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Perhaps the most widely known verse in the Bible stressing the oneness of God is Deuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema. This verse supports a fundamental principle of both Jehovah’s Witnesses and mainstream Christianity. The Watchtower teaches that God is only one. Meanwhile, fundamental Christianity teaches that God is Triune in nature, a compound unity.
In Deuteronomy 6:4, the Hebrew word for one is echad, Strong's Concordance 259. Though this word can refer to only one, there are a number of instances in the Bible where it refers to a compound unity. One example can be found in Genesis 1:5, the first time this Hebrew word is used in the Scriptures: "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first (echad) day." In this verse, the evening and morning make up one (echad) day. This is a compound unity!
Another example where echad is used as a compound unity is in Genesis 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one (echad) flesh." Here, a man is described as leaving his father and mother, cleaving to his wife, and both of them becoming one (echad) flesh.
One other illustration where echad refers to a compound unity is in Ezekiel 37:19. It reads, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one (echad) stick, and they shall be one (echad) in mine hand." Here the Lord GOD instructs Ezekiel that there will come a day when the House of Israel and the House of Judah will once again become one (echad) nation, demonstrated by the two sticks becoming one (echad) stick.
These examples show that although there are cases when echad does not refer to a oneness in unity, there are times when it does. It should also be mentioned that, if God was only One, the Hebrew word yachiyd, Strong’s 3173, should have been used. As a general Bible principle, yachiyd means ‘only one’ while echad can, at times, refer to a compound unity. Since echad is used in Deuteronomy 6:4 defining the LORD our God as one (echad) LORD, it should therefore be considered inconclusive to claim that God is only one based on this verse alone.
Furthermore, in Genesis 1:26, God refers to Himself in the plural as follows, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Here, God could not have been talking to angels since there is no indication in the Scriptures that angels were made in God’s image. Additionally, there is no verse to indicate that man was made in the image of angels. However, the Bible is clear that man was made in God's image:
Regarding Genesis 1:26, the logical conclusion is that God must have been talking to someone who had His same exact image prior to His creation of man. The LORD could not have been talking to the angels since the Bible does not indicate that they are in His image.
Here are other examples where God refers to Himself in the plural:
The following are seven clear illustrations provided in the Hebrew Scriptures that prove the Messiah is Jehovah. Though this fact is established and developed in the Old Testament, it is contrary to the prevailing beliefs held by the Watchtower Society and the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The most obvious single verse in the Bible pointing directly to the Messiah’s Deity is Isaiah 9:6. It reads as follows, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Regarding this prophesied child, Isaiah 9:7 states, "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
Isaiah 9:6-7 refers to a King, a Prince of Peace, who will sit on the throne of David. He will establish judgment and justice upon the earth, and He will have an everlasting kingdom of peace. In the past, no earthly king of Judah had been able to accomplish this, but the Messiah will!
All Jehovah’s Witnesses agree that the child in Isaiah 9:6 is the prophesied Jesus Christ. One of the titles that He is given is “The mighty God" (in Hebrew, el gibbor). This is a name reserved for God alone. In Isaiah 10:20-21, one chapter later, Jehovah is called 'el gibbor:'
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (21) The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God (el gibbor)."
According to Deuteronomy 6:4 there is one LORD, not two. Since the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the prophesied Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 and Jehovah in Isaiah 10:20-21 are two separate beings, they are claiming two mighty Gods. To acknowledge more than one God is polytheism, a violation of Deuteronomy 6:4 and the Shema.
Therefore, contrary to the Watchtower’s teachings, there can be only one conclusion with respect to this issue: According to Isaiah 9:6, the prophesied Jesus is ‘el gibbor’. In Isaiah 10:20-21, the prophet calls Jehovah 'el gibbor.' Since the Shema teaches that there is one God, Jesus must be Jehovah!
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6
In this verse, Jesus will also be called "The everlasting Father" (in Hebrew 'abi 'ad). This title further verifies His Deity. According to Exodus 4:22, the LORD calls Israel His firstborn son as follows, "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn."
Exodus 4:22 emphasizes God's Father-son relationship with the children of Israel. Since Isaiah 9:6 tells us that Israel will call Jesus "The everlasting Father," He must be the LORD Himself. After all, how many fathers can a son have? Malachi 2:10 states:
"Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?"
According to Malachi, the children of Israel have one father, not two! Since Isaiah 9:6 indicates that He will be called "The everlasting Father," Jesus must be Jehovah!
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." -Malachi 3:1
In this verse, the LORD of hosts states that there will come a day when the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple. Malachi 3:2-3 continues to explain what will happen on that day: He will purify and purge the sons of Levi like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap:
"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: (3) And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."
An interesting connection is depicted in Zechariah 3:8-9 which portrays the BRANCH, described as the stone laid before Joshua the high priest, directly involved in the removal of the iniquity of the land in one day. In the Scriptures, the BRANCH refers to the Messiah:
"Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."
Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, the Hebrew adon is always used with reference to God when the definite article is present, i.e. ha'adon1. In Malachi 3:1-3, the prophet uses these terms to show that the LORD is coming to His temple to purify the priests, the sons on Levi. According to Zechariah 3:8-9, the BRANCH comes before Joshua the high priest, who represents the entire priesthood, to remove iniquity in one day. Therefore, The LORD and the Messiah are one in the same. The Messiah is Jehovah!
One of the strongest arguments in support of the Messiah’s Deity is the fact that when God sets up His kingdom that will never end, the Scriptures indicate that there will only be one King who will reign over all the earth. Zechariah 14:9 and Ezekiel 37:22 confirm:
Since there will be only one King over all the earth, the following Scriptural evidence establishes the indisputable fact that the Messiah must be the Jehovah. According to the Bible, when God establishes His kingdom, it is He Himself who will reign forever in Zion as King over all the earth. Psalm 132:13-14, Zephaniah 3:15-17, Zechariah 8:23 and Zechariah 14:16-17 all confirm:
The Scriptures are blatantly clear that the LORD God fully intends to dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever as the ONE King over all the earth. For those who deny the Deity of the Messiah such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is where a major reconciliation dilemma begins: According to the Scriptures, it is Jesus who will reign forever as the ONE King over all the earth. Isaiah 9:6-7, Ezekiel 37:22,24-25 and Daniel 7:13-14 state the following:
These three passages all apply to Jesus the Messiah (also see Luke 1:30-33). The Ezekiel passage was written approximately 400 years after king David had died. Considering the obvious context of the passage, most generally believe that these Scriptures refer to the Messiah, who is sometimes called 'David.' These Biblical references teach that the Messiah will be King and that His kingdom will last forever. Accordingly, Psalm 132:13-14, Zephaniah 3:15-17, Zechariah 8:23 and Zechariah 14:16-17 all reveal that Jehovah will be King and have an everlasting kingdom. Since there will be only one King over all the earth, logic dictates that Jesus is Jehovah!
As we have seen, there are instances in the Scriptures when the Messiah is called David. Other examples can be found in Jeremiah 30:9, Ezekiel 34:24, Ezekiel 37:24-25 and Hosea 3:5. In Ezekiel 37:24, the prophet states, "And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them."
According to this verse, there will come a day when the children of Israel will have one shepherd. He is called David, with reference to the Messiah. However, the Scriptures also teach the following:
These Scriptures clearly reveal that the LORD is the Shepherd. Since Ezekiel 37:24 refers to the Messiah as Israel's one shepherd and the preceding verses demonstrate the LORD is Israel’s Shepherd, it follows that the Jesus the Messiah is the LORD!
"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." -Daniel 7:13-14
According to this passage, the Son of man, who is the Messiah, is brought before the Ancient of days. The Ancient of days is the LORD. The Son of man is given “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve Him.”
Daniel 7:22 further confirms the Deity of the Son of man as follows: Though He is portrayed as coming with the clouds of heaven in Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel 7:22 refers to Him as the "Ancient of days:"
"Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."
According to this verse, it is the Ancient of days who comes. Meanwhile, verse 13 reveals that it is the Son of man, the Messiah, who comes to set up His kingdom. In conclusion, the Son of man who comes with the clouds of heaven and is brought before the Ancient of days according to Daniel 7:13-14 is called the Ancient of days in Daniel 7:22. Therefore, the Messiah must be the Ancient of days. The Messiah is the LORD!
"Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations." -Psalm 82:8
Keeping this verse in mind, Psalm 24:1 indicates that the earth and everything in it belongs to the LORD. It states, "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."
Although Psalm 24:1 teaches that all things belong to the LORD, Psalm 82:8 shows that God, in Hebrew Elohim, will inherit all nations. In Psalm 82:8 the Hebrew word nachal, Strong's Concordance 5157, refers to one 'taking possession by inheritance.' This word was first used in Exodus 23:30 describing Israel, God's firstborn son according to Exodus 4:22, inheriting the land.
Why would nachal be used with reference to God inheriting anything? Unless, of course, God is a firstborn Son!
Though Psalm 82:8 teaches that God will judge the earth and inherit all nations, the Bible also teaches that the Messiah will judge the earth and inherit all nations. Psalm 2:6-8 and Jeremiah 23:5 provide the evidence of this critical illustration:
Since Psalm 82:8 teaches that God will judge the earth and inherit all nations and Jeremiah 23:5 and Psalm 2:6-8 reveal that the Messiah will do the same, the conclusion is clear: The Messiah is the LORD!
As we have seen, the Messiah’s Deity is clearly taught in the Hebrew Scriptures. Regarding the Deity of Jesus Christ, the New Testament is in full agreement. It is important for Christians to remember that, when dialoguing with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is not necessary to prove Jesus’ Deity time and time again. Once or twice should be sufficient! Though this section will supply only ten illustrations of Jesus as Jehovah, there are many more that can be provided.
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” -John 8:58
During Jesus’ ministry, according to Jewish law, a person would be stoned to death for three crimes: murder, adultery or blasphemy. In John 8:58, when Jesus was speaking to the Jews, He gave them two important facts regarding His identity:
In John 8:58, if Jesus merely indicated that He lived before Abraham, the Jews may have only questioned His sanity. However, how did they react? John 8:59 provides the answer:
Regarding Jesus’ statement in John 8:58 followed by the response from the Jews, it appears that they fully understood who Jesus was claiming to be. Additionally, we need to ask ourselves a question: “What was Jesus attempting to convey to them?” The answer is clear: He was revealing His identity as Jehovah since only God has no beginning. The Jews understood this! According to them this was blasphemy, punishable by death. This is why they took up stones to stone Him.
“I and my Father are one. (31) Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.” -John 10:30-31
When Jesus said, “I and my Father are one” in John 10:30, why did the Jews take up stones to stone Him according to John 10:31? In John 10:32 Jesus asks them, “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?” In John 10:33, the Jews responded:
The Jews reacted in this manner because they knew the Scriptures. Prior to Jesus saying, “I and my Father are one”, He cited Deuteronomy 32:39 on behalf of Himself and His Father. The applicable Scriptures follow:
Then Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.”
The Jews, believing in one God, understood this as blasphemy. According to them how could Jesus, being a man, place Himself on the same level as God by applying Deuteronomy 32:39 to Himself and His Father? They believed that only God could provide eternal life, which is true! They realized who Jesus was claiming to be. This is why they took up stones to stone Him. They believed His claim was blasphemy, punishable by death!
“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. (28) And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. (29) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” -John 20:27-29
In John 20:25, Thomas indicated to the other disciples who had previously seen Jesus the following, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” According to John 20:27, Thomas’ doubt was removed. After confirming that it was Jesus, Thomas responded to Him, “…My Lord and my God.”
When reading this passage, we need to ask ourselves the following question: “What was Thomas saying to Jesus?” The answer is clear! The Gospel-writer was indicating that Thomas recognized who Jesus was, Jehovah in the flesh! He referred to Jesus as his Lord and his God. There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4) and one Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4, Ephesians 4:5).
Those who argue against Jesus’ Deity, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, contend that Thomas was exclaiming “My Lord” to Jesus and “my God” to God and NOT directing his entire statement to Jesus. However, regarding this matter, there are two facts that one needs to consider:
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” -Acts 20:28
According to this verse, God paid for the church “with his own blood.” Here, the Greek word haima, Strong’s 129 is used. In the New Testament, this word is used 99 times and always refers to literal blood. It is never used with respect to a father calling his son ‘his blood.’
Additionally, Colossians 1:13-14 teaches that we are redeemed through Jesus’ blood:
Since Acts 20:28 teaches that God purchased the church with His blood, and Colossians 1:13-14 reveals that we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, the conclusion is quite obvious: Jesus is God!
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” -1Timothy 3:15-16
In some manuscripts, 1Timothy 3:16 reads “…he was manifest in the flesh….” However, this is not a problem for those who believe in Jesus’ Deity. The pronoun he in verse 16 refers to the previous noun, which is God according to 1Timothy 3:15. This passage clearly teaches that Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, is God “manifest in the flesh.”
In Hebrews 1:8, the Father declares His Son’s Deity as follows, “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”
This is a direct quote from Psalm 45:6, which states, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.”
According to Hebrews 1:8, the Father Himself applies Psalm 45:6 with respect to His Son, calling Him God.
“Then I said to them: “If it is good in YOUR eyes, give [me] my wages; but if not, refrain.” And they proceeded to pay my wages, thirty pieces of silver. (13) At that, Jehovah said to me: “Throw it to the treasury – the majestic value with which I have been valued from their standpoint. Accordingly I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it into the treasury at the house of Jehovah.” -Zechariah 11:12-13 (NWT)
Though this passage in the NWT foretells that Jehovah would be priced at thirty pieces of silver, this was fulfilled in the New Testament when Jesus was priced at thirty pieces of silver. Regarding Jesus’ betrayal, Matthew 26:14-15 states:
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, (15) And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”
In other words, Jesus is Jehovah!
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.” -Revelation 5:6-7
According to John 1:29, Jesus Christ is called “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
In Revelation 5:6 the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ, is in the midst of the throne. ‘In the midst of’ means that He is in the center of the throne. Moreover, according to the following verse, the Lamb took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. After looking at this closely, it becomes clear that the Lamb of God and Jehovah are on the same throne. However, Revelation 11:15 teaches that there is one King and one throne as follows:
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he [singular] shall reign for ever and ever.”
There is only one way that the Son and His Father can be on the same throne. According to John 1:18, Jesus is “in the bosom” of the Father. Moreover, according to John 16:28 and John 17:8, Jesus taught that He came forth from the Father. The Word of God, which was made flesh, came out from God and is in the bosom of His Father:
According to the Scriptures, the Father and Son are One Being. As One Being, the Son is in the bosom of the Father. This is the reason why the Scriptures teach that there is One LORD, One Almighty God, One Mighty God, One Savior, One Shepherd, One Alpha and Omega, One Ancient of days, One Everlasting Father, and One King of kings. All of these titles apply to both Father and Son for a reason: since the Son is ‘in the bosom of’ the Father as One Being, these titles can apply to both of them.
Revelation 1:8 declares, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
In this verse, Almighty God refers to Himself as the Alpha and Omega, who will come. Only God has no beginning and can be called the Alpha and Omega. Additionally, Revelation 22:12-13 teaches that the Alpha and Omega will come and bring His reward with Him:
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (13) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
Though this passage teaches that the Alpha and Omega will come and reward every man according to His works, Jesus taught in Matthew 16:27 that it would be Him, the Son of man, who will come and reward every man according to His works:
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
Though Revelation 22:12-13 instructs that the Alpha and Omega, who is the LORD, will come and reward every man according to His work, Matthew 16:27 teaches that the Son of man will come and reward every man according to His works. The conclusion is quite obvious: the Son of man, who is Jesus the Messiah, is the Alpha and Omega, who is the LORD. It is He who will come and reward every man according to His works.
In order to provide final confirmation for this conclusion, Revelation 22:12-16, specifically verse 16, identifies Jesus as the speaker throughout the entire passage:
According to Revelation 22:12-16, the Alpha and Omega is Jesus, God Himself! There is no indication that there is a change in speaker. Therefore, this confirms that it is He who will come and reward every man according to his works (Revelation 22:12, 16, Matthew 16:27).
By whose name are we saved? Romans 10:13 answers, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This is a direct quote from the Hebrew Scriptures as Joel 2:32 reads, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered…”
Though Romans 10:13 and Joel 2:32 teach that whoever calls upon God’s name will be saved or delivered, Acts 4:10-12 reveals that we are ONLY saved by the name of Jesus, NOT by any other name:
Since Acts 4:10-12 states that we are saved ONLY by Jesus’ name, and Romans 10:13 and Joel 2:32 teach that we are saved when we call on the name of the LORD, there exists only one logical conclusion: Jesus is the LORD!
As shown by these 17 examples, 7 in the Old Testament and 10 in the New Testament, there are many illustrations in the Bible which prove that Jesus is Jehovah. The only problem for the Christian is cutting through the smoke and mirrors that the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ are taught to create in order to confuse the issues. The Watchtower Society teaches its members to create confusion to those who may be unaware of the applicable Scriptures and not prepared to defend their position.
Do not allow the Jehovah’s Witness to change the subject regarding any doctrinal issue, especially with respect to Jesus’ Deity. Once the Christian establishes and demonstrates His Deity using any of these illustrations, it is time to place the Jehovah’s Witness on the defensive. Do NOT allow them to change the subject, unless they are willing to admit that the Scriptures teach that Jesus is Jehovah.
In order to come to a greater understanding regarding the identity of Jesus the Messiah, it is important to realize who He is with respect to the creation issue. Genesis chapter 1 explains the creation process; God brought everything into existence with His Word:
While the Scriptures reveal that God created everything with His Word, Isaiah 44:24 provides additional information. It teaches that God created all things by Himself, "Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself."
According to John 1:1-3, God created all things with His Word. This position is in perfect agreement with Genesis chapter 1 which states that God created all things with His Word by speaking creation into existence, i.e. "And God said", etc. Since Isaiah 44:24 teaches that God made all things by Himself, He created all things by Himself WITH His Word.
John 1:14 identifies God's Word, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." This verse teaches that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, is the Word of God made flesh. The Father, with His Word which was made flesh, made all things. Certainly one God created us as Malachi 2:10 states, "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?"
Additionally, according to John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:15-17 and Revelation 3:14, the New Testament confirms that Jesus Christ, the Word of God, created all things:
John 1:1 provides one of the biggest challenges for Christians when dialoguing with the Jehovah's Witnesses. The reason is as follows: Regarding this verse, the New World Translation renders an extremely different result when compared to Bible translations accepted within the confines of fundamental Christianity.
Regarding the person of Jesus Christ, John 1:1 from the King James Version of the Bible and John 1:1 from the NWT state as follows:
John 1:1 (KJV) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
John 1:1 (NWT) "In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god."
It is important to remember that the Jehovah's Witnesses blatantly deny the Deity of Jesus Christ. While the King James Bible and other Christian translations refer to Him as God in John 1:1, the NWT calls Him a god. Generally speaking, any dialogue between a Christian and a Jehovah's Witness regarding John 1:1 will yield little or no result since the matter will eventually become an issue of who has a more credible and accurate translation. Naturally, the Jehovah's Witness will trust in their NWT because it not only supports their theology, but they have been taught that it is a much more accurate and superior translation than other Bibles.
Scripture always interprets Scripture, and verse interprets verse. When a word in a verse is mistranslated in order to render a false conclusion, the Bible will expose it. With respect to the Jehovah’s Witnesses and John 1:1, this is no exception! Their erroneous position can be uncovered as follows, starting with John 1:2-3, which states:
"The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
In order to respond to the Jehovah's Witnesses regarding their incorrect position on John 1:1-3, it is important for the Christians to take their position regarding Jesus being a god, and to use it against them. Regarding the creation issue, it is necessary to use other verses and passages in the Scriptures to illustrate that they are incorrect. The first step is to ask the Jehovah's Witness if they believe that Jesus, being a god according to them, was directly active and involved in the creation process which John 1:1-3 seems to establish. It is important for the Christian to get the Jehovah's Witness on the record with respect to this matter and have them answer the question. If their answer is yes, that Jesus was active and involved in the creation process, the Christian should show the Jehovah’s Witness that they are incorrect by using Isaiah 44:24 which teaches that Jehovah made all things by Himself. Isaiah 44:24 (KJV) and Isaiah 44:24 (NWT) state as follows:
Since Isaiah 44:24 states that Jehovah made all things by Himself, this would refute the Jehovah's Witnesses' response that Jesus, being a god according to them, took part in creation.
However, if the Jehovah's Witness' answer is no to this question which would indicate that they believe that Jesus, being a god according to them, had nothing to do with creation, the Christian should immediately respond with Jeremiah 10:10-11 which reads as follows:
"But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. (11) Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens."
Jeremiah 10:11 states that the gods which have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens. Should the Jehovah's Witnesses indicate that they believe that Jesus is a god who had nothing to do with creation, and then they are shown Jeremiah 10:11, it should give them something to think about regarding the Watchtower’s teachings about Jesus Christ. According to Jeremiah 10:11, it states that He, being a god according to them, will perish from the earth and under the heavens. Naturally, this cannot be the case since Luke 1:32-33 teaches to the contrary, that He shall reign forever:
"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
No matter what answer is provided by the Jehovah's Witness to this question, the Christian can feel relatively assured that they have placed a seed of doubt in the minds of the Jehovah's Witness by using either Isaiah 44:24 or Jeremiah 10:10-11 to refute their answer. Worth repeating, if the Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to maintain that the Father and Son are two separate beings, their theology falls into chaos.
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