Bridge of Reason

  The Watch Tower Society insists the title 'Word' means Jesus is 'God's spokesperson': “ The beginning” refers to the time when God began his creative work and produced the Word. Thereafter, the Word was used by God in the creation of all other things. (John 1:2, 3) The Bible states that Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation” and that “by means of him all other things were created.”—Colossians 1:15, 16. "The phrase “the Word was a god” describes the divine or godlike nature that Jesus possessed before he came to earth. He can be described in this way because of his role as God’s Spokesman and his unique position as the firstborn Son of God through whom God created all other things." This effectively makes him no more than a great prophet, much as in Islam. As a created being, albeit the first to be created, the only difference between him and other prophets is one of precedence. Does the Bible say Jesus was created? Is Jesus just another spokesperson ...

  Last week I asked, ‘Is Worshipping Jesus Wrong?’ We discovered the Watch Tower Society is inconsistent in its understanding of ‘worship’ as well as in its historical teaching and practice. In asking ‘Is Jesus God?’ we are looking at the magnificent description of Jesus in Paul’s letter to Colossae, a magnificence that is totally missed by Unitarian believers like Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Heresy Paul’s purpose in writing is to refute a heresy that has arisen among Colossian believers. The saints at Colossae appear to have come under the influence of a hybrid, Jewish/Pagan, philosophical system marked by: Ceremonialism : concerning food, drink, certain religious festivals and circumcision (2:16-17,23) Asceticism : ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’ (2:21) Angel worship (2:18) Secret knowledge (2:18) Human wisdom and tradition (2:4,8) The deprecation of Christ (2:8) Paul writes: ‘ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according...

  Continuing our look at the Trinity, we find in the Reasoning book p. 210 the Watch Tower continues to address the question: 'Does the Bible teach that none of those who are said to be included in the Trinity is greater or less than another, that all are equal, that all are almighty?' They comment on the gospel text in Matt. 20:20-23, RS: “ The mother of the sons of Zebedee . . . said to him [Jesus], ‘Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, . . . ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’” They go on: ‘ (How strange, if, as claimed, Jesus is God! Was Jesus here merely answering according to his “human nature”? If, as Trinitarians say, Jesus was truly “God-man”—both God and man, not one or the other—would it truly be consistent to resort to such an explanation? Does not Matthew 20:...

  The Watch Tower seems fixated on the task of denying the deity of Christ. Their website is crowded with articles on the question, and Jehovah's Witnesses seem well rehearsed in arguing their case. How can Jesus be Jehovah: I f he is 'the firstborn of all creation' (Col.1:15, it refers to Christ’s rights as a Son pr ō totokos, his supreme status, not to his origin as a created being ) I f he is simply acting as an agent of Jehovah (John 12:49, This reflects the relationship of Father and Son within the Godhead, equal but with different roles, not the inferiority of the Son ) I f, in the end, Jesus hands over the kingdom to the Father (1 Cor.15:24, see John 12:49 above. This is a functional subordination between equals ) Where does the Bible ever say that Jesus is God? How would you begin to handle this question and demonstrate Jesus' true nature? The Watchtower Magisterium The first thing to understand is the Bible is not the authority in a Jehovah’s...