The Trinity

 

Cults often attack the Trinity doctrine. The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that only The Father is Jehovah, that Jesus Christ is a created angel, that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force, and that the Trinity is a pagan teaching and "Not a Bible teaching." (Reasoning From The Scriptures, p.405)

The Trinity is not a pagan doctrine as ancient pagans did not worship any trinity, they worshipped triads. A triad is three gods, while the Trinity is one God existing in three persons. The word Trinity is a combination of the word "trine," which means threefold or three times, and the suffix "-ity," which means state, character, or condition. The Trinity doctrine means that God is triune (1x1x1) and not triplex (1+1+1). (I John 5:7 KJV) Our English word person comes from the Latin word "persona," which is literally a face mask used by actors, and hence a person, character, etc. God is characterized by interior personal relationships. (Genesis 1:26-27; 11:6-8) One God eternally existing in three persons is one God and not three Gods. The terms Father, Son, and Holy Ghost each refer to an aspect of God's nature and activity in relation to man. (II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18,22; I Peter 1:2) Salvation is an example of this: As the Father, God originates salvation and made provision for salvation; as the Son, God paid the penalty for sin; as the Holy Ghost, God applies salvation.

Whether any of us completely understand or even accept a Bible truth does not determine if it is a Bible truth, and since God is our Creator and is so much higher we should not be surprised to find difficulties in understanding His nature. God reveals Himself to man through words, words in His Word. As the Spirit of God reveals truths to us through the Word of God He becomes more majestic to us, not simple. (Psalm 97:2)

Watchtower errors on this and other subjects can often be exposed by merely examining Watchtower proof texts, considering the relation of each passage to context and the whole Bible, and considering the meaning of words and grammar. (II Timothy 2:15)

The Deity of Christ

Jehovah’s Witnesses like to use I Corinthians 15:28 and similar passages to try to prove that Jesus Christ is inferior to the Father by virtue of His being subject. However, submission or subjection does not necessarily mean inferiority; it is often a form of love. A wife should submit to her husband because of love for God and her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18; I Corinthians 11:3) Jesus was subject to Mary and Joseph even though He is their Creator. (Luke 2:51; John 1:3)

John 14:28 is another favorite JW proof text. Note that He did not say the Father is better, He said the Father is "greater," a reference to position and not nature. Also note that the MAN Christ Jesus is mediator. (I Timothy 2:5; also consider John 5:19; Acts 2:29-33; Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:8,9; 10:12)

JWs will also refer to Revelation 3:14 which says that Jesus is "the beginning of the creation of God." The word beginning here is the rendering of the Greek word Arche, which means first cause, origin or source, and is where we get the English word "architect."

Watchtower literature often points to Bible passages which say that Jesus Christ is only-begotten. The word only-begotten is the rendering of the Greek word monogenes, which simply means the only one of a class or kind.

JWs also refer to Colossians 1:15 which says Jesus Christ is "the firstborn of every creature" to prove that He was a created angel before He was conceived in Mary's womb. The term firstborn means the legal heir and does not always mean the eldest. The nation of Israel was called firstborn even though there were many other nations already in existence before Israel was formed. Psalm 89:27 calls King David firstborn even though David was the youngest son in his family,

JWs will insist that Jesus Christ cannot be God and must be created because the Bible calls Him the Son of God. The term son is used in the Bible to denote or imply almost any kind of descent or succession, and the meaning of the word depends on the setting and context in which it is used. (Consider Exodus 2:10 and Hebrews 1:8) Son of God was a messianic title which signified the function of Deliverer. (E.g. Matthew 16:16) Note that the Devil tempted Christ by bringing against Him the popular Jewish conceptions of the Messiah. (Matthew 4:1-6)

Ask a JW to show any passage of Scripture which says that Jesus Christ was a created angel before He was an embryo in Mary's womb. His humanity originated in Mary's womb, but not His deity. (Micah 7:2; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:31-35; John 8:58; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 7:3; 10:5) Christ is God veiled in human flesh. (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-14; 10:30; 14:9-10; II Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; I Timothy 3:16)

JWs like to compare the unity of the Father and the Son to the unity of Christians. (John 8:28, 29; 10:30; 17:20-22; I Corinthians 1:10) But consider the context of I Corinthians 1:10; this was written because Christians, even believers who were members of the same congregation, were divided.

JWs also point to John 1:18 which says "No man hath seen God at any time," and people did see Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God as He is, only visions or materializations of God, but there have been those who have seen God manifest in the flesh. (John 4:24; 6:46; 14:9; Philippians 2:6-7; I Timothy 3:16)

In the New World Translation (the Watchtower Society's translation) John 1:1 says the Word was "a god." This is because the third stanza of the Greek text does not use the definite article, and it is therefore assumed that this must be translated indefinitely as "a god" or "divine." For John 1:1 to say that Jesus was a lesser form of deity the Greek word theios would have been used instead of Theos. In the 282 New Testament references to God without using the definite article with the word theos the New World Translation usually renders theos as "God," such as in Luke 20:38 and verses 6, 12, 13, and 18 of chapter one of John. Should we change John 1:18 to say: "No man hath seen a god at any time?" Why isn't the same rule applied to John 1:1 in the New World Translation also applied to the other New Testament passages where Theos is used without the definite article?

Watchtower publications say that only the Father is the one true God (Jehovah) based on John 17:3 and say that Jesus Christ is “a god” based on the New World Translation’s rendering of John 1:1. So is Jesus a true god or a false god? If Jesus is a true god how is it possible to reconcile this with John 17:3? If Jesus is a false god how is it possible to reconcile this with John 1:1?

If only the Father is God and Jesus is "a god," then how many "gods" do JWs have in their religion? (Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 44:8)

Jesus Christ is the true God. (I John 5:20; Jeremiah 10:10)

Jesus is called Mighty God. (Isaiah 9:6) Only Jehovah is God. (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6) Jehovah is called Mighty God. (Isaiah 10:20-21)

Jesus is Jehovah of Hosts. (Isaiah 8:13-14; I Peter 2:7-8)

Jesus is God the judge. (Ecclesiastes 12:14; I Corinthians 4:5; II Corinthians 5:10; II Timothy 4:1)

Whose manifestation and whose kingdom is referred to in II Timothy 4:1?

Whose glory did Isaiah see? (Isaiah 6:1; John 12:37-41)

Jesus is Jehovah, the first and the last. (Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:8, 17-18; 2:8; 22:13, 16)

Jesus is Jehovah, the light. (Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:19; I Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:3; 2:10,13; 3:4,6)

Jesus is Jehovah, the Shepherd. (Psalm 23:1; John 10:11)

Jesus is Jehovah, the Creator. (Isaiah 44:24; Psalm 102:24-27; Hebrews 1:8-12; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16,17)

Jesus is Jehovah, the King. (Psalm 24:10; Acts 17:7)

Who did Stephen pray to? (Acts 7:59-60)

For Whom did John the Baptist prepare the way? (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1-3; Luke 1:76; also compare Malachi 3:1 and Matthew 11:10)

The Deity of the Holy Spirit

If someone lies to the Holy Spirit he lies to God. How is it possible to lie to an impersonal force? If you lie you lie to a person. (Acts 5:3-4) The Holy Spirit speaks (Acts 13:2-4; I Timothy 4:1), hears (John 16:13), makes intercession (Romans 8:26), has intellect (Romans 8:27), makes decisions (Acts 15:28), grieves (Ephesians 4:30), and has a will (I Corinthians 12:11). These are characteristics of a personality.

The Holy Spirit is Jehovah. (Exodus 17:7; Hebrews 3:7-9) The Holy Spirit is Jehovah of Hosts. (Isaiah 6:3, 8-10; Acts 28:25-27) The Holy Spirit is Jehovah, Most High. (Psalm 78:17, 21; Acts 7:51) The Holy Spirit is Jehovah, Who promised the New Covenant. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 10:15-17)

 

Further reading:

WITNESSING TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES