the deity of jesus christ and the jehovah's witnesses' new world translation

8/6/2019 The Deity of Jesus Christ and the Jehovah's Witnesses' New World Translation

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The Deity of Christand the Jehovah's

Witnesses'New

World Translation

by Dave Sherrill

INTRODUCTION

This article presents some of the best

scriptural evidence of Christ's Deity as it

exists in the Jehovah's Witnesses'New

World Translation (NWT). Before reading

this article Jehovah's Witnesses may deny

that the NWT contains even a hint of

Christ's Deity. They are constantly

instructed by the Watchtower Society to

reject believing in Christ's Godhood. When

scriptural points are raised from other

translations, Jehovah's Witnesses always

have the excuse, "It's not translated

correctly in that Bible." When the same

questions are raised and answered from the

NWT they can no longer avoid the answers

with such ease. I sincerely hope you will

consider the questions raised in this study.

Theology

Reformation Theology

Systematics

Theo Links

Hardware

Greek

Pleasures of God

Software

9/2/2010 The Deity of Jesus Christ and the Jehov

http://www.jude3.net/JWDOC.HTM 1/


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If you are a Christian I want to emphasize

that this booklet is intended as a guide to

marking your own Bible. Use it to build a

cross reference system in the margins of

your Bible at the exact point specific

scriptures are used. Doing this will put the

benefits of this booklet to the best use. Itplaces the tools you need within immediate

reach when witnessing to Jehovah's

Witnesses.

I want to acknowledge those whose work

has gone before: Walter Martin, David

Reed, Lorri MacGregor, Ron Rhodes, John

Ankerberg, John Weldon, Kevin Quick,

Marian Bodine, and many others.

Most of all I want to thank the one who is

the subject of this study, even the Lord

Jesus Christ. I say to Him as Thomas did,

"My Lord and my God!"

Dave Sherrill

Sioux City, Iowa

2nd Edition, 1995

Note: verse references marked wtih a "*"

indicate a clear reference to Christ's Deity in

the NWT.

WHO IS GOD?

Jehovah

*De 6:4Jehovah our God is one Jehovah

*De 32:39 no gods with Jehovah

No Other "Gods"

*Is 44:6-8 besides me there is no God.

there is no Rock besides me.

*Is 43:10Before me there was no God

formed.




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*Is 45:5,22 with the exception of me

there is no God.

*Is 46:8-11 no other God, nor anyone

like me.

No Other "gods"

*De 32:39 no gods with Jehovah

*Ex 20:2-3 must not have any other gods

ALL OTHER GODS OR gods ARE

FALSE

Baal

*Judges 6:31Baal, God

Dagon

*Judges 16:23-24Dagon, god

Satan

*2 Cor 4:4 Satan, god

Herod

*Acts 12:21-23Herod, a god

ARE THERE MANY GODS OR

MANY gods?

*Ps 96:4-5 One True God by nature

*Gal 4:8 those who by nature are not

gods.

*1 Cor 8:4-5 One God in 8:4. 8:5 is

referring to idols who by nature are not

gods, as seen in Gal 4:8

This helps us understand that being

God is much more than a title or a

name. It is the very nature of the being

so described as God. God is God

because of who he is, not because

people call him God.

WHO IS LORD?




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God

*Ac 17:24 God, Lord of heaven and

earth

*Ep 4:5-6 One Lord... one God and

Father

*Ac 4:24 God... Sovereign Lord

*Ac 17:24 God... Lord of Heaven and

Earth

Jehovah

*De 10:17Jehovah is Lord of lords

*1Tim 6:15Jehovah is Lord of lords

Jesus

*1 Co 8:6 one Lord, Jesus Christ

*Jude 4 our only Owner and Lord, Jesus

Christ

*Ro 10:9Jesus is Lord*Rev 17:14, 19:16Jesus is King of Kings

and Lord of lords.

*Lk 2:11 there was born to you today a

Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This verse (Lk 2:11) shows that Jesus

was born Lord, not that he became Lord

later.

HOW MANY LORDS ARE THERE?

One Lord

*Ep 4:5-6 One Lord... one God and

Father

*1 Co 8:6 one Lord, Jesus Christ


Christ

WHO IS SAVIOR?

God

*Titus 1:3 Our Savior, God

*Titus 3:4 Our Savior, God

* 1 Tim 1:1 God, our Savior

*2 Sam 22:3 God my Savior

*Ps 7:10 God, a Savior

*Ps 17:7 God, o Savior




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*Ps 106:21 God their Savior

*Is 43:3 God your Savior

*Is 45:15 God of Israel, a Savior

*Lu 1:47 God my Savior

*1 Tim 2:3 our Savior, God

*1 Tim 4:10 God, who is a Savior

*Titus 2:10 our Savior, God

*Jude 25 the only God our Savior

Jehovah Alone

*Is 43:11I am Jehovah and besides me

there is no savior

*Is 45:21Jehovah alone is Savior

*Hos 13:4No savior but Jehovah

*Is 49:26I, Jehovah, am your Savior and

Repurchaser

*Is 60:16I, Jehovah, am your Savior and

Repurchaser

Jesus

*Php 3:20 we are eagerly waiting for a

savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

Titus 2:13 we wait for the happy hope

and glorious manifestation of the great

God and of [the] Savior of us, Jesus

Christ.

NWT introduces [the] into the previous

verse to obscure that Jesus is called

God there.

*Titus 1:4 God [the] Father and ChristJesus our Savior

*Titus 3:6Jesus Christ our Savior

2 Pet 1:1 our God and [the] Savior Jesus

Christ.

NWT adds [the] to the previous verse

to obscure the fact that Jesus is called

God there.

*John 4:42 the savior of the world

*Ac 5:31 Chief Agent and Savior

*Ac 13:23 a savior, Jesus

*Ep 5:23 a savior of [this] body*2 Tim 1:10 our Savior, Christ

*2 Pet 1:11 the everlasting kingdom of

our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

*2 Pet 2:20 the Lord and Savior Jesus

Christ

*2 Pet 3:2 Who is being spoken of here?

Jehovah or Jesus?

*2 Pet 3:18 our Lord and Savior Jesus

Christ

*1 John 4:14 the Father has sent forth his




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Son as Savior of the world

WHO IS OWNER AND LORD?

Jesus


Christ

*Ep 4:5-6 one Lord, one faith.Who is

the one Lord? Jehovah or Jesus?

WHO FORGIVES SINS?

God

*Mk 2:7 God alone can forgive sin

*Lk 5:21 God alone can forgive sin

Jesus

*Mk 2:5-7,10Jesus forgives sin

*Lk 5:24Jesus forgives sin

WHO PURCHASED CHURCH WITH

HIS OWN BLOOD?

God

Ac 20:28 Why is [Son] in brackets? How

can this be "understood" without being

in the Greek text explicitly?

SAVED BY FAITH IN WHO?

Jesus

*Ac 4:12 There is not another name

under heaven by which we must be

saved.Whose name is this?

*Ac 10:43 everyone putting faith in him

gets forgiveness of sins through his

name.Who is "him?"

*John 1:12 to them he gave authority to

become God's children, because they

were exercising faith in his name

*John 3:16 everyone exercising faith in




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Jehovah

*Rev 1:8Jehovah is the Alpha and

Omega, the Almighty

Jesus

*Rev 22:12-13 Alpha and Omega = first

and last. Who is this?

*Rev 22:16 Shows Jesus as speaking in

vs 12-13

*Rev 1:12-18 Who is the Son of man?

Jesus. What does he call himself? First

and Last. First and Last = Alpha and

Omega = the Almighty. Jesus is

Almighty God.

*Rev 22:12-13 Alpha and Omega is

"coming." Is Jehovah "coming?"

SHOULD WE BOW BEFORE

ANOTHER GOD OR god?

No

*Ex 34:14Don't prostrate before another

god.

Jesus

*Php 2:9-11 Knees bend at the name ofJesus

Father

*Ep 3:14 Knees bend before the Father

WHO RECEIVES WORSHIP?

God

Matt 4:10 Worship the Lord God only

Jesus

In all of these verses the NWT has

replaced the word "worship" with

"obeisance."

Matt 2:2,11Magi worship Christ

Matt 14:33Disciples worship Jesus

Matt 28:9 the Marys worship Jesus




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Matt 28:16-17 The eleven worship Jesus

John 9:38 The healed blind man

worshipped Jesus

Heb 1:6All angels worship Jesus

Rev 5:11-14Millions of angels worship

Jesus

People worshipped other people or

angels and were rebuked for it. See

Rev 19:10; 22:8-9; Ac 10:25

What is obeisance?

Watchtower defines it as follows, "used

to des ignate the custom of prostrating

oneself before a person..." (Reasoning,

p.215) Applying the Watchtower's own

definition of obeisance to the verses

describing people giving obeisance toJesus, we could say that they

"prostrated themselves before a god"

since Jesus is "a god" in Watchtower

theology. This is a clear and logical

conclusion to reach by following the

Watchtower's own definition of

obeisance and who they believe Jesus

is. Upon reaching this conclusion we

need to go immediately to the following

verse.

*Ex 34:14 For you must not prostrateyourself to another god, because

Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, he is a

jealous God.

While the Watchtower attempts to draw

the unwarranted conclusion that

"obeisance" to Jesus is somehow

different than worship, their own

definition of obeisance leads them into

clear and direct conflict with Ex 34:14.

Either Jesus is God or those renderingobeisance to him are guilty of

"prostrating themselves before another

god."

This refutes the Watchtower's claim

that "obeisance" to Jesus is ok

because it is not worship. The

Watchtower has inadvertently admitted

that worship is given to Jesus in the

Reasoning book p. 214. The question is

stated as follows, "Does the fact that




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worship is given to Je sus prove that he

is God?"

JESUS NAME IS EXALTED IN NEW

TESTAMENT

*Ma 18:20 where 2 or 3 are gathered

together in my name

*Lk 10:17 demons are made subject to us

by use of your name

*Ac 16:18I order you in the name of

Jesus Christ to come out of her

*Lk 24:47 on the basis of his name

repentance for forgiveness of sins would

be preached

*John 1:12 to them he gave authority to

become God's children, because they

were exercising faith in his name

*John 3:16 everyone exercising faith inhim

*Ac 10:43 everyone putting faith in him

gets forgiveness of sins through his name

*1 Jo 3:23 this is his commandment, that

we have faith in the name of his Son

Jesus Christ

*1 Jo 5:13you may know that you have

life everlasting, you who put your faith in

the name of the Son of God

*Ac 4:12 there is not another name

under heaven... by which we must besaved

*Jo 14:13-14, 26 whatever you ask in my

name, I will do it

*Ac 3:16 our faith in his name has made

this man strong

*Ac 4:7-10,30 healing and signs come in

the name of Jesus

*1 Co 1:2 with all who everywhere are

calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ

*Ep 1:21far above every name named*Php 2:9-11 the name that is above every

other name

*Ac 1:8you will be witnesses of me

WHO KNOWS MEN'S HEARTS?

Jehovah alone




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*Is 9:6Jesus is Mighty God

IS JESUS GOD?

In all but the last verse of the following

references the NWT mistranslates each

one.

Titus 2:13

Heb 1:8

Ps 45:6

2 Pe 1:1

1 Jo 5:20

*Is 9:6Mighty God

IS JESUS JEHOVAH?

*Ro 10:9-13 Publicly declare that Jesusis Lord and believe in your heart that he

was raised from the dead and you will be

saved.

*Ro 10:9 (Whose name are you calling

on for salvation?)

*Ro 10:10 With the mouth one makes

public declaration for salvation. (What

public declaration? That Jesus is Lord.)

*Ro 10:11None that rests his faith on

him will be disappointed. (Who is

"him?" He is the subject of verses 9and 10, Jesus.)

*Ro 10:12 One Lord, rich to those calling

on him. (On who? Vs 9 identifies that we

are to call on Jesus by name.)

*Ro 10:13 For "everyone who calls on

the name of Jehovah will be saved."

(Return to vs. 9 to see whose name

must be called on to be saved. It is

Jesus. What Paul was doing in vs 9-13

was clearly explaining that Jesus is God

based on OT verses about God (Joel2:32) applied directly to Jesus. Verse 9

and verse 13 are references to the

same profession that saves, precisely

that Jesus is Lord. Verse 13 is

identifying the same one to call on for

salvation that is named in verse 9.)

*Ep 1:21Jesus' name above every name

in this system and the system to come

*Ac 4:12 Salvation in Jesus' name alone

*Php 2:9Jesus' name above every other




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name

*Ex 34:12-15 Jehovah's command not to

prostrate before other gods. Note that

Jehovah condemns little "g" gods here.

If JWs were to bow before Jesus then

according to their theology they would

be bowing before a little "g" god. This

would violate Jehovah's command. But

Jehovah has said that at the name of

Jesus every knee will bend. (Php 2:9-

11) Would Jehovah command that

people bend their knees to Jesus when

he has expressly forbidden bowing

before other gods?

*Ep 3:14 compare with Php 2:9

*Is 45:22-24 for OT parallel of bowing

to the Father that Paul was quoting in

Php 2:9 and applying to Jesus in saying

that "every knee will bend down and

every tongue will swear". It is a direct

quote from the OT referring to Jehovah

and is applied clearly and directly to

Jesus. Paul definitely believed that

Jesus is Jehovah.

Zech 14:3-5 with Mat 25:31 and Ac

1:11-12 Who is returning with the holy

ones? Jesus or Jehovah?

Zech 14:5 with 1 Thess 3:13

IS JESUS ALMIGHTY?

*Heb 1:3He sustains all things by the

word of his power. Is this mighty or

almighty? Could anything less than "all

might" sustain "all things?"

*Rev 4:8Jehovah God, who was and is

and is to come, the Almighty.Who is

coming? Jehovah or Jesus?

*Rev 22:20 Jesus is coming as identified

in Rev 4:8. Jesus is Almighty God.

IS JESUS OMNIPRESENT?

*Mat 18:20 Where 2 or 3 are gathered

together in my name

*Mat 28:20I am with you all the days

until the conclusion of the system of

things




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DOES JESUS HAVE ALL

AUTHORITY?

*Ma 28:18 all means all

WHAT IS HEADSHIP?

*1 Co 11:3 Headship, not quality of

being. Is man a superior human in

quality compared to woman? No.

Therefore this verse cannot be teaching

that Christ is inferior to the Father if it

is not teaching that women are inferior

to men. If it is teaching that Christ is

inferior in quality to the Father, then

language demands that the same

inferiority of quality be applied to

women, and we know that it cannot be.

WHAT DOES FIRSTBORN MEAN?

*Co 1:15Jesus is firstborn of all

creation. Does this refer to order of

creation or to the headship of Christ?

The Greek word used is proto-tokos.

There is a different Greek word that

specifically means 'first created', proto-

tiktos.

*Ps 89:20-27 David was not born first.

Also, who was Joseph's firstborn? See

Ge 41:50-52, Ge 48:1-20, Ps 89:27, and

Jer 31:7-9

IS JESUS EQUAL TO JEHOVAH?

*1 Cor 15:28 This verse identifies achange in the Son's position relative to

the Father. What is the Son's position

before subjecting himself to the Father?

Equal to! This verse describes a change

in position. The Son "becomes subject"

to the Father. This means that at some

point he is not subject and he changes

position to "become subject." Note the

presence of "when" and "then" in the

verse.




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DOES JESUS SHARE JEHOVAH'S

GLORY?

*Is 6:1-5 with John 12:37-41 Isaiah's

vision of Jehovah's glory is applied by

John to Jesus in verse 41. He says

Isaiah saw his glory. Who did Johnmean by [his] and who did Isaiah see?

*Is 42:8 with John 17:5. Jehovah will not

share his glory yet Jesus has glory

alongside Jehovah

*John 12:45 Can any creature claim

this? No. Jesus is not like any created

being.

*Is 48:11 Jehovah will not give his glory

to anyone else.

IS JESUS THE EXACT

REPRESENTATION OF THE

FATHER?

*John 12:45He that beholds me beholds

him that sent me

*2 Co 4:4 Christ, who is the image of

God

*He 1:3 the exact representation of hisvery being

*John 8:19 if you knew me, you would

know my Father also

*John 12:44 he who puts faith in me

*John 14:7-9 know me, know my Father

also

Col 2:9 Theotes vs. Theiotes or

(Essence vs. Quality)

IS JESUS MASTER?

*Col 3:24 Slave for the Master, Christ

WHO IS THE STUMBLING STONE?

Jehovah




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*Is 8:13-14 Who? Jehovah.

Jesus

*1 Pe 2:6-8 Who? Jesus.

HOLY SPIRIT SENT IN WHOSE

NAME?

Father

*Lk 10:17 Father's name.

Jesus

*John 14:26 Jesus' name

WHO DO WE SERVE?

Jehovah alone

*Mat 4:10 Then Jesus said to him: "Go

away, Satan! For it is written, 'It is

Jehovah your God you must worship,

and it is to him alone you must render

sacred service.'"

God and Jesus

*Jam 1:1James, a slave of God and of

the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus

*Ro 1:1 Paul, a slave of Jesus

*2 Co 5:15Live for him who died for us

*Ga 1:10 Christ's slave

*Phil 1:1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of

Jesus*Co 3:24 slave for the Master, Christ

*Co 4:12Epaphras, a slave of Jesus

Christ

*Jude 1Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ

CHRIST'S HUMILIATION OR

EMPTYING OF HIMSELF TO

BECOME A MAN




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*Php 2:7 he emptied himself

*John 14:28 The Father is greater than I

am

*John 20:17I am ascending to my God

and your God

*Ac 17:30-31 he purposes to judge by a

man he has appointed

*1 Co 11:3 Is this quality of being? Is

man by nature superior to woman? Or is

this headship which does not imply any

innate superior quality of the one

holding the headship? Yes. See 1 Co

15:28.

WHO HAS WITNESSES?

Jehovah

*Is 43:10 "You are my witnesses" says

Jehovah

*Is 44:6-8you are my witnesses

Jesus

*Ac 1:8 You will be witnesses of me

*Ac 13:31 who are now his witnesses

Ac 8:35 Philip witnessed about Jesus

IS JESUS MICHAEL?

*Dan 10:13,21Michael, one of the

foremost princes

*Dan 12:1Michael will stand up

*Jude 9 when Michael had a difference

with the Devil he did not dare to bring a

judgment against him

*Lk 4:8Jesus rebukes satan

*Heb 1:6Let all God's angels worship

him*Php 2:9 the name that is above every

other name

*Heb 1:6 Jesus is above all angels. The

text does not say "all other angels." It

says all angels and shows that Jesus is

not included in that group. Thus he

cannot be Michael the Archangel.




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COME TOGETHER IN JESUS'

NAME

*Ma 18:20 where 2 or 3 are gathered in

my name

HEALING COMES IN JESUS' NAME

*Ac 4:7-10Healed a lame man by faith

in the name of Jesus

*Ac 3:16 his name, by [our] faith in his

name, has made this man strong

SIGNS COME IN JESUS' NAME

*Ac 4:30 signs and portents occur

through the name of your holy servantJesus

DEMONS ARE SUBJECT TO JESUS'

NAME

*Lk 10:17 the demons are made subject

to us by the use of your name

WHO ANSWERS PRAYER?

Father

*Jo 15:16 Father's name

Jesus

*John 14:13-14Jesus answers

*Lk 10:17Jesus' name*Ac 7:59-60 Stephen prayed to Jesus

IS CHRIST IN US?

John 15:4-5 NWT says 'in union with us'.

This is especially inconsistent seeing

that similar Greek construction 'in the

vine' doesn't have 'union with' inserted

into it.




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John 17:23,26 Why 'union with' added to

verse 23? In vs 26 same phrase of love

'in them' doesn't say 'in union with'.

Ro 8:9-10 God's spirit in you... Christ in

union with you. Vs. 9 shows the Spirit

"in you." Vs. 10 says Christ is "in

union with you." This obscures our deep

personal relationship with Christ, with

him living "in us." In vs. 9 "in you"

comes from Greek [en humin]. Vs.10

also says [en humin] but the NWT

chooses to obscure the issue by

translating it as "in union with." Why

the inconsistency?

2 Cor 13:5Jesus in us is the test of the

faith. Once again NWT has added

'union with.' More examples of addition

of 'union with': Ga 1:15-16, Ga 2:20

IS CHRIST'S SPIRIT EQUAL TO

GOD'S SPIRIT

*Ro 8:9 True Christians have God's

spirit and Christ's spirit dwelling in

them.

WHO RAISED JESUS?

God

*1 Thess 1:9-10 Whom he [God] raised

up from the dead

*Ac 2:24 God raised Jesus from the

dead.

Jesus

*Jo 2:19,21I will raise it up

WHO IS THE JUDGE OF MAN?

Jesus

*Jo 5:22-23Jesus

*2 Cor 5:10Jesus




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WHO IS LORD OF THE SABBATH?

Jesus

*Ma 12:8Jesus

JESUS' CLAIMS ABOUT HIMSELF

*Jo 5:18 The Jews understood Jesus

made himself equal with God.

*Jo 10:28-33 The Jews said "You make

yourself God."

*Jo 10:36 "I am God's Son" is a claim

to a unique relationship with God. Jews

considered it blasphemy because Jesus

was claiming to be God by saying this.

They wanted to stone him. There are

five reasons for stoning:

Spiritism Lev 20:27 Blasphemy Lev

24:10-23 False Prophecy Deut 13:5-

10 Stubborn son Deut 21:18-21

Adultery or rape Deut 22:21-24 Lev

20:10

JESUS AT BIRTH

Lord


Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Did

Jesus become Lord later or was he

Lord from birth?

Christ


Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Did

Jesus become the Christ at his baptismby John? This verse shows that Jesus

was born the Christ. Born today, who is

the Christ, not "who will become" the

Christ.


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