Watch Out for More Watchtower (“Jehovah’s Witnesses”) Deception on the Title Mighty God
The Watchtower Society teaches that the person of Jesus is not the person of Jehovah. This teaching is the foundational building block upon which all of their assertions are made. They believe that Jesus is not divine and they boast in their proof-texts to support their dogma. They explain that Jesus is a lesser god like the demigods of Greek mythology.
However, their deception is made manifest through the why in which they perform exegetical somersaults in order to prove this teaching from the Holy Scriptures. The Bible clearly reveals that there is only One God and Jesus is God. Over the years, the Watchtower organization has developed a method of explanation in order to refute these clear passages. Understand that the organization has been knocking on doors for over one hundred years. They train their witnesses to bear witness to the organization’s teachings.
First, they admit that the Greek word for god (theos) is used for Jesus. Thus, they can proudly say that Jesus is a god. Note the indefinite article and the lower case letter. Here they make a false dichotomy between the God and a god. The Society falsely teaches that Jehovah is the God while Jesus is a god. They define the term theos as a mighty one. Therefore, Jesus can be called a mighty one just like Jehovah or others can rightly be called mighty ones.
Second, they create a false dichotomy between Almighty God and Mighty God. After all, Jesus is given the title Mighty God in Isaiah chapter nine. Due to their false teaching, they have invented a dishonest contrast between almighty and mighty that can easily be exposed. The Hebrew word for almighty (shadday) is not even related to the Hebrew word for mighty (gibbor). There is absolutely no etymological connection between these two Hebrew words. The Watchtower organization is using a difference that is found in English vocabulary. They are treating the word almighty as the superlative of mighty. In this way, one that is almighty is mightier than one that is mighty. This line of logic is rather comical considering that Jehovah is called the “Great God” (Ezra 5:8; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 95:3; Daniel 2:45; Titus 2:13) If there if an Almighty God that is mightier than a Mighty God, then there must be a Greater God who is greater than a Great God.
This magician’s trick is complete nonsense. Recall, that their working definition for theos is “a mighty one”. Now if the word god merely means “mighty one,” then why on earth would there be a need for clarification that Jesus is a Mighty God since gods are mighty. It would be redundant to say that Jesus is a mighty one who is a mighty one. On the other hand, if Jesus was a demigod, like the Watchtower teaches, then He would never be called merely a mighty one. There would need to be a distinction between Jesus the mightier one and all other mighty ones. He could only be called Mighty God. Likewise, if Jehovah is the Almighty God, then He would never be called Mighty God let alone God. He could only be called Almighty God to distinguish Him between Jesus the Mighty God and all other mighty ones.
The Spirit of Truth leads us into all truth through the prophetic and apostolic scriptures. Throughout the Bible the Hebrew word for God (el/elohim) and the Greek word theos is used for the One True God. Jehovah is called God and Jesus is called God. Sometimes there is a definite article and sometimes there is not. Psalm 18 teaches, “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?—” (Psalm 18:31, ESV) Isaiah 45 teaches, “Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.” (Isaiah 45:21, ESV) Psalm 91 teaches “I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”” (Psalm 91:2, ESV) John 20 teaches, “Thomas answered him [Jesus], “My Lord and my God!”” (John 20:28, ESV) Romans 9 teaches, “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)
We should not play games like the Watchtower and say that Jesus is a god and Mighty God, but not Almighty God. The title Mighty God is used for both Jehovah and Jesus. Again, if Jehovah is Almighty God, then He cannot be called Mighty God or god (mighty one). In Isaiah chapter nine, Jesus is called Mighty God. In Isaiah chapter ten, Jehovah is called Mighty God. Isaiah teaches, “In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.” (Isaiah 10:20–21, ESV) Bible teaches us to confess that Jesus is Jehovah. The Watchtower teaches that Jehovah is a person. However, the Bible does not teach that Jehovah is a person. Instead, the Bible teaches that God is One in divine essence. Moses teaches us, ““Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God, Jehovah is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4, ESV) Likewise, the Bible teaches us to make a distinction in the plurality of persons of the Blessed Holy Trinity. The Father is a person. The Son is a person. The Holy Spirit is a person. The Father is Jehovah. The Son is Jehovah. The Holy Spirit is Jehovah. Yet, there are not three Jehovahs. There is One Jehovah and three divine persons. Jesus teaches us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19, ESV) There is only One Name, yet there are three persons that are named. Each person of the Holy Trinity is given equal honor, glory, and praise.
No comments:
Post a Comment