How to Deal With Jehovah's Witnessess
What do the Jehovah's Witnesses Teach?
1. There is one God in one person, Make Sure of All Things, p 188.
2. There is no Trinity, Let God be True, p. 100-101; Make Sure of All Things, p.386.
3. The Holy Spirit is a force, not alive, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp.
406-407.
4. The Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force, The Watchtower, June 1, 1952,
p. 24.
5. Jehovah's first creation was his 'only-begotten Son'. . . was used by Jehovah in
creating all other things", Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 390-391.
6. Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man, The Watchtower, May 15,
1963, p. 307; The New World, 284.
7. Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh, Reasoning from the Scriptures,
1985, pp. 306.
8. Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body, Awake! July 22, 1973, p. 4.
9. Jesus was raised "not a human creature, but a spirit." Let God be True, p. 276.
10. Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985,
pp. 89-90.
11. Jesus returned to earth, invisibly, in 1914, The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 300.
12. Jesus' ransom sacrifice did not include Adam, Let God be True, p. 119.
13. Their church is the self-proclaimed prophet of God, The Watchtower, April 1,
1972, p. 197.
14. They claim to be the only channel of God's truth, The Watchtower, Feb. 15,
1981, p. 19.
15. Only their church members will be saved, The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30.
16. Good works are necessary for salvation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1,
pp. 150, 152.
17. The soul ceases to exist after death, Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67.
18. There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished, Let God be True, p. 79, 80.
19. Only 144,000 Jehovah's Witness go to heaven, Reasoning from the Scriptures,
1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121.
20. Only the 144,000 Jehovah's Witness are born again. Reasoning from the
Scriptures, 1985, p. 76.; Watchtower 11/15/54, p. 681.
21. Only the 144,000 may take communion,
22. Blood transfusions are a sin, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 72-73.
23. The Cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used, Reasoning from the
Scriptures, 1985, pp. 90-92.
24. Salvation is by faith and what you do, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp.
150,152.
25. It is possible to lose your salvation, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp.
358-359.
26. The universe is billions of years old, Your will Be Done on Earth, p. 43.
27. Each of the 6 creative days of God in Genesis 1, was 7000 years long.
Therefore, Man was created toward the end of 42,000 years of earth's
preparation, Let God be True, p. 168.
28. They also refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the "Star Spangled Banner," or
celebrate Christmas or birthdays. They are not allowed to serve in the armed
forces.
29. Satan was entrusted with the obligation and charged with the duty of
overseeing the creation of the earth, Children, p 55
30.
Jehovah's Witnesses in a Nutshell
According to Jehovah's Witness' theology, God is a single person, not a Trinity, who does not know all things and is not everywhere. He first created Michael the Archangel through whom He created all "other things," including the universe, the earth, Adam and Eve, etc. This creative work took God 42,000 years. At one point, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society taught that God ruled the universe from somewhere in the Pleiades star system. They have since modified this to say that the "Pleiades can no longer be considered the center of the universe and it would be unwise for us to try to fix God's throne as being at a particular spot in the universe."1 Such changes and even contradictions in teaching are frequent in the Watchtower organization and when a doctrine changes, they tell their followers that the light of truth is getting brighter.
After Adam sinned, the paradise which God had created for them, was ruined. So, God instituted a system of redemption which was revealed in the Bible and would ultimately lead to the crucifixion of Jesus the messiah. But, in the meantime, God needed to have a visible, theocratic organization on earth to accurately represent Him. Throughout history, this true organization had a remnant of faithful Jehovah's Witnesses (Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc.) but it wasn't until the late 1800's that Charles Taze Russell formerly began what is now known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society which is run out of Brooklyn, New York. This organization claims to be the only true channel of God's truth on earth today and that it alone can properly interpret God's word since it is the angel directed, prophet of God on earth.
When it came time for the savior to be born, Michael the Archangel became a human, in the form of Jesus. Jesus grew and kept all the laws of God and never sinned. Finally, when Jesus died, it was not on a cross, but on a torture stake, where he bore the sins of mankind -- but this did not include Adam's sins. Jesus rose from the dead as a spirit, not physically (his body was dissolved and taken by God) and during his visitations to people on earth, he manifested a temporary physical body for them to see and touch. Thus began the true Christian church of Jehovah's followers.
Throughout history there have been faithful Jehovah's witnesses who have managed to keep The Truth in spite of the "demonic" doctrine of Trinitarianism that has permeated the Christian church in "Christendom." Christendom is filled with pastors who are antichrists, in churches run by Satan, and who support the earthly governments which are all of the devil. In other words, all of Christianity is false and only the Jehovah's Witness "theocratic" organization lead by several men in Brooklyn, New York, is true.
In the late 1800's, a young man of 18 years, by the name of Charles Taze Russell, organized a Bible class in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1879 he sought to popularize his ideas on doctrine so he co-published The Herald of the Morning magazine with its founder, N. H. Barbour and by 1884 Russell controlled the publication and renamed it The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom, and founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society (now known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society). Russell served as the teacher and guide for the organization which taught that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914 and is now reigning in heaven. When Jesus finally returns physical to earth, which will happen at the time of the Battle of Armageddon, He will set up his earthly 1000 year kingdom. During this 1000 year period, people will be resurrected and have a second chance to receive eternal salvation by following the principles of Jehovah's Organization on earth known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. After the millennium, those who reject God and His organization will be annihilated; that is, they will cease to exist. The rest of the Jehovah's Witness who have faithfully followed God's organization on earth will be saved from eternal annihilation and reside forever on Paradise earth. Heaven, however, is a place for a special group of 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses -- the only ones who are "born again" and who alone are allowed to take communion in their annual communion service. These are the ones who have "immortal life," all other Witnesses have "everlasting life." Those with immortal life do not have resurrected bodies. They have "spirit bodies." Those on Paradise Earth have everlasting life and consists of a resurrected body that must be maintained through eating, rest, etc.
When you study with the Jehovah's Witness, you agree to attend five meetings a week where you are taught from Watchtower literature. You cannot be baptized until you have studied their material for at least six months and have answered numerous questions before a panel of elders. Men are not supposed have long hair or wear beards and women are to dress in modest apparel. They refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the "Star Spangled Banner, celebrate birthdays or Christmas, won't take blood transfusions, and they can't join the armed forces. A schedule of door-to-door canvassing is required where you distribute the Watchtower literature, acquire donations, and forward all monies to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
If you ever leave the Jehovah's Witness organization, you are considered an apostate and are to be shunned.
A Biblical Response to Jehovah's Witnesses
1. Their attacks on the Deity of Jesus.
A. Why did Jesus pray to the Father? (John 17).
i. Because as a man He needed to pray to the Father.
ii. Because He was both God and man (Col. 2:9; John 8:58 with Ex. 3:14).
a. The two natures of Christ are why we have two types of scripture concerning Jesus: those that seem to focus on His divine-side, and those that seem to focus on His human-side. The Jehovah's Witnesses are simply ignoring, or changing, the divine-side scriptures and concentrating on those that describe His human-side.
B. Why did He say the Father was greater than He (John 14:28)?
. This is because His position was different than that of God, not His nature.
i. Heb. 2:9 that Jesus is made for a little while lower than the angels; that is, when He became a man. The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10).
C. Why did He say, "Why call me good, only God is good?" (Luke 18:19)?
. Jesus was confirming His own deity because what He was doing was good.
i. Ask them, "Was Jesus good?"
D. Why did Jesus say that He could only do those things that He saw the Father do? (John 5:19).
. This is an interesting verse and it is one that proves the divinity of Christ, not that He wasn't God.
i. Ask the Jehovah's Witness who can do the same things God the Father can do? Could an angel? Could a man? Of course not. Jesus, however, says He could do whatever He saw the Father do. "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."
E. The answer to these and other verses like them is that Jesus has two natures. Jesus was fully man as well as fully God and as a man there will be verses that show His humanity.
2. Witnessing Approaches using the Bible.
A. John 1:1: They translate as "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was a god."
. Ask if Satan is a true god or a false God. The Jehovah's Witness will say a false god. Then have them read aloud John 1:1 again in their Bible and ask them if Jesus is a true god or a false one. If he says "true god," he's in trouble. If he says "false god," he's in trouble.
i. If Jesus is a god, then doesn't that mean there are two gods? They often answer, "Yes. But Jesus is not the Almighty God, He is only the mighty god. And besides, there are those in the Bible who are called gods but really aren't."
ii. The problem with this is that every God besides Jehovah is a false God. God says to have no other God before Him (Exodus 20:3) because they are not by nature gods (Gal. 4:8).
B. Col. 1:15: Is used by the Jehovah's Witnesses to say that Jesus is the first created thing. This verse says, "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
. The Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that "firstborn" means first created. This cannot be the case because...
0. There is a Greek word for "first created" and it is not used here.
1. "First born" is proto, "first," with tikto "to bring forth, bear, produce."
2. There is no word used in the New Testament for "first created." However, if there were, the construction would be proto, "first," with ktizo "to create." And this is not the construction used in Col. 1:1
i. Firstborn can certainly mean the first one born in a family. However, it can also mean preeminence. For example:
0. In Jeremiah 31:9, the firstborn title is attributed to one of the tribes of northern Israel. "They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son."
ii. Understanding biblical culture is important when interpreting Scripture. Firstborn was a title, not only of the first born male, but also of preeminence which is precisely what is occurring when it is said that Jesus is the firstborn.
3. Col. 1:15-17 in the Jehovah's Witness Bible has an addition of four words. Their version reads, "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 upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter 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," (Their word "[other]" is in their Bible with the brackets. They maintain that they know it isn't in the original Greek Scriptures but the word is implied and should be there.)
A. Instead of refuting the bad translation, simply ask them if this means that Jesus created everything. They will say yes. Review this and be very clear and get them to admit that it was Jesus who created everything. Then turn to...
. Isaiah 44:24 "This is what the LORD says -your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself."
i. If Jesus created everything, then why does it say that the Lord (Jehovah in the Hebrew) did it by Himself?
ii. The only answer is that Jehovah is not simply the name of the Father, but that it is the name of God the Trinity. Therefore, since Jesus is God in flesh, it could be said that Jesus created all things and that Jehovah did it alone.
B. You can also ask them to try to read the section of verses and omit the word "other". You will find it to be an interesting experience.
4. John 8:58 in the Jehovah's Witness Bible says, "...Before Abraham came into existence, I have been."
A. They have translated the present tense ego eimi, in the Greek, into the perfect tense, I have been. Though this can be done rarely in the New Testament, it is not correct here because Jesus was quoting the O.T. verse of Exodus 3:14 where God was telling Moses who He was: "God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."'" Jesus was purposely using the divine title: I AM.
B. The Jehovah's Witness won't agree. So ask him if Jesus was saying that He "had been" before Abraham, then why does it say in the next verse that the Jews pick up stones to kill him?
C. Additionally, about 250 years the Jews translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. It is called the Septuagint, also known as LXX. In the Septuagint Exodus 3:14 is translated in the Greek in a present tense, i.e., I AM... The correct translation is, therefore, "Before Abraham was, I AM."
D. If this verse should really be translated as "I have been" then why did the Jews want to kill Jesus? The answer is simple: They knew He was claiming to be God, see the next example.
5. John 10:30-34 is a section of verses where the Pharisees say that Jesus is making Himself out to be God (v. 33).
A. "I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
B. You can say, "See, even the Jews knew He was claiming to be God. The Jehovah's Witness (if he's quick enough) will say something like, "Jesus wasn't God, the Jew's only thought that Jesus was claiming to be God." Then you can say, "Oh, I see. Then let me get this right. You agree with the Pharisees, Jesus wasn't God? Is that correct? The Jehovah's Witness will not like it that he agrees with a Pharisee.
6. Plurality in the Godhead
A. The following group of scriptures strongly suggests a plurality within the Godhead. These verses are translated correctly in the Jehovah's Witness Bible so you can encourage them to use it. The NIV is not as literal in its translation in the Amos verses, so I recommend using either the King James or the New American Standard Bible when doing your own.
. Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . "
0. They will say that angels are the ones who helped God make man. However, there is no scriptural evidence for that. God is the only creator.
1. You can also take him to Col. 1:15-17 where it says that Jesus is the creator of all things--including man.
i. Gen. 19:24, "Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven."
0. Is this saying there are two Lords, two Jehovah's?
ii. Amos 4:10-11, "‘I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, and I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; yet you have not returned to Me,' declares the LORD. ‘I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah . . . '"
0. Jehovah is the one talking and He says, "I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah..." Very interesting.
iii. Isaiah 44:6, "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me . . . ‘" See also, Isaiah 48:1
iv. If you are reading these verses to a Jehovah's Witness he might say something like, "Are you trying to show the Trinity from these verses?" You can then say, "You got the Trinity out of these? That's very interesting."
v. These verses and others are more fully developed in The Plurality Study, which is a powerful tool for witnessing to the Witnesses.
1. There is one God in one person, Make Sure of All Things, p 188.
2. There is no Trinity, Let God be True, p. 100-101; Make Sure of All Things, p.386.
3. The Holy Spirit is a force, not alive, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp.
406-407.
4. The Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force, The Watchtower, June 1, 1952,
p. 24.
5. Jehovah's first creation was his 'only-begotten Son'. . . was used by Jehovah in
creating all other things", Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 390-391.
6. Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man, The Watchtower, May 15,
1963, p. 307; The New World, 284.
7. Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh, Reasoning from the Scriptures,
1985, pp. 306.
8. Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body, Awake! July 22, 1973, p. 4.
9. Jesus was raised "not a human creature, but a spirit." Let God be True, p. 276.
10. Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985,
pp. 89-90.
11. Jesus returned to earth, invisibly, in 1914, The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 300.
12. Jesus' ransom sacrifice did not include Adam, Let God be True, p. 119.
13. Their church is the self-proclaimed prophet of God, The Watchtower, April 1,
1972, p. 197.
14. They claim to be the only channel of God's truth, The Watchtower, Feb. 15,
1981, p. 19.
15. Only their church members will be saved, The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30.
16. Good works are necessary for salvation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1,
pp. 150, 152.
17. The soul ceases to exist after death, Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67.
18. There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished, Let God be True, p. 79, 80.
19. Only 144,000 Jehovah's Witness go to heaven, Reasoning from the Scriptures,
1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121.
20. Only the 144,000 Jehovah's Witness are born again. Reasoning from the
Scriptures, 1985, p. 76.; Watchtower 11/15/54, p. 681.
21. Only the 144,000 may take communion,
22. Blood transfusions are a sin, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 72-73.
23. The Cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used, Reasoning from the
Scriptures, 1985, pp. 90-92.
24. Salvation is by faith and what you do, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp.
150,152.
25. It is possible to lose your salvation, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp.
358-359.
26. The universe is billions of years old, Your will Be Done on Earth, p. 43.
27. Each of the 6 creative days of God in Genesis 1, was 7000 years long.
Therefore, Man was created toward the end of 42,000 years of earth's
preparation, Let God be True, p. 168.
28. They also refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the "Star Spangled Banner," or
celebrate Christmas or birthdays. They are not allowed to serve in the armed
forces.
29. Satan was entrusted with the obligation and charged with the duty of
overseeing the creation of the earth, Children, p 55
30.
Jehovah's Witnesses in a Nutshell
According to Jehovah's Witness' theology, God is a single person, not a Trinity, who does not know all things and is not everywhere. He first created Michael the Archangel through whom He created all "other things," including the universe, the earth, Adam and Eve, etc. This creative work took God 42,000 years. At one point, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society taught that God ruled the universe from somewhere in the Pleiades star system. They have since modified this to say that the "Pleiades can no longer be considered the center of the universe and it would be unwise for us to try to fix God's throne as being at a particular spot in the universe."1 Such changes and even contradictions in teaching are frequent in the Watchtower organization and when a doctrine changes, they tell their followers that the light of truth is getting brighter.
After Adam sinned, the paradise which God had created for them, was ruined. So, God instituted a system of redemption which was revealed in the Bible and would ultimately lead to the crucifixion of Jesus the messiah. But, in the meantime, God needed to have a visible, theocratic organization on earth to accurately represent Him. Throughout history, this true organization had a remnant of faithful Jehovah's Witnesses (Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc.) but it wasn't until the late 1800's that Charles Taze Russell formerly began what is now known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society which is run out of Brooklyn, New York. This organization claims to be the only true channel of God's truth on earth today and that it alone can properly interpret God's word since it is the angel directed, prophet of God on earth.
When it came time for the savior to be born, Michael the Archangel became a human, in the form of Jesus. Jesus grew and kept all the laws of God and never sinned. Finally, when Jesus died, it was not on a cross, but on a torture stake, where he bore the sins of mankind -- but this did not include Adam's sins. Jesus rose from the dead as a spirit, not physically (his body was dissolved and taken by God) and during his visitations to people on earth, he manifested a temporary physical body for them to see and touch. Thus began the true Christian church of Jehovah's followers.
Throughout history there have been faithful Jehovah's witnesses who have managed to keep The Truth in spite of the "demonic" doctrine of Trinitarianism that has permeated the Christian church in "Christendom." Christendom is filled with pastors who are antichrists, in churches run by Satan, and who support the earthly governments which are all of the devil. In other words, all of Christianity is false and only the Jehovah's Witness "theocratic" organization lead by several men in Brooklyn, New York, is true.
In the late 1800's, a young man of 18 years, by the name of Charles Taze Russell, organized a Bible class in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1879 he sought to popularize his ideas on doctrine so he co-published The Herald of the Morning magazine with its founder, N. H. Barbour and by 1884 Russell controlled the publication and renamed it The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom, and founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society (now known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society). Russell served as the teacher and guide for the organization which taught that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914 and is now reigning in heaven. When Jesus finally returns physical to earth, which will happen at the time of the Battle of Armageddon, He will set up his earthly 1000 year kingdom. During this 1000 year period, people will be resurrected and have a second chance to receive eternal salvation by following the principles of Jehovah's Organization on earth known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. After the millennium, those who reject God and His organization will be annihilated; that is, they will cease to exist. The rest of the Jehovah's Witness who have faithfully followed God's organization on earth will be saved from eternal annihilation and reside forever on Paradise earth. Heaven, however, is a place for a special group of 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses -- the only ones who are "born again" and who alone are allowed to take communion in their annual communion service. These are the ones who have "immortal life," all other Witnesses have "everlasting life." Those with immortal life do not have resurrected bodies. They have "spirit bodies." Those on Paradise Earth have everlasting life and consists of a resurrected body that must be maintained through eating, rest, etc.
When you study with the Jehovah's Witness, you agree to attend five meetings a week where you are taught from Watchtower literature. You cannot be baptized until you have studied their material for at least six months and have answered numerous questions before a panel of elders. Men are not supposed have long hair or wear beards and women are to dress in modest apparel. They refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the "Star Spangled Banner, celebrate birthdays or Christmas, won't take blood transfusions, and they can't join the armed forces. A schedule of door-to-door canvassing is required where you distribute the Watchtower literature, acquire donations, and forward all monies to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
If you ever leave the Jehovah's Witness organization, you are considered an apostate and are to be shunned.
A Biblical Response to Jehovah's Witnesses
1. Their attacks on the Deity of Jesus.
A. Why did Jesus pray to the Father? (John 17).
i. Because as a man He needed to pray to the Father.
ii. Because He was both God and man (Col. 2:9; John 8:58 with Ex. 3:14).
a. The two natures of Christ are why we have two types of scripture concerning Jesus: those that seem to focus on His divine-side, and those that seem to focus on His human-side. The Jehovah's Witnesses are simply ignoring, or changing, the divine-side scriptures and concentrating on those that describe His human-side.
B. Why did He say the Father was greater than He (John 14:28)?
. This is because His position was different than that of God, not His nature.
i. Heb. 2:9 that Jesus is made for a little while lower than the angels; that is, when He became a man. The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10).
C. Why did He say, "Why call me good, only God is good?" (Luke 18:19)?
. Jesus was confirming His own deity because what He was doing was good.
i. Ask them, "Was Jesus good?"
D. Why did Jesus say that He could only do those things that He saw the Father do? (John 5:19).
. This is an interesting verse and it is one that proves the divinity of Christ, not that He wasn't God.
i. Ask the Jehovah's Witness who can do the same things God the Father can do? Could an angel? Could a man? Of course not. Jesus, however, says He could do whatever He saw the Father do. "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."
E. The answer to these and other verses like them is that Jesus has two natures. Jesus was fully man as well as fully God and as a man there will be verses that show His humanity.
2. Witnessing Approaches using the Bible.
A. John 1:1: They translate as "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was a god."
. Ask if Satan is a true god or a false God. The Jehovah's Witness will say a false god. Then have them read aloud John 1:1 again in their Bible and ask them if Jesus is a true god or a false one. If he says "true god," he's in trouble. If he says "false god," he's in trouble.
i. If Jesus is a god, then doesn't that mean there are two gods? They often answer, "Yes. But Jesus is not the Almighty God, He is only the mighty god. And besides, there are those in the Bible who are called gods but really aren't."
ii. The problem with this is that every God besides Jehovah is a false God. God says to have no other God before Him (Exodus 20:3) because they are not by nature gods (Gal. 4:8).
B. Col. 1:15: Is used by the Jehovah's Witnesses to say that Jesus is the first created thing. This verse says, "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
. The Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that "firstborn" means first created. This cannot be the case because...
0. There is a Greek word for "first created" and it is not used here.
1. "First born" is proto, "first," with tikto "to bring forth, bear, produce."
2. There is no word used in the New Testament for "first created." However, if there were, the construction would be proto, "first," with ktizo "to create." And this is not the construction used in Col. 1:1
i. Firstborn can certainly mean the first one born in a family. However, it can also mean preeminence. For example:
0. In Jeremiah 31:9, the firstborn title is attributed to one of the tribes of northern Israel. "They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son."
ii. Understanding biblical culture is important when interpreting Scripture. Firstborn was a title, not only of the first born male, but also of preeminence which is precisely what is occurring when it is said that Jesus is the firstborn.
3. Col. 1:15-17 in the Jehovah's Witness Bible has an addition of four words. Their version reads, "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 upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter 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," (Their word "[other]" is in their Bible with the brackets. They maintain that they know it isn't in the original Greek Scriptures but the word is implied and should be there.)
A. Instead of refuting the bad translation, simply ask them if this means that Jesus created everything. They will say yes. Review this and be very clear and get them to admit that it was Jesus who created everything. Then turn to...
. Isaiah 44:24 "This is what the LORD says -your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself."
i. If Jesus created everything, then why does it say that the Lord (Jehovah in the Hebrew) did it by Himself?
ii. The only answer is that Jehovah is not simply the name of the Father, but that it is the name of God the Trinity. Therefore, since Jesus is God in flesh, it could be said that Jesus created all things and that Jehovah did it alone.
B. You can also ask them to try to read the section of verses and omit the word "other". You will find it to be an interesting experience.
4. John 8:58 in the Jehovah's Witness Bible says, "...Before Abraham came into existence, I have been."
A. They have translated the present tense ego eimi, in the Greek, into the perfect tense, I have been. Though this can be done rarely in the New Testament, it is not correct here because Jesus was quoting the O.T. verse of Exodus 3:14 where God was telling Moses who He was: "God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you."'" Jesus was purposely using the divine title: I AM.
B. The Jehovah's Witness won't agree. So ask him if Jesus was saying that He "had been" before Abraham, then why does it say in the next verse that the Jews pick up stones to kill him?
C. Additionally, about 250 years the Jews translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. It is called the Septuagint, also known as LXX. In the Septuagint Exodus 3:14 is translated in the Greek in a present tense, i.e., I AM... The correct translation is, therefore, "Before Abraham was, I AM."
D. If this verse should really be translated as "I have been" then why did the Jews want to kill Jesus? The answer is simple: They knew He was claiming to be God, see the next example.
5. John 10:30-34 is a section of verses where the Pharisees say that Jesus is making Himself out to be God (v. 33).
A. "I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
B. You can say, "See, even the Jews knew He was claiming to be God. The Jehovah's Witness (if he's quick enough) will say something like, "Jesus wasn't God, the Jew's only thought that Jesus was claiming to be God." Then you can say, "Oh, I see. Then let me get this right. You agree with the Pharisees, Jesus wasn't God? Is that correct? The Jehovah's Witness will not like it that he agrees with a Pharisee.
6. Plurality in the Godhead
A. The following group of scriptures strongly suggests a plurality within the Godhead. These verses are translated correctly in the Jehovah's Witness Bible so you can encourage them to use it. The NIV is not as literal in its translation in the Amos verses, so I recommend using either the King James or the New American Standard Bible when doing your own.
. Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . "
0. They will say that angels are the ones who helped God make man. However, there is no scriptural evidence for that. God is the only creator.
1. You can also take him to Col. 1:15-17 where it says that Jesus is the creator of all things--including man.
i. Gen. 19:24, "Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven."
0. Is this saying there are two Lords, two Jehovah's?
ii. Amos 4:10-11, "‘I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, and I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; yet you have not returned to Me,' declares the LORD. ‘I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah . . . '"
0. Jehovah is the one talking and He says, "I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah..." Very interesting.
iii. Isaiah 44:6, "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me . . . ‘" See also, Isaiah 48:1
iv. If you are reading these verses to a Jehovah's Witness he might say something like, "Are you trying to show the Trinity from these verses?" You can then say, "You got the Trinity out of these? That's very interesting."
v. These verses and others are more fully developed in The Plurality Study, which is a powerful tool for witnessing to the Witnesses.
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