Jehovah is the English rendering of The Divine Name, YHWH. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that they are YHWH’s witnesses.
But are they are correct?
One essential test for determining if a religion or group is truly Christian is what they believe about Jesus.
Consider how Jehovah’s Witnesses answer these two questions: 1) Why is Jesus called God’s Son? 2) Is Jesus Almighty God?
“Why is Jesus called God’s Son?
God does not have a literal wife with whom he fathered children. But he is the Creator of all life. (Revelation 4:11) Therefore, the first human that God created, Adam, is called a “son of God.” (Luke 3:38) Similarly, the Bible teaches that Jesus was created by God. So Jesus is also called a “Son of God.”—John 1:49.
God created Jesus before he created Adam. Regarding Jesus, the apostle Paul wrote: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (Colossians 1:15) Jesus’ life began long before he was born in a stable in Bethlehem. In fact, the Bible says that his “origin is from early times, from the days of time indefinite.” (Micah 5:2) As God’s firstborn Son, Jesus was a spirit creature in heaven before he was born as a human on earth. Jesus himself said: “I have come down from heaven.”—John 6:38; 8:23” (Source).
“Is Jesus Almighty God?
Jesus’ opposers accused him of making himself equal to God. (John 5:18; 10:30-33) However, Jesus never claimed to be on the same level as Almighty God. He said: “The Father is greater than I am.”—John 14:28.
Jesus’ early followers did not view him as being equal to Almighty God. For example, the apostle Paul wrote that after Jesus was resurrected, God “exalted him [Jesus] to a superior position.” Obviously, Paul did not believe that Jesus was Almighty God. Otherwise, how could God exalt Jesus to a superior position? —Philippians 2:9” (Source).
Now consider the apostle Paul’s understanding of who Jesus Christ is.
God in the Old Testament said of himself through Moses, “that the LORD [YHWH] is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deut. 4:39).[1] God is One and that is the primary emphasis, with a few notable exceptions, throughout the Old Testament.[2] God’s unity was even further proclaimed a few chapters later in Deuteronomy 6 in what has become known as the Shema, “Hear, O Israel; the LORD [kurios (LXT)[3]] our God, the LORD [kurios] is one [eis]” (Deut. 6:4).[4] The Shema was recited twice daily by all Jews that sought to be faithful to the Torah.[5] Astoundingly, the apostle Paul unveils the Shema to include both God the Father and Jesus Christ in YHWH’s identity in 1 Corinthians 8:6, “yet for us there is one God [Theos (BNT)[6]], the Father, from [ex] whom are all things and for [eis] whom we exist, and one Lord [eis kurios], Jesus Christ, through [di] whom are all things and through [di] whom we exist.”[7] The inseparable operations are clearly displayed here for the Father and the Son are both YHWH, sharing the same essence, yet there is distinction for all things are from (ex) the Father and through (di) the Son. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament used by Christ and the apostles in the First Century, translates YHWH as kurios (Lord), and the apostle Paul applies this name to Christ in 1 Corinthians 8:6. To alleviate any doubt concerning what he is clearly advocating about Christ, Paul uses eis kurios, “one Lord” instead of “a Lord.”[8] Thus, Paul redefines monotheism as Christological monotheism.[9] Paul reproduced all the words in the Shema, but he rearranged them to include Christ in the divine identity.[10] Therefore, Paul claimed that Jesus Christ is YHWH the Son. God the Son had no beginning. God the Son Incarnate, Jesus Christ, is Almighty God.
Christians must decide who they will believe, the apostle Paul or Jehovah’s Witnesses. Choose Paul, for he was divinely inspired by God the Holy Spirit to write inerrant truth. And according to him, Jesus Christ is included in the Divine Identity; Jesus Christ is YHWH the Son.
[1]See Christopher J. H. Wright, Knowing God the Father Through the Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007), 13-14.
[2]See Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2004), 17-33, for a discussion of the Old Testament soil that prepared the way for the progressive revelation of the Trinity, that God is One and God is Three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
[3]All Greek references from the Old Testament are taken from the Septuagint, “LXX Septuaginta Rahlfs’ (LXT)”, in BibleWorks 9 Software for Biblical Exegesis & Research (Norfolk, VA: BibleWorks, 2011).
[4]Wright, Knowing God the Father Through the Old Testament, 13.
[5]Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008), 5.
[6]All Greek New Testament references are taken from the “BibleWorks New Testament (BNT) (Nestle-Aland 27),” in BibleWorks 9 Software for Biblical Exegesis & Research (Norfolk, VA: BibleWorks, 2011).
[7]Wright, Knowing God the Father Through the Old Testament, 16.
[8]See Bauckham, Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, 27-29. Also see Wright, Knowing God the Father Through the Old Testament, 13, f. 2.
[9]Bauckham, Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity, 27-29.
[10]Ibid.
Right from the start, the first couple of sentences, you treated in error.
We tell of Jehovah’s goodness, his works and the justification to accept what he says he will do now and into the future. Those a few of the reasons why we have adopted Jehovah’s name.
We also believe Jesus to be a god just like Satan is a god as well as other demonic Angels. Since the bible never refers to Jesus as gods almighty, we do not either. God almighty is reserved for Jehovah alone. He is the one that created everything, not Jesus.
While Jesus is critical to a Christian’s faith, he is not the architect of mankind’s salvation. In fact, he himself was in need of salvation when he was put to death. In other words, he needed someone to rescue him from his grave, his nonexistence. He certainly could not have resurrected himself, not if he was actually dead as the bible states.
Jehovah is the architect of mankind’s salvation. He also made it possible for Jesus to expel Satan and his followers from their heavenly home. And it will be Jehovah’s name that will be vindicated once Satan is destroyed, not Jesus. Satan did not challenge Jesus sovereignty in the garden of Eden. He challenged Jehovah.
Jesus did not have to remain faithful during his 3.5 year ministry. He could have done just as Adam did, sin. Since this was not the case, Jehovah has rewarded Jesus with the pleasure you restoring mankind and the earth according to Jehovah’s original purpose. It is he, Jesus, who’s footsteps we should be following in. He has earned that right.
Steve,
1) You say Jesus didn’t create everything. Colossians 1:15-19 says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,”
Also, 1 Corinthians 8:6 is clear as well, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”
2) You say that Jesus could not resurrect himself, yet he claimed to do just that. See John 2:18-22 – “So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple. and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”
Also, see John 10:18 – “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
-I realize there are other verses that say the Father resurrected Jesus and that the Spirit resurrected Jesus. But, you cannot simply ignore these verses that say Jesus resurrected himself. Also, Jesus could resurrect Himself too for He is God the Son Incarnate. He is one Divine Person, acting through two natures, fully God and fully Man.
3. You say that Satan did not challenge Jesus’ sovereignty in the Garden of Eden, only Jehovah’s, yet the apostle Paul claimed that Jesus is YHWH, including Him in Jehovah’s divine identity. Also, the demons sure trembled at Jesus’ identity.
4. You say that Jesus could have sinned, but since Jesus is God the Son Incarnate, He could not sin since the Divine Person is always the One acting through the natures. Also, Jesus has always existed, as John 1:1 testifies: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
WHO was speaking to Isaiah in Is. 43:11, when He said, “I, even I, am the LORD: and beside me there is no Savior.”?
The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament.
Jesus is the “Logos” of God, the WORD, the MANIFESTATION of His Person.
(John 1:1-3)
By Him, Jesus, were all things created (Heb. 1:1-3).
Bruce,
There is no denying that Jehovah has relayed his words through Isaiah. And I can see how a person could connect Jesus to Jehovah since there is just one savior.
However, if you try to connect your trend of thought back to the first prophecy, it will be hard to reconcile who Jehovah said would crush the serpent’s head. He certainly was not referring to himself. Jehovah was lay out his will and purpose for an event well into the future for the eventuality and final disposition of Satan. Jehovah is not referring to himself crushing the serpent’s head. He is referring to someone else. That person is Jesus. If you do not think it is Jesus, who do you say?
Again, reconciled Titus 1:3 and 4 to your trend of thought. It refers to both Jehovah a God and Jesus as saviors. Moreover, verse 4 speaks of two different persons. Jesus is not referred as “the Father” is he? If you believe this to be do, how do you get around what Jesus will do in the near future as stated at 1 Corinthians 15:24-28?
Daniel, I’ve deleted your comment because all you did was post a link to another article. If you want to make your case here, then please do so, but don’t link to another article; and please do not merely copy and paste another article. Provide your own comment and I’ll let it stay.
Above are 9 examples of other articles.
Jeremiah 23:26-27 How long will it exist in the heart of the prophets who are prophesying the falsehood and who are prophets of the trickiness of their own heart? They are thinking of making my people forget my name by means of their dreams that they keep relating each one to the other, just as their fathers forgot my name by means of Baal.
Judaism and Christendom have committed the ultimate sacrilege in deleting The Devine Name from their sacred text as mentioned above with The Septuagint. Rev. 22:18 Do you think that Jehovah God and Jesus Christ were not aware of this trend?
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. NASB
Deleting The Devine Name blurs the distinction between Jehovah and Jesus allowing The Trinity doctrine to take hold.
1 Corinthians 8:5, 6 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and [in addition to] many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and [ in addition to ] we exist for Him; and [ in addition to ] one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and [ in addition to ] we exist through Him.
Through: Gr. Dia (Strongs coaded #1223) “of the Means or Instruments by which anything is effected; because what is done by means of a person or thing seems to pass as it were through the same…in passages where a subject expressly mentioned is said to or to have done a thing by some person or by some thing: lk.1:70; Jn. 1:3: 1 Cor. 8:6; (where he is expressly distinguished from the first cause. 1Cor. 11:12”) Thayer’s G-E Lexicon ©.2000 p.133.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do believe Paul when he said “…yet for us there is but one God [Jehovah], the Father, from whom are all…”quoting from Deut. 6:4 which uses The Devine Name.
My link has a 10 page document so I couldn’t post the whole thing. Can we try it again?
https://www.scribd.com/doc/135603404/Jesus-is-Not-Jehovah
P. S. Baal used in Jeremiah 23:27 means LORD.
Allah means God. So, what is your point…
Jeremiah 23:27 says, “…their trying to make my people forget my name by means of Baal…” “by means of “Lord”. Exactly what their doing with Jehovah and Jesus, calling them both “Lord”
I see your point. I agreement.
Daniel, you realize that Jesus quoted the Septuagint several times right? I don’t think he had a problem with quoting the Septuagint.
I disagree. Jesus was a Hebrew speaking Jew and no doubt read and learned from Hebrew text.
Daniel, the New Testament authors, when referencing the Old Testament, quote from the Septuagint around 340 times and around 33 times from the Hebrew. Again, you say that the Septuagint is bad, but I’ll agree with the biblical authors.
The apostle Paul included Jesus Christ in Jehovah’s Divine Identity (1 Cor. 8:6). That’s what the text says. Will you believe Paul? He was divinely inspired to write inerrant truth.
Daniel, do you not believe Paul when he includes Christ in the divine identity?
Jesus has a divine nature (Col. 2:9, Col. 1:19), but he is not fully God. John 17:3
Col. 1:19
New American Standard Bible
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
New International Version
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
Daniel, in order to interpret John 17:3 the way you want, you cannot say that “Jesus has a Divine Nature.” If God is “the only true God,” that would mean that He is God alone and there is no separate god.
Yet, Trinitarianism fits with this verse, for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are Three Persons, One True God.
I just had a thought, if Christendom Bibles delete Jehovah’s name, most do but not all, in favor of Lord, why don’t they substitute Lord for Jesus’ name also since they fell Lord or God is sufficient?
Daniel and Steve: Through out the Bible God says I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. So God is the beginning and the end so how would you explain away Revelations 1: 17 & 18: When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19″Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.… When did God die? Jesus died for our sins and rose again.
In light of Col. 1:15 and Heb.1:3 should it surprise us that both Jehovah and Jesus have the same attributes. (Like Father, like Son) And where does it say that the Holy Spirit is the First and last or Alpha and Omega??? Besides this somehow translates in to Trinity???
Malia, God CAN NOT die. Hab. 1:12
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/habakkuk/1-12.htm.
Can we stay on subject?
The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit are one. The Trinity! that’s right. 1 John 5:7 says: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. The Bible also refers the Jesus as the word made flesh. When Jesus ascended to Heaven He told his disciples He could no longer be there with them in the flesh but He will send His Holy Spirit to dwell in them. He is dwelling in me, praise God I have admitted I am a sinner and have repented and turned away from my sin and I believe that Jesus is Gods son and He died for my sin and I will confess with my mouth that he is lord till the day He takes me home to Heaven. This world is not my home and never will be my home is in heaven with all the saints that believe on the name Jesus.
Malia, I guess you’re not aware that those scriptures are spurious. They don’t appear in any manuscript earlier than the 16th Century. A little history lesson; The Apostles and other Bible writers warned of a falling away from the true faith and Christendom is the result of that apostasy. I’ve put together a list of those scriptures.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/135607041/The-Apostasy Hope they help.
P. S. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit The Earth.” Matt. 5:5
Daniel, if you want of speak of “spurious Scriptures,” why don’t you tell us the year the Watchtower Bible, The New World Translation, changed several Bible verses?
Mr. Moore, Differences in renderings of scripture are far different than adding bogus scripture to bolster an un-scripture teaching, (1 John 5:7, 8) or deleting the Divine Name in favor of Lord, which I commented on above, to do the same.
Any thoughts on that or the list of scriptures warning of The Apostasy?
Daniel, you got to be kidding me man. The New World Translation doesn’t merely “render Scripture different.” It changes Scripture, period. Do you really want me to quote from your translation to show you?
The NWT has CORRECTED many of the falsified scriptures that have been brought in mostly it seems from the KJV, which many other translation have corrected also to their credit. Some of these are: John 1:3,4; 8:58; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 John 5:7, 8; Rev. 1:11a.
Daniel, what manuscript proof prior to the New World Translation do you have that proves the Watchtower Translation “corrected” previous manuscripts? There is no proof other than the prophetic claims of those that wrote it.
—John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
—Matthew 28:19–20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.
—Revelation 22:18
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.
—Revelation 22:19
And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
The Old Testament and the New Testament are Gods inspired word to us. You don’t need any other bible, magazine(Watchtower) or person (Charles Taze Russell) to add to or take away from His truth.
—-Ephesians 2 8-9
8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–9. not by works, so that no one can boast.