THE TRINITY: BIBLE DOCTRINE OR PAGAN MYTH?
Is the doctrine of the triune nature of the Godhead a belief that is really founded in Scripture? The Jehovah's Witnesses would vehemently deny this, and insist that it is a doctrine that could only have originated in the mind of Satan himself. This is probably the doctrine that they spend the most time arguing against, and also the one that they have the least understanding of. The Jehovah's Witnesses published a booklet entitled, "Should You Believe In The Trinity?", in which they quoted (actually mis-quoted) many of the Church "fathers" in order to show that the doctrine of the Trinity was unknown in the days of the early Church. It must be noted at this point that many of the men quoted in this booklet are in no way viewed by Christians as being orthodox in their theological views. One such instance is the quote by Justin Martyr, in which he is quoted as saying that "the pre-human Jesus was a created angel who is other than the God who made all things." While Justin Martyr did state that Jesus was an angel, he also explained that Jesus was only called an angel because He had assumed the appearance of angel. He went on to explain that Jesus was actually God as the Father is God. He refers to Christ as "both God and Lord of hosts" and "God the Son of God." Also quoted in the booklet is Irenaeus, as though he didn't believe that Christ was equal to the one and only true God. Actually, Irenaeus spoke of Jesus as "Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King." Elsewhere, Clement of Alexandria , Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Origen are also quoted out of context. The point here is not to say that the opinions of the Church "fathers" are necessarily authoritative, but simply to show the dishonesty of the Watchtower Society in the use of these individual's quotes. It is sad that they will resort to mis-quoting dead people who can't set the record straight. The reader is simply encouraged to check out the sources for himself. While many of these men certainly didn't always hold Biblical views, that still does not justify the dishonesty of the Watchtower Society. If the reader feels the WT Society would never do such a thing, then there should be nothing to fear by checking out these quotes for himself. Actually, the Watchtower has regularly and consistently mis-represented the doctrine of the Trinity, to the point where the average Jehovah's Witness has no clue as to what the doctrine really is. We will illustrate this point more later on. The issue is, however, NOT what the Church "fathers" say, not what I say, not what a certain minister may say, and certainly not what the WT Society says! The only issue we really need to consider is: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? This will be the thrust of our discussion.
COMMON WATCHTOWER MIS-REPRESENTATIONS
A. Jesus and the Father aren't the same person.
Jehovah's Witnesses have spent (wasted may be a better word) a great deal of time "proving" from Scripture that God the Father and Jesus Christ are 2 separate persons. They ask questions like: "If Jesus were really God, then who ran the universe while Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days?" Another favorite is: "If Jesus were God, then who did He pray to? Was He talking to Himself?" These type of arguments illustrate more than any other that JW's have absolutely no clue what the Trinity actually is. Trinitarians do NOT teach that Jesus and the Father are the same person, but rather 2 SEPARATE persons who, along with the Holy Ghost, make up ONE God! No true trinitarian believes that they all 3 are one in person, but rather that these 3 distinct persons unite to make one Godhead. These arguments may present a problem to the Jesus-only (better known as Oneness believers), who DO teach that God is only made up of one person, Jesus. But for the Trinitarian, these questions are no problem at all. Jesus, who was the Son, prayed to the Father who was in Heaven. As for who ran the universe for the 3 days that Jesus was in the tomb, once again the answer is simple. Neither the Father, nor the Holy Spirit died on the cross, and were certainly up to the challenge of keeping things in order while the body of Jesus was in the tomb. It should also be stated here that the WT Society has made a faulty assumption when they assume that Jesus ceased to exist during the 3 days after His crucifixion. The Bible is very plain that this was not the case (1 Peter 3:18-20;4:6). Also Jesus said on 2 separate occasions that He Himself would resurrect HIS OWN BODYafter the crucifixion. This can be found in John 2:19-21 and John 10:17-18. How could He possibly have accomplished this if He did not continue to exist in the spirit during these 3 days? Not only do JW's deny the deity of Jesus Christ, they also deny that He DID rise in a physical, bodily form on the third day! We will discuss that at a later date. Suffice it to say, Jehovah's Witnesses waste alot of time trying to refute a doctrine that they don't even understand. I have personally had JW family members to tell me that I didn't really know what I believed, because my definition of the Trinity differed from the one the WT had given them. They just can't believe the Society would ever mis-represent anybody's belief, so whatever the Society SAYS that I believe, well that's what I believe, whether I think I do or not. I have even said: "That is not what I believe", only to have them reply: "Yes it is, or the Society wouldn't have said it. This may sound incredible if you have never dealt personally with JW's, but if you have, I'm sure you have had something similar happen to you. Let me emphasize: Trinitarians do NOT believe that the Godhead is comprised of only 1 person, but rather, 3 separate and distinct persons, which unite to make the one true and living God!
B. God Is Not a God of Confusion.
I will certainly agree that this statement is true. However, the doctrine of the Trinity is not confusing. The real source of confusion is the dishonest way in which the Society mis-represents what trinitarians really believe. By accusing us of believing things that we really don't, they have given their followers a completely false and confusing concept of what the Trinity is. God certainly isn't the source of that! JW's love to mock a Christian when he says that the Trinity is a "mystery". They maintain that there are no divine mysteries. I would like to turn their attention to 1 Timothy 3:16 (which, incidentally, happens to be a verse showing the deity of Christ). Notice what Paul says here: "...great is the MYSTERY of godliness:GOD was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." If JW's have a problem with the word "mystery", I suggest they take it up with the Apostle Paul who defined it as such, and with the Holy Ghost Who inspired Him to write it that way. There is a difference between something being a mystery (beyond our human understanding) and it being confusing. I had an experience with a JW years ago that was interesting. He was strongly objecting to the concept of the Trinity being a mystery, and told me God would not reveal Himself in a way that was so hard to comprehend. I asked him: "Do you mean to tell me that you understand fully the nature of God?" He replied "yes." I said to him: "Well, I'm certainly glad you're here. Maybe you can help me to understand something about God that I have never been fully able to mentally grasp. Please explain to me the eternal nature of God. Since the Bible clearly teaches that God has always been, and has never had a beginning, please explain this to me, since you maintain that God can be fully understood by the human mind." Naturally, he had no answer. The eternalness of God is something we believe because the Bible tells us it is so, but we, who had a beginning, cannot possibly hope to fully comprehend it, no matter how hard we try. This is why it is so vital to simply believe what He has told us about Himself, rather than trying to force Him to fit into our little mold. Actually, the Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that it is impossible for humans to fully comprehend all there is to know about God. Please read the following scriptures: Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:33; 1Corinthians 2:11; 1Corinthians13:12. The Scripture the JW's use to say God isn't a God of confusion, actually doesn't even refer to the Trinity at all. It is found in 1Corinthians 14:33, and is dealing with the Corinthian church's mis-use of the gift of tongues. Paul was simply saying that, while the gift was a good gift, it was to be used in an orderly manner, rather than in a way that would cause confusion. In context, the verse has nothing at all to do with the fact that God has revealed Himself as triune in nature. Therefore, the cause of confusion isn't the Trinity doctrine at all, but rather the way that the Society presents it. And God certainly isn't the author of that!
C. The Word "Trinity" Is Not In the Bible.
This argument is so ridiculous that it hardly deserves to be addressed. However, if you have ever discussed the subject of the Trinity with a JW, then this point has likely been raised by the Witness. It is true that the word "Trinity" is nowhere to be found in the Word of God. The DOCTRINE of the Trinity, however, is clearly taught in the Scriptures, and that is the real issue. The word "rapture" is also not found in Scripture, but that in no way negates the fact that a rapture or catching away of the saints is clearly taught in the Bible (1Thess. 4:13-18). As a matter of fact, many of the words and phrases used by Jehovahs Witnesses don't appear in the Bible, either. One such word is "theocracy", which simply means "God-ruled." JWs strongly believe that the concept of a theocracy is biblical, though the word is never found in Scripture. The year 1914 isn't even hinted at in Scripture, but for years, this has been a year that Witnesses feel is clearly outlined in the Word of God. When they say that we shouldn't believe in the Trinity because the word isn't in the Bible, they are simply trying to draw attention away from the fact that the real issue is whether the doctrine has a solid Scriptural foundation, and it certainly does. We will discuss the Biblical evidence for the Trinity soon. It may be useful, at this point, to define what "Trinity" means. It literally means "tri-unity", or "unity of three". Once again, the Trinity does NOT teach that the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost are one person, but rather 3 persons which make up one God. They are also not 3 separate gods, as some Watchtower publications have dishonestly accused us of teaching. The Bible is clear, there is only 1 true God, who has revealed Himself in 3 persons. As we will see later, the Jehovah's Witnesses are actually the ones who believe in more than 1 true God.
D. The Doctrine of the Trinity had Pagan Origins.
This is one of the most popular arguments that JWs often raise. They, with their extremely inaccurate understanding of church history, trace the origin of the Trinity back to pagan religions and philosophies. They point to the fact that the worship of 3 beings is so popular in pagan belief systems. They maintain that Christianity began to adopt these pagan philosophies, and that is how the Trinity doctrine originated. Let me say emphatically that this is a lie, without even an ounce of truth to it! First of all, these pagan "trinities" were always the worship of 3 separate gods, rather than one God, as Biblical trinitarians worship. Also these pagan triads were merely regarded as the top 3 deities in the hierarchy of many gods worshipped in polytheistic religions. As we will see later, the JWs are actually modern-day polytheists, believing in more than 1 true God. Their logic on this point, however, is faulty for many reasons.
1). WT Society believes strongly in theocracy. Pagan structures such as Egypt and the Roman Empire had corrupt versions of theocracy, with their respective rulers or Pharaohs being regarded as gods, who ruled the people. Ask the Witness if the fact that the pagans had theocracies automatically rules out the fact that it might also be a Biblical concept?
2). Nearly all pagan civilizations have legends and stories of a Great Flood. While the stories vary in some of their details, they all tell of a flood with only a few people, sometimes a family being the only survivors. Does this mean that we should discount the Scriptural record of the Flood, simply because some pagans also believe in it?
3). Pagans believed that Tammuz was a messiah-figure who died and was resurrected. Ask the Witness if this means that we should reject the Biblical account of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, simply because pagans had corrupted versions of these same events? As a matter of fact, rather than Christianity borrowing the concept of the Trinity from pagans, they really need to consider the fact that the pagans actually have taken things that are Biblical in nature, and corrupted them. Once again, Jehovah's Witnesses don't want to deal with what really matters, and that is, whether or not the Trinity is taught in the Word of God. At this point, let us examine some of the Scriptural evidence for the Trinity.
Gen. 1:26-God states:"Let US make man in OUR image". Notice that God refers to Himself in the plural use of pronouns. The Witnesses will maintain that God was here speaking to the angels, rather than to the other members of the Godhead. This is impossible. No Scripture indicates that the angels were created in God's image. Man is the only creation spoken of as being in the image of God. If the Witnesses would only read the next verse, they would see that it says: "So God created man IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD CREATED HE HIM;" No, God was speaking to the other members of the Godhead, which is clear if we just read the context. God also refers to Himself in the plural in Gen. 11:7-9 and Isaiah 6:8. The question is, why would God do that? Do you say to yourself: "Let us go to the store?" No, you only use that kind of terminology if you are speaking to someone.
Gen.18:1-2-The Bible tells us that the LORD appeared to Abraham in the form of 3 men. Someone may object by saying that 2 of these beings are said to be angels. It is necessary to realize that the word "angel" is used different ways in Scripture. Most often, it refers to one of the angelic creatures that God created. Sometimes, however, it refers to a theophany, which is when God Himself takes upon a human form. In this story, 2 of these 3 beings depart from Abraham and go down to Sodom (v.16-22). The LORD tells Abraham that He Himself would go down to Sodom (v.21), and at that point, 2 of the men leave. We are then told that Abraham still "stood yet before the LORD". Two persons, identified as the LORD, leave to go to Sodom. The remaining one with Abraham is also identified as the LORD. Verse 33 tells us that "the LORD went His way, as soon as He had left communing with Abraham". Chapter 19:24 tells us that " the LORD rained fire and brimstone FROM THE LORD OUT OF HEAVEN!" What is happening here? All 3 beings are identified as the LORD, and also as angels. Again, the word "angel" is here referring to a fleshly appearance of God. 2 of these beings (the LORD) leave, and the other 1 (also the LORD) remain. The one who left from communing with Abraham apparently returned to Heaven, while the other 2 went down to Sodom. This is why 19:24 says that the LORD rained fire from the LORD out of Heaven. This is trinitarian language in its plainest form.
Gen.32:30- We are told that this being, identified as an "angel" in Hosea 1:4, was actually God. The verse reads: "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I HAVE SEEN GOD FACE TO FACE, and my life is preserved."
What further comment is needed?
Isaiah 9:6- This beautiful prophecy of the birth of the Messiah also constitutes a strong argument for the absolute deity of Jesus Christ. Notice the names by which the Messiah would be called: "THE MIGHTY GOD, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." JW's have only one argument at this point, and it is here where their polytheistic beliefs are manifest. They will reply by saying that Jesus may be "the Mighty God", but that He is certainly NOT the ALMIGHTY God, Jehovah. A very interesting problem arises in that we now have 2 Gods, one who is Almighty and one who is just Mighty. This is further compounded when we read the very next chapter, and discover in Isaiah 10:21 that Jehovah (YHWH) is also referred to as "the Mighty God".
We see the same thing again in Jeremiah 32:18. So much for the notion that the "Mighty God" does not refer to Jehovah, but to a lesser god! Therefore, the one who is called the "Mighty God" in Isaiah 9:6 (Jesus), is also the same one who is the "Mighty God" in Isaiah10:21 and Jeremiah 32:18, which is Jehovah! As if that is not enough proof, JW's might be interested to know that Jesus is referred to as the ALMIGHTY in Rev.1:7-8. JW's have no basis whatsoever for saying that the Father is the Almighty God, while Jesus is merely a "mighty God". The 2 terms "mighty" and "almighty" are BOTH used to describe Jesus. The 2 terms are also BOTH used to describe the Father!
Let us now ask this question.... If, as the Witnesses say, Jesus is only "mighty" and not "almighty", then exactly how mighty is He? Once again, the Scripture has the answer. In Matt.28:18, the resurrected Christ said: "ALL POWER (the same as all might) is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Think about it. If Jesus Christ has all power, or all might in Heaven and in earth, doesn't that make Him Almighty? Notice the next 2 verses of Matt.28 (v.19-20) where the disciples are commissioned to go and teach this to all nations. We still have the same commission. Ask the JW, since he believes in 2 Gods, namely the Mighty God and the Almighty God, if these are both true Gods. He will not want to say that Jesus, who he believes to be a god, is actually a false god, so he will have to admit that Jesus is also a true god. This presents the problem of believing in 2 true Gods, which is completely in opposition to the teaching of the Bible, which clearly tells us there is only ONE true God (1 Corinth. 8:4-6).
In Deuteronomy 6:4, we are told that "the LORD our God is ONE LORD." Interestingly, the word "one" here is the Hebrew word "achid", which means "the UNITED one."
Deuteronomy 32:39 has Jehovah telling us that there is no god with Him. In Isaiah 43:10, He says: "before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me". In chapter 44:6, Jehovah again states that "..beside me there is no God." And finally, in Isaiah 45:5 we are told: "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is NO GOD beside me:" How much clearer can it be that there is only one God in Heaven? In spite of all this, JWs insist on telling us that there exists both an Almighty and a Mighty (lesser) God in Heaven. All this is done to avoid the clear teaching of the Bible that Jesus Christ is the true God, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 40:3- "Prepare ye the way of the LORD (YHWH), make straight in the desert a highway for our God".
Here we are told that someone is to prepare the way for Jehovah God. When was this fulfilled? In Matt. 3:3 and Mark 1:2-3, this "voice of one crying in the wilderness" is identified as John the Baptist, and we know that he prepared the way for Jesus Christ! Isn't this proof positive that Jesus is Jehovah?
Micah 5:2- "...yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
This passage clearly shows that the Messiah is eternal, rather that created. The word "everlasting" is the Hebrew "olam", and is used in Psalm 90:2 to show the eternal nature of Jehovah God.
Zechariah 11:12-13- Here is a prophecy where Jehovah is sold for thirty pieces of silver. This was the exact figure that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for, another fulfillment of prophecy in Christ Jesus.
Zechariah 12:10-This is perhaps one of the strongest indications in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be none other than Jehovah God Himself. Jehovah tells us: ".....and they shall look upon ME whom they have pierced." This was so troubling a verse for the WT Society that their New World Translation has completely altered the wording of this verse to water down the real meaning. Man, however, has not been given the authority to tamper with Scriptures he doesn't like!
Matthew 1:23- "...and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US."
Should that leave us with any question who Jesus is?
John 1:1-3- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, AND THE WORD WAS GOD. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."
This verse is such a powerful illustration of Christ's deity, and also the plural nature of the Godhead, that the NWT has translated this "the Word was a god." A thorough discussion of why this translation is incorrect is not possible in the space allotted here, but there are a number of excellent discussions on this subject. Almost any book dealing with the beliefs of JWs will contain some discussion of this, but for a thorough presentation, I recommend "Why You Should Believe In The Trinity", by Robert Bowman, Jr.
One reason this translation cannot be correct is because it, once again, presents the problem of having 2 Gods. The WT Society argues: "It is unreasonable to conclude that the Word is the same God as the God whom He is spoken of as being with." Without knowing it, they have finally defined the Trinity doctrine in accurate terms. This is the whole point of the Trinity....namely, more than one person making up the Godhead. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit can correctly be said to be
"with" one another, while each One can also separately be recognized as God! The Word was "with" God, namely the Father and the Spirit. The Word was also God Himself! Notice verse 2, where Jesus is said to have been with God "IN THE BEGINNING." He is eternal! Verse 3 says that Jesus is the Creator of ALL THINGS! Nothing was made without Him making it! How does that fit with the WT idea that the Word Himself was the first thing created by God? JW's say that there was a time that the Word was not, yet the Bible says He "was in the beginning with God." Who will you believe?
The WT claims that this should be rendered "the Word was a god" because there is no definite article "the" in the Greek. What they don't realize is that the definite article is not necessary in instances where the predicate of the sentence precedes the verb. Any Greek scholar will bear out this fact. The wording in the Greek of verse1 is "and God was the Word." Therefore the WT argument about the lack of a definite article is without merit.
They claim that "the definite article is nowhere used in reference to Jesus Christ." Well, that simply is not true. We will examine this further in a moment.
John 5:18- Jesus made Himself equal with God. Notice carefully that this is John's summary, not merely an accusation of the Jews.
John 8:58- Jesus clearly claims to be the "I Am", which was a name Jehovah used to describe Himself in Exodus 3:14. The Jews fully understood what Jesus was claiming, and that is the reason for them taking up stones to stone Him.
John 20:28-This is probably the most powerful witness to the full deity of Jesus Christ in the entire Word of God! After seeing the resurrected Christ, Thomas proclaimed: "My Lord and my God." The Greek reads like this: "The Lord of me and the God of me." Notice the definite article "the" used in reference to Jesus Christ? The Society's claim that the article is never used in reference to Jesus is absolutely false!
Any Christian discussing the Trinity with a JW should make sure and ask Him about this verse, for this is one passage he will have no legitimate answer for. He may respond by claiming that Thomas was merely showing surprise at seeing the resurrected Christ, and said this in a moment of shock, like we would say today, "Oh, my God!", when extremely surprised about something. Don't let the Witness get by with that ridiculous argument! If Thomas were merely expressing his surprise, then why didn't Jesus rebuke Thomas for taking God's name in vain? Instead, Jesus COMMENDS Thomas (v.29) for finally coming to believe that He was both Lord and God, and pronounces blessing upon those who would also come to believe the same thing! Ask the JW you are speaking with, if he/she were to go down to their local Kingdom Hall and tell their elders that, like Thomas, they had come to believe that Jesus was Lord and God, would the elders commend them for their faith, as Jesus did Thomas? Hardly! He would, instead, be disfellowshipped for heresy! We can be sure, because of the testimony of Thomas, that Jesus Christ is truly Lord and God!
Philippians 2:6-"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."
Colossians 1:16-17- "For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is BEFORE ALL THINGS, and by Him all things consist."
This passage clearly show Christ to be the eternal Creator. The NWT has inserted the word "other" in brackets 4 times in this passage to keep the verse from teaching that Jesus is the Creator of ALL things. The word "other" does NOT appear in the Greek, however. It was added by the WT Society.
1 Timothy 3:16- Discussed earlier, this verse tells us that "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
Titus 2:13- "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour,Jesus Christ."
Jesus is both God and Saviour, according to this passage.
Hebrews 1:8- Notice the Father speaking here. He says "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever."
Shouldn't the Father know whether or not the Son is God? I once had a discussion with a JW lady who told me she would consider believing in the Trinity if I could show her one place where the phrase "God the Son" appeared in the Bible. I asked her to turn to this verse, where the Father clearly addresses the Son as God. Needless to say, she still chose to reject the clear teaching of Scripture. When JWs deny the deity of Jesus Christ, they not only argue with Trinitarians, but also God the Father!
1 John 5:7- "For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:and these three are one."
I realize many, even in Christian circles believe this verse is not supported by the majority of manuscripts. However, I believe there is much evidence favoring this verse as part of inspired Scripture. A discussion on the various Bible Translations is too lengthy for this article, but suffice it to say that the best evidence favors the King James Bible as being the one God has chosen to preserve His Word. I would also like to say that if I didn't believe in the Trinity, I would want this verse removed too!
Revelation 1:8,11,17-18;2:8;and 22:13-16- The claims by Jesus Christ to be the "Alpha and the Omega, the begining and the ending, the First and the Last" are some of the most powerful proofs in the entire Bible on the Deity of Christ. For Christ to claim these titles can only mean one thing, that He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. Jehovah used these names to describe Himself in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12. In Isaiah 44:6, Jehovah God tells us: "I am the First, and I am the Last; and beside me there is no God." Again, in Isaiah 48:12 we are told "I am He; I am the First, I also am the Last."
Why would Jesus Christ take titles that belong only to Jehovah God, and apply those titles to Himself? This would be a rather odd thing to do, not to mention blasphemous, unless He Himself were Jehovah! JWs claim that Christ never claimed these titles for Himself in the book of Revelation, but that these passages refer only to Jehovah (the Father). Let's examine them to see if this claim is true. In Rev. 1:8, we see Jesus refer to Himself as... "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the ALMIGHTY".
JWs can claim this refers to the Father all they want to, but they must ignore verse 7 to do so. Verse 7 tells us that this person "cometh with clouds" and "was pierced". Another problem JWs have with verse 8 is that it calls Jesus "the Almighty". That is the reason they deny this is Jesus, even though the context makes it clear.
What about Rev. 1:17-18? We read: "Fear not; I am the First and the Last: I am He that liveth, AND WAS DEAD; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death".
Also in Rev. 2:8, we read: "These things saith the First and the Last, WHICH WAS DEAD, AND IS ALIVE;".
If the JWs don't want to admit that Jesus Christ is the First and the Last, then they must concede that there was a time when Jehovah was dead. And there was! It was when God the Son gave His life on Calvary's cross. No, the Father didn't die, nor did the Holy Ghost. But God the Son did! Do the Scriptures bear this out? Yes! Please read Acts 20:28- "Take heed therefore unto yourselves.....to feed the church of GOD, WHICH HE HATH PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD". If this doesn't prove that the One who died on the cross was God in the flesh, then nothing does!
JWs can either open their hearts to the truth of God's Word, or they can continue to follow the doctrines of men that they have been taught. But the Word of God is clear.
Finally, in Rev. 21:6-7, we read th following: "....I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End......He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I WILL BE HIS GOD, and he shall be my son". Yet, in the very next chapter of Revelation (chap.22), we read this in verses 12-13: "And, behold, I COME QUICKLY; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last". Verse 16 identifies this as Jesus Christ! Just how many "Alphas and Omegas, Firsts and Lasts, and Beginnings and Endings" are there? There can be only one, and that is God! Therefore, for Christ to claim these titles of Jehovah for Himself, can only mean that He Himself is God. I hope and pray that the eyes of Jehovah's Witnesses will be opened to this truth.
