Biblical Monotheism Examined - By Sam Shamoun

8/6/2019 Biblical Monotheism Examined - By Sam Shamoun

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BIBLICAL MONOTHEISM EXAMINED

TRINITARIAN OR HENOTHEISTIC IN NATURE?

From its inception, the Church has always affirmed a belief in the fact that there is only one true God,and that this one God is an infinite Tri-personal Being. Based on the inspired biblical record the

Church has both defended and declared its belief that the God of holy Scripture eternally exists asthree distinct, yet inseparable Persons or centers of consciousness, namely Father, Son, and HolySpirit.

The Church has also affirmed and defended the biblical teaching that the second Person of theGodhead took upon himself a human nature for the salvation of man and is now known as Jesus of

Nazareth. Hence, the orthodox and historical Christian position has been that the historical Jesus isone divine Person with two natures and two wills; perfect God and perfect humanity inseparably

united, not fused, in the one Person of Christ.

This belief is not without its detractors and the Church has been forced throughout the centuries todefine its beliefs as well as refute the heretical sects that have sprung forth to challenge and questionthe Church¶s understanding of biblical teaching. This aspect of the Church¶s teaching, the Trinity, isperhaps the most constantly attacked doctrine; calling for both precision and clarity in adequately

presenting the biblical evidence and the Church¶s explanation of the data.

One such group attacking the doctrine of the Trinity today is the Jehovah¶s Witnesses and the WatchTower Bible and Tract Society. This particular sect, founded in the late 19

thcentury by Charles Taze

Russell, proclaims that the God of Scripture, Jehovah, is not triune nor is Christ Jesus Jehovah butthe first and only direct creation of Jehovah. Their belief in Jesus is that he was God¶s first creationthrough whom he created all other things. Christ in both his pre-human existence and post-resurrection is actually the archangel Michael, the captain of the heavenly host of Jehovah. He is alsoviewed as a mighty god, but not the almighty God who is Jehovah.

Jehovah¶s Witnesses (from now on called JW) do believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired, inerrant,and infallible word of God and as such is viewed as the sole rule of faith in matters of doctrine andChristian living. Hence, all teaching must find support in God¶s holy Word, and if it does not originate

from the holy writings it is to be discarded completely.

JW¶s believe that the Trinity doctrine finds no biblical support and as such must be discardedcompletely since it is no more than a doctrine promoted by Satan to deceive people from the trueworship of Jehovah. Yet, amazingly in denying the Trinity the JW¶s have been forced to adopt apolytheistic interpretation of the Holy Bible in order to maintain the clear biblical teaching that in somesense Jesus is called God.

For instance, JW¶s believe that although Jehovah is the only true God there are other beings whichare also gods but in a lesser sense. These gods include Jesus, angels, the devil, and demons. Theonly difference is that only Jehovah is sovereign and is to be worshiped, with the rest deriving their

existence and power from him.

This belief is not monotheism, the belief in only one God, but henotheism, the belief in a host of

deities with only one who is to be worshiped.

In this study we will examine the biblical data and demonstrate that there is but one true God and thatthe others who are referred to as gods are not (using JW terminology) ³godlike ones´ in any sense.From there we will briefly examine the way Scripture calls Jesus God, whether it is to be understoodin the orthodox Trinitarian sense or in the henotheistic sense of JWs.

We will present the biblical evidence in a three point outline, illustrating the different ways the term



³God´ is used in the inspired writings:

1. True Gods

2. False Gods

3. Figurative Gods

In doing so, it will become apparently clear that the Bible knows of only one true God leaving no roomfor a henotheistic type of monotheism, which in itself is an oxymoron.

1. TRUE GODS

Both JWs and Trinitarians agree that Jehovah alone is the true God:

³For a long time Israel was without the true God , without a priest to teach and without the law.´ 2Chronicles 15:3 NIV

³But Jehovah is the true God ; he is the living God, the eternal King ...´ Jeremiah 10:10

³Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have

sent.´ John 17:3 NIV

³... They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God ́ 1 Thessalonians 1:9

NIV

³We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may knowhim who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his Son Jesus Christ. H e is the true God and

eternal life.´ 1 John 5:20 NIV

It would seem that these verses are sufficient in refuting any possibility of having gods in a lesser



sense, yet such is not the case. One JW writer indicates,

³The Greek word translated µtrue¶ (... alethinos) can have one of several meanings, depending on thecontext and usage of the author or speaker. According to BAGD, alethinos can mean: µgenuine, real... Of God in contrast to other gods, who are not real... true in the sense of the reality possessed only

by the archetype, not by its copies.¶ ³ (Greg Stafford, Jehov ah¶s Witnesses Defended-An Answer ToSchol ars And Critics [Huntington Beach, CA; Elihu Books, 1998], p. 196)

The author goes on to give examples where Jesus is called the true light (to phos to alethinon) inJohn 1:9, whereas in Matthew 5:14 Christ states that his disciples were ³the light of the world.´ Hence,the disciples were not false lights but reflectors of the one true light, Jesus Christ.

Or in another place where Jesus claims to be ³the true bread from heaven´ ( ton arton ek tou our anouton alethinon) in contrast to the manna God had given Israel in the desert for forty years (John 6:32-

33). This obviously cannot mean that the manna was fake, but a shadow or type of that which was tocome, namely Jesus Christ.

By citing these examples, Stafford hopes to prove the possibility that whereas Jehovah is the source

of divinity, the others are but copies which merely reflect the rays of the divine nature. (Ibid., pp. 197-200)

Unfortunately for Stafford, and the JWs for that matter, there are several problems with this logic.Firstly, Stafford overlooks the very lexicon he cites to prove his assertion. His citation from Bauer¶s A

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Test am

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ture, states preciselythat alethinos in relation to God is used to demonstrate that ³in contrast to other gods´, they ³are not real .´ Therefore, the only way for others to be called ³God´ is either figuratively or in a false sense.

Another major weakness in the argument is that it leaves JWs with a serious problem. In the Old

Testament, Jehovah is pictured as the Light:

³Jehov ah is my light and my salvation... ³ Psalm 27:1

³... for Jehov ah will be your everl asting Light ... Jehov ah will be your everl asting Light ...´ Isaiah 60:19-20

³... Though I sit in darkness, Jehov ah will be my light .´ Micah 7:8



If, as JWs assume, Jesus is not Jehovah this implies that Jehovah is not the true light but a copy of the true one. Using Stafford¶s reasoning, Jesus as the one true light is the one reality and source fromwhich others can only reflect, but never possess. Therefore, since Jesus is the true light and Jehovahis not Jesus, then Jehovah¶s light is not ³true in the sense of the reality only possessed by thearchetype alone,´ but one of its derivative copies. The only way to resolve this problem is to affirm thatJesus is Jehovah, since what is true of Jehovah is true of Jesus.

Finally, in the examples given where alethinos is used in reference to Jesus as the source and ´realitypossessed by the archetype alone´, the Scripture does not deny the possibility of persons or thingsbeing reflections of that reality. Yet, Scripture does emphatically state that no other so-called gods door can possess deity in any sense whatsoever. Hence, not only does the Bible positively affirm thatJehovah alone is the true God, but states this in the negative sense as well. This leads us to thesecond category.

2. FALSE GODS

³But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those who by NATURE are not gods.´Galatians 4:8 NKJV

Hence, to assert that Jehovah is the source while the others are copies cannot be substantiated in

light of just this passage alone.

³Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Y et they are not gods at all .) But my people have exchanged

their Glory for worthless idols.´ Jeremiah 2:11 NIV

³How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are not

gods...´ Jeremiah 5:7 NKJV

³Will a man make gods for himself, which are not gods?´ Jeremiah 16:20 NKJV

³See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I havewounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.´ Deuteronomy 32:39 NIV

³You are my witnesses,´ declares Jehovah, ³and my servant whom I have chosen so that you mayknow and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god w as for med, nor will there beone after me.´ Isaiah 43:10



³This is what Jehovah says-Israel¶s King and Redeemer, Jehovah Sabaoth: I am the first and I am theLast, a part from me there is no god ... Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this andforetell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God BESIDES me? NO , there is no other rock ; I know not one.´ Isaiah 44:6, 8

³I am Jehovah, and there is no other; a part from me there is no god . I will strengthen you, though youhave not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting man may knowthere is none besides me. I am Jehovah, and there is no other .´ Isaiah 45:5-6

³Declare what is to be, present it- let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, whodeclared it from the distant past? Was it not I, Jehovah? And there is no God a part from me, arighteous God and a Savior; There is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of theearth; for I am God, and there is no other .´ Isaiah 45:21-22

³Among the gods there is none like you, O Jehovah; no deeds can compare with yours« For you aregreat and do marvelous deeds; you ALONE are GOD.´ Psalm 86:8, 10

These passages make it difficult for anyone to believe that although Jehovah is the true God, thereare gods of a lesser kind since Scripture clearly states that no gods have ever been formed at all.

The typical JW response to these passages is that God is not denying the possibility of other godlikebeings, but is refuting the notion that the pagan idol gods of the nations are real. Therefore, to usethese verses to refute the belief in other divine beings is quoting out of the intended context to which

these statements were made.

Far from disproving our point, this fact actually reinforces it. Even though idols in and of themselvesare nothing there is an actual spiritual presence behind these images that Scripture clearly attacks:

³What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, thatthe things which the Gentiles sacrificed they sacrificed to demons and not to God, and I do not wantyou to have fellowship with demons.´ 1 Corinthians 10:19- 20 NKJV

³They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons w hic h are not G od - gods they had not known, gods that recently a ppeared ,gods your f athers did not fear .´ Deuteronomy 32:16-17 NIV

³They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their

daughters to demons.´ Psalm 106:36-37 NIV



Not only does Scripture attack idols, but also attacks demons that are behind these images as falsegods. Keeping in mind that demons are nothing more than fallen angels, serves to discredit anyattempts of attributing deity to angels in general. Thus, Stafford is simply wrong when he asserts that³The angels are not true gods, nor are they false gods; rather, they are µcopies¶ (derivative images) of the true God, and receive their authority and power from Him in order to carry out His word...´

(Stafford, J.W.D., p. 200)

They are neither true nor false, nor derivative copies but messengers created to do the will of God; nomore, no less. Which leads us to our third point.

3. FIGURATIVE GODS

So far we have seen that the term ³God´ is used to refer to both true Gods, of which there is only one,and of false gods. We have also established that the Bible views fallen angels, more commonlyreferred to as demons, as being wrongly addressed as gods since apart from Jehovah there are noother gods. Yet we are left with another way in which the Bible uses the term ³God´, namely in a

figurative sense. This is clearly demonstrated in the following citations:

³He (Aaron) will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your (Moses¶) mouth and as if you were God (elohi m) to him.´ Exodus 4:16 NIV

³Then the LORD said to Moses, µSee, I have made you like God (elohi m) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.´ Exodus 7:1 NIV

Moses is called God since he is acting on God¶s behalf as his spokesman and prophet, not that he

was divine in any sense.

³But if the servant declares, µI love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,¶then his master must take him before the judges (elohi m-gods). He shall take him to the door or thedoorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.´ Exodus 21:5-6 NIV

³If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges (Heb. Elohi m/ gods) to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor¶s goods.´ Exodus 22:8 NKJV

³God (Elohi m) stands in the congregation of God (El ); he judges among the gods (elohi m). How longwill you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?« I said, µY ou are gods, and all of you are



children of the most H igh. But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes¶.´ Psalm 82:1-2,6-7

These passages call Israelite judges gods, even though they are mere men, since they execute God¶s

judgment having the power to proclaim life and death.

Further evidence that Moses and the Israelite judges are called gods simply in a figurative can beseen from the following citations:

³On the day the LORD gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage, you will take up

this taunt ag ainst the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury hasended!« µHow you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been castdown to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, µI will ascend toheaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of

assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of theclouds; I will make myself like the Most High.¶ But you are brought down to the grave, to thedepths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: µIs this the man who shookthe earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its citiesand would not let his captives go home?¶ All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with thosepierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot,you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspringof the wicked will never be mentioned again. Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities. I will rise upagainst them,¶ declares the LORD Almighty. I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants,¶ declares the LORD.´ Isaiah 14:3-4, 12-22 NIV

³The word of the LORD came to me: µSon of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ³This is what the SovereignLORD says: µIn the pride of your heart you say, ³I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in theheart of the seas.´ BUT YOU ARE A MAN AND NOT A GOD , though you think you are as wise as agod. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? By your wisdom and understandingyou have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your greatskill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grownproud.¶´ Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ³Because you think you are wise, as wiseas a god, I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. They will bring you downto the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. Will you then say, µI am a god,¶ inthe presence of those who kill you? You will be BUT A MAN, NOT A GOD, in the hands of

those who slay you. You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I havespoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.´¶´ Ezekiel 28:1-10 NIV

Both the king of Babylon and the king of Tyre believed that they were gods and could be like the MostHigh, a belief that was detestable in the eyes of the true God. Therefore, the only way for any man tobe a god is either figuratively or falsely.

Other references to gods include:



³« And let all the gods worship him.´ Deuteronomy 32:43 Dead Sea Scrolls

³ ... Worship him, all you gods.´ Psalm 97:7b NKJV

Both the Greek Old Testament Septuagint (LXX) and the book of Hebrews understood thesepassages as referring to angels:

³But when He again brings His firstborn into the world, He says: µLet all the angels of God worshipHim.¶ ³ Hebrews 1:6 NKJV

The context of both these passages which the author of Hebrews alludes to refers to idols, and henceto the demonic angels behind them:

³They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger.They sacrificed to demons, not God; to gods they did not know , to new gods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear.´ Deuteronomy 32:16-17 NKJV

³Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols. Worship him, all you gods.´

Psalm 97:7 NKJV

Therefore, even if it were angels that were being addressed they cannot be deities in any sense sinceboth demons and angelic messengers are classified in the same category of gods; which Scripture

indicates are neither true nor copies of the true.

Yet it seems that the author of Hebrews¶ whole point is not to classify these particular angels as falsegods, since elsewhere he views them as God¶s servants:

³And of the angels He says: µWho makes His angels spirits and H is ministers a flame of fire.¶´Hebrews 1:7 NKJV

Hence, it seems likely that angels are being referred figuratively as gods in the same sense thatMoses and the Israelite judges are viewed as gods, i.e. God¶s servants speaking on his behalf andfaithfully doing his will:



³Now I, John, saw and heard theses things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship beforethe feet of the angel who showed theses things. Then he said to me, µSee that you do not do that.F or I am your fellow serv ant , and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of thisbook . Worship God.¶ ³ Revelation 22:8-9 NKJV

Two more possible references to angels as gods include:

³I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the µgods¶ I will sing your praise.´ Psalm 138:1NIV

³You made him little lower than God (elohi m) and crowned him with glory and honor.´ Psalm 8:5

Both the LXX and the NT understood the elohi m of Psalm 8:5 to be referring to angels:

³You made him a little lower than the angels...´ Hebrews 2:7 NIV

Yet some scholars are of the opinion that Psalms 8:5 is actually referring to God who in his love mademan a little lower than him positionally, allowing man to rule over all of his earthly creation. This isderived from the fact that this particular Psalm seems to be echoing Genesis¶ description of manbeing made in God¶s image and likeness, crowning him with greater honor than all of God¶s creatures.

(Cf. Genesis 1:26-30)

The only problem with this interpretation is that it seems to neglect the inspired New Testament viewthat angels, not God, are being contrasted here with man in general, and with Jesus Christ as the Sonof Man in particular. (Cf. Hebrews 2:5-18)

It seems more likely that this is another time where angels are being addressed figuratively as gods.

Another line of evidence used by JWs to support the view that angels are actually ³godlike ones,´ isthe Old Testament usage of the phrase ³sons of God´ in relation to angelic beings:

³When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,the sons of God (Heb.- beney Elohi m) saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of



them they chose ... The Nephilim were on the earth in those days- and also afterward- when the sonsof God went to the daughters of men and had children by them.´ Genesis 6:1-2, 4 NIV

³One day the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan also came with

them.´ Job 1:6 (Cf. Job 2:1)

³... while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?´ Job 38:7

Greg Stafford reasons:

³Further evidence that the angels were considered µgods¶ or µdivine beings¶ is found in the use of theHebrew for µsons of.¶ In the Hebrew Bible, when we read of the µsons of¶ someone or some group of people, they are typically seen as members of the group or class of whom they are µsons.¶ For example, in 1 Kings 20:35 the µsons of the prophets¶ are µprophets,¶ and in Nehemiah 12:28 the µsonsof the singers¶ are µsingers.¶ Commenting on this use of son Gesenius tells us: µThere is another useof... [ben, µson¶] or... [beney , µsons¶] to denote membership in a guild or society (or of a tribe, and any

definite class).

³Thus... [beney elohi m, µsons of God¶]... [beney ha-elohi m, µsons of (the) God¶] Gn 6:2, 4, Jb 1:6, 2:1,38:7... properly means not sons of god(s) but being of the class of... [elohi m].¶ Gerald Cookeconcludes that µthe ³sons of God(s)´ are to be understood without question as lesser divine beings.¶ ³(Stafford, J.W.D., p. 190)

Thus, Stafford¶s reasoning is that the term ³sons of God´ must mean that angels are divine beingssince this is the way Scripture uses the phrase ³sons of´; to refer to membership or participation in aparticular class. What Stafford failed to note is that although the phrase is used at times to denote

participation in a given class, it is not always used in this sense. The following citations will help clarifythis point:

³As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city, sons of Beli al , surrounded thehouse... ³ Judges 19:22

³The sons of Eli were sons of Beli al , having no regard for Jehovah.´ 1 Samuel 1:12

According to the New Testament, Belial or Baal is another name for Satan. (Cf. Matthew 12:24-27; 2

Corinthians 6:15)



If Stafford¶s logic is correct we are then forced to believe that these individuals were also literal devils,albeit in a lesser sense, being copies of the archetype.

The Israelites are also addressed as the sons or children of God:

³You are the children (beney ) of the LORD your God .´ Deuteronomy 14:1 NIV

³Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In theplace where it was said to them, µYou are not my people,¶ they will be called µ sons of the living God .¶ ³Hosea 1:10 NIV

Are we therefore to assume that the Israelites were also ³godlike ones´ since they too are addressedas the beney Y HVH , or beney El ?

Both JWs and Trinitarians believe that the author of the Old and New Testaments is One, namelyGod¶s Holy Spirit, even though JWs view this Spirit as an impersonal force. (Cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2Peter 1:20-21) This would imply that the biblical understanding of sonship, as defined by Stafford,must be interpreted the same way for both sections of Scripture since we would expect consistency inGod¶s usage of biblical terminology.

This presumably being the case, JWs face further difficulties since Adam is another one who is

addressed as God¶s son:

³... the son of Adam, the son of God .´ Luke 3:38 NIV

If we were to translate this back into Hebrew we would get, ³Adam ben Elohi m.´ Hence, using thelogic of JWs we would be forced to understand that the Bible teaches that Adam was another ³godlikeone.´

A final problem with Stafford¶s position is that it views the sons of God in Genesis 6, who according tomany biblical scholars and JWs are fallen angels (i.e. demons), as lesser divine beings. For instance,the JW book, Aid to Bible Underst anding , defends the view that the sons of God in Genesis 6 are

angels by stating:

³The identification of the µsons of the true God¶ at Genesis 6:2-4 with angelic creatures is objected toby those holding the previously mentioned view (author- namely that Gen. 6:2-4 refers to the godly



seed of Seth as opposed to Cain¶ s corrupt seed) because they say the context relates entirely tohuman wickedness. This objection is not valid, however, since the wrongful interjection of spiritcreatures in human affairs most certainly could contribute to or accelerate the growth of humanwickedness... The mention of a mixing into human affairs by angelic sons of God could reasonablyappear in the Genesis account precisely because of its explaining to a considerable degree thegravity of the situation that had developed on earth prior to the Flood...

Supporting this are the apostle Peter¶s references to µthe spirits in prison, who had once beendisobedient when the patience of God was waiting in Noah¶s days¶ (1 Pet. 3:19, 20), and to theµangels that sinned¶ mentioned in connection with the µancient world¶ of Noah¶s time (2 Pet. 2:4, 5), aswell as Jude¶s statement concerning µthe angels that did not keep their original position but forsooktheir own proper dwelling place.¶ (Jude 6) If it is denied that the µsons of the true God¶ of Genesis 6:2-4 were spirit creatures, then these statements by the Christian writers become enigmatic, with nothingto explain the manner in which this angelic disobedience took place, or its actual relation to Noah¶stime... There seems to be no valid reason then, for doubting that the µsons of God¶ of Genesis 6:2-4were angelic sons...¶´ (Aid to Bible Understanding , 1971 ed., pp. 1527-1528 emphasis ours)

In fact, the publication goes on to identify these angels as demons:

³Demon. An invisible wicked spirit creature, sometimes called a µfallen angel,¶ having superhumanpowers... In Noah¶s day these disobedient angels materialized, married woman, fathered ahybrid generation known as Nephilim... and dematerialized when the flood came. (Gen 6:1 -4)...´(Ibid, pp. 441-442 emphasis ours)

In light of the earlier citations, these beings could in no way be gods since the Bible denies thepossibility of fallen angels-demons from ever being partakers of Deity. With this point in mind, thephrase ³sons of God´ when used of angels presumably means that since they derive their existencefrom God, God is then viewed as their Father in that he is their Creator. This interpretation bears out

in light of Malachi 2:10:

³Have we not all one F ather ? Did not ONE GOD create us?...´

Since God created us, he is our Father and we are his offspring. Paul quotes Greek poets who had

this same idea in mind, namely that since we exist because of God we are therefore his children:

³¶For in him we live and move and have our being.¶ As some of your own poets have said, µWe are hisoffspring.¶´ Acts 17:28

The phrase could also be referring to the fact that angels are immortal heavenly beings, as opposedto man who is earthly and prone to corruption and decay.



In light of the biblical data we are left to conclude that Stafford¶s position is simply indefensible.

The final place where Scripture calls someone ³god´ is 2 Corinthians 4:4:

³The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the

gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.´ NIV

The god of this age is the Devil who is called both ³the prince of this world´ and ³the prince of thepower of the air,´ being, ³the spirit at work in the children of disobedience.´ (Cf. John 12:31;Ephesians 2:2)

In light of the previous biblical quotations, this cannot mean that Satan is an actual god since all of God¶s fallen angels are viewed as false deities. This includes Satan as well since he also is a fallenangel, being a former cherub of God named Halel (Latin- Lucifer ; Cf. Isaiah14:12-20; Ezekiel 28:11-19)

This being the case we may presume that Satan is called god in the sense that in this corrupt agewhere all men are enslaved by sin he is seen as its master, being the author of evil. Therefore he isthe god of this sinful world since all are under his control. As such man is in need of Christ to breakthis satanic bondage. In fact, the Holy Bible states that Jesus¶ whole purpose in coming was todestroy the works of the devil and set men free from sin and death. (Cf. Luke 4:5-6; Jn. 8:34-36,16:33; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8)

With this just said, we are still not finished since there is one final issue that needs to be addressed.

JESUS: WHAT KIND OF GOD IS HE?

After examining all the relevant passages in determining the precise biblical manner in which the termGod is used, we are still left to answer in just what sense is Jesus called God? The biblical evidenceleaves us with just three possibilities, namely Jesus is the true God, a false god, or god in a figurative

sense.

Both JWs and Trinitarians agree that Jesus is neither a false god nor is he god simply in a figurativesense. The only category left is that of true gods, and yet JWs cannot possibly embrace this fact. Thisis due to what we had noted earlier that to JWs Jesus is not the true God Jehovah, but Jehovah¶sfirst-created Son, Michael. That is why JWs like Stafford must argue for another class of gods that areneither true or false, but derivative copies of the true; allowing for Jesus to be Jehovah¶s premiere

copy and image in relation to other derivative images.



It is our understanding that the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is not a lesser god but the true God,Jehovah. The biblical data also teaches that there are more than one person who are addressed asthe one true God, namely the Father and the Holy Spirit. (Cf. John 17:3; Acts 5:3, 4) Yet, they are notthree Gods but only one true God. (Cf. Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20)

It is precisely these biblical factors that drove the early Church to formulate its belief that God is oneinfinite personal Being, and that there are three Persons who make up the personality of the one trueGod.

This being the case, we would expect to find in the Bible qualities and titles of Jehovah applied toJesus. Qualities such as immutability, eternality, creatorship should be true of Jesus if indeed theBible teaches that Christ is truly God. We would also expect to find verses where Jesus is clearlyreferred to as God, as well as receiving the worship due only to God. If all these factors are presentwithin the inspired writings, we must therefore come to the conclusion that Jesus is Jehovah.

IMMUTABLE

JEHOVAH

³In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will changethem and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end .´ Psalm

102: 25-27 NIV

JESUS

³But about the Son he says.... µIn the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and theheavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like agarment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain thesame, and your years will never end .¶´ Hebrews 1:8, 10-12 NIV

The astonishing fact about this passage is that the author not only attributes an Old Testament

passage of Jehovah to Jesus, but ascribes to Christ both the very same divine function of creationand quality of immutability.

³Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.´ Hebrews 13:8 NIV

ETERNAL



JEHOVAH

³... from everl asting (Ol am) to everl asting (Ol am) you are God.´ Psalm 90:2

³ Art thou not from everl asting (Ol am), O LORD my God, mine H oly One? we shall not die...´

Habakkuk 1:12 KJV

JESUS

³But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will comefor me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from everl asting (Ol am). Micah5:2 (Cf. Matthew 2:1-6)

³In the beginning w as (en) the Word, and the Word w as with God (ton theon, ³the God´), and theWord w as God (theos, ³God´)« The Word bec ame (egeneto) flesh and dwelt among us. We have

seen his glory, the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.´ John 1:1, 14

The Greek phrase en is the imperfect tense of the verb ei mi , denoting continuous past action or existence. John is affirming that Jesus as the Word was already existing before the creation of time,

since time itself is created. This is brought out more clearly in John 1:3:

³Through him all things were made; without hi m nothing w as made that has been made.´ NIV

Seeing that time would fall under the category of ³things´ is a clear indication that time itself is part of

that which came to exist through Christ. This point is affirmed elsewhere in the NT:

³in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whomalso He made the world (aionas, lit. the ages).´ Hebrews 1:2

According to the Lexic al Aids to the New Test ament , compiled and edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D.,The Greek word aionas is derived from:

165. Aion; age, refers to an age or time in contr. to kosmos (2889), referring to people or space.Derived from aei (104), always, and on, being. Denotes duration or continuance of time , but withgreat variety. (1) Both in the sing. or pl. it signifies eternity whether past or to come (Mt. 6:13; Mk.3:29; Lk. 1:55; Jn. 4:14; 6:51; Acts 15:18; Eph. 3:11, etc.); for ages, of ages (Rev. 1:6,18; 5:14; 10:6;



14:11; 15:7; 20:10). (2) The duration of this world (Mt. 28:20; Jn. 9:32; Acts 3:21); since the beginningof the world (Mt. 13:39, etc.). (3) Pl. hoi aiones, the ages of the world (1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26).(4) H o aion houtos, this age, generation (Lk. 16:8; 20:34, cf. Mt. 13:22; 1 Cor. 1:20; 2:6; Gal. 1:4; Eph.2:2; 1 Tim. 6:17; 11 Tim. 4:10; Tit. 2:12). (5) H o aion ho erchomenos, the age, the coming one,meaning the next life (Mk. 10:30; Lk. 18:30, cf. Lk. 20:35) (6) An age or dispensation of providence(Mt. 24:3, cf. Mt. 12:32; 1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 1:2; 6:5; 9:26). (7) Aiones, ages, in Heb. 11:3 refers to thegreat occurrences which took place in the universe. Aion primarily has physical meaning (time) but

also ethical. Signifies time, short or long in its unbr oken duration, all of which exists in theworld under conditions of time , ethically, the cause and current of this world's affairs. It hasacquired, like kosmos (2889), an unfavorable meaning (Lk. 16:8; 20:34; Eph. 2:2; Gal. 1:4). (New

Americ an St and ard Bible H ebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible [AMG Publishers; Chattanooga, TN1990], p. 1801)

Strong's gives the following definitions:

Number: 165

ahee-ohn' Noun Masculine

Definition

1.for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity2.the worlds, universe3. period of ti me, age

NAS Word Usage - Total: 95

age 20, ages 6, ancient time 1, beginning of time 1, course 1, eternal 2, eternity 1, ever* 2, forever 27, forever and ever 20, forevermore 2, long ago 1, never* 1, old 1, time 1, world 7, worlds 1

Hence, a plausible interpretation of Hebrews 1:3 is that God created both the universe along with timethrough the agency of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The NT provides additional evidence for thisunderstanding:

³Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledgeof the truth that leads to godliness - a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, whichGod, who does not lie, promised before t he beginning of time ( pro c hronon aionion ), and at hisappointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command

of God our Savior,´ Titus 1:1-3 NIV

According to Titus 1:1-3 God had promised before the beginning of time that the elect would receiveeternal life. This affirms that time was created. It also implies that there was more than one personexisting in eternity. The making of a promise points to a subject and an object. There had to havebeen an object to God¶s promise that the elect would be given eternal life. Paul identifies the object of God¶s promise:



³who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before t he beginning of time ( pro c hronon aionion ), but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior , Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through thegospel.´ 2 Timothy 1:9-10 NIV

Grimm-Thayer¶s Greek Lexicon states:

³« without beginning: chronois aioniois, Rom. xvi 25; pros chronon aionion, 2 Tim. i. 9; Tit. i. 2«´

The fact that Christ appeared to usher in God¶s eternal promise of eternal life and immortality implieshis preexistence. The fact that God¶s eternal promise also demands an object to receive such a

promise implies that the Lord Jesus preceded time and is therefore eternal.

John 1:3 also affirms that there is absolutely nothing that did not come into existence without theagency of Christ. This clearly refutes the JW attempt of positing the Lord Jesus within the category of creation. John explicitly places Jesus in the category of Creator.

In contrast to this, John uses the term egeneto in relation to the Word becoming flesh. This term is anaorist tense implying a point of origin. Thus, whereas the Word was always in existence he was notalways flesh, but became man at a specific point in time.

That John¶s whole point is to affirm Jesus¶ eternal pre-existence is clearly seen in his first epistle:

³That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, whichwe have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The lifeappeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the

Father and has appeared to us.´ 1 Jn. 1:1-2 NIV

Hence, in the apostle¶s mind Jesus was not a lesser god created by Jehovah but the eternal God,sharing the same divine essence equally with the Father with whom he was. (Cf. John 1:14, 18)

A further illustration of the eternality of Christ Jesus is derived from the following:



³For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning fromthe slaughter of the kings and blessed him and to whom Abraham apportioned a tenth from all things,is first of all, by translation, ³King of Righteousness,´ and is then also king of Salem, that is ³King of Peace.´ In being fatherless, motherless, without genealogy, having neit her a beginning of daysnor end of life, but having been made like (Gr.- a phomoiomenos) like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.´ Hebrews 7:1-3 NWT

The author of Hebrews builds upon the mysterious qualities of Melchizedek and ties it in with Christ.(Cf. Genesis 14:17-20) Melchizedek is pictured as an eternal figure having no recorded birth, death

or human descent.

These points have been deliberately omitted in order that Melchizedek would be made an OldTestament type of Christ. The Greek term a phomoiomenes comes from a phomoioo. According tothe Theologic al Dictionary of the New Test ament,

Aphomoioo. This verb means ³to copy´, rarely ³to compare,´ and in the passive ³to be or become like´or ³make oneself out to be like.´ The only NT instance is in Heb. 7:3, which says that Melchizedek ³islike´ the Son of God. The point may be that the Son of God is the prototype, or that the OT text istaken to be a Messianic prophecy, i.e., a sign that points forw ard to Christ. (Gerhard Kittel & GerhardFriedrich ed., Abridged in one volume by George W. Bromley [Grand Rapids, Mi., Eerdmans, 1985],p. 684 emphasis ours)

Melchizedek typifies Jesus in that he is made to resemble the eternal aspect of Christ¶s being, a mereshadow of the One who was to come. Jesus is the reality of what was only typified in Melchizedek.The point that Hebrews is establishing is that Jesus is an eternal being, having no beginning andending, and continues on as an eternal priest.

The NIV Study Bible, compiled by the world¶s leading biblical scholars, notes:

³... contrary to the practice elsewhere in the early chapters of Genesis, does not mentionMelchizedek¶s parentage and children, or his birth and death. That he was a real, historical figure isclear, but the author of Hebrews (in accordance with Jewish interpretation) uses the silence of Scripture about Melchizedek¶s genealogy to portray him as a prefiguration of Christ. Melchizedek¶s

priesthood antiquates Christ¶s eternal existence and his unending priesthood...́

W.E. Vine indicates,

³He was made µlike unto the Son of God,¶ and the similarity lay in this, that he had µneither beginning of d ays nor end of life.¶ Accordingly it was as the Son of God that Christ w as without beginning of d ays. H is Sonship w as therefore unoriginated and eternal.́ (Vine, The Divine Sonship of Christ [rp.



Minneapolis; Klock & Klock, 1984], pt. 2, pp. 16-17 emphasis ours)

George W. Zeller & Ronald Showers conclude:

³The strong testimony that this verse presents for the eternal Sonship of Christ must not be missed.The blessed Spirit of God guided the pen of Moses in such a way that the biography of Melchizedeksays nothing about his parents or his birth or his age or his death. These deliber ate omissions werefor the purpose of presenting Melchizedek as a type of the Son of God... As the µSon of God¶ He waswithout father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of d ays, nor end of life.¶ ́(Zeller & Showers, The Eternal Sonship of Christ - A Ti mely Defense of this V it al Doctrine [LoizeuxBrothers, Inc.; 1993 by George Zeller], p. 48 emphasis ours)

The final witness to the eternal nature of Christ includes:

³Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to savesinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worstof sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who wouldbelieve on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God ,

be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.´ 1 Timothy 1:15-17 NIV

The only referent within the context is the Lord Jesus Christ. The passage not only claims that Christis both eternal and immortal but also calls the Lord Jesus the only God. Interestingly, the JW book Aid

to Bible Underst anding actually applies 1 Timothy 6:15-16 to the Lord Jesus:

JEHOVAH AND JESUS CHRIST

Jehovah is the ³happy God´ and his Son Jesus Christ is called ³the happy and only Potentate´

(1 Tim. 1:11; 6:15)« (Ibid., p. 711)

Let us look at the manner in which the NWT renders 1 Timothy 6:15, also including vv. 13, 14 and 16

for the context: ³In the sight of God who preserves all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who as a witness made thefine public declaration before Pontius Pilate, I give you orders that you observe the commandment ina spotless and irreprehensible way until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ. This[manifestation] the happy and only Potentate will show in its own appointed times, [he] the Kingof those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords, the one ALONE havingimmortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom not one of men has seen or can see.



To him be the honor and might everlasting. Amen.´

According to the Watchtower, it is the Lord Jesus who alone possesses immortality, who exists as theonly Potentate or Ruler, being sovereign over all authorities and who also dwells in unapproachablelight that no one can ever see. Either the JW must now deny the absolute sovereignty and immortality

of the Father since it is Jesus alone who is sovereign and immortal. Or the JW must come toconclusion that the one true, eternal, immortal, invisible and supreme God of all creation exists inmore than one person.

In light of the clear biblical witness to the eternal person of Christ the JW assertion that Jesus is thefirst of God¶s creation cannot be sustained.

CREATOR

JEHOVAH

³In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.´ Genesis 1:1

³You alone are Jehovah. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. Y ou give life to everything , and themultitudes of heaven worship you.´ Nehemiah 9:6

³This is what Jehovah says- your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am Jehovah, who has

made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself .´ Is. 44:24

JESUS

³Through hi m all things were made. And without hi m nothing w as made that has been made. In hi m

w as life, and that life w as the light of men.´ Johnn 1:3-4 NIV

³He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. F or by hi m all things were created ,things in heaven and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and F OR him. He is BE F ORE all things, and in hi m all

things consist .´ Colossians 1:15-16 NIV

³... but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things,through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of the Father and the exactrepresentation of his being, sust aining all things by his powerful word .´ Hebrews 1:2-3 NIV



³ All that belongs to the F ather is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine andmake it known to you.´ John 16:15 NIV

³All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them´ John 17:10

NIV

³But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and

through whom he made the universe.´ Hebrews 1:2 NIV

Hence, Jesus is called firstborn due to the fact that he is preeminent over all things and the heir of creation. Therefore, a legitimate way of paraphrasing the thought behind the phrase ³firstborn of allcreation´, is to say that Jesus is ³the heir of all creation.´ Colossians 1:15 has nothing to do with him

being created, since the context clearly presents Jesus as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

The second argument relates to Isaiah 44:24's declaration that Jehovah alone created all things.Trying to establish the fact that Jesus as the created Wisdom of God in Proverbs 8:22-31 was the Agent through whom Jehovah made everything, Stafford reasons,

³Also, in Isaiah 44:24 Jehovah is revealing the absurdity of worshiping idols, as they are µall of theman unreality¶ (Is. 44:9; see also verses 8-17), while He is the True God, the Creator, µwho stretchingout the heavens by myself, laying out the earth. Who was with me?¶ (verse 24) This statement is not

to be taken as contradictory to the teaching of Prov. 8:25-27: µBefore the mountains had beenshaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I w as there (RSV, emphasis added) Therewas someone with God when He founded the earth, bu t not an idol god of t he nations . Isaiah 44:24does not in any way conflict with the biblical teaching that God¶s µWisdom,¶ His Son, was with Him

when He µstretched out the heavens.¶ Why, even the angels were present at that time and µshouted inapplause¶! (Job 38:7) Jehovah alone created all things through the agency of the Logos, His µmaster

worker.¶´ (Stafford, J.W.D., p. 172; bold emphasis ours)

Stafford is well aware that to say Jesus created the universe would contradict the clear statement of Isaiah that it was Jehovah by himself who made the heavens and earth; otherwise Stafford would beforced to admit that Jesus is Jehovah.

To avoid this, Stafford must argue that the verse is not denying that some other being was there toassist Jehovah in creation, but that no idols were there. Therefore, he must interpret the passage as

saying that in relation to idols Jehovah was alone.



Unfortunately for Stafford, his reasoning cannot be sustained in light of Job 9:8-9:

³... who alone stretches out the heavens, and tramples down the waves of the sea; who makes theBear, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south... ³ NASB

Job echoes Isaiah without the context of idols, reaffirming that it is Jehovah alone who stretches outthe heavens. Hence, we are still left with the fact that if Jehovah alone stretches out the universe, andyet creation is attributed to Jesus, Jesus must therefore be Jehovah. This also implies that Proverbs8:22-31 cannot be referring to Jesus as God¶s created Wisdom, as Stafford wrongly assumes, sinceJesus is described as the eternal Creator.

In fact, Stafford personally and indirectly affirms that Jesus is the Creator God:

³God was addressing the Word when He said: µLet Us make in Our image.¶ (Genesis 1:1, 26)´ (J.W.D,p.165)

What Stafford does not tell his readers is that in light of the verse which immediately follows and

Malachi 2:10, this proves that Jesus is Jehovah:

³So Go created man in H IS OWN IMAGE , in the i mage of God he created hi m; male and female hecreated them.´ Genesis 1:27 NIV

The plural pronouns ³us´ and ³our´ are equated with the image of the one God. This affirms that theGodhead which created man is multi-personal. If Jesus is not the true God, it could not be said thatman was made in God¶s personal image and likeness. Instead, man would have been made in theimage of Jehovah and his junior partner, the archangel Michael (a.k.a. Jesus).

³Have we not all one Father? Did not ONE GOD create us?...´ Malachi 2:10 NIV

The fact that one God created man reaffirms that the Father and His Word, through whom he mademan, are both the one true God Jehovah. Jesus cannot be a lesser god created to be Jehovah¶sagent in creation.

Stafford also assumes, albeit erroneously, that the Bible teaches that the angels were existing before

God created the heavens and the earth. (see above) He sites Job 38:7 as proof:



³When the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy?´ NASB

This he hopes will serve as further evidence that Isaiah had idols in mind, as opposed to Isaiahdenying the existence of other beings alongside Jehovah during the creation of the universe.

Far from proving his point, the passage serves to discredit it. When read in context the verse isspeaking of God f ashioning the earth. No mention is made of God creating the heavens and the earth:

³Where were you w hen I laid t he fou ndation of t he eart h ? Tell me, if you have understanding, whoset its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it ? Or what were its bases sunk?Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted

for joy ?´ Job 38:4-7 NASB

This interpretation is consistent with the Genesis account of creation. There we read that after Godhad created the heavens and the earth, he then turned to the earth in its pre-biotic state and began

fashioning it for man to inhabit. (Cf. Genesis 1:1-3)

Presumably, the term ³heavens´ in Genesis would include both the physical and spiritual realms, not just to the physical universe. Hence, it is quite possible that the angels were brought into existencealong with both the heavens and the earth in its pre-biotic state. From there, they witnessed theTriune God fashioning the earth for the crown of his creation, man.

Furthermore, Trinitarians do not deny the possibility of angels existing during the formation of theuniverse. The Trinitarian point is that Scripture ascribes creation to Jehovah alone, not that Jehovahwas by himself when he alone created the universe.

In concluding this section, we must reiterate the point that the New Testament ascribes to Jesus thedivine prerogative of the creation of ALL things, an ascription that equates him with Jehovah God.

We now proceed into an examination of biblical titles given to Jehovah which are also applied toJesus.

MIGHTY GOD-WONDERFUL COUNSELOR



JEHOVAH

³A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God .´ Isaiah 10:21 NIV

³This also comes from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.´Isaiah 28:29 NKJV

JESUS

³For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on his shouldersand his name will be called Wonderful Counselor , Mighty God , Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.´Isaiah 9:6 NASB

LORD OF LORDS-KING OF KINGS

JEHOVAH

³... He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alonepossesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen and can see. ToHim be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.´ 1 Timothy 6:15b-16 NASB

JESUS

³... and the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings...´ Revelation

17:14 NASB

JWs argue that although Jesus is called Lord of lords he is never addressed as God of gods asJehovah is in the Old Testament:

³Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His loveendures forever.´ Psalm 136:2-3 NIV

The problem with this view is that the title God of gods is never used in the New Testament at all. Thefact that the New Testament authors would apply a title of Jehovah, ³Lord of lords and King of kings,´to Jesus affirms that they also believed he was ³God of gods.´

This is evident by the fact that in certain Old Testament passages, the titles ³Lord of lords´ and ³God



of gods´ are used synonymously:

³For Jehovah your God is a God of gods and Lord of lords, the Great God, mighty and awesome whoshows no partiality and accepts no bribes.´ Deuteronomy 10:17

³The king said to Daniel, µSurely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.´ Daniel 2:47 NIV

The phrase ³Lord of kings´ is equivalent to saying ³Lord of lords´ or ³King of kings´ since a king wasviewed as lord over his people. (Cf. 1 Samuel 24:8; 2 Samuel 1:10)

Hence, that Jesus would be addressed as Lord of lords and King of kings also meant that he is thevery God of gods as well.

The other problem with this assertion is that it presupposes an Unitarian view of Jehovah; that is,whenever the term Jehovah is used in the OT it is only referring to the Father as opposed to theTrinity. But this is begging the question since it assumes what JWs have yet to prove, namely thatJehovah is not a Tri-personal Being.

GOD

JEHOVAH

³... so that all the peoples of the earth may know that Jehovah is God and that there is no other.´ 1

Kings 8:60

JESUS

³All this actually came about for that to be fulfilled which was spoken by Jehovah through his prophet

saying: µLook! The virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will call his nameImmanuel,¶ which means, when translated, µwith us is God¶ (ho Theos, T H E GOD) ³ Matthew 1:22-23

NWT

³However, the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging to continue with him; but he(Jesus) dismissed the man, saying: µBe on your way back home, and keep on relating what thingsGod (ho Theos, T H E GOD ) did for you.¶ Accordingly he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole

city what things J ESUS did for hi m.´ Luke 8:38-39 NWT (Cf. Mark 5:19)



The inspired writer Luke affirms that Jesus identified himself as the God , since both Luke and thedemoniac realized that the very God who had done theses things was the same Jesus who had cast

out the demons from the man.

These two passages affirm that Jesus is viewed as THE God in inspired Scripture, not ³a god´ of JWtheology.

³For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells (k atoikei ) in bodily form...´ Colossians 2:9

The term for dwell , k atoikei , is a present participle denoting continuous action or existence. Paulaffirms that Jesus continues to exist as absolute and perfect Deity in bodily form.

Noted Christian scholar, Dr. Robert Morey, indicates:

³... The verb k atoikei µdwells¶ is in the present tense and indicates that Christ was, is, and always shallbe the embodiment of Deity... It is, thus, a mistake to restrict this verse to the incarnation. If Paul hadthe incarnation in mind, he would have written the verb in the aorist tense. But the present tenseclearly indicates that absolute deity resides bodily in Christ per manently ... The embodiment may havebegun at the incarnation, but it is an ongoing reality in heaven where the glorified body of Jesusresides until His return to judge the living and the dead.´ (Dr. Robert Morey, Trinity-Evidence and Issues [Grand Rapids, MI; World Publishing Inc., 1996], pp. 359-360)

Greek grammarians Fritz Rienecker and Cleon Rogers state:

³to settle down, to be at home (Col. 1:19). The pres. act. ind. tense indicates the continually state andpoints to the pres. reality.´ (Rienecker & Rogers, Linguistic Key to the Greek New Test ament [GrandRapids, MI; Zondervan, 1980], p. 573)

William Hendriksen affirms,

³Paul uses the present tense. He does not say that the Word bec ame flesh but that the fullness of theGodhead dwells or is dwelling in Christ. And surely that indwelling did not just begin with theincarnation. It is an eternal indwelling.´ (Morey, Trinity, p. 360 bold emphasis ours)



This implies that Jesus¶ body did not disintegrate when he died, as JWs erroneously assume, sincePaul indicates that Jesus will continue to be fully God and fully man, having a glorified body. This isprecisely why Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest could translate Col. 2:9 in the following manner:

³Because in Him there is continuously and permanently at home all the fullness of absolute deity inbodily fashion.´ (Ibid., p. 358)

To try to then make this passage read on Jesus¶ pre-incarnate state to prove that Christ was madegod in a lesser sense by the Father, as Stafford does, cannot be sustained in light of the Greekpresent tense. To do so would imply that Jesus had a body before the Incarnation since this reference

indicates that Deity¶s fullness resides in the body of Christ perpetually.

Speaking of the Trinitarian interpretation on Colossians 2:9, Stafford states:

³The second point to note is that Rhodes (Sam¶s note- Trinitarian apologist), and others, ignore the

context of Colossians 2:9 in order to arrive at their interpretation of the passage.

³For example, in Colossians 1:19 we are told, according to the NIV, µFor God was pleased to have allhis fullness dwell in him.¶ The Greek word translated µplease¶ is... eudokeo. In the Word Biblic al Comment ary we are told that µthe verb ³be pleased´ which often appears in the Old Testament todenote the good pleasure of God (Ps. 44:3, 147:11, 149:4) is particularly used to denote divine

election.¶ Similarly, the Exegetic al Dictionary of the New Test ament makes these observations:

NT use of eudokeo, a vb. Of the will, is shaped by the influence of the LXX. The meanings alternatebetween want, decide, and choose... In these examples the idea of the divine election predominatesin view of the singular and transcendent designation of Christ, the only Son (the... [³beloved´]). Thesame christologic al view is seen in Col. 1:19 (cf. Ps. 67:17 LXX); according to the most probableinterpretation the fullness... of the saving riches that dwell in Christ (so that he may mediate them to

humankind; cf. 2:9-11; Eph. 1:23) refers to the free and absolute decree of God .

³The Scriptures will not sustain the view that Almighty God¶s powers and attributes are somethingcontingent upon the µwill¶ or µdecree¶ of another. Such is the case, however, with the Lord Jesus

Christ. God µchose¶ (Goodspeed), µdecided¶ (Beck), µwilled¶ (Moffatt) to have all His attributesdisplayed in the person of His Son...´ (Stafford, J.W.D., pp. 25-26)

Stafford erroneously assumes that Jesus cannot be God since it was the will of another, namely theFather, which allowed him to have the fullness of Deity. Several responses to these assertions are inorder.



Firstly, Stafford¶s own citations affirm that the term, eudokeo, refers to the Father¶s divine election.This must be understood in light of the Incarnation, that the Father decreed for the Son to becomeman for our salvation. Hence, God was pleased to allow the Son to retain his divine nature whilebecoming man, which is precisely the point Paul makes in Philippians 2:5b-7:

³... who, being (Gr.- huparchon) in very nature God, did not consider equality something to begrasped, but made hi mself nothing , taking the very nature of a servant, being made in humanlikeness.´ NIV

Jesus in accordance with the Father¶s will did not cease being God, but retained his Deity fully. Thisimplies that Jesus continued to remain at the Incarnation what he already was prior to it, i.e. in natureGod

This is made apparent by the term ³being,´ which is a present participle implying a continuous

existence or abiding reality. Rienecker and Rogers indicate,

³The word [huperchon] expresses continuance of antecedent state or condition.´ (Op. Cit. p. 550)

Hendriksen concurs,

³The present participle huperchon stands in a sharp contrast with all the aorist which follow it, and

therefore points in the direction of continuance of being: Christ Jesus was and is eternally µin the formof God.¶ ³ (Hendriksen, A Comment ary on the Epistle to the Philippi ans [London; Banner, 1963] p.

103, n. 82).

Dr. Morey states,

³... The verb huperchon is a present active participle and means that Jesus was the µessence of God¶not only before His incarnation but after it as well. At no point before or after His incarnation did Jesuscease to be the essence of God...Before His descent from heaven, Jesus Christ was the essence of

God. During His time on earth, He was the essence of God. After His ascension back to heaven, Hewas the essence of God. And today Jesus is still the essence of God. As Wuest points out, µThis isthe impact of Paul¶s use of the present participle.¶ ³ (Morey, Trinity , pp. 336-337)

Therefore, Colossians 1:19 does not refer to Jesus¶ pre-incarnate existence as God. Rather, it refersto the fact that it pleased the Father for Christ to remain what he already was prior to the Incarnation.



Secondly, Trinitarians do not believe that there are three independent Beings who have conflict of purposes or ambitions. Jesus does nothing by himself, but perfectly fulfills all that the Father desiressince they are one in all things. Likewise, the Holy Spirit does not act on his own accord, but in perfectharmony with the Father and Son. (Cf. John 5:19, 16:13)

Thirdly, the fact that Paul in Colossians 2:9 uses the present participle in relation to Jesus, affirmingthat he continues to exist bodily with the fullness of God, serves to reinforce that these passages mustbe understood in light of the Incarnation. The citation cannot be referring to Jesus¶ preincarnate statesince Scripture affirms that God is Spirit. Due to the fact that God is Spirit, he does not have either aspiritual or material body. Hence, Jesus in his preincarnate state existed in the nature of God andtherefore had no material or spiritual body.

The fact that God has neither a spiritual or material body is seen in that God is not limited to alocalized area, since he infinitely fills all things without being contained by anything. (Cf. John 4:24; 1Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:7-10; Isaiah 66:1; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Acts 17:24-28; Ephesians 1:23, 4:10)

This is precisely the reason that Christ became flesh. Prior to the Incarnation Jesus, being God,existed as Spirit.

In light of these factors, Stafford¶s point on eudokeo meaning divine election only serves to reinforce

the Trinitarian position of the Son coming to do the will of the Father as the God-man.

(Note- At the Incarnation, Christ took on a human will along with his divine will. Trinitarians believe

that the testimony of inspired Scripture is that Jesus is one divine Person with two natures and twowills. [Cf. Matthew 26:39; John 5:19])

Stafford brings up another point in trying to refute the fact that Jesus has always been the eternalGod:

³Another point to note in the context of Colossians 2:9 is what follows in verse 10. It reads, µAnd soYOU are possessed of a fullness by means of him¶ (NWT); µand through union with Him you too arefilled with it.¶ (C. B. Williams New Testament) Yes, the Christians in union with Christ Jesus will alsoµbe filled with the very fullness of God.¶ (Eph. 3:19, Goodspeed) This, however, does not make themequal to God, the One who willed that they should possess such a fullness in union with His Son.´(Stafford, J.W.D., p. 27)

Stafford erroneously concludes that believers in Christ will also receive the fullness of Deity. Yet,Stafford fails to quote the rest of the passage that explains the type of fullness Paul had in mind. Thefullness to which Paul is alluding is the fullness of justification, that in Christ we have received theforgiveness of sins and all the unsearchable riches of God¶s wisdom and glory. Paul¶s whole point isto show that the fullness of all things pertaining to God¶s glorious riches have been given to us in



Christ:

³I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in itsfullness- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to thesaints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this

mystery , which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.´ Colossians 1:25-27 NIV

³My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of com plete underst anding , in order that they may know the mystery of God , namely Christ , inwho are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.´ Colossians 2:2-4 NIV (Cf. Ephesians1:3-23)

³... who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done with the hands of men but with the circumcision

done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in thepower of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in theuncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ . H e forg ave us all our sins,having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed tous; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.´ Colossians 2:10b-14 NIV

³The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of theOne and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth«From the fullness of HIS gracewe have all received one blessing after another . For the law was given through Moses; grace andtruth came through Jesus Christ .´ John 1:14, 16-17

This is precisely why Paul goes on to say, ³See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow anddeceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ,´ since in Christ we have the perfect revelation and riches of God. (Cf. Colossians 2:8)

³In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,and the Word w as God .´ John 1:1

This is one of the clearest references to the Deity of Christ and perhaps the most controversial as

well.

The verse has caused ongoing debate between Trinitarians and JWs in relation to its proper interpretation and translation. The JWs NWT translates John 1:1:

³In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the word was a god .´



beginning implies that he is eternal. Author Dr. James R. White states:

³The tense of the verb expresses continuous action in the past... as far back as you wish to push µthebeginning,¶ the Word is already there. The Word does not come into existence at the µbeginning,¶ butis already in existence when the µbeginning¶ takes place. If we take the beginning of John 1:1, the

Word is already there. If we push it back further (if one can even do so!), say, a year, the Word isalready there. A thousand years, the Word is there. A billion years, the Word is there. What is John¶spoint? The Word is eternal. The Word has always existed. The Word is not a creation. The New English Bible puts it quite nicely: µWhen all things began, the Word already was.¶ ³ (White, TheF orgotten Trinity- Recovering the H eart of Christi an Belief [Minneapolis, MN; Bethany HousePublishers, 1998], pp. 50-51)

Frederick Louis Godet indicates:

The imperfect en, w as, must designate, according to the ordinary meaning of the tense, thesimultaneousness of the act indicated by the verb with some other act. This simultaneousness ishere that of the existence of the Word with the fact designated by the word beginning. µWheneverything which has begun began, the Word w as.¶ Alone then, it did not begin; the Word wasalready. Now that which did not begin with things, that is to say, with time, the form of thedevelopment of things, belongs to the eternal order... The idea of this first proposition is, therefore,that of t he eternity of t he Logos. (Godet, Comment ary on the Gospel of John [Grand Rapids;

Zondervan, n.d.], vol. 1, pp. 244-245 bold emphasis ours)

Murray J. Harris concurs:

In itself John 1:1a speaks only of the pretemporality or supratemporality of the Logos, but in hisconjunction of... en (not egeneto) John i m plies the eternal preexistence of the Word . He who existedµin the beginning¶ before creation w as hi mself without a beginning and therefore uncreated . There w asno ti me when he did not exist . John is hinting that all speculation about the origin of the Logos is pointless. (Harris, Jesus as God: The New Test ament Use of Theos in Reference to Jesus [GrandRapids; Baker Book House 1992], p. 54 emphasis ours)

Robert M. Bowman Jr. elaborates,

Had John wanted to say that the Word was the first creation of God, or even simply say that the Wordexisted before the rest of creation, there are a number of ways he could have said so clearly andwithout any possibility of misunderstanding. He could have written, µfrom the beginning,¶ using theword a po instead of en, as he did repeatedly in his writings in the expression a p¶ arches (John 8:44;15:27; 1 John 1:1; 2:7, 13, 14, 24; 3:8, 11; 2 John 5, 6). This would trace his existence back to thebeginning without telling us anything about his existence µbefore¶ the beginning (if such existencewere possible). Or, he could have written, µIn the beginning the Word c ame into existence,¶substituting for the word en the word egeneto, which occurs repeatedly in the Prologue (John 1:3, 6,

10, 14, 17). This would have settled the debate forever in favor of the JW interpretation of the text,



since it would be an explicit affirmation of the creation of the preincarnate Jesus. Yet John wroteneither of these things. Instead, he wrote what most naturally would be (and as a matter of historicalrecord has been) interpreted as a declaration of the eternality of the Word. µIn the beginning the Wordw as¶; the verb w as is the imperfect past tense verb en, here unquestionably used of durative,continuing existence. To continue existing at the beginning of the time is to be eternal by definition.(Bowman, Jehov ah¶s Witnesses, Jesus Christ & The Gospel of John [Grand Rapids; Baker BookHouse, 1995], p. 23 emphasis ours)

Modern Greek scholar Randolph Yeager concludes:

Thus the Word existed before the beginning, since He has always existed. With Him there is nobeginning. He is eternal and everlasting ... It is impossible to avoid the force of John¶s grammar.(Yeager, The Renaissance New Test ament [Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1973], vol. 4, p. 2 boldemphasis ours)

For John to say that the Word w as (en) God, meant that Jesus as the Word has eternally existed as

God.

Scholars who agree that the noun Theos is qualitative, implying that Jesus is God in an absolute andeternal sense include:

F. F. Bruce,

The structure of the third clause in verse 1, theos en ho logos, demands the translation ³The Wordwas God.´ Since logos has the article preceding it, it is marked out as the subject. The fact that theos is the first word after the conjunction k ai (and) shows that the main emphasis of the clause lies on it.Had theos as well as logos been preceded by the article the meaning would have been that the Wordwas completely identical with God, which is impossible if the Word was also ³with God.´ What is

meant is that the Word shared t he nat u re and being of G od , or (to use a piece of modern jargon)was an extension of the personality of God. The NEB paraphrase ³What God was, the Word Was,´brings out the meaning of the clause as successfully as a paraphrase can. (Bruce, The Gospel of John [Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1983], p.31 emphasis ours)

And,

Those people who emphasize that the true rendering of the last clause of John 1.1 ³the word was agod´ prove nothing thereby save their ignorance of Greek grammar. (Bruce, The Books and theP archments [Old Tappan, NJ; Fleming H. Revell Company, 1963], pp. 60-61 note)



name implies that a divine personal being has revealed Himself as the God of Israel through thecovenant and exodus; it designates thedivine personal reality as proclaimed and experienced.(Ibid, p. 317)

Murray J. Harris,

In the first proposition of verse 1 John affirms that the Logos existed before time and creation and therefore i m plicitly denies that the Logos w as a created being . In the second, he declares that theLogos always was in active communion with the Father and thereby implies that the Logos cannot bepersonally identified with the Father. In the third, he states that the Logos always was a partaker of deity and so i m plicitly denies that the Logos w as ever elev ated to divine st atus. The thought of theverse moves from eternal preexistence to personal communion to intrinsic deity : only bec ause theLogos participated inherently in the divine nature could he be said to be already in existence whenti me beg an or creation occurred and to be in unbroken and eternal fellowship with the F ather . Thiswould justify regarding theos as emphatic, standing as it does at the head of its clause. (Harris, Jesus

as God, p.71, emphasis ours)

Amazingly, Stafford misquotes Harris, giving a misleading impression as to what the latter actuallysaid:

³Compare Murray J. Harris... who states that µfrom the point of view of grammar alone... could berendered ³the word was a god´...But the theologic al context , viz., John¶s monotheism, makes thisrendering of 1:1c impossible¶...´ (Stafford, J.W.D., p. 186, f. 53)

Here is what Harris actually said,

³Since the basic function of the article is deictic, to add precision to thought by emphasizingindividuality or identity, the nonoccurrence of the article with a noun may point to the nonparticularity,indefiniteness, of the concept. Accordingly, from the point of view of grammar alone, theos en hologos could be rendered µthe Word was a god,¶ just as, for example, if only grammaticalconsiderations were taken into account, umeis ek tou patros tou di abolou este (John 8:44), couldmean µyou belong to the father of the devil. But the theological context, viz, John¶s monotheism,makes this endering of 1:1c impossible, for if a monot heist were speaking of t he Deity he himself reverenced , t he sing u lar t heos cou ld be applied only to t he S u preme Being , not to an inferior divine being or emanation as if t heos were simply generic . That is, in reference to his own

beliefs, a monot heist cou ld not speak of t heoi nor cou ld he u se t heos in t he sing u lar (w hengiving any type of personal description ) of any being ot her t han t he tr u e G od w hom he

worshiped .´ (Harris, Jesus as God, p. 60 bold emphasis ours)

Murray¶s point on John¶s theology relates to the fact that a monotheist, as JWs claim that they are,would never call any being apart from the true God theos or its Greek equivalent. Harris goes on tosay,



³The translation µa god¶ as found in the New World Translation, Jannaris (µLogos¶ 24, but µa God¶ on p.20), and Becker (65, 68, 70: µein Gott¶). The reasons for rejecting this rendering - represented in none

of the ma jor English tr ansl ations of the twentieth century - have been set out in &D.3.a (1) above.´(Harris, Jesus as God, p. 68 emphasis ours)

James Moffatt (Bible translator),

³The Word Was God... And the Word became flesh,´ simply means ³The Word was divine... and theWord became human.´ The Nicene f aith, in the Chalcedon definition, w as intended to conserve boththese truths ag ainst theories that f ailed to present Jesus as truly God and truly man... (Moffatt, Jesus

Christ the S ame [Nashville; Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1945], p. 61 emphasis ours)

B. F. Westcott,

The predicate [´God´] stands emphatically first, as iv.24. It is necessarily without the article [ theos notho theos] inasmuch as it describes the nature of the Word and does not identify His Person...N o ideaof inferiority of nat u re is su ggested by t he form of t he expression, w hic h simply affirms t hetr u e deity of t he W ord . (Westcott, The Gospel According to St. John [Grand Rapids; Eerdmans,

1958 rp.], p. 3 bold emphasis ours)

C. H. Dodd,

On this analogy, the meaning of theos and ho logos will be that the ousi a [´essence´] of ho logos [´theWord´], that which it truly is, is rightly denominated theos... That this is the ousi a of ho theos (thePersonal God of Abraham, the Father) goes without saying . I n fact, N icene homoou sios to patri [´of one essence of the Father´] is a perfect paraphrase. (Dodd, New Test ament Tr ansl ation ProblemsII , p. 104 bold emphasis ours)

Dr. Philip B. Harner,

As an aid in understanding the verse, it will be helpful to ask what John might have written as well aswhat he did write. In terms of the types of word-order and vocabulary available to him, it would appear that John could have written any of the following:

A. ho Logos en ho theos (the Word was the God);



B. Theos en ho Logos (God was the Word);

C. ho Logos Theos en (the Word God was);

D. ho Logos en Theos (the Word was a god);

E. ho Logos en Theios (the Word was divine);

...Clause D with the verb preceding an anarthrous (without the article, µthe¶) predicate, would probablymean that the logos was µa god¶ or a divine being of some kind, belonging to the general category of theos but as a distinct being from ho theos... John evidently wished to say something about the logos that was other than A and more than D and E... But in all these cases the English reader might notunderstand exactly what John was trying to express. Perhaps the clause could be translated, µt he

W ord had t he same nat u re as G od .¶ This would be one way of expressing John¶s thought, which is,as I understand it, that ho logos (the Word), no less t han ho t heos (the God), had t he nat u re of

t heos (God). (Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 92, pp. 84-85, 87 bold emphasis ours)

To summarize John¶s point in writing his prologue, we are told:

1. The Word was eternally existing before anything ever came into being

2. The Word eternally existed in an interpersonal relationship with the One called the God ,

i.e. the Father

3. The Word was eternally God.

The preceding points based on the inspired Greek text shatters any attempt to view Jesus simply as alesser god created by Jehovah.

³So because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said tothem, µMy Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working. For this reason theJews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even callingGod his own Father, making hi mself eq u al with God .´ John 5:16-18 NIV



The inspired Apostle affirms that it was Jesus, not the Jews, who was calling God his Father as wellas claiming equality with him. This is not the only time where Jesus claims equality:

³I give t hem eternal life, and t hey shall never perish; no one can snatc h t hem ou t of my hand .My Father, who has given them to me is greater than all; no one can snatc h t hem ou t of my F at her¶s hand . I and t he F at her are one.´ John 10:28-30 NIV

The context does not limit oneness to unity, as JWs assume, but oneness in all things. Christ, like hisFather, is able to preserve his followers from perishing, guaranteeing them eternal life. Christ has boththe power to preserve life and the quality of eternal life to impart to others, things true only of God.

Hence, oneness here implies oneness in essence and nature.

³And I heard a loud voice saying, µNow the dwelling of God ( tou Theou- the God ) is with men, and hewill dwell with them. They will be his people and God (ho Theos- the God ) hi mself will dwell with them and be their God .¶ He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then hesaid, µI am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give todrink without cost from the spring of the w ater of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I willbe his God and he will be my son.¶ ³ Revelation 21:3-7 NIV

That the one speaking is the Lord Jesus Christ becomes evident when comparing the italicized

portions with the following citations:

³All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: µThe virgin will be with childand will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel¶- which means, µGod with us.¶ ³ Matthew1:22-23 NIV

³Jesus answered her, µIf you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you wouldhave asked him and he would have given you living w aters¶ ... Jesus answered, µEveryone who drinksof this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the w ater I give hi m will never thirst . Indeed , thew ater I give hi m will become in hi m a spring of w ater welling up to eternal life.¶ ³ John 4:10, 13-14 NIV

³On the last day, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, µIf anyone is thirsty, let hi m come to ME and drink . Whoever believes inME , as the Scripture has said, streams of living w ater will flow from withinhi m.¶ ³ John 7:37-38 NIV

The similarities between the words of Christ and that of Revelation strongly suggest that Jesus is theone referred to as God. This is clearly seen in the fact that the Bible indicates that it is Jesus who is tocome in visible glory and reign over the nations, not the Father. (Cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy



6:14; 2 Timothy 1:10, 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7) The only sense in which theFather can be said to be coming is in the person of his Son through whom he both enacts judgmentand reigns with the saints. The Scriptures nowhere speak of him coming visibly.

A possible objection that might be raised is that the speaker indicates that a believer who overcomes

will be his son. This seemingly refers to the Father since believers are pictured as Christ¶s brethren,not his sons.

Logically, it does not follow that the statement ³he will be my son´ means the Father is speaking. If this were so, the Apostle Paul would also be claiming to be the Father in the following passage:

³I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. Even though you have tenthousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I bec ame your f ather through the gospel .´ 1 Corinthians 4:14-15 NIV

Furthermore, Isaiah 9:6 would prove that Jesus is the Father if this logic were to be sustained:

³For to us a child id born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And hewill be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father ( Abi Ad, Father of Eternity),

Prince of Peace.´

Neither Trinitarians nor JWs take this to mean that Jesus is God the Father, but that he is the author of eternal life.

(Note - There are Christians who use this verse to try to prove that Jesus is the Father, since theybelieve that there are not three Persons but one Person assuming three different roles. This belief isknown as mod alism, a teaching adhered to by modern Oneness Pentecostals or ³Jesus Only´

churches.)

This logic would also prove that Abraham was God the Father as well:

³Therefore, the promise comes by grace, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham¶s offspring- not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of all. As it is written: µI have made you a father of many nations .¶ He isour father in the sight of God , in whom he believed- the God who gives life to the dead and calls

things that are not as though they are.´ Romans 4:16-17 NIV (Cf. Acts 7:1-2)



This would also include the Apostle John:

³I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.´ 3 John 4 NKJV

Hence, ³son´ need not imply that the Father is being addressed since the term can refer to the

children that the Father has given the Son to raise up and glorify:

³All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For Ihave come down from heaven to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sentme, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.´ John 6:37-39

NIV

³And again he says, µHere am I, and the children God has given me.¶ ³ Hebrews 2:13b NIV

Thus, Christians are viewed as the children of Christ in the sense that he is their very life and the

power that grants them immortal glory. (Cf. Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:3-4)

ROCK

JEHOVAH

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God , who does no wrong,

upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV

Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are mywitnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one . Isaiah 44:8NIV

JESUS

They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the

spiritual rock that accompanied them, and t hat rock was C hrist . 1 Corinthians 10:3-4 NIV

According to Paul, the One who supernaturally provided for Moses and Israel while in the desert for forty years was the preincarnate Christ. Yet, according to the Pentateuch that One was Jehovah! (Cf.



Exodus 16:2-36, 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-11, 21:16; Psalms 78:15, 105:41)

STONE OF STUMBLING

JEHOVAH

The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hollow; Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He will beas a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trapand a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and

be broken, be snared and taken. Isaiah 8:13-15 NKJV

JESUS

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, youalso, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

µBehold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by nomeans be put to shame.¶

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

µThe stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,¶ and µA stone of stum

bling and a rock of offense.¶ 1 Peter 2:4-8 NKJV

JUDGE OF THE NATIONS

JEHOVAH

Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judgeall the nations on every side. Joel 3:13 NIV

You then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do look down on your brother? For we will all stand

before God¶s judgment seat. Romans 14:10 NIV

JESUS



When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on thethrone of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one fromanother, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:31-32 NKJV

For we must all appear before the judg ment seat of Christ , that each one may receive the things done

in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV

SALVATION

JEHOVAH

Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22NIV

And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved« Joel 2:32 NIV

JESUS

He told them, µThis is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning atJerusalem.¶ Luke 24:46-47 NIV

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we

must be saved. Acts 4:12 NIV

HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS ONE

JEHOVAH

I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man- the H oly One among you. I will not come in wrath. Hosea 11:9 NIV

The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,

and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame. Zephaniah 3:5 NIV



JESUS

You disowned the H oly and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killedthe author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. Acts 3:14 NIV

Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the

coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him. Acts 7:52 NIV

TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS

JEHOVAH

Then they said to Jeremiah, µMay the LORD be a true and f aithful witness against us if we do not actin accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Jeremiah 42:5 NIV

JESUS

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the f aithful and true

witness, the ruler of God¶s creation. Revelation 3:14 NIV

WORSHIP DUE TO GOD

The final line of evidence in support of Jesus being Jehovah God is that Jesus receives the veryworship due to God. This is precisely what we would expect to find if indeed the NT writers viewed

Jesus as God.

The Greek term used for worship is proskuneo which means either to do obeisance or to worship. Inthe Old Testament, we find that many received obeisance:

Afterward David also arose, and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, ³My lord the king!´ Andwhen Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance ( Gr.- prosekunesen). 1 Samuel 24:8 RSV

And the third day, behold, a man from Saul¶s camp, with his clothes rent and earth upon his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance GR - prosekunesen). 2 Samuel

1:2 RSV



In NT times, however, the act of proskuneo was forbidden altogether:

³Well, I, John was the one hearing and seeing these things. And when I had heard and seen, I felldown to worship ( proskunesai ) before the angel that had been showing me these things. But he tellsme: µBe careful! Do not do that ! All I am is a fellow slave of you and of your brothers who are prophetsand of those who are observing the words of this scroll. Worship God (theo proskuneson).¶ ³

Revelation 22:8-9 NWT (Cf. Revelation19:9-10)

³As Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet and did obeisance ( prosekunesen) to hi m.But Peter lift him up, saying: µRise; I myself am also a man.¶³ Acts 10:25-26 NWT

When we come to Jesus we find that he not only receives worship, but receives doxologies due only

to God.

WORSHIP

JEHOVAH

³... And let all the angels worship him.´ Deuteronomy 32:43 LXX

JESUS

³... in order that all may honor the Son j u st as t hey honor t he F at her . He that does not honor theSon does not honor the Father who sent him.´ John 5:23 NWT

³ And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, He says, µLet all God¶s angels worship him.¶³ Hebrews 1:6 NIV

According to the author of Hebrews the Septuagint¶s command that all the angels should worshipJehovah is actually speaking of Jesus. We once again find the NT writers applying an OT passage of Jehovah to Jesus, affirming that the writers viewed Jesus as Jehovah.

PRAYER



³Also, whatever it is that YOU ask in my name, I WILL DO T H IS , in order that the Father may beglorified in connection with the Son. If YOU ask anything in my name, I WILL DO IT .´ John 14:13-14NWT

It is interesting to note that the JWs fail to translate a key Greek phrase that is included in the Greek

text used in their The Kingdom Interlinear Tr ansl ation of the Greek Scriptures. The phrase, ean ti aitesete me en to onomati mou touto poieso, literally reads: ³if ever anything you should ask ME in thename of me this I shall do.´

Jesus is telling believers to ask hi m anything directly and he will do it. The JWs have left out ³me´ fromtheir text as to prevent their followers from addressing Jesus directly in prayer. In fact, it is not only theWestcott/Hort Greek text used by JWs that have the phrase ³me´, since this reading is supported bythe best and most ancient Greek MSS of the New Testament. Noted Textual critic, Bruce M. Metzger,comments on the possible reasons why some MSS dropped the phrase me from the text, despite itbeing the most probable reading:

³Either the unusual collocation, µask me in my name.¶ or a desire to avoid contradiction with 16.23seems to have prompted (a) the omission of me in a variety of witnesses... or (b) its replacement withton pater a... The word me is adequately supported... and seems to be appropriate in view of itscorrelation with ego later in the verse.´ (Metzger, A Textual Comment ary on the Greek New Test ament [United Bible Societies, USA 1971first edition; Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, D-Stuttgart,

second edition 1994, second printing 1998], p. 208)

Furthermore, the New Testament clearly affirms the fact that the first Christians did indeed pray toJesus. Notice the following examples:

³While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, µLord Jesus, receive my spirit.¶ Then he fell on hisknees and cried out, µLord, do not hold this aga inst them.¶ When he had said this, he fell asleep.´ Acts 7:59-60

Stephen prays to Jesus in the exact manner Jesus prayed to the Father while on earth!:

³Jesus called out with a loud voice, µFather , into your hands I commit my spirit .¶ When he had saidthis, he breathed his last.´ Luke 23:46

(Note- The JWs insert the word Jehovah in place of Lord at Acts 7:60, without any warrant to do sosince there is not one single New Testament MS which contains the divine name. Yet, interestingly if the JW rendering is correct this would prove that Jesus is Jehovah since he is the only referent in the

context!)



³In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, µAnanias!¶µYes, Lord,¶ he answered. The Lord told him, µGo to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananiascome and place his hands on him to restore his sight.¶ µLord,¶ Ananias answered, µI have heard manyreports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem . And he has

come here with all authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name .¶ But the Lordsaid to Ananias, µGo! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles andtheir kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.¶Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, µBrother Saul, theLord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here- has sent me so that youmay see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.¶´ Acts 9:10-17 NIV

In this passage, we find Ananias both addressing Jesus in prayer as Lord and affirming that the early

followers called on Jesus¶ name, i.e. prayed to him directly.

³To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours.´ 1

Corinthians 1:2 NIV

³Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, µMy grace issufficient for you, for my power (d u namis) is made perfect in weakness.¶ Therefore, I will boast all

the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ¶s power (d u namis tou C hristou ) may rest onme.´ 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV

These examples sufficiently demonstrate that the first Christians prayed to Jesus as to God, anexplicit witness to his essential equality with the Father. The question we have for JWs, and for GregStafford for that matter, is does not the fact that Christians prayed to Jesus imply his omniscience,omnipresence and his omnipotence? Otherwise, how could Jesus be able to hear and answer theprayers of the multitudes of Christians everywhere both then and now if he were not all-powerful andever-present?

DOXOLOGIES

JEHOVAH

³To the only wise God be glory f orever through Jesus Christ! Amen.´ Romans 16:27 NIV

³Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, who no one has seen or can see.To

hi m be honor and might forever . Amen´ 1Timothy 6:16 NIV



JESUS

³But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To hi m be glory both now

and forever ! Amen.´ 2 Peter 3:18 NIV

³Then I heard every creature ( pan ktisma) in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on thesea, and all that is in them, singing: µTo him who sits on the throne and to t he Lamb be praise andhonor and glory and power, forever and ever!´ Revelation 5:13 NIV

The fact that John includes every living creature in praising God, affirms that Jesus is not part of

creation. If Jesus had been one of God¶s creatures we would expect to find him as one of thoseworshiping God in heaven. Instead we find Jesus receiving the same praise and glory that the Father receives, both in heaven and in the Church. This makes him the eternal Creator instead of a creature.

In his attempt to diminish the worship of Jesus to less than that of the Father, Stafford reasons thatwhereas Jesus receives proskuneo, he does not receive l atreuo (sacred service). Only the Father

receives l atreuo:

³Yet, he (Jesus) still showed that only Jehovah was to be given absolute, religious worship when hetold Satan, µIt is Jehovah God you worship, and it is to hi m alone you must render sacred service [...latreuo].¶- Mt. 4:10

³Bowman asserts that µJesus also receives... sacred service (Rev. 22:3).¶ Is this true? Does

Revelation 22:3 teach that Jesus receives l atreuo? The NIV reads: µNo longer will there be any curse.The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve [form of l atreuo] him¶(emphasis added). Revelation speaks of two individuals, µGod¶ and the µLamb.¶ In referring to the onewho would receive l atreuo, John uses the third person singul ar pronoun (µhis,¶ µhim¶), showing that ithas reference to but one of the two individuals mentioned. If John wanted his readers to know thatboth God and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) were to receive l atreuo, he would have simply used the thirdperson plur al pronoun (for example, µand their servants will serve them¶) instead of the singular. ³If itis argued that l atreuo here refers to the µLamb,¶ then we must indeed wonder why it does not refer toGod, the One to whom it is elsewhere restricted. Also, there would be no evidence other than mereopinion to support such a theory that Jesus here receives l atreuo and God does not. Thus, we maysafely conclude that l atreuo is here given to the same individual who receives it in Revelation 7:15,and elsewhere in the Bible.´ (Stafford, pp. 85-86)

Stafford¶s footnote found on the same page states:

³Revelation 7:15 speaks of the great crowd that comes out of tribulation rendering l atreuo to the µOneseated on the throne,¶ referring to Jehovah. Whereas Jesus is clearly distinguished from the Oneseated on the throne, as he is said to be µin the midst of the throne,¶ according to verse 17.´ (Ibid., f.



37)

We gladly respond to these assertions. Stafford fails to inform his readers that Revelation alsoindicates that Jesus himself sits on the very throne of the Father. In Rev. 3:21 Jesus says, ³To theone who conquers I will grant to sit down with me on my throne, even as I conquered and sat down

with my F ather on his throne´ (NWT)

The fact that both Father and Son sit on the same throne is evident from the very passage Stafford

cites: ³... But the throne (singul ar) of God and of the Lamb will be in [the city ]...´ Revelation 22:3 NWT

John speaks of the throne of God and the Lamb, not thrones, affirming that Jesus also sits on God¶sthrone.

Finally, in Revelation 20:11-15 we are told that the one who sits on the throne will judge the dead. According to John 5:22, the Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. Thisagain proves that Jesus is also sitting on the very throne of the Father.

Stafford erroneously assumes that if John wanted to include Jesus as receiving l atreuo he shouldhave used the third person plural. What Stafford again fails to mention is that John proceeds to usethe singular in a context where both the Father and Son are clearly involved: ³and they will see hisface, and his name will be on their foreheads.´ Revelation 22:4 NWT

Yet in Revelation 14:1 we are told that believers are to receive the names of both God and the Lambon their foreheads: ³And I saw, and, look! The Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him ahundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his F ather on their foreheads.´NWT

In light of the above, we find that Stafford¶s reasoning is invalidated by the Apostle himself.

Stafford asserts that no evidence, other than mere opinion, can be given to support the fact that it is

Jesus who, in this particular reference, is the one receiving l atreuo. Far from opinion, we will presentthe context of the chapter itself to support the premise that it is Jesus, not the Father, who is receiving³sacred service´:

³And they will see H IS F AC E , and his name will be on their foreheads.´ Revelation 22:4 NWT



According to the Bible it is Jesus whom believers shall see face to face:

³Beloved ones, now we are children of God, but as yet it has not been made manifest what we shallbe. We do know that whenever he is made manifest we shall be like hi m, bec ause we shall see hi m

J UST AS H E IS .´ 1 John 3:2 NWT

The Bible states that at the second-coming our bodies will be glorified like that of Christ¶s, not the

Father since he never became incarnate:

³But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly

bodies so that they will be like his glorious body .´ Philippians 3:20-21 NIV

³And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the manfrom heaven.´ 1 Corinthians 15:49 NIV

According to Scriptures the Father, ³lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen OR C AN SEE .´ (Cf. 1 Timothy 6:16)

The second line of evidence that points to Jesus comes from Revelation 22:6:

³The angel said to me, µThese words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of theprophets, sent H IS angel to show H IS servants the things that must soon take place.¶´ NIV

In Revelation 22:16 we are told:

³I , J ESUS , H AVE SENT MY ANGEL TO GIVE YOU T H IS TESTIMONY F OR T H E C H UR C H ES .´ NIV

In these citations, Jesus is called the God of the prophets who sent his angel to prepare his servantsfor the culmination of the age. These factors clearly prove that believers are to give Jesus the same

type of l atreuo that the Father receives.



Stafford also reasons that to say Jesus receives l atreuo here is to suggest that God does not. Yet,Stafford fails to realize that to render sacred service to Jesus is to also render service to the Father:

³Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. That all may honor the Son just as they honor the F ather. H e who does not honor the Son does not honor the F ather,

who sent hi m.´ John 5:22-23 NIV

It is JWs who do not honor the Father. They dishonor the very God whom they claim to serve as theyrefuse to give Jesus the same honor demanded in Scripture. In light of the overwhelming evidencethere can be no denying that the New Testament ascribes to Jesus the same type of worship that isgiven only to God.

CONCLUSION

In this study we examined the biblical teaching in relation to monotheism. We discovered thatwhereas the Scripture uses the term ³God´ in three distinct manners, there is only one true God bynature. The other so-called gods are categorized as false deities whom the nations wrongly view asgods; or messengers acting in the place of God as his mouthpiece and representative.

We also examined the biblical teaching in relation to the person of Jesus Christ. We did this to showthat the Bible does not view Jesus as a false god who is wrongly worshiped. Nor does the Biblesupport the fact that he is a lesser god created by Jehovah to be his agent in creation andredemption. Instead, the biblical evidence leads us to embrace Jesus as the true God, Jehovah, who

became man for our salvation. The Bible ascribes to Jesus the titles Jehovah, God, Lord, King of Kings etc. It also ascribes to him the functions and attributes of Jehovah such as creation, eternality,immutability, omnipresence (Cf. Matthew 18:20, 28:20; John 14:23; Ephesians 4:10), andomniscience (Cf. John 2:23-25, 16:30-31, 21:17 cf. 1 John 3:20; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 4:4-5 cf. 1:7-8,Revelation 22:20; Colossians 2:2-3; Revelation 2:23b cf. Jeremiah 17:10). All these factors prove thatJesus is the eternal God and not God¶s first exalted creature, the archangel Michael.

The Bible also leads us to affirm that while Jesus is fully God he is not the only person who is the trueGod. Scripture clearly indicates that both the Father and the Holy Spirit are fully God as well, with all

three Persons comprising the unity of the one true God. (Cf. Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19)

The Bible also denies henotheism, the belief that there are a host of gods but only one eternal Godwho is to be worshiped. Scripture clearly teaches that no god has ever been formed nor are angelspartakers of God¶s nature. The only Persons who partake of the nature of God fully and perfectly are

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the blessed Trinity.

It is to the Trinity that we bow and worship. It is for the Trinity that we live and die. It is to the Trinitythat we pray. All our hope and love and faith must be directed to the one and only true and Tri-



personal God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We have been chosen by the Father (Ephesians 1:3-5),purchased by the Son (Revelations 5:9), sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Blessed God, Three inOne.

Our heartfelt prayer is that all who read this will come to know and believe in the only true God and

eternal Life, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

³Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we

must be saved.´ Acts 4:12 NIV

³That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and

every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.´ Phil. 2:10-11 NIV

Amen, Come Lord Jesus.

THE USAGE OF GREEK TENSES AND BIBLIC AL CHRISTOLOGY

It must be pointed out that our usage of Greek tenses in relation to key biblical passages in and of itself are insufficient in establishing our case for Trinitarianism. This is primarily due to the fact that inbiblical Greek one must differentiate between aspect and Aktionsart, the sense in which the verbalforms are used in a given construct. In other words, just because a writer uses the present participle it

does not necessarily mean that the writer intended to imply a continuous action or state of existence.Hence, it is not the aspect itself but the way the writer uses the verbal form in a given context that

establishes the action as continuous or not. This is essentially true of all verbs and tenses, and is not just limited to the present tense.

To solidify the points made earlier that verses such as Philippians 2:5-7 and Colossians 2:9 theintention of the author was to affirm the abiding reality of Christ¶s divine nature even while on earth,and that Jesus continues to remain the fullness of Deity in bodily form, we present the following

biblical citations.

First, in relation to the fact that Christ continues to retain his human nature and body, albeit a glorifiedbody at that, we present the following verses:

³he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left inHades, nor did H is flesh see corr u ption.´ Acts 2:31 NKJV (Cf. Acts 13:34-37)



The apostle Peter clearly affirms that Jesus¶ flesh did not see corruption, implying that Christ¶resurrection body was material, fleshly.

³Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh

and bones as you see I have.´ Luke 24:39 NKJV

³¶because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness byTHE MANwhom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by r aising H i m from the dead .¶ Andwhen they (Athenians) heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked , while others said, µWewill hear you again on this matter.¶´ Acts 17:31-32 NKJV

If all Paul had in mind was a spiritual resurrection, then the Greeks would not have mocked him sincethey believed in the immortality of the soul yet denied a physical resurrection. Hence, Paul could onlyhave been referring to a physical, bodily resurrection when addressing the Athenians. This is solidified

by Paul¶s point that God will judge the world by a Man, namely Jesus Christ. This strongly argues thatJesus is still fully human, otherwise it could not be said that a Man will judge the world if Christ were

raised a spirit creature.

³And so it is written, µThe first man Adam became a living soul ( psuchen).¶ The last Adam became alife-giving spirit... The first man was of the earth, of dust; the second M an is from H eaven. As was theman of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly M an, so also are thosewho are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the imageof the heavenly M an.´ 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47-49

Paul affirms that Jesus is still Man while now in heaven. A typical response is to point out the fact thatPaul indicates that Jesus is now a life-giving spirit, and hence is no longer in the flesh. This no moredenies that Jesus is a man than Paul saying that Adam was a living soul denies that he had a fleshlybody.

JWs correctly indicate that soul ( psuchen) here does not refer just to the immaterial aspect of Adambut to his total being, to his entire existence as man which includes both the material and immaterialaspects of his nature. This understanding of the Greek term serves to solidify the case that Jesus¶entire being was raised on the third day since Peter affirms that David spoke concerning Christ

saying,

³For David says respecting him, µI had Jehovah constantly before my eyes; because he is at my righthand that I may never be shaken. On this account my heart became cheerful and my tongue rejoicedgreatly. Moreover, even my flesh will reside in hope; bec ause you will not leaveMY SOUL (ton psu c hen mou) in Hades, neither will you allow your loy al one TO SEE CORRUPTION .¶´ Acts 2:25-27

NWT



Hence, Jesus¶ psuchen, his entire being which included both the material and immaterial aspects of his nature, was not abandoned to the grave but raised in immortal glory.

³For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, A MAN, Christ Jesus.´ 1 Timothy 2:5

NWT

According to the apostle Paul, it is the Man Jesus who is now the mediator between God and men. Inlight of the preceding biblical evidence, we are left to conclude that Jesus continues to exist in aphysical, glorified body retaining his human nature while now reigning in heaven as King of kings andLord of lords. This means that Christ has a material body and continues to remain ³the fullness of Deity in bodily form.´

(Note- Amazingly, in his attempt to disprove Jesus¶ bodily resurrection, Stafford serves to reinforce itby citing Igantius:

³Interestingly, Ignatius (who died sometime during Trajan¶s reign [98-117 C.E.]) writes to theSmyrnaeans (3:2): µFor I know and believe t hat he was in t he flesh even after t he resu rrection;and when he came to Peter and those with him, he... said to them: ³Take hold of me; handle me and

see that I am not a disembodied demon [ouk ei mi d ai monion hasomaton].´¶... O f cou rse, I gnati u shimself believed in t he physical resu rrection of C hrist , and our citation of him on this point ismerely to demonstrate that µspirit¶ in Luke 24:39 was understood by others to mean a demonic spirit.´(Stafford, J.W.D., pp. 255-256 bold emphasis ours)

The question begging to be asked is how can Stafford claim a spiritual resurrection when Ignatius,being a contemporary of the companions of the Apostle John, affirmed that Jesus¶ resurrection wasindeed physical? Obviously, Ignatius is more qualified to know whether Jesus¶ resurrection wasphysical or spiritual seeing that he was both closer to the events and had a thorough command of Scripture.

Furthermore, other church fathers such as Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-165) also confirmed that theresurrection of Jesus was physical saying that those who ³maintain that even Jesus Himself appearedonly as spiritual, and not in flesh, but presented merely the appearance of flesh: t hese persons seek to rob t he flesh of t he promise. ´ [Justin Martyr, F r ag ments of the Lost Work of Justin on theResurrection, chpt. 2 - Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vols.1-14, Grand Rapids; Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1985]

Hence, the weight of the evidence seems to indicate that the JW position is biblically and historicallyindefensible.

For a thorough refutation of JW arguments used to support their belief in a spiritual resurrection of Jesus, we refer the reader to Robert M. Bowman Jr.¶s book, Jehov ah¶s Witnesses [Zondervan



Publishing House; Grand Rapids, MI. 1995])

To support the Trinitarian interpretation of Philippians 2:5b-6 that Jesus did not cease to be God whileon earth, but set aside his divine authority and glory to become a servant of the Father we present the

following biblical references.

First, according to Isaiah 7:14 the virgin was to give birth to Immanuel, affirming that God himself would be present with his people. Matthew indicates that this was fulfilled by the birth of Christ,implying that Jesus is the very God who was prophesied to come and dwell with his people. (Cf.Matthew 1:22-23)

Further support that the Messiah-child would be God while as a man on earth is derived from theHebrew usage of ³name´. To the Hebrew mind the fact that the child would be named Immanuel wasnot merely to denote a proper name. Rather, the name signified the child¶s nature or essence.

Edward J. Young, in his commentary on Isaiah 7:14 notes:

³... In the Bible the name indicates the char acter , essence, or nature of a person or object.´ (Young,Comment ary on the Book of Isai ah [Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1974], p. 331 emphasis ours)

Therefore, the fact that the virgin born son would be named Immanuel implies that the child¶s nature

would be that of absolute Deity even while on earth.

According to Isaiah 9:1-2 and 6-7, a great light would dawn in Galilee of the Gentiles by way of Jordan. The reason given is that ³a child is born, and unto us a son is given; and the government shallbe on his shoulder, and his name shall be Wonderful, Counselor,Mighty God , Everl asting F ather ,Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throneof David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgement and justice from that timeforward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.´

According to both Matthew and Luke, this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus¶ earthly life and ministry. (Cf.Matthew 4:12-17 cf. Isaiah 9:1-2; Luke 1:30-33 cf. Isaiah 9:6-7) This affirms that Jesus was the Son,the Mighty God and the Eternal Father while on earth.

Further evidence that Jesus was both God and the Father of Eternity while on earth is seen in the factthat the phrase ³Everlasting Father´ is used to denote that Jesus is the source of eternal life. Accordingly, Jesus was the source of life both before and during his earthly ministry:



³In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in thebeginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that wasmade. In H i m w as life, and the life w as the light of men« That was the true Light which gives light toevery man coming into the world . H e w as in the world , and the world was made through Him, and theworld did not know Him.´ John 1:1-4, 9-10 NKJV

³That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which have seen with our eyes, which wehave looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerningthe Word of life- the life w as manifested ,and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which w as with the F ather

and w as manifested to us...´ 1 John 1:1-2 NKJV

³Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, µI am the light of the world . He who follows Me shall not

walk in darkness, but have the light of life.´ John 8:12 NKJV

³ As long as I am in the world , I am the light of the world .´ John 9:5 NKJV

³Jesus said to her, µI AM T H E RESURRECTION AND T H E LI F E« ¶´ John 11:25

³Jesus said to him, µI am the Way, the Truth, AND T H E LI F E«¶´ John 14:6

These passages conclusively prove that Jesus remained on earth what he was in heaven, namely

God and the Author of Life.

The final line of evidence supporting the fact that Jesus was God in the flesh is Matthew 17:1-2, 5:

³Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountainby themselves; and H e w as tr ansfigured before them. H is f ace shone like the sun, and H is clothesbec ame as white as the light ... While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed

them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, µThis is My beloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased. Hear Him!´ NKJV

Jesus¶ inner, abiding nature manifested itself before his disciples, clearly demonstrating that he didnot cease to be ³in the form of God.´ What was different was that Jesus had taken on a human nature

that temporarily veiled his inner, abiding glory.

Having fully examined the biblical data in relation to the life and nature of Jesus Christ, we reach theinescapable conclusion that Christ never ceased to be God while fulfilling his earthly ministry.



Furthermore, the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus eternally exists as God while in a glorified materialbody in heaven. Therefore, from a purely biblical perspective JW theology is completely indefensible.

Sam Shamoun AMEN LORD JESUS

Biblical Monotheism Examined - By Sam Shamoun

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