The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his075/jw11.lzh/JW11.TXT

Text File | 1991-07-07 | 16KB | 312 lines

CUL:Jehovah's Witnesses and the Trinity  by Walter Martin

   The doctrine of the Holy Trinity has been consistently
misunderstood, probably more than any other teaching of the Bible.
Frequently investigation into the doctrine of the Trinity has been
dismissed from serious discussion or study by invoking the time-worn
assertions - "It's a great mystery" or "This is incomprehensible" -
thus discouraging many from investigating the scriptural basis of the
doctrine.

   Due principally to this attitude as well as certain complex aspects
of the Trinity doctrine itself, there has been a revival of
anti-Trinitarian heresies during the past one hundred and fifty years,
and they have gone largely unanswered. Prominent among those groups
rejecting the historic doctrine of the Trinity are Mormonism, Christian
Science, Unity, Spiritism, Herbert W. Armstrong and his Radio Church of
God and Jehovah's Witnesses - i.e., The Watchtower Bible and Tract
Society.

   According the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Trinity is a Satanic dogma of
apostate Christianity that prevents people from knowing the true God,
Jehovah. The Watchtower puts it this way:

   The doctrine in brief is that there are three gods in one: God the
Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost...the Holy Spirit is not a
person and is therefore not one of the gods of the Trinity...the
Trinity doctrine was not conceived by Jesus or the early
Christians...the obvious conclusion therefore is that Satan is the
originator of the Trinity doctrine. 1

   Since the Watchtower denies that the Trinity doctrine is Biblical;
and since they complicate the issue by defining it incorrectly - the
task of true Christians is two fold: First, a definition in accord with
historic Christianity must be given. Secondly, it must be shown that
the doctrine of the Trinity is both Biblical and essential to the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.

   THE HOLY TRINITY

   Definition: Within the unity of the One God there are three Persons,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and these three share the same
Nature and attributes. In effect, the three Persons ARE the one God.

   From this concise statement, similarly set forth in many theological
texts,2 it is clear that the Christian Church does not believe that
"there are three gods in One." Quite to the contrary, we affirm that
there is but one God, as Scripture repeatedly asserts (Deut. 6:4, Isa.
43:10, 1 Tim 2:5).

   Having defined the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, it becomes
necessary, secondly, to demonstrate inductively from the Bible that it
is true.

   To accomplish this, we begin with one basic premise: If it can be
shown from Scripture that there are three persons, all of whom are
called Jehovah (God), then, since there is only one Jehovah (Isa. 44:6,
48:12), those three Persons are the one God. Things equal to the same
thing are equal to each other.

   Just how it is possible for three to be One and for that One to be
three, will also be explained. But first, the evidence:

   1. THE FATHER IS JEHOVAH

   Jehovah's Witnesses are quick to agree with the Apostle Peter that
the Father is called Jehovah. Moreover, Peter and many other Biblical
writers identify Him as a "person" (2 Peter 1:17). It is therefore
unnecessary to press this point, the Witnesses having already conceded
it.

   However, we would point out that the word "person" is, by
definition, descriptive of "ego" or "I." Without "ego," which
distinguishes man from the beast, personality as such would cease to
exist. Any reputable lexicon of Greek dictionary will substantiate the
fact that the Greek word "ego," is the basis for our English term, "I."
Jehovah designates His Being as The Great I AM (Ex. 3:14): So the Deity
is Personal and possesses Ego, the hallmark of Personality.

   We see, then, that one of the three "Persons" - the Father - is
designated "God."

   2. THE SON IS JEHOVAH

   A careful study of the first chapter of Revelation (vs. 11-18) will
show that Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, identifies Himself as "the
first and the last" and "the one who became dead" and who now lives for
all eternity.

   It is of no small significance that in verse 13 of the last chapter
of Revelation, He confirms this title with great emphasis, identifying
Himself in verse 16 as "I Jesus," and declaring that He is "the Alpha
and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." The
context reveals that it is Jesus speaking (vs. 12), for He - not the
Father - is coming "quickly" (Rev. 1:7; 1 Thess. 4:15,16).

   It must never be forgotten that these titles ("the first and the
last," "the Alpha and the Omega'" "the beginning and the end") belong
only to Jehovah God (Isa. 44:6,8; Rev. 1:8, 21:6). But Jesus Christ
claims them as His own, because He, the Son is also Jehovah!

   We see, then, that there are either two firsts and two lasts (a
hopeless contradiction of terms), or the Son is Jehovah, the one who
was pierced for our sins (Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7,11,13) and who is truly
"the fullness of Jehovah in flesh" (Col. 2:9).

   The angel who showed John the wonder Revelation forbade the Apostle
to worship him, for he was but a created being, a "fellow servant."
Quite properly, he declared, "worship Jehovah," (Rev. 22:9). Yet Jesus
Christ, whom Jehovah's Witnesses say is also a created being (i.e.,
Michael the Archangel), commended the worship of Himself as Jehovah
(John 20:28,29). This would have been a blasphemous act of presumption
on His part and a direct violation of His Father's commandments (Ex.
20:3; Deut. 6:17), unless He were in some mysterious sense on in Nature
and Being with His Father. In such a case He would in truth be "equal
with God" and entitled to receive worship as Jehovah(John 5:18,23).

   Jehovah's Witnesses have always taught that Jesus Christ was no more
than a perfect man, "certainly not the supreme God Almighty in the
flesh."3 They state categorically that He was in no sense both God and
man. "Some insist that Jesus while on earth was both God and man. This
theory is wrong."4 Jehovah's Witnesses also maintain that our Lord was
"the first and direct creation of Jehovah God," and that prior to His
earthly life He was an angle.5

   In contrast to this teaching, Scripture and the Christian Church
declare the full Deity of Jesus Christ, and His equality with God the
Father.

   In the first verse of John's Gospel, Christ is revealed as the
eternal Word of God who became flesh (verse 14) - the "image of God" (2
Corinthians 4:4). Consider the emphasis "in the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God and the Word was God" John 1:1).

   Note that John 1:1 states that the Word already was in the beginning
- it does not say the Word "became" or "was created" by God, as
Jehovah's Witnesses teach. The Witness incorrectly translate this text
to read "the Word was a god,"6 but their translation is by both context
and grammar an impossibility according to all recognized authorities on
Greek. No recognized translation bears out their error.

   Moreover, the Scriptures proclaim that Christ made "himself equal
with God" (John 5:18), and that "in him dwelleth all the fullness of
the Deity bodily" (Colossians 2:9). The Bible further states that
Christ claimed to be the great I AM (Jehovah) of the Old Testament (cf.
Exodus 3:13-16 with John 8:58), and the Jews understood Him so clearly
during His ministry that they sought to stone Him to death for
blasphemy (John 8:59; cf. 10:28-33).

   Jehovah's Witnesses pervert these texts and many others in their
determined effort to demote our Lord from His position of God and
Creator (Colossians 1; Hebrews 1); and they compound their error by
translating the Greek of the New Testament, in many places, contrary to
all grammatical authorities. It is certainly true that during His
earthly life our Lord voluntarily limited Himself as a man (Philippians
2:6-8), and thus He never strove to usurp the prerogatives of Deity;
But one does not have to "rob" what is His by inheritance (Hebrews 1).
He was true Deity - "the great God" (Titus 2:13).

   We must not forget that Christ humbled Himself, even to the death of
the cross, and therefore, as a man, could say, "My Father is greater
than I" (John 14:28). However, let us remember that Christ never said,
"My Father is better than I." "Better" is a term of comparison between
natures (Heb 1:4), while "greater," as in the context of John 14, is a
term of comparison relative to positions.

   The President of the United States, for instance, is greater in
position than any of his fellow-Americans by virtue of his office, but
he would be the first to insist that he is not better than other human
beings. So Christ was admittedly inferior to His Father positionally
while on earth as a man, but the Scriptures clearly and unmistakably
state that he was at all times His Father's equal on the spiritual
plane of Divine Being or Nature (Heb. 1:3; John 5:18). Note also that
in 1 Corinthians 15:28 it is function that is dealt with - not Deity.

   Jehovah's Witnesses always point to Christ's humanity in the Bible;
they carefully omit mention of His claim to full Deity, and they thus
"wrest...the...scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16).
the second Person, the Son, is also called God, then, despite the
efforts of the Watchtower to prove the contrary.

   3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS JEHOVAH

   It is peculiar, to say the least, that Jehovah's Witnesses can agree
with the Apostle Peter when he declared that the Father is Jehovah -
and then contradict his affirmation that the Holy Spirit is likewise
Jehovah, as recorded in Acts 5:3 and 4.

   No Christian theologian has ever denied either the Person or Deity
of the Holy Spirit, for the evidence to substantiate both is abundant
in Scripture. For instance, a thorough study of the book of Acts,
chapter thirteen, reveals that the Holy Spirit is a Person, because He
possesses "ego." Luke records therin that the Holy Spirit as a Person
has "ego" (13:2,4) and, furthermore, that He (not "it") prophesies to
His servants and commissions them, as well (21:11). See also such
verses as John 14:26, 15:26, Acts 8:29, 13:2, and Romans 5:5.

   The Scriptures are clear that the Holy Spirit has a "will" (1 Cor.
12:11; Heb. 2:4), and since "will" denotes "ego" or personality, as
opposed to the neuter (animals), obviously the Spirit is a person. We
have also seen from Peter's words that when Ananias lied to the Holy
Spirit, he lied to Jehovah (Acts 5:4). Both the thirteenth chapter of
Acts and Isaiah 48 add to the proof that the Holy Spirit is God, since
He answers the prayers of the Apostles (Acts 13:1-4) and is designated
Deity by the prophet Isaiah (48:16). Even the Watchtower admits that
God alone answers prayer.

   The Bible, then, does indeed teach that the Spirit is a Person and
that He is called God. It is therefore apparent that there are three
Persons mentioned in Scripture and that they are all identified as God:
Yet there is only one true God (Isa. 45:22).

   "LORDS MANY AND GODS MANY"

   There are two other important points that must be mentioned.

   Jehovah's Witnesses claim that, because the Bible designates some
beings and idols as "gods," it is proper for them to call Jesus "a god"
and worship him as the angels did (Heb. 1:6). This is an important
point and must be clarified.

   Of course, it is true that God made Moses appear as a god in
Pharoah's eyes (Exodus 7:1). Moreover, Satan, certain of the judges of
Israel and pagan idols are described as "gods" in the Bible (John
14:30, Psalms 82:6, 1 Cor. 8:4, 10:19, 2 Cor. 4:4). Nevertheless, they
are not deity by nature, as the Apostle Paul flatly states (Gal. 4:8).
They are "gods" by angelic or human acclamation, and God addresses them
in that context. Worshiping a thing can make it your god; but it is not
God by nature - for by nature there is only one God (1 Cor. 8:4-6, 1
Tim. 2:5).

   When this cardinal distinction is made in Scripture, the
Watchtower's doctrine is refuted, and the problem of the usage of the
term "gods" or "a god" disappears.

   COMPOSITE UNITY AND THE TRIPLE POINT

   The second important fact to be remembered is that of the meaning of
the term "one."

   "How is it possible," say the Jehovah's witnesses, "for Jehovah to
be three and one both at the same time? It is illogical, unreasonable
and confusing; and God is not the author of confusion!"

   To answer this all-too-common objection, it should be kept in mind
that the word "one" can denote composite as well as solitary unity. For
instance, in Genesis (chapter 2), Adam and Eve are called one flesh;
and Numbers (chapter 13) speaks of "one" when the context indicates
that is was in reality a cluster of grapes hanging from one stem. Here
are bona fide instances of composite unity.

   The same Hebrew word, "echod" (one) is used in both cases, however,
even as it is in Deuteronomy 6:4 where we are told that God is "One."
The evident composite unity indicated here is confirmed in the New
Testament. Our Lord spoke of composite unity where marriage is
concerned (Mk. 10:8); so He, too, was aware of this important
distinction. See also Joshua 9:2; Judges 20:1; 2 Chron. 30:12; Isaiah
65:25; Nehemiah 7:66 and Ezra 6:20 for further instances of composite
unity.

   Finally, let us illustrate how it is both logically and rationally
possible for three to be one and one to be three simultaneously, since
Jehovah's Witnesses do NOT believe this is possible.

   It is a well-known fact of chemistry that plain water, when placed
in a vacuum under 230 millimeters of gas pressure and at a temperature
of 0 degrees Centigrade, solidifies into ice at the bottom of the
container, remains liquid in the center and vaporizes at the top! At a
given instant the same water is both solid, liquid and gas, yet all
three are manifestations of the same basic substance or nature: H2O -
hydrogen: two parts; oxygen: one.

   If one of the simplest of all created substances can be three in
manifested form and yet remain one in nature, then the Creator of that
substance can surely be Father, Son and Holy Spirit - three Persons and
one Nature - without any violation of logic or reason whatever if He so
wills.

   God is not triples (1+1+1) - He is triune (1x1x1), and He has
revealed Himself fully in the Person of our Lord, Jesus Christ (Col.
2:9; John 14:9).

   Jehovah's Witnesses are not confused by the doctrine of the Trinity
they are confused by the Watchtower Society, from whose power only the
Son of God can liberate. It is our prayer that, in His own time, this
will come to pass - "for ye shall know the truth and the truth shall
set you free...and if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free
indeed." (John 8:32,36).

   Once the foregoing data have been understood, the following texts
from the Old and New Testament confirm the doctrine of the Trinity. A
prayerful reading of these passages will help strenghten your faith in
this great and truly divine revelation of the Nature of God. It will
promote faith in Him "who is able to save to the uttermost all who come
to Him by faith," since He alone is "the Way," (Heb. 7:25; John 14:6;
Acts 16:31; 1 John 2:2; Romans 10:9-13).

   1. Let God Be True, Watchtower Society, Edition 1946, pp. 81, 82,
87, Reconciliation J.W. Rutherford, p. 115. 2. The Trinity, Baker's
Dictionary of Theology, p 115. 3. Let God Be True, p. 87 4. The Truth
Shall Make You Free, Watchtower Society, p. 49, The Harp of God, J.W.
Rutherford, pp. 101, 128. 5. The Kingdom Is At Hand, pp. 46, 47-49. 6.
Let God Be True, pp. 34, 35.

   TRINITY TEXTS: (1) Old Testament Hints - Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22,
Genesis 11:7, Isaiah 6:8, 48:12, Zech. 12:9,10. (2) The Creation -
Genesis 1:2, In 1:3. (3) The Incarnation - Lk. 1:35. (4) The Baptism of
Christ - Matt. 3:17,17. (5) The Resurrection of Christ - Acts 2:26, 1
Thess. 1:10 (The Father), Jn 2:19-21, (The Son), Rom. 8:11, 1 Pet 3:18
(The Holy Spirit), Acts 17:31 (God). (6) The Great Commission - Matt.
28:19. (7) The Divine Benediction - 2 Cor. 13:14. See also John
14:16,26, 15:26.