The Watch Tower’s Trinity Mash-Up

 

In the Reasoning book p.407 the Watch Tower writes:

'Does the Bible agree with those who teach that the Father and the Son are not separate and distinct individuals?

'Matt. 26:39, RS: “Going a little farther he [Jesus Christ] fell on his face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’” (If the Father and the Son were not distinct individuals, such a prayer would have been meaningless. Jesus would have been praying to himself, and his will would of necessity have been the Father’s will.)

'John 8:17, 18, RS: “[Jesus answered the Jewish Pharisees:] In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.” (So, Jesus definitely spoke of himself as being an individual separate and distinct from the Father.)'

Is this what we believe when it is clear from Scripture they are separate and distinct persons?

Egregious Misrepresentation

The Watch Tower’s argument is a straw man argument from the start, refuting something Christians simply don’t believe. The thinking goes:

‘Christians believe both the Father and the Son are God.’

‘Therefore, Christians believe the Father and the Son are the same person.’

‘The Bible teaches the Father and Son are separate and distinct individuals, therefore Jesus can’t be God because, clearly, the Father is God.’

Their opening premise is incorrect. If you are going to refute someone else’s position and come out of it looking credible you must accurately represent that position in the first place. Christian do not believe the Father and the Son are one person, that would be the heresy of modalism, a belief that one God reveals himself to the world in different modes of being. This is not something to which Jehovah’s Witnesses need to address themselves. They need to address what we believe, not what the Watch Tower tells them we believe.

The Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity may be summed like this:

(1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons

(2) each Person is fully God

(3) there is only one God.

The trouble with the Unitarian position is their insistence this doesn’t make sense. However, we are talking about God and it isn’t a question of what makes sense to our finite minds, but of what God has revealed about himself in the Bible. This was the challenge the early church faced when they realised Jesus was so much more than a prophet. It was the challenge the early church councils faced as they worked to refute doctrines that diminished Jesus’ status.

So, what does the Bible say?

The Father is certainly God (Philippians 1:2)

The Son is also God. Paul describes the saints as,’waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ (Titus2:13) Of course, the New World Translation gives:

‘...we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ…’

Is Paul here referring to two persons, the Father and the Son, or is he referring to Jesus alone as, ‘our great God and Saviour’? There are several reasons for thinking the latter:

1. There is no definite article before the noun ‘Saviour’ giving us, ‘our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ The New World Translation inserts the definite article giving us, ‘our great God and our Saviour,’ where it is not found in the Greek.

2. There is no reference in the New Testament to an epiphany of God the Father. Every reference to an epiphany refers to Jesus alone, e.g. John 1:1; 20:28 etc.

3. Context makes it refer to Christ since it goes on to talk about Christ’s suffering and death.

4. The term ‘God and Saviour’ was a stereotypical formula in the ancient world to refer to one single deity.

Paul is referring to Jesus as our great God.’ I am thankful to John Stott and his Bible Speaks Today commentary on Titus.

The Spirit is God. We looked at this in my last article, which I reproduce in part here:

'They point out the Holy Spirit is a parakletos, a helper. They fail to exegete the whole text in John 14, where Jesus promises his followers ‘another Helper.’ Another translates the Greek allos, Latin allus, meaning one besides what has been mentioned. You find many examples of this use in the New Testament, 157 in total. Here are three:

‘...if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.’ Mt.5:39

‘He told them another parable…’ t.13:14, 31, 33

‘Now some cried out one thing, some another…’ Acts 19:32; 21:34

Right cheek, another cheek besides what has been mentioned.

One parable, another parable besides what has been mentioned.

One thing cried out, another thing cried out besides what has been cried out.

One comforter, another comforter besides what has been mentioned.

John writes in his first letter, ‘My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ 1 John 2:1

‘Advocate’ in this passage translates parakletos. So, what is the parakletos of which the Holy Spirit is ‘another’ (allos)? Look at the John 14 text – in context.

Jesus begins by speaking of his departure ‘to prepare a place for you’ (v2) telling them, ‘Let not your hearts be troubled.’ (v1). Jesus is returning to the Father and charges them, ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforter (parakletos), even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.’ (vv15-17)

Jesus is the parakletos who is going back to the Father, the Spirit is the parakletos who is being sent by the Father, the ‘other’ besides the first, another of the same kind. One comforter, another comforter besides what has been mentioned.'

A problem some have is in harbouring doubts about these sound biblical arguments when a JW appears to confidently deny and refute them. Have confidence in God’s Word and allow it to inform you, not the doubts and refutations of what are, after all, people who repeat parrot fashion what they are taught and told.

Are the members of the Trinity separate persons? Yes

Is Titus calling Jesus ‘our great God’? Yes

Is the Holy Spirit another of the same kind as Jesus? Yes

Three persons, each fully God, one God.