.” -- Isaiah 45:11-12
Could this message be any clearer? Jehovah was alone when he made everything. He had no help, and nobody with him.
This one was in the beginning with God. All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. -- John 1:2-3
Now this passage seems to say something else. It says that the one who was with God (the Word/Jesus) created everything. It tells us that everything that began to exist that was created by him.
Question to the JW: If Jehovah created all things alone, and the Word created all things, then who is the Word?
Reason 8 - Old Testament passages about God ascribed to Jesus in the New Testament
Some Old Testament passages are used to tell us who Jesus really is.Psalm 102 is a prayer to Jehovah which speaks of his immortality compared to the mortality of mankind.
"I said: “O my God, Do not do away with me in the middle of my life, You whose years span all generations. Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth, And the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; Just like a garment they will all wear out. Just like clothing you will replace them, and they will pass away. But you are the same, and your years will never end." -- Psalm 102:24-27
We find this passage quoted in the New Testament book of Hebrews Chapter 1.
“For example, to which one of the angels did God ever say: “You are my son; today I have become your father”? ... But about the Son, he says: “God is your throne forever and ever, and the sceptre of your Kingdom is the sceptre of uprightness"... And: “At the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; and just like a garment, they will all wear out, and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as a garment, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never come to an end.” -- Hebrews 1:5,8,10-12
In this passage Paul quotes Jehovah talking about Jesus.
Question to the JW: Why does Jehovah describe Jesus as doing the things he did and having the traits he has?
Next we can look at something that was also a prophecy about John the Baptist.
A voice of one calling out in the wilderness: “Clear up the way of Jehovah! Make a straight highway through the desert for our God... Announce to the cities of Judah: “Here is your God.” -- Isaiah 40:3,9Here we see 'one' announcing the arrival of Jehovah. The 'voice of one calling out in the wilderness' is later applied to John in each of the Gospels.
In those days John+ the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Ju·deʹa, saying: “Repent, for the Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” This, in fact, is the one spoken of through Isaiah the prophet in these words: “A voice of one calling out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of Jehovah! Make his roads straight.’” -- Matthew 3,1-3We see repeatedly that John the Baptist is announcing the arrival of Jesus. (Mark 1:1-3, Luke 3:2-4,15-16, John 1:15, John 1:19-28)
I, for my part, baptize you with water because of your repentance, but the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to take off. That one will baptize you with holy spirit and with fire. -- Matthew 3,11
Question to the JW: Why is an Old Testament prophecy about the coming of Jehovah used to announce the arrival of Jesus?
Reason 9 - Jesus is our saviour
Isaiah describes Jehovah as our only saviour.I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no saviour.” “I am the One who declared and saved and made known When there was no foreign god among you. So you are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “and I am God. -- Isaiah 43:11-12But we of course know that Jesus is our only saviour.
while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Saviour, Jesus Christ -- Titus 2:13Question to the JW: If there is no saviour besides Jehovah, then how can Jesus be our saviour?
Linked to that is the idea that Jehovah is our Repurchaser.
This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel -- Isaiah 43:14But when it came to it, Jesus was the one who paid for our salvation, making him the actual Repurchaser.
and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus. -- Romans 3:24Question to the JW: How can the one who did not pay the debt claim to be the Repurchaser?
Reason 10 - God is invisible, and Jesus is not
But he (Jehovah) added: “You cannot see my face, for no man can see me and live.” -- Exodus 33:20In these two verses we are given the information that nobody has ever seen God, and if anyone was ever to see him, they would die. Very straight forward. So what do we make of these other verses?
No man has seen God at any time -- John 1:18
Later they heard the voice of Jehovah God as he was walking in the garden about the breezy part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the face of Jehovah God among the trees of the garden. -- Gen-3:8Adam and Eve had walked with God and seen him many times. They weren't hiding because the sight of his face would kill them. We all know they were hiding because they were ashamed.
Manoʹah then said to his wife: “We are sure to die, because it is God whom we have seen.” -- Judges 13:22Samson's parents knew what would happen if they saw God, but they saw him and did not die.
So Jacob named the place Peniʹel, for he said, “I have seen God face-to-face, yet my life was preserved.” -- Genesis 32:30Jacob too knew what was supposed to happen if he saw God, but he lived on to become a patriarch of the faith.
Remember God said that no man could see him and live. Not 'only the people I choose to protect', but 'no man' without exception. That includes women too, so no Lord of the Rings loopholes here.
Also recall that those words were said to Moses. So the following verses further seem at first glance to contradict that.
Jehovah spoke to Moses face-to-face, just as one man would speak to another man. -- Exodus 33:11What can we make of this?
Moses and Aaron, Naʹdab and A·biʹhu, and 70 of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. -- Exodus 24:9-10
Face-to-face I speak to him, openly, not by riddles; and the appearance of Jehovah is what he sees. -- Numbers 12:8
But there has never again arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom Jehovah knew face-to-face. -- Deuteronomy 34:10
'Exodus 33:11' where Moses and Jehovah speak face to face, is the same conversation in which Jehovah says "no man can see my face and live" (Exodus 33:20).
Think about that. God, while speaking face to face with Moses, tells Moses that no man can see his face and live. He's not threatening him, and Moses doesn't fall down dead at any point. How can this possibly make sense?
Question to the JW: Is the Bible contradicting itself when it says no man can see God and live, yet several people do just that?
Once again, the trinitarian doctrine is the only way this makes sense. John the Apostle clarifies the issue for us:
And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form -- John 5:37Any reference to not being able to see God, is a reference to the Father or perhaps the full tri-unity of God together as a whole.
Not that any man has seen the Father, except the one who is from God; this one has seen the Father. John 6:46
Look through the passage in Exodus from '33:11-23'. In it, we see Moses speaking face to face with God. Moses asks “Please show me your glory.” (v18) and God agrees to "make all my goodness pass before your face" (v19). This is where the warning that no one can see his face comes in.
Moses was speaking to God, but he was not seeing his full glory. If he saw it all, he would die. In this event, when God agrees to reveal his glory to Moses, he still warns that he can not be fully seen safely and offers his protection: "I will shield you with my hand until I have passed by." (v22).
So from this we can gather than when God usually appears to Moses, he is not in his full glory. On this one occasion that he did appear in full glory, protection had to be given and still Moses would not be able to see it all.
John has also clarified for us that no man has ever seen the Father, who we know for sure is Jehovah. So if no one has seen the Father, then who was it that Moses saw?
the Christ, who is the image of God -- 2 Corinthians 4:4No man has ever seen the Father. Several people have seen God. The Son is a man and any person can see him safely.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation -- Colossians 1:15
because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily. -- Colossians 2:9
He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of his very being, and he sustains all things by the word of his power. -- Hebrews 1:3
Jesus said to him: “Even after I have been with you men for such a long time, Philip, have you not come to know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father also." --John 14:9
Question to the JW: What do these statements above about Jesus mean if he is not God?
God the Father is invisible to us, but Jesus is the part of him that we can see. Without this, there is no way to make sense of the apparent contradictions throughout the Bible.
How else can we make sense of passages like 'Genesis 18' where Abraham meets Jehovah in the form of a man and offers to wash his feet and feed him?
A number of times in the Old Testament we have the same pattern of God appearing to people, yet they do not die. Often the divine figure who is met is referred to as 'the angel of the Lord' or 'Jehovah's angel'.
Then Jehovah’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire in the midst of a thornbush. As he kept looking, he saw that the thornbush was on fire, and yet the thornbush was not consumed. -- Exodus 3:2On each occasion the appearance of 'Jehovah's angel' is explained to be God himself.
He went on to say: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at the true God. -- Exodus 3:6
Later Jehovah’s angel found her at a spring of waters in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. -- Genesis 16:7See how the 'angel' tells us that he is God, and that he is the one who did things that we know God did, and that people think that seeing him means that they will die. There is no denying that this 'angel of Jehovah' is God.
Then she called on the name of Jehovah, who was speaking to her: “You are a God of sight,” for she said: “Have I here actually looked upon the one who sees me?” -- Genesis 16:13
And Jehovah’s angel called to Abraham a second time from the heavens, saying: “‘By myself I swear,’ declares Jehovah, ‘that because you have done this and you have not withheld your son, your only one, I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring -- Genesis 22:15-17
Then the angel of the true God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob!’ to which I said, ‘Here I am.’ And he continued, ‘ ... I am the true God of Bethʹel -- Genesis 31:11:13
Then Jehovah’s angel went up from Gilʹgal to Boʹchim and said: “I brought you up out of Egypt into the land about which I swore to your forefathers. Furthermore, I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. -- Judges 2:1
Gidʹeon now realized that it was Jehovah’s angel. At once Gidʹeon said: “Alas, Sovereign Lord Jehovah, for I have seen Jehovah’s angel face-to-face!” But Jehovah said to him: “Peace be with you. Have no fear; you will not die.” -- Judges 6:22-23
So although the name Jesus had not yet been revealed in the Bible, it's quite clear that God presents himself as a physical being many times over the course of history before the Christ is finally born in Bethlehem.
One important time is when he meets Joshua:
When Joshua was near Jerʹicho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua walked up to him and asked: “Are you on our side or on the side of our adversaries?” To this he said: “No, but I have come as prince of Jehovah’s army.” With that Joshua fell with his face to the ground and prostrated himself and said to him: “What does my lord have to say to his servant?” The prince of Jehovah’s army replied to Joshua: “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy.” At once Joshua did so. -- Joshua 5:13-15Look at what we are being told here. Joshua meets a man who is the leader of God's army. Joshua bows to him and calls him his master. The man does not correct him or stop him. Instead he says the same thing that God said to Moses when he appeared in the burning bush (Exodus 3:5).
Could it be any clearer that the man Joshua met here is God himself?
Question to the JW: If Jehovah can appear as a man, why should we think he is not Jesus?
Reason 11: The Spirit of God within us
Jesus told us that he would go away and send another helper to be with us. This was because he in human form had less effectiveness and reach than the omnipresent Holy Spirit.And I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither sees it nor knows it. You know it, because it remains with you and is in you.... But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you. --John 14:16-17,26We are told that the Holy Spirit will be sent to live within us. But we already have what looks like a contradiction. Who is sending the Holy Spirit? The Father or the Son? Again, the problem is solved if we accept that the Father and the Son are both persons of the one God.
When the helper comes that I will send you from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which comes from the Father, that one will bear witness about me -- John 15:26
God has sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts,and it cries out: “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, then you are also an heir through God. Nevertheless, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those who are not really gods. -- Galatians 4:6-8God sent the spirit, yet Jesus says that it will be sent by both him and his Father. In this verse we notice that it is called the spirit of his Son as we do in other places.
Further, when they came down to Mysʹi·a, they made efforts to go into Bi·thynʹi·a, but the spirit of Jesus did not permit them. -- Acts 16:7But elsewhere, if you do not believe in the tri-unity, the Bible seems to contradict itself.
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that the spirit of God dwells in you? -- 1 Corinthians 3:16From these verse it seems that the Holy Spirit is God's own. One more the trinity makes sense of this. The Holy Spirit belongs to both the Father and Son because they are one. This is why Paul uses them interchangeably.
I will put my spirit inside you, and I will cause you to walk in my regulations -- Ezekiel 36:27
Where is the One who put within him His holy spirit -- Isaiah 63:11
However, you are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if God’s spirit truly dwells in you. But if anyone does not have Christ’s spirit, this person does not belong to him. -- Romans 8:9Question to the JW: Who does this spirit that dwells within us belong to?
This article is about Jesus' divinity, but any discussion of the trinity may be seen to be incomplete without at least touching on the Holy Spirit.
If we continue loving one another, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us. By this we know that we are remaining in union with him and he in union with us, because he has given his spirit to us. -- 1 John 4:12-13This verse tells us that God himself remains in us. But we have already seen that it is the Holy Spirit that lives in us. This alone is a powerful proof of their oneness.
As we also know that the spirit belongs both to the Father and the Son, this completes the Trinity.
Reason 12 - The proof texts that JWs use to show that Jesus is not God, do no such thing
If you ask a JW to show you passages that prove that Jesus is a created being and less than God, there are a few that they will usually go to.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all (other) things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All (other) things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all (other) things, and by means of him all (other) things were made to exist, and he is the head of the body, the congregation. -- Colossians 1:15-18
In this passage we see that Jesus created all "other" things i.e. not himself having been the firstborn of creation. However as the NWT interlinear admits, the word 'other' has been added by their translators. This was done despite the word 'other' (ἄλλος) not appearing in the original Greek.
The justification for doing this is that they know that the Trinity is false, and so they must choose interpretations that fit that fact, and sometimes add to the text in translation to make things clearer for modern readers. This should mean that the Trinity is disproved elsewhere in the text. However, when asked to show that the Trinity is false, JWs will usually appeal to one of these edited texts. So it becomes circular.
We edited the text to show that the Trinity is not true BECAUSE we know the Trinity is not true BECAUSE the text says so.
As we have seen above that there are still a huge number of passages that show us the Trinity despite the massive amount of edited verses, it would seem that the assumption that led to the edits is false.
This puts the JWs in a difficult position in light of the passage at the end of Revelation:
If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city -- Revelation 22:18-19
The point here is that any text or verses that we know have been edited to fit the JW theology can not then be used as proof that Jesus is not God. As the NWT translators admit, 'Colossians 1' seems to describe Jesus equality with God, and that is why it had to be edited.
So to make a case that Jesus is a created being, and therefore not God, the proof has to come from other places.
Question to the JW: Why should we trust a translation that we know for a fact has been edited to fit a presupposition?
Another passage that is often used is 'Proverbs 8:22-36'. It sounds like it is about Jesus, and describes him as a 'master worker' who was with God when he made everything. However it must be a created being because:
Jehovah produced me as the beginning of his way, The earliest of his achievements of long ago. -- Proverbs 8:22
So this whole passage sounds like Jesus was the first creation.
However, simply by looking at the first half of the Proverb, we see that it is a poem about 'wisdom'. Wisdom is personified for poetic effect.
Is not wisdom calling out? Is not discernment raising its voice? -- Proverbs 8:1
It simply is not talking about Jesus. We can admit some parallels, seeing as God could be regarded as the real life personification of wisdom, and Jesus is God. But this poem or proverb is definitely about 'wisdom' as a concept.
On the heights along the road, It takes its position at the crossroads. -- Proverbs 8:2
Here Wisdom is described as an 'it'. In most other translations, the passage says "She takes her" based on the feminine pronouns in the original language. Either way, Jesus is a 'he'. He is not an 'it' or a 'she'.
Elsewhere, the NWT agrees that wisdom is a female.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” -- Proverbs 7:4
True wisdom has built its house ... “Whoever is inexperienced, let him come in here.” She says to the one lacking good sense -- Proverbs 9:1,4
You'll notice that both of those passages are also from Proverbs, which would make you think they would be consistent in how they treated a subject.
Question to the JW: If Jesus is wisdom, then why is he consistently referred to as either 'it' or 'she'?
One last issue regarding Proverbs 8.
I, wisdom, dwell together with shrewdness -- Proverbs 8:12
Question to the JW: Now, if we take the assumption that 'wisdom' is a name for Jesus, then who is 'shrewdness'?
Reason 13 - Some of the NWT passages don't make sense
The divinity of Jesus is seen again and again in pretty much every other translation of the Bible. For an extensive but not exhaustive list have a look at this article: How-do-we-know-Trinity-is-true?
The NWT translators have, for whatever reason, edited the Scriptures or chosen interpretations that avoid showing the Trinity. Notably 'Colossians 1' has had several instances of the word 'other' added in an attempt to show that Jesus created everything except for his Father.
There are a number of verses that we can look at and simply ask what is meant by them. They make little sense. We can work on the assumption that the interpretation and translation is correct, and simply ask our JW friends what they mean. In every other translation, these verses are clear evidence for the divinity of Jesus and the tri-unity, but in the NWT, they become garbled and confusing.
But about the Son he says "God is your throne forever and ever" -- Hebrews 1:8 (NWT)
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever -- Hebrews 1:8 (ESV)
How can God be a throne? Does Jesus sit on him?
Keep this mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God. -- Philippians 2:5-6 (NWT)Other translations show that Jesus did not see a need to cling to equality with God, and voluntarily let it go. The NWT version 'gave no consideration to a seizure' is barely a coherent phrase. When asked, JWs have told me that this means Jesus did not want to steal equality.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped -- Philippians 2:5-6 (ESV)
Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. -- Deuteronomy 6:4 (NWT)Jehovah is his name. That's like saying "Robert our man is one Robert". It doesn't make sense. It should be "Robert the man is one man". That's a tautology, but at least it makes sense. The translation other versions use is "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." Perfectly sensible. This verse has relevance to the trinity, but is not really a proof text either way. But it is a good example of the strange translation choices made in the NWT.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. -- Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God, and everyone who loves the one who caused to be born loves him who has been born from that one. -- 1 John 5:1 (NWT)This is an example of how the NWT can be a garbled mess, where other translations read smoothly and make sense. Perhaps this is just me, but I had to read the NWT verse several times before I got what it was trying to say.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. -- 1 John 5:1 (ESV)
Reason 14 and Conclusion
This is not even the entire body of evidence that proves Jesus' divinity. However, I think it is more than enough to convince any reasonable person of the truth that God himself was crucified for our salvation.Like Jesus said:
No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends. -- John 15:13If God is love, then of course he would be the one to perform the greatest act of love of all time.
