Jehovah's Witnesses - My Experience

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When was the last time the Jehovah’s Witnesses stopped at your door? This summer, they stopped twice at mine. I should thank them. It was because of a Jehovah’s Witness in 1990’s that I became a pastor. I was beginning to study Greek and was reviewing the Greek alphabet at a car dealers auction with a friend. A man at the auction saw me studying and gave me a booklet titled, “Should You Believe in the Trinity?: Is Jesus Christ the Almighty God?” After my first reading of the booklet, I was surprised. It is well written. It seemed convincing. It appeared Jesus Christ wasn’t God. Of was he? Over the next months I examined the booklet in detail. I checked Scripture references in their context. I read my Bible to see for myself. The research culminated in a January independent study course where I wrote a response to the pamphlet.


Yes, Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God. This Jehovah’s Witness booklet is untrue. It aims to distort Christ’s identity and destroy salvation. I was so deeply disturbed by this booklet that I switched my majors and became a Christian pastor.

I really need to thank the Jehovah’s Witnesses for their booklet driving me to Christ and ultimately into the preaching and teaching about Jesus. The man who is God, the only way of salvation.

Here are a few clips from the booklet and some biblical responses.

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Jesus was a human while on earth, but he was not only human. He was also fully God at the same time. This is the mystery of the incarnation.

Jesus is human

He experienced fatigue.

Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. John 4:6 (ESV)

He became hungry.

And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Matthew 4:2 (ESV)

Why was Jesus human?

To be our substitute and sacrifice

For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:16–17 (ESV)

To be our mediator

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)

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So Jesus is fully man, but he was and continued to remain fully God AT THE SAME TIME! The Jehovah’s Witnesses say this can’t be true because it doesn’t make sense. I agree. I don’t know how this works but the Bible tells us that he remained fully God while he was also fully man. The Jehovah’s Witnesses say Jesus was a created spirit being, just like the angels. That just isn’t what the Bible says! If you think these are prooftexts, I encourage you to read these verses in context! I did! Did people in the first century considered Jesus God? That is the whole point!

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28 (ESV)

To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. Romans 9:5 (ESV)

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Peter 1:1 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 (ESV)

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 (ESV)

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” Matthew 3:1–3 (ESV) (This is a quote from Isaiah 40:3 which speaks of God himself walking amongst his people.)

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” Matthew 22:41–45 (ESV) (The Pharisees thought the Christ would just be human but Jesus pointed out from Psalm 110 that the Christ is also God!)

And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Hebrews 1:10–13 (ESV) (In context, this is talking about Jesus making all of creation, including fashioning the angels!)

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Is it true that Jesus never claimed to be God? Is it true that Jesus never considered himself equal to God in any way?

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 2:5–7 (ESV)

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” John 10:25–33 (ESV) (Jesus clearly claimed to be God in this passage and the Jews clearly understood his claims!)

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. John 17:5 (ESV)


Want to learn more about the true identity of Jesus?

http://www.christ2rculture.com/resources/Sermons/Doctrine/4---Doctrine---Jesus-Christ-Person---Manuscript.pdf


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