Ben Webb

Proving the Deity of Christ...
...to Jehovah's Witnesses

Introduction | Table of Contents

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Introduction

It is my belief that any doctrine is better understood when we are able to refute the arguments that may be used against it. Since the Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs for short) are probably the most prevalent people who call themselves "Christian" but reject the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, this study is written from the position of a civil debate with members of their organization. We are not necessarily encouraging such a debate; we only wish to use this format in order to better explain the concepts contained herein. But if some reader does wish to engage in a "civil debate" with Jehovah's Witnesses, the information contained in this study should prove to be helpful.

The Jehovah's Witnesses base a large part of their doctrine upon the unscriptural belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is only a created being (or, a "creature"). They teach that God first created Jesus, and then Jesus created everything else in the universe. Not only is this teaching to be condemned; it should also be refuted by knowledgeable Christians whenever possible. Far too many Christians, though, either don't have any idea the J Ws teach this, or don't care. As a result, this false doctrine continues to be propagated.

The main purpose of this study, then, is to prove that Jesus is indeed God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. We will accomplish this by explaining how to answer the various arguments used by the J Ws against the Deity of Christ.

For the most part, J Ws are nothing more than sincere people who have been deceived into believing they are the only ones who have hope of eternal life. It is highly unlikely that they will realize they have been deceived when we first talk to them; but if we pray for guidance, the Lord may lead us to "plant a seed of truth" that someone else is to water later. Or, there is also a possibility that someone may have already planted a seed, and that the Lord may actually be choosing us as the ones who are to water the seed!

Typically, the first time the J Ws come by, they will not have much time to discuss the Bible. Instead, they usually hit a neighborhood in groups, and focus upon distributing their magazines to as many people as possible. So the more we know about our subject initially, the more success we will have reasoning with them. If they begin making excuses to leave, it is recommended that they be asked to come back at a specific date and time. Be certain, though, that they may bring others who are better trained on their next visit, especially if they had difficulty defending their beliefs in the initial visit. Above all else, we should always allow the scriptures to be our final authority, instead of relying upon some creed or tradition.

The main purpose of the following study, then, is to prove that our Lord Jesus Christ was truly God manifested in the flesh. If some reader does decide to discuss scripture with the next J Ws that show up at the door, many of the arguments they will use are refuted in the following study. Most of these arguments have actually been used by the J Ws that have come to this writer's own door, and some of their typical reactions are related from personal observation. Although we are all individuals, and there is no way we can predict the reaction of each individual J W, they are still predictable to a large extent as a group, having been trained by their parent organization to use specific arguments in defense of certain doctrines they hold. These same arguments can also be found in their publications, being standard arguments The Watchtower has used for years.

The scriptures contained in the following study, then, should benefit every reader, whether one wishes to talk to the J Ws, or whether one simply wishes to learn more about the Trinity. Let the reader be aware, though, that a J W is taught not to accept any literature that is perceived to be anti-Jehovah's Witness in content, so they will refuse to read this study if it is handed to them. For this reason, it is advisable for the reader to learn these passages, and also to mark them in the Bible if he or she decides to "witness to the J Ws". For those who simply wish to learn more concerning the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and who do not wish to talk to any J Ws, the following study should help them to understand why we believe Jesus is God, and why we believe the Holy Spirit is God. This writer's only wish is for all Christians to better understand these concepts. Even when we are doctrinally correct, we still gain a better understanding of our own doctrine them when we can successfully refute arguments that may be used against it.